You'll Put Your Eye out!

Paul continues to flip through the pages of the Galatians' spiritual scrapbook.  He hopes that remembering his amazing first couple of visits with them will make them realize what a huge mistake they've made in following the teaching of the Judaizers.  

The apostle has warned them that they are in danger of returning "to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world" (Gal 4:9). 

He's afraid that all God did through him among these people will all go down the toilet (Gal 4:11).  They have gone back to the slavery of legalism by celebrating Jewish holy days (Gal 4:10).  

And now he recalls how he stopped in Galatia in the first place.  He was sick (Gal 4:13).  God used his illness as an open door for the Gospel while the local people cared for the ailing apostle (Gal 4:14).

Once again, Paul walks the Galatians down memory lane.  "What then has become of the blessing you felt?" (v15).  He wants them to remember those incredible visits when he told them about Jesus for the very first time.  

It was during the apostle's first missionary expedition that he and Barnabas toured the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe in what is now Turkey.  

Paul wants them to remember how the Gospel absolutely turned these towns upside down.  Dr. Luke allows us to sneak a peek on that amazing time in Acts 13 and 14.  

The apostle told them about how Jesus has not only fulfilled everything in Scripture as Messiah but has also swung open the door of salvation to the entire world.  

First of all, "many Jews and devout converts" in Pisidian Antioch placed their faith in the radical Rabbi/Carpenter (Acts 13:43).  Then non-Jews heard it and "began rejoicing and glorifying the Word of the Lord" (Acts 13:48).  

That's when things got crazy.  "And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region" (Acts 13:49).  The tsunami of grace swept into Iconium, "and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 13:52).  Once again, "a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed" (Acts 14:1).  

God used Paul & Barney to do miraculous things among the Galatians (Acts 14:3, 9).  More people placed their trust in Jesus in Derbe (Acts 14:20).  

The Gospel of Jesus had rocked Galatia.  That's what Paul wants his friends to remember.

So what's become of that joy, that excitement and that buzz they felt?  Whenever we doubt our faith or feel far from Jesus, we should think back on that first moment when God rocked our world.  Go back to the beginning.  Go back to the start.  

Remember how Christ reached out to you and pulled you from the miry pit to sing a song of total life change (Ps 40:1-3).  

Throughout his letters, Paul continually encourages us to think back to the beginning of our walk with Jesus. "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him" (Col 2:6).  

When in doubt, pull out the spiritual scrapbook.

The apostle reminds the Galatians of just how sick he was during his first visit and just much compassion they showed him.  "If possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me" (v15).  

This sure seems to indicate that his "bodily ailment" was some sort of eye infection or illness (Gal 4:14).  

If it had been medically possible at the time, his Galatian caregivers were willing to donate their own eyes for transplant.  Why else would Paul say this if he wasn't suffering from an optical issue.  

His statement about his use of "large letters" at the end of this letter would seem to support this idea (Gal 6:11).  Don't forget that Jesus originally blinded Paul to get his attention outside of Damascus (Acts 9:8-9).

The point here isn't so much what was wrong with Paul but what was right with the Galatians.  They had such Christ-like compassion on the man from Tarsus that they were willing pop out their own eyeballs so that he could be made well.  

And for those who are grossed out by such talk, that's EXACTLY what the original language tells us.  He uses the Greek verb εξορυσσω/exorusso.  It literally means to dig out.  The word was used to describe how you would toss the dirt out of a trench you were digging.  Yeah, gross, right?

This wasn't the mom in "A Christmas Story" warning Ralphie about the dangers of the Red Rider BB Gun.  Paul wanted the Galatians to remember the lengths of their love, care and compassion for him when he was with them.  

They would've put their eyes out for him!  Maybe that will trigger the memory of what God had done right before their eyes.

The apostle wants them to remember just how much they cared for him because apparently someone has thrown him under the Galatian bus.  "Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?" (v15).  

Somehow, someway, the false teachers who've infiltrated the Galatian churches have convinced them that Paul is their spiritual nemesis.  

Most likely they've told them that this so-called apostle had gone rogue and was spreading a counterfeit gospel.  The Judaizers accused him of not telling folks the full truth.  

According the, Jesus may have gotten us into God's kingdom but it's up to each of us to stay there.  And they said we do that through obedient rule-keeping.  

It was this spiritual snake oil that led the Galatians to fall prey to legalism and self-salvation, which is NO salvation at all!

The Galatians have clearly come to see Paul as their enemy thanks to the false teachers.  The apostle wants to know how telling them the truth about Jesus makes him their spiritual adversary.  The Greek word here is εχθρος/echthros.  

It means more than just an opponent playing for the other team.  This is more than simply agreeing to disagree.  There is hatred involved.  There is hostility involved.  

The Judaizers have stoked the flames of Galatian hatred toward the man they once loved so much.

Telling the truth does that.  That's why the people repeatedly rejected the prophets οφ God.  Who in the world wants to hear about how bad they are?  Who wants to hear about their own sin?  Who wants to hear about their need for a Savior?  

But the truth must be told.  People may not like it but how else will they ever know Jesus?  

We must remember to speak hard truth dripping in love (Eph 4:15).  

We must express the tough truth of our sinful situation while standing under the waterfall of God's grace (Jn 1:14). 

©2012

Jay Jennings

The Big Hurt

“Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message” (2Tim 4:14-15).

