Spiritual Formation and The Law (pt. 3 The Old Testament's view of The Law)

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For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Romans 2:25).

So you shall observe to do just as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left (Ibid. Deuteronomy 5:32).

            It should come as no surprise just how complicated the relationship between the New Covenant and the Old Covenant is.  In fact, as was mentioned in the last blog, the early church had to have a Council and debate Old Testament commands in the light of New Covenant theology (Acts 15).  Since the majority of the Jerusalem Council leadership was most likely made up of 1^st century Jews, it is likely that we get a historically accurate 1^st century Jewish understanding of the Law.  Although circumcision can be understood as the crux of the issue, notice that the sect of Christian Pharisees argue that gentile converts need not only be circumcised, but also instructed to follow the Law of Moses (15:5).  Therefore, it seems these 1^st century Jews did not think of the Law of Moses as something which one could segment and pick and choose from.

            This mindset is also seen in the Old Testament and specifically in the Law itself.[1]  A few examples will suffice, “… do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left…” (Ibid Deuteronomy 28:14). The Law promised penalties against the Israelites and it must be noted what would bring about those penalties, “But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments” (Ibid. Leviticus 26:14).  Hence, the Law does not allow for picking and choosing.

            There are examples in the Old Testament where people attempted to disregard some laws and follow others.  King Jeroboam, amongst other changes, installed priests who were not from the tribe of Levi (1 Kings 12:31).  The Law indicated that only Levites could be priests (Deuteronomy 18:1-8, Exodus 29:9).  Ezra records that after the deportation, he was upset at some of the exiles, because they had been taking wives from non-Israelite nations (10:10-43), which was against the Law (Exodus 34:15-16, Deuteronomy 7:3).  Then, it seems that the Old Testament did not have a segmented view of the Law, but that violating one part was breaking the whole.  It also seems that that perspective was handed down in second Temple Judaism, which is why the Pharisaic party in Acts 15 believed this.

So far, it does not seem that Paul or the Old Testament support a segmenting view of the Law, next week we’ll return to the New Testament as we continue to ask, “What is a Christian’s relationship to the Old Testament Law?” (Click Part 4)

Written by Pastor Ozzy

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Works Cited

1995. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. LaHabra: The Lockman Foundation.

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[1] This work assumes Mosaic authorship and thus rejects the documentary hypothesis.

Spiritual Formation and The Law (pt. 2 Law Segmented)

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So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the Lord. (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Leviticus 22:31)

            What you have been taught by your church, denomination, upbringing, parents, or whatever your background, it will inform how you answer the question, “What is a Christian’s relationship to the Old Testament [OT] Law?”  Some denominations or groups have taught a segmenting of the OT Law into categories like judicial, ceremonial and moral laws.  They would perhaps argue that OT sacrifices and offerings (Lev. 1-7:38) are examples of ceremonial laws, but sexual relationship laws (Lev. 18) are moral.  They may reason that the same way the Articles of Confederation were superseded by the U.S. Constitution in 1789, ceremonial laws under the Mosaic Covenant (Ex. 19-24) were superseded by the ceremonial rite of the New Covenant (Lk. 22:20, Heb. 8).  They may then maintain that the moral laws of the Mosaic Covenant are still obligatory under the New Covenant.  This may be an example of ingrained theology, and if you were raised in a denomination or group that taught this, perhaps you’ve never questioned it.  Also, questioning such a position may quickly raise party loyalties, but since it will have a direct bearing on answering our question, “What is a Christian’s relationship to OT Laws?”, we must bring it up.

            A good starting point may be with the idea of segmenting the OT Laws into judicial, ceremonial and moral groups.  This is a feature found in the 16^th century reformation, but does it reflect the mind set of New Testament authors?  In the first century, we know of a faction within the NT Church that thought that when Gentiles come to faith in Christ, they need to be circumcised according to the Mosaic Covenant (Acts 15:1).[1]  Regardless of if Paul wrote the book of Galatians before or after this Acts 15 council, he wrote that, “Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.  And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law” (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, 5:2-3).  Please understand that in the mind of the Judaizer, the proselyte undergoing circumcision was the initiation act to join the Covenant community, meaning an adaption of the Jewish lifestyle as a whole (Dunn, 265).

