December 7 - Acts 20:1-3; Romans 1-3: Jews and Gentiles Always Shared the Same Fate

Today’s Reading: Acts 20:1-3; Romans 1-3

The Message

English Standard Version

Today's reading includes three verses from Acts. I am going to skip them in the summary, since they only tell us that Paul continued travelling while his Jewish opposition followed him.

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Circumcision did not automatically make the Jews acceptable to God. They had to set things right to gain the benefits of being God's Chosen People. Non-circumcision did not automatically make the Gentiles unacceptable to God. They could set things right and be acceptable, too.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Paul to the believers in Rome:
The Prophets spoke of Jesus through whom we receive Life and attempt to spread it to others. Greetings! I want to preach the Message to you soon.
Everyone saw the Truth but chose to ignore it. God allowed them to spiral downward. Someday God's Judgment will come down on you, too, hypocrites!
God blesses and punishes based on actions, not mental understanding. Religion cannot save you; only a changed heart can. God entrusted His Scriptures to His Chosen People.
Only God, the god of everyone, through Jesus sets things right. Chosen People shouldn't boast.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Everyone knows God.

We do not need to tell the world that God exists. Everyone knows there was a Creator because the evidence is so plain. It was "woven into the very fabric of our creation" (2:15, The Message).

The problem is people do not acknowledge God as god.

If everyone knows God why is there such evil in the world? Because people suppress the Truth. When we cover up the Truth we eventually can't recognize it and fall for another truth. In this case it was worshiping the created instead of the creator. In addition, they allowed their willful ignorance of God to cloud their judgment to the point they became "inventors" of evil. God will allow the world to do evil because He will only be served voluntarily.

The Jews thought God was too nice to punish them.

Romans is written in a Gentile vs. Jew format at times. The first chapter (as we split it up) mentioned the Gentiles' wrongdoings. Then Paul rhetorically turns to the Jews and states (I paraphrase), "What are you looking at? You do the same thing. Do you think having a copy of the Torah in your synagogue will prevent God from punishing you? You're wrong—dead wrong." The Jews would not receive preferential treatment just because they were born the descendent of Abraham. God wanted them to set things right.
I find that the Jew-Gentile relationship is very similar to the churched-unchurched relationship today. Churches love to talk about how the culture is becoming more and more evil every year. They love talking about marriages that end in divorce, families that break up, and young people who do bad things. Yet what do we see in churches today? Marriages that end in divorce, families that break up, and young people doing bad things. If we want God to bless us, we must obey Him no matter if we are part of God's Chosen People or not.

God wants cut hearts, not cut foreskins.

Paul's discussion troubles many Christians. In fact, we are often so excited to get to chapter three (no one is righteous) that we gloss over Paul's explanation that those who set things right are acceptable to God, no matter if they have been physically circumcised or not. The cut foreskin was meant to help Abraham remember that God had a Promise with him. His descendants were circumcised to join in that Promise. There was nothing magical about circumcision that prevented God from seeing Abraham's or his descendants' sins. They did not get a pass while the Gentiles were punished for being born Gentile. Anyone who sinned would be punished—no matter if they were circumcised or not. Anyone who set things right would be accepted—no matter if they were circumcised or not.
Is it still true for today? Absolutely! Why do we expect God to now accept only those who are baptized? Remember, everyone still knows God and has no excuse for doing evil. It's still true—God accepts anyone who sets things right, no matter if they have been baptized or not! There is nothing magical about baptism that forces God to reject us before and accept us after.

God gave His Word to His Chosen People.

Then why would anyone want to become a Christian, you may ask. Why not just be a good person? The answer is simple,

So what difference does it make who’s a [Chosen Person] and who isn’t, who has been trained in God’s ways and who hasn’t? As it turns out, it makes a lot of difference—but not the difference so many have assumed.
First, there’s the matter of being put in charge of writing down and caring for God’s revelation, these Holy Scriptures. (3:1-2, The Message)

Christians are God's Ambassadors to the world. We have a personal relationship with the Creator. We know His Name. We are called to tear down barriers between God and the world. We have the assurance that God is with us always. Just like the Jews, we assume the benefits are salvation, community, and wonderful potlucks. We have assumed wrong. The benefits are far greater! Our task is not to sit back and complain about the world becoming more and more wicked or unequal. We are to actively break down the barriers between our neighbors and God by showing them God's Scripture—both in word and deed.

