Peter Misselbrook's Blog

Dec 6 2019 - Introduction to The Gospel According to Luke

It is generally recognised that the author of the third Gospel (the one we know as Luke's Gospel) was also the author of the book of Acts. Both books are dedicated to Theophilus and are similar in style and vocabulary. But neither of these books explicitly identifies their author. To discover who might have written them we need to engage in some detective work.

The transition from a narrative in the third person to first person plural in Acts 16:10 suggests that the author was a travelling companion of Paul who joined him at Troas. From very early times (from at least as far back as 160 AD) there was a clear tradition within the churches that identified the author as Luke the physician (cf. Colossians 4:14). This tradition is corroborated by the use of what appears to be medical language in both Luke and Acts.

Luke makes no claim to originality, stating rather that he has compiled an orderly account of the life of the Lord Jesus after investigating the original sources. He seems to have made use of Mark's gospel and another source of material that was also used by Matthew. Many of the distinctives of Luke, such as his attitude to wealth and poverty may reflect the traditions of his church, probably the church at Antioch.

Luke constructed this account of the life of Jesus and of the early growth of the church not for Theophilus alone but also for the edification and instruction of those churches that had been established under Paul's ministry, churches with which Luke had also been associated. Luke is concerned to root the events of Jesus' life and death in the history of his time but also to demonstrate their relevance for all peoples and all times. In this way, these ancient writings speak to us today: they encourage and strengthen our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and equip us for the continuing task of telling others the good news concerning him.

I pray that the Spirit of God which animated the Lord Jesus Christ in his ministry and which empowered the early church to continue that ministry may set us on fire with love for Christ and enable us to take our part in the work of Christ today.

Feb 18 2020 - Introduction to The Acts of the Apostles

Acts is the second volume of Luke's two part work and as such tells of what Jesus continued to do after his ascension. It could therefore be called The Acts of the Risen and Ascended Lord Jesus rather than The Acts of the Apostles. It tells the story of the expansion of the young Christian church and was written to defend both the Christian message and the ministry of the Apostle Paul against the accusations of various opponents.

As we noted in the introduction to Luke's Gospel, the transition from narrative in the third person to first person plural in Acts 16:10 suggests that the author was a travelling companion of Paul who joined him at Troas. From the earliest times in the Christian era (from at least 160 AD) there was a clear tradition within the church that identified the author as Luke the physician (cf. Col 4:14).

John Stott writes, "Luke arrived in Jerusalem with Paul (Acts 21:17) and left with him on their voyage to Rome (27:1). In between was a period of more than two years, during which Paul was held a prisoner in Caesarea (24:27), while Luke was a free man. How did he use this time? It would be reasonable to guess that he travelled the length and breadth of Palestine, gathering material for his Gospel and for the early Jerusalem-based chapters of the Acts. He will have familiarised himself as a Gentile with Jewish history, customs and festivals, and he will have visited the places made sacred by the ministry of Jesus and the birth of the Christian community." (Stott, The Message of Acts, IVP)

In the book of Acts:

• Luke presents a clear view of how the gospel and the Christian Church spread from Jerusalem to Samaria and to the ends of the earth in fulfilment of God's plan, Christ's promise and through the powerful direction and work of his Spirit;

• This is also reflected in Luke's account of Paul's missionary strategy – he preaches first to Jews and only when they reject the message does he turn to the Gentiles

• Acts shows that both Jewish and Gentile believers belong to the one church – that Christ, the Jewish Messiah, is Saviour of the world;

• Acts also makes clear that the Gentiles are not to be burdened with Jewish tradition – Christ brings freedom to all who believe in him;

• It demonstrates that the Christian message is no threat to the civil power – it is not a strange new religion but is the legitimate development of Judaism which had long been recognised by Rome as a religion that might legally be observed by inhabitants of the Roman Empire

• The chief cause of the unrest that has followed the spread of Christianity is shown to be Jewish opposition to the Gospel, particularly opposition by the Jews of the Dispersion;

• Paul's claim to be an apostle is shown to be grounded in the personal commission of the risen Christ.

