CHILD OF GOD AM I

7 Breathtaking privileges of being a child of God

Feeling weary today? Distant from God? Anxious? Uncertain? In this article Tim Keller warms our hearts with seven breathtaking privileges of being a child of God set out by Paul in Romans 8:14-17:

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

1. Security

We are not to fear, but enjoy sonship (v 15a). An employee or a servant basically obeys out of fear of punishment, loss of job, etc. But a child-parent relationship is not characterized by a fear of losing the relationship.

2. Authority

We have the status not of “a slave” but of “sonship” (v 15a). In a house, slaves have no authority. They can only do what they are told. But under their parents, children do have authority in the house—they are not mere servants. The children of God are given authority over sin and the devil. They are to move about in the world knowing that it belongs to their Father. There should be a confidence and poise about them. Children have the honor of the family name. There is a wonderful new status conferred on us.

3. Intimacy

“By him we cry, ‘Abba’” (v 15b). We need to know the original language here. “Abba” was an Aramaic term which is best translated “Daddy”—a term of the greatest intimacy. A child does not always (or even often) address his father as “Father”; likely, he has a different term for him that shows his loving, trusting familiarity with his father, such as “Dad” or “Papa” or “Daddy.” And this is how Christians can approach the all-powerful Creator of the universe, who sustains every atom in existence moment by moment!

Martyn Lloyd-Jones is worth quoting here: “Let us notice the word ‘cry’… we cry ‘Abba, Father.’ It is a very strong word, and clearly the apostle has used it quite deliberately. It means ‘a loud cry’ … it expresses deep emotion … It is the spontaneity of the child who sees the father … and not only spontaneity, but confidence.” (Romans Chapter 8:5-17, pages 240-242)

4. Assurance

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (v 16). When we cry out to God as “Abba,” the Spirit of God somehow comes alongside us (“with our spirit”) and gives us assurance that we truly are in God’s family. There is a lot of debate about the nature of this “testimony,” but it appears to be an inner witness in the heart, a sense that yes, he really loves me.

Notice, Paul says our spirit is already testifying: “The Spirit … testifies with our spirit.” This means we already have evidence that we are Christians. We know we trust Christ. We have his promises. We see our lives changing and growing. All these pieces of evidence lead our “spirit”—our hearts—to have a measure of confidence that we really are his. But Paul says that the Spirit can come alongside us and, in addition to all we see, “testify.” This seems to refer to a direct testimony of the Spirit in our hearts. This probably is a sense of God’s immediate presence and love that sometimes comes to us (something Paul has already spoken of back in 5:5). We don’t get this all the time, or even often; and it may not be a very strong feeling. But there will be times when, as we cry out to Abba, we find ourselves deeply assured that he really is our Abba. That is the Spirit’s work, testifying for us and to us that we truly are sons of the living God.

5. Inheritance

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs” (v 17). This means we have an incredible future. In more ancient times, the first son was the heir. There may have been many children, and all were loved, but the heir got the largest share of the wealth and carried on the family name. This was the way a great family kept its influence intact and did not have it divided and dissipated. (Paul’s reference should not be read as either supporting or rejecting this practice. It is simply illustrative.) Now, in a breathtaking turn, he calls all Christians “heirs of God.” This is a miracle, of course, because the heir got the lion’s share of the parent’s wealth. Paul is saying that what is in store for us is so grand and glorious that it will be, and will feel, as though we each had alone gotten most of the glory of God.

6. Discipline

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs … if indeed we share in his sufferings“ (v 17). Fathers always discipline their children. When parents discipline a child, they allow or introduce a milder form of pain in order to teach or mature the child away from behavior that will lead to far greater pain later. Hebrews 12:9-10 explains: “We have all had human fathers who disciplined us … but God disciplines us for our good.” A good father will lovingly discipline. He will not use his authority selfishly to indulge his own need to feel powerful or in control. But neither will he be so needy for his child’s love and approval that he never does what is hard or difficult. It is a (painful) privilege to be put through discipline by the most loving Father in the universe.

7. Family likeness

“We share in his sufferings” (Romans 8:17). Christians will suffer, not simply in the pains of this world that all people face, but specifically because they are brothers and sisters of Christ. Christ faced rejection because of who he was, and because he had come to expose sinfulness, warn of judgment and offer salvation through himself. Likewise, his family will suffer in the same ways as they live for him and speak of him. We get to be like him! God works in us and through our circumstances so that we would “be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (v 29). Though we are adopted, God actually implants Christ’s nature in us. As sons of God, we actually come to resemble the Son of God. As we bear the family likeness of suffering, we become more and more like the Son, and our Father, in our characters and attitudes. This is how the Christian looks at persecution and counts it as a privilege (eg: Acts 5:41; 1 Peter 4:13, 16). We get to be like him!

