No, I'm not going to give cleaning hints here (many of you are breathing a sigh of relief, knowing I'm not a Good Housekeeping winner). Instead, I wanted to brief you on what's going on with my studies and this blog.
With the final post below, Changes, I have completed the blogging for Module 3. I have to write a term paper - the topic will be related to women working with immigrants in the late 1800s. After that, I will be taking a brief break before resuming studies in Module 4, sometime in early 2009 if the Lord wills.
Module 4 will be my final module of study. I will have to write a Graduate Research Paper and complete a Capstone Project, in addition to keeping up with the regular lessons. So you can see I need a lot of prayer!
I confess that I haven't done as good a job on this blog as I would have liked. The lessons lack the detail I would prefer, and often barely scratch the surface. But that is how I feel in this study program - there is so much to learn, and even the hours of reading I spend barely begins to cover the depth of what there is to learn. So to boil that down even further for these lessons seems overwhelming to me. I think sometimes I've gotten it right by grace alone and written something helpful; other times, I probably left you scratching your head. Thanks for bearing with me regardless!
I'll continue to post on my primary blog (http://surpassingglory.blogspot.com) things that the Lord gives me to encourage kingdom workers and whomever God sends by. Meanwhile, The Big Picture will be here for reference, and I will resume this blog with Module 4. If I can figure out how, I will post my term paper - once it is written.
Thanks for your prayers and support!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Changes!
The world change dramatically between 1912 and 1945. Prior to 1914, people talked in terms of empire: The British Empire, the Ottomon Empire, etc. By 1945, two world wars had decimated the empires and people spoke in terms of nation-states. Prior to 1914, there was an optimistic perception that the world would only get better and better - it was a time of "high hopes". World events - two wars and a depression - shattered this optimism. Values were questioned and people were confused. People struggled to find a "new normal".
Hope dashed by war. Confusion. Financial trials. Questioning of values. Sounds a lot like our era, doesn't it? The headiness of the end of the cold war came to an abrupt halt on Sept. 11, 2001 ... and we've been trying to find our own "new normal" ever since.
The study of missions and church history has encouraged me greatly in the face of facts like this. Because no matter what type of leader, no matter what governmental structure, no matter what conflict among nations -- God's kingdom has made progress. And that progress is exponential! Consider:
God is always on His throne - working for His glory. Even in the atrocities of the Holocaust and the darkness of 1914-1945, He remained sovereign with a purpose beyond human eyes. He directed spiritual battles we can only imagine. He kept His purpose intact throughout those years. The nation-states that emerged laid foundation for tremendous advance in kingdom understanding. And the church continued to make progress against the gates of hell.
Hope dashed by war. Confusion. Financial trials. Questioning of values. Sounds a lot like our era, doesn't it? The headiness of the end of the cold war came to an abrupt halt on Sept. 11, 2001 ... and we've been trying to find our own "new normal" ever since.
The study of missions and church history has encouraged me greatly in the face of facts like this. Because no matter what type of leader, no matter what governmental structure, no matter what conflict among nations -- God's kingdom has made progress. And that progress is exponential! Consider:
- In 1430, 1 out of every 100 people were committed Christians - or 99 unbelievers to every believer.
- It was 1790 before 2 out of every 100 were committed believers.
- By 1940 the number was 3 out of every 100. Each advance is more rapid - by 1960 4/100; 1970 5/100; 1980 6/100; 1983 7/100; 1986 8/100; 1989 9/100; 1993 10/100; and 1995 11/100.
- Today that number is closer to 14/100. That means that for every believer there are only 7 unbelievers -- while only a generation ago (1960) that ratio was 1:25. That's progress!
God is always on His throne - working for His glory. Even in the atrocities of the Holocaust and the darkness of 1914-1945, He remained sovereign with a purpose beyond human eyes. He directed spiritual battles we can only imagine. He kept His purpose intact throughout those years. The nation-states that emerged laid foundation for tremendous advance in kingdom understanding. And the church continued to make progress against the gates of hell.
Friday, September 26, 2008
The Proper Focus of Missions
Barely 1% of all missions giving in the US goes to unreached people groups, so that should obviously be our focus - right?
But then ... where the Gospel has been planted and the church is still in development, the plants must be cultivated. Isn't our 12% of giving to focus on evangelizing reached people valuable?
And can we have a valid ministry abroad without meeting needs here?
What about our church - can we ignore building a strong local body of believers?
These questions illustrate that a commitment to missions sometimes raises more questions than we expect. When we are truly committed to advancing God's kingdom in the world we will find the temptation to either an overly broad or restrictively narrow approach.
Some churches adopt a people group and ignore all other missions efforts. Others throw missions money at everything that comes along. Most are trying to find a balance, seeking to maximize their places in God's kingdom purpose.
A historical study of missions reveals the importance of balance in the advance of the kingdom of God. Protestant missions was really a "latecomer", not blooming for two centuries after the Reformation. A young man named William Carey was among the earliest who caught a vision for man's responsibility in God's kingdom purposes - and was told famously to "Sit down" because God could evangelize the heathen without his help. Carey sat down only long enough to write a treatise on missions - specifically calling for the use of "means", or missions agencies, to spread the Gospel.
As so often in church history, the fringe led the way - those missions agencies filled a role the churches weren't filling, and soon came a distinctly western phenomenon: The denominational mission board. Protestantism was engaged in mission at last!
And yet the story was far from over. It seems the lesson needed to be learned again every couple of generations - the task isn't finished. The initial focus was on the coastlands ... then came the cries to come home because the task was complete. God raised up Hudson Taylor and others who called for advances to the inlands ... and again, the cries were soon being heard that the job was done. Later cries came to go to the frontiers and then a young man named Cameron Townsend was convicted of the lack of Scripture in indigenous languages. Wycliffe Bible Translators was born and the foundation was laid for the modern-day emphasis on people groups - and the awareness that there are still many unreached groups. At each stage of missions advance there has been a call to retreat - it seems as though God raises up someone with a vision just when the church thinks the job is done.
What's my point? Simply that in our humanity it's easy to think that what we are emphasizing or prioritizing is the end of the story. Not true! Instead, we need to see ourselves like the Israelites - in Numbers 2, God directs the structure of their camp. There were four sides with three tribes on each side. The large numbers of Israelites meant that when they moved, they used a lot of space. Surely it was easy for them to travel about with only the people in their tribe or at the most from their side of the camp. It probably took a lot of effort to cross the camp and talk to people at the opposite edge. And yet God consistently speaks to them as one, directing regular gatherings of the tribe's leaders and of the entire congregation. He insisted that while they needed to be organized for the best possible advance of the group, they also had to recognize their common goal and shared identity.
It's the same with us. God's kingdom advance requires strong churches, solid ministries in our Jerusalems, the training and preparation of the church in new areas - and advance into unreached people groups. We can't have a focus that is too narrow or too scatter-shot. We must check ourselves and our churches to be sure that we are fitting in to God's kingdom in way He has arranged - and that we are recognizing and honoring the common goal and shared identity of those who are working in other areas. It's the key to kingdom advance!
But then ... where the Gospel has been planted and the church is still in development, the plants must be cultivated. Isn't our 12% of giving to focus on evangelizing reached people valuable?
And can we have a valid ministry abroad without meeting needs here?
What about our church - can we ignore building a strong local body of believers?
These questions illustrate that a commitment to missions sometimes raises more questions than we expect. When we are truly committed to advancing God's kingdom in the world we will find the temptation to either an overly broad or restrictively narrow approach.
Some churches adopt a people group and ignore all other missions efforts. Others throw missions money at everything that comes along. Most are trying to find a balance, seeking to maximize their places in God's kingdom purpose.
A historical study of missions reveals the importance of balance in the advance of the kingdom of God. Protestant missions was really a "latecomer", not blooming for two centuries after the Reformation. A young man named William Carey was among the earliest who caught a vision for man's responsibility in God's kingdom purposes - and was told famously to "Sit down" because God could evangelize the heathen without his help. Carey sat down only long enough to write a treatise on missions - specifically calling for the use of "means", or missions agencies, to spread the Gospel.
As so often in church history, the fringe led the way - those missions agencies filled a role the churches weren't filling, and soon came a distinctly western phenomenon: The denominational mission board. Protestantism was engaged in mission at last!
And yet the story was far from over. It seems the lesson needed to be learned again every couple of generations - the task isn't finished. The initial focus was on the coastlands ... then came the cries to come home because the task was complete. God raised up Hudson Taylor and others who called for advances to the inlands ... and again, the cries were soon being heard that the job was done. Later cries came to go to the frontiers and then a young man named Cameron Townsend was convicted of the lack of Scripture in indigenous languages. Wycliffe Bible Translators was born and the foundation was laid for the modern-day emphasis on people groups - and the awareness that there are still many unreached groups. At each stage of missions advance there has been a call to retreat - it seems as though God raises up someone with a vision just when the church thinks the job is done.
What's my point? Simply that in our humanity it's easy to think that what we are emphasizing or prioritizing is the end of the story. Not true! Instead, we need to see ourselves like the Israelites - in Numbers 2, God directs the structure of their camp. There were four sides with three tribes on each side. The large numbers of Israelites meant that when they moved, they used a lot of space. Surely it was easy for them to travel about with only the people in their tribe or at the most from their side of the camp. It probably took a lot of effort to cross the camp and talk to people at the opposite edge. And yet God consistently speaks to them as one, directing regular gatherings of the tribe's leaders and of the entire congregation. He insisted that while they needed to be organized for the best possible advance of the group, they also had to recognize their common goal and shared identity.
It's the same with us. God's kingdom advance requires strong churches, solid ministries in our Jerusalems, the training and preparation of the church in new areas - and advance into unreached people groups. We can't have a focus that is too narrow or too scatter-shot. We must check ourselves and our churches to be sure that we are fitting in to God's kingdom in way He has arranged - and that we are recognizing and honoring the common goal and shared identity of those who are working in other areas. It's the key to kingdom advance!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Self-determination vs. Guidance
Some of the reading for Module 3 has focused on the history of the native churches in the lands where the Gospel spread. Unfortunately, in far too many cases the story is short - an indigenous church (in a non-western form) failed to develop or thrive; the national believers were accused of following a "foreign" religion and discouraged or even persecuted (witness: Japan).
Scripture is clear throughout the New Testament: As the church spread, it didn't have to remain Jewish in form. The Acts 15 Jerusalem Council and Paul's conflict with Peter in Galatians 2 underscore the truth that Gentiles didn't become Christians by adopting Jewish forms. Furthermore, the church depicted in Corinth, Antioch, and other Gentile locales looks quite different from the Jerusalem-oriented church of Acts 2-7. And the throne room scenes in Revelation depict believers with their ethnic distinctions still visible to John the onlooker. Clearly, the unity Christ desires for His church doesn't require uniformity.
Yet the idea proposed by some scholars as a solution raises questions as well. Partially as a reaction to the former attempts to westernize native churches, some propose a radical self-determination, one that is completely devoid of guidance from the missionaries who bring the Gospel. In this model, the Holy Spirit and Scripture are presented as the only guidance needed by new converts.
The example of the New Testament church challenges this concept as well. In Acts 15, 1 Corinthians, Romans 14 - indeed, most of Paul's letters - the apostles give guidance in lots of specifics, but leave room for self-determination in other areas. Jude exhorted his audience to earnestly defend the faith that was "once for all delivered to the saints" - drawing a bold line around certain elements that are to be indisputable (Jude 1:3). Paul's tender care for the churches, extensive times of teaching (for example, in Ephesus), and priority on training leaders and warning about false doctrines underscores the responsibility he felt for the doctrinal development of the churches. Furthermore, Paul wrote in Ephesians 4 that pastors/teachers are God's gift to the church to build them up until they achieve unity of faith and are no longer swayed by strange doctrines.
Can we trust the Holy Spirit and Scripture in the lives of new believers from other cultural backgrounds? Absolutely! Should missionaries make every decision? No! Yet somewhere in between "all or nothing" is a Biblical approach to indigenous churches. Training leadership in specific doctrinal points forms a solid foundation for a church. Fretting over which instruments are allowed is less helpful.
