Proverbs 18-19

Q&A from Proverbs 18-19

Q Are words worse than sticks and stones?
A 18:6-8

Q Is there really such a thing as financial security?
A 18:10-11

Q Should I say: “I do”?
A 18:22, 19:13-14

Q What should make me angry?
A 18:19, 19:11

Q How do I know who my real friends are?
A 18:24

Q What’s more important: Passion or Knowledge?
A 19:2

Q Will I give God blame or fame?
A 19:3

Q Are there rewards for the un-rewarded?
A 19:17

Q If I spare the rod will I spoil the child?
A 19:18-19

Samuel Part 2

Samuel the Seer:
Part 2 From Ichabod to Ebenezer

Empty Worship (4:1-22)
Where did Israel place the blame for defeat? (4:3a) God
How were they using the Ark of the Covenant? (4:3b) As a good luck charm of sorts
What was the Philistine view of God? (4:7-8) Polytheistic? Mighty? To be feared?
What is the significance of Ichabod? (4:21-22) The glory had departed!

Divided Worship (5:1-6:16)
Why did the Philistines want the ark? (5:1) Possibly as a trophy (or to add another god!)
Why did God knock Dagon over? (5:2-4) To reveal to the Philistine's His Greatness
Why did God’s hand come against them? (5:6-9) To reveal to the Philistine's His Greatness
Why did God direct the cows/cart to Israel? (6:9) To reveal to the Philistine's His Greatness

Genuine Worship (6:17-7:14)
Why is 6:20 finally the right question? It recognizes God's greatness
Why is 7:2 the right attitude? It's a humble approach
Why are 7:3-9 the right actions? It's a complete surrender
What is an Ebenezer? (7:12) A memorial of commitment

Samuel Part 1

Samuel the Seer (Judge, Priest, Prophet):
Part 1 Spiritual Foundations

What truths do we see in his spiritual foundations...

1. The power of a praying parent
1 Samuel 1:10-20, 2:19

2. The power of complete consecration
1 Samuel 1:11, 24-28

3. The power of consistency amidst corruption
1 Samuel 1:28b, 2:11, 18, 21, 26, 3:1, 19
* Hophni & Phinehas (materialism 2:12-17 & sexual corruption 2:22)

4. The power of the word at work
1 Samuel 3:19 - 4:1
- Let no words fall to ground
- Accessed God through His word
- Spread the word

Life of Samuel

Spiritual Foundations
From Ichabod to Ebenezer
The Circuit Riding Prophet
The Role of Rebuke

Proverbs 15-16

7 Insights from Proverbs 14-15

1. Life is a highway
14:12, 15:10, 15:24

2. We’re a body-soul unity
14:30

3. Charity is a form of worship
14:31

4. Death is not the end for us
14:32

5. God sees everything
15:3, 15:11

6. There is such a thing as bad religion
15:8, 15:29

7. Love is more valuable than Lavishness
15:17

Upside-Down Kingdom (20:17-34)

Death Threats (Upside Down Takeover)
The Synoptic Gospels all record 3 separate occasions in which Jesus predicted the Passion. He highlighted the following features:

1. Location of Jerusalem
2. Betrayal
3. Attacking Authorities
4. Suffering & Death
5. Resurrection on 3rd Day

Request to Rule (Upside Down Leadership)
The Sons of Zebedee wanted to be in positions of power in Jesus’ coming Kingdom. Jesus used the request as an opportunity to teach them about true greatness.

Blind Beggers (Upside Down Followers)
While the disciples were blind to Jesus’ mission and wanted special treatment, these two blind men simply wanted to see and were willing to follow Jesus anywhere

Season of Lent

SEASON OF LENT
Getting Ready for Resurrection!

1. The early Christians made it their habit to fast before Easter. The length of the fast ranged from 1 to 40 days in different regions (and this dates back at least to the 2nd century). The idea of a 40 day season surely comes from the significance of ‘40’ in the Bible (flood, Moses on mountain, wilderness wandering, Goliath, Elijah's fast, Nineveh, Jesus' fast before temptation, post-resurrection appearances, etc). QUOTE from Irenaeus.

2. In biblical times, ashes were connected to themes like humility (Genesis 18:27), repentance (Job 42:6), mourning (Jeremiah 6:26), etc. This would sometimes include putting ashes on your head or body (2 Samuel 13:19, Esther 4:1, Ezekiel 27:30).