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STILLE NACHT, HEILIGE NACHT

The Humble Priest Who Wrote My Favorite Christmas Carol

In Austria, his hymn Stille Nacht is considered a national treasure. Traditionally, the song may not be played publicly before Christmas Eve.

Father Josef Mohr was parish priest of St. Nicholas Church in the small Austrian village of Oberndorf, just north of Salzburg, when he penned a six-stanza Christmas poem in 1816. Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht" (Silent Night, Holy Night) was a meditation on the birth of Jesus in a humble stable, and the announcement of that birth by angels to lowly shepherds in Bethlehem.

How it was that two years later the poem should be set to music is the stuff of romantic legend:
One popular version of the story is that on Christmas Eve in 1818, the organ at the Church of St. Nicholas was broken—perhaps due to rust, or perhaps because mice had eaten through the bellows. With no organ to accompany the music at the Christmas liturgy, Father Mohr asked his good friend, parish organist Nicholas Gruber, to write a setting for the poem which could be sung a cappella, without instrumental accompaniment.
There are no official records in Oberndorf to verify the “broken organ” story. What is clear is that on Christmas Eve 1818, Father Mohr, with the Christmas poem tucked in his pocket, trudged through the snow to Gruber's home. While the priest waited, Gruber quickly composed a musical score. Mohr and Gruber would sing the melody, and the choir would join in. Instead of the customary organ accompaniment, there would be a guitar solo played by Father Mohr.
Years later, Gruber would write about the night when the now-famous song was hastily completed: “On the very same evening,” Gruber wrote,

“...I fulfilled the musical curate's request and [the] simple composition was immediately performed on the holy night to the acclaim of everyone present.”

Silent Night Spreads Around the World
The following year, in 1819, the master organ builder Karl Mauracher came to the Church of St. Nicholas to work on the organ. It's believed that when he returned to his home in the Zillertal, near Innsbruck, Mauracher took with him a copy of “Silent Night.” Mauracher seems to have shared the song with two musical families: the Rainers and the Strassers.
On Christmas Eve 1819, the Rainers sang the song in their parish church in Fügen. Three years later, they performed it for Tsar Alexander I of Russia and Emperor Franz I of Austria. In 1839 they brought the hymn to the United States, performing Silent Night in German at the Alexander Hamilton Monument outside of New York's Trinity Church.
The Strassers were Austrian glovemakers but also enjoyed singing. The family traveled each year to German fairs, selling their gloves and entertaining shoppers with song. The Strasser sisters helped to spread the song throughout northern Europe, singing at outdoor fairs. In 1834, they were invited to perform Silent Night for King Frederick William IV of Prussia. The king ordered his cathedral choir to sing it every Christmas eve, establishing a new tradition.
In 1863, nearly fifty years after the song was written in German, Silent Night was translated into English. That English version was first printed in 1871, in the Sunday School Hymnalpublished by Rev. Dr. Charles L. Hutchins, rector of Grace Church in Medford, Massachusetts. Today the familiar lyrics of Silent Night are sung in more than 300 languages around the world.
Who Was Father Mohr?
There was nothing to suggest, when Josef Mohr was born in 1792, that he would one day compose what is perhaps the world's most beloved Christmas song. His mother, Anna Schoiberen, was a poor embroiderer, and Josef was the third child she had borne out of wedlock. His father Franz Mohr was a mercenary soldier in the army of the prince-archbishop of Salzburg, and abandoned Josef's mother before he was born.
Just hours after his birth on December 11, 1792, Josef was baptized in Salzburg's Baroque Cathedral of Saint Rupert and Saint Vergilius—in the same baptismal font in which composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had been baptized thirty-five years earlier.  As was customary at the time, since his parents were unmarried, he received his given name from his baptismal godfather Josef Wohlmuth, who served as Salzburg's last executioner. Wohlmuth did not himself attend the baptism, but was represented at the ceremony by Franziska Zachin.
Given the circumstances of his birth, young Josef might have simply remained in poverty. But fortunately for Josef, the vicar and leader of music at Salzburg Cathedral, Johann Nepomuk Hiernle, took him under his wing. Hiernle nurtured Josef's musical talent and encouraged him to get an education. Even as a young boy, Joseph Mohr served as a singer and violinist in the choir of the University Church and at the Benedictine monastery church of St. Peter. At sixteen, he began studies at the Benedictine monastery of Kremsmünster, in the province of Upper Austria. Two years later, he returned to Salzburg to attend the Lyceum school.
Josef felt a strong pull to the priesthood; but in those days, his illegitimate birth made it necessary for him to obtain a special dispensation before he could attend seminary. Permission was finally granted and in 1811, he entered the seminary. Four years later—on August 21, 1815—Josef Mohr graduated and was ordained as a priest.
Father Mohr served at a number of parishes throughout Austria. He was a generous man who donated most of his salary to charity. In the Alpine village of Wagrain, he established a scholarship fund to allow children from poor families to attend school, and he set up a system for the care of the elderly. He died at the age of 55 of pulmonary disease, and is buried in the cemetery at Wagrain.
In Austria, his hymn Stille Nacht is considered a national treasure. Traditionally, the song may not be played publicly before Christmas Eve.

