Galatians 1.6-9 is the key passage of the book. God chose them through grace, but they were abandoning grace for Jewish customs. Paul wrote one of the strongest warnings in all of scripture here — “anyone who modifies Jesus’s teaching will be cursed.” It’s hard for us to let our own baggage go (our worldviews, preferences, past beliefs, or traditions), but God’s feelings about adding to or taking away from his requirements are crystal clear.
This isn’t the only letter where Paul warns about putting too much stock in traditions. Colossians also addresses this issue pretty clearly, as do sections in I Corinthians and Romans. And it doesn’t matter who’s doing the teaching — even if an angel tries to teach something that modifies God’s plan, they will be cursed. If we view this section rationally, it makes perfect sense. The one who created this plan is the same one who has unlimited power, ability, and intelligence, and who created our planet in a vast universe. Who are we to take issue with anything in God’s word?
Interestingly, Paul also addressed an issue that has existed since the church was established: Christians comparing themselves to others, or judging another’s level of spirituality. A more spiritual Christian would also observe traditions. The specific application throughout the book (2.3-5, 11-17; 3.11-13; 5.1-6) is that adopting Jewish traditions is required to be right with God. A more modern understanding is that we shouldn’t look down on Christians who don’t follow all of the customs we’ve observed for the last couple of centuries. We must be very careful about making judgments of other Christians based on whether or not they observe our traditions in addition to God’s. Galatians refutes the idea that someone who observes more than what God requires is intrinsically more spiritual.
“Don’t compare yourself with others. Just look at your own work and see if you’ve done anything to be proud of” (6.4).
“It doesn’t matter if anyone is circumcised or not. The only thing that matters is this new life we have from God” (6.15).
Does this look familiar to anyone? Yup, it’s an eye chart that your eye doctor uses to test your vision. Can everyone see the top row? How about the second? Third? Fourth? How far down can you go before you just cant see anymore? The letters on the page never changed but, the further away you got, the less clearly you could see things.
But, then comes the good part. The doctor starts adjusting those lenses until your vision becomes clearer and clearer and you breathe that big sigh of relief because you can finally see the whole picture! But, albeit briefly, when they take away the lenses that gave you such clear vision so you can put your glasses back on, things may become unclear again.
As time passes for many, if not most, your vision begins to change again, your eyes start to lose focus, and you have to go back to the Doctor and let him help you to see clearly again. Some may only need a little adjustment because their vision isn’t too far off, while others may feel like they’re starting all over because their vision is worse than it was before!
Well, you visit your Doctor on a regular basis to make sure you can still see clearly. But, after a while you begin to go less and less until one day you can barely see anything clearly enough to even see where you’re going.
So you finally decide you need to go back so the Doctor can get you back on track but, when you get to the office, the door is locked! You don’t understand what’s going on!
You KNOCK yet, no one opens the door for you!
There are others getting the same help you SEEK but, you can’t find anyone willing to help you!
You call and ASK for help but, they just won’t give it to you!
So you start looking around. Finally you see a note on the door. It reads:
“Dear Mr. Smith,
I’m sorry to inform you that I will no longer be caring for you. You knew you were supposed to follow my directions and come back as scheduled to keep your vision on track. Yet, you chose to ignore my instructions and now your vision is so bad you may never see clearly again. From now on you must visit a different doctor to take care of your needs because I am tired of trying to help you when you keep making the same mistakes over and over again by not listening to me. Goodbye and good luck.”
You can’t believe it. Your doctor turned his back on you? Just because you failed to follow his prescription here and there? What do you do now…?
Let me tell you something friends…
THE WORLD IS OUR EYECHART. Things can get fuzzy from time to time. Sometimes so much so that you may feel you can barely see at all.
THE BIBLE IS OUR GLASSES. As long as we focus on it regularly, our vision can stay a lot clearer than it will if we only make occasional visits now and then.
BUT, THE BEST NEWS IS JESUS IS OUR DOCTOR! No matter how many times you make a mistake, as long as you do your best to follow His directions, you will never find the door locked when you need Him.
If you just don’t see things clearly in all directions, make an appointment with the Doctor NOW and let Him take care of your needs.
If you are already a patient, when your vision starts to get a little fuzzy, DON’T WAIT! Go back to the Doctor to get things back in focus as quickly as possible! If you don’t, you may find yourself with an appointment you scheduled for later, but later never comes…
With Christmas on Sunday, thoughts turn to the Christ child, born between 6 and 4 B.C. in Bethlehem. While the baby Jesus is the focus of most of the debate surrounding the innumerable nativity scenes that dot lawns and yards across the United States, His mother, Mary, is a divisive figure in her own right. In his purported “translation” of the Bible, Thomas Jefferson, for instance, left out the story of Jesus’ virgin birth. As with many others, Jefferson disbelieved in miracles. Before IVF, such an unconventional conception would have been unthinkable for the erudite of the Age of Enlightenment. However, some Christian groups today don’t believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. One way that the latter rationalizes their view is to point out that the word translated as “virgin” (almah) can likewise mean a young woman.
