Hej kära bloggläsare!

If your name is Sune, then today is your day! Grattis!

Weather was cooler today. Cloudy until this evening.

This morning when I went out to feed my cats, I saw some little kittens peeking out from a hiding place. After I went inside, they came out to eat. And again tonite. There are 3. One is a long haired black with a grey neck. The second is a short haired calico. The third one is grey. This afternoon I just sat outside (and almost froze). All three came out and walked around my feet. IF I moved, then they hid. So cute. They already know that ‘kitty kitty’ means food! Fast learners!

I met Sally, Paul, Richea, and John for lunch in Lindsborg. Richlea flew home today.

It is going to blizzard. For sure. The volunteer at the Red Barn who was scheduled is one of two who very rarely actually work their one sunday out of 5. She always expects someone else to work for her and never offers to trade. I am soo stressed over this bunch of people. Well, as far as I know, she worked. Amazing.

Went out to eat in Salina tonite. Willie actually suggested going. That never happens. Gonna be a horrific blizzard! After we ate we drove downtown to see their new Christmas lights. I was underwhelmed. They are better than the old-fashioned huge white lights with only 1 out of 4 lit they have had for years. But nothing to write home about.

‘An apple, a pear, a plum, or a cherry, any good thing to make us all merry’.

«Ett gott skratt förlälnger livet!»

Go Sounders!!!

Create your own visitor map!

Julie-Ann den 29/11/09                      Hemlängtan för Sverige!

Encouraged by a friend’s mention of it, I dug through my collection of books to find a yellow-paged copy of The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence.  I’m sure I have read this book before, but it seemed brand new this time around.  I am definitely in a different place spiritually, so the words of this book are like a breath of fresh air, encouraging me to pursue the Lord so I might know Him more – yet without the old feelings of guilt because I’m not there already, followed closely by condemnation saying I never will be.

Brother Lawrence lived and wrote in the 1600’s, but Whitaker House Publishers has done an excellent job of updating and clarifying the language for people like us not only to read, but comprehend, the riches contained within the pages of this book.  It is primarily an autobiography, yet Brother Lawrence wanted so much to keep the focus on the Lord that he wrote as did Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:2,  “I knew a man . . .”   This does not at all detract from the message, but accomplishes the desire of Bother Lawrence’s heart – to glorify the Father.

From the very first chapter, a desire was ignited to begin practicing the presence of God as I haven’t to this point in my life, simply because of the Truth so obvious in Brother Lawrence.  In addition, my thinking was challenged by such statements as:

“. . . we must give ourselves totally to God, in both temporal and spiritual affairs.  Our only happiness should come from doing God’s will, whether it brings us some pain or great pleasure.  After all, if we’re truly devoted to doing God’s will, pain and pleasure won’t make any difference to us.”¹

“. . .God has infinite treasures to give us, he says.  Why should we be satisfied with a brief moment of worship?  With such meager devotion, we restrain the flow of God’s abundant grace. . .”²

Despite the challenges, I wasn’t condemned as I considered my life against his.  Instead, the Lord reminded me that He hasn’t called me to live the same life, in the same circumstances.  Rather, He has called me to live the same consecrated life in total pursuit of His Presence, in my circumstances, so that, “acting with childlike simplicity in God’s sight, he did everything for the love of God, thanking Him for His guidance.  And everything He did passed calmly, in a way that held him close to the loving presence of God.”³

It’s the simplicity of the Truth that has stirred such a yearning in me for life in the continuous awareness of the Presence of God.  It’s not a set of rules or steps by which I can attain this position.  It simply begins with the understanding that it is possible.  It’s not a pipedream.  It has been done before, as a human being yielded his life to God.  Brother Lawrence spoke of practicing the Presence of God.  It does take practice, but the more it is done, the greater the hunger, which leads to even greater practice.  Yet it isn’t practice for the sake of practice, but practice with the goal of developing an ever-increasing intimacy with our heavenly Father.  That, my friends, is worth every bit of effort.  But don’t take my word for it.  Find a copy of The Practice of the Presence of God and let the Lord draw your spirit to His as you meditate on its words.

______________

¹Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God (Springdale, PA:  Whitaker House, 1982), 8.

²Ibid., p. 26-27

³Ibid., p. 16

Text: Eph. 1:13-4; Acts  18:24 – 19:6

       Yesterday, my beautiful bride and I decked our home with all the fancies of the Christmas holiday!  Among the decorations is a nativity set that I purchased for Elizabeth while I was in Israel several years ago.  The wooden scene showcases all the “staple characters” of the Christmas story: Joseph and Mary, the baby Jesus, three wise men, a shepherd, some livestock and an angel carved into the stable.  Such is “the cast” that we sing about in our Christmas carols and relive in our Christmas plays.

       Yet, as you look deeper at the panorama of this beautiful Christmas scene, there are a number of characters in the background that appear to have fallen through the celebration cracks.  Perhaps this Christmas, we might allow the spotlight of God’s Word to illuminate a few of these unsung heroes.

       The greatest of these background characters is really not a background character at all.  As I read the Holy Christmas Story, four lead roles appear in my mind: Jesus, the Gift of Christmas; God the Father, the Giver; Believers, the recipients; and the Holy Spirit; the Mailman who brought this gift into the world. (Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:35)

       As Christians, what is this “Joy To The World” that we celebrate during the Christmas season?  Our joy is Jesus…that He, being human through Mary’s seed, could “walk in our shoes” and identify with our weakness.  Yet, through the perfect seed of God the Holy Spirit, Jesus was able to pay the price tag that sin demanded for our souls…the shedding of perfect and innocent blood.  It was through the Holy Spirit that Jesus was born without the legally-inherited sin of the human father, and therefore, He alone was able to purchase our freedom from sin.  Not only was He able, He was also willing!  (John 10:17-8)

       We celebrate Christmas because the “God-Man” was born into our world to be our Savior, and this was only made possible through the working of the Holy Spirit.  Some 2,000 years ago, through the unsung Mailman delivered Jesus into the world through Mary!

