Devotions

not through human tradition

Posted on July 5, 2019 by Jefferson Vann

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Galatians 1:11-12 (JDV)

Galatians 1:11 You see – I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel announced by me is not of human origin

Galatians 1:12 because I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation from Jesus Christ.

not through human tradition

Paul had just accused the Galatian Christians of adopting a different gospel than the one he and his team had taught. Now he appears to be answering the unasked question of why they should accept his version of the gospel instead of the one they were being taught. His answer is that Paul got the gospel by direct revelation from Christ himself, not through human tradition.

Paul knew what it was like to rely on human tradition to explain divine truth. Most of his life, he had followed strictly the tenets of the Pharisees. It took a jolt to his world-view on the Damascus Road for him to shake free from that bondage. That made Paul the perfect instrument for ridding early Christianity of the disease of legalism.

Lord, thank you for the gospel that sets us free from slavery to tradition.

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independence day

Posted on July 4, 2019 by Jefferson Vann

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Galatians 1:9-10 (JDV)

Galatians 1:9 As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone is announcing to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him!

Galatians 1:10 You see – am I now trying to persuade humans, or God? Or am I striving to please humans? If I were still trying to please humans, I would not be a servant of Christ.

independence day

On this day when the USA celebrates its independence, it is quite appropriate to think about what Paul is saying in today’s text. He is declaring that the gospel message which is the basis of his ministry did not come through human instruments. What Jesus did on the cross for us did not originate in any ecclesiastical committee. Paul and his missionary team did not answer to a hierarchy in Jerusalem or Antioch or anywhere else.

Paul and his team are taking criticism and don’t feel the church support they expected to receive. At such a point, they could give up, but they choose not to. They choose to keep going, because their calling did not come from humans. Like their message, their calling originated in God. They are ministers, but their ministry is primarily to God, not to the church.

Lord, when we don’t feel the support we expect, ground us in the reality that our calling is from you.

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if it’s new

Posted on July 3, 2019 by Jefferson Vann

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Galatians 1:6-8 (JDV)

Galatians 1:6 I am amazed that you are so quickly transferring away from him who called you by favor to a different gospel – Galatians 1:7 not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

Galatians 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven¹ should announce to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!

if it’s new

We should be careful about spouting off new things when explaining what the Bible teaches. The Bible is not new. So, we can just about be certain that if something we are being told seems new, it isn’t true.

Of course, there are those rare times when we discover truths revealed in the Bible that have been concealed for a long time – by traditional understanding of the text, or by faulty translations. Fortunately we have thousands of years of biblical scholarship that can help us sort those things out.

The caution I see in today’s text is the tendency for people to jump on the bandwagon of new trends in Christian thought. Most of the time, different is not better. Different is wrong.

Lord, keep us from the tendency to try to find new truths in your revelation.

1οὐρανός

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the real rescue

Posted on July 2, 2019 by Jefferson Vann

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Galatians 1:3-5 (JDV)

Galatians 1:3 May you experience favor and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,

Galatians 1:4 who gave himself in behalf of our sins to rescue us from this present evil age,¹ according to the preference² of our God and Father.

Galatians 1:5 To him be the glory for ages and ages. Amen.

the real rescue

The common view of the fate of the lost is that they will suffer unending torment in the next age. But Paul says here that Jesus gave himself to die on the cross not to rescue us from a future hell, but to rescue us from this present evil age. God lives on for ages and ages, and he wants his children – created in his image – to do the same. But this present evil age always ends in death.

The gospel that Paul defends and explains in Galatians is about rescuing us from the mortality of this age. It offers a new chance at immortality, made possible by the substitutionary death of Christ, and the resurrection that he promises. No laws could do that – not even God’s laws.

Lord, thank you for the real rescue – the eternal life that is ours only in Christ.

1αἰών

2θέλημα

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the team

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Jefferson Vann

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Galatians 1:1-2 (JDV)

Galatians 1:1 Paul, a missionary¹ – not sent from humans or by a human, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead –

Galatians 1:2 and all the brothers who are with me: To the congregations² of Galatia.

the team

Not all of Paul’s letters were written by himself alone. Some of them – like Galatians – appear to have been a team effort, and Paul shows this by including them in his introductory salutation. In some cases, this explains the places where the first person plural is used (e.g. 1:8,9; 2:4). I can imagine Paul dictating his letter, and other members of the team perhaps putting in a sentence or two, or reminding him of something to include.

God does not need to work through individuals alone. When a team is dedicated to the same mission, and cooperate to get the mission accomplished, God is glorified in that.

Lord, thank you for those who work together to accomplish your missions work.

1ἀπόστολος

2ἐκκλησία

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credentials

Posted on June 30, 2019 by Jefferson Vann

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Galatians 1:1-2 (JDV)

Galatians 1:1 Paul, a missionary¹ – not sent from humans or by a human, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead –

Galatians 1:2 and all the brothers who are with me: To the congregations² of Galatia.

credentials

Galatians is a letter that reveals a conflict – a contest between Paul and his missionary band and certain within the Galatian congregations that resented them. Much of the letter consists of Paul defending the work of his team – particularly the gospel they had preached. Paul begins by pointing out that his credentials are from Jesus himself. Any missionary who is sent carries with him or her the authority of the sending agency. In this case, the sending agency is heaven. The sender is Christ.

