PSA Bible Reading Challenge 2023-2024

I remember exactly where I was when it happened.  I was in the parking lot of the hospital listening to NPR and about to step into the hospital for a meeting when I couldn’t turn the radio off.  A plane had hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center buildings.  I was in disbelief.  My brother worked at the Trade Center doing cleaning and his phone was busy.  I walked into the hospital only to see the second tower hit by another plane  There were reports of the Pentagon being struck and an incident in Pennsylvania.  It was a day that none of us who were living at the time will ever forget.  The numbers 9-11 when put together will have a unique meaning which time will not be able to erase.

For over 2000 years the book of Hebrews has inspired and been a source of understanding for people of faith to help them understand what they believe and why they believe it.  It is a heavy book.  It is not for the faint of heart and some of you might have a hard time getting through it.  It is called “Hebrews” because of the implied audience to whom it was written.  You will find as we make our way through the book that there are many Old Testament references and other references of faith which people who grew up in the synagogue and went habitually to the temple would be able to understand.  As a result it is called the Letter to the Hebrews, or people who are Hebrew, or people who came from the tribe of Israel.  We do not know who wrote this book of the Bible.  Some swear it is Paul, but we simply do not know.  I don’t think it was Paul.  I’m very comfortable with not knowing who the author is and settling in with the fact that it is inspired by God.  It is a powerful but meaty book of the Bible.  Settle in as we get started in chapter 1.

The author begins with speaking about Jesus and how he is different from how God has revealed Himself in the past.  In the past God used humans who had the word of God and were called prophets.  In Jesus, God himself came down and was one of us, a human, but was called the Son.  The relationship of the Trinity is lifted up here in a very unique and powerful way.  The Son is said to be the creator of all the world.  Wait, I thought God the Father was that.  Yes, He is.  You see, we believe that God, the Trinitarian God that we know and love, was present and is present from the beginning of creation to today to when the Son comes back again.  This is really important.  We can’t fall into a modalist mentality which believes that each person of the Trinity has had His time and place and they don’t overlap or correspond to each other.  God did not come as the Son in Jesus and that is the only time that the Son is present.  No, He was present at creation as well, not in human form as Jesus, but as God.

I told you it was meaty.  This is important to establish because then the rest of chapter 1 and much of chapter 2 deals with angels and their inferior status to Jesus as well.  The author must have been addressing a theological issue that had arisen in some communities where people thought that maybe Jesus was just an angel, and not really God, not really divine.  The author uses the OT to shoot down any of these theories.  It is important to see how the author uses Scripture to shoot down any kind of theology which might be contrary to our belief.  He doesn’t just say: no that is wrong because I say so.  No, he says that Jesus is above the angels because God called the Son begotten and His throne is forever.  

Let’s talk about angels and guardian angels.  Let me just say that there is no such thing as guardian angels.  I know, some of you will pull up Psalm 91:11 where it states that God will call out his angels to guard and protect us.  But there simply is no Scriptural backing for guardian angels.  It is a cultural construct which people of faith have latched onto because it sure is reassuring.  Sorry, I hate to be the one who steals the candy from the child, but there is no such thing as guardian angels. 

So what are angels?  The term in Hebrew is angelon which literally means “messenger”.  Angels are messengers from God.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4YrCFz0Kfc

Okay, maybe not Jim Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, not those kinds of angels, but those who could be every day people who give us a word when we need it the most and remind us of God’s purpose and our purpose on this earth.  I have experiences of people who have been put in my life, people I did not know, and given me encouragement and the will to go one and I did not know who they were or where they came from.  I was not able to trace them afterwards either.  But it could be people that we do know as well.  Angels are simply messengers from God.  Jesus was not an angel.  He was the Son of God.  He was God.

This is going to be one of a few books of the Bible where we only have one chapter and so this is our only opportunity to speak about the book and speak about the content of the book.  Over history people have assumed that this is about a runaway slave, Philemon, who happens to be caught and is in the same prison as Paul.  Paul brings him to a saving knowledge of Christ and sends him back to his master, Onesimus.  Paul encourages his master to treat him as a brother and that if he is owed any money that Paul would repay him.

I’m not so sure, and since it is not a sure thing, I’m allowed to come up with my own theory, which is based on Scripture, of course.  I see Philemon and Onesimus as being blood and religious brothers.  They are literal brothers and brothers in the faith.  Philemon has stolen something from Onesimus and so was arrested.  Paul encourages Onesimus to forgive him and to receive him back and welcome him as if he were welcoming Paul.  

