Sermon reflection on Wrath

This Sunday I will be continuing my sermon series on the Tug of War for the Christian Heart and talking about wrath.  Sometimes we struggle with the aspect of not only God’s wrath but our own.  Often I wonder if the struggle is about anger and when is it ok to be angry?  What is the difference between anger and wrath?

As I am preparing, I was reading from the Apocrypha from Sirach.  Rarely do we as Protestants preach or read those inter-testaments that were written between the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures.  Yet, the Roman Catholic bibles include many of these scriptures in their Old Testament.  Be that as it may, I came across these sayings which I wanted to share.  I will also later this week update the study on Revelation.

Sirach 5:1-6:4

Don’t be preoccupied with your money, and don’t say “I am self-sufficient.”  Don’t follow your inclination or your strength, in order to walk in the desires of your heart.  And don’t say, “Who’ll have power over me?”  The Lord is patient indeed.  Don’t be too confident of being forgiven, adding sin upon sin.  Don’t say, “His compassion is great; he for forgive the whole heap of my sins.”  Mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger will rest on sinners.  Don’t wait to turn back to the Lord.  Don’t put it off day after day, because the Lord’s wrath will come forth suddenly; when the time for punishment comes, you will be destroyed.  Don’t be preoccupied with ill-gotten gains; it will be of no benefit when you are in trouble. 

Don’t be blown about by every wind, and don’t take every shortcut.  This is how a devious sinner acts.  Be firmly grounded in your understanding, and let your speech be consistent.  Listen carefully, and utter a patient reply.  If you have understanding, answer your neighbor, but if you don’t, clap your hand over your mouth.  Speaking brings glory or dishonor.  Indeed, the tongue can be a person’s downfall.  Don’t get a reputation for being a slanderer, and don’t set traps for people with your speech, because shame comes to the thief, and terrible blame comes upon the deceitful.  Don’t be ignorant in matters large or small.  Don’t become an enemy instead of a friend.  In you get a bad name, you will also inherit shame and reproach, as is the care with the deceitful sinner.

Don’t be enamored of your own intelligence lest your strength be taken captive like a bull.  You will devour your leaves, destroy your fruit, and leave yourself like a withered tree.  If you have a bod soul, it will destroy you; it will make you a joke to your enemies. CEB

This is but an example.  Certainly there is much to reflect on.  Sirach was written about 132 BCE or about 130 years before the birth of Jesus.  As I reflect on this, I do so with the understanding that even if judgment is coming, we can always turn ourselves back to God.  Because of the atonement of Christ, we are given another opportunity to live as disciples.  This does not mean as Paul says that we can continue to sin in order to receive more grace.  There is a time of accountability.  When that time is, only God knows.  So the time to turn around is now.  To confess and ask for forgiveness now.

Revelation 3

Revelation 3

We come to the last three churches that the letter is addressed.  Again remember the number 7 is both literal and symbolic.  What John is talking about to these churches in the Roman province of Asia, can still apply to our churches today regarding our faithfulness.

The church in Sardis is southeast of Thyatira.  It was surrounded by a wall that was supposed to protect it but it was easily conquered it and destroyed it twice, both times entering the city surreptitiously, and then opening the doors to the invading army.  At the time of John, it was famous because it produced a black wool of great value.

John states that Jesus does not have much good to say about the church.  They seem to be the opposite of Smyrna which was poor but was rich, the church here seems alive but it is dead.  They appear to not be living up to their baptismal vows even though they meet for worship.  The church appears to be not vigilant in how they worship.  The warning is to wake or else the Lord will come like a thief in the night and destroy them.  They should put on their white robes of baptism and not the black wool of their prosperity. 

Continuing southeast we come to the city of Philadelphia which means brotherly love.  A great earthquake had destroyed the city in 17 AD and when John wrote the letter it was in the process of reconstruction.  One of the problems here was the question of who were the true heirs to the promises of Abraham and his descendants.  The “Jews who are not” may be those who have not accepted Jesus or Christian judaizers of Gentile origin, who insisted on obeying all the Jewish laws, as if they were better Jews than the Jews themselves.  Regardless of who, they were setting up rules the excluded members of the church who disagreed with them.  One of the reasons the allusions of the “key of David” and of open and closed doors.  In Isaiah 22:22 the key of the house of David is a symbol of the authority given to those who control access to the king and who use their power on his behalf.

