Devotion.al

Tag: Son

  • 3 is 1 and 1 is 3

    3 is 1 and 1 is 3

    Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Matthew 3:13–17; Matthew 28:16–20; 1 Peter 1:1–2 (read online ⧉)

    This is one of those odd “Liturgical” Sundays in the Christian year. It set aside to specifically observe the creedal declaration of and in the . We have Sundays set aside for Advent, , Christmas, , . These are event-based. It’s not that they don’t have doctrinal pieces in them; their beginning is based upon an event.

    There is an additional oddity, especially for people who call the Bible the Word of God…Trinity appears nowhere, at least not as an explicit term. That’s also what makes this Sunday interesting. A foundational theological basis for orthodox Christianity is not found explicitly in the Bible, yet is one of the key doctrines upon which orthodoxy is defined (i.e., Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses being non-Trinitarian believers).

    One of the biggest things that the Trinity teaches us by its very example is that not everything can be explained by science or even a sound rationalization of the faith. The Trinity can only be believed (ultimately) by faith. The concept that God (the ) is God, Jesus is God, the Holy is God, while, God (the Father) is neither Jesus nor the Holy Spirit, Jesus is neither the Holy Spirit nor God (the Father), and the Holy Spirit is not God (the Father) nor Jesus (An aside: even writing that sentence, which is a simplified excerpt of the Athanasian Creed, hurt my head a bit).

    The beauty of the Trinity is that by the above (for example), we are automatically brought into the realm of knowing that we can not fully understand God. Which is good. When we think we fully understand God, we are in deep danger of having made our own god who is not God.

    While the Trinity does not expressly as a word in the Scriptures, that does not mean it is not present. We need to start with the beginning, though. God is one. One of the biggest dangers with the Trinity is that the confusion that we are talking about 3 gods, rather than 1 God.

    In the Gospels, Matthew has the 2 best almost explicit statements regarding the Trinity. With Jesus’ , Jesus is baptized, “laid upon” by the Holy Spirit, and blessed (and proclaimed) by God (the Father). All 3 persons of the Trinity are present and noted as being present (rather than in other places where they can be assumed to be present).

    In many respects, however, it is Jesus’ Commission of the Disciples (now Apostles) to baptize in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that there is an expression of the doctrine and persons of the Trinity (yet, still no word “Trinity”).

    While this is so, there is something critically important in Peter’s letter. Peter all but declares the Trinity in his opening. There are several reasons this is important. First, it’s Peter. His place as one of Jesus’ core disciples, and his place as commissioned leader of the church (by Jesus) makes his words critically important to our understanding of the church.

    Before the “doctrine” was declared, before the Athanasian Creed was , before the understood writing of the Gospels, Peter brought the Trinity to the church.

    In lieu of prayer or questions, and in honor of the tradition in more “liturgical” churches to speak it on Trinity Sunday, below is the Athanasian Creed.
    ※Athanasian Creed※

    Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic[1] Faith. Which Faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic Faith is this, That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.

    For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.

    But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is all one, the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal.

    Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.

    The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated.

    The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.

    The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.

    And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.

    As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.

    So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Spirit Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.

    So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.

    So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord.

    And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity, to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; so are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion, to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords.

    The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten.

    The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten. Likewise also the Holy Spirit is of the Father, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

    So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons, one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other, none is greater, or less than another; But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together, and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.

    Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting , that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds, and Man, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world; perfect God, and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting; equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead, and inferior to the Father, as touching his Manhood.

    Who although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ; one; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the Manhood into God; one altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven; He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.

  • Athanasian Creed

    Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic Faith is this, That we worship one God in , and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.

    For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the .

    But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is all one, the equal, the Majesty co-eternal.

    Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.

    The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated.

    The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.

    And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.

    As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.

    So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Spirit Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.

    So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.

    So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord.

    And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity, to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; so are we forbidden by the Catholic , to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords.

    The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten.

    The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten. Likewise also the Holy Spirit is of the Father, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

    So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons, one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other, none is greater, or less than another; But the whole three Persons are co-eternal , and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.

    Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting , that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds, and Man, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world; perfect God, and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and flesh subsisting; equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead, and inferior to the Father, as touching his Manhood.