Dec 6 2019 - Introduction to 1 Corinthians

The City of Corinth was situated on an isthmus commanding the north-south land route between the two halves of Achaia. Five miles to the east was the harbour of Cenchraea facing towards Ephesus and the Roman province of Asia; a mile and a half to the north lay the harbour of Lechaeum facing west towards Italy. An ancient roadway had been laid across the isthmus at its narrowest point allowing transportation of cargo and even light ships. Corinth was therefore an important centre of trade: it was both wealthy and cosmopolitan. The city also attracted crowds of visitors who came to the biennial Isthmian Games.

Corinth provided ready opportunities for the skilful entrepreneur to become wealthy. Self-promotion and patronage were important elements of public life: "In such a culture" writes Ben Witherington, "a person's sense of worth is based on recognition by others of one's accomplishments."

Paul must have been attracted to Corinth as a strategic centre for mission. The city had a sizeable Jewish community, swollen by the edict of Claudius which had driven many out of Rome. The travellers and visitors for the games would also have meant that there was considerable demand for Paul's trade as a tentmaker.

"Paul made a firm decision," writes Anthony Thistleton, "not to ... market the gospel as a consumer commodity designed to please the hearers and to win their approval (1:18)... He would earn his keep as a tentmaker and proclaim the cross of Christ." He began his ministry in the synagogue where he reasoned with both Jews and Greeks, testifying that Jesus was the Christ. However, he soon met the customary opposition from the Jews. In response, Paul shook out his clothes and set up camp next door in the house of the newly converted Titius Justus. Here Paul continued to teach this infant church which now included Crispus and his family – Crispus had formerly been leader of the synagogue.

Paul remained in Corinth for some 18 months, during which both he and the church continued to face opposition but also encouragement from the Lord. When he left Corinth, "He left behind him a thriving church, throbbing with vitality and full of gifts and services (1:4-8; 12:1-14:40). The problems which would emerge would be those of life, not of decline." (Anthony Thistleton). 

The church at Corinth was made up of people from a variety of social backgrounds. The majority of members would have come from the lower classes, in contrast to the few influential members who come from the upper classes. Among the latter would seem to be Stephanus Gaius and Crispus, the last of whom had previously enjoyed a prominent office in the synagogue.

In his book, An Introduction to the Sociology of the New Testament, Derek Tidball describes how these social divisions gave rise to the variety of controversies at Corinth. He writes, "Many of the problems at Corinth can be understood in the light of the fact that people from different social classes still found it difficult to relate to each other even after their conversion to Christianity. They would be aware that, as far as God was concerned such distinctions were no longer of any importance (1 Cor 7:22; Col 3:4) and yet in reality mutual acceptance still had to be learned through hard experience... In this socially heterogeneous church the leadership fell upon those who were middle class and elitist. They were the natural leaders, not only because of their social and educational skills, but because of their having the property in which to host the meetings of the church. Paul accepts their right to lead and supports them... He is not happy, however, about certain attitudes they adopt or actions to which they are party. Much of 1 Corinthians is a pointed address to them, encouraging them to overcome their deficiencies and forsake their worldly pretentions; however understandable these conceits may have been from a human standpoint. These activist leaders at Corinth needed to be wary lest they run the church as they would an ordinary business and ... working class people did not receive the standing in the church that God intended them to have."

Paul's letter addresses a series of issues, some raised by news conveyed to him, others in a letter requesting his advice and direction. Anthony Thistleton says that "issues of 'knowledge,' the ministry, ethical laxity, advantages sought at law, marriage and celibacy, meat associated with pagan temples or worship, dress codes in public worship, the divisions at the Lord's Supper, misperceptions of the significance of what counts as 'spiritual' in the context of 'gifts' and Christ's Lordship, and perhaps a premature anticipation of eschatological 'glory' all relate to the differing outlooks (some of them manipulative) on the part of specific groups." But he is also keen to emphasise that Paul's response is not fragmentary: "Glorying in the Lord and receiving status derived from identification with the crucified Christ (1:30-31) lead to a new value system demonstrable in a wide array of life issues. These range from attitudes towards 'the less esteemed' in civil actions (6:1-11) to eating meat in the precincts of temples or bought at market (8:1-11:1); or from dress-codes in public worship (11:2-16) or mutual respect for differing gifts (chs 12-13) to the 'ranking' and use of prophetic discourse and glossolalia (ch 14)."