3. Many Christians came to begin the season of Lent by having ashes (repentance) placed on their foreheads in the shape of a cross (forgiveness). Thus we have ‘Ash Wednesday’ (the 1st day of Lent).

4. At the time of the Reformation, some Christians (especially Calvinists & Anabaptists) stopped practicing many of the ‘holy days’ because they imagined that they were invented by the Roman Catholic Church. In the case of Lent, however, the practices preceded the Roman Catholic institution.

5. In modern times, the season of Lent is often kept by giving up (fasting) something (not just food) for the 40 days (not counting Sundays) before Easter.

Spiritual Foundations

1. The power of a praying parent
1 Sam. 1:10-20, 2:19

2. The power of complete consecration
1 Sam. 1:11, 24-28

3. The power of consistency amidst corruption
1 Sam. 1:28b, 2:11, 18, 21, 26, 3:1, 19
*Hophni & Phinehas= Materialism (2:12-17) and sexual corruption (2:22)

4. The power of the word at work
3:1b, 3:19-4:1
- Let no words fall to the ground
- Accessed God thru His word
- Spread the word

Life of Samuel

Below are notes through a study of the life of Samuel

Valentine's Day

VALENTINE’S DAY
-Celebration of Love or Hallmark Holiday?-

The Origins of Valentine’s Day

1. In Roman mythology, the eventual founders of Rome were a pair of previously orphaned brothers who were cared for in a cave by a she-wolf (lupa) and later by a shepherd (Lupercus) and his wife. A mid-February Roman festival called Lupercalia developed and was linked to increases in health and fertility.

2. Pope Gelasius abolished Lupercalia in AD 496 and may have attempted to replace it with a February 14th commemoration of the martyred Saint Valentine. Actually, the Pope seems to have had 2 or even 3 different Valentine’s in mind, but very little is known about the men themselves except for their willingness to die.

3. We have no clear link between Saint Valentine’s Day and romance until the 14th century (by this time a distinction b/w the different Valentine’s had been lost). Many attribute the romantic aspect to a poem by the famous author Geoffrey Chaucer in which he mentioned birds finding mates on Valentine’s Day.

4. By the 18th century, Valentine’s cards were popular in Britain. Esther Howland mass-produced Valentine’s cards in America in the mid-19th century. Gift exchange was not common on Valentine’s Day until the 2nd half of the 20th century.

Summary Statement
Valentine’s Day, as it exists (a celebration of romantic love), has no real connection to Christian history (who is thinking of martyrdom on February 14th?).

A- Adapt to Valentine’s Day
Share in the celebration of romantic love




B- Boycott Valentine’s Day
Ignore it b/c it isn’t Christian or b/c it is materialistic



C- Cultivate Valentine’s Day

Option 1: Use it to speak of pure romantic love



Option 2: Use it to speak of general Christian love



Option 3: Put the focus back on martyrdom





Next week: Ash-Wednesday (February 17th)/Lent

Super Bowl Sunday

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY
-Idolatry in Modern Day America-

“You shall have no other gods before me”

1. Polytheism and idolatry were both common in the ancient world. Polytheism is the belief in many gods. Idolatry is the practice of worshiping created things.

2. In the 10 Commandments, Israel was told not to have ‘other gods’ or to worship ‘idols.’ Jewish people recited daily the shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) which called for fully devoted worship of the one true God.

3. Though the form of idolatry changes through time, humanity seems prone toward some type of idolatry. Paul argued that this is the natural consequence of rebellion against the one true God (Rom. 1:23, 25).

Questions to Consider

1. We tend not to worship statues like they did in the ancient world (and still in some places today), but in what ways does ‘idolatry’ still occur in our culture? What counts as worship? What counts as idolatry?
2. Let’s read Keith Drury’s article (on back). Do you agree that professional sports/athletes have become idols in our culture? Does this idolatry even invade the church? Where do we draw the line?
3. How have recent events in the world of sports and celebrity served as a warning to those who have idolized these athletes and actors?

Why is it that most of us Evangelicals are so silent about the powerful grip the god of sports has on American men (and women)? We attempt to help people break their habits of drinking, smoking, etc. But we say little about the most powerful competitive god of all -- American Sports.

Sport has all of the character of a good competitor for Christianity. It gradually captures a person’s mind, heart, and soul until he gives himself over to it with total commitment and fidelity. Left to its own, the god of Sports will fully posses a person and force the true God into second place. God doesn't like to have other gods before Him.