    Who although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ; one; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the Manhood into God; one altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven; He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done into everlasting .

    This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.

  • Only the Beginning

    Only the Beginning

    Psalm 104:24–35; Joel 2:18–29; Romans 8:18–24 (read online ⧉)

    We have lost a lot in the modern . One of the things is awareness of the land. In the current COVID-19 situation, we may be regaining some of that, as prices go up with agricultural workers being unavailable due to illness.

    The health of the land was deeply tied to the health of its people. We’ve seen some strange perspectives of that with both environmental activists and blind corporate juggernauts.

    For many the environmental ties to a flourishing people are obvious. To others, not so much. In the era of Jesus and even today, when nature has severe weather, agriculture often takes the brunt of it. In Paul’s age, they were very much aware of that, especially as there were a series of famines. Thus the land needing healing was quite obvious to any person.

    The land was tied to prosperity. An unhealthy land made for unhealthy people. It was also the case, which was Joel’s point, that an unhealthy people made for an unhealthy land. Paul noted that it was just humanity that longed for a Savior…the rest of Creation longed for it, too.

    Pentecost wouldn’t seem to have much to do with that, yet, it is the empowerment by the Holy Spirit of the people of God, that would be the new shepherds to heal the land. and mercy were not just to be attributes of God, they were to be attributes of his people.

    The land isn’t just the physical land and the animals, it is the of the people in it, too. The land, our land, is very sick. It is not just COVID-19, it is something far deeper and even more ill. There is an illness that is infecting the souls of the people of our nation and even the people of the Body of Christ.

    We may not be able to fix it all, and we certainly cannot heal it all. We can be the messengers of love, , and mercy. In so doing, as we guard our words and actions, we will be different than the world that seeks to attack and destroy others.

    The love of Jesus Christ cannot back down, and the Body of Christ cannot just let the vileness that pervades continue to build and lash out. We are not called to lash out as the world. We are to say that Christ died for them to heal their . We can only walk them on the journey.

    ※ [BCPOnline] ※

    O God, who on Pentecost taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy ; through Jesus Christ your our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    ※ Afterward ※

    Questions seem superfluous. The recent death of George Floyd has taken an anxiety-ridden world and launched chaos. The rise of mayhem and violence will not heal or reconcile. It will only harden hearts. We are called to be the church for such times as this. How we can and will respond in this and in all such, we can only pray that we bring honor and glory to God.

  • Falling Down

    Falling Down

    Numbers 11:24–30; Joel 2:27–29; Acts 2:1–21 (read online ⧉)

    Just in case you didn’t know, today is Pentecost. Some call it the “true” birth of the Church for the Holy Spirit fell upon the people of God, and has not left us yet. It is also called Whitsunday, of which part that is white (for purity) and the other is whit (Old English for wit, or ).

    It is not the case that Jesus left us bare. It is the case that Jesus left us with fire. The of (whether in Numbers or Acts) were representative of the Holy Spirit and God’s /speech being active. It is not coincidental that the tongues of flame seen on Pentecost were previously seen in Moses’ time.

    Think of Moses’ words to Joshua in to Joshua’s complaint that 2 elders who dishonored God and Moses spoke via the Holy Spirit, “If only all the LORD’s people were prophets and the LORD would place his Spirit on them!” This also goes hand-in-hand with Joel’s words, “I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity.”

    In all likelihood, you have not seen some with tongues of fire over their heads. You may have witnessed—or been part of a tradition—where people spoke “in tongues”. Neither is required as evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a of God, and is God. Through the guidance (wisdom) of the Holy Spirit, we see the Scriptures for what they are…the Word of God.

    This is not to say that the Holy Spirit was never present before, quite the contrary. What this means is that the of the Holy Spirit in the church is distinctly different than what is and was present outside of the church. Theologians still try to the whys and wherefores of the difference.

    One of the biggest differences is that while the Holy Spirit was generally present (just as today), the Holy Spirit as expressed through prophets was unique to the calling of the prophets. The Pentecostal gift of the Holy Spirit was that all received the Holy Spirit expressly, not generally.