There seems to be no reason it can’t mean both “virgin” and “young woman.” Those preoccupied with the debate over the virgin birth of Christ miss the other point of Isaiah 7.14. Aram and Israel threatened King Ahaz of Judah. Ahaz’s fear was palpable. God instructed Ahaz to request a sign to indicate Judah’s deliverance. God told Ahaz that he could even ask for something extraordinary. Ahaz was not a righteous king, but he pretended to be godly here by saying he would not test God. To this, God replied with the words most commonly associated with Jesus: “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel” (NASB). God revealed that this was a sign He would send to Ahaz. Moreover, God would remove the danger posed by Aram and Israel before this child reached adulthood (Isaiah 7.16).
I’ve seen well-intentioned brothers argue that this prophecy can only refer to Jesus’ virgin birth and that we must not permit others to interpret it as referring to a young woman. However, I wonder what good a sign concerning Christ would have done King Ahaz. Ahaz was a historical figure who existed more than 700 years before the birth of Christ. How could a messianic prophecy promise Ahaz that Judah would not fall? The answer is that it couldn’t. Ahaz required immediate fulfillment. In the following chapter, Isaiah documents the event as having been accomplished. Isaiah and his wife had a son, and his birth foretold that the Assyrians would plunder those who opposed Judah (Isaiah 8.1-4). The prophetess was not a virgin since she and Isaiah were married and had given birth to at least one of Isaiah’s children (Isaiah 7.3). Thus, a young woman was the immediate realization of the sign, but a virgin was the ultimate fulfillment.
The sign’s demands tested the faith of Joseph and Ahaz, but Joseph succeeded where Ahaz did not. Ahaz needed to trust God and wait for the sign He promised. But Ahaz sought out the Assyrians and allied with them (2 Chronicles 28.16). Joseph was well aware that a virgin could not normally conceive a child. Therefore, he was going to dissolve his relationship with Mary privately. But an angel announced to Joseph that Mary was carrying a child the Holy Spirit conceived. Joseph believed the prophetic sign from God and acted accordingly. Joseph’s response should be ours today. Rather than quibble over the precise definition of “almah,” we should believe that God means what He says.
Acts 20:22-24 says, “And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
From these verses we understand that the local preacher must learn to trust in the Lord to take care of them no matter what happens in their ministry. We read here of Paul and the affliction and imprisonment he faced in every city. Paul had his priorities in order, he did not wish to save his life, but to lose it for Christ (Matthew 10:39; Galatians 2:20). As a local preacher we may face trials in our ministries, but if there is a trust in the Lord to get you through, then there is always hope.
Notice that Paul says, “Not knowing what will happen to me there…” Another quality we must have as preachers is that we must fully rely on God. Even when we don’t know what will happen to us. Applying this practically, we should rely on God even when we don’t know where our next paycheck is coming from. We must rely on God when we travel overseas to foreign countries. Many in the world react harshly to Christianity and we may not know how they will receive us. Do we trust in God when the world hates us? How will the members of the congregation act when they see a man who puts that much trust in God? It will inspire them to do the same thing. Their trust in God will grow through our example.
There were times in Paul’s life when he had no idea what the outcome would be. Sometimes he did not even know whether or not he would die, but he kept on in the service of the Lord regardless of his circumstances. That is faith, and that is the kind of faith we need as ministers for the church in the 21st century. We serve a God that promises a great reward if we live a faithful life, so there is no reason why we shouldn’t trust in Him the way Paul did.
We also learn from verse 24 that the local preacher must put the Word of God first in life. By doing this, the most important piece of life is given the attention that it needs. Many ministries fail because of a lack of putting God’s Word first. We could never help a local church the way it should be helped without God’s Word. Also, ministers must not fret over the physical. Being so focused on what could happen, or what has happened could cause a train wreck for both the preacher and the congregation. Many ministers are focused on what people want to hear rather than what they need to hear. From reading the writings of Paul we can see that he preached and taught some very difficult topics. As preachers today we need to preach an unadulterated gospel. We should teach those hard topics. We should teach even when we may be the only one willing to stand by the scriptures.
A congregation must feel some growing pains in order to be strengthened. They need to hear the hard lessons and as preachers we need to be preaching to ourselves as well. When we study the Bible, we should be applying the lessons to our lives first. People will not listen to a preacher who is not living what he is preaching.
Galatians is written to a group of non-Jewish Christians. Paul converted them with a simple message: Jesus came to earth to give us grace and immortality. We get that by believing what we’ve heard about him coming back to life and by being baptized into his grace. At some point, Jewish converts infiltrated their church and started aggressively promoting Jewish traditions. They told the Galatian Christians that if they really wanted to be saved, they needed to follow certain Jewish customs. The entire book is both a refutation of that teaching and a dire warning to any Christian who tries to add to God’s requirements.
Jesus’s sacrifice was to free us from this evil world we live in. Romans 8.22-25 says, “We know that everything God made has been waiting until now in pain like a woman ready to give birth to a child. Not only the Earth, but we also have been waiting with pain inside us. We have God’s Spirit as the first part of his promise. So we are waiting for God to finish making us his own children. I mean we are waiting for our bodies to be made free. We were saved to have this hope. If we can see what we are waiting for, that is not really hope. People don’t hope for something they already have. But we are hoping for something we don’t have yet, and we are waiting for it patiently.”
The whole purpose of Christianity is to anticipate Jesus’s return, and help the rest of the world face that day prepared. Paul reminded the Galatians that they weren’t saved by any old human way. The only legitimate source of truth and hope is God.