       Paul understood the need of the Holy Spirit, and he wasn’t about to let this need go unaddressed in his letter to the Ephesians.  In fact, he mentions the Holy Spirit in every chapter of his epistle.[i]  This was such a “hot topic” for Paul that the ground-breaking of his 3-year ministry to the Ephesians would be to make sure they received the Holy Spirit.  When he arrived in Ephesus in Acts 19, the first question he asked the Ephesians was in regards to the Holy Spirit: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (19:2)

       What is it about the Holy Spirit that was so fundamentally vital to Paul’s ministry?  Simply put: the greatest need in the world is for people to see Jesus, and it is only through the Holy Spirit that this can truly happen.  The Holy Spirit was sent to take the things of Jesus and make them real to us. (1 Cor. 2:9-16)  When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He sent His Spirit to come and dwell within us.  If you believe on the Name of Jesus Christ, then you have the promise that the Spirit of Jesus literally LIVES INSIDE YOU!  (1 Cor. 3:16)

       He lives to teach us the things of Jesus (John 14:26); to give us the help & comfort of Jesus (John 16:7); to convict us of the sin that separates us from Jesus (John 16:8); to guide us in the truth of Jesus (John 16:13-4); to pray for us in our weakness (Rom. 8:26-7); to fill us with the joy, peace, hope and power of Jesus (Rom. 15:13); and, as a spirit, He has the power to dwell in every believer (Psalm 139:7-8) fulfilling the promise of Jesus that He will be “with you always…” A promise that Jesus, in the flesh, could not have fulfilled.  (John 16:7)

       This Christmas season is a perfect time to examine your life.  Have you asked Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord?  Have you been experiencing the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in your life, making you look more like Jesus?  God’s greatest gift at Christmas so many years ago was the gift of His Only Begotten Son, through the Holy Spirit.  Now Jesus’ greatest gift to us is the gift of His Holy Spirit to live inside of us so that we don’t have to go through life alone.  And Jesus continues to hold this gift out for you… It’s yours for the taking today.  But tomorrow may be too late.  “Now is the day of salvation!” (2 Cor. 6:2) This is one gift that shouldn’t wait for Christmas!

Transcrevo mail que recebi do amigo João Fernando

———————————————————————————————
Oi Manuel,

Julgo que a foto se refere a outra família: os Missas, Cardosos…

Naja so richtige Weihnachtsstimmung ist schon noch nicht aufgekommen(35° sind schon heiß). Aber als dem Mats heute morgen aufgefallen war, dass doch erster Advent sei, haben wir uns beide schnell dazu entschlossen unserer künstlerischen Ader freien Lauf zu lassen….ist unser Adventskranz nicht schön

Adventskranz

Unter der Woche ging das Wetter auf ein neues Hoch in Sachen Temperaturen zu….jungejungejunge wir können euch sagen, dass ist schon heiß so 35° (Hitzefrei hehe) aber kannst haben Also eigentlich wars schon fast ein wenig zu heiß, in Dimbaza ging da nicht mehr viel, einfach zu warm. (bei mir wurde Lunchbreak verdoppelt und trotzdem ne Stunde früher aufgehört) Auch der Schlaf nachts viel schwierig (no comment) angesichts der Hitze am Dienstag und Mittwoch. Als dann auch noch Mittwoch das Wasser wiedermal ausfiel dachte ich, ich sterbe, doch zum Glück hat unser lieber Nachbar (Onkel John) einen kleinen Wasservorrat aus dem wir uns dann was geborgt haben! Im Computercenter liefen die letzten Vorbereitungen für die letzten Tests am Dienstag und am Mittwoch! Die Schüler sind schon alle sehr aufgeregt und ich bin gespannt ob sie es alle schaffen! Die älteren Ladies sind besonders aufgeregt und wollten den einen Tag dann auch ne Stunde länger bleiben um zu üben, naja Laurens in seiner Großmütigkeit ist dann auch noch ein wenig geblieben und hat sich erklären lassen, dass 35° schon sehr sehr sehr selten sind in Dimbaza. In der Schule können meine Kiddies nun schon einiges in Sachen Bruchrechnung, doch da die Ferien nächste Woche starten, war die Anwesenheit der Schüler auch eher unterdurchschnittlich! (Bei mir wie immer vollzählig, wer hat bei 35° auch Lust auf Mathe?)

Am Freitag haben wir beide dann schon mal das Wochenende eingeleitet (Donnerstag Nachmittag eher, wollen wir doch mal bei der Wahrheit bleiben) Wir mussten nach East London zu Raymond, nem „Freund“ von Rommel. Rommel kommt mit seinen total fertigen Autos öfters dort zu Besuch und lässt sie reparieren. (Man sollte uns später erzählen Rommel ist mit seinem Polo 160 über ne Schotterstraße gefahren, kein Wunder, dass seine Autos der reinste Schrott sind) Naja wir beide wollten unseren Toyota dann auch mal auf Touren bringen, damit er die Südafrika Rundtour nun auch übersteht. Wir müssen dafür nichts bezahlen (Gott sei Dank sind die 1 Rand/km aus dem Gespräch, das wäre teuer gekommen), dass wir das Auto für den Urlaub missbrauchen, dafür sollten wir einen Check (wir wussten ja davor nicht, dass sich die Beifahrertür nicht mehr öffnen ließ und wir alle 1000km nen Liter Öl nachfüllten) durchführen lassen. Mir Lauri als Kartenleser war der Autoladen in East London natürlich sehr schnell gefunden (Schnell ja, legal nein, war ja nur mein Führerschein) Wir beide wurden dann zu ner Shoppingmall kutschiert und 6 Stunden später wieder dort abgeholt. Das Warten gestalteten wir mit einem Ausflug zu Mr. Priiiiiice (wie Kik, Laurens hat sich gleich eingedeckt) und mit Leute beobachten (vor allem das weibliche Geschlecht seitens des Pauls (Diffamierung!! Wer wartete denn verzweifelt am Ausgang des Kinos, dass die “Rote” wieder rauskommt) ) Die Zeit war um wie nichts. Sehr amüsant war auch, dass uns Raymond direkt am Taxistand in East London wieder abgeholt hat….das reinste Chaos. Die Kleinbusse, die für alle Schwarzen und auch einige (Ich hab nur eine gesehen) Weiße das Hauptverkehrsmittel darstellen, kamen im Minutentakt (hat jetzt mein oder dein Zeitgefühl einen Sprung?) an und Leute sprangen aus fahrenden Autos. Die Richtungen, in die jeweils die Taxen fahren, werden per Rumschreien jeglicher Personen angesagt. So schrie einer einfach mal 15 Minuten lang „Mdantsane, Mdantsane, Md…..“! Unfassbar! (Der hatte Durchhaltevermögen!)

