January 2019
Brit Hadashah Reflections
Brit Hadashah Reflections 17
Hebraic understanding of the teaching letters of the Apostles
Scholars have discerned that there were at least four letters written by Paul to the “ekklesia” in Corinth. 1 Corinthians, the second written, refers to a previous letter of which there is no longer a written record (1 Cor 5:9), and 2 Corinthians contains the next two. Chapters 1-9 probably the last written, and chapters 10-13 the third written. In 2 Corinthians, Paul defends his calling and character as an Apostle.
Paul had sent Titus to Corinth to encourage the “ekklesia” to remain steadfast to the teachings of Paul in the face of various false teachers who had sought to discredit Paul’s authority and qualification as an Apostle. Titus obviously had a measure of success, but there still remained some mal-contents there.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
This is personal. Paul himself is comforted by God in the report which Titus had brought him. It’s called peace of mind. The “ekklesia” is comforted by God in the knowledge that they are ‘on the right track’ with Paul’s teaching. They experience that same peace of mind. And out of that ‘comforting’ experience, others who may fall into trouble in future may be comforted, and have peace of mind, by those who have already known God’s comforting peace of mind.
But, for Paul, there is much more. He writes confidently of the comfort, in the “delivery from death” that he and Timothy had so recently experienced as they ministered in “Asia”. I never cease to be amazed at the naivety, and even the carelessness, of those who teach a “prosperity” gospel. Read Paul’s “prosperity gospel” experience which he writes about in 2 Corinthians 11 from verse 23. The very “prosperity” that Paul experienced was the faithfulness of God who delivered him, and kept him alive, through many adverse circumstances. And this is what Paul promises the “ekklesia” in Corinth. Not worldly prosperity, with accompanying health, wealth and happiness, all problems solved, no issues of the day. But rather, by faith, having assured knowledge that their sins are forgiven, their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. There is no greater reward than that, in this life or the next, as they commit themselves to service in His name.
But in spite of Paul’s declaration of encouragement, he then said that he had decided not to visit them again because it would make him sorrowful! There were those among them who were already sorrowful at the directness in the message he had brought to them. They did not like the criticism and correction which Paul preached to them. None of us do! But the Holy Spirit of God is able to use such preaching for our benefit. If the message of the gospel is not challenging, bringing change and improvement, it has no value to the hearer does it? So Paul is constrained to let his message rest, and allow the Holy Spirit to convict and comfort as needed in that “ekklesia”. He did not want to repeat himself.
So Paul uses somewhat complicated language, certainly when translated into English, to explain himself. There appear to be two possible situations. Firstly that due to the ‘correction’ he had brought, there had been some evidence of penitence on the part of at least one person, but not everyone in the “ekklesia” was willing to receive such back into fellowship. Another possible interpretation of the same event would have it that there had been no evident penitence, but that some were ready to receive the person back into fellowship anyway, and others not. My perception is that either way, Paul was not anxious to involve himself further in such a matter, since he had already made himself clear in his original teaching and advice. Then Paul changed tack and drew on a most interesting analogy. By relating to the common Roman practice of a march of Triumph in honour of victors in battle. Along the route would be censors of burning incense, causing a sweet smelling aroma to pervade the area. Paul refered to the believer as such a victor, honoured by God as triumphing in Christ, allowing His fragrance to pervade the scene. But there is one difference. The same fragrance brought an aroma of death to those who are perishing (the unsaved) and an aroma of life to those being saved. There is but ONE message. It is the message Paul brought to the “ekklesia” in Corinth. To some he became the aroma of life, and to others the aroma of death.
“We are not” he says, “as so many, peddling the Word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.” Friends, there are plenty of “peddlers of the word” today, it is not difficult to know who they are by their actions, by their motives, by the way they live. Steer clear of such. They preach an “easy” gospel, but its end is destruction. Paul spoke only as the Holy Spirit directed him, but as our reading today illustrates, it certainly did not make him popular. But it was truth.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Brit Hadashah Reflections
Brit Hadashah Reflections 16
Hebraic understanding of the teaching letters of the Apostles
1 Corinthians 15 : 1 to 16 : 24
Paul first visited Corinth on his second missionary journey, in about 52 C.E., and stayed there for 18 months. The letters to the “ekklesia” in Corinth were most likely written from Ephesus about 5 years later. They are pastoral in nature.
