2012 Bible Reading Guide

Day of Epiphany, 2012

This year, I am following a unique Bible reading guide that provides seven optional "tracks" to follow through the year. These tracks are geared around the seven basic styles of literature (genres) in the Christian Scriptures.  It is a flexible and balanced way to approach the Scriptures!  See link to "2012 Bible Reading Guide" at www.wcpres.org

You are invited to another journey!

New Creation

1.1.2012 in Sydney, Australia     BBC

The journey is complete! Revelation is God's Story in completion.

20:11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. ¹² I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. ¹⁴ Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

21 ¹ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. ² And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  ³ I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

 ⁵ And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” ⁶ And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life…

^22:1 Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. ² It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit,^[n] with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.

 ³ No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. ⁴ And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. ⁵ And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever...

¹⁷ The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.

Are you thirsty?

Rediscovering Revelation

For a long time I avoided the Book of Revelation.  This was partially because I had become weary of the ways it has been misused. Revelation has been a gold mine for the lunatic fringe (and other not so fringe) who endlessly mine the text for blueprints for the end times, speculations about global conflicts, conspiracy theories, etc. The millions made on books, seminars, and movies bear witness to this uniquely American diversion from reality.

Only recently have I returned to this final book of the Bible with fresh receptivity. It has taken much tutoring from biblical scholars like Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart (in the chapter on "Reading Revelation in How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth), Richard Bauckham (The Theology of the Book of Revelation), and Catholic pastor and scholar, Father Bruce Vawter, in "Revelation: A Divine Message of Hope"-http://www.kofc.org/un/en/resources/cis/cis351.pdf .

With their help, I have discovered a fresh set of lenses for reading The Revelation as the Word of God. Here are some helpful guidelines that help us avoid misusing the text:

I.                   The Revelation is difficult to interpret  Let’s face it! The Book of Revelation, like other apocalyptic literature in the Bible (Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, for example) feels like a foreign language to us. John is speaking of things that are beyond description in human language. He used the tools available to him that were familiar to his hearers, who were literate in the images and symbols of the language of apocalypse.

II.                The Revelation contains three main types of literature

a.       apocalypse- born out of persecution; refers to the end of history, God's cataclysmic intervention and triumph; written (rather than oral), with these literary features:

                                                  i.      strange symbols- for example, beasts, bowls of wrath, etc.

                                                ii.      special numbers-  ex., "7" churches, spirits, lamps, stars, seals, horns/eyes, trumpets

                                              iii.      dramatic dualisms- ex., God/Satan; good/evil

                                              iv.      supernatural tourguides- ex. (see chap 4-5) worship scene, throne, elders, creatures

b.      prophecy- a word from God to the church in the latter part of the first century, in which the prophet is not merely a “foreteller” but a “forthteller,” calling for response

c.       letter- written by the apostle John, occasioned by the needs of specific churches (see chap 1-3)

III.             Exegesis: Understanding the original intent of The Revelation

a.       The primary meaning of the Revelation is what John intended it to mean, which in turn must also have been something his readers could have understood it to mean. Beware of trying to "fit" the content of the Revelation into pre-conceived end-times systems, without reference to John’s original intent

b.      When John himself interprets his images, these interpreted images must be held firmly and must serve as a starting point for understanding. For example:

                                                  i.      son of man (1:17-18)= Jesus

                                                ii.      golden lampstands (1:20)= seven churches

                                              iii.      seven stars (1:20)= seven angels/messengers

                                              iv.      great dragon (12:9)= Satan

                                                v.      seven heads (17:9)= seven hills on which the woman sits/ the seven kings

                                              vi.      the harlot (17:18)= the great city, Rome

c.       When John does not directly interpret the symbols, we must be careful to use interpretive restraint:

                                                  i.      Remember that the original hearers were familiar with apocalyptic images.