God used Israel's faithlessness to set things right.

This will come up in a couple of days, so I will tease it here and write more on it then.

Jesus died on the cross to set things right between Him and an entire world unwilling to set things right.

We love to take these verses and state that Paul means no one, absolutely no one, does what is right. If this is true, chapter two is wasted papyrus. Paul wants the Jews to realize they were no better than the Gentiles. God accepted them when they set things right, not just because they were His Chosen People. But in the end Paul reminds us that there is no group of people who set things right. Individuals? Maybe. Groups? No. The point is moot anyway because God set things right for the entire world. We can live with God, not because of our actions but because of God's. We don't boast because we are God's Chosen People. We boast because our god is God.

Do you think baptism is magical?

November 25 - Galatians 4-6: Arguing over Religion is a Waste of Time

Today’s Reading: Galatians 4-6

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Jesus brought us into an intimate relationship with God. The circumcision sect wanted to separate the Gentiles from God once more.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Paul continued:
Jesus' Coming made us God's Children, not God's Slaves. Abraham had two sons: one symbolized slavery (Ishmael), the other freedom (Issac). You can either be free in Christ or a slave to the Law.
Religion is meaningless. Only faith expressed in love matters.
Use your freedom to set things right—love others as you love yourself. God's Way makes life worth living.
Whatever you plant you reap. Sow good!
Remember that the circumcision sect doesn't obey the Law, either. Basically, what is important isn't what we do, it's what God's doing.
May Jesus' Blessings be yours.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Now we have something greater than the Law of Moses.

The Law of Moses was the greatest Law that existed. So when Paul writes that something better has come, it is saying more about Jesus than the Law of Moses. Jesus brings us into an intimate relationship with God where the Law kept the people at a distance. It is this reason that the ones pushing circumcision are doing the Galatian Christians a disservice. They value tradition and religion over relationships. They are separating God and the people again. Paul wants to make sure the Galatians do not fall for it.

Paul warned the Gentiles to question their teachers' motives.

Paul wrote how the teachers were looking for dependent students who needed them, not God. They wanted the Gentiles to obey a law they did not obey. Gentile converts would add to the individual Jew's prestige but the Gentile would lose out on a personal relationship with God. Beware teachers who make you dependent on them to understand God. God has made Himself known to the world.
We cannot read this without questioning the goals of our evangelism. Do we want more funding to "teach more people" or are we willing to encourage believers to interact with God independently, regardless of how it looks to us? To suggest they "need us" because no one knows what would happen is to suggest that the Holy Spirit cannot guide and to suggest your religion and traditions are more important than a relationship with God.

Once you accept a law, you accept the entire law.

Paul wants the Gentiles to know that if they want to obey the Law of Moses they cannot stop with circumcision. They have to continue to unclean foods, not mixing fabrics, and all of the other 600+ laws in the Law of Moses. They cannot pick-and-choose their favorite few laws that are easy to do. They have to do it all.
When we call people to become God's Chosen People and join a local church, we need to remind them that this commitment is not to attend worship only when we get together to eat. The commitment is to do everything that the fellowship agrees to do or abstain. The worst thing that can happen is a person come into a church and half-heartedly participate. Either join a church or don't. Once you do, do everything they agree to do. To willingly abstain is to do wrong—in essence, not set things right.

Freedom is meant to help us set things right unencumbered, not stop setting things right.

One of the strongest arguments against freedom in Christ (and freedom in general) is that people would abuse that freedom and do whatever they wanted to do, regardless of the consequences on others. Paul makes sure this is discussed, too. Freedom does not give us the ability to do as we wish. Freedom gives us the ability to focus on setting things right instead of pleasing God with our religion. The Galatians knew how sin hurt a person and their relationships. Freedom in Christ does not include evil. Christ is wholly good. God is wholly good. If we want freedom in Christ, we must be holy, too.

