St James, this Sunday

Copied or Inspired?

Jon — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:28:12 +0000

In patent law, an invention cannot be registered if there is publicly available ‘prior art’. Under accusations of plagiarism, Paul defends the gospel he is preaching by recounting his Christian life to this point (Gal 1:11-2:21). He points out that from conversion he has been preaching independently of the twelve disciples, and he has felt free to call them on their own spiritual gaffs.

The upshot? The inspired good news of Jesus is a revelation direct from God, not some cribbed rhetoric from Jerusalem.

Gospel v. gospel

Jon — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:31:48 +0000

The letters of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament are like a set of golf-clubs. Each one is written for a particular situation. The Letter to the Galatian churches of southern Turkey is distinctive because it is the only letter that starts with a rebuke, rather than praise or thanksgiving.

The reason is clear: Paul is urgently concerned about a tide of new teaching that is turning Galatian heads. So he tees off with a stern warning not to turn from the true gospel to a pretend one (Gal 1:1-10).

Arm Yourself!

Jon — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:19:31 +0000

One of my all-time favourite movie quotes is the exchange between Gene Hackman and Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven:

“You just shot an unarmed man!”

“Well he should have armed himself…”

Frankly, there are too many “unarmed” people serving in the ministry trenches. The Scripture urges, “train yourself” (1 Tim 4:7), and the mature are those who have “trained themselves” (Heb 5:14).

So how do I set about equipping myself? What happens if I do, and what happens if I don’t? In this study we explore the responsibility to equip ourselves for ministry, looking at Heb 5:11-6:3.

Got Perspective?

Jon — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:39:42 +0000

Which is the tallest soldier? Optical illusions are often based on a difference of perspective. So too spiritual illusions, such as the perception that this setback or that letdown outweighs the value of my ministry. But the Bible says, “These light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory which far outweighs them all.” (2 Cor 4) That is not to belittle the troubles, but to boggle the mind with the magnitude of what God has in store, and revitalise Christian service with a fresh perspective.

Arrogance or confidence?

Jon — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:02:16 +0000

More and more, confidence is being mistaken for arrogance. To say that this is right and that is wrong is a social faux pas, and may result in the dread label of intolerance.

What these language politics reveal is that the ‘arrogant’ person is simply she whose confidence does not lie in what a society of people asserts, but in an alternative source of authority or information.

To cite God as my source, as Paul does in 2 Cor 3, is to question the reliability of human structures of authority and credibility – like citing Wikipedia in a scholarly essay. It invites derision, but the alternate source may actually be more reliable than the traditional.

Catch a Whiff

Jon — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:21:28 +0000

How is God spreading the good news about Jesus? Surprisingly, through the words of ordinary, everyday, rag-tag Christians. And he does it through their mingling, their mangling, and their motives. There is a distinctive and lingering odour as Christians mix and suffer and serve in their communities. To some it it is the whiff of decay and dead things, and to others it is the spring air of new life.

What on earth?

Jon — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 01:07:25 +0000

Most people take the Christmas verse, “And on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14) as God’s desire for peaceful relations between human-kind. But of course they have the direction of peace confused. The verse is actually about God favouring us with a peaceful relationship with himself. It is the angel’s chorus about the coming of Jesus, the “Prince of Peace”. Jesus himself said his message would bring division (Matt 10:34), knowing that many would reject the whole idea that we need (and don’t have) peace with God.

Cosmic Irony

Jon — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 06:00:49 +0000

Wikipedia describes cosmic irony as “sharp contrasts between reality and human ideals, or between human intentions and actual results.” This aptly covers the yawning gap between the identity of Jesus and the reactions he elicits during his capture by the Jewish authorities (John 18:1-27). From his Keystone Kop arrest to his Kangaroo Court trial, Jesus lets his opposition succeed despite themselves, because it is all part of the plan.