Unicorns, Rainbows, and Skittles

“Too blessed to be stressed!” I’m sure you’ve heard this garbage before. A fellow follower of Jesus putting up a phony front, pretending that nothing could be wrong on this side of salvation. Sure there are awesome bennies that come as a result of a relationship with the Lord. But once Christ saves you, it does NOT guarantee a life filled with unicorns, rainbows, and an endless supply of Skittles.

Don’t buy the lie. We should expect a truckload of trouble on this side of Heaven. Jesus told His crew that this world will be an uphill struggle, “but take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). I wonder why nobody ever mentions THAT as their life verse? It’s probably more useful that some of the other stuff we take out of context and slap on coffee mugs and bumper stickers.

On the Business End of Heartache

If anybody knew how tough a life of following Jesus could be, it was Paul. The dude was on the business end of all sorts of heartache. He proudly lists them in a letter to the Corinthian church (2Cor 11:23-28). Prison? Check. Beatings? Check. Near death experiences? Check. Floggings? Check. Canings? Check. Stoning? Check. Shipwrecks? Check.

Near the end of his very last letter, Paul not only tells Timothy about one particular guy who was a pain in the apostolic tail, but gives him a heads up to avoid him. “Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message” (v14-15).

The Meddlesome Metalworker

His point? The struggle IS real. VERY real. Those who love and serve Jesus will indeed have opposition. While the pain is legit, he’s leaving it to the Lord to deal with his antagonist. The apostle tells Tim to keep his head on swivel and not get blindsided by Alexander. The meddlesome metalworker got in the way of the message of the Gospel.

Meet Alexander, the Big Hurt.

A Letter from Prison

Let’s zoom out just a bit to see why the apostle has even brought up the subject of this First Century craftsman in the first place. The year is 67 AD. The place is a prison in the capital city of Rome. The apostle is behind bars for telling people about Jesus (2Tim 1:12, 16; 2:9). The former Pharisee has poured out his life serving the Lord and is awaiting execution (2Tim 4:6-7).

After a series of letters to local churches and a few friends, Paul picks up his pen one final time. He writes to Timothy (2Tim 1:2), a young pastor he’s left to lead the church in Ephesus (1Tim 1:3). With the days of his life rapidly running out, the apostle writes with a pair of purposes. One, pass the baton of ministry to his spiritual son (2Tim 2:1-4:5). Two, ask to see him one last time (2Tim 4:9, 21).

Here in the final sentences of this epistle, Paul asks Tim to swing by and pick up Mark on his way to Rome (2Tim 4:12). He wants him to stop by Carpus’ crib in Troas and get his winter coat, his personal papers, and Bible (2Tim 4:14).

Examining the Clues

It’s at this point that the apostle tells him about someone who’s been big trouble in the past. “Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm” (v14). Who is this pesky Alexander, anywho? When we dig a bit into Paul’s story, there are a few clues that might help us out.

All cards on the table. There’s a LOT of discussion and speculation about the identity of Alexander the coppersmith. Some people see strong connections to some other people with the same name. Others see that as a stretch. Is it the same guy? There’s not enough hard evidence to be sure. But there IS a pile of circumstantial clues that might help. Anybody up for a little forensic science, Bible style?

Big Trouble in E City

It’s possible that this is the same guy Luke wrote about in Acts. Around 53 AD, a man by that name tried to speak to the mob during the infamous Ephesian riots. “Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out in one voice, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’” (Acts 19:33-34).

Hmm. Interesting. Let’s keep going. Fast forward five years to 62 AD and we see a guy named Alexander in Ephesus again. Is this the same rascal Paul mentions in his first letter to Timothy? He tells the young preacher how he had to deal with a team of troublemakers in E City which included “Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme” (1Tim 1:20).

Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Jump ahead five more years and here’s Paul writing to Tim about some knucklehead with the same handle a third time. He’s done the apostle “great harm” (v14). Somehow, someway, he’s “strongly opposed our message” (v15). Apparently Alexander has caused the apostle one terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

If this is really the same Ephesian Alexander, let’s just say the A Train has gone seriously off the rails. At one point, he seems to be coming to Paul’s defense. The next thing you know he does an about-face on the apostle.

When Jesus Is Bad for Business

While we can’t be sure these are all the same Alexander, Paul does tell us that the one in question here in his second note to Timothy is a “coppersmith” (v14). He uses a Greek word (Gr. χαλκευς/chalkeus) that describes a metalworker or a craftsman who fashions metal. It comes from a word that can mean bronze, brass, or copper.

This isn’t the first time the apostle mixed it up with metalworker. Back during those crazy days in Ephesus which Luke wrote about, Paul had a nasty run-in with “a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemus” (Acts 19:24). It seems that the lifesaving message of Jesus is bad for business if you’re business is making idols.

Is Alex a local Ephesian craftsman whose profits are down now that the Gospel’s in town? The Good News has the power to radically change our lives. That includes our jobs. If what you do for a living hurts others and draws them away from Jesus, you probably need to find a new line of work.

Great Harm on Display

While there’s a lot of speculation about Alexander, one thing Paul tells us for sure is that he “did me great harm” (v14). What exactly did he “did?” A closer look at behind the word the ESV translates “did” is quite revealing. Paul uses a Greek verb (Gr. ενδεικνυμι/endeiknumi) which means to give proof, demonstrate, point out, display, or exhibit.

In his first letter to the Timothy, the apostle explains how “Jesus might display (Gr. ενδεικνυμι/endeiknumi) His perfect patience” to those who trust in Him (1Tim 1:16). He tells his Ephesian friends how God is so rich in mercy and love that one day in the future “He might show (Gr. ενδεικνυμι/endeiknumi) the immeasurable riches of His grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:7).