Disputes over religious observances and other religious acts are tedious and not worth our time.

With so much going wrong in this world, spending time arguing over circumcision, baptism, musical instruments, meals in the church building, music styles, teaching styles, etc. are a colossal waste of time. People live in darkness because they do not realize God is calling to them. Disputes over religious observances are wastes of time because God calls us to much higher things than these. When we limit ourselves to observing a law perfectly we miss the opportunity to help set relationships right. In the end, it's not about what we do anyway. It's what God is doing and if we join in His Work.

Do you argue over religion or fight to set relationships right?

November 24 - Galatians 1-3: Don't Force Outsiders to Conform to the Law

Today’s Reading: Galatians 1-3

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

The Messianic Jews (Jews who believe Jesus is the Messiah) wanted the Gentiles to obey a Law they themselves could not obey.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Paul to the Galatian churches:
My authority is from Jesus. Why are you going away from His Message?
God called me, an uber-faithful Jew, to teach non-Jews about Jesus. Gentiles saw God because of me!
Some made attempts to circumcise the Gentiles. We resisted.
Jews had the best rulebook in the world and blew it. We trust in Jesus and aren't going back. Christ died to free us from rules.
Abraham's righteousness came by faith. You cannot impress God through rule-keeping. The Law was meant to guide us to Jesus. Now we have arrived. Don't make the Law separate us.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

The problem in Galatia is the Law of Moses.

… Or Messianic Jews trying to impose the Law of Moses on Gentiles. Paul's message is quite blunt and to-the-point—it didn't make people set things right in the past, so don't force the Gentiles to do it. Paul has quite the résumé when discussing these matters which he will bring out when this issue surfaces in several books. Paul's authority comes directly from God when he tells them to stop focusing on the Law. If Abraham was considered righteous because of faith, so should they. The Law has no place there.
The impetus for having the Gentiles obey the Law comes from a good heart—it was the law given by God through Moses. Lasting over a thousand years, it gave the Jews an identity and one thing to feel proud of. It was the best law ever created. Who wouldn't want to obey the greatest set of moral laws in the world?
Except they forgot one important fact—Jesus came to remove the focus from the Law of Moses to the God who sacrificed Himself to set everyone's relationship right. To focus on the Law was to deny Jesus' purpose in coming to give Light to the world.
Christians must read this section of scripture with the understanding that we are the Jews of the first century. As I mentioned before, Israel's problems came from generations of people not taking God seriously—wanting the blessings of being God's Chosen People but not the responsibility of being lighthouses to the nations. Christians, especially those who grew up in multi-generational Christian homes, need to understand that the world does not see Christianity as a group of God's Chosen People setting things right. They see Christianity as judgmental groups of law-abiding citizens who can't keep their own members faithful to their god. If we want to help others set their relationships with God right we cannot add on the "oughts" that Christians expect—corporate Bible study, corporate worship, correct theology, etc. It doesn't work for Christians. It won't work for non-Christians, either. This isn't to say corporate Bible study, corporate worship, correct theology, etc. are bad or that we should stop doing them. Good people with good hearts believe being part of a church and doing all of these things helps set relationships right. Just like the Law of Moses, churches provide the best mechanism for setting things right. However, they are not essential to every person in the world having their relationship with God set right. To teach that they are is to negate Jesus' Purpose for coming.

Paul wants to keep the peace.

Yesterday we read how Paul had Timothy circumcised so they could enter synagogues without causing problems. Today Paul recounts how he did not openly flaunt his work with Gentiles when he returned to Jerusalem. As much as Paul wants to help Gentiles set their relationships right with God and keep their freedom from the Law of Moses, he also wants to live in peace and harmony with the Jews. He challenges the Pharisees and Peter in the open, since he wants them to live out the Truth they teach, but he doesn't parade freedom in Christ in front of the people who want to obey the Law of Moses. Before boasting of what God is doing, remember that God prefers right relationships over right mindsets. Don't try to get someone to agree with you and miss God. That defeats our purpose as His Chosen People.