Jesus loves us and that truth is found all through the Bible. The Bible teaches us to love others like Jesus loves us, but that’s only helpful if we understand the implications.
“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love.”
I John 4.16
Piecing Together Bible Principles
Unnatural? This love calls us to live in a way that’s completely unnatural since it involves living through the eyes of everybody else. It’s the proper placement of “self” on the bottom shelf (John 3.30).
Rejection? In some circumstances, this love may demand the rejection of warm and friendly feelings for the call to act in a Christ-like sacrificial way. That love can prove to be a painful practice at first, but those pleasant feelings of gratitude and joy come when we learn to appreciate what He did first. Our selfless Savior was unbiased in His death for all mankind and that’s difficult to imagine.
Discipline? Love means discipline. When it comes to our personal dedication to the practice of that love, we must be disciplined. When God disciplines us, He means to refine so that we can enjoy a more intimate relationship with Him.
Love Looks Like This
If we wish to love like God we must put others before ourselves. We must call out sin. We must speak boldly in the defense of Him. Love means proclaiming to the lost the message about the God who made Heaven and Hell.
Putting The Summary On Simmer
To love Jesus and to love like Jesus are two connected ideas.
“But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” I John 4.8
You can’t say you love Jesus if you don’t love like He does. You can like Him, and He’ll still love you— but only loving Jesus leads to life after death.
P.S.
Loving someone occasionally means begging them not to make poor decisions, but allowing them to do so. If and when the pleas are ignored, it pains us to see those we love hurt themselves.
P.S.S
The ability to understand and experience emotions of such complexity must be part of our godly imaging. That’s something which is ingrained within all of us.
The doctrines of “faith only” and “once-saved, always’ saved” have done so much to deceive religious people into believing things about the doctrine of salvation that are at odds with the Scripture, which teach that faith without works is dead (Js. 2:17,20,26) and that it is possible to fall from grace (Gal. 5:4; 2 Pet. 2:20-22). Therefore, many of our Bible classes and sermons have emphasized what the Bible teaches on these matters. We want to avoid an unscriptural position.
In the midst of emphasizing that a faith that saves is a faith that obeys, we rightly teach that repentance and baptism is part of saving faith (Ac. 2:38). We teach that baptism saves (1 Pet. 3:21). It washes away sins (Ac. 22:16). It clothes us with Christ (Gal. 3:27). These are just some of the Bible’s truths about the essentiality of baptism.
There is something we must guard against, however, in our properly emphasizing that baptism not only is part of God’s saving plan but is a pivotal part (1 Co. 12:13; Mk. 16:16; Rom. 6:3-4). We must not believe in “baptism only” or “once-baptized, always saved.” Is it possible to adhere to such a view? Perhaps.
A rush to baptism without grasping why it must be done and what must accompany it is insufficient. We read of people being pierced to the heart by the gospel (Ac. 2:37), asking what they must do, being told to “repent and be baptized” (Ac. 2:38), and receiving that word and doing so (Ac. 2:41). Baptism cannot substitute for the total heart and directional change which the gospel calls for (Rom. 6:17).
The thought that baptism is the end of one’s commitment rather than the beginning is incorrect. As thoughtfully and deliberately as we can, we must teach the totality of discipleship (Mt. 16:24-26) and the necessity of counting the cost of discipleship (Lk. 14:28). Sometimes, the newly baptized conclude that since they have done so everything is settled. While baptism coupled with a correct understanding of Scripture does forgive one’s sins, one must begin and continue a walk in the light of Christ (1 Jn. 1:7-10).
Christ’s Great Commission call to His disciples is to make disciples (Mt. 28:19). That includes baptizing them, but also teaching them (Mt. 28:19-20). In our teaching, we need to do all we can to paint Scripture’s complete picture not only of faith but also of baptism. There is no “magic” in the water (1 Pet. 3:21). Its saving ability comes when done by one who makes “an appeal to God for a good conscience.” We cannot leave babes in Christ to flounder without helping them form roots in Him. They need to know that baptism is not the end, but the beginning.
If someone in our directory has been baptized but shows no other sign of commitment, from attendance to involvement, we need to lovingly help them see that they are not spiritually OK (Gal. 6:1). When they die, we cannot preach them into heaven simply because they were properly taught and baptized years or decades ago. The life in Christ is about a “walk” (Eph. 4:1), not just about a moment when they got wet.
Around our house, my wife has pictures with different sayings, like – “In this kitchen we lick the spoon”, “Blessed”, “Gather”, and “Give Thanks”. As much as I make fun of these light-hearted sayings, one of them caught my attention this week. It says:
“In this house we – say please and thank you, never give up, love one another, show respect, think good thoughts, say I’m sorry, give second chances, sing out loud, try to do better, give hugs, are a family.”
I couldn’t help but think about how this not only applies to my personal family, but to my church family as well. Obviously we could take each one of these phrases and spend time comparing them to our church family, but I want to spend time on just a few.
#1: Love one another and show respect.
John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Loving one another is a command from God and acts as a type of evangelism to the world. We should love in this family.
#2: Say I’m sorry and give second chances.