Damaging Testimony

This is actually a technical and legal term you can use to describe presenting evidence that leads to an indictment or impeachment. Think of that surprise testimony in a courtroom drama that reveals whodunit. That’s how Paul uses it when telling the Corinthians to “give proof (Gr. ενδεικνυμι/endeiknumi) before the churches of your love” to some of his team when they hit tow (2Cor 8:24).

Looking at it this way, it’s very possible Alexander provided damaging false testimony against the apostle at some point. What makes me think so? In verse 16, Paul describes a trial where no one came to testify on his behalf. The Big Hurt may well be a snitch or stool pigeon. Think of some slime ball who lies while turning state’s evidence against an enemy.

The Upper Range of the Scale

Paul tells Tim that this testimony was so damaging that it did him “great harm” (v14). “Great” is the Greek word πολυς/polus, which means many, great, large, plentiful, or severe. Whatever it’s describing, we’re talking about the upper range of the scale. Mark uses it when writing about the day Jesus heals a kid of a demonic spirit. “After crying out and convulsing him terribly (Gr. πολυς/polus)”, the demon eventually left the boy alone (Mk 9:26).

It’s my personal opinion that the ESV’s use of “harm” actually soft sells the sin against Paul. The term in the original language (Gr. κακος/kakos) actually describes something very bad, big trouble, evil, wickedness, or ruin.

A Truckload of Trouble

In his original letter to Tim, the apostle how “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (Gr. κακος/kakos)” (1Tim 6:10). He tells Titus to watch out for the people of Crete because they are well known as “liars, evil (Gr. κακος/kakos) beasts, lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12).

Whatever he did or said, Alexander has done oodles of evil against the apostle. Plenty of pain. A truckload of trouble. Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Thomas earned the nickname the Big Hurt. Allow me to slap the same label on Paul’s arch enemy. Alexander the coppersmith is the Big Hurt.

The Big Payback

If I was in Paul’s sandals, I could see myself telling Tim to find Alexander and, shall we say, “make the problem go away.” Let’s be honest, we want justice when we’ve been wronged and we want it RIGHT NOW. On the other hand, we want mercy and grace when we’ve hurt somebody ourselves. Justice for them. Mercy for me. Admit it. You want the same thing.

But check out the apostle’s response. “The Lord will repay him according to his deeds” (v14). Paul’s not out for revenge. He doesn’t want to put a hurting on the Big Hurt. He leaves the Big Payback up to Jesus. He leaves to the One who knows all the facts completely (omniscient) but more than capable of dishing out the punishment (omnipotent).

As the Righteous Judge, the Lord can handle it. He’s MUCH more qualified for the job than anyone of us. He leaves this one in Jesus’ very capable hands. It makes sense when you realize what Paul wrote to the folks in Rome. “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (Rom 12:19).

Taking Really Big Problems to an Even Bigger God

Be sure of one thing. The apostle is NOT ignoring the damage the Big Hurt has caused. He’s not playing down the pain Alexander’s inflicted. He’s actually admitting his anger and taking it directly to God. Why? He’s big enough to handle it. The Lord knows EXACTLY what to do and when to do it.

Paul is simply following a tried and true formula God’s people have been using for centuries. Take our big steaming pile of pain and bitterness directly to the Lord and dump it at His throne. A couple of things happen when we do. One, our really big problems get awfully small compared to our even bigger God. Two, He’ll make sure it’s dealt with.

Quivering Loins

Nobody did it better than King David, the guy who earned the rep as the man who chased after the very heart of God (1Sam 13:14; Acts 13:22). He wrote a whole slew of songs begging the Righteous Judge to come to his defense and make things right.

Take the 69th Psalm. Among his very specific prayer(?) requests, David specifically asks God to strike his enemies blind and “make their loins tremble continually” (Ps 69:23). I’m not exactly sure what would cause someone’s loins to quiver and not stop and I don’t want to find out!

Tim’s Been Warned

Since Paul believes the Big Hurt is still a clear and present danger, it’s no surprise Tim’s spiritual father tells him, “Beware of him yourself” (v15). It’s clear that the young pastor may well cross paths with the crafty craftsman at some point. Again, I think this points to Alexander living in Ephesus where Timothy leads the local church.

There’s a chance he could be in Troas where Tim will pick up Paul’s stuff (2Tim 4:13). Maybe he’s even in Rome after testifying against the apostle in court. One way or the other, Tim needs to watch his back. The Big Hurt is still a threat.

This may be blatantly obvious but warning others about real threats is critical. Give them a heads up of the dangers out there. Provide a scouting report of people, places, and things that are problems. On the other hand, don’t blow the situation out of proportion. Take another look at what you were sure was a mountain. There’s a chance it was just a molehill.

Getting in the Way of the Gospel

Paul reflects on how Alexander “strongly opposed our message” (v15) back in the day. In his first note to Timothy, he states how spiritual con artists had weaseled their way into the Ephesian church. They peddled a phony gospel which distracted people from following Jesus with crazy myths and complicated family trees (1Tim 1:4-5).

A little later in that letter, the apostle describes how he kicked these troublemakers to the curb and called them by name. “Among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme” (1Tim 4:20). If the Big Hurt is still a big problem, he clearly hasn’t learned his lesson.