We cannot impress God with our righteousness.

Undergirding the problem with imposing the Law of Moses on Gentiles is the belief that God wants to be impressed with how much good we do. Paul is clear: we can never impress God with our righteousness. The reason is two-fold: we can never be wholly righteous and God, through Jesus, has already done it. The first time is impressive. The second merely follows the trend. If we cannot impress God with our goodness, what does God want? God wants us to impress Him with our trust in His Way. We do that by accepting His Spirit, His Baptism, and His Life. When we allow Him to work in us we no longer focus on law, what to do or not do, and "us" vs. "them". We want to set things right with everyone because that's how God is! We want to be heirs of God's Way of Life because His Way blesses everyone in the world.

The Law was meant for us to realize we do not have a right relationship with God because we do not measure up to His Righteousness.

You might consider the Law the list of things God would not put up with. Although God prevented His Chosen People from terrible fates, the Law could not make a person holy. Why would God do such a thing? God wanted to make sure we understood that we do not measure up Him. We do not deserve a relationship because we do not set things right. Instead, God came and set our relationships right by being the sacrifice that covers what separates us. He came to humans when humans were the ones keeping us apart. There is no amount of religion that can teach people to live a life worthy of that honor. Only trust in Him will do it. How awesome is our God!

Do you teach setting relationships right or being religious?

November 23 - Acts 15-16: On Circumcision for Gentiles, Disagreements, and Joy in Jail

Today’s Reading: Acts 15-16

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Obeying the strict ordinances of the Law was no longer the only way to set your relationship right with God.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

A hotly-contested debate broke out over circumcision for Gentiles. Peter reminded them that God had not required Law-obedience from the Gentiles in his past experiences.
James wrote to encourage the Gentile Believers.
Paul and Barnabas split over a disagreement about taking John Mark on their second journey.
Timothy joined Paul's travelling party in Lystra.
The congregations grew.
Lydia became a Disciple. Paul and Silas sang in prison while on trumped-up charges. The jailor asked how to be saved. He and his family became Disciples.
The next morning Paul forced the city leaders to escort him out of prison.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

The Gentiles were never expected to obey the Law of Moses.

The Law of Moses was intended for the Jews to set all things right. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect on Israel. This is the reason God chose the Gentiles to join the Jews in being His Chosen People. The Jews, especially the Pharisees, saw the Law as inseparable from being God's Chosen People and tried to push their Law on the Gentiles. Fortunately, Peter stepped in. His admonition is wonderful—God never required circumcision to the people He poured out his Spirit to, so why should the Gentiles be circumcised to obey the Law of Moses? God gave His Approval, why should God's Servants change His Plan? The purpose of circumcision was to help each person realize that God called them to be lighthouses to the nations. The Law of Moses was never intended for the Gentiles. It had too many laws and regulations. When baptism took circumcision's place, the Jews were not willing to give it up and provoked a large controversy.
We have a very similar situation today. There are many who reject the "institution-centered" view of much of American Christianity. American Christians, on the other hand, want outsiders to become insiders before officially joining their congregation. We want them to get out of harmful relationships, go through training classes, and know exactly the right theology before they are baptized. We must remember that the church was built for people, not the other way around. Remember: churches are meant for God's Chosen People to have a group to join them in setting all things right. This is why James' letter is so important—it helped set a standard with which to measure what we want to bind on others. We should not bind "church-y" things on them. What those are depends on where you live and your culture.

Paul was very hard-set.

Remember John Mark. We will read about him again in a few weeks.

Paul and Silas continued to praise God even though they were in prison.

Paul and Silas were beaten and jailed because they messed with the wrong people. They were so upbeat about being worthy of persecution that they sang in their chains. The jailor wanted to become a disciple of Jesus because of their integrity. Praise God no matter what circumstance you are in!

What extra laws do you weigh non-Chosen People with?