Paul does use the word slave to describe Philemon, but he also uses the word slave to describe himself in various times in Scripture.  Look at Romans 1:1-15 where we read about his self-description as a slave.  This is not uncommon.  When Jesus washes the feet of the disciples he is exemplifying what it means to be a servant.  He tells his disciples to be servants.  The term is not unusual and it does not need to be taken literally.  This is especially true when over history it has been taken literally and it has served as fodder to support the treatment of those who have been blessed by the sun more than others.

Paul’s final message to Titus who is working hard on the field, is to make sure that the community known as the Way, or Christians, be courteous to everyone.  He appeals to them based upon the fact that we also were disobedient in our lives at one time or another.  But even in our disobedience Jesus came and saved us not because we were good, but rather because of the grace which is displayed in the water of our baptism.  Speaking of baptism, it was a great Sunday as we baptized Paisley Mae Colvin and once again remembered that God chose us even before we could choose him.  She was a perfect example of that.  She was not in any way aware of what was happening to her this morning.  She will not remember her baptism.  But that’s the point, isn’t it?  We are reminded of the Providence of God that He chose us before we had the ability to choose Him.

I love vs.14 which reminds us the following: And let people learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet urgent needs, so that they may not be unproductive.  This is the second time that Paul tells us that we are to be productive.  It is a good reminder for all of us and a good opportunity to recognize that we have a calling that extends beyond what we do on a weekly basis.

I would like you to read Genesis 2:20-24, Ephesians 5:21, and then reread Titus 2:4-5 and see if you notice anything.  They are all teachings on women in Scripture which have been used to keep women in a specific place.  The term in Genesis that I want you to focus on is “helper”.  Now I want you to read this article that gives all the various times that helper is used and in what perspective it ought to be viewed.   

A Suitable Helper (in Hebrew)

Keep in mind that in Ephesians Paul commands that we be subject to one another.  When you read this term in Titus 2:5 it is used in the same way.  We should include, as he does in Ephesians, just as husbands ought to submit to the wives.  This is crucial that we do not just focus on those verses which might make our point and continue this historical path of keeping women down when there is plenty of Scripture which lifts them up eye level.  

There is a lot more to Titus 2, including a troubling remark for slaves to obey and be submissive.  Paul’s point in these verses is that wherever you find yourself and in whatever state, be the best you can be.  That is absolutely applicable although we scream out at Paul and say: Why didn’t you say anything?  You could have saved generations of slaves from crossing the seas since this verse was used so frequently to justify the slavery that plagued our nation.  We can’t really write it off.

Paul then transitions to speak about the glory that we have coming up in our salvation in Jesus.  Look at vs.11 and let me ask you if it troubles you.  “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all.”  Some of your translations may read just: “bringing salvation”.  But this is important.  I believe that Jesus came so that all may be saved.  He didn’t just bring a generic salvation, but rather a universal salvation which some receive and some don’t.  We are not back into predestination, but we do know that not all people choose to embrace the salvation which is provided to them by the grace of God.  There are many who choose to ignore and turn a blind eye to Jesus.  He still died for them and provided salvation for them.  They just choose not to accept it.

It is hard to believe that Little Feat took the place of my post last night…but they did and it was amazing.  What a great band and what a great concert.  Now back to Scripture and playing a little catch up.  We are starting a new book of the Bible.  It is called Titus.  

Paul writes this letter to a co-worker whose name is Titus.  We don’t see him mentioned in Acts, where many of Paul’s co-workers are mentioned, but we do hear about him in some of Paul’s other writings.  We see him mentioned in Galatian 2:3, II Corinthians 8:6, 16-17, 23, 12:18, and II Corinthians 2:13, 7:6-7, 13-16.  We find Paul encouraging this co-worker to not hesitate to plan a church in Crete which is the largest of the Aegean islands.  He basically teaches Titus how to set up a church, correct false teaching and establish the elders.  

On to the first chapter.  Okay, so people didn’t really like Cretans in the day.  In fact, if you wanted to call someone a bad name you would call them a Cretan.  A Cretan is someone who comes from Crete.  Look at the map below and you will find the island of Crete.

You will see that Crete is the largest of the islands of Greece and it was pretty important.  Next to Athens, and we know about Athens, it was very important.  Paul tells Titus in vs.5 that he left him behind so that he could establish and solidify the church.  How do you build up and solidify the church you ask?  I’m glad you asked.

Paul tells Titus the most important thing is not Titus himself.  The most important aspect of the church, any church for that matter and this hasn’t changed in 2000 years, is the strength of the leaders.  The strength of First Presbyterian is found in the strength of the elders.  If we do not have a session that loves each other, that loves Jesus, that is devoted and loyal to the church and to each other, then we will have a weak church.  I would guess, by the way, that the way things are going around here, we have an incredibly strong elder board.  We praise God for that.