A sound indigenous church will perpetuate the faith "once for all delivered to the saints". But it may do so in a form very different from what you and I are used to - and that's okay. It's just a reflection of our creative God!
Scripture is clear throughout the New Testament: As the church spread, it didn't have to remain Jewish in form. The Acts 15 Jerusalem Council and Paul's conflict with Peter in Galatians 2 underscore the truth that Gentiles didn't become Christians by adopting Jewish forms. Furthermore, the church depicted in Corinth, Antioch, and other Gentile locales looks quite different from the Jerusalem-oriented church of Acts 2-7. And the throne room scenes in Revelation depict believers with their ethnic distinctions still visible to John the onlooker. Clearly, the unity Christ desires for His church doesn't require uniformity.
Yet the idea proposed by some scholars as a solution raises questions as well. Partially as a reaction to the former attempts to westernize native churches, some propose a radical self-determination, one that is completely devoid of guidance from the missionaries who bring the Gospel. In this model, the Holy Spirit and Scripture are presented as the only guidance needed by new converts.
The example of the New Testament church challenges this concept as well. In Acts 15, 1 Corinthians, Romans 14 - indeed, most of Paul's letters - the apostles give guidance in lots of specifics, but leave room for self-determination in other areas. Jude exhorted his audience to earnestly defend the faith that was "once for all delivered to the saints" - drawing a bold line around certain elements that are to be indisputable (Jude 1:3). Paul's tender care for the churches, extensive times of teaching (for example, in Ephesus), and priority on training leaders and warning about false doctrines underscores the responsibility he felt for the doctrinal development of the churches. Furthermore, Paul wrote in Ephesians 4 that pastors/teachers are God's gift to the church to build them up until they achieve unity of faith and are no longer swayed by strange doctrines.
Can we trust the Holy Spirit and Scripture in the lives of new believers from other cultural backgrounds? Absolutely! Should missionaries make every decision? No! Yet somewhere in between "all or nothing" is a Biblical approach to indigenous churches. Training leadership in specific doctrinal points forms a solid foundation for a church. Fretting over which instruments are allowed is less helpful.
A sound indigenous church will perpetuate the faith "once for all delivered to the saints". But it may do so in a form very different from what you and I are used to - and that's okay. It's just a reflection of our creative God!
Monday, August 25, 2008
The Good, the Bad, and the Somewhere in Between
Our study of missions and church history brings us to an interesting era in the church - one that leaves no easy answers. As the Protestant church was awakened to its need to be on mission, Western nations were busy with a mission of their own: Colonialism. Many missionaries "rode the coattails" of their nations' colonial interests ... and found themselves facing some challenging questions.
There was much good done ... schools and hospitals by the thousands were started out of a genuine desire to help people. As Ralph Winter observes, "Overall, the Christian movement ... brings blessing to all the families of the world." Despite the sometimes selfish interests of their national leaders, the Christians who jumped at the chance to "go" made a positive difference.
And yet, they frequently faced questions of paternalism and nationalism raised by the actions of their home countries. They had to decide whether to be a missionary first, or an American/Briton/Dutchman first. Their decisions weren't always perfect; in the case of the American West, for example, we find many examples of missionaries who failed to treat the American Indian with dignity and respect. The long-term consequences of such actions were devastating for both Native American culture and the Gospel.
Other times, however, the willingness to challenge their own country's assumptions led to significant opportunities to transform their "mission" into a blessing. Some missionaries used their position to bring radical change - William Carey's fight against the practice of widow-burning in India, for example, resonates as one of the high points of the era.
And then there were all those times somewhere between bad and good, those times when missionaries treated the people with love and respect but failed to allow them the chance to develop their own unique worship forms. Their theological or form-based assumptions led to a different type of imperialism, one that communicated, overtly or subtly, that to be Christian was to be Western. The effects of this cannot be overstated; in many of those countries missionaries were later banned and Christians persecuted because they followed a "foreign" religion. Often it took decades for the church to recover - and in some cases, like Japan, it never has.
The lessons from colonialism were learned the hard way, when two world wars led to a dissolution of the empires and the rise of many independent nations. In many ways we still fight that battle today, as nations are becoming far less "nationalistic" and more focused on ethnic distinctions. And yet we have a great opportunity to learn from history. As we go into these nations - sometimes on the heels of our own nation's military or diplomatic successes - we can encourage the development of an indigenous church ... one that might not look like us, but that will have a solid foundation for survival and relevance once we are gone.
There was much good done ... schools and hospitals by the thousands were started out of a genuine desire to help people. As Ralph Winter observes, "Overall, the Christian movement ... brings blessing to all the families of the world." Despite the sometimes selfish interests of their national leaders, the Christians who jumped at the chance to "go" made a positive difference.
And yet, they frequently faced questions of paternalism and nationalism raised by the actions of their home countries. They had to decide whether to be a missionary first, or an American/Briton/Dutchman first. Their decisions weren't always perfect; in the case of the American West, for example, we find many examples of missionaries who failed to treat the American Indian with dignity and respect. The long-term consequences of such actions were devastating for both Native American culture and the Gospel.
Other times, however, the willingness to challenge their own country's assumptions led to significant opportunities to transform their "mission" into a blessing. Some missionaries used their position to bring radical change - William Carey's fight against the practice of widow-burning in India, for example, resonates as one of the high points of the era.
And then there were all those times somewhere between bad and good, those times when missionaries treated the people with love and respect but failed to allow them the chance to develop their own unique worship forms. Their theological or form-based assumptions led to a different type of imperialism, one that communicated, overtly or subtly, that to be Christian was to be Western. The effects of this cannot be overstated; in many of those countries missionaries were later banned and Christians persecuted because they followed a "foreign" religion. Often it took decades for the church to recover - and in some cases, like Japan, it never has.
The lessons from colonialism were learned the hard way, when two world wars led to a dissolution of the empires and the rise of many independent nations. In many ways we still fight that battle today, as nations are becoming far less "nationalistic" and more focused on ethnic distinctions. And yet we have a great opportunity to learn from history. As we go into these nations - sometimes on the heels of our own nation's military or diplomatic successes - we can encourage the development of an indigenous church ... one that might not look like us, but that will have a solid foundation for survival and relevance once we are gone.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Elements of Renewal
Jesus told Peter that the gates of hell could not prevail against the church, built upon the Rock. He promised that the Gospel would be preached to all people groups before His return, and gave His Spirit to ensure completion of the task.
So what happened? If the Greek language and culture could sweep a large swath of the globe in just a few years under Alexander the Great, why have nearly 2000 years of church failed to see the true globalization of Christianity?
Simply put: There is another, frequently-forgotten aspect to the Gospel. It's the simple truth that we are in a spiritual battle. True, the war has been won - but our enemy is angry, because he knows his time is short. So he thwarts the advance of the Gospel any way he can ... sometimes with direct onslaughts like extreme persecution and genocide; other times by exploiting the sins and weaknesses of the saints; sometimes by stirring seeds of dissension within fellowship; still other times by distraction to "good" things - anything to shift our focus off Jesus and the race set before us. Frankly, he doesn't care what we do as long as we don't advance the kingdom of God. Because every day that the Gospel is delayed from reaching that final people group is one day longer that he gets to roam the earth and have some degree of perceived power (perceived, because even he falls under the sovereignty of God).
Yet mission historians see an overall advance of the Gospel, albeit not without setbacks. Jonathan Edwards viewed the history of the church as a series of pulses - outwardly pulsing toward advance and renewal, then inwardly contracting ... with each outward pulse pushing the church forward beyond the last point. Kenneth Scott Latourette sees similar phases, which he calls renewal and recession.
Richard F. Lovelace studied the various renewal movements throughout church history and found several common elements:
So what happened? If the Greek language and culture could sweep a large swath of the globe in just a few years under Alexander the Great, why have nearly 2000 years of church failed to see the true globalization of Christianity?
Simply put: There is another, frequently-forgotten aspect to the Gospel. It's the simple truth that we are in a spiritual battle. True, the war has been won - but our enemy is angry, because he knows his time is short. So he thwarts the advance of the Gospel any way he can ... sometimes with direct onslaughts like extreme persecution and genocide; other times by exploiting the sins and weaknesses of the saints; sometimes by stirring seeds of dissension within fellowship; still other times by distraction to "good" things - anything to shift our focus off Jesus and the race set before us. Frankly, he doesn't care what we do as long as we don't advance the kingdom of God. Because every day that the Gospel is delayed from reaching that final people group is one day longer that he gets to roam the earth and have some degree of perceived power (perceived, because even he falls under the sovereignty of God).
Yet mission historians see an overall advance of the Gospel, albeit not without setbacks. Jonathan Edwards viewed the history of the church as a series of pulses - outwardly pulsing toward advance and renewal, then inwardly contracting ... with each outward pulse pushing the church forward beyond the last point. Kenneth Scott Latourette sees similar phases, which he calls renewal and recession.
Richard F. Lovelace studied the various renewal movements throughout church history and found several common elements:
- Dependent prayer
- Outpouring of God's Spirit
- Increased awareness among laity
Each renewal seems to have started with an emphasis on prayer. Even Pentecost - perhaps the greatest renewal ever - came after the disciples spent 10 days in the Upper Room, praying and waiting on the Spirit. And when the Spirit came, He didn't prioritize the leadership ... instead, He empowered the church and brought to the laity an increased awareness of spiritual matters, an increased sense of responsibility and purpose. Even where leaders were unsupportive, the Spirit's power on the laity was profound. And the fruit was dynamic:
- Doctrinal awareness of basics of redemption (justification, sanctification, indwelling Spirit, spiritual
- Awareness of mission
- Dependent Prayer
- Community of Believers
- Theological integration (applying faith principles to life)
Ralph Winter adds another sign of renewal: Lots of creativity in the body of Christ. New forms of worship, new music, new ways of doing "church". Sometimes things that are on the "fringe" are determined to be emotionalism or false; yet the presence of activity is a sign of life. Jonathan Edwards addressed the topic in Religious Affections, still the best work I know of to help delineate authentic works of God from their counterfeits. And even Edwards was cautious of criticizing some things considered "fringe"; he counseled emphasis on Scripture and watching for fruitfulness.
The bottom line of renewal is a return to what should be normal. Being on mission is always normal. Our reliance must always be on God's spirit not a method. God is going to use the average, every day Christian - not just leaders - including unexpected vessels like women and youth movements. There will be things to watch out for - and things to celebrate.
And the kingdom will continue to advance against the gates of hell.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Cultural Change and the Gospel
It's easy for evangelicals to decry the "social gospel" that arose in the 19th century and began to emphasize meeting practical needs over evangelism. A study of the conditions of the times, however, reveals an understanding that can bring common ground and much-needed balance to both emphases.
Go with me if you will into early 19th century England. Thousands of displaced cottage industry families find themselves working in factories and coal mines. Entire families would work together just as they had in their home industries, and women and children received no special considerations. Increased food production and income was easily offset by the needs of a rapidly growing population. Conditions were terrible, really. Today we would call that England poor, third world, backward.
The coal workers faced brutal conditions. Because they were smaller, women and children often hauled coal out, hunched over to travel underneath low ceilings while pulling a cart full of coal. The work was hot, and like the men, the women went shirtless. Their backs were breaking down, their lungs were filling with dust, but the complaint that finally stirred Parliament was that the women's shirtlessness was lowering moral standards. Factory conditions were hard too. Little or no concern for anything beyond the financial 'bottom line' meant long, hot hours for the men, women and children in the factories.
It was in this context that the Second Great Awakening flowed into England from the US. This awakening brought more than an understanding of personal salvation; it brought an awareness of how that salvation should prompt its adherents to make a difference in society. And while its followers pursued this goal imperfectly, their goal was thoroughly in line with the book of James. "Faith without works is dead", he wrote, and exhorted his readers to show practical acts of servant love to the weak members of society because of their faith.
This same understanding spread to other parts of the world. In Ghana, efforts of Christians led to transformation as well. William Carey made a difference toward ending the practice of suttee, or widow-burning, in his beloved India. Consistently, Christians were becoming awakened to the idea that they should speak up about social ills and the needs of society. And in the process, society changed. The decrease in poverty was dramatic, and just as believers spearheaded the end of slavery, they also successfully fought for the end of English sweatshops and extreme hunger as a norm.