            In this passage, Paul’s use of language is an attempt to emphasis that he is speaking with full force, “I Paul say to you” (Witherington, 366).  And Paul’s argument is clear, if a person submits to this one ceremonial law, then they are obligated to observing the whole Law (Ibid.).

With such language, does it seem that Paul thought of the Law as being something that could be segmented?  Next week, we’ll examine the Old Testament. (Click Part 3)

Written by Pastor Ozzy

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Works Cited

Dunn, James D. G. 1993. The Epistle to the Galatians. Black’s New Testament Commentary. London: Continuum.

1995. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. LaHabra: The Lockman Foundation.

Witherington, Ben III. 1998. Grace in Galatia: A Commentary on St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

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[1] Circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 17:11); however, in the Lucian text Moses as opposed to Abraham, is specifically referenced.

Spiritual Formation (Spiritual Guidance part 1)

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To Timothy, My true child in the faith… (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1 Timothy 1:2)

Samuel [the Prophet] said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly… now your kingdom shall not endure…” (Idib. 1 Samuel 13:13-14)

Nathan [the Prophet] then said to David … “Why have you despised the word of the Lord… Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house…” (Ibid. 2 Samuel 12:7-10)

            Spiritual Friendship and Spiritual Guidance are similar in ways, because both rely on a relationship between two people and are tools for spiritual growth.  Hierarchy can be a tricky topic when it relates to these relationships.  In the broad sense, there is more of a hierarchical structure in Spiritual Guidance, however, I feel this can be best explained using a ladder.  Imagine a ladder that is flat on the ground, you can see that the third rung is farther from the start than the first rung, but since the ladder is flat on the ground, the third is no higher than the first (Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls, Kindle Location 1088).  As I understand it, Spiritual Formation is similar to this flat ladder.  There are people who have had more time and opportunity to move up the rungs of the ladder and are therefore farther along; however, not higher, the way a regional manager is over a store manager, who is over a department manager and so forth.

            What makes for a good spiritual guide?  Let me tell you about two spiritual leaders that I have personally encountered.  The first was not a mentor and the second was.  I don’t know if the first loved his neighbor as he loved himself; however, I saw the second love his neighbor as he loved himself.  The first once mistakenly said the Babylonian captivity lasted 80 years and when I pointed out that it was 70 years, he was gruff and abrasive that I would correct him.  The second once confused the words dispensationalism and cessationism, but was accepting and grateful to be corrected.

            Remember the episode where a Pharisee invited Jesus to dinner (Luke 7:36-50), and a woman with the reputation of being a sinner made her way to the dinner also.  There she wept on Jesus’ feet and dried them with her hair.  This made the Pharisee doubt Jesus’ holiness because He accepted the sinful woman.  Jesus then told the story of a money lender and two debtors, both of whom were unable to repay their debts.  In the story, the money lender forgave both debts, then Jesus asked the Pharisee, “which will then love the money lender more?”  The Pharisee was right to point out the one that was forgiven the greater debt.  Jesus used that to illustrate the relationship between grace and a person being changed.

            That change, the kind brought about by God’s love and His grace, as opposed to a change brought by a higher religiosity, is vital in a Spiritual Guide.  Because, they have be changed by God and by themselves.

Written by Pastor Ozzy

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Works Cited

1995. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. LaHabra: The Lockman Foundation.

Moon, Gary W., and David G. Benner. 2004. Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.

Spiritual Formation (Spiritual Friendship part 5)

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… [Barnabas] was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith… he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch.  And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers… (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Acts 11:24-26)

I get by with a little help from my friends (Beatles 1967)

               If you were a fan of the American version of The Office, then you’ll remember an episode in season five where Michael Scott has quit Dunder Mifflin to start his own paper company (Novak 2009).  Pam Beesly also quit Dunder Mifflin to follow Michael, and the episode begins with Michael having a breakdown and doubting his decision.  Pam is the voice of reason to Michael and is there to encourage and motivate him.  Later in the episode, Pam has a moment of crisis and doubts her decision to follow Michael.  At that time, it is Michael that is the voice of reason for Pam.  Although this is not an example of Spiritual Friendship, it is a terrific example of one person needing another person to aid them through their struggles, doubts and fears, and because they are in it together, it is even more powerful. 

