When Doctrine replaces Passion Pt. 1

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This week we returned to the Ephesian church of end of the first century as addressed in Revelation chapter 2.

I had to issue a retraction regarding a passing observation from weeks ago, before we broke away from this passage to explore the 4 devotions of the early church. Upon deeper study I discovered that the words “you have neglected the love you held at the beginning (of your faith)”. The word neglect is really a rather terrible representation of what Jesus said, through John. A better representation would be to leave, desert, forsake or quit the intensity and passion you held for Jesus at the beginning of your faith.

In the end, the difference is that this clearer representation of the actual words eliminates one option in interpretation and that is this could not be rightly understood as a simple misstep occasioned by unrecognized neglect. One some level or cognizance or another, and for reasons we are not given, these believers in Ephesus had made a conscious decision to turn down the intensity of their passion for Christ.

Now as we discovered weeks ago, this statement included two things… The adjective “first” is indicative of both priority and chronology. Jesus was saying that they needed to change their minds about their decision to allow the love they possessed for Him at the tender beginnings of their walk with Him as well as the priority of this love above all else.

We explored the meanings of this by looking at a very different, and yet very related sin in the pharisees which Jesus addressed in Matthew 23:23-28 & Luke 14:25-35. We additionally compared Jesus’ warning to them with His teaching regarding the priority of love a disciple MUST maintain to BE a worthy disciple found in Matthew 10:34-39.

This “love” is agape (ἀγάπη), not phileo (φιλέω) and so it seemed both appropriate and instructional to refer, in closing, to the conversation Jesus had with Peter on the sea shore following His resurrection. He questioned Peter about his love for Him. “Peter do you agape Me?” which Jesus asked twice followed both times with an admonished to care for His lambs. Finally, Jesus asked if Peter even loved Him as a friend. This wounded Peter, but the wound was healed through union with Christ and His prophetic promise that in the future, Peter would be given another chance to deny Him and on that day, he would not!

This is the wisdom we are aiming at in our study of the Ephesian church addressed in Revelation 2.

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The final answer to the ultimate question…

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After the roller coaster ride of chapters 1-11 verse 8, this conclusion is well worth the trouble.

As I said last week the turning or pivot point of the entire book was Chapter 11 verses 9-10. The chapter ends with a perfect segue into this final chapter which begins with the phrase “So remember your Creator in the days of your youth – before the difficult days come”.

This is a verse out of time, in that 3,500 years ago there was not the mans to conduct large scale polls. But today we know that much of what will determine a person’s future life will be solidified before 18 years of age. So Solomon was spot on!

The rest of the chapter leading up to the final 2 verse conclusion is a series of progressive imagery serving as an apt allegory for the final stages of “the difficult days”. When our health begins to fail, our passions begin to wane and our interests diminish – then death.

Solomon does this to create a climax into which to inject his two sentence conclusion of the whole matter.

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Prayers Early church

…THE Prayers Part 2

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This week we are finishing up the last of the 4 devotions or “pillars” of the early church.

Last week we covered the daily prayers which were prayed by both Jewish and Gentile believers throughout the 1st century and onward.

This week we examined the monthly, seasonal and Feast prayers.

We ended with an example of spontaneous prayer of the early church which they prayed from their home church, for Peter who was in prison scheduled to be executed.

We know and affirmed that the praying of these prayers was a matter of practicality for the early church in that they did not possess bibles, the New Covenant transition from the Old was still new and needed short, easily remembered prayers, creeds, liturgies and hymns to instill and remind everyone of the teachings of Jesus the Messiah. As such, I don’t know that they are necessary for much of the modern church, though we do practice similar techniques with our education of children in the faith.

Even though Paul encouraged the participation in the Feasts and prayers, even among the Gentile churches, they were never recorded as an apostolic command and so we do not teach it as such today. It IS however, a very helpful and instructional thing to participate in even now!

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Joy cautionary action

Cast your bread upon the Water

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This chapter begins with a very famous statement to “cast your bread upon the water”. I personally never understood this, since on the statement itself seems nonsensical. Upon a very simple word study, the passage reveals that this is actually a practical statement regarding commerce.

This introductory statement is used by Solomon to progressively move the reader towards advice encouraging bold decisiveness in matters of work and life, only tempered with wise caution.

This chapter seemlessly leads into Solomon’s conclusion to the entire book. It is where God’s INTENSIONS in inspiring the book and Solomon’s personal REASONS merge perfectly.

Verse 9 is literally the pivot point of the entire book. It is here that Solomon begins to bring in considerations of eternity, stewardship and accountability before God.

Chapter 11 through the beginning of 12 turns its attention towards the young since it is during this phase of life that many of these concepts are initially developed and lead to a lifestyle we live in.

Everyone, but especially the young, are encouraged the enjoy life but to temper their enthusiasm with reverence for the God – Who does and will bring them into account for those choices.

This chapter takes the entire book and turns it on its ear, making the ending of this writing a very interesting development which brings all of Solomon’s former thoughts – especially those which appear more scripturally rogue – back in line with the movement and point of all of scripture. Namely, reconciliation with and enjoyment of our relationship with our Creator!

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Devotion THE Prayers

…THE Prayers

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We have finally reached the 4th DEVOTION of the early church which was “and they devoted themselves to …THE prayers”!

Now this wording does not appear in the majority of English translations, but it should because it does in all of the earliest copies of Acts 2! The phrasing, (Greek: ταῖς προσευχαῖς, tais proseuchais) [Pronounced – tays pro-soo-chays] found in manuscripts like Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, includes the definite article.

This points to two conclusions:
Specific, established, or routine times of prayer rather than an unspecified, general spirit of prayerfulness.
That the prayers prayed were themselves liturgical and known, rather than spontaneous, informal and highly personalized communications with God.

This syntax of “the prayers” (ταῖς προσευχαῖς) provides a direct window into a life lived by the earliest of Christians which was a structured life of devotion.

When translations exclude things like this from a desire to make the text flow more naturally in English they do a huge disservice! It is a deletion of a very important clue in the text which invites investigation. I dare say most people, even Pastors and Teachers do not know this, since there is nothing in the typical English text to illicit further investigation.

If I were to say that I every day I listen to songs, it would not encourage questions. But if I were to say that everyday I listen THE songs, it begs the question, “What songs”? The same is true with this text.

The early church, unaided by church programs and denominational traditions, FOUND themselves inexorably drawn by the Holy Spirit to DEVOTE themselves to 4 things 0 the last of which were these prayers.

What were these prayers? The daily prayers were prayed 3 times a day and included the Lord’s Prayer, the Shema, the 18-19 blessings and a Psalm corresponding to each day of the week. In addition to this were seasonal prayers which corresponded to the Jewish calendar, the Feasts and the Festivals.

This happened throughout the 1st century. However due to difficulties in understanding, a concession was eventually made which unified the Jew and Gentiles so that their daily prayers were in unity. The Apostles who walked with Christ, condensed the 18-19 blessings down to the Lord’s Prayer which I address in the message. Everything else remained the same.

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