Schließlich kam Raymond und wir sprangen ins Auto. Wir merkten sofort, dass die kaputte Beifahrertür repariert wurde und wohl auch das Öl-Problem. Auch die sehr lauten quietschenden Geräusche sind seid Freitag nicht mehr zu hören. (Läuft) Ein voller Erfolg auch, weil es uns nur knappe 80 Euro gekostet hat…YEAH! (Lauris Onkel zieht einem da mehr ab, hab ich gehört )

Bonza Bay

Gestern ging es an den Strand. So eine Strömung wie dort herrschte hab ich noch nie erlebt. (Wärst du nur mal in Frankreich gewesen..) Auch der Paul wurde bei ner schönen Party Beachball von Lauri natürlich gnadenlos abgezogen (Du willst sagen, im Gegensatz zu dir hab ich den Ball getroffen?) Der Sonnenbrand vom letzten WE wurde nachgebräunt und dann das Desaster des HSV mit angehört. (Mittlerweile ist er ja an späte Gegentore gewöhnt, er war schon schlechter drauf danach) Morgen geyts nun in die letzte volle Arbeitswoche, noch 8 Arbeitstage (vier ), dann ist Urlaub!!!!

Viel Spaß beim Kekse backen und Weihnachtsmarkt durchstöbern!! Viele Knutschas vom langhaarigen Paul und sonnenbrandhabenden Lauri (Das mit der Abhängigkeit von Sonneneinstrahlung und Hautrötung hat der liebe Lauri immernoch nicht so richtig raus)

Meditations in Romans : 5 :  Be Blessed!

Rom  1:7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Many Christians don’t understand the concept of ‘blessing’. It is bringing a prophetic decree from heaven that opens the way for the goodness of God to be released on earth. To understand blessings you really need to study the life of Isaac in the Old Testament as he relates in old age to his two sons, but we’ll leave you to do that on your own. We have ‘blessing’ in our lives, often without thinking about it. Someone sneezes and we say, “Bless you!” Mostly it is a habit thing with little or no meaning but it has a spiritual background. It means that where there are the signs of an illness we, the believing community, will declare, “May the Lord bless you,” or “May the Lord declare healing from heaven for you,” and we do it with the faith-knowledge that God wants to bring healing to us. When we are moving in faith we are able to say, “May the Lord bless you” meaning, “May the Lord decree goodness over your life.”  THAT is what blessing is all about, and we do it as a response to the Holy Spirit’s leading as He indicates His intention to bring that goodness. He just wants us to speak it out first!

Now why do we say all this? We say it because in this verse seven of chapter 1 of Romans, we find, as we find in so many of Paul’s letters, his blessing the recipients of his letter. He is bringing a prophetic decree that brings the goodness of God to these people. These are not mere words!

Now first of all we need to recognise to whom this blessing is brought. You can only bring a (genuine) blessing when you sense it is from the Holy Spirit and the conditions are right. The conditions are that God blesses His children – believers. He does not bless the unrighteous or the ungodly. Thus Paul gives a threefold identification of those who he blesses. First of all they are the Christians in Rome. This isn’t to say that the blessing doesn’t apply to other Christians as well, merely that it is specifically directed in this letter to those Christians who form the church in Rome.

Second, they are identified as those who are “loved by God.” But doesn’t God love everyone?  Yes, in one sense, His heart is a heart of love towards all of humanity, but He is not able to fully express that love to those who reject Him.  Suppose we have a child whom we love very much but as they grow up they come to listen to the enemy and come to despise, even hate us, for who we are and what we believe.  They cut themselves off from us. We still love them, but are unable to express that love to them for they have gone away from us without letting us know where they are.  God loves all of humanity but is unable to express that love fully until we come to Him and receive His salvation – then the door is wide open for Him to express His love.  This letter comes to Christians – those who have opened their hearts to God and have received His love.

Third, they are “called to be saints.” This doesn’t mean only a little band of very special people, but all Christians.  We are called to be children of God. We are called to be receivers of eternal life.  We are called “to be” many things. The words, ‘to be’ don’t refer to some future experience but to living out an ongoing life.  We are ‘a saint’ the moment we are born again.  The word refers to holiness, a holy one, a separated out one, one who has entered into a living relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  We are called to live out that life as an ongoing experience of Him. Rome – where these Christians lived.  Loved – why they are now Christians.  Saints – living out these new separated out lives, empowered by the Holy Spirit.  THESE people are recipients of God’s blessing, God’s decree of goodness.

So what is the blessing?  It is a twofold decree: of grace and peace. Grace is about what we have received (and continue to receive) and peace is about the nature of our ongoing experience with God. In its most simple description, ‘grace’ is simply God’s resource to enable us to live our lives as His children and to overcome the trials and tribulations that we encounter living in a Fallen World. It also enables us to serve Him and His calling on our lives. This ‘resource’ is His very own Holy Spirit. HE, Himself is the only resource we need. He provides strength; He provides wisdom; He provides guidance; He provides power. It is Him, living His life through us. It is His own Holy Spirit who made us new creatures, children of God, and it is His own Holy Spirit who energises and directs us throughout our years on earth. This is what grace actually is.

But then there is peace, the state that we have with God. Because of the work of Christ on the Cross, and because of his rule today at his Father’s right hand, and because of the expression of that through the means of his Holy Spirit that we have just been considering, we can be at complete peace. We are at peace with God because Christ has reconciled us to his Father.  We are at peace within ourselves because we no longer have to strive to try to be someone – we just are, as children of God!  We can be at peace with others because we no longer have to vie with them to get our way; we rest in the Father’s purpose for our lives and His hand on us bringing that about.

Now if these two things are ours already, why does Paul bother to speak them out? Why do they come as a blessing?  Because a blessing is simply a speaking out of the decreed will of God and it enables that will to be further administered. So as you read these notes and meditate on these things, grace and peace be to you!

This is my story; this is my song! God reveals Himself primarily through His Word rather than through emotional experiences at our local church meeting. Before anyone protests, I am not saying that God is not in our church meetings or revivals or weekend retreats; I am saying that if you are looking for God, open your Bible.

The real God is found in these pages, which He writes on our hearts every day as we read and study His very Words.

Which is better? To hear the actual words of your best friend or to go to a meeting to hear someone else’s words about your best friend? The answer is obvious, writes Paul. He tells us to let the Word of Christ live inside of us with the riches of the Holy Spirit to guide us into all wisdom.

How is it that we teach others? Teach others to open God’s Word; to allow God’s Word to permeate the mind and soul. In this way, we will each know what is the will of God

I started a new job recently.

On the first day I was supposed to get to work a little early to start some paperwork before the Monday morning meeting. Since I have time issues, I usually take some measures to ensure I’ll get there when I am supposed to (I don’t have a great internal mechanism for letting me know I’ve begun to be late). Part of my plan for this particular Monday was to drive out to the office at some point during the weekend, just to make sure I knew how long it took to get there (and therefore knew when to leave).

And then I never got around to it.

So there I was on Sunday night, relating this to a friend, and she asks me if I need to take off in order to take that drive. To which I reply, “Naw, I’ll just MapQuest it.”