    This does not mean that all are gifted with foretelling (often called prophesy) or Truth-telling (also called prophesy, or preaching). The Holy Spirit works in and through each person differently. Your gifting may be quite different than another’s, that does not invalidate either.

    ※ Prayer ※

    Holy Spirit, we thank you for your ongoing gift of yourself to us. Help us to honor you, God the Father, and Jesus the , as we are the church, the bride of Christ, to the world. Amen.

    ※ ※

    1)How would you evaluate/discern whether someone was gifted by the Holy Spirit or by the natural talents they had? What is the difference?

    2) Why is Moses’ story so important in the context of Pentecost? What about Joshua’s response?

    3) Why do you think people thought the disciples of Jesus were drunk? What might their rationale be for how a drunk person would speak as if a native speaker of their own tongue(s)?

  • Responsible

    Responsible

    Exodus 34:1–7; Numbers 14:26–38; Jeremiah 31:27–34 (read online ⧉)

    For those of us whose American individuality is almost hardwired into us, it seems inconceivable that God would punish us for other’s sins, especially for those who sinned before we were born. In fact, in many respects, we struggle with the result of anyone else’s sins being borne by us.

    If we are honest with ourselves, our personal and national (and even religious) histories carry a lot of baggage, and a lot of that has to do with actions that others took, for which we had no knowledge, or participation, or approval of. The purposeful and accidental killing of Native Americans by Europeans due to diseases (such as smallpox) is such a thing. It is unlikely any of us would condone such a thing, but the consequences remain even to this day. The clearances of Native Americans to reservations and all that went along with also remains today. Slavery, war, migration, all had and continue to have consequences.

    We are not unique in this. Much of the conflict in the Middle East is because of something that happened yesterday, but of something that happened generations and even centuries ago. The same can be said in Asia, as well. This is not unique to America or the States. What is unique, though becoming less so, is our individualistic response to it.

    For the Israelites, a tribal culture, what one’s did or grandfather did have great import for the current generation. The concept of holding the subsequent generations accountable for one’s own actions was actually quite reasonable for them. The blessing, too, made sense to them.

    As harsh as the words in Exodus seem to our modern years, we see the development of it in Numbers. Yes, the children pay the price. On the other hand, those children grew up into a powerful army. This army was needed for the next step. They also developed a rhythm when it came to God. Their food came from God. Their gathering was guided by God (6 days of work; 1 day of rest). Their habits revolved around God and God’s mercies.

    Did they receive the result of their parents’ misdeeds? Yes. Were the ultimate results bad? No. This wasn’t the ideal. The ideal would have been obedience and by their parents.

    This punish/reward pattern would remain for generations until God’s declaration to Jeremiah. The whole grapes quip showed that Israel had forgotten exactly what meant and intended. Now, it became everything (which it still was, but God was about sin, not failures).

    We read these verses in Jeremiah and can be immediately be lead to the concept of our through Christ. It’s not that this is invalid, but that it is incomplete.

    As Christians, we are called to bear one another’s burdens. That often includes their failures and even their sins. While the ultimate cost (death) is paid, the consequences remain. Those consequences remain for lifetimes and even lifetimes to come.

    ※ Prayer ※

    Heavenly Father, we read you Word and often wonder if we’re missing something, for we cannot understand the entirety of who you are. We thank you for your Son. Jesus, thank you for your time on Earth, allowing us the to ‘s face. Holy Spirit, guide our hearts and actions, not just for the now, but also to heal the hurts of the past that are not our fault, but we, as your children, are called to heal. Amen.

    ※ ※

    1) Have you ever been held responsible for someone else’s over which you had no influence or control? What was that like?

    2) What is the difference between consequences and punishment? Which path do you see God following?

    3) What if your salvation was dependent upon others? How would you behave differently?

  • Clean Up

    Clean Up

    Zechariah 3:1–10; Matthew 9:1–8; Revelation 22:7–17

    Most parents have to tell their children to clean their rooms. There are those rare exceptional (weird) children who clean up their rooms on their own. There are also those parents who have conditioned their children to behave in a manner contrary to their nature, and the children are very clean. There there is the last group of parents, who don’t bother (for various reasons).

    Part of the Christian walk is a that resembles Christ more and more. There are highs and lows. There are backslidings. There is a lot of hard work, and then there are miraculous leaps .