By the late 19th century two streams were developing: Some Christians focused on evangelism, and others on social action. While those emphasizing evangelism were prone to ignoring or minimizing the social and cultural development of the people, those prioritizing social action - especially after the rise of Darwinism and radical "higher criticism" which questioned the authority of Scripture - sometimes compromised truth and minimized evangelism. Even when evangelicals embraced social action, often it was at the expense of the other group's cultural distinctives; in other words, the goal was to make them "civilized" defined commonly as "more like us" (the tragedy of the Native Americans illustrates this sad fact; we created a de-culturated and totally dependent sub-class and to this day face repercussions for those decisions).
As always, there were stellar examples of balance. Some Methodist and Baptist pastors travled west, living in rural villages and adopting the lifestyle of the people. Some missionaries went on the Trail of Tears with the Cherokee. Some Catholic missionaries and Spalding exemplify the effectiveness that these individuals had. They were successful because they identified - and they balanced evangelism and meeting needs.
The story of missions in the late 19th century illustrates the importance of the pillars of evangelism and practical acts of servant love. When we care about people's eternal destiny, we should be motivated to make a difference in their present situation. A friend of mine works for a ministry that offers "eternal hope and temporal help". And the temporal help, when given wisely, can change societies. We are living proof - as we look around and see the absence of slavery, Jim Crow laws, sweatshops, and child labor, we can grasp that Christianity can make a difference for both the future and the here and now.
John R. Mott captured the balance perfectly:
"There are not two gospels, one social and one individual. There is but one Christ who lived, died, and rose again, and relates himself to the lives of men. He is the Savior of the individual and the one sufficient Power to transform his environment and relationships."
Go with me if you will into early 19th century England. Thousands of displaced cottage industry families find themselves working in factories and coal mines. Entire families would work together just as they had in their home industries, and women and children received no special considerations. Increased food production and income was easily offset by the needs of a rapidly growing population. Conditions were terrible, really. Today we would call that England poor, third world, backward.
The coal workers faced brutal conditions. Because they were smaller, women and children often hauled coal out, hunched over to travel underneath low ceilings while pulling a cart full of coal. The work was hot, and like the men, the women went shirtless. Their backs were breaking down, their lungs were filling with dust, but the complaint that finally stirred Parliament was that the women's shirtlessness was lowering moral standards. Factory conditions were hard too. Little or no concern for anything beyond the financial 'bottom line' meant long, hot hours for the men, women and children in the factories.
It was in this context that the Second Great Awakening flowed into England from the US. This awakening brought more than an understanding of personal salvation; it brought an awareness of how that salvation should prompt its adherents to make a difference in society. And while its followers pursued this goal imperfectly, their goal was thoroughly in line with the book of James. "Faith without works is dead", he wrote, and exhorted his readers to show practical acts of servant love to the weak members of society because of their faith.
This same understanding spread to other parts of the world. In Ghana, efforts of Christians led to transformation as well. William Carey made a difference toward ending the practice of suttee, or widow-burning, in his beloved India. Consistently, Christians were becoming awakened to the idea that they should speak up about social ills and the needs of society. And in the process, society changed. The decrease in poverty was dramatic, and just as believers spearheaded the end of slavery, they also successfully fought for the end of English sweatshops and extreme hunger as a norm.
By the late 19th century two streams were developing: Some Christians focused on evangelism, and others on social action. While those emphasizing evangelism were prone to ignoring or minimizing the social and cultural development of the people, those prioritizing social action - especially after the rise of Darwinism and radical "higher criticism" which questioned the authority of Scripture - sometimes compromised truth and minimized evangelism. Even when evangelicals embraced social action, often it was at the expense of the other group's cultural distinctives; in other words, the goal was to make them "civilized" defined commonly as "more like us" (the tragedy of the Native Americans illustrates this sad fact; we created a de-culturated and totally dependent sub-class and to this day face repercussions for those decisions).
As always, there were stellar examples of balance. Some Methodist and Baptist pastors travled west, living in rural villages and adopting the lifestyle of the people. Some missionaries went on the Trail of Tears with the Cherokee. Some Catholic missionaries and Spalding exemplify the effectiveness that these individuals had. They were successful because they identified - and they balanced evangelism and meeting needs.
The story of missions in the late 19th century illustrates the importance of the pillars of evangelism and practical acts of servant love. When we care about people's eternal destiny, we should be motivated to make a difference in their present situation. A friend of mine works for a ministry that offers "eternal hope and temporal help". And the temporal help, when given wisely, can change societies. We are living proof - as we look around and see the absence of slavery, Jim Crow laws, sweatshops, and child labor, we can grasp that Christianity can make a difference for both the future and the here and now.
John R. Mott captured the balance perfectly:
"There are not two gospels, one social and one individual. There is but one Christ who lived, died, and rose again, and relates himself to the lives of men. He is the Savior of the individual and the one sufficient Power to transform his environment and relationships."
Friday, June 20, 2008
Hearts and Minds
What is mission, really? What are we trying to do when we go "into all the world" and make disciples, as Jesus commanded?
Through the centuries, that question has been answered in different ways. Some have interpreted it to mean a carbon copy of the one going - teach the new believer to follow Christ in the same cultural clothing we use, having quiet times the same way, etc. Others have focused on criticism of the dominant culture/government, teaching the disciples to be revolutionaries. At another extreme, the emphasis has been on meeting practical needs with no effort to bring lasting change - merely leaving the people where they are, but making sure they hear the Gospel. Today's two most common extremes are an emphasis on evangelism to the exclusion of practical ministry, and an emphasis on practical ministry and social change to the exclusion of evangelism.
As usual, God's word blazes a different path - one that takes into account the needs of today and the changes required for tomorrow; one that emphasizes both evangelism and action; one that teaches contentment without complacency; one that comes ready to fit into any culture - and transform it where needed. It's the path of changing hearts and minds.
As "outsiders" in any mission situation, we have to focus on the hearts and minds of those we wish to reach. Even in the political realm, the idea of "hearts and minds" is critical: in the 19th century, the Opium Wars in China - after the West, including some missionaries, supplied opium to bring down tea prices and the Chinese government fought to have us cease the practice - and the forced opening of Japan show us that we can "win" and still lose if hearts and minds aren't with us. The longterm effect in both those societies and the West's relationship with them is significant. Part of what we see today goes back to those flawed encounters. Both China and Japan were totally closed to the West for much of the 20th century, and even today Japan remains one of the hardest societies to penetrate with the Gospel. The lesson was learned the hard way: for political relations to succeed, as guests in a country we should make ourselves useful so they want us there. When the hearts and minds of the people are on our side, the political relationship improves.
The same is true missiologically. Our "mercy ministries" meet practical needs but also form a strong link to the Gospel. The adage is true; people don't care what they know until they know that you care. Missionaries who seek to fit into the culture (in ways that don't compromise the Gospel, but might make them feel awkward or foreign at first), and who focus on meeting needs, are often the ones who are able to stay when everyone else is forced out of the country. Living with the people; dressing like them; eating what they eat; in general identifying with them, affords a relationship that can lead to conversations about the Gospel.
William Carey affords a great picture of a misisonary who had strong theology, solid evangelistic perspective, and yet was thoroughly socially engaged. An article I read titled "Who Really was William Carey?" presented a portrait of the man from different angles - showing the breadth of his involvement in India. From contributions in botany and other sciences, to fighting the social practice of widows burning themselves on funeral pyres, to translating Scripture, to sharing the Gospel - Carey made himself useful in his chosen country of service, meeting practical needs, blazing the trail for those who following, and even seeing conversions. He won the hearts and minds of the people, and in the process earned the right to share what was most deeply etched in his heart and mind - the Gospel.
Sure, there were political challenges in Carey's India. Yet he wasn't drawn into them just for politics sake. We have to be vigilant to pursue all things for the sake of Christ. We have to seek to "keep the main thing, the main thing". We have to focus on the hearts and minds of people. And in so doing, we may become a conduit for Him to change their hearts and minds for eternal good and temporal hope.
Through the centuries, that question has been answered in different ways. Some have interpreted it to mean a carbon copy of the one going - teach the new believer to follow Christ in the same cultural clothing we use, having quiet times the same way, etc. Others have focused on criticism of the dominant culture/government, teaching the disciples to be revolutionaries. At another extreme, the emphasis has been on meeting practical needs with no effort to bring lasting change - merely leaving the people where they are, but making sure they hear the Gospel. Today's two most common extremes are an emphasis on evangelism to the exclusion of practical ministry, and an emphasis on practical ministry and social change to the exclusion of evangelism.
As usual, God's word blazes a different path - one that takes into account the needs of today and the changes required for tomorrow; one that emphasizes both evangelism and action; one that teaches contentment without complacency; one that comes ready to fit into any culture - and transform it where needed. It's the path of changing hearts and minds.
As "outsiders" in any mission situation, we have to focus on the hearts and minds of those we wish to reach. Even in the political realm, the idea of "hearts and minds" is critical: in the 19th century, the Opium Wars in China - after the West, including some missionaries, supplied opium to bring down tea prices and the Chinese government fought to have us cease the practice - and the forced opening of Japan show us that we can "win" and still lose if hearts and minds aren't with us. The longterm effect in both those societies and the West's relationship with them is significant. Part of what we see today goes back to those flawed encounters. Both China and Japan were totally closed to the West for much of the 20th century, and even today Japan remains one of the hardest societies to penetrate with the Gospel. The lesson was learned the hard way: for political relations to succeed, as guests in a country we should make ourselves useful so they want us there. When the hearts and minds of the people are on our side, the political relationship improves.
The same is true missiologically. Our "mercy ministries" meet practical needs but also form a strong link to the Gospel. The adage is true; people don't care what they know until they know that you care. Missionaries who seek to fit into the culture (in ways that don't compromise the Gospel, but might make them feel awkward or foreign at first), and who focus on meeting needs, are often the ones who are able to stay when everyone else is forced out of the country. Living with the people; dressing like them; eating what they eat; in general identifying with them, affords a relationship that can lead to conversations about the Gospel.
William Carey affords a great picture of a misisonary who had strong theology, solid evangelistic perspective, and yet was thoroughly socially engaged. An article I read titled "Who Really was William Carey?" presented a portrait of the man from different angles - showing the breadth of his involvement in India. From contributions in botany and other sciences, to fighting the social practice of widows burning themselves on funeral pyres, to translating Scripture, to sharing the Gospel - Carey made himself useful in his chosen country of service, meeting practical needs, blazing the trail for those who following, and even seeing conversions. He won the hearts and minds of the people, and in the process earned the right to share what was most deeply etched in his heart and mind - the Gospel.
Sure, there were political challenges in Carey's India. Yet he wasn't drawn into them just for politics sake. We have to be vigilant to pursue all things for the sake of Christ. We have to seek to "keep the main thing, the main thing". We have to focus on the hearts and minds of people. And in so doing, we may become a conduit for Him to change their hearts and minds for eternal good and temporal hope.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Single Issues and Systemic Concerns
An amazing thing happened in the 18th century - Evangelicals "awakened" to the Gospel in new ways and began to get involved in missions as a result. Catalysts like William Carey became God's instruments to use "means" to carry the Gospel to the world. Previously, the Protestant mindset was largely reflected in the quote an elder supposedly told Carey when he presented his desire for evangelization: "Sit down! If God wants to convert the heathen, He'll do it without your help or mine."
Carey couldn't sit down - he wrote an influential pamphlet arguing for the use of "means" to accomplish God's plan to reach the world with the Gospel. Those "means" are known to us as missions organizations.
The first formal missions organizations were not denominational, but were, as many key movements, on the fringe. These new structures afforded a place for individuals who were tugged by the compulsion to share the Gospel and minister to people, but whose churches lacked that emphasis. Modeled after Paul's missionary bands in the book of Acts, these bands have been called Protestant "orders" (paralleling the Catholic orders which led the way in Catholic missions through the monasteries). These missionary bands reported to churches and sought to develop churches, but were independent from any one church.