And then I promptly got on the computer and used Google Maps to plot out my course.

As I thought about this later, this is what struck me. I say “MapQuest it,” even though I fully intend to use Google Maps, because “Google Maps it” just feels awkward coming out. It’s a testament to just how great the name MapQuest was when they branded their online map service in 1996. But the reality is, even though I probably say “MapQuest it” all the time, I haven’t used MapQuest since the day I found Google Maps. Yet here I am tossing their name around, and then doing something, which may look like it is associated with them, that isn’t connected with them at all.

So, this morning Jehovah’s Witnesses came to my front door. During their (disappointingly short) presentation they called themselves Christians. And, you know, they do stuff that looks like it is associated with Christianity, but in reality isn’t connected with it at all.

The church gets “MapQuest-ed” too.

And I don’t want to pick on the Jehovah’s Witnesses. We’ve got people in the media, people in politics, people in other religious faiths, and people in pseudo-ministries who all toss around the word “Christian,” appearing to be associated with it, but in reality having no connection at all.

It’s a testament to the power behind the movement that was started by Jesus.

Paul wrote in Philippians:

“It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.”

It begs the question, “How can you be okay with people co-opting the message of Christ for their own gain? How does that benefit the message of the gospel?”

If I were to guess, I’d say that maybe in a time when the world had yet to hear about the resurrection of Jesus, however some spread the story, priming people’s hearts to hear the truth is a good thing. And that maybe it doesn’t matter if people are first exposed to a pseudo-gospel, or even an anti-gospel, because it will just make the real thing sound that much sweeter.

I suppose that Paul believed in the power of the truth. And that when the truth reached  a man’s heart, it was more powerful than any darkness that might have already been planted there.

“So,” he says, “let them preach. They think it will hurt me, but really it will just make the glorious truth all the more powerful when it leaves our lips.”

I have to admit that I am a bit inspired while thinking on this. Today, we don’t have any control over who does things in the name of “Christianity.” Terrible things have already been done in that name, and I’m sure there are terrible things yet to be done. But our responsibility is not to quiet their voices, but instead continue to lift up our own. We speak with the power of the truth and love; the power of salvation, and there is a world of hearts waiting to hear our words.

Acts 17:4, 12
Some of the Jews were persuaded [in Thessalonica] and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women… Many of the Jews believed [in Berea], as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

I don’t really know much about ancient Greece except that men viewed women in much the same way as women were viewed in Israel and other ancient cultures. Generally, women were relegated to the home and were not encouraged to participate in politics or other “manly” pursuits. And yet, there seemed to be a group of women who broke this mold and managed to become “prominent” or influential all the same. I think most people assume these women were wealthy or connected to free-thinking fathers or husbands who encouraged their independence and abilities.

These were women of power.

And so, when Paul specifically notes that these “prominent women” became believers, this was important. Their faith and leadership would make a difference. Their stand for the Christ would bring others to the faith.

Women have changed the face of our world many times. In recent years, the women’s movement gave rise to prominent women in a variety of fields and interests. [See Women's Hall of Fame for a short list of just American women who had made a mark.]

Who are the prominent women of faith today (in my own lifetime)? Who is really using her influence and placement to further the message of Christ? I’d really like to start building a list. Can you help? Do these qualify? What makes a woman influential? What makes a woman prominent?

Phyllis Tickle, Mother Teresa, Joyce Meyer, Pearl S. Buck, Joni Eareckson Tada, Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, Sandi Patty?

I was having a conversation with someone a few months ago, and i casually mentioned that i no longer listened to Prosperity gospel. This went into a long debate that went on for hours. He was like Wyatt Earp, firing off scripture after scripture to support his case of God promising us wealth and riches. One of them was “the cattle on a thousand hills are his” does that sound like a poor God?

Naturally , the logic follows “How can a rich God , that owns the whole world not want his children to be rich”. Another quote brought up was from apostle Paul,

“my God shall supply all your needs ,according to his riches in glory”.Philippians 4:19
The logic, Paul was rich , thus the reason he prayed “YOUR needs” for the people , and not his own needs. Needless to say as i went back to read that verse, from the beginning to the end, that assumption of riches is totally out of context. Paul was thanking them, for the previous times they had sacrificially financially catered for him,in his last visit, and at that point in time we did not need it, but placed a blessing on them, for their willingness and generosity. Please Read the entire passage for yourself and see. 1 Corinthians 9 is also a good read concerning Paul’s income status.

However , the cattle on a thousand hills stuck with me. Taken from Psalm 50:10 , it is extremely popular with the prosperity gospel movement and i decided to take a look at it for what it fully meant, and the context in which it was said.

Does God own the cattle on the hills and the whole world. YES, Is out God rich, of course he is, but i doubt if riches to God, is sitting in his money room, counting gold and diamonds gleefully, as his Angel Gabriel reads his balance sheet out loud for the umpteenth time. This verse is quoted in isolation to justify and promote the desire to be rich, wealthy and seize the promises that a rich God has provided.

So let’s see what it says

v 10 For all the animals of the forest are mine and i own the cattle on a thousand hills
v11 Every bird of the mountain and all the animals of the field belong to me
v12 If i were hungry i would not mention it to you, for all the world is mine and everything in it
v13 I do not need the bulls you sacrifice, i do not need the blood of goats

Here’s a key verse

v14 What i want instead is your true thanks to God; I want you to fulfil your vows to to the most high.
v15 Trust me in your times of trouble and i will rescue you and you will give me glory

ZOOMING out of the isolation of verse 10 , an often misinterpreted passage , reading the whole passage , we would realise that God is not saying , “the cattle on a thousand hills are mine , so you get them in the will my child, take it , it’s yours”.

This passage is a chastisement to those that carry out religious ceremony, those playing church so to speak. They cross all the T’s and dot all the i’s , but it’ s all routine. Done out of some sort of obligation rather than love and desire. He was speaking them that did acts and went , “Hey, check out, look at my God badge”, but lived lives of hypocrisy,lives contrasting to the God they claimed. He was speaking to

HYPOCRITES; v16-17 But God says to the wicked “Recite my laws no longer and don’t pretend that you obey me.For you refuse my discipline and treat my laws like trash.
ACCOMPLICES TO THE WICKED; v 18 When you see a thief you help him, and you spend your time with adulterers
LIARS ; v19 Your mouth is full of wickedness and your tongues are full of lies
SLANDERERS :v 20 You sit around and slander a brother, your own mothers son

Verses 21 -22 Go on to explain God’s verdict towards all this , a sound WARNING

When you did all this ,I remained silent, and you thought i didn’t care. But now i will rebuke you, listing all my charges against you. Repent all you ignore me, or i will tear you apart and no one will help you.