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS HOMILY

Fourth Saturday in Advent

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS HOMILY

The first Christmas homily ever given was spoken on the Judean hills surrounding the little town of Bethlehem: the annunciation of the angel to the shepherds on Christmas night. The first thing the angel said was “Fear not!” How that phrase echoes up and down the Scriptures! When a being from a higher dimension breaks into our world, he typically says, “Do not be afraid.” Paul Tillich, the great Protestant theologian, commented that fear is the fundamental problem, that fear undergirds most forms of human dysfunction. Because we are afraid, we crouch protectively around ourselves; because we’re afraid, we lash out at each other in violence. If Christmas means that God is with us, that God is one of us, that God has come close, then we no longer have to be afraid. The angel goes on: “For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” The angel of Bethlehem is the first great evangelist, for he tells the good news, and it's news for all people. Later on, Jesus will tell his disciples to declare his Lordship to the ends of the earth. Well, what precisely is the good news? The angel tells us: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Why is David emphasized? Along with Abraham and Moses, David was the most important figure in the history of Israel. He was born, of course, in Bethlehem and thirty years later became king, first in Hebron over the southern tribes, and then in Jerusalem over the whole of the nation. He was the king who united Israel, who defeated the enemies of the people, and who brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. Over time, the conviction grew upon Israel that a mysterious descendent of David would be king, not just for a time and not just in an earthly sense, but would rule forever and for all nations. This definitive king of the Jews would be king of the world: the Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

BIRTH OF JESUS

THE BIRTH OF JESUS

It is fascinating to think that if there was a moment when God could have revealed his plan with a grandiose and magnificent display, it would be Jesus’ birth. Instead, we see that Jesus’ birth was extremely modest and simple.

It made me think of how much we have transformed the ideology and the spirit of Christmas. Nowadays we want our Christmas to be full of gifts and pomposity. We value the presents more than the people who we celebrate with. We have forgotten that the first Christmas was not about money and gifts. It was about celebrating the birth of a baby, and the birth of a baby means joy; therefore, the spirit of Christmas is to be with the people you love, not with the gifts they have for you.

The spirit of Christmas is about love, modesty and bringing happiness to the people who need it. It is not about celebrating our richness and praising the wealthy. It’s about helping the poor and the downtrodden. Unfortunately, all year round, we spend too much energy on material things and we forget to love, laugh and live with people who we love. We admire and applaud the wealthy people, and despise and jeer the poor ones.

There was no room for Mary, Joseph and Jesus in the inn; so are we making sure that there is room for the poor and the oppressed people in our world? I don’t think so. We have forgotten that Augustus was the powerful and rich emperor who was born in a majestic palace, and when he grew up invaded other regions; while Jesus was the poor and loving being whose first bed was a manger; but he changed the history of the world forever, and taught us that love is the only way of existence.

PSALM 148

PSALM 148

The psalms are meaningful to many because they are so real, allowing the reader to feel and express fear, doubt, anger and grief. In the midst of a hurting world, many of the psalms are also stubbornly full of praise, as is Psalm 148. A notable aspect of the psalm is its inclusive nature. All humans, young and old, are asked to join birds, animals and creatures of the sea in praise. The stars, suns and moons of the universe are invited, along with powerful weather systems and glorious mountains. There is a specific call for rulers to be part of this festival of praise.

Elements of nature — waters, fire, snow, fruit trees and cedars — are also not left out. When in a woods or on a hiking trail, with urban trappings set aside for a time, I feel connected with God’s nature in a way that startles me. “Oh yes!” I think. “This magnificent beauty is here.” Gratitude and praise overcome my senses, with the rustling of trees joining my song.

As I write, I am in Chicago, surrounded by some of the tallest buildings in the world. If the psalmist wrote today, I imagine this phrase in the mix: “You city buildings and sturdy bridges, you busy cars and buses, praise the Lord!” One of the tall buildings outside my window bears the name of the next U.S. president, in enormous letters, as it overlooks the flowing Chicago river. Of all the people, creatures and objects of the world being called to praise, it is the most powerful who bear the greatest responsibility. We await the birth of the king who came to challenge the powerful and advocate for the vulnerable. May our rulers and leaders have many moments of being startled by God’s creation, and may these moments lead them to value and protect all people, all creatures and all of nature within our glorious universe.