Eventually, the churches caught the vision and developed their own denominational missions structures. Since that time, Western missions has been characterized by these two systems. This variety in approaches has led to an unprecedented expansion of specialization; Martin Mary writes, "These institutions grew larger and larger, but their goals encompassed ever narrower portions of life." Essentially, many agencies specializes in something different - Muslims, or Tribals, or the poor - providing a means or instrument for the outlet of those stirred by awakening to meet a specific need. It affords a natural structure for new ways of thinking and new emphases.
However, there is a downside. The very structure that attracts those who have the passion it reflects also acts, intentionally or not, to exclude those who have different passions. As a result, there is a surrender of wider systemic concerns. It often can lead to individual level reform vs. societal reform, if the organizations compete rather than peacefully co-exist among a people group.
Such a struggle underscores the wisdom of God. It is through the church - the body of Christ, where all are equal and all concerns valid - that God manifests His wisdom to the spiritual realm. In the church, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female. The Biblical pattern doesn't segregate by age or ethnicity, either. And through each person fulfilling his or her gifts and working together in unity with others, God transforms not just lives but societies.
The very fact that I am sitting here studying this material in a majority-Christian society demonstrates that transformation. My ancestors were Native Americans and Europeans, mainly German and English. Reach back far enough and all those regions were controlled by tribes that practiced animism and warred against each other. More recently, the early American society while largely influenced by Scripture only boasted 6% church attendance, until the Great Awakening truly brought home the need for personal salvation. So I sit here today with a heritage that demonstrates societal transformation.
Alone we can impact people. Together we can "turn the world upside down", as the Jewish leaders said of the apostles. Missions structures are vital - God has used them mightily for 200 years, as the "wild fringe" that keeps the church focused on God's big picture plan. But left to themselves the missions structures can polarize rather than unify. That's why there must be a partnership with the church - God's structure for revealing His wisdom!
Carey couldn't sit down - he wrote an influential pamphlet arguing for the use of "means" to accomplish God's plan to reach the world with the Gospel. Those "means" are known to us as missions organizations.
The first formal missions organizations were not denominational, but were, as many key movements, on the fringe. These new structures afforded a place for individuals who were tugged by the compulsion to share the Gospel and minister to people, but whose churches lacked that emphasis. Modeled after Paul's missionary bands in the book of Acts, these bands have been called Protestant "orders" (paralleling the Catholic orders which led the way in Catholic missions through the monasteries). These missionary bands reported to churches and sought to develop churches, but were independent from any one church.
Eventually, the churches caught the vision and developed their own denominational missions structures. Since that time, Western missions has been characterized by these two systems. This variety in approaches has led to an unprecedented expansion of specialization; Martin Mary writes, "These institutions grew larger and larger, but their goals encompassed ever narrower portions of life." Essentially, many agencies specializes in something different - Muslims, or Tribals, or the poor - providing a means or instrument for the outlet of those stirred by awakening to meet a specific need. It affords a natural structure for new ways of thinking and new emphases.
However, there is a downside. The very structure that attracts those who have the passion it reflects also acts, intentionally or not, to exclude those who have different passions. As a result, there is a surrender of wider systemic concerns. It often can lead to individual level reform vs. societal reform, if the organizations compete rather than peacefully co-exist among a people group.
Such a struggle underscores the wisdom of God. It is through the church - the body of Christ, where all are equal and all concerns valid - that God manifests His wisdom to the spiritual realm. In the church, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female. The Biblical pattern doesn't segregate by age or ethnicity, either. And through each person fulfilling his or her gifts and working together in unity with others, God transforms not just lives but societies.
The very fact that I am sitting here studying this material in a majority-Christian society demonstrates that transformation. My ancestors were Native Americans and Europeans, mainly German and English. Reach back far enough and all those regions were controlled by tribes that practiced animism and warred against each other. More recently, the early American society while largely influenced by Scripture only boasted 6% church attendance, until the Great Awakening truly brought home the need for personal salvation. So I sit here today with a heritage that demonstrates societal transformation.
Alone we can impact people. Together we can "turn the world upside down", as the Jewish leaders said of the apostles. Missions structures are vital - God has used them mightily for 200 years, as the "wild fringe" that keeps the church focused on God's big picture plan. But left to themselves the missions structures can polarize rather than unify. That's why there must be a partnership with the church - God's structure for revealing His wisdom!
Monday, June 2, 2008
The Christian in Society
We all know Christians are in the world, but not of the world. Jesus said it, and when we walk closely with Him, we sense it. We know in our spirits that the priorities of the world are not our priorities, that the perspectives of the world are not our perspectives, and the goals of the world are not our goals. Especially in the modern-day evangelical church, we can become pretty adept at focusing on the "not of the world" part of Jesus' teaching.
What we often struggle with is the "in the world" part. When we awaken to the fact that we aren't to be like "the world", often we just want to hold out until Jesus comes and takes us away. The concept of separatism has been around as long as Christianity, and over the centuries various groups have emphasized separatism as what should be the norm for believers. From the Anabaptists during the Reformation to many fundamentalists today, the message has been "Be separate."
But God leaves us in this world after we are saved for a reason. He could immediately take us to heaven and make us perfectly holy. Yet He doesn't - He leaves us here, in this messy, fallen world, and asks us to walk with Him along with other believers on this journey. He tells us to love Him, love one another, and love others in highly practical ways. And over the centuries, biblical Christians have interpreted that to mean that we have a role to play in the societies in which we live -- a role of salt and light, a role of messenger, and sometimes a role of change agent.
Being "not of this world" is the fuel that keeps us going when our efforts to love are rejected, when we are battle-weary, or when everyone else abandons a situation. Prioritizing love means we stay in the race to the end. It's why Christians were the ones rescuing babies abandoned in the desert during the Roman Empire, nursing the sick as the Empire was hit by plagues, ministering during the Dark Ages' bubonic plague, defending the rights of the Indians against opportunists, forming abolitionist societies despite the economic benefits of slavery, fighting to see Jim Crow laws and South African apartheid overturned, challenging Roe v. Wade. It's why Christians aren't abandoning Burma and are taking the lead in relief efforts in China after the earthquake. It's why we fight in prayer, winning battles on our knees, but also stand at the ballot box to exercise the free will God gave us to make a difference. We love, so we act, and we keep acting because we are not of this world. Yet we are in it, and so we care.
We don't parallel the Israelites in the dessert, wandering and waiting on the Promised Land. Instead, we are like the Jews in Babylon, who were given these instructions from God in Jer. 29:4-7:
4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."
Granted, we are not left here for judgment like the Israelites were sent to Babylon for. But neither are we left here to twiddle our thumbs while waiting on Jesus to return. And Biblically, while we are certainly to prioritize evangelism, we are also to express our love in very practical ways. And our love is directed not at the government or institutions, but at people.
We get disheartened when we look at what little we feel we can do, and the magnitude of the problems. But the bottom line is, the church has a role to play in society, not just us as individuals. The Gospel and our lives should preach the same message. Looking beyond our individualistic worldview, we can see that it's not just me making a difference in one life, it's us making a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us. When evangelicals step back from society, theologies that minimize God and His Word prevail. What a loss when we have the chance to lead but instead step back and retreat rather than engage.
What we often struggle with is the "in the world" part. When we awaken to the fact that we aren't to be like "the world", often we just want to hold out until Jesus comes and takes us away. The concept of separatism has been around as long as Christianity, and over the centuries various groups have emphasized separatism as what should be the norm for believers. From the Anabaptists during the Reformation to many fundamentalists today, the message has been "Be separate."
But God leaves us in this world after we are saved for a reason. He could immediately take us to heaven and make us perfectly holy. Yet He doesn't - He leaves us here, in this messy, fallen world, and asks us to walk with Him along with other believers on this journey. He tells us to love Him, love one another, and love others in highly practical ways. And over the centuries, biblical Christians have interpreted that to mean that we have a role to play in the societies in which we live -- a role of salt and light, a role of messenger, and sometimes a role of change agent.
Being "not of this world" is the fuel that keeps us going when our efforts to love are rejected, when we are battle-weary, or when everyone else abandons a situation. Prioritizing love means we stay in the race to the end. It's why Christians were the ones rescuing babies abandoned in the desert during the Roman Empire, nursing the sick as the Empire was hit by plagues, ministering during the Dark Ages' bubonic plague, defending the rights of the Indians against opportunists, forming abolitionist societies despite the economic benefits of slavery, fighting to see Jim Crow laws and South African apartheid overturned, challenging Roe v. Wade. It's why Christians aren't abandoning Burma and are taking the lead in relief efforts in China after the earthquake. It's why we fight in prayer, winning battles on our knees, but also stand at the ballot box to exercise the free will God gave us to make a difference. We love, so we act, and we keep acting because we are not of this world. Yet we are in it, and so we care.
We don't parallel the Israelites in the dessert, wandering and waiting on the Promised Land. Instead, we are like the Jews in Babylon, who were given these instructions from God in Jer. 29:4-7:
4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."
Granted, we are not left here for judgment like the Israelites were sent to Babylon for. But neither are we left here to twiddle our thumbs while waiting on Jesus to return. And Biblically, while we are certainly to prioritize evangelism, we are also to express our love in very practical ways. And our love is directed not at the government or institutions, but at people.
We get disheartened when we look at what little we feel we can do, and the magnitude of the problems. But the bottom line is, the church has a role to play in society, not just us as individuals. The Gospel and our lives should preach the same message. Looking beyond our individualistic worldview, we can see that it's not just me making a difference in one life, it's us making a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us. When evangelicals step back from society, theologies that minimize God and His Word prevail. What a loss when we have the chance to lead but instead step back and retreat rather than engage.
Defining "Me"
It's hard to conceive from our Western perspective, but plenty of cultures in the world have difficulty with the concept of the individual. Westerners tend to define themselves as they wish, selectively choosing the labels with which they most closely identify. In group-oriented societies, personhood is defined by relationship to the group.
For example, the Polynesian conception of personhood emphasizes relationships between individuals. It has been described as "I am, because we are." And where those primary relationships are non-existent, the personhood is often seen as non-existent as well.
This isn't really uncommon in group-oriented societies. When we understand that much of the Bible was written to an audience that largely functioned from a group-oriented perspective, we can understand even more fully the commands not to neglect widows and orphans, to love the foreigner. All these are segments of population that in a group-oriented society can easily become non-persons.
Before we criticize too strongly, though, we must realize that a western, individualistic perspective is not free from treating individuals as non-persons. We've seen it happen in the not-too-distant past: in the United States, slaves were treated legally as property, not persons. The "3/5 compromise" wrote into our constitution that slaves counted for 3/5 of a person when computing population data -- and that stood for almost 100 years, until the 14th Amendment in 1865.
As usual, Scripture provides an alternative perspective to either extreme. The Biblical view can be summed up as "I am who God says I am." Each person has equal value, having been created in the image of God regardless how skewed that image looks as a result of the Fall. And each person has equal opportunity to be restored to relationship with God through faith in Christ, and reflect His image as we are conformed to the image of Christ through process of sanctification.
It was the close, external perspective of non-slave owners, frequently Christians involved in Abolition, that eventually turned the tide in the US away from seeing slaves as non-persons. They were close enough to see the problems, but had the external perspective of not having a vested financial interest in slavery.
Similarly, Scripture will always bring a close, external perspective to our lives. As we study Scripture we will see areas that need to be "tweaked"; we will see things that don't line up with who God says we are as Christians and with the image of Christ that He is forming in us. When we yield to God's refining hand, we will find that we grow closer to Him and to others. We will begin to know who we truly are - in Him. We'll find that our identity is thoroughly tied up in relationship.
I am who He says I am. Hallelujah!
For example, the Polynesian conception of personhood emphasizes relationships between individuals. It has been described as "I am, because we are." And where those primary relationships are non-existent, the personhood is often seen as non-existent as well.
This isn't really uncommon in group-oriented societies. When we understand that much of the Bible was written to an audience that largely functioned from a group-oriented perspective, we can understand even more fully the commands not to neglect widows and orphans, to love the foreigner. All these are segments of population that in a group-oriented society can easily become non-persons.