But, it's no wonder this god has made such headway in our culture. It offers so much that is similar to the real thing. We have our Holy seasons of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, but the god of Sports offers the World Series, the Super Bowl and the Final Four. Few Christian Americans think, talk, and meditate on Pentecost as much as the Super bowl.

The really dedicated adherents of the god of Sports memorize and recite the Mighty Acts of the saints, now canonized into their respective halls of fame. Some fans even take the pilgrimage to these hushed galleries to admire their wax figures, and many trade their faces on trading cards like holy icons . Sports has its relics too, displaying footballs, baseballs, bats, uniforms and basketballs in glass cases in these hushed and holy spaces.

There are mysterious rituals like face-painting and end-zone dances. Hey, Sports has all the elements of a great religion! Sports offers high emotion, stories of grit and determination, pain and sacrifice, victory and defeat. And it all occurs in a gigantic structure in the center of town, reminiscent of medieval insistence that the local cathedral be the highest building in town, thus projecting its importance and might.

And, I admit that most church folk have never thought of Sports as a competing god (well many women have). We've heard so many speakers who worship at both shrines that we assume the two religions are compatible. And, perhaps to an extent, they are. Perhaps God doesn't mind us keeping a backup god hidden in our footlocker. But, when the Sports god begins to take *first* place in the life of a man or woman, it is time for ministers to honestly call a god a god.

Adapted from Keith Drury article “God #2”
For more from this writer visit http://www.drurywriting.com/keith/

Halloween

Halloween
-Part 10-

What are the origins of Halloween?

1. Agricultural Origins
In the time before Christ, the ancient Celtic people had a festival called Samhein that took place at the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter. They believed that during Samhein the lines between the physical and spiritual realms were blurred.

2. Roman & Catholic Influence
In the 800’s, the Roman Catholic Church designated November 1st as ‘All Saints Day,’ which celebrated those souls that were in Paradise. Since Catholics also believed in Purgatory/Limbo, it became natural to think of them on October 31st (‘All Saints Eve’).

3. American Influence
As various mixtures of Samhein & All Saints Eve came to America, Halloween as we know it slowly emerged.

Questions to Consider
1. Given the origins of Halloween, do you think Christians should participate in this holiday/festival?
2. What do you think of Christian ‘alternatives’ such as ‘Hallelujah Night’ or ‘Trick or Trunk’?
3. What are we to make of reports of paranormal activities? Does the Bible say anything about ghosts?
4. Why do Catholics believe in Purgatory and/or Limbo? Does the Bible say anything about this?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day
-Part 9-

1. The Bible speaks of 1 race: The human race
~ All humans are made in God’s image (Gen. 1:27)
~ All humans are of 1 family (Gen. 3:20, Acts 17:26)
~ All humans are loved by God (John 3:16)

2. The Bible has been mis-used to promote racism
~ The Hamites were cursed to slavery (Gen. 9:25)
~ The Bible is pro-slavery (Lev. 25:44-46)
~ Interracial marriage is banned (2 Cor. 6:14-15)

3. The Bible has been a catalyst for equality
~ Paul’s letter to Philemon
~ William Wilberforce
~ Martin Luther King Jr.

4. Martin Luther King Jr.
~ Born ‘Michael King’ in 1929
~ Married in 1953 (4 children)
~ Became pastor in 1954
~ Visited Gandhi in 1959
~ Made famous ‘I have a dream’ speech in 1963
~ Won Nobel Peace Prize in 1964
~ Assassinated in 1968
~ MLK Jr. Day created in 1983
~ MLK Jr. Day celebrated in all states in 2000

Workers Paid Equally (20:1-16)

The Gospel According to Matthew
Jesus for President (Part 54: The Workers Paid Equally)

Should you be angry because I am kind? (NLT)

The Kingdom of heaven is like…

A landowner= God
Hired men= God's people
Vineyard= The world
Denarius (day's wage)= The Promised End/Wage
*Jewish day ran 6am-6pm. The workers were employed at 6, 9, 12, 3 & 5pm

20:1-8a is a very typical (true to life) setting (we have only hints, here, about the generosity of the owner and the fruitfulness of the vineyard). Only at 20:8b do we find something out of the ordinary and only in 20:10 does a ‘problem’ become evident.