There was some disputation in the “ekklesia” regarding the resurrection of the dead. So Paul returns to his Apostleship credentials, a defining feature of which was the fact that ALL the original Apostles had met the risen Messiah. But first he affirms that the gospel which he preached to them is the plain message that a) Messiah Yeshua lived on this earth, b) He died in redemption of man’s sin, c) He was buried in the grave, and d) by reference to Psalm 16: 10, He rose from the dead, (after three days), in perfect accord with the “sign” of His Messiahship which He gave to the Pharisees. He then listed the different times that all the Apostles met with the risen Yeshua. How comprehensive a picture is that? Then in humility for his actions prior to his conversion, he describes himself as ‘the least of the Apostles’, but an Apostle never-the-less because he too had met the risen Messiah. How different our view of him. He is a spiritual giant in our eyes. And for good reason.
Having said that, I find myself in significant agreement with the Apostle Peter, who, commenting on Paul’s writing, said “in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction”. (2 Peter 3:16). In truth, if you fail to grasp the fact that Paul remained a Torah observant Jew ALL his life, that his conversion was NOT from Judaism to Christianity (as most Christians are taught) but from Pharisaic Judaism (legalistic observance of Torah) to Messianic Judaism (a Torah observant believer in Yeshua as Messiah), you too will have problems trying to understand his teaching!
So, in relation to resurrection of the dead, Paul argues that if there is no resurrection, as some of them seemed to believe, then all preaching is in vain, because the fundamental nature of the deity of Yeshua, our Messiah, is that He conquered death and lives today seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Nothing has changed. It is the same message today. We serve and worship a RISEN Saviour. Hallelujah! It is not possible to improve on the very explanation Paul gives us in Chapter 15 : 12-26. Read it again.
But there is more! Paul writes about the time when death will give up ALL its dead. “For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed”. Here Paul refers to the “dead in Christ”, those to whom his letter to this “ekklesia’ is addressed. Now we need to be careful here, because the Scriptures teach that there are TWO deaths! The first death is the experience of all who have lived (with the notable exceptions of Enoch and Elijah). Then the first resurrection is also an experience which all will encounter. But what follows that is “the Great White Throne judgement” of Revelation 20 which in turn is followed by eternal life for those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and the second death for the remainder. That Death, and Hades, are destined, with Satan, the false Prophet and ‘the Beast’ (Antichrist) to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.
But Paul ends that warning with a joyful hope. “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” And there dear friends is the message which we should take from this ‘reflection’.
Paul concludes this letter with the immensely practical exhortation to the diaspora “ekklesia” to remember their obligation to support the ‘original messengers’ of the gospel. The “saints” in Jerusalem. At the beginning of their fellowship, the very first “ekklesia” shared their substance and ‘held all things in common’. As time passed, they became persecuted and were held in contempt by the majority, and evidently fell on hard times. Paul was not shy in asking the believers in the diaspora to support them financially.
His request was that ‘on the first day of the week’, as regular practice, they set aside such as they chose to give, for the ‘saints in Jerusalem’. A Hebraic understanding of this practice indicates that they were not to give that money on the Sabbath as they met for worship, but after the Sabbath, as they met for Shabbat Havdalah (Saturday evening for us), they shared a fellowship meal (as is done to this very day in observant Jewish homes) and there added to the gift which would be transported, in due course to the Council in Jerusalem for distribution to those in need. Paul himself was the carrier of such gifts.
This letter contains ‘pastoral’ teaching which is relevant for our “ekklesia” today. But it is important to understand the practical Hebraic nature of that teaching so that we get the right message, devoid of any spiritualized analogy.
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Brit Hadashah Reflections
Brit Hadashah Reflections 15
Hebraic understanding of the teaching letters of the Apostles
1 Corinthians 13 : 1 to 14 : 40
Paul first visited Corinth on his second missionary journey, in about 52 C.E., and stayed there for 18 months. The letters to the “ekklesia” in Corinth were most likely written from Ephesus about 5 years later. They are pastoral in nature.