Before we criticize too strongly, though, we must realize that a western, individualistic perspective is not free from treating individuals as non-persons. We've seen it happen in the not-too-distant past: in the United States, slaves were treated legally as property, not persons. The "3/5 compromise" wrote into our constitution that slaves counted for 3/5 of a person when computing population data -- and that stood for almost 100 years, until the 14th Amendment in 1865.
As usual, Scripture provides an alternative perspective to either extreme. The Biblical view can be summed up as "I am who God says I am." Each person has equal value, having been created in the image of God regardless how skewed that image looks as a result of the Fall. And each person has equal opportunity to be restored to relationship with God through faith in Christ, and reflect His image as we are conformed to the image of Christ through process of sanctification.
It was the close, external perspective of non-slave owners, frequently Christians involved in Abolition, that eventually turned the tide in the US away from seeing slaves as non-persons. They were close enough to see the problems, but had the external perspective of not having a vested financial interest in slavery.
Similarly, Scripture will always bring a close, external perspective to our lives. As we study Scripture we will see areas that need to be "tweaked"; we will see things that don't line up with who God says we are as Christians and with the image of Christ that He is forming in us. When we yield to God's refining hand, we will find that we grow closer to Him and to others. We will begin to know who we truly are - in Him. We'll find that our identity is thoroughly tied up in relationship.
I am who He says I am. Hallelujah!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Practical Christianity on the Field
"There can be no true prayer and public worship without the outward exercise of justice." (Ruth Tucker)
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8, ESV)
When we commit to be on mission with God - whether in our hometowns, across the country, or around the world - we can be sure that He will open our eyes to things we wouldn't see otherwise. As we walk with Him we will find that we are in places where we see wrongs being committed, where we recognize systemic problems, where we see root causes rather than mere symptoms.
And we will wonder what, if anything, we are to do about it. We'll have to balance the long-term spiritual view with the immediate need of the moment. We'll have to walk the fine line between evangelism and social justice, between theology and practice. If there's one thing that can be certain when we commit to a life of kingdom significance, it's that God will call us on it "where the rubber meets the road."
This isn't a new idea. Paul addresses both theological and practical issues in his epistles. Peter lays down a hard theology of doing good in the midst of suffering. And James - he is probably the most radical of all, giving us a picture of "hands-on" Christianity in action.
I've met some interesting individuals on my journey through World Christian Foundations, but one that has impacted me more significantly than many is Bartholomew de las Casas. de Las Casas was a Dominican priest in Mexico during the 16th century. In an age when the enslavement of the natives was not only status quo but thought justifiable, he dared to rock the boat. He was counter-cultural, seeking to make a difference in his corner of the world. And he did. He fought hard for reforms which, while not ending slavery, made life much easier for the Native Americans. His advocacy laid the foundation for new laws that ultimately changed the system. And he found a balance between humanitarianism and evangelism, boldly proclaiming the cause of Christ even while making a difference in the here and now.
A dear friend works for an agency that seeks "to offer temporal help and eternal hope." de Las Casas did just that, seeking justice out of authentic love for the people he wanted to see embrace the Gospel. We'll have the opportunity to do the same thing.
There will always be reasons not to act. The Gospel should provide us with a powerful reason to act! Down through the ages, there have always been those who heeded the call to social justice as part of a Christian lifestyle, even as part of evangelism, as part of a missionary task. The early church rescued babies from the wilderness where they were left to die. The church stayed behind to help the sick as the Roman Empire was ravaged by disease. The Calvinists tried to adopt a model of earthly justice in Switzerland. The pietists emphasized the need to take faith to the world with both words and deeds. 19th century American missionaries went on the Trail of Tears with the Indians. More recently pastors risked their pulpits to march for equal rights for blacks in the US. Even while typing this lesson, I received an email about a horrific infanticide occuring on the Amazon. Missionaries are taking the initiative to make a difference. Websites have been created to assist (http://www.hakani.org/en/ http://www.lirs.org/DonateServe/advocate.htm). But the bottom line for me is that while I was writing a lesson on justice as part of practical Christianity, God called me on it!
While missionaries, like other believers, have not perfectly represented the Gospel they carried, in general they have actually been stabilizing, mitigating factors against the negative cultural practices of their days. In doing so, they haven't practiced anything the rest of us shouldn't also be doing. Whether in our culture or across the world, if believers with a Biblical worldview can't stand up for the weak and downtrodden, for the injustices of society, then who will? If Jesus was moved by compassion to feed the 5000, then surely we know He cares about temporal needs.
And so should we, in very practical ways.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Change Agents
A study of history from a Godward perspective yields insights - and encouragement - about the process of change. Only a few weeks ago, my studies covered the "barbarian" tribes of England and Northern Europe; now I'm seeing how out of those same areas came the philosophical and theological insights that captured the minds of the Reformers. Somehow, a major leap forward was made in that few hundred years.
Significant changes were made within the context of the Reformation as well. With my Protestant background, I was unfamiliar with the "Counter-Reformation" and even less familiar with the "Catholic Reformation". Basically, the Catholic Reformation was an internal movement that actually started prior to the Protestant Reformation. It was a time of missionary focus and re-evaluation of theologies. The Counter-Reformation was a response to some of the issues raised by the Protestant Reformation and in some ways made the Catholic Church more closed, more "Catholic" and less inclusive. The Catholic Reformation remained an impact, however, through monastic movements that carried the Gospel message while Protestantism was still developing.
These two different movements, combined with the English Reformation and the Protestant Reformation with its Calvinist, Lutheran, and Radical wings, illustrate that the 16th century brought a burst of vitality to Christianity. This revival or renewal movement certainly didn't look the same within all of the groups. And that's one of the principles that we see in studying historical renewal movements: They take different streams and bring about both theological improvements and theological divergencies. Like Jonathan Edwards in Religious Affections, we must be aware that the presence of vitality will result sometimes in excesses, sometimes in imbalance, sometimes in over-reactions that reject the movement. As with the 16th Century Reformations, those groups that maintain a closer affiliation to Scripture will emerge with sounder (not perfect!) theologies and ultimately a longer-lasting vitality.
Each of the Reformations had one or more "change agents" who were catalysts, but the movements touched a deeper level than those individuals' ideas. Change also came gradually; even where radical change occurred within the Protestant Reformation, the fleshing out of that change was a gradual process -- one reason that Protestant Missions didn't really take off for 200 years after the Reformation. This can be encouraging as we work with people groups, ministries, or churches that are striving for change. We may see miniscule advances daily, but a look back at the history (last year, 5 years ago, etc.) will probably yield a better perspective of how that change is progressing. Changing policies is relatively easy; changing hearts and minds takes a while.
We also can see through this that today's decisions will have a long-term effect. The religious and political manueverings in Western Europe after the Reformation had results that reverberated through history. (For example, France's King Henry's political "conversion" to Catholicism and recognition of the Protestant Huguenots saved France as a country at the time - and laid the groundwork for it strengthening to the point that the French Revolution eventually resulted.) What decision today will have such a future impact? And like the pagan Europeans, what changes are in the works for your people group or that you serve?
The Gospel is truly like the yeast that works its way in over time. And there is an enemy who also tries to infiltrate and destroy the process. Societies change over time. Our role as change agents is to pray for God to keep our society nudging in the right direction!
Significant changes were made within the context of the Reformation as well. With my Protestant background, I was unfamiliar with the "Counter-Reformation" and even less familiar with the "Catholic Reformation". Basically, the Catholic Reformation was an internal movement that actually started prior to the Protestant Reformation. It was a time of missionary focus and re-evaluation of theologies. The Counter-Reformation was a response to some of the issues raised by the Protestant Reformation and in some ways made the Catholic Church more closed, more "Catholic" and less inclusive. The Catholic Reformation remained an impact, however, through monastic movements that carried the Gospel message while Protestantism was still developing.
These two different movements, combined with the English Reformation and the Protestant Reformation with its Calvinist, Lutheran, and Radical wings, illustrate that the 16th century brought a burst of vitality to Christianity. This revival or renewal movement certainly didn't look the same within all of the groups. And that's one of the principles that we see in studying historical renewal movements: They take different streams and bring about both theological improvements and theological divergencies. Like Jonathan Edwards in Religious Affections, we must be aware that the presence of vitality will result sometimes in excesses, sometimes in imbalance, sometimes in over-reactions that reject the movement. As with the 16th Century Reformations, those groups that maintain a closer affiliation to Scripture will emerge with sounder (not perfect!) theologies and ultimately a longer-lasting vitality.
Each of the Reformations had one or more "change agents" who were catalysts, but the movements touched a deeper level than those individuals' ideas. Change also came gradually; even where radical change occurred within the Protestant Reformation, the fleshing out of that change was a gradual process -- one reason that Protestant Missions didn't really take off for 200 years after the Reformation. This can be encouraging as we work with people groups, ministries, or churches that are striving for change. We may see miniscule advances daily, but a look back at the history (last year, 5 years ago, etc.) will probably yield a better perspective of how that change is progressing. Changing policies is relatively easy; changing hearts and minds takes a while.
We also can see through this that today's decisions will have a long-term effect. The religious and political manueverings in Western Europe after the Reformation had results that reverberated through history. (For example, France's King Henry's political "conversion" to Catholicism and recognition of the Protestant Huguenots saved France as a country at the time - and laid the groundwork for it strengthening to the point that the French Revolution eventually resulted.) What decision today will have such a future impact? And like the pagan Europeans, what changes are in the works for your people group or that you serve?
The Gospel is truly like the yeast that works its way in over time. And there is an enemy who also tries to infiltrate and destroy the process. Societies change over time. Our role as change agents is to pray for God to keep our society nudging in the right direction!
Monday, April 28, 2008
The Power of Nationalism
Before this study program I never realized how powerful nationalism can be. Like many "red, white, and blue" Americans, I equated patriotism with nationalism. Studying history from a missiological perspective has given me insights to see that the two are not synonymous - and to understand how patriotism can be manipulated by people with their own agendas.
Nationalism played a larger role in the Reformation that I'd ever grasped. A map of the post-Peace of Westphalia Europe -- when the religious boundaries were established and hopes for reconciliation with Rome abolished -- shows that the areas most influenced by Protestantism were also those least "Latin" in culture. Germany was drawn to Lutheranism by political reasons as much as religious; Switzerland's rejection of Catholicism for Calvinism had political overtones as well. And in England, a fully nationalistic religion developed as the country struggled to be free from the power and financial structure of Rome.
For reasons of his own, Henry VIII stood to benefit from a strengthened reform movement. There were a few thousand Protestants in England in the early 16th century. The movement had grown since John Wycliffe but was largely confined to the coastal ports. However, an active Lutheran underground and the strong coastal Protestant representation afforded a starting point which was soon amplified by Parliamentary decisions restricting papal authority, removing funding from Rome, and ultimately granting ecclesiological authority to the king. Henry VIII's desire for divorce came after many years of conflict between Church and Crown. It served as the tipping point, but not the catalyst. That catalyst was the desire for national sovereignty.
Henry VIII's changes in the church were more than surface. While he replicated the liturgical and parish structures, he also dissolved the monasteries, changed the process of confession, and established the Book of Common Prayer. His changes laid the groundwork for the poor being cared for by the parish (instead of the monastery) and for the eventual melding of church and state -- something the popes had desired but failed to achieve. This supremacy of state over church eventually led to further reformers, and a little thing called the American Revolution.
Over on the other side of the globe, reform was going on as well. The Sikh religion underwent somewhat of a "reformation" in the 16th century, becoming less a religion of the guru and more a religion of the book; the book replaced the guru and personal holiness was sought as an ideal more than ritual. Sikhs have a strong integration between religion and society and their own sense of nationalism, as they desire to be separately identified from the Hindus and Muslims which dominate India. Japan had a growing Christian movement, but ultimately rejected Christianity when it became linked with rebellion against the government.
These examples demonstrate the importance of missionaries being cautious in their political involvements. Especially when we are a guest in a country, we must maintain our focus on loving people. We also must realize how closely people often link their beliefs to their identity. To be Sikhs, for example, is to follow Sikhism. At times in Japanese history, to be Japanese was to be Shinto.