As Paul establishes prerequisites for deacons and bishops or pastors in I Timothy 3, so he sets up the ideals that we want for the elders of the church.  Once again, it is a very daunting list, but an important one.  You will always want to have a solid elder body, but especially when you are first starting out a church and need people who are well respected and known within the community.  

I have used this chapter more than any other chapter for funeral services.  If you just block out I Timothy 4:6-8 you will find a great context for leaving people with hope for the passing of a loved one.  Paul is writing and he knows that his work is close to being completed on this earth.  He wants to leave a legacy behind.  The legacy that he leaves behind is the fact that he has pursued his faith as his primary  purpose from the time that he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.  Those are my words but his intent.  If we can all say at the end of our lives that we have fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith we will be doing well.

But there is more to this chapter than funeral cliches.  At the beginning of this chapter he encourages Timothy as he spends his time in Ephesus to proclaim, be persistent, convince, rebuke, encourage.  That is quite a list of admonitions to pursue.  But he really wants to make sure that Timothy succeeds and doesn’t just give up the first negative pressure that he feels.  At the end of the chapter he lists some people who have been a disappointment to him because they have abandoned him.  He points out Demas whom he calls in love with the present world.  What is especially shocking is that he calls Mark “useful” for his ministry.  Do any of you remember Acts 15:36-41?

Take a little time and read it.  Mark was not well liked by Paul in this Scripture.  In fact, most scholars attribute the conflict between Barnabas and Paul to find its home in this Scripture and specifically in Mark.  Barnabas and Mark were cousins and Paul was not happy when Mark decided to leave him and go home in Acts 13.  Paul remembered that and so did not want him along in Acts 15.  Barnabas protested and Paul and he split after that never to see each other again.  Something has changed.  Maybe it is just time which heals most wounds.  But Paul wants Mark around because he is “useful”.  

How many people in our lives have we either felt betrayed us or with whom we were unhappy only later to recognize that we need them?  I’m grateful that I don’t have any people that I would dread to see or that I consider them as “enemies” or unlikeables in my past.  I’ve been fortunate that God has blessed me with people in my life whom I was able to respect and they have been good friends.  But we know that is not always the case in a church.  There are sometimes events that happen that sour people on each other.  The sign of a mature church, and a mature person, is that the church and the person is able to move on once the event happens and is over with.  It seems as if Paul was able to move on and plant seeds all over Asia and Europe.  So ends II Timothy.

So, you’re probably wondering who Jannes and Jambres are.  They are not mentioned by name anywhere in the Bible, but tradition has it that they are the sorcerers and the magicians that opposed Moses in Exodus 7:10-12.  That has to be Paul’s understanding so we are going to go with that as well.  I’m guessing that as many of you read the beginning of these verses, you are thinking: We are in the last days.  You would be correct.  Every day brings us closer to the last days, but that does not give us any more insight as to exactly when those last days might be.  We are closer, but not there just yet.  If you look at the long list of attributes that mark people in the last days we have to see some signs of similarity.  

Paul moves from depicting the godlessness in the last days, days which we are experiencing and people that we are experiencing, to setting Timothy up with an encouraging word for the days to come.  It seems like starting in vs.10 Paul gives a foil to oppose the people that he spoke about in the earlier verse, you know, the godless ones.   He lifts up his attributes and speaks about the times that he was persecuted, almost to the point of death.  If you had time and wanted to track his persecutions you can find them here: Antioch – Acts 14:19 and surrounding Scriptures, Iconium – again in Acts 14, and finally Lystra – okay, so chapter 14 of Acts seems to be the chapter which most clearly lays out the persecution of Paul at the hands of others.  He backs up his own persecutions with the statement: Anyone who wants to live a godly life will be persecuted.  It isn’t something we hear when we join the church.  So glad you are going to be a part of the family, here is your packet, and a pack of band-aids for when you are beaten and persecuted for you faith.  It simply does not happen any longer.  It makes we wonder if we ought to be living in such a way that we are more on the edge than we currently are.

Finally, vs.16 is a Scripture from which I arrive at my understanding of the authority of Scripture.  I believe that the Bible contains inerrant truths that reflect the nature and grace of God.  The Bible is an authority unlike any other authority we have in life.  The church is a form of authority, but the tradition of the church does not hold the same weight as the authority of Scripture.  Over time people have interpreted the Bible in such a way that we say it is normative and it is our understanding of how the Bible ought to be read.  We can’t read a passage from Scripture and just think that we can come up with our own, unorthodox translation without some backing from other Scripture and some church tradition as well.  The vast majority of the cultural wars in the churches that we are experiencing revolves around the interpretation, and ultimately, the authority of Scripture.