The LOVE chapter! Weddings, engagements, funerals, and sundry other emotional gatherings have all been graced by reference to, or reading of, this most amazing passage of Scripture. BUT, it has little to do with any of them! The English language is deficient in ‘single word’ translations of many foreign language words, particularly Greek, which has four words (phileo, agape, storge and eros) with different emphasis of meaning, but each of which is translated as either “love” or “charity” in English. In our reading this week, the Greek word used for LOVE is “agape”. It is a selfless unconditional love, expecting nothing in return.
Last week we ‘reflected’ upon spiritual gifts in the “ekklesia” in Corinth. Paul’s concern was to get each member to appreciate, without envy, the variety of spiritual gifts evident in others, which he said were of equal value in the corporate life and wellbeing of the whole assembly of believers. Chapter 12 ended with the declaration “And yet I show you a more excellent way”. He immediately launched into a description of the various gifts and qualified their value to the “ekklesia” by highlighting the importance of the motive and intent of the one exercising the gift. The God given ministry gifts are to be exercised with “agape”. This is the “more excellent way” to which Paul referred. And dare I add, “agape” which is expressed with humility for the fact that God Himself had chosen to distribute those gifts according to His own knowledge of the recipient.
Without “agape”, Paul said, we are just ‘pushing our own agenda’. The ‘gifts’ sound like ‘a clanging cymbal’. No tune, no harmony, no effect. Nothing. A waste of time and effort for everyone. But with “agape”, well, Paul put it much better than I ever could. Read Chapter 13, verses 4 to 13 again. Selah!
So having spelled out the manner in which all spiritual gifts are to be exercised, Paul then encouraged the members of the “ekklesia” to seek and desire spiritual gifts, so that with “agape”, one might bless and edify and support the whole “ekklesia”. The gift which Paul singles out as being of greatest benefit to the “ekklesia” is the prophetic gift. Last week we quoted David Stern’s description of this gift as “speaking on behalf of God Himself”. For that reason, one has to be super careful to ensure that one is closely attuned to God, to hear correctly, to convey the message without embellishment, and even to wait, then wait some more, asking God to confirm beyond doubt that what one speaks in prophecy IS actually a word from God. There are very severe consequences for those who speak to the “ekklesia” presumptuously, that is, saying ‘thus says the Lord’ when the Lord has said no such thing. (Please friend, trust me on this, there are MANY false prophets alive and well strutting their own agenda within the organisation of our modern day churches. They WILL get their reward. We are told to test the prophets (1 John 4:1)).
There is significant dispute in the ‘church’ of today about the gift of tongues. It is quite unproductive to enter into that controversy, because those who do are usually well entrenched in their own views on this subject, and each side is most resistive to change! What we can say is that Paul had no such reservation. And using David Stern’s description of tongues being “a language not learned” covers both sides with equanimity. Paul clearly said that as a “gift” from God, it was used as a witness to unbelievers. Clearly, an unbelieving visitor from Mongolia, hearing a word spoken in his own language by an American in America would be a powerful witness. But Americans in the same audience would be mystified, unless there was someone present who could interpret that word to them. But a prophetic word to the same audience would produce an exactly opposite reaction. Enlightenment for the American and mystery to the unbelieving visitor. Additionally, persons speaking in “glossolalia”, an undefined utterance, also speak mystery to both believer and unbeliever alike when there is no-one present to interpret that which is spoken.
Paul also defines a simple form of expression which edifies the “ekklesia”. “Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” There are still some assemblies that practise this. I write from personal experience. But for the most part it is a blessing regrettably forsaken by the church of today. So the God given gifts of prophecy, teaching, and tongues which are present in every “ekklesia”, have no room for expression due to our strict ‘order of service’ routines when we meet.
“Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order.”
Shabbat Shalom
RS
Brit Hadashah Reflections
Brit Hadashah Reflections 14
Hebraic understanding of the teaching letters of the Apostles
1 Corinthians 11 : 1 to 12 : 31
Paul first visited Corinth on his second missionary journey, in about 52 C.E., and stayed there for 18 months. The letters to the “ekklesia” in Corinth were most likely written from Ephesus about 5 years later. They are pastoral in nature.