Scripture: Psalm 148 (NRSV)

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights!

²Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host!

³Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!

⁴Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!

⁵Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created.

⁶He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.

⁷Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,

⁸fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!

⁹Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!

¹⁰Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!

¹¹Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!

¹²Young men and women alike, old and young together!

¹³Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven.

¹⁴He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord!

FOURTH TUESDAY OF ADVENT: JOSEPH THE JUST

Fourth Tuesday in Advent JOSEPH THE JUST We know almost nothing about Joseph. There are legends and stories, of course, but the Scriptural evidence is, to say the least, meagre. Yet some very powerful spiritual themes emerge in the accounts of Joseph, all of which focus on the birth of Jesus. Let me highlight just a few figures from Jesus’ family tree. Matthew tells us that the Messiah was descended from Jacob, a great patriarch and hero of Israel, and also a man who wrestled with God. In a lyrical passage from the 32nd chapter of the book of Genesis, we hear that Jacob struggled all night with the Lord and was wounded permanently in the process. I imagine that there are some reading these words who have wrestled all their lives with God, questioning, doubting, wondering, struggling mightily with the Lord, perhaps even bearing spiritual wounds as a consequence. Well, the Messiah came forth from Jacob and was pleased to be a relative of this fighter. First, we look at the sadness and the quandary of Joseph. He had become betrothed to Mary and this union had been, according to the religious law of the time, blessed by God. And then he finds that his betrothed is pregnant. There is something terribly universal and contemporary about this scene and about the psychological dynamics involved. An engagement that has to be called off: how embarrassing and difficult that is in itself. What will people say? But there is more. It has to be called off because of an irregular pregnancy. For someone who is law-abiding and concerned with his status in the community, this would be the profoundest kind of embarrassment. And more to the point, this must have pained him at the deepest emotional level: the feeling of betrayal by one he had loved. It is a wonderful tribute to the piety and goodness of Joseph that he didn’t vent his frustration in a way that almost everyone would have understood and countenanced. He swallowed his pain and looked to the feelings of Mary. “Unwilling to expose her to shame,” he resolved to divorce her quietly. Still, this must have been an emotional maelstrom for him. At the deeper level, it is a spiritual crisis. What is God up to? What does God want him to do? Joseph can’t see a good way forward. Then the angel appears to him in a dream and tells him, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.” Joseph realizes at that moment that these puzzling events are part of God's much greater plan. What appears to be a disaster from his perspective is meaningful from God’s perspective. Next we read, “He did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.” Joseph was willing to cooperate with the divine plan, though he in no way knew its contours or deepest purpose. Like Mary at the annunciation, he trusted and let himself be led.

FOURTH MONDAY IN ADVENT: GOD JOINS OUR DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY

Fourth Monday in Advent GOD JOINS OUR DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY The opening lines of Matthew’s Gospel—and hence the first words that one reads in the New Testament—are a listing of the genealogy of Jesus, the 42 generations that stretch from Abraham to Christ. If the Word truly became flesh, then God had, not only a mother, but also a grandmother, cousins, great-aunts, and weird uncles. If the Word truly dwelt among us, then he was part of a family that, like most, was fairly dysfunctional, a mix of the good and bad, the saintly and the sinful, the glorious and the not so glorious. And this is such good news for us. Let me highlight just a few figures from Jesus’ family tree. Matthew tells us that the Messiah was descended from Jacob, a great patriarch and hero of Israel, and also a man who wrestled with God. In a lyrical passage from the 32nd chapter of the book of Genesis, we hear that Jacob struggled all night with the Lord and was wounded permanently in the process. I imagine that there are some reading these words who have wrestled all their lives with God, questioning, doubting, wondering, struggling mightily with the Lord, perhaps even bearing spiritual wounds as a consequence. Well, the Messiah came forth from Jacob and was pleased to be a relative of this fighter. Matthew’s genealogy informs us that Ruth was an ancestor of the Lord. Ruth was not an Israelite, but rather a Moabite, a foreigner. I would be willing to bet that there are some reading this who have felt all their lives like outsiders, not part of the “in” crowd, perhaps looked at askance by others. Well, the Messiah came forth from Ruth the foreigner and was pleased to be her relative. And then there is Rahab. As you recall from the book of Joshua, Rahab was a prostitute living and working in Jericho at the time of the Israelite conquest of the promised land. Are there people reading these words who feel like Rahab? Who think that their whole lives have been sunk in sin, who have become unrecognizable to themselves? Well, the Messiah came forth from Rahab the prostitute, and he was pleased to be her relative. The good news of Christmas is that God himself pushed into the dysfunctional and ambiguous family of man. And he continues to join us, even though we, like so many of his Israelite ancestors, are unworthy of him. Like them, we are flawed, compromised, half-finished. But he becomes our brother anyway. That’s the amazing grace of the Incarnation.

FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT: THE NEW EVE

Fourth Sunday in Advent THE NEW EVE As we near the birth of Christ, it’s worth turning to the beautiful and familiar story of the Annunciation. The angel Gabriel comes to a virgin named Mary to announce she will give birth to a son. Although undoubtedly shocked, Mary responds, “I am the maidservant of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” Mary abandoned her own plans and acquiesced to what God wanted her to do. The Church Fathers were fond of describing Mary as the new Eve, the new mother of all the living. In fact, some say the angel’s “ave” ("hail") reversed “Eva.” What was Eve’s problem? Eve grasped at the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, claiming along with Adam that she would be the criterion of right and wrong, that her will would determine the nature of the good. Every one of our spiritual and moral problems flows from this primordial sin. But when Mary says, “Let it be done to me according to your word,” this spiritual momentum is stopped and then reversed. It is this reversal that allows Christ to be born into the world. Meister Eckhart noted that every Christian has the vocation of Mary, to bring Christ to birth. We each do this in our own ways and styles, according to the exigencies of our unique vocations. But we do this, Eckhart saw, the same way Mary did: by abandoning our projects and plans, our sense of the good life, and acquiescing to God’s purpose working through us.

THIRD SATURDAY OF ADVENT: RETURN FROM EXILE

Third Saturday in Advent

THE RETURN FROM EXILE

Sometimes, as we wait, we can feel like we are in exile. Exile is a huge theme in the minds of the Biblical authors because two great exiles practically define Israelite history: the exile in Egypt and the exile in Babylon. In both cases, God’s holy people, his specially chosen race, was enslaved by a foreign power. The prophet Baruch, who was the secretary to the prophet Jeremiah, writes from Babylon, from the land of exile. At the time, Jerusalem, the holy city which, had been ravaged by the Babylonians and left abandoned, its temple and walls in ruins. With this in mind, Baruch tells the Israelites to “take off your robe of mourning and misery and put on the splendor of glory from God forever” (Baruch 5:1). With his prophetic eyes, he envisions the day when God would lead his people back home. In light of Baruch’s prophecy and this long history of exile and expectation, we now turn to the Gospel of Luke. Luke begins by mentioning all of the major representatives of the powers oppressing Israel: Tiberius Caesar, the king of the world; Pontius Pilate, his local representative; Herod and his brother Philip, Roman puppets; Annas and Caiaphas, collaborators. These were all of the people who were, in various ways and to varying degrees, oppressing Israel. But look how artfully this passage is composed: after mentioning these high and mighty figures, Luke tells us that the word of God came, not to them, but to this odd figure in the Judean desert, this strange and obscure prophet called John. God’s ways are not our ways. God does not regard people and events the way we do. How strange that he would come to this seemingly insignificant figure! And what is the message God brings to John? The deliverer is coming! The Messiah! Not just someone who will liberate Israel provisionally and politically, but someone who will liberate them from their ultimate exile, their alienation from the Lord.Israel is going to be definitively saved, brought home to God. So get ready to receive the Messiah.

THIRD THURSDAY OF ADVENT: WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

Third Thursday in Advent

WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

Everyone is, in principle, interested in repentance. Whenever that call is uttered in a clear and uncompromising way, people tend to respond. No matter how high they might seem in the society, no matter how self-confident, they ultimately want God. And so, like those who in the time of John the Baptist, we ask “What should we do? How should we live our lives?” This question, of course, tells us something else about repentance: that it has to do with action more than simply changing our minds. We know our lives have gone off the rails in different ways, and we want to get them back on track. This is possible only through certain things we do. The spiritual life is, finally, a set of behaviors. So what does John the Baptist tell us to do? His first recommendation is this: “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none” (Luke 3:11). This is so basic, so elemental—yet so almost thoroughly ignored! In the Church’s social teaching, we find a constant reminder that although private property is a social good, the use of our private property must always have a social orientation. Pope Leo XIII wrote in Rerum Novarum, “If the question be asked how must one’s possessions be used, the Church replies without hesitation that man should not consider his material possessions as his own but as common to all.” And then this startling line, very effective for an examination of conscience: “when what necessity demands has been supplied, and one's standing fairly taken thought for, it becomes a duty to give to the indigent out of what remains over.” An early Church Father, St. Basil the Great, expressed this idea even more radically and in tones that echo John the Baptist: “The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry. The cloak in your wardrobe belongs to the naked. The shoes you allow to rot belong to the barefoot. The money in your vaults belongs to the destitute. You do injustice to every man whom you could help but do not.” So what should we do this Advent, we who seek repentance, we who await the coming of the Messiah? Serve justice, render to each his due, and give to those who are need.