A Hero from Heaven

What is the message Paul and his team took to the world? Quite simply, it’s the message of Jesus. The resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter is the One God promised to send to save us. We trashed God’s perfect creation through our sin and rebellion. But He loves us so much that He sends His one and only Son from Heaven to put out this raging dumpster fire we’ve made.

Just like an astronaut puts on a spacesuit before heading outside the ship, Jesus adds humanity to His divinity before making the trip from Heaven to Earth (Jn 1:14). As the God Man, He goes to work and does for us what we could never do ourselves.

He lives the life of perfect obedience to His Father’s commands that we’ve failed to live. He dies the brutal death for our sin that we should have died. He rises to a glorious new life that we certainly don’t deserve. Jesus graciously offers to trade His spotless perfection for our sin-soaked insurrection (2Cor 5:21).

Expect Trouble

That’s the message Alexander powerfully opposed. If someone had the gall to get in Paul’s way, why should we think things will be any different for you and me when we make a point of telling people about our Savior? This is the apostle’s way of not only warning Timothy but the rest of us of the opposition we can and should expect.

What can we take away from this? First of all, the struggle IS real. Don’t be surprised when the going gets hard when spreading the message of grace. Second, don’t blow off any real injuries. Third, remember that revenge isn’t your job. Take it to the only One qualified to handle it. Fourth, warn others of potential problems and threats.

On the bright side, we don’t have to deal with Alexander the coppersmith any longer. But we need to realize it probably won’t be long before we bump into our own personal Big Hurt. Don’t worry. Jesus can handle them.

©2017 
Jay Jennings

Turning Enemies into Friends

“though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief” (1Tim 1:13)

I need you to use your imagination for a moment. And I need you to crank it up to 11. Picture the number one enemy of the Christian faith suddenly switching sides and becoming a spokesperson for the Son of God. Try to wrap your brain around the idea of an enemy like Osama bin Laden unexpectedly spreading the love of Jesus across the planet instead of trying to wipe His followers from the face of the earth. Hard to imagine, right?

That’s EXACTLY the kind of guy that Jesus chose not only use to spread His Gospel throughout the Roman Empire but write most of the New Testament. In a letter to Timothy, Paul reflects on his wrap sheet. “Though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief” (v13). The apostle knows without a doubt he didn’t make a mistake. He realizes he wasn’t simply misguided. He didn’t just say “my bad.” He was a rebel with a cause against Christ. Despite all of that, Jesus overwhelmed His enemy in His amazing mercy. What a great reminder that our Savior loves to qualify the disqualified. That means me. That means you.

It’s easy to loose sight of Paul’s background when we see him at this point in his life. He’s Christ’s handpicked apostle to non-Jews everywhere. When he’s not in jail for upsetting local authorities with the Gospel, he’s always on the road telling everyone who will listen that the resurrected Jesus is the Hero sent straight from heaven to save the world. But before he was Paul, he was Saul. Before he was an apostle, he was an assassin. Before he was a missionary, he was a murderer. Before he was Jesus’ biggest proponent, he was Jesus’ biggest opponent. It’s a great reminder of the turnarounds our Savior loves to pull. He’s not looking to make good people better. The Son of God didn’t just water in to wine. You've heard of frenemies. Jesus loves turning His enemies into His friends.

Paul has nothing to hide from his spiritual son. He’s left Tim in Ephesus to pastor the growing megachurch there while he heads off the Macedonia (1Tim 1:3). The apostle gives his protege specific instructions to shut down a team of false teachers who are stirring up trouble (1Tim 1:3-7). The man from Tarsus knows all about what it means to be against the Gospel. He devoted himself to that cause for years. At the time, he sincerely believed he was doing the right thing. He was sincerely wrong. What did it get him? The realization that he was “blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent” (v13) of God. Just in case you were wondering, God beats His enemies. Every. Single. Time. The Generals have a better chance against the Globetrotters.

The apostle readily admits that he once was a “blasphemer (Gr. blasphemos)” (v13). This is a person who defames another in general and someone who speaks against God more specifically. But this is the idea of someone who openly insults another. A slanderer who trashes your reputation. In today’s culture, we call it hate speech. It’s literally someone who hurts another with their words. Now you can’t really injure Almighty God with what you say. The truth is the only person you’re really hurting is yourself. 

Paul also transparently tells Tim that he was a “persecutor” (v13) in the past. He uses a Greek term (Gr. dioktes) that paints portrait of a person preoccupied with causing others to pain (say THAT three times fast!). It comes from a verb that means to chase swiftly or hunt down. The book of Acts doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to Paul’s relentless pursuit of Jesus’ followers. He led house-to-house raids (Acts 8:3; 9:1). He mercilessly tortured many right in the synagogue (Acts 26:11). He had martyrs’ blood on his hands as well (Acts 22:4; 26:10). Paul comes clean to the Galatians about how he “persecuted the church God violently” (Gal 1:13). The apostle doesn’t shy away from his days as a Christian hunter.

If that doesn’t make your skin crawl, the apostle formerly known as Saul lays his cards on the table as a former “insolent opponent” (v13). This describes someone who is a violent aggressor. But it’s even worse than that. There’s arrogance and superiority involved. It’s someone with a superior attitude who mistreats others out of their own rebellion against God’s truth. Think hate groups like the KKK who intentionally look down on their enemies and do what they can to wipe them off the map. Before Jesus saved him, Paul saw little to no value in anyone below him in the religious pecking order. 

