My True Son in the Faith

It is customary to refer to other Christians with familial terms. The marriage and family bond is one of the strongest bonds in the human experience. It is no surprise then that it is appropriated by New Testament writers to designate how strong our bond is with one another in Christ.

          In Paul’s letter to Timothy he begins by identifying him as “my legitimate/true child in the faith”(1 Timothy 1:2). This is a fascinating reference because of two words Paul uses.

          First, Timothy is  true/legitimate (gnesios). This word carries with it the idea of the real, genuine thing. When I read Paul’s two letters to Timothy, I am immediately struck with the genuine friendship and relationship that existed between these two Christians. Paul knew Timothy’s family well, and entrusted the young man to some very responsible tasks connected with the apostolic ministry.

          Second, the tender word for “child” (teknon) helps Paul express how dear, special and familial Paul feels toward this young man Timothy. Later on in this very letter, once again, Paul addresses him as “Timothy, my son…”(1 Timothy 1:18). He wants to get Timothy’s attention as he instructs him how to fight the good fight of faith in the face of opposition. As his father in the faith, he knows that this precious young man in the faith is about to face some pretty stiff opposition.

          For each of us today, God has placed in our stewardship the a spiritual “true son/daughter in the faith.” Who is that person? Do they know of your spiritual concerns for them? Do they hear affirmation from you regarding the bond of genuine friendship? Do you watch out for their spiritual welfare, and seek to instruct them?

          “My true son in the faith”—what a beautiful expression!

In Christian love, Curtis

Promoting and Advancing the Work of God

When the apostle Paul writes to Timothy about what he needs to focus on as a young evangelist, Paul is interested in how Timothy promotes or advances the work of God. In doing so, Paul uses one of the strangest phrases for ministry in all of the New Testament: “a stewardship of God in the faith.” What in the world can he mean by that?

          Paul had expressly left Timothy in Ephesus to urge certain individuals not to teach anything differently. Early on in the church we already have a distinction between heterodoxy and orthodoxy. Anything taught differently from the apostolic tradition would be suspect and identified as “heterodoxy.”  In this immediate context (1 Timothy 1:3-7) they were devoting themselves to myths and endless genealogies.

The myths were legendary, fictional stories-- but unfortunately Paul does not name them so we do not really know their content or anything else about them. Whatever they were, it is evident that they were designed to replace the central story of Jesus.

The next thing that was heterodoxy was the unending genealogies, or the tracing of one’s ancestors or family tree. Rogers makes the following apt comment on this practice: “In postexilic Judaism there was a keen interest in family trees, and this played a part in controversies between Jews and Judaism” (Rogers, The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, p. 487). Interestingly, this may be what is behind the very reason that both Matthew and Luke include a genealogy of Jesus.

Essentially  what Paul is telling Timothy is that one does not promote or advance the work of God by making up stories to replace the central story of Jesus, nor trying to make a family connection that would prove one’s faithfulness to an established, traditional religion.

I am really intrigued by this expression “a stewardship of God in the faith” that Paul uses to describe ministry for Timothy. Does each one of us see our gifts and ministry as stewardship before God?

In Christian love, Curtis

 

SINCERE FAITH

What does “sincere faith” look like? Where does it come from? Why is it important, and how does one get it?

          For starters this expression (“sincere faith”) is used by Paul twice in his correspondence with the young evangelist Timothy. The word “sincere” translates the Greek word, anupokritos. It can be translated literally into English as “non-hypocritical.”  Here are both of those verses:

          “The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5).

          “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your  grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5).

          Some significant insights present themselves from these two readings. “Sincere faith” is one of three things necessary in order for a person to truly love.

          Additionally, a “sincere faith” can be spoken of as something that lives in people. Because of Paul’s reference to Timothy’s mother and grandmother, the implicit implication that he does not spell out is that this “sincere faith” can be passed on  to succeeding generations.

          The questions that all of this raises is vital indeed.

1.   Does my love for God and others flow from a “sincere faith?”

2.   Does “sincere faith” live in me?

3.   Am I gratefully aware of how that “sincere faith” first lived in my parents and grandparents and was passed on to me?

The greatest need of the hour for Christianity in our culture is a “non-hypocritical faith.”  Does it live in me so that others can see Jesus?

In Christian love, Curtis

THE LORD ADDED TO THE CHURCH

The story in Acts 2 of the beginning of the church is powerful and dynamic. The day of Pentecost begins with the sound of a strong, powerful wind filling the room  where the 12 apostles were located. This extraordinary event was then followed by Peter’s preaching. Three thousand people responded to his message and were baptized.

This new life among believers was demonstrated in several ways. In Acts 2:43 Luke records that fear, reverence and awe came upon every person who witnessed the events: “And awe came upon every person.”

We today stand in awe of the church, the visible sign of God’s working in individuals’ lives. The Lord works in the hearts and lives of people, while at the same time adding them to the church when they gladly receive the word, repent of sins, and are baptized.

The Lord adds to the number of the saved. By his divine initiative the church grows, and he claims his own. The church is the result of God’s work.

This may seem elementary, but it is too easy to forget the divine nature of the church and that it all begins with God. The Holy Spirit ushered in the most unusual Pentecost Day that the Diaspora Jews had ever witnessed. Additionally, the Holy Spirit ushered in a new group of people who were awe-struck at the work of God, and responded by “gladly receiving the word and being baptized”( Acts 2:41).