               To this point, in the past blogs we’ve looked at examples of Spiritual Friendship in the Old Testament.  However, the same concept can be found in the pages of the New Testament as well.  In fact, when Jesus started His ministry, one of the things He did was call followers like Peter, James, and John.  These three had a unique relationship with Jesus, they are the ones we see with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mk. 9:2-8).  Then in the garden of Gethsemane, they are the ones who witness Jesus’ distress and hear his expression of deep grief (Mk. 14:33-34).

                Other examples come from the life of the Apostle Paul and his relationship to Barnabas.  When Christianity spread from Jerusalem to Antioch, Barnabas was sent by the Church to encourage and minister there.  He was able to see that the work was too great for one person and therefore, he went and found Paul to help (Acts. 11:25-26).  This year of ministering together must have forged a bond between the two, because after this, they are set apart by the Holy Spirit to spread the Gospel further.  Possibly as early as AD 46 and going as late as 48, these two men embarked on a missionary journey together.  This included preaching the Gospel in Pisidian Antioch, where they would face criticism and conflict with Jews (Acts. 13:45).

               We must keep in mind, although both were well versed in the Scriptures and both were filled with the Holy Spirit, they were still human.  Therefore, they were subject to all the doubts and insecurities that all people are subject to when criticized and maligned.  Perhaps, one of the reasons that the Lord put them together was so that one could encourage the other if doubts and insecurities set in during the mission.

Next week, we’ll begin to transition from Spiritual Friendship into Spiritual Guidance.

Written by Pastor Ozzy

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Works Cited

Beatles, The. 1967. With a Little Help from My Friends. Comps. John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

1995. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. LaHabra: The Lockman Foundation.

Novak, B. J. 2009. Dream Team, The Office, Season 5, Episode 22. Directed by Paul Feig. Performed by Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer.

Spiritual Formation (Spiritual Reading part 1)

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♫ I am a friend of God

I am a friend of God

I am a friend of God, He calls me friend ♪ (Houghton 2004)

“… encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,”… (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Hebrews 3:13)

            For close to 1,985 years there have been Christians trying to follow Jesus.  Throughout those years, many Christians have left their writings, telling of their Spiritual Formation; although we may not agree on some issues, their writing can still inspire and instruct our lives today.  Without neglecting the nourishment that comes from personal time in the word of God, let us explore some of the writings that have come down to us from these Christians.  Many of them never knew what a car or an airplane was, some of them would not understand the internet; but they knew what it was to try to live their lives for God.

            Gregory of Nyssa was a Christian who lived during the fourth-century AD, and was known for his work, The life of Moses.  In this he wrote that Moses was God’s friend and serves as an example for us to copy (Gregory of Nyssa, 136).  Consider this passage:

… it is time for you, noble friend, to look to that example and, by transferring to your own life what is contemplated through spiritual interpretation of the things spoken literally, to be known by God and to become his friend.  This is true perfection: not to avoid a wicked life because like slaves we servilely fear punishment, nor to do good because we hope for rewards, as if chasing in on virtuous life by some business-like and contractual arrangement.  On the contrary, disregarding all those things for which we hope and which heave been reserved by promise, we regard falling from God’s friendship as the only thing dreadful and we consider becoming God’s friend the only thing worthy of honor and desire (Ibid. 137).

Although specifically Gregory was focused on Moses’ friendship with God (Exodus 33:11), we also hear Jesus’ words, “You are my friend, if you do what I command you” (John 15:14).  Motivation is a powerful tool and Gregory points out that there can be wrong motivations regarding our friendship with God.  The scriptures say that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7), but Gregory did not think that fear of punishment was an adequate motivator for seeking God’s friendship.  Instead, friendship with God was the only thing worth seeking and this not merely motivated by hope of gain, but because it can lead to what Gregory called the perfect life.

            

            Perhaps, you can reflect on this thought of God’s friendship as you also reflect on “[God] who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, 2 Timothy 1:9). Consider reading the Life of Moses by Gregory of Nyssa and next week, we’ll look at another Christian’s writings.

Written by Pastor Ozzy

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Works Cited

1995. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. LaHabra: The Lockman Foundation.

Houghton, Israel. 2004. "Friend of God." Live from Another Level.

Nyssa, Gregory Bishop of. 1978. Gregory of Nyssa. New York: Paulist Press.