In Luke 15:20-24, we read about this happening in between the prodigal son and his father. In verse 21 it says, “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’”
Not only did the father forgive his son, but he gave him a second chance. Verse 24 says, “For this my son was dead, and now is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to celebrate.”
The church family should be one where we feel comfortable enough to say we are sorry and humble enough to give second chances.
#3: We are a family.
Acts 2:44-47 gives a perfect picture of what the New Testament church family should look like. These new Christians were helping each other, spending time together, and praising God with one another. They were a family, just like we are today.
If you aren’t apart of this family yet, now is the time!
As a free moral agent, Simon Peter had the same capacity for sin as the rest of us. And Peter sinned despite being an apostle. We recall Peter’s most famous blunder on the night of Jesus’ mock trial (Luke 22.60-62). Or perhaps we remember Peter sticking his foot in his mouth on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17.4-6). But there was another occasion on which Peter’s fallibility demonstrated itself. According to Galatians 2.11-14, Peter allowed his fear of the Judaisers rule his heart and stopped associating with Gentile Christians:
“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For prior to the coming of some men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and separate himself, fearing those from the circumcision. The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, ‘If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?’ (NASB)”
Paul labels Peter a hypocrite. Remember how Paul reminded Peter that he lived as a Gentile rather than a Jew, referring to his life in Christ, in whom we make no such distinctions (Galatians 3.28). Indeed, a hypocrite is someone whose true character contrasts with the image he presents to the world. And unfortunately, Peter was guilty of doing such at the moment. Peter didn’t want the Judaisers, a zealous sect of Christians who believed Gentiles should first convert to Judaism before becoming candidates for Christian conversion, to know he had no problem freely associating with Gentile Christians. He preferred instead to maintain the charade of one whose first allegiance was to Moses’ Law.
When we allow fear to rule our hearts, we make poor decisions. Peter should have considered the role of fear in his past failures. Fear caused Peter to sink instead of walk on water as he had done for a few steps (Matthew 14.28-30). Peter took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the boisterous waves, exacerbating his fear rather than alleviating it. Fear drove Peter to deny the Lord three times before the rooster crow because he feared the consequences of admitting he was the Lord’s disciple rather than accepting the repercussions of that admission (Mark 14.31). But God does not want us to be concerned about what might happen. Instead, he desires that we put our trust in Him, cast our cares on Him, and make decisions that glorify Him. And once we develop perfect love, it casts out such fear (1 John 4.18).
But did Paul have to rebuke Peter publicly? Yes. Peter had sinned publicly. There was no point in following the guidelines provided by our Lord to take such an erring brother aside privately (Matthew 18.15-16). Plus, Paul knew his judgment sound by having also received the revelation of Jesus Christ. Peter’s sin was spreading itself as cancer among the brethren of Antioch (cf. 1 Corinthians 5.6-7). Had Peter’s choice affected him alone, that would have been one thing. But Peter had a position of influence. He was an apostle. Therefore, he influenced other Jewish Christians to act hypocritically, including Paul’s future missionary journey companion, Barnabas.
Did Peter resent Paul for so doing? I don’t imagine anyone enjoys having another rebuke him. Though referring to persecution, the Hebrews’ writer nonetheless says discipline can be painful. Despite this, a Christian understands that discipline trains him to become more fruitful (Hebrews 12.11). However, Peter must have known the words of Solomon that the one later favors a rebuker rather than the flatterer (Proverbs 28.23). Peter could, on reflection, appreciate what Paul had done for him. And that Peter bore no ill will for Paul is seen in the fact that Peter refers to Paul as a “beloved brother” in 2 Peter 3.15.
Thus, Peter teaches us by example both positive lessons worthy of emulation and types of behavior we need to avoid, such as in Galatians 2. We should not allow our fear of what others think or our esteem for others to cause us to deviate from the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. And Paul teaches us that when someone sins publicly, and we know this because of God’s Word, we should nip that error in the bud since sin will act as leaven, permeating the body of Christ.
Acts 20:19 says, “serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews.” Paul “served with humility.” As great a man as Paul was, he served (douleuo – ministered to others as if he were their slave). His service is described with three genitives: With all humility (Philippians 2:3), with tears, and with trials. So all of this could be summed up as Paul served with humility, and stayed faithful through trials. Once again we can tie this back to the local preacher, as preachers are put in a position to serve the congregation and to stay faithful to them. Many preachers can become very haughty because every single Sunday they have people telling them how incredible their sermons are. Preachers must constantly keep in mind the humility that they should be practicing (John 13).
The local preacher should not shy away from teaching that which will help the church. Acts 20:20 says, “how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house.” Herbert Agar once said, “The truth that makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear.”
People will not always be open to the message that preachers proclaim. But the job is to proclaim all truth to the congregation. We also learn that preachers should be vocal about the Gospel. Notice that Paul said “…in public and from house to house.” The word used for “shrink” in this verse is upostello and means to “shrink from and avoid, implying fear.”
The local preacher is to make no exclusions as seen in Acts 8:21 which reads, “Testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul preached the Gospel to everyone! He knew what they needed and gave it to them. One way we can put this into perspective is to make a parallel between how we treat others, and how God treats us. As humans, we can sometimes show partiality. Whether it is because of someone’s personality or how they treat us, we tend to avoid those types of people.