This passage is FAR from the endorsement or promise of financial prosperity as it is often used in isolation. It is a warning to those paying God lip service.

Lest i do what they do, the passage ends on a hopeful note

v23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honours me.If you keep to my path i will reveal to you the salvation of God.

Read the entire Psalm 50, to see the introduction God is given ,lest we read in isolation.

SELAH

CATTLE ON THE HILLS

Yksi vaikuttavimmista lukemistani kirjoista on kanadalaisen William P. Youngin luomus The Shack. Se kummittelee mielessäni kerta toisensa jälkeen, joten on pakko kertoa siitä näin blogin muodossa. Varoitan jo etukäteen, että tämä kirjoitus sisältää paljastuksia kirjan juonesta. Yritän kuitenkin kertoa kirjasta niin, ettei mitään yllättävää ja oleellista kirjasta nauttimisen kannalta paljastuisi.

Mac on kokenut elämässään kauheimman asian, jonka perheenisä voi kokea: menettänyt oman nuorimman tyttärensä. Kirjassakin koskettavasti kuvaillut tapahtumat varjostavat Macin elämää päivittäin. Eräänä yksinäisenä, lumimyrskyisenä iltana Mac saa postilaatikkoonsa kirjeen, jossa ”Papa” kutsuu hänet vierailulle samaan vajaan(shack), josta Macin tytär löytyi kuolleena sairaan sarjamurhaajan jäljiltä. Jokin kirjeessä saa Macin ihon kananlihalle: hänen vaimonsa on aina kutsunut Macille itselleen vieraista ja kaukaista Jumalaa tuttavallisemmin ”Papaksi”. Vierailu vajassa muuttaa Macin elämän lopullisesti. Hän kohtaa Jumalan paikassa, joka symboloi hänen elämänsä synkimpiä asioita. Kohtaaminen on kaikkea muuta kuin tavanomainen.

The Shack järkyttää länsimaalaisen siistiä kristillisyyttä sen perustuksia myöten. Kirjassa Jumalan persoona Isä on lämminhenkinen ja tukeva tummaihoinen nainen. Mieleen tulee väistämättä Matrix elokuvan oraakkeli ja Oprahin kaltainen isovanhempi. Alitajuntaamme hakattu kuva Jumalasta gandalfmaisena ja pitkäpartaisena tuomarina ei näytä sopivan kirjailijan näkemykseen. Tarinan poikamainen Jeesus on veikeä mutta järkevä puuseppä, jonka kanssa Mac tulee parhaiten toimeen. Pyhä Henki on arvaamaton mutta kokonaisvaltaisen ihana tuulenomainen hahmo. Kirjan järisyttävä kuvaus kolminaisuudesta on saanut monet nimekkäät pastorit ja teologit nousemaan vastarintaan(Mark Driscoll; Mars Hill Church). Ironista tosin on se, että suurin osa vastustajista myöntää, että kirja on jäänyt lukematta.

Suomalaisten seurakuntien kasvattina olen tottunut siihen, että kristinuskon voi nauttia siistissä paketissa, joka tarjoaa vastauksen kaikkeen. Meidän uskoamme kantaa selkeät opit, joiden sanomme nousevan suoraan Raamatusta. Harva uskaltaa myöntää, että monet näennäisesti raamatulliset käsityksemme nousevat yhdenlaisesta raamatuntulkintaperinteestä. Meidän järkkymättömät dogmimme ja kauniit kuvauksemme ovat vain välähdyksiä siitä, millainen Jumala todellisuudessa on. Todellinen Jumala ei mahdu täysin yhteenkään inhimilliseen vertauskuvaan, uskontunnustukseen, opinkappaleeseen tai tunteeseen.

The Shack on tarpeellinen uskonpuhdistus jokaiselle kristitylle. Siinä kuvataan välähdyksenomaisesti niitä Jumalan piirteitä, jotka jäävät usein meiltä huomaamatta: äitimäinen huolehtiva rakkaus, terapiamainen eheyttävä voima ja se tosiasia, että Jumala ei tarvitse suorituksiamme tai rukouksiamme mihinkään. Kaamean isäkuvan saanut Mac ei käsitä ajatusta kaikkivaltiaasta Taivaallisesta Isästä, joka sallii Macin rakkaan lapsen kuoleman. Rikkinäisessä vajassa ilmestyvä äitimäinen Jumala näyttää hänelle, miten tämän kanssa suhteessa eläminen voi hoitaa syvimpiäkin haavoja. Samalla käydään läpi kristinuskon vaikeimpia kysymyksiä liittyen mm. pahan ongelmaan ja anteeksiantoon.

Jos luulet tuntevasi Jumalan, lue The Shack avoimella mielellä. Pääset kyynelten, naurun ja arvoitusten matkalle, joka toivottavasti muuttaa käsityksiäsi elämästä lopullisesti.

(The Shack julkaistiin omakustanteisena mutta nousi USA Todayn bestselleriksi, kun sitä oli myyty miljoona kappaletta. Kirja piti pitkään paikkansa ykköspaikalla New York Timesin paperikantisten kirjojen best seller listalla. Päivä Oy on ilmoittanut julkaisevansa kirjan suomeksi. Myös kirjaan pohjautuvasta elokuvasta on kuulunut huhuja.)

The idea that the church is the bride of Christ is common in popular thinking, especially in hymns and songs.  This is based on the common metaphor drawn from the Hebrew Bible that Israel is God’s bride.  Beginning in Hosea, the prophets use the metaphor of a marriage relationship frequently to describe God’s relationship to his people.  This metaphor is almost entirely negative since Israel was an unfaithful bride.  Jesus employs similar language as the Hebrew prophets, calling his himself a bridegroom and comparing both his current ministry and future return to a wedding banquet (Mt 22:1-12, 25:1-14).

As the idea that the Church has replaced Israel as God’s people became dominant, it was quite easy to extend the metaphor of a marriage to the church.  Just as the idea was common in the Hebrew Bible, so too the image of the church as the bride of Christ became pervasive in medieval theology and art.  For many, the idea of the church as the bride of Christ is the dominant metaphor in their theology.  But the basis for this metaphorical transfer is a replacement theology (even if it is implicit); anyone who rejects replacement theology will also think about the usefulness of this metaphor for the church.

It remains a fact, however, that Paul describes the church as a virgin being prepared for marriage in Eph 5:21-33.  Christ’s love for the church is described in 5:25-26, 29.  Paul cites foundational text for marriage in the Hebrew Bible (Gen 2) and draws an analogy from it.  The relationship of Christ and church similar to that of the married couple – they are “one flesh” in Gen 2.  Therefore there is some intimate connection between Christ and the church which can be described in similar terms.