Oh, how times and hearts have changed. The jaw-dropping turnaround started a few years back when this Hebrew up-and-comer was on one of his patented search-and-destroy missions to Damascus. That’s when the resurrected Christ made it clear to Saul that when he persecutes His church, he persecutes Jesus personally (Acts 9:4-5; 22:7-8; 26:14-15). Once God shined his holy light of truth on Paul’s life, he saw his sin for what it really was. He saw himself for who he really was.

That was the very moment when Paul “obtained mercy” (v13) from His Savior. He uses a verb (Gr. ele’eo) that is less about a judicial ruling in his favor but receiving compassion or pity. Over and over, it’s what people tossed aside by society would plead Christ for. Two visually impaired men chased after Jesus and shouted, “Have mercy (Gr. ele’eo) on us, Son of David” (Mt 9:27). You and I would probably put this torturer and terrorist at the top of the most wanted list, NOT God’s mercy list. But in a letter to the Roman church, Paul reminds believers of what God said to Moses. “I will have mercy on (Gr. ele’eo) whom I have mercy (Gr. ele’eo)…So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy (Gr. ele’eo)” (Rom 9:15, 16). We need to remember that God showers His compassion on those He chooses. We don’t earn it. We can’t earn it. Our man Paul knows that better than most.

Saul/Paul quite simply did not understand who Jesus was and what He had done, or in his words, “because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief” (v13). As a member of the Pharisees, he believed it was up to him to save himself by building up a religious resume so impressive that God had to accept him (Phil 3:4-7). His admission of ignorance is not an excuse or an attempt to rationalize all he had done. Until Jesus blindsided him on the highway outside Damascus, this rising Jewish rock star was defending his religion against these whacky radicals. 

Like so many people around the world today, he mistakenly believed HE was on a mission from God. He was convinced this movement called the Way was clearly headed the wrong way. But the confrontation with Christ flipped on the light switch. Paul then realized that the only thing that matters is a personal relationship with Jesus and everything else was nothing more than a big steaming pile (Phil 3:7-9).

So what can we take from these words written from a mentor to his protege more than 2,000 years ago? What can we learn from this verse? Don’t miss the fact that Paul confessed. Throughout the New Testament, we see that he confessed early and often. Once Jesus shines His holy light on his life, the apostle understood exactly who he was and what he had done. Then he said it out loud. His sin was all out in the open.    

Confession brings our sin out from hiding. Funny thing. What seems so scary and mean in the dark becomes kinda wimpy when we drag it into the light. Horror movies are so horrible in the daytime. When we keep our sin secret, we carry it alone. Jesus’ little brother James knew the importance of confessing our sins to our closest spiritual brothers and sisters (James 5:16). Find a trusted crew of believers and open up. Reveal your mess. Disclose your dirt. Divulge your darkness. Stop carrying your secret crap all alone. Owning up to our sin also puts the focus on Jesus and His goodness…as it should be. In case you forgot, it’s not about you. Don’t impress. Confess. It’s what happens when Jesus turns us from one of His enemies into a friend.

Haters Gonna Hate

“For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even in tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18).

Ever watch a movie and wonder who the real bad guys are? There’s nothing like pulling for a particular character for most of the flick when suddenly they show you their true colors as the enemy. Wrestling fans call this a “heel turn.” Nothing gets the crowd going like an alleged good guy slamming his buddy over the head with a steel chair. But Paul makes it clear this happens in the church too. (Well, I don’t know about the steel chair part, but I’ve been to enough church business meetings to know it’s a distinct possibility!). The apostle writes to his friends back in Philippi how he’s been pointing out the bad guys for a long time. “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even in tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ” (v18). While Jesus certainly has His haters, Paul’s heart breaks for them.

When it comes to Christ’s opponents (v18), it takes one to know one. It wasn’t too many years back that the Apostle Paul was known as the assassin Saul. He dedicated his life to wiping Jesus’ followers off the face of the earth. If ever there’s someone who fits the M.O. as an enemy of the cross, it’s the Pharisee from Tarsus. That’s before the risen Jesus jumped him just outside Damascus (Acts 9:1-9). Christ takes this murderer and makes him His missionary. No wonder they call it “amazing grace!” Because of his background, Paul has a special talent to sniff out Christ’s opponents when others can’t. But his heart isn’t filled with hate for them, but breaks for them.

Since being blindsided by the resurrected Christ, the apostle spends every waking moment sharing the Good News with anyone who will listen. A big part of this work is pointing out false teachers. You see, there are teams of religious hucksters who like to roll into town just after Paul leaves to push their version of spiritual snake oil. It happened in Galatia. It happened in Colossae. They’re headed for Ephesus and probably Philippi. The apostle has made it a regular part of his mission warn believers about these goobers, “of whom I have often told you” (v18). This isn’t the first the Philippians have heard about them. Unlike the surprise twist in a movie, they’re not caught off guard when those who seem to be the good guys go bad. 

Are there more mature believers who have the ability of giving you a similar scouting report? Do you have friends, teachers, or mentors who can sniff out false teachers? Jesus called them wolves disguised as sheep (Mt 7:15). They look good. They sound good. But they’re just weaseling they’re way deep into your heart and your church before they make their heel turn. Do listen to the warnings from others about “enemies of the cross” (v18)? Maybe God has given you Gospel goggles that allow you to spot false teachers and troublemakers. Let’s be careful not to go rogue and start pointing fingers without getting godly counsel. But Jesus’ adversaries must be revealed and exposed. How do you recognize them? Good question. Does their message line up perfectly with the grace God has revealed in Scripture? Do they spread a false gospel of self-salvation? Do you have to work your tail off to gain God’s approval by rule-following and religious ritual? If so, avoid that garbage like medical waste. 