Paul's first letter to the Corinthians is not always easy to understand, but I believe it speaks into many of the divisive issues we face in contemporary society and in the church – even though many of the specific issues we face are very different from those in ancient Corinth. We need to pay careful attention to what Paul has to say and to think carefully and deeply about what it means for us to make "Christ and him crucified" central to our lives and to the life of our churches.

Dec 6 2019 - Introduction to Thessalonians

Again we interrupt our reading in Acts, this time to look at Paul's letters to the Christians in Thessalonica.

Thessalonica was the largest and the most important city of Macedonia and was also the capital of the province. Unlike Philippi, Thessalonica had a strong Jewish community and its own synagogue. For three weeks Paul went to the synagogue and reasoned from the Scriptures that "the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead" (Acts 17:3), declaring that Jesus is the Christ. Paul's ministry in Thessalonica may have continued some weeks longer than may be apparent from the narrative in Acts.

The success of Paul's ministry, particularly in attracting God-fearers away from the synagogue, angered the Jews who stirred up a riot outside the home of Jason, a man with whom Paul and his companions had been staying. Not finding the missionaries, they dragged Jason and a number of other Christians before the city officials saying, "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus" (Acts 17:6,7). Two things are evident from this accusation:

Firstly, Paul's preaching had at its heart the affirmation that Jesus, the Messiah, God's promised King, had come and that his reign had commenced. From the content of the letter to the Thessalonians it is evident that he also declared that Christ would one day return and that he would then establish his kingdom in all its glory.

Secondly, Paul's preaching was having no small effect upon the Jewish communities scattered around the Mediterranean. They viewed his ministry as a threat to their very existence, so much so that they were even prepared to use their own hope of the Messiah as an accusation against Paul before the Roman officials – as had the Jewish leaders at the time of Jesus' trial.

When Paul sent letters back to this young church it is evident that the believers were facing opposition, probably chiefly from the Jews. One element of this campaign of opposition seems to have consisted in a personal attack upon Paul. His opponents suggested that he was just another fly-by-night wandering preacher who had no real concern for the Thessalonians – after all, had he not abandoned them when the going got tough? In writing to them Paul therefore emphasises the purity of his motives and his deep affection for them.

Along with persecution the church was also troubled by erroneous views concerning the second advent – hardly surprising in view of the limited time that Paul had been able to stay with them and instruct them. Imagining that the return of Christ was imminent, some were troubled concerning Christians relatives or friends who had died; would they miss out on the coming kingdom? Others had abandoned their daily work on the supposition that further attachment to this present world is pointless.

In seeking to deal with these problems, the leaders in the church, lacking maturity, seemed to have caused further problems.

Paul addresses all of these issues in his letter. At the same time, he encourages the Thessalonian believers to keep away from the immoral behaviour so common in the Greek world, behaviour which may have formed part of their former lifestyle.

1 Thessalonians was probably written in the early part of AD 50.  Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians seems to have been written shortly after the first. It would seem that Paul's first letter was mistakenly understood by some to imply that the second coming of Christ had already occurred. Hence Paul writes to correct this misunderstanding. Most of the letter is taken up with instruction concerning the Second Coming and with how to deal with those who remain idle.

Dec 6 2019 - Esther 2 – Esther made queen

King Xerxes had got rid of Vashti, his queen. So his advisors came up with a scheme to find him a wife as beautiful as the one he had dismissed in a drunken rage. In effect they suggest a beauty contest. The finest of young women are to be collected from every corner of the empire and brought before the king and, they suggested, "'Let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.’ This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it" (v. 4).

