From Asia to Europe

Second Saturday in Lent

Lectionary texts for Saturday:

NT: Philippians 3:17-4:1

Gospel: John 3:1-8

 

Lectionary texts for Sunday:

OT: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

Psalm: 22:23-31 (UMH #752)

Epistle: Romans 4:13-25

Gospel: Mark 8:31-38

 

Thanks to Jennifer and Glenn for their emails. Glenn noted that I have not been including the Saturday lectionary texts in my Saturday blogs. So here they are. I'll include them from now on. You may notice that the Sunday OT text is the same as one of the OT texts last week. I'm using two different lectionaries. On weekdays it's the three year daily lectionary used by the Order of St. Luke. There are other daily lectionaries. Episcopalians use a two-year daily lectionary. Sunday lectionaries are different. I'm using the Revised Common Lectionary for Sundays, since it is used by all the mainline Protestant churches, and with some modification, by all the Catholic churches. 

Glenn has also suggested that I do a series on Methodist beginnings, from the time of the Anglican Reformation in the 16th century through the Wesleys in the 18th century. Although this is not my field, I have taught courses on Methodist History and have a little bit of knowledge. I'm willing to read a lot more. We'll start next week. I should note that the High Church--Low Church series is complete. Do let me know of other questions and comments you may have on that subject.

Today we return to Acts Bible Study: Please read Acts 16:1-4.

Paul and Barnabas have parted ways. They won't be seeing each other again. Paul never wants to travel alone. A partner brings both comfort and greater safety. Silas agrees to travel with Paul. Paul is also impressed with the zeal and knowledge of a younger Christian named Timothy, who wants to travel with them. Both Paul and Silas are Jews. Timothy has a Jewish mother and a Greek (gentile) father. Having a Jewish mother makes you Jewish. Timothy has not been circumcised. That makes you not Jewish. Apparently Timothy's Greek father did not want his infant son to undergo this painful procedure. 

Both Acts 15 and many places in Paul's letters to the Romans and to the Galatians show that Paul strongly believed that circumcision was not necessary for a man to become a Christian. Why then, did Paul go back on his belief and have Timothy circumcised? Many gentile Christians would regard this as hypocritical on Paul's part. The answer is that Paul's mission was always to the Jew first and then to the Greek. When he enters a new city, he always goes first to the synagogue to preach, only later, sometimes several weeks later, to the town square. Timothy, if uncircumcised, would not be admitted to the synagogue, even though he had a Jewish mother. Paul's decision is a practical one. He needs Timothy to be involved in every aspect of the mission. Do remember that at this time the Christian Church is about half Jewish and half gentile. Paul feels a very strong mission to his fellow Jews. He does not know that over the next five decades Christianity will become entirely gentile. Paul wants to be all things to all people , a Jew to the Jews, a Greek to the Greeks, so that by all means he might save some (Romans 7). People nowadays tend to think of Paul as being rigid and dogmatic. He wasn't. He was practical. Paul never wrote a theological treatise or a systematic theology. He wrote letters, letters that most often dealt with specific problems his churches were facing. His solutions to those problems were practical solutions.

Timothy would become Paul's most loyal companion and trusted friend, as well as a great Apostle in his own right. 

God of the Jews, God of the Christians,

We give you thanks for your servant Timothy, for his courage, for his loyalty, for his faith. Help us to be more like him. As our own plague continues to consume us, give us the courage to be your witnesses in the resultant faith decline for too many of our fellow countrymen and women. In Jesus' name. Amen

Faithfully

Christian