"SOLA SCRIPTURA" REFUTATION

10-Point Biblical Refutation of Sola Scriptura

The Bible teaches that a “three-legged stool” (Bible, Church and Tradition) is necessary to arrive at the truth.

Dave Armstrong

1. It's Not Taught in the Bible

Scripture certainly is a “standard of truth”, but not in a sense that rules out the binding authority of authentic apostolic tradition and the Church. Catholics agree with Protestants that Scripture is materially sufficient: i.e., every true doctrine can be found in the Bible, if only implicitly and indirectly by deduction. But no biblical passage teaches that Scripture is the sole rule of faith for the Christian (formal sufficiency). Nor can sola Scriptura be deduced from implicit passages.
2. “Word of God”
“Word” in Holy Scripture quite often refers to a proclaimed, oral word of prophets or apostles. They spoke the word of God, whether or not their utterances were later recorded in Scripture (see, e.g., Jer 25:3, 7-8). The oral “word” had equal authority. This was also true of apostolic preaching (1 Thess 2:13).
3. Tradition is Not a Dirty Word
The Bible condemns corrupt traditions of men (e.g., Matt 15:2-6, Mk 7:8-13, Col 2:8). Catholics agree with this. But it’s not the whole truth. True, apostolic traditions are also positively endorsed. These traditions are in total harmony with and consistent with Scripture. In that sense, Scripture is the “final judge” of tradition, but not in the sense that it rules out all binding tradition and Church authority (see, e.g., Acts 2:42; 1 Cor 11:2; 2 Thess 2:15; 2 Tim 1:13-14; 2:2; Jude 3).
4. Jesus and Paul Accepted Non-Biblical Oral and Written Traditions
Jesus and St. Paul accepted the authority of the Old Testament, but they also appealed to other authority, outside of written revelation. For example, in Matthew 23:2-3, Jesus teaches that the scribes and Pharisees have a legitimate, binding authority, based on a teaching succession from Moses’ seat, which phrase (or idea) cannot be found anywhere in the Old Testament. It is found in the (originally oral) Mishna.
In 1 Corinthians 10:4, St. Paul refers to a rock which “followed” the Jews through the Sinai wilderness. The Old Testament says nothing about such miraculous movement, in the related passages about Moses striking the rock to produce water (Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:2-13). But rabbinic tradition does. Paul refers in 2 Timothy 3:8: to “Jannes and Jambres” who  “opposed Moses”. These two men cannot be found in the related Old Testament passage (Exodus 7:8 ff.), or anywhere else in the Old Testament.
5. Jerusalem Council
The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:6-30) made an authoritative pronouncement (citing the Holy Spirit) which was binding on all Christians (Acts 15:28-29). In the next chapter, we read that Paul, Timothy, and Silas, traveling around, “delivered to them for observance the decisions which had been reached by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem” (Acts 16:4).
6. Pharisees, and Oral, Extrabiblical Tradition
Christianity was derived in many ways from the pharisaical tradition of Judaism (which accepted oral tradition). Christian Pharisees are referred to (Acts 15:5; Phil 3:5), so neither the (orthodox) Old Testament Jews nor the early Church were guided by the principle of sola Scriptura. The Pharisees (despite their corruptions and excesses) were the mainstream Jewish tradition, and both Jesus and Paul (who called himself a Pharisee three times: Acts 23:6; 26:5; Phil 3:5) acknowledge this.
7. Old Testament Jews Did Not Believe in Sola Scriptura / Necessity of Interpretation
Ezra read the law of Moses to the people in Jerusalem (Neh 8:3). Thirteen Levites assisted him and “helped the people to understand the law” (8:7) and “gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading” (8:8; cf. Ezra 7:6, 10, 25-26; 2 Chr 17:8-9). The New Testament concurs. Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And the eunuch replied, “How can I, unless some one guides me?” (see Acts 8:27-31). St. Peter states that “no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation” (2 Pet 1:20), and refers to parts of Paul's epistles being “hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures” (2 Pet 3:15-16). Likewise, Jesus “explained everything” about the parables to His disciples (Mk 4:33-34).

