Getting a conversation started shouldn't be difficult. When speaking on Sunday, I mentioned that in all of Paul's thirteen letters, which comprise a major portion of the New Testament, he includes the phrase "grace and peace" in his opening words. These two words, in Paul's day, were packed with meaning. They weren't just thrown into the conversation to get things started. 1 Samuel 25:6 (NAS) may best express the expansive meaning of "grace and peace": "Have a long life, peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have." Paul's understanding of "grace and peace" includes health, prosperity, security/safety and spiritual completeness.
So, in this first blog for The Transforming Truth, my desire for those who will read these words is that they will experience the full expression of God's amazing grace and peace.
Part1:
ReplyDeleteAllow me to respectfully respond. I do not know if my perspective is fully aligned with Scripture here and I welcome others showing me where I error.
I would like to hear more of how we can deduce that "Paul's understanding of 'grace and peace' includes health, prosperity, security/safety and spiritual completeness"? If it is based upon 1 Sam and other OT references, we might analyze how the Greek expression/colloquialism differed from that of the Aramaic and Hebrew decades, even centuries, earlier. Can we build enough evidence to suggest the semantics had not changed in the midst of the changing cultures (including myriad invasions and cross-cultural integration)?
Now, we could be speaking of apples and oranges here as those terms are loaded and mean something very specific in a post-modern, materialistic, self-indulged, technologically and recreationally medicated Western "world." What Paul may have meant, even if drawing upon terms employed from antiquity, most likely are greatly disparate from our current understandings and uses for those words. If Paul and our current culture is speaking to and thinking of Maslov's most basic needs then we can probably find common ground. I highly doubt Paul means air conditioned cars with cruise control and a leather interior and air bags and OnStar; three, large meals that exceed daily recommended calorie intake; a large home with ADT security, warm carpeting, insulated windows and motion-sensor lighting; large screen TVs; a minimum of 1 hour of TV a day; lattes and manicures; two vacations a year; holiday seasons permeated in consumerism; speedy computers; vacation days from work and unions and benefits; social networking (notice the hypocrisy that has greatly crept into my descriptions...that is, if I suggest that these things are bad in some manner and thereby incriminating my self as no better than anyone else. Maybe I'm just noting that Paul had a higher calling that we ought to pursue as well); online bill pay; going to the movies; auto insurance and car insurance and fire and water damage insurance; theft protection; etc.; etc.; etc. I doubt Paul meant these things (in terms of health, prosperity, security, and safety).
Part2:
ReplyDeleteFurther, it also might be a challenge to find these as the pinnacle target considering all Paul experienced and the challenges he saw before the early church. He does suggest he can be content in all situations but I don't seem to find his proclivity to be of security and and prosperity. Rather, it seems his burning passion is for running the race no matter the cost and despite prosperity and health and security. His other passion was that the church was secure (in thinking and in action--I do believe I can provide a large bulk of cogent, systematic scriptural defense for this position) and would have longevity (which includes, of course, personal safety). These were his passions. It's hard to imagine Paul's letters to a church today suggesting that peace and grace (in the way we tend to see those played out) be the great pursuit (or any pursuit for that matter) of the body.
All that said, I am open to seeing how an interpretation of Paul's priorities differs from my own novice studies.
Blessings
Thanks for your response. For the purpose of biblical interpretation I think we are better to understand what a particular text meant in its original context. Peace or shalom needs to be considered from the context of the kingdom (or missio...n) of God. When we try to impress our 21st century philosophies (materialism, hedonism and a few other isms) upon the scripture it significantly changes the purpose of grace and peace. Given the Kingdom of God is a spiritual reality which is not yet fully realized, we will see signs of its in-breaking (which will be manifested in healing, provision, protection and spiritual renewal), in our lives.
ReplyDeleteI have chosen to look at scripture through the lens of the kingdom and mission of God, as I believe it best describes the work of God in our world (his-story). People who try to force scripture to support their view of "divine" health, wealth, and other popular teachings ("another gospel") , are merely twis
Previous comment was cut off when I copy pasted it, so here is the full text again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your response. For the purpose of biblical interpretation I think we are better to understand what a particular text meant in its original context. Peace or shalom needs to be considered from the context of the kingdom (or missio...n) of God. When we try to impress our 21st century philosophies (materialism, hedonism and a few other isms) upon the scripture it significantly changes the purpose of grace and peace. Given the Kingdom of God is a spiritual reality which is not yet fully realized, we will see signs of its in-breaking (which will be manifested in healing, provision, protection and spiritual renewal), in our lives.
I have chosen to look at scripture through the lens of the kingdom and mission of God, as I believe it best describes the work of God in our world (his-story). People who try to force scripture to support their view of "divine" health, wealth, and other popular teachings ("another gospel") , are merely twisting scripture to tickle the ears of those who will listen.
Your response does give me pause to consider more carefully my choice of words and their possible cultural implications. Thank you for the input.
Thank you, pastor. I think many a person immediately associates those buzz words--security, safety, prosperity, and health--with the listed items in my response (and many more of course). I think it is even a subconscious, or nonchalant response to immediate link Paul's words to our cultural context, only to do so devoid of correct and careful exegesis.
ReplyDeleteI was in no way suggesting you do this or meant this either. However, I think your final remarks are precisely what is necessary. Teachers and pastors who are very careful with their words so as to not confuse the original meanings of the text. What Paul calls for is actually a great calling, littered with great challenges that us, comfortable Westerners know very little. I appreciate your willingness to do this and thereby shepherd the flock accurately and according to Christ and not the culture.
Essentially, we are both saying the same thing. I fear for those who are not like-minded, however, and probably for little fault of their own (they're a product of their culture where strict and careful instruction on critical thinking and on theology is paramount)
Blessings