That's why contextualization is so important. We have to realize that the Gospel is a message that comes without cultural baggage. It can be applied within any culture. And within every culture there will be elements to accept, elements to adapt, and elements to reject. The process of determining which are which is a task that can best be processed with national believers, once they have been given Scripture and taught how to assess their culture within biblical parameters.
Nationalism played a larger role in the Reformation that I'd ever grasped. A map of the post-Peace of Westphalia Europe -- when the religious boundaries were established and hopes for reconciliation with Rome abolished -- shows that the areas most influenced by Protestantism were also those least "Latin" in culture. Germany was drawn to Lutheranism by political reasons as much as religious; Switzerland's rejection of Catholicism for Calvinism had political overtones as well. And in England, a fully nationalistic religion developed as the country struggled to be free from the power and financial structure of Rome.
For reasons of his own, Henry VIII stood to benefit from a strengthened reform movement. There were a few thousand Protestants in England in the early 16th century. The movement had grown since John Wycliffe but was largely confined to the coastal ports. However, an active Lutheran underground and the strong coastal Protestant representation afforded a starting point which was soon amplified by Parliamentary decisions restricting papal authority, removing funding from Rome, and ultimately granting ecclesiological authority to the king. Henry VIII's desire for divorce came after many years of conflict between Church and Crown. It served as the tipping point, but not the catalyst. That catalyst was the desire for national sovereignty.
Henry VIII's changes in the church were more than surface. While he replicated the liturgical and parish structures, he also dissolved the monasteries, changed the process of confession, and established the Book of Common Prayer. His changes laid the groundwork for the poor being cared for by the parish (instead of the monastery) and for the eventual melding of church and state -- something the popes had desired but failed to achieve. This supremacy of state over church eventually led to further reformers, and a little thing called the American Revolution.
Over on the other side of the globe, reform was going on as well. The Sikh religion underwent somewhat of a "reformation" in the 16th century, becoming less a religion of the guru and more a religion of the book; the book replaced the guru and personal holiness was sought as an ideal more than ritual. Sikhs have a strong integration between religion and society and their own sense of nationalism, as they desire to be separately identified from the Hindus and Muslims which dominate India. Japan had a growing Christian movement, but ultimately rejected Christianity when it became linked with rebellion against the government.
These examples demonstrate the importance of missionaries being cautious in their political involvements. Especially when we are a guest in a country, we must maintain our focus on loving people. We also must realize how closely people often link their beliefs to their identity. To be Sikhs, for example, is to follow Sikhism. At times in Japanese history, to be Japanese was to be Shinto.
That's why contextualization is so important. We have to realize that the Gospel is a message that comes without cultural baggage. It can be applied within any culture. And within every culture there will be elements to accept, elements to adapt, and elements to reject. The process of determining which are which is a task that can best be processed with national believers, once they have been given Scripture and taught how to assess their culture within biblical parameters.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
The Music of the Gospel
Like many dyed-in-the-wool Protestants, I spent most of my Christian life thinking that Christianity practically died out after the Edict of Constantine and revived miraculously when Martin Luther rediscovered the Gospel in Romans. This study program has really opened my eyes to all the activity going on in those so-called "Dark Ages" - including sound Christian movements and missions!
As we begin our lessons together from Module 3B, we are jumping right into one of the most formative periods for much of what we consider normal "church": the Reformation. Many of our "forms", including hymnals and a pulpit in the center to represent the centrality of the word, spring from the reformation period. But these things are not the heart of the Reformation.
Paul Pierson observes well that the Reformation is best characterized as a rediscovery of an essential aspect of the gospel that had been neglected: justification by faith. Certainly people believed in justification by faith between the New Testament and the Reformation -- numerous theologians and historical references reveal people of vibrant faith. But as a central doctrinal tenet of the church, justification by faith had been supplanted by a works-based theology.
Martin Luther and John Calvin, pillars of the Reformation, didn't set out to start new religious movements. Instead, they wanted to restore this truth to the Catholic Church. They wanted reform, not revolution. They got a little of both.
Let me make this clear: Martin Luther and John Calvin weren't perfect. They didn't have perfect theology and as I studied more this week of their beliefs, I saw how much I disagree with some of their writings. And yet they zeroed in on the heart of the Gospel - salvation by grace through faith, not works - and were used mightily by God. Like all my heroes, these men had feet of clay.
The Reformation restored Scripture to its rightful prominent place in Christian doctrine, and yet it remained a tool to lead us to God, not something we worship. The Reformation also restored lay leadership in churches. In fact, we can trace the emphasis on spiritual gifts to Calvin's church structure (which was based on Scripture). This structure established secret lay missionaries within the Catholic church structure in areas that remained Catholic, and within the Calvinist churches set up a system of joint church government that brought laity and clergy together, helping the church survive under persecution.
The Anabaptists were another important element of the Reformation for what we know as church today. They were part of the "radical reformation" (basically anything but Calvinism, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism was considered radical). What was so radical? Merely their idea that the church should be comprised only of believers! Both Calvin and Luther had maintained the Catholic diocesan-style structure of all people in a geographic area belonging to the church. Luther's churches were state churches, and Calvin's were the morality enforcers of the state, but both included all people in the church whether believers or not. Our concept of independent churches that are filled with believers stems from the Anabaptist wing of the Reformation. Unfortunately, the Anabaptists saw themselves in complete conflict with their culture and so became separatist rather than engaging the culture with the Gospel. As a result, the church died off except for pockets here and there - most notably in the Mennonites within the US.
The Reformation is really a concise look at missiology. All of the issues we face in spreading the Gospel -- cultural, political, economic, social, theological, contextual -- were faced by the Reformers. Like us, sometimes they got it right and sometimes they didn't.
This is our heritage as 21st century believers. This imperfect, rag-tag group of men and women were used by God to start a renewal movement that changed the world. But as the beneficiaries of their efforts, we have a responsibility to keep the message intact. As Pierson observes:
Let's keep that music alive for the generation in which God has planted us.
As we begin our lessons together from Module 3B, we are jumping right into one of the most formative periods for much of what we consider normal "church": the Reformation. Many of our "forms", including hymnals and a pulpit in the center to represent the centrality of the word, spring from the reformation period. But these things are not the heart of the Reformation.
Paul Pierson observes well that the Reformation is best characterized as a rediscovery of an essential aspect of the gospel that had been neglected: justification by faith. Certainly people believed in justification by faith between the New Testament and the Reformation -- numerous theologians and historical references reveal people of vibrant faith. But as a central doctrinal tenet of the church, justification by faith had been supplanted by a works-based theology.
Martin Luther and John Calvin, pillars of the Reformation, didn't set out to start new religious movements. Instead, they wanted to restore this truth to the Catholic Church. They wanted reform, not revolution. They got a little of both.
Let me make this clear: Martin Luther and John Calvin weren't perfect. They didn't have perfect theology and as I studied more this week of their beliefs, I saw how much I disagree with some of their writings. And yet they zeroed in on the heart of the Gospel - salvation by grace through faith, not works - and were used mightily by God. Like all my heroes, these men had feet of clay.
The Reformation restored Scripture to its rightful prominent place in Christian doctrine, and yet it remained a tool to lead us to God, not something we worship. The Reformation also restored lay leadership in churches. In fact, we can trace the emphasis on spiritual gifts to Calvin's church structure (which was based on Scripture). This structure established secret lay missionaries within the Catholic church structure in areas that remained Catholic, and within the Calvinist churches set up a system of joint church government that brought laity and clergy together, helping the church survive under persecution.
The Anabaptists were another important element of the Reformation for what we know as church today. They were part of the "radical reformation" (basically anything but Calvinism, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism was considered radical). What was so radical? Merely their idea that the church should be comprised only of believers! Both Calvin and Luther had maintained the Catholic diocesan-style structure of all people in a geographic area belonging to the church. Luther's churches were state churches, and Calvin's were the morality enforcers of the state, but both included all people in the church whether believers or not. Our concept of independent churches that are filled with believers stems from the Anabaptist wing of the Reformation. Unfortunately, the Anabaptists saw themselves in complete conflict with their culture and so became separatist rather than engaging the culture with the Gospel. As a result, the church died off except for pockets here and there - most notably in the Mennonites within the US.
The Reformation is really a concise look at missiology. All of the issues we face in spreading the Gospel -- cultural, political, economic, social, theological, contextual -- were faced by the Reformers. Like us, sometimes they got it right and sometimes they didn't.
This is our heritage as 21st century believers. This imperfect, rag-tag group of men and women were used by God to start a renewal movement that changed the world. But as the beneficiaries of their efforts, we have a responsibility to keep the message intact. As Pierson observes:
Any time there is a renewal movement...there seems to be the inevitable tendency for that movement to run down, lose its vitality, maintain the forms, and lose the inner meaning....Every generation needs to re-hear the music of the gospel, when it becomes personal.
Let's keep that music alive for the generation in which God has planted us.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Module 3A Summary: Why James?
Well I've completed Module 3A and upon reflection have grasped some "Big Picture" lessons to takeaway from this study of the early church, the Roman world, and the spread of Christianity and development of other world religions. Just some key bullet point ideas:
- We can't underestimate the importance of Scripture in the native language of the people. Mohammed's passion for a holy book in Arabic fueled the development of the Qu'ran and the rise of Islam. Our world might be vastly different today if Bedouin Arabs had been provided all of Scripture in Arabic, rather than a limited portion horded by a non-orthodox Christian group. Furthermore, as the church spread, consistently the groups that had little or no Scripture in their language eventually became less orthodox or even heretical. Scripture not only serves a missiological purpose in spreading the Gospel, but is a protection for the purity of doctrine.
- Doctrinal development is important - but not supreme. I absolutely love historical theology. I think it's important to understand how the fundamental doctrines that divide orthodox Christianity from heresy came to be accepted by the church. My faith has been strengthened by understanding that no one group "selected" Scriptures; instead, the acceptance by a broad variety of churches caused the "cream" of revealed truth to rise to the top while other disputed works fell to the wayside. All of this is important and useful. But it's not supreme. Many good Christians through the centuries have accepted the canon without question; they embrace the deity of Christ merely because He said "I AM." Their faith is unshaken by rational doubts. And most importantly, they live out their faith.
- The priority of love. Here is the heart of the module for me. You may wonder why I chose to emphasize lessons in James from my inductive study when there were so many other rich truths from the history and writings of the day. The answer is simple: I was gripped by James' message of practical Christianity, what I call practical acts of servant-love. I saw in James a pastor who had one chance to communicate something vital to a scattered, persecuted flock who lacked any Scripture beyond the Old Testament. What he chose to tell them was: Live it out. He emphasized the practical side of Christianity even though they were persecuted. Because I had so much to learn about emphasizing practical acts of servant love, I dove into James like a starving woman. And there I found food for my soul. He didn't mince words, and he didn't make excuses. In James I saw what obedience to the Great Commandments looks like: Loving God and Loving Others is the heart of authentic faith. We can get a lot of things wrong, but we'd better get this one right. To glorify God, prioritize love in practical ways.
- "The church has survived, despite churches." This quote from World on the Web blogger Tony Woodliffe (www.worldontheweb.com) covers church history in a nutshell. Things got pretty bad between the revered "Church Fathers" and the Reformation. But the church - that remnant of true believers - never disappeared. Often the fringe movements were more solid than the "orthodox" center. Frequently the laity were the source of kingdom advance and sound doctrine while the "establishment" in the church structure were corrupted by power. The Crusades remain a blight". Yet over the centuries, many small streams of renewal flowed together into a great river we call the Reformation. But "the church" never disappeared, even if it wasn't well-reflected in "churches".
- God is always at work. Henry Blackaby's #1 principle from Experiencing God is seen no matter where or when you look in the world. Looking at history from a Godward perspective - whether in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, India, wherever - you begin to see themes emerging. You see that our history books often leave out the most interesting parts of the story. For example, during the "Dark Ages", a barely-literate country became a conduit to save much of what we know today as "Western Civilization". Ireland, newly emerged from tribalism and newly confronted with the Gospel, established monasteries that copied ancient texts and later shared them with the world - resulting in Renaissance and Reformation. Truly, darkness is not dark to Him!