1. The owner of the vineyard seems to have wanted the 12-hour shift employees to observe his generosity to the 1-hour shift employees (20:8b-9)

2. Having observed the owners generosity, the 12-hour shift employees expected special treatment due to the duration of their service (20:10)

3. When the 12-hour shift employees did not receive special treatment, they began to grumble against the landowner about the equal treatment (20:11-12)

4. The owner kindly reminded the 12-hour shift employees that no injustice had been done. They were receiving what had been promised (20:13)

5. The owner kindly reminded the 12-hour shift employees that he had the right to be generous with his own money (20:14-15a)

6. The owner kindly rebuked the 12-hour shift employees that they shouldn’t be angry about his generosity (20:15b)

In essence, then, the message of this parable is that same as the message of the OT book of Jonah, or Luke's parable of the Prodigal Son, or Peter's experience with the Gentiles in the middle of the book of Acts. In all 3 cases God is on a mission to welcome 'outsiders' but those who had previously been 'outsiders' now think too highly of themselves to be as gracious as God. In all 3 cases they were angry because God was gracious.

12:1-13:14 (Concluding Remarks)

The Vision

Why I think it's Paul's vision
1. The 3rd person wording is a rhetorical device
2. How does it help his resume if it's not?
3. What are his 'revelations' if not this?
4. Thorn was seemingly given to the same guy
*Why can't he tell what he heard?

The Thorn
1. Given by God (for humility)
2. Delivered by Satan (similar to Job?)

But what was it?

Why I think it was an eye problem
1. Thorn in his FLESH
2. Take IT away
3. Your WEAKNESS
4. Fits with Galatians 4:13, 15, 6:11 (Luke)
5. Possibly blinded by his vision (heard things)

12:11-13 End of defense
12:14-13:4 3rd Visit
13:5-10 Put YOURSELF on trial!
13:11-14 Conclusion

One Thing (19:16-30)

The Gospel According to Matthew
Jesus for President (Part 53: One Thing)

Now a man came up to Jesus and asked,
"Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
"Why do you ask me about what is good?
There is only One who is good.
If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
"Which ones?"
"Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself."
"All these I have kept, what do I still lack?"
"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

1. What do we know about this man?
Ruler (Luke 18:18)
Young (Matt 19:20, 22)
Rich (all 3)
Seeker (Mark 10:17)
Morally upright (Matt 19:20)

2. Did Jesus deny His goodness here?
Some use this statement to say that Jesus was rejecting the idea that He was God
But if that's true, He was also rejecting the idea that He was good!
So it seems Jesus was asking the rich young ruler if he REALLY knew what he was saying

3. Why didn’t Jesus just tell him to believe?
Not very Evangelical of Jesus!
Option 1: We've neglected the Law
Option 2: Jesus is cleverly showing the problem with the law

4. Is there significance to the list/order Jesus gives?
Maybe the focus is on the 10th (He doesn't directly mention coveting)
Maybe the focus is on the first tablet (He doesn't directly mention them)

5. Is the command to sell all a universal command?
Doesn't seem to be, only made direct to this man
But the command to 'surrender all' is universal

6. Why were the disciples so surprised by 19:24?
This guy was the poster child for what they thought was a model kingdom citizen
And Jesus was saying he wasn't even able to enter the kingdom!

7. Is there ‘one thing’ I am holding back from Jesus?
If not, I can start to dream about eternal life!

*Until I give up that 'one thing'
I'm not quite ready to follow Jesus

Images of the Church

Images of the Church

Ecclesia/Church
- The Greek word for a public assembly
- Citizens would be called out to an ecclesia
- Greeks used it for voting/draft/decisions
- Jews may have used the term for city elders

The Bible provides a number of metaphors when talking about the Christian ‘ecclesia’ that help us to better understand what it means to be God’s people. While keeping in mind that no metaphor is perfect, we can learn a lot from these ‘images’ of the church.

Aliens/Foreigners
- Comparatively strange customs (1 Peter 2:11)
- Long for their true home (Philippians 3:20)

Branches of a vine/tree
- Grows to maturity (Matt 13:32)
- Meant to produce fruit (John 15:2, 8)
- Must remain connected to the vine to live (John 15:4)
- Made up of individual branches (John 15:5)
- Individual branches may be cut off (John 15:6, Romans 11:20)

Bride to be
- Belongs to the bridegroom (John 3:29)
- Pure/virgin (2 Cor. 11:2)
- Makes herself ready, in beauty (Rev. 19:7-8, 21:2)
- Wants many to come to celebration (Rev. 21:17)