                                                ii.      Some images are constant (beast= a world empire); others are fluid (woman=positive image in chap 12, evil image in chap 17)

                                              iii.      Many images may not represent any specific thing (ex. four horsemen= general human fallenness- 6:9-11)

                                              iv.      The visions are to be seen as wholes, and not allegorically pressed to reveal details. Like parables- for impact

                                                v.      Apocalyptic images were not given to reveal detailed chronological accounts of the future.

                                              vi.      When it comes to interpretation, lean is better than luxurious! Where scripture is unclear, beware of being dogmatic. I.e. err on the side of restraint/vss. excess Ask- what can we be sure about?  what can't we be sure about?

IV.             How to read The Revelation

a.       Read through the entire book in a clear, contemporary translation. "Hear" the drama, as if it was a choral-symphonic work. 

b.      Note the historical context:  What do you learn about the author and his readers? Trace the central motif: suffering and dying for the "testimony of Jesus" (1:9; 2:13; 12:11, 7).   John himself was in exile for his faith. Note the phrase, "to the one who overcomes" in the seven letters. At the end of the 1st-century, the church and pagan empire were on a collision course- initial victory will belong to empire; the conflict is going to get worse before it gets better

c.       Note repeated key words, phrases. For example:

                                                  i.      tribulation- what the church is, will continue to endure

                                                ii.      wrath- God's judgment on those who persecute God's people

                                              iii.      "How long, Sovereign Lord?" 6:9-17-  longer, more martyrs

                                              iv.      "Who can stand?"- those whom God has sealed- washed in blood

d.      Note patterns:

                                                  i.      Common features in the letters to the churches in Asia Minor (2:1-3:22)

1.      The assembly's background

2.      The author's description

3.      The approval

4.      The admonition

5.      The appeal  (including a command, and/or a promise)

                                                ii.      Common features of the judgments in chapters 6-16: the 7th of each judgment series are practically identical and seem to indicate finality (thunder, lightning, earthquake, etc), suggesting that the seals, trumpets, and bowls are at least partially concurrent in their fulfillment. This indicates intensification, rather than chronological sequencing.

e.       Note the literary context: how each part /vision functions in the book as a whole:  The following outline of the Revelation

                                                  i.      Vision of the risen Christ (1:12-20)

                                                ii.      Letters to the Seven Churches in Asia Minor (chap 2-3)

                                              iii.      Vision of the reigning Creator and redeeming Lamb (cap 4-5)

                                              iv.      The Seven Seals and Seven Trumpets

1.      Between 6-7^th Seal- interlude vision: those sealed from judgments

2.      Between 6-7^th Trumpet- interlude visions calling church to bear witness in the face of death

                                                v.      Remaining visions, explain/describe the final doom of the Empire (ch 12-22)

f.       Be conscious of your own interpretive presuppositions

                                                  i.      preterist: the position that the message of The Revelation was fulfilled in the experience of the early church

                                                ii.      continuous historical: ….is fulfilled in the ongoing history of the church

                                              iii.      futurist: ….will be fulfilled in a the final generation of Christians on earth

                                              iv.      idealist:  that it gives pictures of the spiritual and theological conflict between good and evil through the ages

                                                v.      combined/ or two-level: ex. Revelation is both a picture of the conflict between church and empire (preterist) and God vs. evil (idealist)

g.      A warning regarding the liabilities of the currently popular American version of the futurist interpretation of The Revelation (Left Behind, etc). Beware of:

                                                  i.      the avoidance of suffering in an affluent environment

                                                ii.      an "apocalypse now!" emphasis in an age of anxiety

                                              iii.      an anesthetic to responsibility in the midst of apathy

                                              iv.      acquiescence to entertainment as alternative to obedience

h.      Don't miss the main point!  Revelation has been written to offer warning, hope, and       encouragement to persecuted believers in the assurance of Christ's past victory (1:18),         present rule (1:5f), and imminent coming (1:7). "To comfort the militant church in its struggle against the forces of evil". Jesus is Lord!

A Credibility Gap

The Church in North America has a credibility problem. Many profess to be “Christian” yet this claim is often contradicted by both in content (syncretism- mixing and matching of beliefs) and character (hypocrisy- lack of biblical love and holiness of life).