Paul’s reaction to these “enemies of the cross of Christ” (v18) isn’t what I would expect. He uses the Greek word echthros, which literally means a hater. And you thought “haters gonna hate” was some hip, urban slang. Sorry, bro, it’s been around for a couple of thousand years. The apostle says these particular haters are full animosity for all that Jesus has done on our behalf. His perfect life. His substitutionary death. His resurrection. Instead of getting himself all worked up and angry, he can’t help but feel sorry for them. Paul talks about them “even with tears” (v18). It makes you wonder if there were tear stains on the original letter. He uses a term (Gr. klaio) that means to weep out loud. It’s how Matt describes his buddy Peter after denying the Savior (Mt 26:75). When Paul thinks about Christ’s enemies, he doesn’t have a quiet cry. He sobs LOUDLY! Yeah, this is NOT a pretty cry. 

A couple of interesting points from Paul’s weeping and wailing. What’s your reaction to those who openly and actively oppose Jesus and His church? First of all, take a lesson from the apostle. He understands these are “enemies of the cross of Christ” (v18) and not personal archenemies. (Seriously, does anybody other than a superhero REALLY have an archenemy? If that’s you, it’s time to come out of the Bat Cave.) I don’t have to tell you more and more folks are setting their sites on the followers of Jesus. I’m not saying we don’t deserve our share of criticism but most hate directed at believers is actually meant for Jesus. You’re an easy target simply because of the One in whom you’ve placed your trust. Call it collateral damage. 

Second, is your gut reaction to tell everyone to grab a pitchfork and a torch? Remember, it’s God’s job to judge and punish. It’s one thing to point out false teachers and their counterfeit gospel. It’s another thing altogether to assemble the mob to serve as judge, jury, and executioner. Instead, let your heart break for those who don’t know Jesus. The old saying is certainly correct. Hurt people hurt people. There’s a pretty good chance those attacking Jesus and His church have the been on the business end of abuse as well. And it may have been from people who had the gall to call themselves Christians. And there’s that pesky little command from our Savior to love your enemy (Mt 5:44). So put down the pitchfork. Extinguish the torch. See what happens when you put them on the receiving end of the same grace Jesus extended to you.

Finally, we need to always remember every last one of us was a rebel against God’s kingdom. “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds” (Col 1:21). But out of nowhere, Christ came to our rescue. “For while we were enemies (Gr. echthros), we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, we are saved by His life” (Rom 5:10). We have something in common with these “enemies of the cross of Christ” (v18). We are ALL enemies without Jesus! Let’s face it, before Christ came to our rescue, we were rebels without a clue. Don’t get so cocky. Instead believing we’re so much better than God’s enemies, remember we’re just beggars who’ve figured out where to get the Bread! Haters are certainly gonna hate. But we’d be standing right there with them if it wasn’t for Jesus!

Don't Fast Forward

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (v2).

I have this bad habit of blowing past the beginning of books and movies. I want to get to the good stuff. I flip past the boring stuff like preface and introduction when I open a book. I fast forward a film until the action really starts. Come on, you do it too, don’t you? Well, maybe you’re a better person than me. Guess what happens when I skip ahead. I miss stuff. Important stuff. Key stuff.

It’s the same when I read the Bible. A letter like Philippians is juicy and joyful. But those opening verses seem like the same old boring blah, blah, blah. I need to pump my brakes and realize this isn’t perfunctory fine print. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (v2). Paul’s opening words here are actually the headline (Hmm, I wonder if he considered using a bigger font). Grace. Peace. From our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus. To you. To me. This isn’t just the big idea in his letter. It’s the big idea of the Gospel. Blah, blah, blah? I say, “NO! NO! NO!”

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (v2). Do Paul’s words look familiar? If you’ve read any of the apostle’s other letters, it should. He uses this very same greeting to kick off every one of his letters. He uses the exact same word-for-word blessing seven times (Rom 1:7; 1Cor 1:3; 2Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; 2Th 1:2; Phm 3). And he only changes it up slightly in his other five notes (Col 1:2; 1Th 1:1; 1Tim 1:2; 2Tim 1:2; Titus 1:4). Paul doesn’t repeat line this as some sort of biblical filler. Writing materials are at a premium in the first century. It’s not like you could swing by Walmart or Office Max for more another ream of paper when you got low. You only wrote down what was essential. The apostle put this greeting in every letter because it’s urgent. It’s the heart of God’s Good News through Jesus. Grace. Peace. It doesn’t get more important than that!

Paul writes to his friends back in Philippi as a prisoner in Rome. Not exactly the kind of situation that would inspire many of us to wax eloquently about God’s grace and peace. The dude has been in a series of jails for FOUR YEARS! He’s now in Rome waiting for Caesar to hear his appeal. I don’t know about you, but I’d be cranky on my good days if that were me. But not our man Paul. The former Pharisee has so much to be thankful for. Just a few years back, folks knew him as Saul of Tarsus. One of the best and brightest. An real up-and-comer in Judaism. Saul was so dedicated to his religion that he personally led a black ops team that traveled from city to city killing the followers of Jesus and hauling others off to jail (Acts 8:3; 1Cor 15:9; Gal 1:13; Phil 3:6; 1Tim 1:13). This rascal was so ruthless that he applauded from the coat check table at Stephen’s murder (Acts 7:58; 8:1). 