What if God treated us this way? We know from Romans 5:8 that God sent His son to die for us “while we were yet sinners…” God did not, does not, and never will show partiality to anyone. Paul proclaimed to both Jews and Gentiles. The Jews at this time did not get along well with the Gentiles at all. Paul puts that aside and shares the Gospel with them. Romans 10:12 says, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him.”
This all applies to the local preacher today. There should never be partiality shown to different members by the preacher. Even more than that, there should be no partiality shown to those outside of the Church! Yet we see that so much in today’s culture. The Gospel is what people need, so he must never let partiality stand between a soul and eternal life.
Ephesians 1.3 says, “In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” What does that mean? We hear “spiritual blessings” and might gloss over it as another Christianese phrase. Here’s a short list of what those spiritual blessings are.
1.4 — God chose us before Christ made the world.
1.4 — He chose us out of love to be his special people.
1.5 — He chose us to be his own children through Jesus Christ.
1.6 — God gives grace liberally.
1.7 — We are free because of Jesus’s sacrifice.
1.7 — We have forgiveness because of God’s grace.
1.8-9 — God told us how we can get that grace. He didn’t set up a system that we would have to look super hard for, he made sure to preserve the information needed to find him.
1.10 — He is bringing the heavens and the earth together through Jesus.
1.12-13 — He made grace available to every country on earth, not just one group.
1.13-14 — He gave us his spirit as a downpayment on our reward.
While we won’t fully appreciate these spiritual blessings until later (Paul says these riches are “too great to fully understand” in 3.8), we’re still extremely grateful that God has done so much to give us hope for eternal life.
The book of Ezra begins by referring to God’s Word by Jeremiah’s mouth. That fulfillment was so important to the Jewish people. The Jews clung to the hope offered by Jeremiah, who foretold, “When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. ‘I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile'” (Jer. 29:10-14). God planned to bring them back, and the fellowship and relationship would be restored. Daniel confidently rested his hope in this promise near the end of his long, fruitful career as a prophet, reading in Jeremiah’s writings the hope and promises once the 70 years was accomplished (Dan. 9:2).
Ezra’s writings chronicles the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s promise, and the start of the Restoration Movement that commenced near the end of the 6th-Century B.C. The Persian emperor, Cyrus, comes to power in 539 B.C. and, acknowledging Jehovah’s power and authority, issues a proclamation to the Jews allowing all who were willing to return Jerusalem and Judah to rebuild the temple (1:2). The door to return was now open! According to Ezra 1, what did it take for the people to begin this massive rebuilding project?
Favorable Government (1-4, 7-11). Babylonian rulers were not going to allow this to happen. But Daniel (Dan. 5) chronicles the overthrow of Babylon by the Persians (also read the book of Nahum for the prophecy of this). Cyrus the Great forms the first Persian Empire, also known as the Achaemenid Empire, in 550 B.C. An extremely significant archaeological find, “The Cyrus Cylinder,” is a clay document issued by Cyrus The Great confirming the truth of the biblical account we read here in Ezra chapter one. He permits the return and the rebuilding of the temple, and he encourages Jews everywhere who are not returning to financially support this exodus and the cost of rebuilding. No doubt, the Jews could appreciate this unprecedented granting of human rights by that world empire. They had not had such freedom for decades.
Willing Builders (5). We will read more about the pioneering pilgrims of the Post-Exilic project in chapter two, but the text here says that heads of households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose. They were passionate about rebuilding, as God desired, and they were willing to leave Persia and go back home. Many of the Jews deported to Babylon and living in exile had established roots in their new nation, having children and grandchildren, homes and businesses they did not wish to leave. But others had been longing and praying for the opportunity to return.
Support From Brethren (6). The Jews who did not return sponsored and facilitated those who wanted to go back. They “encouraged” them with silver and gold, goods, cattle, and valuables in addition to their freewill offerings. That, with Cyrus’ release of the temple furnishings (8-11), equipped the returnees with the financial ability to do the work of rebuilding.
Divine Providence. Something Cyrus acknowledges (3) reinforces that God was always in control, working through time and events to accomplish His overarching purpose. This post-exilic movement was part of His grander plan. Daniel writes about it in Daniel 2. God was working toward establishing that “kingdom which shall never be destroyed” (2:44) in the context of human history. The Persian Empire was a link in that omnipotent chain. It required the Jews to go back home and rebuild the temple and resettle in the land until ultimately the Messiah would be born.
While these events happened in history over 2,500 years ago, there is so much application for us today. We still live in a time and place where government has given us the religious freedom to build for God. We’re not primarily interested in literal edifices and buildings. We’re charged with growing that spiritual kingdom Daniel foresaw, the church. That requires children of God who will roll up their sleeves, hungry to do the work of restoration. It requires children of God lending financial support of that work. It also requires us to be alert to God’s providence, to “work together for good” (Rom. 8:28) in accomplishing His will through our building efforts. How long will that window of freedom be open? It may become much harder to fulfill the Great Commission if and when those freedoms are ever revoked. Perhaps we should appreciate anew Jesus’ admonition, “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest” (John 4:35)!