Lord, thank you for sending your very best to teach us your gospel. May we always treat your missionaries with respect.

1ἀπόστολος

2ἐκκλησία

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the third answer

Posted on June 29, 2019 by Jefferson Vann

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Psalm 41:10-13

Psalm 41:10 But you, Yahveh, be gracious to me and raise me up; then I will repay them.

Psalm 41:11 By this I know that you want me: my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.

Psalm 41:12 You supported me because of my integrity and set me in your presence permanently.

Psalm 41:13 Blessed be Yahveh God of Israel, from this age up to the next age. Amen and amen.

the third answer

This is the end of the first book of Psalms. The book began with a promise that the one who chooses God’s road will be fortunate. It ends with a promise from the follower. If God is gracious and raises David up, then everyone will know that the enemy did not triumph over him, because David’s God supported him.

But the prayer uses some specific language which is very significant.

David prays that God will raise him up (קוּם). Such language hints of the resurrection of Christ, and his exaltation back to the right hand of the sky Father (Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Peter 1:21). But David’s confidence is in his own eventual resurrection.

David also is assured that he has been set (נָצַב) in God’s presence permanently. He anticipates an eternal life after his resurrection because God has done something to make that possible. He has this confidence not because he believes he has innate immortality, but because he trusts God to change his mortality into immortality. He longs for his mortal being to be swallowed up by life (2 Corinthians 5:4).

We know from history that God did answer David’s prayer and vindicated him. We also know that Jesus died and rose again. In a sense, God has answered this prayer twice. First, he raised David from his death’s bed, and set him on his throne again. Then, he raised Jesus from his tomb, and set him on his permanent throne.

But I believe there is yet to be a third answer to this prayer. I believe that David’s God will one day literally raise him from the dead, and establish him in his presence permanently.

Lord, thank you for loving us, and not abandoning us to the grave. We wait on you for the third answer.

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when misery hates company

Posted on June 28, 2019 by Jefferson Vann

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Psalm 41:4-9

Psalm 41:4 I said, “Yahveh, be gracious to me; heal my soul, because I have sinned against you.”

Psalm 41:5 My enemies speak maliciously about me: “When will he die and be forgotten?”

Psalm 41:6 When one of them comes to visit, he speaks deceitfully; he stores up evil in his heart; he goes out and talks.

Psalm 41:7 All who hate me whisper together about me; they plan to harm me.

Psalm 41:8 “Something awful has overwhelmed him, and he won’t rise again from where he lies!”

Psalm 41:9 Even my friend in whom I trusted, one who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me.

when misery hates company

It is said that misery loves company, but not when the company consists of false friends who secretly want you dead. David felt that kind of conspiratorial betrayal. Like Job’s miserable comforters,¹ these visitors only made things worse. Jesus knew that he would experience the same thing at the hands of Judas.² His last supper with his disciples must have been an ordeal for him.

David was rescued from those who sought to betray and murder him. But Jesus accepted his fate, because only through the cross could he rescue all of us from the wages we all deserve as sinners — death.

Lord, if we should ever feel victims of conspiratorial betrayal, remind us that we are taking part in the fellowship of sufferings. You went there before us.

1Job 16:2.

2John 13:18.

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insight about of the poor

Posted on June 27, 2019 by Jefferson Vann

girl s white and gray crew neck top holding gray wire fence

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Psalm 41:1-3

Psalm 41:1¹ Fortunate is one who has insight about of the poor; Yahveh will save him in a day of adversity.

Psalm 41:2 Yahveh will keep him and preserve him; he will be blessed in the land. You will not give him over to the throat of his enemies.

Psalm 41:3 Yahveh will reinforce him on his sickbed; you will heal him on the bed where he lies.

insight about of the poor

The king has discovered that poverty in his kingdom is not something to ignore or to be embarrassed about. It is an opportunity to help. In fact, he has found a direct connection between his own acts of charity and God’s choice to deliver him from his enemies. He talked about having insight about the poor. Part of that insight must be that God is watching to see that those of us who have something are willing to share with those who have less. Another part seems to be that God will treat us in our time of need with the same consideration that we have shown to those around us who have need today.

Lord, give us opportunity today to demonstrate your love to the needy.

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¹superscription: A psalm of David.

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something greater

Posted on June 26, 2019 by Jefferson Vann

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Psalm 40:16-17

Psalm 40:16 Let all who seek you rejoice and be happy in you; let those who love your salvation continually say, “Yahveh is great!”

Psalm 40:17 I am oppressed and needy; may my Lord think of me. You are my helper and my deliverer; my God, do not delay.¹

something greater

A few months ago, when I first got the job at a major US home improvement store, it was quite frustrating when customers came to me for help when looking for an item. There were over a million products, and just no way to learn where everything was immediately. Fortunately, the store has an app, so I found myself introducing the customers to the app, and searching for the item for them. I had access to something greater than my own experience, and it prevented much frustration.

The psalms were intricate works of poetry and music, portraying a profound message. This psalm came from one of the cultural heroes, and his message is that there are no self-made men or women. If you want to DIY, get ready for failure and humiliation. But if you reach out to the great helper and deliverer, it is possible to gain some joy and happiness.

Lord, thank you for providing help from something greater than our own experience and ability.

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¹subscription: For the choir director.

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