Spiritual Formation (Prayer Life Part 4 Unanswered)

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Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. (Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible, Colossians 4:12) [emphases added]

         For as secular as our society has become, in the public arena we may still hear from time to time someone make a statement like, “Our prayers go out to …” or “Our thoughts and prayers are with …”.  Yesterday during a televised sporting event, the score was tied and the camera found one fan kissing something on his necklace, and if you had read his lips, he was praying for his team to score.  Have you ever wondered if the person who said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims,” actually prayed in any tangible way, or if that phrase is just our cliché when there’s nothing else to say?  Some ancient thought expressed in the Mishnah (part of the Jewish Talmud) considered it trivial to pray for birds (Zahavy, Kerakhot 5:3). How much more then for sporting events?  If these are accurate pictures of prayer in our public arena, how much has this influenced our perspectives on prayer?

         In the above-cited passage from Paul, the word he uses translated laboring earnestly is the same word from which we get our English word agonize.  Paul’s companion Epaphras is said to agonize in his prayer for his friends.  Although people who have developed a deep prayer life may be able to relate to this idea, if we were to do a word association exercise, is agonize the first word that comes to your mind when you hear the word prayer?  Perhaps you’ll find it interesting that in Luke, this same word, translated strive, is used by Jesus to tell His followers to enter in the narrow gate (13:24).  In that context, we can see a dichotomy between the path that leads to destruction and the other that leads to life.

          How then do we understand striving to enter by the narrow gate?  Why is the broad road to destruction so appealing?  By exploring those questions, do you see how prayer can be a struggle?  In considering this, we are also reminded how challenges make us better.  Therefore, this earnest labor in our unanswered prayers can be the character-building struggle we need in our spiritual development.  If prayer is as laissez-faire as in the examples highlighted at the beginning of this blog, what kind of character development would be possible?  On the other hand, when we engage in prayer as in wrestling, working, or striving, then we enter into the mystery that is our communication with God.  Perhaps this is why in some cases we experience unanswered prayers.

Did Jesus give carte blanche to prayers?

Written by Pastor Ozzy

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Works Cited

1995. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. LaHabra: The Lockman Foundation.

Zahavy, Tzvee. 1987. The Mishnaic Law of Blessings and Prayers: Tractate Berakhot. Scholars Press.

Spiritual Formation (Presence of God part 2)

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[Preface: In this entry, we will look at Jesus as our example; when Paul writes regarding Christ being formed within a believer, he is talking about the same attitudes that were present in Jesus’ incarnation.  This entry will focus on Jesus’ relationship with the Father during the incarnation.  Therefore, it will not contain a full treatment of the relationship between the Father and the Son within the Trinity.]

In the days of His flesh, He [Jesus] offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.  Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered” (Heb. 5:7-8 NASB).

Last week there was a challenge to be aware of the presence of God in every moment, with the hope of raising the awareness of His presence not only in “religious experience,” but in the ordinary and commonplace.  Within an average day’s routine, when waking from sleep, preparing for the day, commuting, working, resting, eating and everything else that happens.  Consider what David wrote regarding his daily life, that God knew his sitting and rising, his thinking, sleeping and all his activities (Ps. 139:2-3).  This could make us understand that all our life is for the Lord and not just parts of our lives.  Moreover, since the goal of Spiritual Formation is having Christ formed in us, then Jesus serves as an example for us regarding awareness of God’s presence.

    Although having a unique relationship with the Father, as quoted above Jesus still learned from his experiences.  In an episode from Luke, we see a twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple, sitting with the teachers and possessing some incredible level of understanding. Yet that story ends with the statement that He continued to increase in wisdom (2:46-52).  I.e., He kept learning.  Whatever came with being God in human form, also came with being human.  This is something we must not miss.  What was Jesus doing in the wilderness before the temptation (Mt. 4:1-11, Mk. 1:12-13, Lk. 4:1-13)?  He was fasting in solitude, two disciplines that we’ll cover in future blogs.  The author of Hebrews writes of Jesus, “…who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (4:15 NASB).  Take note then of Jesus’ words from a few years later, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38 NASB).  Jesus learned the importance of the presence of God and then could declare that He knew the will of the One who sent Him.  Therefore, our own practicing the presence of God is vital to Christ being formed within us.

Written by Pastor Ozzy 

1995. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. LaHabra: The Lockman Foundation.

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Spiritual Formation (Presence of God part 1)

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“The presence of God is the concentration of the soul’s attention on God, remembering that He is always present” (The Practice of the Presence of God, Kindle Location 467).