Have you ever gotten something—maybe a piece of appliance or a new faucet that you needed to assemble or install—and it seemed too simple? You see all of the pieces that came in the box, and you recognize all of it and their functions. Maybe, because it looked so simple and straightforward, you overestimated your ability to put it together and went straight into installing it by yourself without reading the manual. What happens usually? Well, if you’re lucky (or just that skilled), you may do it just right. But most times you either get stuck and eventually are forced to read the manual anyway, or you think you installed it correctly but actually didn’t do it all that right. Whatever the case is, there are times in our lives when we may have foregone the instruction manual because they are tedious or you think you know the steps, only to find out soon that there is a good reason why the instruction manuals are included with the product!
Even the simplest looking assembly comprised of just a few steps can quickly become quite intricate if there are specific order and method to the process. And if one, out of the abundance of their self-confidence, refuses to read the manual for that crucial piece of information, the process can be very frustrating indeed. Maybe you’ve had to witness someone stubbornly try to put together or operate something without first reading the manual for it.
I’ve heard people describe the Bible as an instruction manual for life. Although this is an oversimplification of the Word of God, I think we can agree for the most part that the Bible contains instructions and concepts that directly impact our lives—both physical and spiritual. We should not develop a dysfunctional view of Scripture as a mere checklist of things to do to get a passing grade to get into heaven, but we should also recognize that the Bible as a whole is a guide for us to internalize as we navigate this life.
The Bible and its contents are profound yet simple, and everyone can understand it. Logically speaking it must be so, because throughout Scripture there is a consistent expectation for the people of God to study and understand the laws (in the Old Testament) and the teachings of Jesus Christ and his apostles and disciples (in the New Testament). We know that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (II Tim. 3:16-17). The gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). The doctrines, precepts, principles—all of these things contained in Scripture both Old and New Testament are there for us to read, to understand, and to let impact our lives in a meaningful and transformative way.
Now then, how are we to do so without examining the book? The Bible may not be as simple as a checklist of things or like an instruction manual for some furniture assembly, but we cannot deny the reality that it contains guidance that we need for our navigation through this life into eternity. It would be foolish and inefficient at best for us to recognize such a fact but still fail to read it and study its contents. Do not be stubborn and try to go through life without the guide revealed to us by the very Creator who is the source of life itself. Make sure to foster that need to meditate on God’s Word regularly.
It is likely that after learning of the importance that both Jew and Gentile bring to the church, members of the cosmopolitan church in Rome began to wonder what role they should play individually within the church. As a result, Paul addresses this issue in Romans 12. It may be helpful for those of us living in the twenty-first century to think of it as deciding on a career path. First, we can consult a few available vocations within the church to predict our aptitude for it. Then, we can use these guidelines to figure out where we fit in the Body of Christ.
“Prophecy” is the first vocation Paul lists (Romans 12.6). The Greek word for “prophecy” means speaking God’s mind and counsel. Initially, this referred to the Holy Spirit’s inspiration to reveal God’s truth. Today, the closest thing to prophecy is preaching—expounding on God’s Word without direct inspiration. Of course, the Holy Spirit is still very much involved in this process, but today’s prophet finds His inspiration in the pages of Scripture.
The second option for church vocation, called “ministry” by the KJV, means “to serve” (Romans 12.7). This term refers to people who have been qualified and appointed to serve as deacons. However, the Holy Spirit also uses the word to describe the actions of non-office holders within the congregation. These devote themselves to serving their brethren. Paul uses this word in this context to highlight the devotion of Timothy and Phoebe (2 Timothy 4.5; Romans 16.1-2).
The third church vocation is “teacher” (Romans 12.7). The word “teach” means “to make another learn” when taken at face value. A more comprehensive range of applications is possible with this interpretation. For example, one can be Priscilla and do this privately, as she and her husband Aquila did for the ignorant Apollos (Acts 18.26). It can be an older woman mentoring a younger woman (Titus 2.4) or an appointed male leader of a Bible study (James 3.1).
A fourth possible church vocation is the “exhorter” (Romans 12.8). According to Joseph Henry Thayer, the Greek word for exhorting combines the ideas of exhorting, comforting, and encouraging. Barnabas is an excellent example of someone who publicly exhorted. In Acts 4.36, Luke says the apostles called him “Son of Encouragement.” The word “exhort” derives from the same root as one of the titles given to the Holy Spirit: the Paraclete or Comforter (John 14.16). Although this position is not a formal church office, it carries a certain air of importance in its association. What congregation does not need a bevy of Barnabases?
A fifth possible church vocation is limited to a select few, the role of “giver” (Romans 12.8). Giving in Greek refers to someone sharing their possessions with another. Only those who are financially well-off could take on this role. We cannot afford to be like the wealthy young ruler if God has blessed us with the ability to give. The rich young ruler was willing to do anything to be obedient, short of selling his possessions and donating the proceeds to the poor (Luke 18.22-23). His heart sank when he realized he would have to give up his possessions. When we give up control to God, we give up everything, including our money.
The sixth church vocation Paul lists is an official office within the local church: “leadership” (Romans 12.8). The term “leadership” refers to someone who protects, guards, and assists others. It has specific qualifications that Paul provides to the young preachers, Timothy and Titus, elsewhere (1 Timothy 3.1-7; Titus 1.5-9). However, younger men should be mindful of this as a role into which they can grow as they mature in the Lord. Not everyone, regardless of their willingness, can serve in church leadership. Once granted that grace, however, such men must be diligent in their service.