How can we tell the difference between genuine followers of Jesus and those who merely profess to do so? How can we discern a credibility gap in our own lives? The Epistles of John were written for this very purpose.

(from The Quiet Time Bible Study: http://www.ivpress.com/bible/1john/ ) “Evidently the letter was circulated among a number of churches in Asia who were threatened by false teachers. These false teachers embraced an early form of heresy known as Gnosticism. They taught that matter was entirely evil and spirit was entirely good. This teaching resulted in two fundamental errors:

A "new" theology. This centered in a denial of the incarnation. Since God could not be contaminated by a human body, these false teachers did not believe God became man in Jesus Christ. Some taught that he merely seemed to have a body, a view known as Docetism. Others claimed that the divine Christ descended on Jesus at his baptism but departed before the crucifixion, a view known as Cerinthianism. This latter view seems to be in the background of much of 1 John.

A "new" morality. These false teachers also claimed "to have reached such an advanced stage in spiritual experience that they were 'beyond good and evil.' They maintained that they had no sin, not in the sense that they had attained moral perfection but in the sense that what might be sin for people at a less mature stage of inner development was no longer sin for the completely 'spiritual' man. For him ethical distinctions had ceased to be relevant" (F. F. Bruce, The Epistles of John [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1978], p. 26).

What intensified this problem was that these false teachers had once been an active part of the fellowship which John's readers were continuing to enjoy (see 2:19). But because their "new" teaching was so contrary to the apostolic truths of the gospel, they had to part company with the faithful. As you can well imagine, those who remained in the true fellowship were unsettled and shaken by the defection of these new teachers and needed to be reassured. But in the process, the others also needed to be exposed for what they truly were—unbelieving heretics.

In order to accomplish both purposes, John provides a series of tests for distinguishing between genuine Christians and those who falsely claim to know Christ. In response to the "new" theology, he provides us with a doctrinal test: What does the person believe about Christ? In response to the "new" morality, he provides us with a moral test: How does the person respond to the commandments of Christ? Finally, he provides us with a social test: Does the person love other Christians?

In fact, John's entire first letter is structured around these three tests, each of which appears in three separate groups, or cycles, in the letter. After the prologue (1:1-4), there is the first cycle (1:5—2:27), followed by the second (2:28—4:6) and third (4:7—5:12). Then in the conclusion (5:13-21) John again emphasizes his theme of Christian assurance.

In view of this purpose and structure, it is important to realize that the contrasts in John's letter are not between two types of Christians but between genuine Christians and those who merely claim to be Christians. For in the words of John Stott: "John's argument is double-edged. If he seeks to bring believers to the knowledge that they have eternal life, he is equally at pains to show that unbelievers have not. His purpose is to destroy the false assurance of the counterfeit as well as to confirm the right assurance of the genuine" (John Stott, The Epistles of John [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1964], p. 52).”

Study questions for the Epistles of John and Jude:

1.    How and why has God come in the flesh?  1.1-4; 2.20-25; 4.1-6; 5.1-12

2.    God is light. Believers live together in a community of light, not in darkness: 1.5-11; 2.28-3.10; 5.13-21

3.    God is love. Believers live together in a community of love, not in malice or unconcern:  2.7-11; 3.11-24; 4.7-21

4.    Evidences of being in fellowship with God:  Look up the “this is how we know’s”-

2.3

2.5

2.18

3.10

3.14

3.16

3.24

5.2

5.    2 John:  Why is the church not to show hospitality to certain persons?

Christ and Culture

Iraqi girl at Christmas mass in Aman, Jordan   BBC

Peter’s letters were written to communities of believers who were experiencing a dramatic tension between their loyalty to the kingdom of God and their historical and cultural context. The culture in which they lived scorned their faith, belittled their morality, and mocked their hope. Yet they are called to live fully into their new identity as a community in Christ:

“…for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

 ¹⁰ “Once you had no identity as a people;
      now you are God’s people.
   Once you received no mercy;
      now you have received God’s mercy.”