8. 2 Timothy 3:16-17: The Protestant “Proof Text”

All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

This passage doesn’t teach formal sufficiency. In 2 Timothy alone (in context), Paul makes reference to oral tradition three times (1:13-14, 2:2, 3:14). Also, a very similar passage, Ephesians 4:11-15, would prove (using Protestant reasoning) the sufficiency of “pastors” and “teachers” for the attainment of Christian perfection. The Christian believer is “equipped, built up,” brought into “unity” and “mature manhood, knowledge” of Jesus, the “fulness of Christ,” and even preserved from doctrinal confusion by means of the teaching function of the Church. Yet this Pauline passage doesn’t even mention Scripture.
9. Paul Casually Assumes that His Passed-Down Tradition is Infallible and Binding
Paul says that Christians should  “have nothing to do with” (2 Thess 3:14) and “avoid” (Rom 16:17) those who refuse to follow his authoritative (and not yet formally scriptural) instructions.
10. Sola Scriptura is a Radically Circular Position
When Protestants are asked why one should believe in their particular denominational teaching rather than another, each will appeal to the “Bible’s clear teaching”. This is similar to people on two sides of a legal, constitutional debate both saying, “well, we go by what is constitutional, whereas you guys don’t.” But judges and courts are necessary, and their decrees are binding.  Protestantism lacks this element because it appeals to a logically self-defeating principle and a book (which must always be interpreted by human beings). In the end, a person has no assurance or certainty in the Protestant system. Denominationalism and divisions are vigorously condemned in Scripture. The Bible teaches that a “three-legged stool”: Bible + Church + tradition, is necessary to arrive at truth. If you knock out any leg, it collapses.

Vi

"GAUDETE" SUNDAY

Third Sunday in Advent A NEW BEGINNING The third Sunday of Advent is referred to as “Gaudete” Sunday. In Latin, Gaudete is a positive command that means, “Rejoice!" We Christians are a joyful people. In fact, St. Paul tells the Thessalonians, “Rejoice always!" Now, does that mean we must be always giddy, always on an emotional high? No. But it does mean that we are basically and irrevocably an optimistic people, believers in the divine comedy—in good times and bad, in success and failure. I always think of Thomas Merton in this context, telling one of his novices to get rid of his long face—and meaning it as a positive command. Christians have no business moping around. Notice how beautifully this theme balances the theme we’ve been developing the last couple of weeks—one that also belongs to the heart of Advent—the desperation of our sin and our need for salvation. The sobering news is that we can’t save ourselves. But the overwhelmingly good news is that we have been saved through the mighty power of God, and that's the reason why we are an essentially joyful people.