    Joshua the high priest (not to be confused with Joshua, Moses’ successor) stood before God with dirty clothes. They were reflective of the “dirty” condition of the Israelites. Now the dirty need to be contrasted with the holy part. The Israelites were called to be holy because they were the people God called by , and God was Holy.

    The Israelites always seemed to struggle with this. Whether it was Moses, or the time of Judges, even during Samuel’s life, the latter part of Solomon’s reign, and all the kings that followed Solomon. The Israelites often left God and pursue other gods and other ways that were not God’s. They were not holy. They were not clean. They were dirty.

    Note that neither Joshua nor Zechariah did anything. In fact, even Satan didn’t have (so it seems) even the opportunity to accuse Joshua. God just commanded…and it was so.

    In Hebrew, often when Satan is presented in English, we should know that “the” accuser is the more literal meaning. This is particularly interesting when we come to the story of the paralytic, the accusers are the scribes.

    While the scribes didn’t say anything, still knows their hearts well enough to know their accusation. Jesus declares the man clean. Just like that. Oh, and just in case they didn’t get it the first time (they didn’t), he cleansed the man’s clothes (being the body).

    Yet, the reality is that we, and our clothes, still get dirty. Perhaps there is one person that you “know” is a saint (and they might be). That person, however, probably would see their own stains that you cannot. “Bless those who wash their robes(!)”

    We’re going to get dirty in this life. Usually through our own faults, but undeniably there are times when people will chuck the muck at you to make sure you look dirty. Why that might be is irrelevant to this message. What is relevant is that our clothes are not us. Through the of Jesus Christ, and our submission to his authority and our submission to the work of the Holy Spirit, we are made clean!

    ※ ※

    Merciful Father, you have declared us clean through the of your Son. Lord Jesus, we thank you for your work on Earth and the words that you have given us. Holy Spirit, allow us to see our stains clearly. Help us to understand your conviction of us while knowing that you do not condemn us, but us to a (w)holy deeper life. Amen.

    ※ Questions ※

    1) Are you an accuser? If someone with “dirty” clothes comes to a small group, a gathering, or even (gasp) church, what do you do?

    2) someone who you deeply admire (or, again, think of as a saint), and ask them if they still see their spiritual stains?

    3) How are you working through the stains in your life? Do you have an partner (or better, 2 or 3)?

  • Foot Care

    Foot Care

    John 17:1–11; Ephesians 1:17–23 (read online ⧉)

    I thought how ironic it was that I’d dismissed dog meat as a cultural idiosyncrasy in Vietnam; that “who I am to judge?” extended to Islamic laws in Uzbekistan and Buddhist temple restrictions in Cambodia, but not to Republicans, hunters or gun owners. I’d shaken my head at the prejudices some nations had for their closest neighbors, only to discover that, among my cultural neighbors, I was just as prejudiced.

    Liz Dodd, Welcome to the New World

    Liz Dodd is a self-avowed liberal who, on a spiritual journey, discovered a few things about herself. If we’re honest about ourselves, we all have some serious issues with this. You may the Republican, hunter, and gun-owner who struggles with the Democrat, vegan, pacifist who you think is un-American.

    And? We are called to pray for one another. Often when praying for the other, it is not they who are changed, we are the ones who change.

    When prayed to the for the Father and the Son, it can seem a little odd. If the Trinity holds true, God is praying for God and, well, God. On top of that God is praying for the of God, which could seem selfish and arrogant.

    In this unique time, Jesus isn’t “just” God. Jesus is . Jesus isn’t quite on the inside of the Godhead. It’s strange. It’s okay that it’s strange.

    Jesus then prays for . He specifically prays for those that have accepted him as the Messiah, and in Jesus’ obedience, the will come to them. It should be noted that Jesus does not pray for the world. Later, he commissions them to go into all the world. He is focused, at this time, on those that are (less Judas Iscariot) going to forward with the Gospel.

    Moving forward with the Gospel often means that we have to let go of a lot of things. In the Newsboys song, “Landslide of Love” they say, “Every time we shout our rights out we get all grouchy and gray.” In the USA, letting go of our rights is a hard thing, and we often hold one “right” tightly, while another person calls it a “privilege”.