Temple/Building/Stones/Pillars
- Built on foundation (Eph. 2:21)
- Owned by god (1 Cor. 6:19)
- Home to a god (1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19, 2 Cor. 6:16, Eph. 2:22)
- Will be defended by god (1 Cor. 3:17)
- Under construction, needs perpetual maintenance (Romans 15:20, 1 Peter 2:5)
- As strong as the quality of materials (1 Cor. 3:9-15)
- Has staff needing compensation (1 Cor. 9:13-14)

Sheep/Flock
- Lost w/o a shepherd (Matt 9:36, 26:31, John 21:16-18, 1 Peter 2:25, 5:2)
- Distinct from goats (Matt 25:31-33)
- Listen/Follow the shepherd (John 10:3-4)
- Cared for by shepherd (John 10:9, 11-13)
- Have predators (Acts 20:29)
- Sometimes sacrificial (Romans 8:36)

City
- Very noticeable/influential (Matt 5:14)
- Large in number (Gal. 4:26-27, Hebrews 12:22)
- Designed by architect (Hebrews 11:10)
- Targeted by enemy (Revelation 20:9)
- Defended by God (Revelation 20:9)
- Diverse population (Rev. 21:12, 14)

Priesthood
- Holy (1 Peter 2:5)
- Make sacrifices (1 Peter 2:5)
- In full-time service to God (Rev. 1:6, 5:10)

Body
- A unified whole (Rom. 12:4, 1 Cor. 10:17, 12:12-13, Ephesians 2:15-16, 3:6, 4:4-6, Col. 3:15)
- Diverse parts w/different functions (Rom. 12:4-6, 1 Cor. 12:14, Eph. 4:7, )
- A complex system designed by God (1 Cor. 12:18)
- Interdependent (1 Cor. 12:22, 25-26)
- Submitted to the head (Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:22-24)
- Growing to maturity (Eph. 4:12-16)
- Nurtured/Cared-for by head (Eph. 5:29)
- Must remain connected to head (Col. 2:19)
- Dead w/o the Spirit (James 2:26)

Household/Family
- Share in the persecution of the head (Matt 10:25)
- Cannot survive division (Matt 24:45)
- Care for one another (Galatians 6:10, 1 Tim 3:5)
- Unified by blood (Eph. 2:13, 19)
- Share a common name (Eph. 3:15, 1 Peter 4:16)
- Unique code of conduct (1 Tim 3:15)
- Deals with its internal problems (1 Peter 4:17)

Soldiers, Army
- Put on armor (Ephesians 6:10-18)
- Obeys commanding officer (2 Timothy 2:4)
- Endures hardship (2 Timothy 2:3)

Servants/Slaves/Workers
- Have been purchased (1 Cor. 7:23)
- Submit to the will of the authority (Romans 6:18, Eph. 6:6, Philippians 3:4-7
- Lack of freedom (1 Peter 2:16)

Kingdom/Nation/Israel
- A distinguished group of people (1 Peter 2:9)
- Distinct set of rules/laws (Galatians 6:16)
- People share a common bond (Eph. 2:11-13, 3:6)

Children/Child/Son/Adopted
- Become so by being born (John 1:13)
- Loved by parents (Ephesians 5:1)
- Realize their dependence on parents (Matt 18:3-4)
- Accept simple revelation (John 1:12, Luke 10:21)
- Imitate their parents (John 8:40, Philippians 2:15)
- Legal heirs (Romans 8:17)

Salt
- Used to preserve valuable resources (Matt 5:13)

Light/Lamp
- Makes darkness disappear (Matt 5:16)

Proverbs 10-11

7 Marks of a Wise Guy

HUNGRY for God
10:3, 11:27 (Matt 5:6)

HARD worker
10:4-5, 10:16, 10:26 (Eph. 2:10)

HUMBLE
10:8, 10:17, 11:2, 11:14

HONEST in his relationships
10:18, 11:1, 11:3, 11:22

HOLDS his tongue
10:19, 10:32, 11:12-13

HELPS others
11:24-26

HOPE is secure
10:9, 10:24-25, 10:28, 11:7, 11:29

Proverbs 3-9

The Nature of Wisdom
~ Wisdom is for the heart-level (3:1, 3, 5, 4:4, 21)
~ Wisdom is rewarding (3:2, 4, 6, 8, 4:6-7, 8:18)
~ Wisdom is trusting God instead of self (3:5-7, 9:10)
~ Wisdom is available to all (8:1-9, 9:4)
~ Wisdom is countered by folly (9:13-18)