There is something of an eschatological perspective in this bridal metaphor in Eph 5.  Christ is the head of the church, which submits to his authority.  That all things will submit to the authority of Christ is a view of the future when Christ returns (cf. Phil 2:5-11).  But, on the other hand, the marriage is already in existence and there are aspects of a realized eschatology here. On the other hand, the idea of a splendid church (5:27) may imply a future eschatological element is present.  At some point in the future the church will finally be a pure and spotless bride prepared for the bridegroom at the Second Coming (the “wedding supper”).   I am tempted to see this as another aspect of the already / not yet tension of Pauline eschatology, but I am not sure that Paul’s topic in Eph 5 is eschatology at all, but rather the purity of the church in the prestent age.

It could therefore be argued that Paul, who took a negative approach of sexual purity (commands not do be immoral, 5:3-7), now adopts a positive argument, “reflect the love of Christ” in sexual ethics (your own partner).  The “function” of the metaphor is to get the husbands to see themselves as in some ways an “ecclesial bride,” if Christ and the church are “one flesh,” and covenant loyalty is obvious and required, then the husband ought to have the same level of commitment to their wives.

So Paul does use the marriage metaphor, but he spins in the direction of a ethical teaching on the relationship of a husband and wife in their marriage relationship.

After seeing the movie Zelda and I found so many things that fascinated us in New Moon. It’s always the little things that make a film special for me. So in honor to our favorite parts in Chris Weitz’ awesome adaptation, we now proudly present the 1st How To Dazzle Awards, handed out by an unbelievably dazzling jury consisting of… well,uhm, Zelda and me!

And the award goes to…

1. Best make-up: Rob’s airbrushed on abs in the Volterra scene. And just in case that one doesn’t count because it’s not really what anyone woud call make-up, we pick Dakota Fanning’s Jane make-up. Simply because it looked awesome and kind of creepy at the same time.

2. Best intentionally funny moment: Emmett grinning and saying “Dating an older girl, hot!” and Edward’s face when he realizes the joke, hilarious. Lucky Bella didn’t hear that. She would have totally freaked out, cause you know, age’s a touchy subject for her…

3. Best song: Lykke Li – Possibility because it’s so melancholy beautiful and fits the scene where the months pass for Bella so well. Just in case you don’t remember it properly, enjoy it again here:

4. Best line: Jacob talking Quileute to Bella right before the phone rings. I cannot write the line down here cause to be honest I have no idea how to spell it, sorry! Nevertheless the jury (Zelda and I) found this so heartwrenching and cute. Jake, if she doesn’t want you, you can talk Quileute to me anytime you want, ifyouknowwhatimsaying….

5. Best CGI Wolf: The one where Jacob transforms mid-air to save Bella from Paul. I mean, how cool is that?

Taylor Lautner sporting best abs AND best outfit...

6. Best outfit: Jorts, definitely jorts! Basically because they’re not really an outfit at all. Major win! Show us what you got, guys!

7. Best special effect: Edward sparkling in the sun, just because he looks absolutely dazzling there. This is how it is done, Cathy Hardwicke! Chris really beat your ass there! Thanks a lot for finally making Edward shimmer as if he consisted of diamonds, this is how it’s supposed to be. Cause you all know what’s said about diamonds and girls, right?

8. Best abs: Taylor Lautner as Jacob. I have no idea what they did with him in between Twilight and New Moon but damn he looks ripped! Those abs are beyond a six-pack. They even got a tribute scene of their own aka Jacob standing half-naked on the street stopping Edward’s car with his abs. Awesome!

Rachelle Lefevre aka the most dazzling redhead in the whole wide world

9. Best hair: Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria, no one can compete with this! Wish I had her hair… instead I’m stuck with stupid long brown Bella hair… maybe a bit more beautiful than Bella’s (perhaps a result of not wearing a stupid hairband all the time like a seven year old girl…) but still no comparison to Rachelle’s. I’m not only gonna miss her in Eclipse but her hair as well, I guess…

10. Best scene: The one where you see the months pass for Bella. Because it’s simply perfect! I cannot imagine this one any better. The sad song, Bella looking horrible sitting on her chair, staring out the window completely motionless and most of all, the names of the months. I so wanted to see them on screen, and I got them.
This might be the actual reason why I want to marry Chris Weitz… or at least name my first child in honor to him…

So this were our personal winners. At lest the ones we noticed while watching New Moon for the first time. Wanna see us handing out the Dazzling Raspberry for the not so amazing parts? Because we will! Not today though. Today we simply enjoy Chris Weitz’ brilliant work some more…

a

Off to dye my hair to make it look like Rachelle’s (as if that would ever work…)

Saveyoursoul

a

What were your favorite parts? Which things did you not like that much? Any categories we forgot to mention? Leave us a comment or e-mail us!

Meditations in Romans : 4 :  Called to Obedience

Rom  1:5,6 Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

We live in days when ‘obedience’ is not a much used word. We like to do what we want to do, what feels right for me. Obedience for adults smacks of control and abuse, we think. When we hear of obedience being mentioned we think of ‘heavy shepherding’, of people being told what to do by authoritative leaders and stories of abuse abound, don’t they!  Well actually that was the theme of gossip in Christian circles twenty years ago, but today we just go with the ethos of the world and prefer to do our own thing. In fact in some churches I am sure that if there was directive teaching that required conformity to standards laid down by the Biblical preacher, there would be uproar – yet that is what the New Testament clearly teaches!

Paul refers to his calling and says that through Christ he has received two things: grace and apostleship. Grace is simply the God-given ability to do something, and God had given Paul the ability to do what he did, and that leading and enabling meant that he did things that were the mark of an apostle and therefore he had the ministry of apostleship. This calling, he said, had come from Christ and was ‘for his name’s sake’, i.e. it was to honour Christ’s own calling. We have already seen how Paul was Christ’s servant, but Jesus was there on earth as a servant of his Father, to fulfil the divine plan. Jesus had prayed, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you,” (Jn 17:21) and then gone on to ask for his church, that it would work in such a way that the world would know and honour the Father. This was the order: Paul’s ministry would honour Jesus and Jesus would honour the Father. That was what Paul’s ministry was about.

