Paul is known as a Rabbi, and is among this cohort of leaders that are constantly alluding to Scriptures. His writings are a prime example of their command of Scripture. I do not want to miss the point of these Scriptures from Ephesians. It’s good to ask the what. What is the message? It’s also good at times to ask the how. How is the message being delivered? You can call it a homiletical curiosity about the artistic beauty of... Read more
I’ve considered a couple other options for the writings this week, revolving around Theology and philosophy. I’ve also thought of a writing from the Pentecostal Messenger, or some of my wife’s published devotional literature. However, this review seems to be emerging, so I offer this dialogue from a Tutorial in Philosophy of Religion.[1] It’s in the neighborhood of Theology, philosophy, and psychology. In the introduction of Visions of Vocation, Steven Garber explains his purposes. “We are called to be common... Read more
John Cassian is from the East but he descends to the West. When all is said and done in his life, he is not perceived as a saint by the West, but he remains a saint in the East. Maybe it’s because he and Augustine aren’t exactly pen pals, but they are corresponding.[1] In the previous writing, I shared some of what Cassian believes about Ephesians 4. The Primitive Church Fathers, Patristics, or Early Church Fathers are not exactly doing... Read more
Instead of just setting up a preaching or audio clip, I’m sharing some things that have meant a lot to me during the last week in dialogue with other ministers and layleaders in Traverse City When it comes to the Prayer Series that I’ve done, this is the first time I’ve done something different. I’ll close with a prayer I’ve developed for my writings on John Cassian.[1] Setup: Prayer Series Okay, we’ve seen goofy. Now let’s see these teachings with... Read more
Last week, I explored what could be Hebrew parallelism in Paul’s writings to the Primitive Church in this portion of Ephesians. I showed the method, and how it might color our interpretation of Paul’s message. To read the article “Beauty in Paul’s Literature: Poet, Prophet, or Oracle,” CLICK HERE This week, I pick up where I left off, with Ephesians 4.26-27. Generally, with what we are looking at in this passage, the 2nd line compliments the 1st line. The 3rd line... Read more
We’ve gone back through the year so far and compiled the best of the best. These are the top in their categories in each of the venues that we get involved with online. Setup video . . . Best of 2019 so far These are the best, or the top rated, for the first 6 months of 2019 (January – June). Call to Action (CTA): We believe that although we do not fully understand the algorithm on any particular network (i.e.... Read more
I’ve been waiting for an opportune time to speak of beauty in in my series on Ephesians 4. I would like to propose that Paul is using a form of parallelism which can be found in various forms of ancient Near East poetry (aNE). i. Recognizing aNE Poetry In this case, Paul uses a triple repetition for each saying or stanza. The second line offers a parallel thought to the first line (one type of parallelism). The third line of each... Read more
Help us to mobilize for You. Help us to catch a vision of what You have for us, the Kingdom of God in action in Traverse City. In the prayer series this week I’m going to be sharing just a little bit of raw, emotional prayer.[1] I call it Travailing for the Ekklesia. This is just something that I shared with my congregation in a moment as I prayed for our city. Travailing for the Ekklesia Historical snapshot of the... Read more
In the previous couple blogs posts, I’ve explored the person in relation to community from the latter half of Ephesians 4. In the mid-90’s and into the early part of the new millennium, the term community was trending. Everyone was talking about building community. However, the lofty ideals of community were not always very practical. Paul wastes no time getting down to brass tacks. In this post, we’ll look at what he has to say about honesty as an integral... Read more
God we pray that we would be counted worthy to carry burdens for You, to carry our cross for You Lord Jesus. We continue our series on prayer in the corporate worship setting. This one has to do with the Cross. I share a bit of prose called Look to the Cross, and then offer a prayer over the congregation as we gather at the altars. Look to the Cross I don’t know what you’re going through. I don’t know... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In