 ¹¹ Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. ¹² Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.^” (2:8-11)

Like these ancient believers, we live in the tension between kingdom and culture.

In 1951, Yale professor H. Richard Niebuhr delivered a set of lectures at Austin Presbyterian Seminary that resulted in Christ and Culture, one of the most influential Christian books of the past century (New York: Harper and Row, 1951). Rarely has a single book dominated an entire theological conversation for so long. Niebuhr’s famous “five types” continue to serve as the launching point for most discussions on the interaction of Christianity and culture.                                                                                      

Here are Niebuhr's five "types"...


Christ against culture. Christians in this mode see the world as hopelessly corrupted by sin. They believe that God calls the Church to separate from the world and form communities that reflect the priorities and values of Christ’s kingdom (ex. Menno Simmons; the Amish tradition).                   

Christ transforming culture. Christians in this mode agree that culture is fallen, but that they are called by God to engage society in an effort to redeem and transform it wherever possible. This involves participation in all aspects of culture, including the arts, the professions, education, family life, and government (ex. John Calvin; the Reformed tradition).               

Christ and culture in paradox. Christians in this mode believe they are called to live simultaneously in two worlds—God’s kingdom and man’s kingdom. Both have their respective institutions ordained by God and graced by God’s providence (ex. the Church in one, and human government in the other). Although they are called to live responsibly within the institutions of man’s kingdom, Christians acknowledge that it is deeply flawed and cannot be fully restored until Christ returns (ex. Martin Luther; the Lutheran tradition).             

Christ above culture. Christians in this mode see all that is good in human culture as a gift from God. To be fully realized, this good requires Christian insight and the supervision of the Church in society (ex. Thomas Aquinas; the Roman Catholic tradition).                          

Christ of culture. Christians in this mode see no ultimate conflict between the Church and the culture. The goal is to discern and pursue common ground between the teachings of Christianity and the values of contemporary culture (ex. Ludwig Muller; Germany’s “Culture Protestantism”).                     

To understand Christ and Culture, one must understand Niebuhr’s terms and his context. When Niebuhr says “Christ” he means “Christianity.” When he says “culture,” he is referring to the culture of his own context, which was shaped by a much more homogeneous “Christian” America than ours is today. In our increasingly postmodern world few would acknowledge a single, monolithic entity called “culture.”  Few also would affirm the existence of a single united entity called “Christianity.” Niebuhr’s five types or modes of viewing the relationship between Christianity and culture must not be seen as watertight categories. Many have noted an overlap between two or more modes. None the less, Niebuhr’s five modes still serve as helpful starting points for discussions on the Christian’s relationship to culture.     

For reflection: Which mode best describes your “default” attitude toward the world, and toward people in the world? 

Finishing Well

2008 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR (I was there!)

(based on the Dec 17-21 readings in The One Year Chronological Bible)

My family is a “track” family. Our kids have competed in various track and field events from early grade school through college. We deeply appreciate the joys and challenges of training in such a way as to run and finish well. It is not as easy as it looks!

The biblical book of Hebrews is about finishing well.

“ The author emphasizes this chief concern for the readers—that they finish their faith-race with Jesus Christ gloriously and triumphantly. "Pay more careful attention," the author warns, "so that we do not drift away" (2:1). "Let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it [God's promised rest]" (4:1). "Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity," the writer appeals (6:1). "We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure" (6:11).

After convincingly showing how Jesus Christ meets all of our needs, the writer cries out, "Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. . . . Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful" (10:22-23). "Do not throw away your confidence. . . . You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised" (10:35-36).

The author devotes an entire chapter (11) to draw the readers to the stories of great heroes who finished the race to glory, people like Moses, Abraham, Noah, Jacob and Joseph. These witnesses are summoned to inspire us onward in our own faith-race.