An Upside-Down Approach
~ A fresh look at the firstfruit principle (3:9-10)
~ A fresh look at discipline’s purpose (3:11-12)
~ A fresh look at wisdom’s value (3:13-26, 8:10-11)
~ A fresh look at hard work (6:6-11)
~ A fresh look at learning (9:7-9)

Neighborly Relations
~ Don’t deny your good neighbor goodness (3:27-28)
~ Don’t do bad to your good neighbor (3:29-30)
~ Don’t envy your bad neighbor (3:31-35)
~ Don’t make bad promises to your neighbor (6:1-5)
~ Don’t associate with the schemer (6:12-19)

Warning Against Adultery
~ Adultery offers quick pleasures (5:3, 6:25)
~ Adultery brings long-term trouble (5:4-5, 9-11, 6:26)
~ Stay as far from temptation as possible (5:8, 7:8, 25)
~ Stay as close to your spouse as possible (5:15-19)

Sin in the Church (18:15-35)

The Gospel According to Matthew
Jesus for President (Part 52: Sin in the Church)

“If your brother sins against you”

STEP 1 Go and show him his fault, just between the two of you

Possibility #1 If he listens to you (repents)

Result You’ve won your brother over

Possibility #2 But if he will not listen

Result Move on to Step 2


STEP 2 Take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’

Possibility #1 He listens to the group (repents)

Result You’ve won your brother over

Possibility #2 If he refuses to listen to them

Result Move on to Step 3


STEP 3 Tell it to the church

Possibility #1 He listens to the church (repents)

Result You’ve won your brother over

Possibility #2 And if he refuses to listen
even to the church

Result Move on to Step 4



STEP 4 Treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector

Possibility #1 He responds to discipline (repents)

Result You’ve won your brother over

Possibility #2 He refuses to repent

Result He’s no longer part of the church

Like Little Children (18:1-14, 19:13-15)

The Gospel According to Matthew
Jesus for President (Part 51: Like Little Children)

“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”


HOW NOT TO BE LIKE A CHILD

Don’t become like them in Inconsistency Eph. 4:14

Don’t become like them in Immaturity 1 Cor. 3:1

Don’t become like them in Ignorance 1 Cor. 14:20


HOW TO BE LIKE A CHILD

Become like them in Innocence 1 Cor. 14:20

Become like them in Faith John 1:12

Become like them in Simplicity Matt 11:25

Become like them in Humility Matt 18:4

Become like them in Praise Matt 21:16

Tax Questions (17:24-27, 22:15-22)

The Gospel According to Matthew
Jesus for President (Part 50: Tax Questions)


Jesus & the Temple Tax
Based on Exodus 30:11-16, the Temple Tax in Jesus’ day seems to have become a small voluntary donation made to maintain the Temple in Jerusalem.

1. The Temple (and buildings in general) was of decreasing importance

2. We need to think things through with a Kingdom perspective

3. Having a Kingdom perspective does not give us the right to needlessly offend others


Jesus & the Roman Tax
As a conquered people, the Jews had to pay tribute to their conquerors, the Romans. This tax was a volatile issue for zealous Jews.

1. Being a citizen of the Kingdom does not mean that we cease to be part of the world

2. Since the coin in question bore the image and inscription of Caesar, it belonged to Caesar

3. Since human beings are made in the image of God, they belong to God

Next Week: Like Little Children (18:1-14)

10:1-12:13 (The Reluctant Resume)

2 Corinthians 10:1-12:13

- Tough to figure out the mood change (some speculate it was written separately)
- Dripping with sarcasm (and since we are removed from the relationship, hard to interpret)

Criticisms of Paul (some possible criticisms aimed at Paul)

1. He writes a big game, but isn't powerful in speech (10:1, 10)
--Response: I CAN be bold in person when necessary (10:2, 11)

2. He walks according to the flesh (10:2b)
--Response: I fight spiritually, not in the flesh (10:3-6)

3. He's a bully, claims divine authority (10:8)
--Response: I do have authority, but it has its limits (10:13-18)

4. He doesn't have the right credentials (10:12)
--Response: I see no reason to play the ranking game (10:12)

5. He doesn't charge money because he's worthless (11:7-12)
--Response: I don't charge b/c I don't want to burden you

Now I have to defend myself b/c you insist on listening to idiots! (though I hate to do it!)

Paul's resume
1. Jewish
2. Battle tested
3. Received Revelation
* But he'd rather boast about his weaknesses