But a funny thing happened to this cold-blooded killer while he was on his way to take out another pocket of Christ followers in Damascus. The resurrected Jesus blindsides Saul and knocks him off his horse. In one of the most ridiculous turnarounds in history, our Savior transforms this murderer into a missionary (Acts 9:1-19). He takes His number one enemy and makes him His top spokesman. I’m not sure what you’ve left off your resume and hidden in your closet, but it’s nothing compared to Paul. He knows Jesus’ grace personally. He knows His peace firsthand. That’s why he puts at the top of the page in every letter he writes.

The apostle passes along Jesus’ “grace to you” (v2). Grace. There’s not a word that better sums up Jesus’ incredibly Good News to us. This is the Greek word charis, which describes an undeserved and overly generous gift. Paul’s trying to get across God’s overflowing goodness, His lovingkindness, His delight, His kindness, and His generosity. Tullian Tchividjian calls it “God’s descending one-way love.” The man from Tarsus wraps this little letter in an envelope of grace. Before he sends this note to his Philippian friends, he signs off with “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you in spirit” (Phil 4:23). It starts with grace. It ends with grace. Hmm, that kinda sounds like the Gospel in nutshell!

Paul also passes along God’s “peace” (v2). This isn’t just a lack of war or fighting. He’s talking about a state of harmony, safety, security, without fear. It’s the OT idea of shalom. This is the perfect rhythm of life. Everything working and moving together as God originally designed it. Well, at least that’s the way it was until we broke it. This peace also paints the picture of no fear of God’s judgment. Without Jesus, we’re rebels against God’s kingdom. Terrorists. Enemies of God (Rom 5:10; Col 1:21). We deserve His wrath. We deserve His judgment. We serve the all-out assault of His shock and awe. Instead of wiping us off the face of the planet, Jesus overwhelms us with His grace and peace. Just before His own crucifixion, Christ wished God’s peace on His posse (Jn 14:27). 

I’ve learned my lesson. Don’t blow past the beginning. Don’t skip ahead. Don’t hit that fast forward button. This is the good stuff. This is the best stuff. Jesus’ grace. Jesus’  peace. If anything, why don’t you hit rewind and watch it again. And again. And again.

What God Starts, He Finishes

I love to start. I hate to finish. Well, I don’t so much hate to finish as I quit when a project gets hard. For years, my life was filled with all the stuff I started but dropped when they weren’t fun anymore. Books. Crafts. Jobs around the house. When the going got tough, I got going alright. I got going doing something else. Nehemiah has a front row seat to watch God at work. And whatever He starts, He finishes. Take rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem for example. For 141 years, the city’s fortification was a pile of rubble. But something crazy happens once God gets ahold of the wine steward to a pagan king. He gives Nehemiah the vision of what could be. he gives Nehemiah the vision of what should be. God consistently reminds the cupbearer that He’s got him and this project firmly in His grip. Nehemiah gets involved and places his trust in the LORD to get it done. And just 52 days after God’s people start rebuilding the walls, it’s done. That’s because whatever God starts, He finishes.

As the Hebrew work crew begins to wrap up their final day on the job site, don’t think that this project has been smooth sailing. Far from it. Nehemiah has led God’s people through discouragement, fatigue, famine, a mortgage meltdown, the threat of terrorist attack, as well as repeated intimidation and sabotage from enemies on every side. But each and every time, the governor turns to God in prayer (Neh 1:4-11; 2:4; 4:4-5, 9, 14; 5:19; 6:9). While the work is harder than he realizes, he repeatedly turns to the One who does the real heavy lifting. Nehemiah trusts that whatever God starts, He finishes.

It’s late summer of the year 445 BC. A quick check of the calendar tells us it’s the “the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul” (v15). Interestingly, this is the only time this month is ever mentioned in the Bible. If you don’t have a Hebrew calendar (I know I don’t!), this is late September. There’s a buzz in the air. There’s excitement among the construction crew. This is it.  “So the wall was finished” (v15)! The huge stone walls are done. The massive wooden gates hang in place. It’s the end of the project! Pop the cork on the champagne!! This is a big day in the history of God’s people. A hundred years or so back, Daniel predicted this moment would come (Dan 9:25). It’s an important step in God’s mega-story of coming to the rescue of mankind. 

Nehemiah lets us know that the job is wrapped up. He chooses to use the Hebrew verb shalam. If it looks like the term shalom, you’re on to something. It means to complete, to be whole, to be restored, to be at peace, or to be perfect. It describes a state of completion and fulfillment, wholeness and unity. The walls are finally complete and restored. The people of Judah finally have a sense of peace and wholeness. What God did for Jerusalem, He promises to do for you and me. Jesus gives you and me an incredible sense of wholeness, completion, and restoration.  In Him, we’re no longer anxious but have peace. Don’t fall for the myth of Jerry Maguire. Your boyfriend or girlfriend can’t complete you. That job belongs to Jesus. Whatever God starts, He finishes.

Incredibly, the Jerusalem wall project wraps up “in fifty two days” (v15). Yeah, you read that right. Fifty. Two. Days. The work kicked off earlier in the summer on the fourth of Ab (July/August) in 445 BC. Let’s step back and put this into historical perspective. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the walls way back in 586 BC. After the city lie in rubble for 141 years, God breaks Nehemiah’s heart with the breaking news about the broken walls (Neh 1:1-3). Just 10 months later, God uses this wine-steward-turned-governor to rebuild the walls in just 52 days. And some people believe there are no miracles in the book of Nehemiah. Please.