The pillar in verse 12 probably points to the custom of recording on columns or on the floor the names of the main contributors to the project.  Christians could not be acknowledged because not only were they poor but they would not contribute their names on pagan temples.  But Jesus promises something better in the temple of God which can never be removed.  The church has remained faithful in spite of the disagreements and have kept the name of the Lord never denying Him.

The last city is Laodicea which was a trade center dealing with wool and famous for ointments for eyes.  The city was very prosperous so much so that when an earthquake destroyed many of its buildings the city refused to accept the help of Rome and insisted on rebuilding with its own resources.  They took great pride in their not being dependent on anyone or anything.

The reference to the lukewarm water alludes to hot springs in Hierapolis which were rumored to be good for curing illness.  By the time the water arrived in Laodicea it was lukewarm filled with minerals making it taste bad.

Jesus speaks of the lukewarm water and that he will spit it out of his mouth.  The nakedness and the need to open their eyes also allude to the main business of the city.  The most famous verse is verse 20 “I am standing at the door, knocking.”  In one of the famous paintings of this verse shows Jesus knocking at the door but there is not door handle on the outside.  This is exactly what John is writing.  Jesus is there waiting to be admitted but no one is letting him come inside to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  The people have so depended on their own resources in everything they have ceased to look to God.  Those who do not open the door to him are not only deaf, but also rebels and usurpers.

Revelation chapter 2

I completed the notes for my bible study at Cottonwood Assisted Living Center.  We had 11 participants attend and had a good discussion.  I have decided to have notes and reading guides for each week.  Most of the information that I am using comes from this Justo Gonzalez "Three Months with Revelation."  I have also used Warren Carter's "What Does Revelation Reveal? Unlocking the Mystery."

 So here goes:

Revelation chapter 2

As we continue to study, chapter looks at four of the seven churches that John is addressing.  As you have read what John has said, it is interesting to think about the churches that you have belonged and whether or not there were some similar traits.  John was addressing concerns that he saw that effected the community of faith and could lead to problems worshipping God.

The first church he addresses is Ephesus.  The city was at that time a major sea port for the Roman Empire.  Goods from all the other cities (except Smyrna) would have been transported there to be shipped.  Chief among the glories of Ephesus was the great temple to Artemis or Diana, one of the seven marvels of the ancient world. 

John begins by describing the Lord as “who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.”  Here the Lord is saying that all the churches, even that of Ephesus, are in his hands and that he walks amid them.  This a sort of warning, so that the church will take what follows seriously.  As we read, there are some good traits.  It know how to distinguish between true and false teachers, false prophets and “Nicolaitans.”  They seem to be zealous believers, upholding true doctrine.  They are praised for the patience and good works.

The problem was they had abandoned the love they had at first.  Perhaps due to their zeal they no longer loved one another as they did earlier.  In spite of all they do in defense of correct doctrine, and in spite of all their works and their patience, the Lord threatens to remove their lampstand from among others that is to destroy them as a church. 

The second church is Smyrna which was also a sea port north of Ephesus.  This city still exists today as the Turkish city of Izmir.  It was a center for emperor worship and it was proud of its loyalty to Rome.  Apparently there were serious conflicts between Christian and some Jews, “judaizers” who might be Christians of Gentile origin who insisted on following the laws of Moses and living as Jews.

Christians in Smyrna were in a precarious situation.  Amid a fabulously rich city, Christians were generally poor.  For that reason the message tells them, “I know.. your poverty, even though you are rich.” Social pressure and the threat of persecution were serious.  The “ten days” of affliction may refer to a long time, but one that would end.  Because of the theme of life and death, the letter refers to Jesus as the one “who was dead and came to life.”  The central exhortation is “be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

The third city is Pergamum north of Smyrna which was important as the Roman Empire governed the province from there.  This could be why the letter says the church dwells “where Satan’s throne is.”  There also was a great temple to Zeus.  It was here that Antipas had died as a witness of Jesus Christ.  The church had remained strong despite the local persecution.