But the outworking of it was to call people from all over the world, the Gentiles, to come to Christ.  And why should they come to Christ? Because they needed to be saved, and Christ was the means of saving them. But it wasn’t just about a one-off being ‘born again’; that was just the start. From the moment of our conversion we start a long walk with Christ where he teaches us to be obedient to his word and to the leading of his Spirit so that we are changed into the likeness of Christ (2 Cor 3:18)

This brings us back to the subject of obedience again. How can we change unless he guides us and we follow? The ‘following’ is an act of obedience.  From the start, Jesus taught his disciples, “Follow me.” (e.g. Mt 4:19, 8:22, 9:9, 10:38 etc.).  Today we ‘follow’ him by responding to the prompting and leading of his Holy Spirit. Jesus came to usher in a ‘kingdom’ (Mt 3:2, 4:17,23) – the rule of God on earth through Jesus and then, subsequently, through us his followers.

Now that ‘kingdom’ or ‘rule’ is a benign rule, a rule of goodness and of love. Everything the Father does through Jesus is to bring His love into our experience so when we talk about ‘obedience’ we need to think very differently to any other use of the word. It simply refers to us bringing our thinking and our lives generally, into line with God’s desire to bless us, and the channel through which He brings that blessing is His Son, Jesus.  Jesus is the means through which we can be forgiven and Jesus is the administrator of God’s goodness which he is able to bring to us as we respond to his leading.

But, we note, it is all by faith, says Paul. We are people of faith because everything we do in response to God, we do in response to one who we cannot see with our eyes or hear with our ears. We ‘hear’ him in our spirit, and faith is responding to what we have heard at that deep inner level. We may use our minds to process what our spirit is sensing but it is then an act of will which exercises faith.  It is as we respond in faith that Jesus is able to lead us and we obey and he blesses.

But there is yet something else here for Paul speaks to those of us, God’s children, Christians, who are called to belong to Christ. Why do we ‘belong’ to him? Because he purchased us: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (Rev5:9,10). Imagine a slave condemned to death who is then bought and set free. That is the picture language of the New Testament. Later in this same book Paul writes, “though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” (Rom 6:17,18). The same idea comes up in a variety of forms in the New Testament: “he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” (Col 1:13). We belong to Christ, we live in his kingdom, the kingdom of light, a kingdom of righteousness, a kingdom where obedience to the king is the norm. All these pictures say the same thing: we are part of a kingdom, a kingdom of love and goodness, and a kingdom has a king and kings require obedience, but this obedience is about doing what is good, loving, right, to live in an environment where those characteristics are the characteristics of blessing that comes from God. Who would say that this sort of obedience is hard?

It’s like the story taken out of the book of Esther.  A beauty queen becomes God’s woman and saves the nation. These are what I hear for storylines about Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska and Miss USA runner-up Carrie Prejean. Celucien Joseph of Christ My Righteousness has posted in recent months on the saga of Carrie Prejean and the problematic nature of her (and therefore Christian women’s) involvement in beauty pageants (cuz they are just scholarship contests, right?). (see here and here)

Should Christian women objectify themselves wearing two-piece swimwear? What does this say about the purpose of  human body? For me, the earliest Christians believed that the human body was the Holy of Holies , the sanctuary of the God Most High.  In agreement with the Evangelist in the Gospel of John, the apostle Paul asked the church of Corinth, “Do you not know that you are God’s Holy of Holies and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys that temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. One of my favorite Church fathers, Clement of Alexandria once inquired, “Without the body, how could the divine plan for us in the church achieve its end?” (Stromata 3.17.103:3, 2).  Given that the human body has a divine purpose (the indwelling of the Third Person of the Holy Trinity), perhaps Christian men and women should be cautious of how they present themselves in public.  Christianity is a public religion grounded in the faith of a publicly executed Messiah.

Christians should really consider how Solomon was allowed to build the LORD’s temple and not David. God is Spirit; God needs human bodies to execute his divine plan for creation.  This is the truth of God’s election of the enslaved Jewish bodies during their tribulation in Egypt.  This is the very truth of the Incarnation on which the Church stands. Given the theological considerations, and the scriptural precedent of stories such as queens Vashti and Esther, as well as the strange story of King David dancing, wearing an ephod, the Church may need to prioritize the human body when considering engagement in political life.  Oddly enough, there is in this story of David’s two-step with God something that is rarely pointed out: what happens after the dancing? As the story goes, King David blesses the people in the name of YHWH, the LORD of hosts and feeds them all a cake of bread and a cake of raisins.  David not only cared to praise the LORD with his own body, but he also worshipped God through providing food for those in need, feeding temples that needed to be filled.

That brings me back to American politics, Christianity and beauty pageants. The recent popularity of Palin and Prejean, regardless of whether you agree with their politics or not, should challenge the Church to reexamine not only the way women view and use their bodies, but also the ways that men view and use their own bodies. What is more disturbing than Palin’s or Prejean’s involvement in an ambiguously moral event that parades as a scholarship contest is the Church’s views on the value of human bodies, and which human bodies are valued.  Are American temples of God’s Breathe more valuable than Afghani or Iraqi temples of God’s Breathe? Are there certain human bodies we are more likely to execute via the electric chair or go to war with simply because of the color of their skin? American politics, sadly enough, has become not about what a person stands for or has voted for, but what a person looks like, who that person appeals to.  Do we trust governors who claim to be conservative because he looks the part, but has never once voted that way in his career? Do we elect a progressive politician  who promises to rule from the “center” when in reality he nominates radicals to her administration?  This is the real tragedy that  the pageantry in North American politics has become.  Because looks can be deceiving.

And Scott Bailey, seriously, enough with the haterade! :p

Truth and Peace,

Rod

From 1978, George “Lightnin’ Licks” and Louis “Thunder Thumbs” Johnson at their most powerful.

The band Oceans music net has a myspace page and youtube channel oceansmusic

Endurance -The Live Sessions – Oceans – Leo-Davide-Paul-Pauly-Mark From Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Here is a new band that I found on the internet that someone recommended to me, and again I cannot remember who or where.

It may have been on Twitter, I’ve been getting a lot of feedback on there lately and on youtube.

Oceans endurance album cover idea girl consulting

oceans davide guitar vocals - endurance idea girl consulting

oceans the live sessions album cover idea girl consulting

Atticus Bart, Atticus Bede, Atticus Jago, Atticus Roan, Atticus Cillian.

Atticus Emeric Wolf

Atticus Guy Steven

Atticus Ira Thomas

Atticus Jasper West

Atticus Barnaby Jude

Atticus Jay Thomas

Atticus Leo Walter

Atticus Lysander Penn

Atticus Lev Henry

Atticus Reuben Francis

Atticus Benjamin Rex

Atticus Sebastian James

Atticus Nathaniel August

Atticus Henry Raphael

Atticus Jacob Paul

Atticus James Baxter

Atticus Baxter Rowan

Hej kära bloggläsare!

If your name is Asta or Astrid, then today is your day! Grattis!