Some people see their experience as a viable authority that can at times trump the Scripture.  So if my experience tells me that love is the most important thing and that it is okay to live a certain way, even if Scripture says no, then my experience will win out.  That is not my approach.  If my experience contradicts what Scripture says, then I’m going to have to say that what I’m experiencing is not reflective of the will of God.  It is such an important topic because Christians use all sorts of different parameters to distinguish what is the most important and why.  That is my approach.

I was going to save this explanation until Revelation, but I think it might fit in well with this chapter in II Timothy.  If we were to say that the Cowboys destroyed the Eagles, you would all know that I was talking about football.  But if we buried those headlines and dug them back up two thousand years from now people just might think that this land was one where people on horses fought against giant eagles in order to procure the land.  They would miss the metaphor and the hidden meanings which all of us understand today.  That happens a lot in Scripture.

When Paul speaks to Timothy in the last chapter about Phygelus and Hermogenes and then again this chapter about Hymenaeus and Philetus we simply do not know who they are.  But we can guess that they were Christians who were in the flock who then decided to leave the flock because this living in hiding and not letting others know that you are a Christian was not for them.  They were certainly people who were apostates (that’s the fancy term for leaving the faith).  But it was especially difficult for the first century church when people fled the faith because then the whole community could be susceptible to the authorities.  Paul is especially harsh on people who step away from the faith.  He basically approaches it as there being no compromise with those people.  That’s why Paul states: “The Lord knows who are his.”  We can never truly know, and I would argue that we should never question or wonder.  But in this chapter the problem was also that they were teaching false principles which were extremely dangerous for this fledgling community.

The problem was found in the false teaching where these two troublemakers were saying that Jesus had already come back again and that the dead had already been raised.  So, I often get the question: what happens once we die?  Are we immediately resurrected, or is there a period of time where we kind of hang out until Jesus comes back again in the second coming.  My understanding of Scripture and my very firm belief is that the moment that we die we are resurrected with a new body, spirit and soul with Jesus in heaven.  There is no in between phase, and it isn’t just our spirit or our soul which goes to heaven.  All of us, including our resurrected body.  Paul wants people to not be uninformed.  

I also love the definition of a leader according to Paul’s words: And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient,  correcting opponents with gentleness.

Paul writes another letter to Timothy as he encourages his “son” in his oversight of the church in Ephesus.  Paul reaches out to Timothy and brings up some of the familial contacts that they have in common.  Isn’t it interesting that Paul states that he is grateful to God whom he worships and whom his ancestors worshipped as well.  Now, remember Paul was the one on the road to Damascus who heard the voice of the Lord and was converted from Christian killer to Gospel spreader.  So when Paul speaks about his ancestors who loved God, he is talking about the God of the Old Testament before the Son walked the face of the earth.  I hope that doesn’t sound contrarian to you.  It makes sense to me.

So let’s be clear.  Paul tells Christian slaves that they are to obey their masters.  Slavery was accepted in the 1st century but even then it was wrong and not the will of God.  These verses have been used in the past to support the evil institution of slavery by saying that because Paul did not speak out against slavery, then it must be okay.  An argument from silence is not an argument that holds water.  The institution of slavery puts unequal value on people.  This assumption that some people have more value than others is completely contrary to the basic premise of Scripture.  God has created us all equal and loves us equally.  We can take that concept and apply it to today with people who understand people of color having lesser roles and values than whites.  How is it possible that the vast majority of white supremacists consider themselves Christian?  It is an embarrassment and something no one reading this should ever consider supporting, even tangentially.  

Paul moves on quickly from this topic.  We will also move on, but I don’t think I feel more strongly about anything, besides the Gospel, than this topic.  Just saying.

Look at vs. 7 and see if it gives you the same sense of comfort as it did me.  We brought nothing into this world, so we can take nothing out of it.  Yeah, that’s true.  We were born with nothing and we leave with nothing.  What a great concept as he goes on to encourage us to fight the good fight.  Paul tries to move us from a life focused on materialism and focusing on money, which is the root of all evil by the way, to a life focused on Jesus and his desire for us.  What does that look like?  It looks like a life of making decisions not based upon what it will provide us materially but rather what joy can we get from living for Christ.

Living for Christ, Paul tells us, looks like what he describes in vs. 11: “But as for you, man (or woman) of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.”  We have to shun our pursuit of those things that have money as their base and their goal.  Rather, we ought to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.  What great goals and how different they are from monetary goals.