The seventh and final church vocation Paul gives in this short list is one that shows mercy (Romans 12.8). I could understand one feeling confused by this being a role one can fulfill, given that we must all be merciful (Matthew 5.7). To have mercy on or pity for another person is the meaning of the underlying Greek term from which we derive our English word “mercy.” However, when you dig to the root word, you discover the intimate connection between mercy and compassion. Joseph Henry Thayer translates the “mercy” in Romans 12.8 as “to succor the afflicted, to provide help to the wretched.” When Jesus looked out at the crowds, compassion often overtook Him (cf. Matthew 9.36). So, just as with the exhorter, the one showing mercy likewise assumes a role closely resembling one of the characteristics of God.
In Romans 12.3-8, Paul enumerates the various ways in which Christians can serve the church, illustrating the diversity of the body of Christ. How do we know which role (or roles) fit us well? Make the most of the numerous educational opportunities available in teaching, preaching, evangelism, etc. You can also “shadow” more seasoned brothers and sisters as they go about their daily routines. Even if you try something and realize you’re not good at it, you’ll gain insight into the work of others and their struggles.
Don’t be too nervous to try something new or give up after a couple of tries if it doesn’t work out. It’s possible that lack of experience, rather than talent, is to blame for setbacks. Instead, give your all in every way you can. We won’t know what we’re capable of until we put in the work. It’s possible that others would better grasp our relative strengths and limitations than we would. When we prioritize our own sense of worth and confidence over listening to and learning from those around us, we risk letting our pride get in the way. Also, younger Christians can gain a lot from listening to and following the counsel of their more seasoned counterparts.
In closing, let us be mindful of Peter’s words in 1 Peter 4.11: “…whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever” (NASB). There is much work to be done. The sooner we discern our role in the body of Christ, the better off the church will be.
Acts 20:18 says, “And when they came to him, he said to them ‘You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia…” The apostle Paul gave of his time to the church. If a preacher doesn’t give his time to the church, then he is doomed to fail the congregation.
What is a preacher that does not give of himself? First he is selfish, and secondly he is not treating the Bride of Christ with the respect and care needed. Notice that Paul says “the whole time,” not just “most of the time” or “some of the time.” Paul was fully devoted to those in Ephesus. He was a man that was church-minded. This was a man that showed focus, and likewise we must show this focus and determination to make the church as strong as it can be. A proficient preacher proffers personal time for others. It takes a selfless person to give up time for the brethren.
Paul uses the Greek word epistamai which means “to acquire information about something, know, be acquainted with” (BDAG 380). Paul knew for certain that the elders knew who he truly was. The same must be true for the preacher and the congregation. So what does this mean? This means as ministers we must be transparent. The elders should know what we are doing to help build and strengthen the church, and so should the members.
When it is all boiled down we see that a minister, in the most simplistic of terms, is to be a servant. He should be a servant of others in the church, and most of all he should be a servant of God. If the preacher is not a servant and is not setting that example then how are the other members in the congregation supposed to look up to him and follow him? Will they be servants? Most likely they will follow the example of the minister. We, as ministers, in many cases set the standard. We can inspire, or we can harm the church. One thing we should never forget is that our influence and example can be some of our best tools. Are we excited about God’s word and work? We should be showing that and lighting the fires of every member in the church.
Work Cited:
Bauer, Walter. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, edited by Frederick W. Danker, et. al., Third Edition, U of Chicago Press, 2000. Logos Bible Software, 13.0, Faithlife Corp, 2022.
Lived on the border of northern and southern kingdoms
The North was ruled by Jeroboam the 2nd who brought wealth and prosperity to the people
What Are His predictions?
Warning Israel, Judah, Benjamin and all nations of a coming destruction described as “the Day of the Lord.”
What Was His Purpose?
He about the oppression of the poor, sexual immorality, greed, and corrupt government In the Northern kingdom
The wealthy Israelites had become apathetic and spiritually lazy
SIMPLE CHAPTER BREAKDOWN
1-2 messages to the nations and Israel
3-6 poems expressing the message to leaders and people
7-9 God’s judgment is explained
SKY HIGH SNAPSHOTS
The 9 chapter book spends time circling the surrounding nations and pointing out their evil. He starts with the nations furthest away from the people and works his way closer to the target, the Northern tribes.
Amos expresses God’s anger towards Damascus, Gaza, Ammon, Moab, Edom, and even Judah
Finally, the primary audience is shocked to hear that they (Northern territory) are the source of God’s anger as well
Top 2 Practical Lessons From The Book
Our lives will also be lessons for future generations. When they look back they will either say,
“we ought to live as they did” or
“we ought not live as they did.”
PLUGGING IT IN
“WHAT DOES GOD NEED FROM US?”
God needs more fig tree farmers. He needs community preachers in the form of plumbers, school teachers, electricians, nurses, surveyors, dentists, accountants, mechanics, and engineers.
We need more preachers. It’s more common than it was, but there’s a great need for gospel preachers in the LORDs church. Amos spoke for God, but he was in the minority.
We need more elders. Great elders are rare. It’s been said and proven to be true, “The church will never outgrow the shadow of her leadership.”
We need more seriousness. Not more piety, not an immovable allegiance to man’s tradition, more people who take their God seriously.
