Day 73: Paul is Tired

At least, that's what I hear when I read this second letter he writes to young Timothy, his son in the faith.

There's a sort of passing-the-baton going on here, with Paul giving advice to Timothy, and warning him about what and who to watch out for.  There's a little world-weariness (everyone who wants to live a holy life is going to be harassed, Paul says).  There is some sadness, as Paul lists off people who have deserted either him or the faith, or both.

Getting old is not for sissies.

Usually, when I say this I mean it's because of health issues, or because people who get old have to watch their friends die.  But in this case, Paul is getting older, and looking back and even though he can look back to all of the good things he's done, and his accomplishments, he also gets to look back and see the things that are not going well right now, too.  He sees those who used to be fervent in the faith, and now have cooled off.  He sees people who were well-thought-of, but now have gone astray.  He gets the long view.

But there's a lot of wisdom in these short chapters, too.  There's a little bit of "rule-keeping" exhortation (like people in the military, or athletes, you will benefit by following the rules, he says.)  But I think he's talking not so much about "rule-following" for it's own sake (which is about as far from Paul's theology as I can imagine) but about practice.  Athletes practice; military people practice.  You too will benefit by the discipline of practicing your faith.

One of the most famous passages about scripture is in this letter, "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for exhortation....."  what I like about this passages is that scripture is useful, but not always in the same way:  God does different things in us through our hearing of Scripture:  teaching exhortation, comfort,  encouragement.....  I think that the least helpful way we can think of Scripture is as a map or a guide (those "owner's manual's you get for cars?  who cracks open those books, except when you are in trouble?).  Let's revel in the surplus of meaning in scripture, not just keep it in the glove compartment of our cars for when we break down.

Finally, Paul passage the baton when he says to Timothy, "I have fought the good fight."  In his last letter, he exhorts, "Fight!"  Now he looks back and says, "I have fought the good fight.  I have finished the race."  The crown of righteousness refers to the laurel wreath reserved for the winners in athletic tournaments.  Paul has already won because he already belongs to Christ, even though many people have deserted him, even though he is lonely, even though he needs his friends to come to me.

The letter ends with all sorts of small personal details:  come and visit, bring my coat, also bring the scrolls and parchments.  Bring Mark.  No one is with me, except Luke.  No one took my side in the court hearing.  Greet Prisca and Aquila.

Day 72: Sound Doctrine, Sound Conduct

That is what Paul is concerned about, and wants Timothy to know:  sound doctrine, and sound conduct.  There will be those who will be led astray by other teachings, tempted by "demons", Paul says.  He specifically refers to sects that prohibit marriage (ascetics) and who forbid certain kinds of foods, and practice all kinds of self-denial.  So the sound teaching is that all things were created good and are to be used with thanksgiving to God.

As for sound conduct, Paul is very concerned that Timothy's church live in such a way that they don't give offense to the culture that surrounds them.  So there's this extended conversation about widows, and who should be provided for, and who should not.  (I have to ask, though:  why are there so many widows, both young and old?)

Paul is also concerned about the reputations of leaders, and what makes a good leader.  (this is a concern contemporary for us as well.  There are leaders who lead their flocks astray, and cause offense today, by abuse of power, as well.)  Paul is also concerned that a good leader be able to make a living without having to justify himself (it goes without saying that for this particular version of Paul, the leader is going to be a man.)

Finally, he calls Timothy to the high calling of leadership, and he exhorts him to hold firm in his faith:  shun temptation, pursue righteousness, fight the good fight of faith.  He reminds Timothy of the public confession of his faith that he made once (confirmation?) and to hold fast to this confession.  He also reminds Timothy of another One who made a public confession before Pontius Pilate.

Paul reminds Timothy of the return of Christ, but somehow there does not seem to be the same urgency as in, say 1st Thessalonians.  "The timing of this appearance is revealed by God alone," he says, as if to say, Jesus is delayed, but we don't know the day or hour, so let's be patient.

Patient.  There was a sort of inpatience in Paul's early letters, a sort of leaning forward into the future.  There's still a little of that (fight the good fight), but not quite as much impatience.

I miss the impatient Paul, who's always looking for the next mission field, crossing the next sea.  He's impatient for the kingdom to come, for the reign of Christ to be manifest, for the lion to lie down with the lamb.  He wants to see it.