The amazing thing about this initial expression of the church is that God was adding to its number daily. The historical setting, timing and power of the word proclaimed, accompanied by the manifestations of the Holy Spirit resulted in daily additions to the body of Christ. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to be in Jerusalem at that time!

The important thing that I want to leave with us in this article is that the Lord adds to his church those who are being saved. Being saved calls one out of the world of darkness, or as Peter plainly pleaded in his message: “Allow yourselves to be saved by God from this crooked generation.” The church is a sub-culture of faith made possible by God. It stands in stark contrast to the culture and the present generation that has other values. The Lord expects his church to be a witness to and against this sinful world.

In Christian love, Curtis

Called To Wisdom

I have come to appreciate wisdom more and more in the Christian life. Having taught the book of Proverbs as a class, going through it with our “Men of Iron” group, and doing some extra reading and preparation for the Preaching Conference at Lipscomb in October—I have come to appreciate the role of wisdom in my own spiritual growth and development.

This is why I was delighted to read the chapter, “Called to Wisdom” in Ralph W. Beiting’s book, Called to the Mountains. You may remember that I mentioned earlier that I took time during my summer vacation and read this wonderful autobiography. After working with the Christian Appalachian Project and working with poverty over the course of thirty years…listen to Beiting’s definition of “wisdom”:

“…Wisdom is the true goal of education. Wisdom is the ability to make connections between bits of knowledge and place value on different ideas. Wisdom is the ability to have patience and accept the inevitable mistakes, not as failures but as a part of learning. Wisdom is the art of listening to others.” [page 88].

I really appreciate his emphasis on having patience and accepting the inevitable mistakes that come with the life of wisdom. How does one become wise? By being unwise! What a paradox! But, if we ask God to help us to be open to learning from our mistakes, that is how wisdom slowly begins to shape and mold our hearts, attitudes and behaviors. 

I remember with chagrin many of my own unwise choices and mistakes in the past. They are all quite humbling! But if we believe that God calls us to live a life of heavenly wisdom, and to reflect the lifestyle of godly wisdom, then we have to be open to the discipline, learning, and patience that can come our way.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you”(James 1:5).

In Christian love, Curtis

Called to Leadership

 

Probably his chapter on leadership is the most insightful of the book. Ralph W. Beiting, in his autobiography—Called to the Mountains—shares is life’s journey in being a Christian leader in the Appalachian Mountains. I want you to notice the following quote for two reasons: 1) It demonstrates his insightful ability to see things deeply as a leader; and 2) it sets the stage for our upcoming Wednesday evening study in the auditorium.

            “How can we attack the roots of poverty?”

He could see individuals becoming more bitter, resentful, despondent and cynical while living on handouts—whether government, church or personal. The never-ending question was “how can we get more money?” He knew that there had to be a deeper question.  That question challenges us today.

Jesus’ dictum rings loudly in our ears 2, 000 years later: “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me”(Matthew 26:11). Usually only the first half of this verse gets quoted as an excuse not to get involved in attacking the roots of poverty. But this is Jesus’ response to those who thought the woman anointing Jesus with expensive perfume was wasting it. In essence Jesus was saying you will always have an opportunity to sell expensive perfume and help the poor, but I am not going to be here for much longer. This verse is not a dismissal of the poor, rather a recognition of ongoing care!

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 5, 2011. We will embark on a new and challenging study: “What every church member should know about poverty.” This study will position us as a congregation and as individuals to become more intelligible about the systemic issues surrounding poverty. It will introduce us to the different kinds of poverty, along with the causes.

Toward the end of this study we will be offering a unique opportunity. The acclaimed classic “Stone Pillow” movie will be shown on perhaps a Friday night or Saturday night, with discussion groups following. I am thrilled to be working with Dale Dowling on this entire study. His leadership, gifts, training and expertise over the years will bring a unique perspective and voice to this study. As pulpit minister, and on the board of a few community outreach organizations, I will combine my experiences and insights with his.

Prayerfully consider being a part of this new study! Please let me or Dale know if you want a book. We need to order them no later than Monday, Sept 12.

In Christian love, Curtis

Called to Family

In his autobiography, Ralph W. Beiting makes this statement:

“I have seen so many parents make remarkable sacrifices in the hopes that their children’s lives will be different.” [Called to the Mountains, page 63].

Only when I became a parent did I realize sacrifices that my parents made for me. Their hard work essentially was motivated by their love for me and their dreams for me. The hard thing, though, is to realize how many years went by before my parents received a hearty “thank you” for their sacrifices.

This is the most difficult aspect of parenting. We often do not see immediate results with our sacrifices. But that need not deter us. Because Christian parents are in covenant relationship with God, spouse and children, sacrificial giving of time, effort and money are part of the picture. When love is the motivation for sacrifice, there is a deep, untold joy that enters the picture.

We want life to be better for our children. Here is the sticky point though…the sacrificial life made us the way we are, why would we not want the same thing for our children? If the sacrificial life forges character, why would we not want the same thing for our children?

If the hope that our children’s lives will different revolves only around financial freedom and opportunity, then we have failed in our job as a parent. On the other hand, if we mean “different” in the sense that they will learn much quicker the serendipities of a sacrificial life, then I agree. And on the other hand, if we mean “different” in the sense that they grow stronger in the faith and closer to Lord much quicker than we did, then I agree!

We are called to family…and that calling is immersed in sacrificial giving that provides a model for the next generation!

In Christian love, Curtis