I will not be posting lessons here throughout March, as I am taking a brief respite from studies. However, I will resume with Module 3B in April, and will again post thoughts and insights here. Thank you for sharing this journey with me!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Authentic Faith Works
James 5 covers a broad variety of topics but a common theme is some of the "spiritual" evidences that authentic faith works. While most of James has focused on the outworking of faith in practical acts of servant-love, James 5 addresses four such works that are harder to identify and easier to overlook when we start focusing on "works".
James 5: 1-6: The Work of Justice
James 5:7-12: The Work of Perserverance
James 5:13-18: The Work of Prayer
James 5: 19-20: The Work of Restoration
The Work of Justice (5:1-6)
Come now, you rich! Weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming on you. Your riches have rotted and your clothing has become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted and their rust will be a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have hoarded treasure!
Look, the pay you have held back from the workers who mowed your fields cries out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived indulgently and luxuriously on the earth. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person, although he does not resist you.
James illustrates the work of justice by demonstrating the judgment where it is absent. James' condemnation of the rich echoes Jesus' words to the rich man who ignored Lazarus (Luke 16:19ff) and to the rich who knew no suffering (Luke 6:24-26). But it even more strongly echoes the parable of the rich man focused on his wealth (Luke 12:15-21). James, like Jesus, wants his readers to focus on being "rich toward God".
In a way this section is part of the same idea of 4:13-17: Those people who plan a business venture and fail to do what they know is right should instead be aware of their coming judgment because of their mistreatment of workers. In this passage, the rich will experience misery when their riches are gone and their finery, referenced in chapter 2 as a distinguishing mark, is decayed. All they value will be worth nothing except as a witness - their own rusted money with testify against them! Reminding them that they are living in the last days (which began at Pentecost), James levies four specific charges:
The Work of Patience
James 5:7-12 So be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s return. Think of how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient for it until it receives the early and late rains. You also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near. Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates! As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name. Think of how we regard as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and you have seen the Lord’s purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. And above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall into judgment.
"So" - or "therefore" - as a result of God hearing the laborers' cries, they should be patient. God's coming is at hand; this should prompt strengthening of heart to be patient. In the context of patience they are told not to complain against each other; judgment is sure for them just as it is for the rich.
James pulls two examples of patience from the familiar Old Testament scriptures: The prophets, and Job. The "bottom line" lessons of patience is that God is compassionate and merciful. Individuals in difficult times who are practicing the work of patience can rest in His character, and not swear oaths (a special temptation when facing a trial, but an admonition for all of us).
The Work of Prayer
James 5:13-18 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you ill? He should summon the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up – and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and there was no rain on the land for three years and six months! Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land sprouted with a harvest.
James now turns to the work of prayer. Prayer is a work of faith; prayer and works are not mutually exclusive but are in partnership and cannot be separated. One doesn't eliminate or get us "off the hook" for the other. Psalm 50:15 emphasizes that as a result of God answering our cry, we should give increased honor to Him.
James highlights prayer for the suffering and the sick, in the context of the covenant community with spiritual leadership. This prayer results in restoration, raising up, and forgiveness. Because of this, we should confess our sins and pray for each other so healing can come. We see the effectiveness of a righteous man's prayer in the example of Elijah - someone "with a nature like ours". To be clear: Our righteousness comes from Christ. The point is not about the one praying, but about the God who responds! And incredibly, Bob Deffinbaugh points out, even one person's prayers matter:
The Work of Restoration
5:19-20 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
These final verses seem to end abruptly, but really draw the whole section together under the theme of restoration. Prayer and restoration are closely linked, with prayer as a means of restoration. This is a great work indeed to end this book, with its theme of "authentic faith works." Furthermore, paralleling Prov. 10:12 and 1 Peter 4:8, we see that restoration is a reflection of love, which covers a multitude of sins!
This ends the study of James which has dominated my lessons for Module 3A. My final outline of James is below. One more lesson will follow, which will highlight Module 3A lessons and explain why I chose to focus so much on James in these lessons. Thanks for reading!
James: Authentic Faith Works
I. Trials
A. The Product of Testing (1:1-4)
B. The Need in Testing: Wisdom (1:5-11)
C. The Blessing of Testing: Crown (1:12-18)
D. The Attitude during Testing: Obedience (1:19-27)
II. Faith Working through Love
A. The Sin of Partiality (2:1-13)
B. The Necessity of Works (2:14-26)
III. The Fruit of Righteousness
A. The Teacher and the Tongue (3:1-12)
B. God's Wisdom vs. Worldly Wisdom (3:13-18)
IV. The Fruit of Humility
A. A Greater Grace (4:1-10)
B. A New Attitude (4:11-17)
V. Authentic Faith Works
A. The Work of Justice (5:1-6)
B. The Work of Perserverance (5:7-12)
C. The Work of Prayer (5:13-18)
D. The Work of Restoration (5:19-20)
James 5: 1-6: The Work of Justice
James 5:7-12: The Work of Perserverance
James 5:13-18: The Work of Prayer
James 5: 19-20: The Work of Restoration
The Work of Justice (5:1-6)
Come now, you rich! Weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming on you. Your riches have rotted and your clothing has become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted and their rust will be a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have hoarded treasure!
Look, the pay you have held back from the workers who mowed your fields cries out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived indulgently and luxuriously on the earth. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person, although he does not resist you.
James illustrates the work of justice by demonstrating the judgment where it is absent. James' condemnation of the rich echoes Jesus' words to the rich man who ignored Lazarus (Luke 16:19ff) and to the rich who knew no suffering (Luke 6:24-26). But it even more strongly echoes the parable of the rich man focused on his wealth (Luke 12:15-21). James, like Jesus, wants his readers to focus on being "rich toward God".
In a way this section is part of the same idea of 4:13-17: Those people who plan a business venture and fail to do what they know is right should instead be aware of their coming judgment because of their mistreatment of workers. In this passage, the rich will experience misery when their riches are gone and their finery, referenced in chapter 2 as a distinguishing mark, is decayed. All they value will be worth nothing except as a witness - their own rusted money with testify against them! Reminding them that they are living in the last days (which began at Pentecost), James levies four specific charges:
- Accumulating wealth to store it up (v. 3)
- Unjust wages (v. 4)
- Lavish, selfish lifestyle (v. 5)
- Condemnation of righteous (v. 6)
The Work of Patience
James 5:7-12 So be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s return. Think of how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient for it until it receives the early and late rains. You also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near. Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates! As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name. Think of how we regard as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and you have seen the Lord’s purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. And above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall into judgment.
"So" - or "therefore" - as a result of God hearing the laborers' cries, they should be patient. God's coming is at hand; this should prompt strengthening of heart to be patient. In the context of patience they are told not to complain against each other; judgment is sure for them just as it is for the rich.
James pulls two examples of patience from the familiar Old Testament scriptures: The prophets, and Job. The "bottom line" lessons of patience is that God is compassionate and merciful. Individuals in difficult times who are practicing the work of patience can rest in His character, and not swear oaths (a special temptation when facing a trial, but an admonition for all of us).
The Work of Prayer
James 5:13-18 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you ill? He should summon the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up – and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and there was no rain on the land for three years and six months! Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land sprouted with a harvest.
James now turns to the work of prayer. Prayer is a work of faith; prayer and works are not mutually exclusive but are in partnership and cannot be separated. One doesn't eliminate or get us "off the hook" for the other. Psalm 50:15 emphasizes that as a result of God answering our cry, we should give increased honor to Him.
James highlights prayer for the suffering and the sick, in the context of the covenant community with spiritual leadership. This prayer results in restoration, raising up, and forgiveness. Because of this, we should confess our sins and pray for each other so healing can come. We see the effectiveness of a righteous man's prayer in the example of Elijah - someone "with a nature like ours". To be clear: Our righteousness comes from Christ. The point is not about the one praying, but about the God who responds! And incredibly, Bob Deffinbaugh points out, even one person's prayers matter:
"God delights in the prayers of His people, but prayer is not a work of man that moves God to action due to the volume or intensity of our efforts. We do not need a 'moral majority' to move God. We do not need to amass sufficient 'prayer power' to see God's hand. One elderly widow, privately praying in her closet, may effectively bring about great intervention from God. Let us have concerts of prayer, but let us not think that God is moved by mere numbers."
The Work of Restoration
5:19-20 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
These final verses seem to end abruptly, but really draw the whole section together under the theme of restoration. Prayer and restoration are closely linked, with prayer as a means of restoration. This is a great work indeed to end this book, with its theme of "authentic faith works." Furthermore, paralleling Prov. 10:12 and 1 Peter 4:8, we see that restoration is a reflection of love, which covers a multitude of sins!
Hatred stirs up dissension,
but love covers all transgressions. (Prov. 10:12)
but love covers all transgressions. (Prov. 10:12)
Above all keep your love for one another fervent, because love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
This ends the study of James which has dominated my lessons for Module 3A. My final outline of James is below. One more lesson will follow, which will highlight Module 3A lessons and explain why I chose to focus so much on James in these lessons. Thanks for reading!
James: Authentic Faith Works
I. Trials
A. The Product of Testing (1:1-4)
B. The Need in Testing: Wisdom (1:5-11)
C. The Blessing of Testing: Crown (1:12-18)
D. The Attitude during Testing: Obedience (1:19-27)
II. Faith Working through Love
A. The Sin of Partiality (2:1-13)
B. The Necessity of Works (2:14-26)
III. The Fruit of Righteousness
A. The Teacher and the Tongue (3:1-12)
B. God's Wisdom vs. Worldly Wisdom (3:13-18)
IV. The Fruit of Humility
A. A Greater Grace (4:1-10)
B. A New Attitude (4:11-17)
V. Authentic Faith Works
A. The Work of Justice (5:1-6)
B. The Work of Perserverance (5:7-12)
C. The Work of Prayer (5:13-18)
D. The Work of Restoration (5:19-20)
A New Attitude
Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters. He who speaks against a fellow believer or judges a fellow believer speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but its judge. But there is only one who is lawgiver and judge – the one who is able to save and destroy. On the other hand, who are you to judge your neighbor? Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? For you are a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes. You ought to say instead, “If the Lord is willing, then we will live and do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows what is good to do and does not do it is guilty of sin.
(James 4:11-17, NET. Biblical text and some background from www.nextbible.org).
The apostle continues his hard-hitting approach in these verses. Remember that James is speaking to Jewish Christians who are scattered and persecuted. Throughout the book, he has emphasized the practical side of faith -- that servant-love that is demonstrated in practical ways. One practical theme he emphasizes in every chapter is the tongue.
Here, James addresses two "sins of the tongue": Slandering other believers and prideful boasting about plans. He provides a solution to both, linking these "sins of the tongue" to his predominant message of a practical outworking of faith. The solution: A new attitude.
Speaking against another believer. The word for "speak against" is katalaleo, and it basically means literally to "speak evil of" or "slander" another person. Barclay adds that usually it is used when the party in question is not even present to defend himself. The only other use of katalaleo in the New Testament is in 1 Peter, where Peter uses it to refer to accusations of evil made by non-Christians against Christians (1 Pet. 2:12, 3:16). Its root word means "backbiter" and is used in the New Testament only by Paul, who wrote that the prevalence of "backbiters" is a sign of man's depravity (Rom. 1:30). The negativity of these contexts indicates that mere disagreement with another believer does not rise (or rather, fall) to the level of katalaleo. Instead, this is an accusatory speech, one that attributes evil motives or makes slanderous claims about a brother in Christ -- the type of claims made in that day by non-Christians against Christians according to Peter.
James' warning is that this type of harsh speech is the harsh judging which we are not to engage in by command of Jesus Himself (Matt. 7:1). "Judging" is a difficult topic to understand, for we are told in Matthew not to judge in one sense, and yet in another sense we are told that believers judge within the church but not outsiders (1 Cor. 5:12-13) so as to confront sin within the body. The topic of "judging" is a study in itself, and I refer interested students to word studies of krino (Strong's #2919) and its word family and synonyms available at http://www.blueletterbible.org/ and http://www.nextbible.org/ . However, within the context of James, we can clearly see that James' use of this same word is associated with motive.