“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ”. How clear is that? Yeshua, during His earthly sojourn was extremely careful to keep Torah. He was the perfect Lamb of God. Paul was far from perfect, by his own admission, and yet he “imitated Christ”. He did everything he could to walk uprightly before God and before men. He kept Torah. As should we! In fact Paul immediately commends the “ekklesia” in Corinth for “keeping the traditions just as I delivered them to you”. You won’t hear that preached in any church today. But we are looking at what the Scriptures actually say here, not what has been taught by others.
The hierarchy within a home where Yeshua is worshipped as Lord is the next subject. For all sorts of reasons, few homes actually formally observe Paul’s teaching here. Even worse, where it is observed, men tend to use this teaching as excuse to become dictators in that environment, rather than to be the “priest” as mediator for his family, in love. The wearing of head covering is still meticulously observed in Orthodox Jewish homes as a symbol of spiritual covering which the woman enjoys from her husband. Other cultures also observe this custom, but for differing reasons.
Then Paul delivers the ‘punch line’!! In paraphrase he says “that’s how things should be, but it is not. You’ve got problems which need to be addressed. You’ve set up preferential factions in your “ekklesia”. You are using the celebration of “communion” as an excuse for a party where those of preference are gorging themselves and getting drunk. That is NOT what I taught you.” Then he goes through the ordinance which was instituted during the last Passover Seder Yeshua shared with His disciples on earth. As I ‘reflect’ on this, it is clear to me (but less so to others) that Passover is an annual remembrance of the salvation of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. In His instruction to them at that table, Yeshua said that the wine represented His blood which He was about to shed on Calvary’s cross for the salvation of many. That blood was the symbol, and guarantee, of the New Covenant which is yet to be made with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. It remains an annual celebration for Jews, but we Gentiles have interpreted “as often as you drink it” to mean “drink it as often as you choose” rather than the continuation of the annual “mo’ed” of Passover in which the emphasis is extended from just the salvation from Egypt, to also include the remembrance of His sacrificial death. In any event, it is imperative that all who participate in that remembrance do so in the right attitude. It was never intended to be ‘the party’ which the “ekklesia” in Corinth made it to be.
Then Paul addresses the subject of “spiritual gifts”. Right up front Paul declares that there are a variety of “gifts” manifest in the “ekklesia”. It is an inclusive statement. It is applicable to any “ekklesia” meeting together to worship and honour God. But ALL these gifts are exercised, in God’s name, by the power of the same Holy Spirit of God. The variety of gifts which may be present in a specific “ekklesia” are given, by the Holy Spirit, for the benefit of the whole assembly. Paul is careful not to assign merit to one gift over another. He likens this distribution of gifts as typical of a human body. The different parts, limbs, organs etc. function in ways very different from each other, but ALL for the wellbeing of the whole. There is no jealousy between the various body parts on account of function. It should be the same within a multi-gifted “ekklesia”.
Then in some degree of contrast, Paul provides a list of “appointments”, we know them as “ministries”, which are present within the “ekklesia”. David Stern, in his excellent commentary on “The Jewish New Testament” (page 480) has expanded these “ministries” to show their function. I quote. 1. Apostles (emissaries) proclaimants of the gospel to form new “ekklesia”. 2. Prophets, those chosen to speak for God in an “ekklesia”. 3. Teachers, charged with the task of deepening the believer’s knowledge of God’s truth. 4. Workers of miracles. 5. Those with healing gifts. 6. Helpers. 7. Administrators. 8. Those who speak in languages which they have not learned. I do not believe this list to be exhaustive. There are gifts (which Paul mentions in other Epistles) which have significant benefit to the “ekklesia”, such as Pastoral gifts. However, even though Paul takes care to have each gift, and the person exercising it, viewed with equal standing, he then counsels the whole assembly to “earnestly desire the best gifts”, which he later identifies as “prophecy” (speaking for God).
BUT, dear friend, before one launches out in “prophecy”, one would be well advised to read carefully Deuteronomy 13 and Ezekiel 13 : 4-16. There are significant penalties awaiting the person who misleads the “ekklesia” with words, attributed to God, which He did not authorize. Be extremely careful in this area of ministry.
Shabbat Shalom
RS