Weather has been ok. Sunny and cool.

I survived Thanksgiving yesterday. I managed to not even cry once.

We ate at the community dinner at noon. My cousin and her husband and many many volunteers cook a feast every year. It costs nothing to eat there. They donate all the food and the time. It is held in a different church every year. With 7 churches in town, it is not a hardship on any church. They feed around 200 every year, I think. It was our first year eating there. With no family left, or no family who want to be here, much better than sitting home alone. Saw so many people that I know. It was a very nice time.  My brother, John, Willie, and I ate there.

I slept most of the afternoon. Just tired, sick of sports or western movies, and I did not have to think.

In the evening we went to Sally and Paul’s to eat. It was very hard for me to agree to go there. I thought I would feel like we were intruding on their family time. But I did not. Willie even seemed to enjoy the evening. Their son Jordy, his girlfriend Rosie, and their daughter Richea were there. It was Richea’s dog we took care of before! Sally fixed a feast. You could not have paid me to check my blood sugar last nite!!! Then we played a game. Even though Willie did not join in, he enjoyed watching us and we all laughed a lot.

I truly cannot put into words how nice it was to be with people and feel like family. We all got along and laughed. Not one person there was playing head games like has gone on in our family for years. It was a joy. It was a joy.

Today is a day of rest. No work, no Swedish group, no housework. Just rest.

‘An apple, a pear, a plum, or a cherry, any good thing to make us all merry’.

«Ett gott skratt förlälnger livet!»

Go Sounders!!!

Create your own visitor map!

Julie-Ann den 27/11/09                      Hemlängtan för Sverige!

HT: Mark Goodacre

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7QE5l3XbF8&feature=player_embedded

John Polhill comments that Ephesians is unique among the Pauline Letters (P&HL, 354).  The letter has the most to say about the “universal church” and lacks the sort of specific problems which form the occasion for each of the previous letter of Paul.

The traditional view is that Paul is the author as is claimed in 1:1 of the letter.  While Pauline authorship was questioned by Erasmus as early as 1519, it was not until F. C. Bauer that Paul as author was seriously questioned.  Since the mid-nineteenth century, Pauline authorship of the letter is routinely dismissed.  An increasingly common view is that the book was written in Paul’s name by someone who was familiar with Paul’s thought (Luke? Onesimus?)  It is possible that Paul was the writer of an original letter but that letter was edited by another writer who may or may not have been acting under Paul’s orders.

Several arguments can be made against Pauline authorship of Ephesians:

Vocabulary and style of the letter. There are more than 80 words that are not found elsewhere in the Pauline literature, almost half of which are not found anywhere else in the New Testament.   Five of these words are not found in the New Testament or the LXX, but are common in the Apostolic literature.  This fact is used to argue that Ephesians was written late in the first century.

• The common Pauline term brethren is missing (except 6:23)
• The writer never calls the Jewish people “Jews” in the epistle, even though the Jews are an important part of his argument.
• The verb “to justify” is not used, while it is common in Galatians and Romans.
• The more common vocabulary for time and Satan  are not used.
• Some vocabulary that is used in Ephesians is used with a different meaning than in other Pauline epistles.
• Words such as mystery, stewardship, church, inheritance, possession, etc. are used with an unusual meaning if the epistle were written by Paul.

Similarity to Colossians. The apparent dependence on Colossians and other Pauline writings leads some to draw the conclusion that the writer is a later Christian drawing on sources rather than Paul himself.

The relationship of the epistle to the history and literary background of the New Testament. The title, “to the Ephesians” is missing in some key manuscripts. In addition to this, Paul does not seem to know his readers at all (as implied in 1:15; 3:2-3; 4:21).  There is no specific mention of the church or any problems within the church, nor is there any explicit reference to the city of Ephesus in the letter.

• It is clear only Gentile Christians are addressed even though the church in Ephesus (as we know it from Acts) was a mixed congregation.
• There are no personal greetings by Paul as is his normal practice in each of his other epistles.
• There is a final blessing to the readers, but rather than the typical second person blessing  it is in the third person.
• It is commonly thought that 3:5 speaks of the other Apostles as if they are already dead.
• The reference to the “dividing wall” in 2:14 is taken as an allusion to the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70,  placing the writing of the epistle after this time.
• It was popular at one time to find Gnostic teaching in the book, pushing the date into the second century.

While this list of potential objections seems formidable, each can be explained without resorting to non-Pauline authorship.  Concerning the vocabulary of the epistle, it is true that there is a wide variety of vocabulary present in the epistle that is not found elsewhere in Paul of the New Testament.   The differences are not, however, out of line with the other unchallenged Pauline letters.  Romans and Corinthians have about 100 hapax legomena each, Philippians has 50, and Galatians has 30.  The 80 in Ephesians are slightly higher than average, but not so far above normal to raise concern.   Paul had a rich and flexible vocabulary.

How are we to explain the very difficult problem of Paul’s ignorance of the church at Ephesus and the lack of details pertaining to the church? This is best explained by pointing out that there are no details concerning any church or city, not Ephesus or any other church.  There are manuscripts that are missing the words “to Ephesus” and Marcion calls the letter “To the Laodicians.”  The book we have as Paul’s letter to the Ephesians may have been intended as a circular letter to be read and passed on in many churches.  The church at Ephesus may have kept their letter and sent on a copy to the next church, or the copy that was preserved happened to have been last delivered to Ephesus.  This would explain the general tone and the lack of specific details concerning the church.

The book does parallel Colossians and other Pauline letters.  This does not have to be an argument against Pauline authorship.  The similarities could imply that the letter is Pauline as well as it can argue against Pauline authorship. It is not unthinkable that Paul could have written a similar letter to two different recipients, in fact it may be quite likely that Paul did write many similar letters to the churches.

Finally, the doctrinal differences in the letter to the Ephesians are not as great as they might appear (or, as they have been made to appear).  Paul does have a different outlook on some things in this epistle than in others, but in the larger context of the whole book it is very consistent with his theology.  He does teach justification by faith (2:5-8) and he does refer to the Second Coming of the Lord (1:14; 4:30; 5:6; 6:8).  Because Paul is emphasizing some doctrines over others (the universal church as opposed to the local church, for example) does not mean that he is totally contradicting his teaching elsewhere.

Does it matter if Paul wrote the letter or not?  Inerrancy aside, if one were to argue Paul did not write the letter in order to move it into a sort of “second canon” separate from the four undisputed letters, then there is a serious problem for developing a New Testament theology of Paul.  If Ephesians is set aside as secondary to Paul, a great deal of theology of the church must be thought of as post-Pauline and perhaps less authoritative.