James 2:4 If so, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives?
Earlier James dealt with the problem of prejudice by establishing that the distinctions they were making were based in "evil motives" and that the judge in these matters was the law of liberty:
James 2:12 Speak and act as those who will be judged by a law that gives freedom.
In chapter 4, James returns to a similar theme to address the problems of slanderous speech about other believers. He reminds us that we too face a judgment and that there is something beyond the issue between individual believers. Biblical guidelines on "judging" (for example, Matt. 18:15-20; Gal. 6:1-2; 1 Cor. 4:2-6) admonish believers to stay within the limits of Scripture (what these Jewish Christians would have called the law), and strictly forbid judging based on matters of conscience (Rom. 14). These guidelines also prohibit harsh judging or holding others to standards higher than those for ourselves (Matt. 7:1-5). Thus, James' answer to those who would slander other believers is to remind them that they too will be judged, and that their harsh judgment of a believer is really a judgment of the law. Thus, a new attitude is needed toward other believers - an attitude free from jumping to conclusions and assuming evil motives.
Arrogant boasting. James immediate transition to a discussion of boasting seems at first to be unconnected, but we shall see momentarily that it really is relevant. James still is addressing the need for a new attitude. In this case, he calls focusing on our own plans apart from God's will "evil" and "arrogant". Remember that "speak against" means literally to "speak evil of" - so James has transitioned from explaining the problem with speaking evil of someone else, to explaining something that is really evil.
What is striking about this passage in modern Christendom is that it seems to be such a good statement of faith. Some churches would call it a positive confession. Yet James calls is boastful, evil, arrogant -- because it leaves God's plan out of the picture. Here James echoes Prov. 27:1, which warns us not to boast about tomorrow, and Luke 12:18-20, where we see in stark reality the folly of one who boasted.
The "new attitude" that ties these two examples together is summed up in verse 17: "So then..." lets us know that this admonition is the point he is trying to make with what he has just said. And what is that point? Simply this: "Whoever knows what is good to do and does not do it is guilty of sin." James reiterates his basic message - a faith that works - in a way that strips away the judging of the slanderer and the pride of the boaster. Instead of focusing on the perceived wrongs of others or our own selfish ambition, James reminds us to do what we know is good to do. Our focus should be on the brevity of life (v. 14) and doing what is right today (v. 17) -- which will involve others, not ourselves! James has made clear early on that the true religion he speaks of helps the weak and meets real needs in practical ways - today.
Monday, January 14, 2008
A Greater Grace
James 4:1-10
Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you? You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask; you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.
Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy. Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, “The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning”?
But He gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into despair. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.
As much as we might like to be completely free from sin's presence in this world, the fact is that God delivers us from the penalty of sin and from its power, but allows us to struggle with the reality of its presence as part of our spiritual growth process. James hits this struggle at its source in a highly convicting passage -- but he doesn't leave us without hope. He lays a "grace greater than all our sin" right alongside his convicting words.
James bluntly observes that quarrels and conflicts come from the fleshly passions that remain at war within us even as Christians. Lust, envy, and a desire to be friends with the world, lead to murder, conflict, and idolatry. These are selfish desires that are in contrast to serving others as James has previously noted in 1:27; 2:14-17; and 3:17-18.
James wants his readers to do what we know is right (4:17) - serving with no room left for selfishness. He uses a strong comparison - that a person who decides to be a friend of the world is making himself an enemy of God. The verb choices are key here: God doesn't make this person an enemy; he chooses the world over God and in the process demonstrates hostility toward God, placing himself in the position of an enemy of God. Both choices are the individuals, not God's. James' bottom line here is that we cannot have a heart inclined to choose the world and be a friend of God. A heart inclined to love God will not love the world -- and will reject the lust, envy, and selfish desires James addresses in this section.
These are powerfully convicting words, and yet God offers a two-fold solution:
- A jealous, guarding Spirit (v. 5)
- A greater grace (vv. 6-10)
The grace that James speaks of is like that Paul highlights in Titus 2:11-14: not the grace of salvation, but the grace of sanctification. Specifically, this grace gives believers the power to:
- Submit to God (v. 7)
- Resist the devil (v. 7)
- Draw near to God (v. 8)
- Cleanse our hands (v. 8)
- Purify our hearts (v. 8)
- Mourn over sin (v. 9)
- Humble ourselves in God's presence (v. 10)
Grace, grace, and more grace. That's at the heart of becoming a friend of God.
Authentic Wisdom
James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical. And the fruit that consists of righteousness is planted in peace among those who make peace.
James' highly practical exhortation to authentic faith includes equally practical guidance in discernment. This passage contains specific characteristics that believers can use to assess the source of perceived "wisdom".
In its context within chapter 3, James is demonstrating here in part that a truly "wise and understanding" person will demonstrate that in his works -- in contrast to some individuals including teachers who claim wisdom and authority but lack the fruit James delineates. For a people who were used to a religious system that claimed a person was wise based merely on his position, this was radical!
James' teaching highlights the fact that true wisdom is available to all who seek it - a point made in chapter 1. Like Paul, though, he recognizes that there is wisdom of the fleshly sphere and wisdom of the sphere of God's grace (see 2 Cor. 1:12). James outlines what true wisdom from God looks like by showing first its contrast.
Wisdom that is not from above - that characterized as earthly, natural ("not having the Spirit"), or demonic - exhibits the following traits:
- Bitter jealousy
- Selfishness - Also translated "selfish ambition". Strife, contention. Root means "provoke" and a related root maens "debate". This also characterizes those headed for wrath and indignation (Rom. 2:8)
- Arrogance
- Lies against the truth
- Disorder - Confusion; commotion (as in war); tumult. A general state of upheaval. Root = "unstable."
- Every evil practice
- Pure - clear, chaste (as a virgin). Associated with clean, unsullied. Root - "holy"
- Peaceable
- Gentle - Moderation, patient. In 1 Timothy and Titus, Paul uses this word in contrast to brawlers and not being contentious, and Peter uses it in contrast with being unreasonable (1 Peter 2:18).
- Reasonable/Accommodating - "easy to be entreated"; a compound root that means "well persuaded/trusted". Essentially, this represents a person who is not rigid, who is willing to bend (obviously where it does not cause an unbiblical compromise).
- Full of mercy
- Full of good fruits
- Unwavering/Impartial
- Without hypocrisy
- Bearing righteous fruit that is sown in peace by those who make peace. This reflects a key Old Testament principle that peace comes with righteousness (Isa. 32:17). This is not peace in the sense of no conflict - these people were, after all, being persecuted - but peace in the true meaning of shalom, wholeness, completeness, peace with God. While we are counted righteous in Christ by faith alone, the daily living out of a righteousness life requires our cooperation. James merely echoes Hosea 10:12 and Paul in Gal. 6:8 that we should pay attention to what kind of soil will lead to righteousness. We only find that kind of soil by abiding in Christ (Phil. 1:11; John 15). The bottom line: Right relationship leads to right action.
- good behavior
- deeds
- gentleness
God's wisdom and the world's wisdom are very different. In the context of authentic faith, James teaches that authentic wisdom and understanding are shown by deeds done in gentle wisdom, evidenced by good behavior. In contrast, "wisdom" that is characterized by bitter jealousy, selfish ambition, arrogance, and disorder, points to earthly, natural, demonic sources.
James wants his readers to know these marks as they don't "lie against the truth", being deceived by self-perceptions contrary to truth. God's true wisdom is pure, clean, peaceful, gentle, and patient (not contentious or unreasonable); it is merciful, fruitful, unwavering without partiality; without hypocrisy. It is sown in peace and yields the fruit of righteousness.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
The "Untameable" Tongue
(James 3:2b-12) If someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual, able to control the entire body as well. And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies. Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs. So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence – and is set on fire by hell.
For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued and has been subdued by humankind.But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people made in God’s image. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.
The tongue. Perhaps everyone can relate at some level to James' scathing critique of what we say - and understand that truly it is a mature person indeed who can control his tongue! James of course doesn't let us off the hook by explaining how difficult this task is; instead, he drives us to seek the wisdom of God.
James introduces this section with his admonition that not many should be teachers because of the stricter judgment incurred. Teachers have a special risk of causing adverse effects by not guarding their tongues. However, James applies this section to all believers, and that is the view we will take as we look at his teaching.
As we have seen, James frequently echoes the words of Christ. Here is no exception; our Lord said in Mt. 12:34-37 that we will be judged for our careless words. Our words condemn or justify us by revealing our hearts (Luke 6:34-35). James' teaching is not new! He illustrates his points, however, in quite powerful ways.
He compares the tongue to bits in horses' mouths and rudders on ships - things which are small but give direction to something much larger. The tongue, he teaches, is likewise the key to bridling our whole body. It's a small thing - but small fires destroy great forests. If not kept under control, it can destroy.
James continues by pulling no punches: he states that the tongue boasts of great things (v 5), is a world of iniquity (v 6), defiles the entire body (v 6), sets on fire our life's course (v 6), cannot be tamed (v 8), is a restless evil (v 8) full of deadly poison (v 8) and is used for both blessing and cursing (vv 9-10).
James zeros in on this last point, using two illustrations to show how unnatural it is for one thing to produce two divergent outcomes. Just as a fountain doesn't produce both fresh and bitter/salty water, and a fig tree doesn't produce olives or a vine produce figs, the tongue of a believer shouldn't produce both blessing and cursing.
"Blessing" is used here in the common biblical sense of blessing, praising, positive words of edification, or a concrete blessing or benefit. "Cursing" is used in the negative sense as the direct opposite of blessing. It's not so much "curse words" as it is the idea of speaking harshly words intended to "curse" the other person. These Jewish Christians were steeped in the Jewish worldview which had a strong sense of individuals' ability to bless or curse others. We can best see the meaning of this to the Jewish mind in David's encounter with Shimei in 2 Sam 16:
Then King David reached Bahurim. There a man from Saul’s extended family named Shimei son of Gera came out, yelling curses as he approached. He threw stones at David and all of King David’s servants, as well as all the people and the soldiers who were on his right and on his left. As he yelled curses, Shimei said, “Leave! Leave! You man of bloodshed, you wicked man! The Lord has punished you for all the spilled blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you rule. Now the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. Disaster has overtaken you, for you are a man of bloodshed!”
Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!” But the king said, “What do we have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he curses because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David!’, who can say to him, ‘Why have you done this?’” Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son, my very own flesh and blood, is trying to take my life. So also now this Benjaminite! Leave him alone so that he can curse, for the Lord has spoken to him. Perhaps the Lord will notice my affliction and this day grant me good in place of his curse.” (2 Sam 16:5-12)This reflects what is meant by "cursing" very well. A humorous English equivalent might be "a pox be upon you". It doesn't mean we have a falsely positive view of things or never acknowledge things about others that are true - the very example of Scripture shows the opposite, as James indicates even within this letter. Instead, this is an admonition similar to that in Psalm 50:19-20:
You do damage with words,
and use your tongue to deceive.
You plot against your brother;
you slander your own brother.
James' teaching is consistent with both Paul and Peter, who apply the same principle specifically in times of persecution:
- 1 Pet 3:9 Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless others because you were called to inherit a blessing.
James' overall focus, you will recall, is on the authenticity of our faith. As the fruit of a tree reveals its identity, our speech reveals our heart (Matt. 15:11, 18-20). And our heart is what God is concerned with. Bible teacher Bob Deffinbaugh from www.nextbible.org summarizes this point very concisely:
The heart is the key to controlling the tongue. James is not calling for more will-power and determination to control our tongues. If the tongue is set ablaze by hell, then only heaven can help us. And God has provided us with this help. He has given those who have placed their trust in Him a new heart. We are to be keepers of the heart, so that the thoughts of our heart are on Him who died for us. As our hearts are filled with Him, with His Word, with His salvation and grace, then our lips will reveal the overflow of our hearts.
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