Sometimes we can be too patient, and start wishing to just fit in.

Fight the good fight not to fit in.

Day 71: Paul's letter to his "Son"

Up until now, Paul's letters have been to congregations, religious communities, but today's letters (and others) are written to individuals, in this case Timothy.  Since we have been reading in the New Testament, we know a little about Timothy.  He was a young man who had a Jewish mother and a Greek father, he traveled with Paul, and was much beloved by him.

Now I'm going to tell you something that might seem a little confusing:  some scholars don't think that Paul wrote this letter.

They believe this because of some of the subjects Paul discusses:  the particular church controversies he mentions and the qualifications for bishops, for example.  And may I suggest that if this is Paul, the tone of the letter is much more staid and (ahem) establishment-sounding than some of the earlier letters that we read.  There's not as much passion in this letter, although there's still a concern for good order and Truth.

Then there's the pronouncements regarding women's leadership in chapter two.  In Galatians, Paul states that "in Christ there is no male or female," in 1 Timothy he writes that a "wife" or a "woman" should learn quietly in complete submission.  (As well, we are not to wear elaborate hairstyles, or gold, pearls or expensive clothes.)  What are we to make of this? 

As a woman, I'm wondering why some churches adhere so strongly to the position that women are to remain silent in the church, but not to the other requirements that women should not wear jewelry or expensive clothes.  Because it seems to me that both of the things that Paul is concerned about have to do with the culture of the time, and what sort of behavior would adversely affect the Christian community and its witness. 

I can't help but noticing that most of this part of the letter (we'll see what develops tomorrow) deals with how to manage the household of faith:  husband and wives, bishops and pastors, servants and masters.  Yet I'm drawn to the simple statement of faith in chapter 1, which is worth the weight of the whole letter, "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners."  Paul goes on to say that he's the biggest sinner of all -- and his whole life is an object lesson of God's mercy.

There's something about this sentence that makes me smile. 

Our whole lives an object lesson of God's mercy.  Maybe that's enough for me.

Day 41: Controversies, Arguments, Imprisonment: The Grace of God

So Paul and his companions have been finding some success preaching the gospel of Jesus among the Gentiles, when there appears a competing group who also preach Jesus -- plus circumcision.  This development leads to the first church convention, where the topic at hand is:  What should we do with all these non-Jewish people who want to be Christian?  Some people thought they ought to be circumcised; others (including Paul) did not.

Success has its price.

As well, note that even at this early date, there were disagreements among believers.  In this case, after heated discussions, the church came to an agreement about what they would ask from the Gentile believers:  not circumcision, but abstaining from eating blood, and food sacrificed to idols, and sexual immorality.

Having dodged this bullet, however, Paul and Barnabas somehow couldn't fix a rift that developed between the two of them.  We really don't know much about the rift, except that it had to do with John Mark.  Barnabas wanted to take him along with them; Paul did not.  On the basis of something as simple as this, Paul and Barnabas part ways.  Paul teams up with Silas, and eventually Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman and a Greek father (interesting that he has Timothy circumcised because of the company with whom he expects to be traveling.)

It's sort of sad that the church could come to an agreement with respect to the first controversial issue they faced, but that Paul and Barnabas couldn't come to an agreement with regard to John Mark.  But that's the way it is in churches sometimes, isn't it?  It is the (seemingly) little things, the rifts between individuals, that catch us up, oftentimes more than the big and controversial theological issues of the day.  it is the arguments about which songs we sing and who distrusts who that end up generating the heat, even now.

That being said, Luke is still pretty clear that it is the Holy Spirit that directs or impedes their progress.  The Holy Spirit leads them to Macedonia, where Lydia hears the message of Jesus and believes.  Later on, though, Paul casts an evil spirit out of a young woman.  This good deed is rewarded with time in prison for Paul and Silas.  (it seems that the evil spirit was a source of revenue for the owners of the young woman.)

As has happened before, a way for the apostle to escape from jail presents itself:  an earthquake!  but this time, instead of escaping, Paul and his friends stay put, and in this way confess their faith in the one who has set them free.

There is more than one kind of captivity
And more than one way to be free.

The Acts of the Apostles..... are to be continued.