So just what happens when the word gets out that the work is done? Glad you asked. “And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem” (v16). It’s the day their enemies had been dreading. Nehemiah uses very similar phrasing to when people previously get wind of what’s going down in Jerusalem (Neh 2:10, 19; 4:1, 7; 6:1). And when he refers to these folks as “our enemies” (v16), he’s using this as a junk drawer term to describe everyone who opposed and persecuted the people of Judah. Just a refresher on the roster of the those playing for the other team, we’re talking about Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites. Remember when they laughed at Nehemiah and said it couldn’t be done (Neh 4:1-3)? The job was too big, they said. Well, the city is no longer a local joke. They’re not so cocky anymore. Or in the words of The Message, “our enemies totally lost their nerve” (v16 The Message). The walls are up. The smack talk has stopped. 

It wasn’t just the completion of the walls that stuff a sock in Sanballat and this toadies. They knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was a whole lot more than bringing in a new governor. “For they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God” (v16). These enemies realize Nehemiah’s different because Nehemiah’s trust is in the LORD. And there’s another interesting tidbit when you look at the original language. The author literally writes “this work was done by our God” (v16). He didn’t help. He wasn’t assisting. God did the work. Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and their gang certainly understand that. It’s interesting that some of the people testifying to God’s direct involvement in the wall project are His enemies. Now THAT’S what I call working in mysterious ways!

What a great lesson in being ready and willing to be used by God. Once again we see that Jesus isn’t looking for ability, but availability. Nehemiah’s cupbearer to a pagan king. What in the world does he know about a massive civil engineering project like rebuilding the city walls of Jerusalem? But God’s people can do accomplish mind-blowing goals when they allow God to use them. Nehemiah’s God-given vision for Jerusalem has come true. Don’t let the size of the work keep you from what the LORD leads you to do. We can always count on God to get it done. Because what God starts, He finishes.

The Day in Between

“The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, ‘Sir we remember how that impostor said, while He was still alive, “After three days I will rise.” Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples go and steal Him away and tell the people, “He has risen from the dead,” and the last fraud will be worse than the first.’ Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.’ So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard” (Mt 27:62-66). 

I have a fascination with the Easter Saturday. That funky day stuck in between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. The Day in Between. On Friday, Jesus is dead. On Sunday, He’s alive. On Friday, Jesus is executed. On Sunday, He’s resurrected. So what in the wide world of sports happened on Saturday? What went down on the Day in Between? Matthew pulls back the curtain for a quick glimpse of what occurred after Friday and before Sunday. The Day in Between.

The former tax collector picks up the story just after Joseph of Arimathea gets Christ’s lifeless corpse off the cross and places it in the tomb. Matt describes an awkward meeting between the chief priests of the temple, the Pharisees and Pontius Pilate. There are several things that make this confab more than a bit weird and uncomfortable. The chief priests and the Pharisees really do NOT like each other. The priests are Sadducees. They are a sect of Judaism made up of wealthy Jews who have buddied up to the Romans to gain control of the temple in Jerusalem. The Sadducees are religious liberals. Meanwhile, the Pharisees run the synagogues outside the city. They’re the religious hardliners. The Pharisees have very little use for their Roman oppressors. 

These two opposing groups have one thing in common. Their hatred for Jesus. He’s dead. And now they want to make sure He stays that way. This is like Cardinal and Cubs fans coming together. Wolfpackers and Tarheels burying the hatchet. Dogs and cats living together. Mass hysteria. And if that’s not whacky enough, this religious odd couple finds themselves at the front door of the despised Roman governor. Here on the Sabbath of Passover, one of the most revered and holy days on the Jewish calendar, this uneasy partnership visits the Gentile Pilate in order to make sure they put an end to a movement led by a dead Rabbi/Carpenter/Messiah.

What brings them to the governor’s mansion? These Jewish leaders remember that Jesus promised, “After three days I will rise” (v63). While they certainly didn’t expect that to happen, it’s very interesting that the only people talking about Christ’s resurrection on the Day in Between were His opponents. What the chief priests and Pharisees were really worried about was grave robbing. They were freaking out at the thought of Jesus’ followers snagging His dead body out of the tomb. His disciples could keep the movement alive. They could keep causing problems. And this “last fraud would be worse than the first” (v64).

Pilate agrees to give the Jewish leadership a squad of Roman soldiers to secure the tomb. Take the troops and do whatever it takes to “make it as secure as you can” (v65). Roman soldiers performed Jesus’ execution the day before. They made sure He was dead. Now they are assigned to guard the grave and make sure He stays that way. Matt tells us that they put a wax seal on the stone that sealed the tomb. If someone moved the massive boulder to snatch the corpse, it would be obvious. And if that’s not enough, they assigned guards to keep an eye out for any nefarious activities.

There’s just one problem with the plan. It might be able to keep people from getting into the tomb but it can’t keep Christ in it. There wasn’t a plot to sneak in and steal Jesus’ cadaver. Just about every one of His once-devoted followers had beat feet and were in hiding. There was no black ops plan to invade the cemetery and nab the corpse. No, this was going to be, shall we say, an inside job. The armed guards might be able to keep people from breaking in, but there was no way they stood a chance against the risen Christ breaking out!

And you thought nothing happened on Saturday. The Day in Between.