            

            In a way, our modern 21^st-century American system has created a distinction between the sacred and the secular.  In other words, within reason, a person may have beliefs; however, strictly secular practices are required within our social order.  Beliefs are still allowed when they are restricted to the private life.  This dichotomy is a relatively new idea in history.  For instance, the earliest followers of Jesus were second-temple Jews, and their social life and their religion were principally one in the same.  God was a part of their everyday life.

In the pages of the Old Testament, there are examples of miraculous and unique encounters with the God of Israel.  The LORD appeared to Abram at Shechem (Gen. 12:7), also to Moses in a burning bush (Ex. 3).  Isaiah reports having seen the LORD in Solomon’s temple (Is. 6) and Ezekiel’s vision by the river Chebar (Ezek. 1) to name a few.  The narratives often express life-changing experiences, moments of calling or divine instruction.

This was the pattern in the Old Testament; however, in the pages of the New Testament, the message of God’s redemption and salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus spread beyond ethnic Israel (Acts 8 & 10).  With that movement, the Apostle Paul expressed that God was not limited to temples built by men (17:24) and more than that, God is not far off, but in Him, we live and move (17:28).

Consider your life, every moment in the presence of God.  Your mornings, afternoons, evenings and nights.  Your work, social and family times.  When you’re awake and when you’re asleep.  Reflect that God is in both your religious and secular times.  Have you been aware of His presence?  Read these words from Brother Lawrence, “[To] know God, we must think about Him often.  Once we get to know Him, we will think about Him ever more often, because where our treasure is, there also is our heart!” (The Practice of the Presence of God, Kindle Location 327).

Perhaps in the next week, challenge yourself to be aware of God’s presence as often as you can and where ever you are.

Written by Pastor Ozzy

Lawrence, Brother. 1982. The Practice of the Presence of God. New Kensington: Whitaker House.

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Spiritual Formation (Intro)

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“Be imitators of me [Paul], just as I also am of [Jesus] Christ.” 1 Cor. 11:1 NASB

It is likely that almost every modern American has heard the slogan, “What Would Jesus Do?”  Perhaps with good intentions, this is a reminder of how a person should behave. But is imitating Christ only about how a person should act in a given circumstance?  One may ask a serious question, how does a person living in Montrose Colorado in the 21st century imitate a 1st century Jewish Messiah?

Every year movie studios spend billions of dollars to create movies where audiences buy into an illusion.  We accept that Chris Hemsworth is not a mortal man, but is a superhero based on a Norse god.  We escape into fantasy from a long time ago and in a galaxy far, far away to learn how a scruffy-looking nerf-herder ended up in a Cantina on Tatooine.  Finally, we believe that Jim from The Office now lives in a Post-Apocalyptic world with monsters.  Could this be what Paul means by imitating?  To act?

It is unlikely that Paul intended his readers to perceive himself as merely playing a role, but wanted them to understand how he lived his life for God and to imitate him.  Paul wrote, “See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people” (1 Thess. 5:15 NASB).  This is more than a course of action within circumstances and instead is a lifestyle principle.  Moreover, you can tell Jesus’ influence on Paul.  Jesus taught his followers, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...” (Matt. 5:43-44 NASB).

Perhaps, you have read these words of Jesus before and wondered if He is setting too high a standard.  Maybe He is setting forth an ideal concept, or these actions are only for uber-spiritual people.  After all, all of us have encountered people who, to be polite, are challenging to deal with.  Jesus could not have intended a rude neighbor, an ill-tempered co-worker or a hostile in-law, could He?  By way of analogy, have you ever met or seen a person incredibly gifted in a specific talent?

 If you witnessed a group of four people juggling bowling pins to each other, would you believe that they only started juggling an hour before, or do you think that each one spent hours learning the skill and then worked together to develop rhythm and pattern?  Again, if you saw a man about to balance on a tightrope when doing a handstand, would you think that you’re seeing his first attempt?  It is far more likely that he has practiced for years.

Therefore, if your immediate reaction is not to love your enemies, do you think that will simply change or will it take work and effort?  Exercises that are intended to produce Spiritual Formation will be the focus of several blogs.  Many Christians from the time of Paul through the 21st-century have shared their experience in Spiritual Formation and here will be an exploration of that process.

Written by Pastor Ozzy

1995. Holy Bible: New American Standard Bible. LaHabra: The Lockman Foundation.

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