Amos in a sentence:
“Service does not mean salvation if our service is not from the heart.”
Real faithfulness means worship that is holy— not habitual. He wants committed people, not costume parties. He wants our attention to be placed on our purity, not our performance.
Many of us were startled by an automatic alert sent to our phones last Saturday morning, alerting us of potential violence and danger in our usually serene city. The reason was a planned protest and counterprotest, a racially-charged event centering on a horrible incident that happened almost seventy years ago in another state. Predictably, it stirred up some division and exposed extreme and racially-prejudiced views from some.
The world prefers to keep people divided on the basis of race, gender, political affiliation, and the like, and uses such tools as identity politics (Brittanica defines this as “political or social activity by or on behalf of a racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender, or other group, usually undertaken with the goal of rectifying injustices suffered by group members because of differences or conflicts between their particular identity or misconceptions of their particular identity and the dominant identity or identities of a larger society”) and tribal alliances. Subject to human biases, emotions, and subjectivism, easy to misjudge and assume others’ motives and intentions, it becomes a massive roadblock to oneness and unity.
But we would expect no less from the world. Who is the prince and ruler of this world? He is a murderer (John 8:44), a devourer (1 Pet. 5:8), a sinner (1 Jn. 3:8), and a deceiver (2 Co. 11:3,14). Chaos, disorder, and division serve his purposes quite effectively.
In the midst of such mayhem, the Lord has the church in this world to be a beacon and light (Mat. 5:13-16). What an opportunity we have in the midst of the world’s divisiveness to show a people united on the foundation of truth, regardless of our race, background, education level, economic strata, or any other way the world wants to divide us. We won’t compromise the eternal truth of God’s Word, but we will stand together on that even however difficult or unpopular. We will live by 1 Corinthians 1:10, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” We will honor His objective and follow His blueprint to achieve it.
When an onlooking world gets a glimpse of us in action, red, yellow, black, and white, working in love, harmony, and acceptance of one another, they will find an alternative to the world’s hate. When they see the poor esteemed and accepted as much as the well-to-do (Js. 2:1-8), they will see a bright alternative to a cold, status-conscious world. If the church will be the church, we can help the world–one searching person at a time. But the world will always be the world. We should not expect them to show us the way to be one. Their ruler wants chaos. Ours wants peace.
Joshua, at the end of his life in Joshua chapter 24, summons all the tribes of Israel and their leaders to Shechem. He reminds them of their journey as a nation so far, what all God has done for them since the days of their forefathers, and everything God has done for them from Egypt until that present moment. Starting in verse 14, Joshua calls the people to fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness and to put away the gods beyond the River and of Egypt.
Joshua issues a challenge to the people, that if it’s evil in their eyes to serve the Lord, to choose that day whom they will serve—whether the gods beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites whose land they conquered. As for Joshua and his house, they will serve the Lord. Israel answers, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods” (v. 17a). They review what they have seen and what they know that God did for them since bringing them out of Egypt. Joshua continues to challenge their response. They respond the same way: “No, but we will serve the Lord” (v. 21). Joshua once again warns them, that by renewing this covenant, they are becoming witnesses against themselves. The words they say are weighty; it is nothing to play around with. The moment they choose God, that decision comes with accountability and responsibilities. Israel answers, “We are witnesses” (v. 22).
This scene of unity as the entire nation of Israel come together to answer their calling to serve God is incredible. Just imagining all of those people coming together to renew their covenant relationship with God is a chilling image, in a good way. However, the other side of this story, the part that makes this scene a tragic one, is the reality of their eventual disobedience and apostasy. Just a single page after this part of the Bible, we know what begins to take place in Judges. Israel’s continual downfall as they constantly forget their God and stray towards other pagan gods of the peoples they failed to drive out as God commanded them.
Reading this interaction between Joshua and the people of God and knowing what takes place shortly after makes us wonder: how many people in that crowd that day were truly zealous for God?
We do not do faith alone; Christianity was designed by God to be something that we share with each other and with those around us. However, it is also a double-edged sword in that we as participants of this faith journey can mistaken other’s zeal for our own. When things are going well and you see work being done, it is easy for our emotions to get heightened. And there is a sense in which we need to promote that kind of synergy among the members of the Body in all that we do. However, boil it down to the core. At the end of the day, we are accountable for what we do individually. As difficult as it is, we have to constantly challenge ourselves and ask: “Is my faith truly mine? Is this zeal for God that I feel truly my zeal for Him—or is it a momentary passion that I feel vicariously through others?”
It is a dangerous thing, living vicariously through others. Passion in the hands of others does not do much good to us in the long run. The same goes for faith. I wonder just how many people among the number that was present there when the covenant was renewed were truly zealous for God. And I wonder how many in that number was just saying the right things, looking the right way, and just went along with the flow. Feeling the passion and the emotions around them in that moment, mistaking it for their own zeal for God. Living vicariously through others is dangerous for obvious reasons, but it is harmful in that it is deceiving. The deception is that the congregation’s overarching atmosphere, culture, and zeal can replace one’s own true desire for God. Personal zeal for God requires real work, effort, and endurance.
Let us never become a people who lives vicariously through others’ faith. Rather, let us individually be producers and workers for the kingdom, that when we do come together corporately like tonight, the fruits we bear are hundred-fold.
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