The problem was that the church had not been as careful in sifting the various doctrines circulating among its members.  What John calls attention to is the teachings of Balaam.  It is not so important to know what these teachings were as it is important to know that they were drawing people away from the true God.  The use of fornication is one of the imagery common to prophets of ancient Israel: those who go after other people’s gods fornicate and commit adultery against the true God.

The sharp two edge sword is used relating back to chapter one that such a sword came out of the mouth of the Lord.  In that time there were two terms for sword.  One was the sword used in combat.  The Greek here refers to a heavier sword that executioners employed.  Such a sword was a symbol of the power of the empire and the authority of its rulers.  The letter is saying that power of life and death is the Lord’s and is not ultimately in the hands of the imperial authorities.  He warns the church that if they do not get rid of false doctrines, Jesus will come and punish them with the same sword.

The last city for this week is Thyatira southeast of Pergamum.  It was not a major city but one who was the center of crafts and metallurgy and dyeing of cloth.  Lydia was from Thyatira (Acts 16.14).  Because of the interest in the practice of metallurgy the text emphasizes that the Lord, who sends the message is one “who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.”  The latter was an alloy of copper, tine, and zinc that was produced in places like Thyatira.  In that time most crafts and small industry were organized around religious guilds.  So if you opted to follow Jesus, you could not belong to the guild and would not have a market for their products or sources for their materials.  This led some to look at arrangements or compromises that would allow believers to make a living without giving up their participation in the church.  Such was the position of a prophetess whose name is not known but whom John calls “Jezebel”.  He gives her that name because Jezebel was the Canaanite who married King Ahab and led Israel astray. (2 Kings 9:22)   The fornication of Jezebel is not physical adultery but rather theological adultery.

The church is not wholly condemned.  The Lord praises them for their love, faith, service, patience, and time.  Those who follow “Jezebel” are a minority.  It is against them that the harsh words of the letter are addressed.

 

Next week:

We will be looking at chapter 3 focusing on the last three churches.  Again note what the letter says to each church and how that may inform us about our faith and our churches.

 

Reading guide

Reading guide for Revelation

Chapter 2

As you read chapter 2 this week, I would encourage you to look at the churches that are mentioned.  According to Warren Carter, each of the churches were receiving both a specific and general letter.  Chapter 2 focuses on 4 of the 7 churches.  Because of the general aspects of the letter, what is said could apply to every church that reads the letter.

Each letter begins with a message to the angel, talks about the church, that John is writing to the church either to encourage or to criticize.  He commends and rebukes (except in two churches), exhorts and offers the promise.

As you are reading, the churches are Ephesus (Paul’s Ephesians), Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyatira.  What are the concerns that John has for each church?  During our discussion next week we will go into more depth about these churches.  We will also look at whether the concerns John had are still concerns of the churches today.

 

Start of a new bible study at Cottonwood

Revelation

As we begin our study together of this often controversial book of the Bible, we can start with the questions who wrote the book, what is the book, when was it written and why was it written?  The book or letter has raised more questions over time that it has answered.  I would hope that our study will focus on the historical context of the letter and the literary context of the letter so that we can better understand what it is about and what we can continue to learn from it. John Wesley stated that when we read this book we do so not just with our intellect but also with our emotions.

The first question was who wrote the letter? The first chapter begins to answer all the who, what, where, when, and why questions.  The author is John a servant of Christ who has witnessed to the word of Christ.  For some John is that same John who wrote the gospel and the letters of John.  Others have maintained that this is a different John as the Greek writing is not as formal as the gospel.  Also it would depend on when the letter was originally written as to whether this could be the apostle. Regardless of whether or not this is the Apostle John, we will refer to him as the John of Patmos.  John is writing from an island off the coast of modern day Turkey known in the first century as Asia.  He is obviously a leader of the churches of Asia and has some authority over them.