    Paul tells the Ephesians that he prays that they receive Holy Spirit empowered revelation and knowledge of God. This is so that they have a hope beyond what is going on around us. For this hope to be effective, often the Holy Spirit will nudge us out of our zone of political association, hobbies, work, career. The Holy Spirit will nudge us when we don’t have God in mind.

    However, often we are too immature or blind or deaf to hear the Holy Spirit nudges. If we haven’t felt or heard the Holy Spirit nudging us, then the likelihood is that we have become blind or deaf, or have a new place of spiritual immaturity to be worked on.

    Our prayers for others must exceed our discomfort with others. Our rights are under the feet of God. Our enemies are under the feet of God. We are under the feet of God. In other words, everything is equaling under the feet of God. We are to be One Church, Under God. Everything else may well be a barrier between us and a full with God.

    ※ Prayer ※
    Father, help us to pray as Jesus did…for your glory. Thank you, Jesus, for your earthly example of what it means to the Father. Holy Spirit, bind us to the plan and goals of the Father. Amen.

    ※ Questions ※
    1) Why has what divides us overwhelmed what unites us, whether as Christians or as humans (who bear the image of God)?
    2) What is your immediate “gut” response to the lyrics from the Newsboys? What rights do you hold onto?
    3) What has the Holy Spirit been nudging you regarding breaking the barriers you have placed between yourself and others?

  • A Different Kind of Backsliding

    A Different Kind of Backsliding

    Acts 10:30–47; Acts 15:5–12; Galatians 2:11–16 (read online ⧉)

    Peter was called/sent to the first “real” Gentile converts, post-Resurrection. There is some fuzziness in this as we cannot that there were no other Gentile converts. The likelihood was that they, prior to Cornelius, were converts to Judaism first.

    This is an important distinction, as there seemed to be no question of Cornelius’ devotion to God. However, the language and framing of the story draw the conclusion that Cornelius had not done a full conversion to Judaism.

    In the earlier part of the story, Peter invited the servants of Cornelius (likely themselves) inside for lodging, and one would presume food. Already, Peter seemed to have a clue about his earlier vision about clean versus unclean (Acts 10:1–29). He dared (against more rigid Jewish protocol) to provide shelter and food for Gentiles.

    Later, as the church spreads, the conflicts between Jewish expectations and Gentile realities start to affect the unity of the church in doctrine, rule, and . So, they had a meeting. Who knows how long the meeting really was. It does feel like it was abbreviated in the Scriptures.

    Peter stood up and familiarized or reminded people of his story. While we (rightfully) call Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles, Peter was the first. As the “rock” of the church, Peter had a first among equal standing. His words carried weight. James, too, as one of the original Apostles also had significant weight.

    With this as the groundwork, it would seem completely obvious that everything was resolved, and that the Law was finally set aside as a guide and a history, and not the road of salvation.

    Except…apparently that was only for a time. The list of people Paul accuses of backsliding is interesting: Peter (the “first” Apostle to the Gentiles), James (the Apostle that gave a further argument in defense of Gentile requirements), Barnabas (partner in Gentile travels with Paul). There were also others that had backslid into the Law.

    This is not a minor issue, hence Paul’s concern, and his willingness to put ink to paper to exclaim it. Reverting to the practices of the Law denied Jesus’ . It also separated Jew from Gentile, which was, it seems, Paul’s biggest issue.

    The bloodline that separated Jew from Gentile was erased by the blood of Jesus. This was unreasonable and opposed the . Paul did not just let it stand.

    The is that it is easy for any of us to fall into old habits and thought patterns, especially those that were experienced during childhood or under the influence of personally significant people. It is not unexpected that Peter would revert to those tendencies, nor the others. Paul didn’t seem particularly surprised, just upset.

    Apparently, this was resolved, yet this kind of thing is forever a shadow in the church.

    ※ ※
    Father, , and Holy Spirit, constantly guide us in all Truth. and form us to be better conformed to your will. Amen.

    ※ Questions ※
    1) What is an old religious habit that you keep fighting? Is it a “rule” or a way of thinking?
    2) What do you think the original intent of the “rule” or way of thinking was?
    3) What does the cast of characters tell us about ourselves and the church? What does it show how we are to correct or admonish one another?