The readers were knowledgeable Jews who had converted to faith in Jesus Christ. The entire scaffolding of the letter is Jewish history, theology and practice. These Jews were old enough in the faith to be teachers and to recall older leaders (5:12; 13:7). They had served one another and had suffered (6:10; 10:32-34). Their city can only be guessed at—possibly Jerusalem, Alexandria, Corinth, Ephesus or Rome.

What is completely clear about the audience is their spiritual peril. They were in danger of reverting to Judaism. The letter is chock full of warnings about it. They were being taunted by Jews as apostates from God and renegades from Moses. They were accused of abandoning their law and forfeiting the Old Testament promises.

So the writer goes to great lengths to prove that Jesus Christ is far superior to everything they had left behind for his sake. In that context, he warns them against neglect, unbelief, disobedience, immaturity and rejection. He stands in the grandstand, as it were, wildly cheering them on to stay on the track, not to quit, and to reach the finish line in the power of Jesus Christ.

Today's readers most likely will not have come to faith in Christ out of such a deeply embedded cultural and religious tradition. But every Christian at some time or other is tempted to quit and to ask, "What's the use?" As problems and roadblocks mount, as faith seems unproductive, as doors slam, we find it easy to think about quitting our personal faith-race.

We also need current reminders about the supremacy of Jesus Christ. There is no stronger enticement to stay in the race than to "fix your eyes on Jesus" (12:2). As the Pioneer of our salvation, he brings us to glory (2:10).”[i]

We run our faith-race in vital communion with God through prayer, by giving God's Word command of our lives, by faithfully worshiping him and loving fellow Christians, and by knowing and serving Jesus Christ better each day as our daily companion, guide and master."

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[i] Quiet Time Bible Study, http://www.ivpress.com/bible/hebrews/

What do we look for in leaders?

Presidential Debate   BBC

(based on the Dec 13-17 readings in The One Year Chronological Bible)

We don’t find job descriptions in the Pastoral Epistles for church leaders. Neither do we find spiritual gifts tests or personality profiles. What we do find is a focus on formation of character and creed. Paul was concerned with developing leaders who knew the Faith (the core content of orthodox Christian belief) and knew how to treat people in their congregations in order to bring them to maturity in Christ.

Listen to words of wisdom from a seasoned pastor and spiritual theologian…

“If we let our imaginations be trained by the Pastoral Epistles when we go to work developing leadership in the community of faith, we won’t be looking for talented people whom we can use. We’ll instead seek nurturing souls who are trustworthy and faithful.

This is miles away from current practice regarding leadership development, and it just might account for the difficulties we find ourselves in. As community diminishes, the frenzy for leadership accelerates, but more often than not, it results in leadership that destroys community by functionalizing people…

Christian community is developed by the Holy Spirit using men and women who are mature in their relationships, who have acquired the habits of the heart that make it possible to live in faith and faithfulness…If we want to develop community in Christ, we need to scrap most of what we’re told today about leadership. Forget about charisma; go for character. As a general rule in selecting leaders for our congregations, go for little people, the ordinary people, the unimpressive people. They aren’t as likely to have been corrupted by the world’s functionalism, and they’re less apt to be identified by their job descriptions. They’re more likely to be mature believers with strong character- not necessarily, of course, but more likely.

Look for “poor in spirit.” Leaders who excite admiration, who energetically get things done, who become advertisements for the vigor of our congregations are useful, to be sure, and we’re grateful for them. But when it comes to developing community, we need a few souls whom love is gently at work, covering a multitude of sins…

We would do well not to be enamored by the kind of leadership that’s so prized by politicians and CEO’s, the kind that’s conspicuous and “effective.” It’s almost always a mistake to recruit exceptional people for leadership. Look for ordinary Christians – which is mostly what we have in our churches anyway – and prize them, value them, and appoint them as leaders.”[i]

For reflection: How does this compare to the ways we identify and affirm leaders in the contemporary church? What would it look like if we focused on character as much as we focus on personality, gifts, charisma, vocational skills, etc. when we look for leaders in the church?

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[i] Eugene Peterson, Conversations: The Message, pp. 1882-3.