The second question pertains to exactly what type of letter is this?  Warren Carter in his book, “What Does Revelation Reveal: Unlocking the Mystery”, states that they are three genres contained in the letter.  The first is the letter is apocalyptic.  In Greek revelation is ‘apocalypse’.  This means to take out of hiding.  Sometimes when we use the word apocalypse it becomes negative signifying the horrendous end of the world.  This is a misuse of the word biblically.  There are many examples of apocalyptic writing in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.  Examples include writings found in Daniel 7-12; Isaiah 24-27; Ezekiel, Matthew, Mark, Thessalonians, and other literature.  In fact much of what we will be reading in Revelation refers back to the Old Testament.  The book was written to people who were very familiar with the Hebrew scriptures and would recognize the allusions to them.  The apocalyptic literature arose during times of persecution and oppression when the world seemed to be dominated by evil.  The literature was written to provide hope during such times.  It would describe visions, reveal God’s purposes and plans, show that God’s rule will prevail, the punishment of the wicked and would describe the establishment of justice and a world re-created in right relationship with God. (returning to the time of the garden of Eden Gen. 1.1-2.4).  The actual writing would have strange creatures, numbers, vivid colors, conflict, and heavenly scenes.  “The concern is with the question of sovereignty:  who or what controls the world?  What is God doing, if anything in the world that seems, at least to the writer, to have run amok?  Does evil have the final word?  Is there any justice for the powerless and oppressed? (Carter, 17).”

Another genre is prophecy.  Is Revelation prophetic in predicting the future?  Prophecy in biblical terms is less about telling the future and more about telling about God and God’s actions now.  Jesus often said that we should not worry about the end of time but to live today faithfully. In fact, he goes on to say that the end is only known to the father Matthew 24:36-50.  All the efforts that many have tried to figure the code are futile.  Prophecy helps provide that God is active today as well as yesterday and tomorrow.  Prophecy comes from God and in this case from Jesus which give authority to the writing.

The last genre is a letter.  John states that this is a letter that is written to seven churches, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.  Here is our first encounter with a special number.  There were likely more than seven churches in Asia.  John was probably writing to all the churches.  As we hear in verse 3 “Favored is the one who reads the words of this prophecy out loud, and favored are those who listen to it being read, and keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”  Letters, such as Paul’s letters, were meant to be read out loud to those who gathered together.  So actually this letter would have been read in its entirety before the congregation.  Talk about a long church service. Using the number 7 is special.  Seven has a symbolic meaning.  Much of Jewish writings attributed certain meanings to letters and numbers.  The number seven often means complete, whole or perfect.  Think about the seven days of creation.  There will be more numbers that take on special meanings.

When the letter was written is difficult to access.  Carter states that he believes that letter was written shortly after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.  There are many scholars who would agree with that.  This would have been a time of great upheaval and uncertainty among the faithful.  Others such as Justo Gonzalez maintain that the letter was written towards the end of the century around 90 AD.  This was a time also of drastic changes.  The Roman emperor wanted to be worshipped as a god and refusal to do so could lead to economic oppression, political oppression and persecution.  At either time, there was not the same persecution that would occur around 125 AD.  I tend to think that this was written around 90 AD after a period of time with the problems that began to happen with the synagogue leaders and the Christian leaders that we see in   the Gospel of John.

Why was this letter written?  Gonzalez in his book, “Three Months with Revelation,” states “His book is a word of comfort and encouragement for the churches in Asia, calling them to stand firm in the faith and reminding them that the final victory belongs to Jesus and his followers. (12)” This was not meant to be a cookbook or a countdown to the final days. It was not written for the 21^st century but to the churches of that day.  Given that there are still things we can learn about our faithfulness that relates to today.  This is true about the entire Bible as it is the living Word of God.

The first chapter also begins to talk about God’s vision.  We encounter the number seven several times.  The seven angels and the seven lampstands are examples.  John in writing to the churches also points out the conflicts they are experiencing have a heavenly context as well.  The seven angels are guardians of the churches on earth.  We can find allusion to this in Daniel 10:12-21.  The stars they hold are the churches and that Jesus is in control of them and the churches.  The seven lampstands represent the light of the world coming through the churches. We also become aware of the power of God in his description of unchanging and John falling down before Him.  Again the description of God can be found in Daniel 7 and Ezekiel 1:24.

All of this and much more from the very first chapter. Fasten your seat belts as  we are on the journey.