MARY: PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN USED BY GOD

Mary: Portrait of a Woman Used by God

Mary's story illustrates many of the characteristics of the kind of woman God uses to fulfill His redemptive purposes in our world. An ordinary woman There was nothing particularly unusual about Mary. She was not from a wealthy or illustrious family. When the angel appeared to this young teenage girl, she was engaged to be married and was undoubtedly doing what engaged girls do—dreaming of being married to Joseph, of the home they would live in, of the family they would have. I don’t believe she was expecting her life to be used in any extraordinary way. The significance of Mary’s life was not based on any of the things our world values so highly—background, physical beauty, intelligence, education, natural gifts, and abilities. It was Mary’s relationship to Jesus that gave her life significance. “The Lord is with you,” the angel told her (Luke 1:28, NIV). That is what made all the difference in this young woman’s life. And it is what makes all the difference in our lives. An undeserving woman God did not choose this young woman because she was worthy of the honor of being the mother of the Savior. The angel said to Mary, “Greetings, you who are highly favored!” (v. 28, emphasis added). That phrase could be translated, “You who are graciously accepted.” If any of us is to be accepted by God, it will be because of grace—not because of anything we have done. It’s all because of grace. Over and over again in Scripture, we see that God chooses people who are undeserving. God didn’t look down from heaven and say, “I see a woman who has something to offer Me; I think I’ll use her.” Mary did not deserve to be used by God; to the contrary, she marveled at God’s grace in choosing her. The moment we cease to see ourselves as undeserving instruments, chances are we will cease to be useful in the hand of God. A Spirit-filled woman We, too, must be filled with the Spirit if we are to fulfill the purpose for which God has chosen us. When the angel said to Mary, “You’re going to have a child,” Mary responded, “How can this be? I’ve never been intimate with a man!” God had chosen her for a task that was humanly impossible. The task for which God has chosen you and me is no less impossible. We can share the Gospel of Christ with our lost friends, but we cannot give them repentance and faith. You can provide a climate that is conducive to the spiritual growth of your children, but you can’t make them have a heart for God. We are totally dependent on Him to produce any fruit of eternal value. In response to Mary’s expression of weakness and inadequacy, the angel promised her God’s strength and adequacy: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v. 35). Don’t ever forget that you cannot do what God has called you to do. You cannot parent that child, love that husband, care for that elderly parent, submit to that boss, teach that Sunday school class, or lead that small-group Bible study. God specializes in the impossible so that when the victory is won and the task is complete, we cannot take any credit. Others know we didn’t do it, and we know we didn’t do it. We must always remember that we can only live the Christian life and serve God through the power of His Holy Spirit. As soon as we think we can handle it on our own, we become useless to Him. We have to be willing to get out of the way, let God take over, and let Him overshadow us. An available woman Equipped with the promises of God, Mary’s response was simply, “I am the Lord’s servant.... May it be to me as you have said” (v. 38). In other words, “Lord, I’m available. You are my master; I am Your servant. I’m willing to be used however You choose. My body is Yours; my womb is Yours; my life is Yours.” In that act of surrender, Mary offered herself to God as a living sacrifice. She was willing to be used by God for His purposes—willing to endure the loss of reputation that was certain to follow when people realized she was with child, willing to endure the ridicule and even the possible stoning permitted by the Mosaic law, willing to go through nine months of increasing discomfort and sleeplessness, willing to endure the labor pains of giving birth to the Child. Mary was willing to give up her own plans and agenda so that she might link arms with God in fulfilling His agenda. A praising woman When God puts challenging circumstances in our lives, we either worship or we whine. I’m ashamed to say I’ve done more than my share of whining—even about ministry. “Oh, Lord, I’m tired of traveling. Do I have to go there? This is so hard! Why do I have to deal with that person?” I am reminded of the children of Israel in the wilderness who murmured incessantly. “If only God had just let us die in the wilderness,” they whined. One day God finally said, in essence, “You want to die in the wilderness? Okay, you’ll die in the wilderness!” (see Num. 14:2, 28–30). Be careful what you say when you murmur—God may take you up on it. But when Mary’s world was turned topsy-turvy, when she was faced with a drastic change in plans, she responded in worship and praise. “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (vv. 46–47). So begins her Magnificat—one of the greatest hymns of praise ever lifted up to heaven. She worshiped God for His wonderful acts, for His mercy, and for choosing her to be a part of His great redemptive plan. A woman of the Word Her prayer in Luke 1:46–55 includes at least a dozen quotations from the Old Testament Scriptures. In those days women did not have a formal education; Mary was probably illiterate. But she had listened to the reading of the Word and had hidden it in her heart. Her life and her prayers were filled with Scripture. One of our greatest needs as women is to become women of the Word so that our prayers, our responses, and our words are saturated with God’s way of thinking. The world does not need to hear our opinions. When friends approach us for advice about dealing with their children, their boss, their finances, their fears, their depression, or other issues, they don’t need to hear what we think. We should be able to take them to the Word and say, “I don’t have the answers you need, but I know Someone who does. Here’s what God’s Word has to say about this situation.” A wounded woman Eight days after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph took the infant to the temple (Luke 2:21–35). Simeon, who had been waiting for the appearance of the Messiah, took the Christ-Child in his arms and blessed Him. Simeon spoke of how the Child would be a sign that would be spoken against—foreshadowing the cross and the suffering He would undergo. Then Simeon looked at Mary and spoke words that she would not fully understand until she stood beneath the cross of her Son 33 years later. On that day she surely remembered Simeon’s words, “A sword will pierce your own soul too” (v. 35). There at Calvary I believe that sword pierced Mary’s soul in more than one sense. First, as a mother she was losing her Son. She was giving up His life. Even as He laid down His life, she gave up her Son for the salvation and the redemption of the world. Mothers, have you laid down your children for the sake of Christ and His kingdom? How sad it is on occasion to see Christian parents stand in the way of their children laying down their lives for the sake of Christ. And what a joy to see parents who gladly release their children to the will of God. Another wound pierced Mary’s heart—this one even more deeply than the first. You see, she understood that her Son was dying not only for the sins of the world, but for her sins. Even before He was born, she had recognized Him as “God my Savior” (Luke 1:47, emphasis added). As good as she was, Mary was not good enough to get to heaven on her own. As is true with each of us, she had to place her faith in the crucified Son of God, who died in her place. As she stood beneath that cross, perhaps she recalled the words of the prophet Isaiah: “He was pierced for [my] transgressions, he was crushed for [my] iniquities... and by his wounds [I am] healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isa. 53:5–6). Mary was a wounded woman–wounded not only by her suffering, but by her sin. As she gazed upon her crucified Son, she realized that He was taking her wounds upon Himself. And as she believed, she was healed—cleansed of her sin. Three days later when she learned that He had conquered death and was alive, knowing she had been made whole by His death, she joined the other disciples in taking the Good News of His atonement to a wounded, sinful world, that they, too, might know His healing salvation. For more than 2,000 years her life has provided a portrait of godliness for women who, like Mary, long to be used of God.