We are now introduced to the two Jewish characters who will occupy a central place in this story. Mordecai's great-grandfather had been carried off into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. Now, about 100 years later, he in living in Susa the capital of the Persian Empire and the home of Xerxes and his royal palace. Mordecai had a young cousin, Esther, whose parents had died and whom he had adopted and treated as his own child. Esther, we are told, "had a lovely figure and was beautiful" (v. 7). It is no surprise that she was picked up by the beauty hunters and, along with many others, placed in the harem to be prepared for her night with the king.

How did Esther feel about this? How did Mordecai feel about it? We are not told. But we should remember that Xerxes was the most powerful man around at the time and what he wanted he got. Esther was not asked if she would like to come along to the king's palace, she was carried there by the king's men and by royal decree. Mordecai was not asked if he would allow his "daughter" to go, she was simply taken from him. However, we are told that Mordecai managed to tell Esther that she should not reveal that she was Jewish. Mordecai probably feared that she would be rejected and perhaps even killed if her nationality was known. Secondly, we know that Mordecai remained deeply concerned for Esther: "Every day he walked to and fro near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her" (v. 11). This was all that he could do to watch over the child he had taken into his home and into his heart.

Many people today – including many Christians – find themselves in situations not of their own choosing, situations they may even find deeply repugnant. It is good to be reminded by this story that God is with his people even in such situations. He never abandons them nor does he ever cease to care for them and to watch over them. We can trust God even in the darkest situations.

Verses 12-14 describe the required preparations before a girl could be presented to the king – twelve months of beauty treatments. The girl would then be sent to spend a night with the king and only if he took a liking to her and asked for her again by name would she get the opportunity of spending more time with him. And the outcome? We read that, "the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favour and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti" (v. 17). The king's selection of a new queen was then celebrated with yet another great banquet.

Mordecai never ceased to care for Esther; day-by-day he sat at the king's gate waiting for news of her. While there, he overheard two of the king's officers conspiring to assassinate King Xerxes. Mordecai got word to Esther who in turn informed the king. The plotters were executed and Mordecai's service was "recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king."

Despite the cruel and distressing treatment of his beloved "daughter", Mordecai remained a loyal subject of the king, in accordance with the words of Jeremiah, "Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper" (Jeremiah 29:7). Christians also are called to pray for, and be submissive to, even the worst of human governments (1 Timothy 2:1-4; Romans 13:1-7). Our prayers make a difference.

Father God, help us to live wisely and well in the situation where you have placed us and to be lights in the darkness, pointing the way to the Lord Jesus, the light of the world.

Dec 6 2020 - 1 John 5:1-21 – Whoever has the Son has life

The Christian gospel can sometimes sound very arrogant – as if we Christians alone have the answer to all of the world's problems. John makes a bold statement of this sort in 1 John 5:12 when he says, "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."

We need to be careful that such statements do not lead to arrogant and intolerant attitudes. This is not a statement about Christians – that we've got it all right and everyone else has got it all wrong – it's a statement about Christ. In equally striking fashion, John says of Jesus Christ at the end of his letter, "He is the true God and eternal life" (5:20). There is no one else like Jesus: He is the true God come in the flesh; he is Immanuel, "God with us". He is the source of true life: resurrection life; eternal life. He is the one who said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). As C S Lewis said, one who can make such statements cannot be brushed off as a wonderful teacher or fine moralist; he is either mad, or he is bad, or he is truly the one he claims to be. It is the unique person of Jesus Christ who stands at the centre of the Christian message.

So, when John says "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life", he is reminding us that Jesus is the source of life – eternal life, “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” (5:11). To embrace him is to receive life. This should not be the source of arrogance and intolerance but of humble thankfulness and praise. It should also make us determined to live the life that is ours in Christ – to turn away from sin and to live for him.

Moreover, we will want to invite the world to come and find life in Jesus – life in all its fullness. John writes, “this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” (5:11). This is our testimony and this is the message we have for a world that is under the deadly control of the evil one (5:19). Far from having a sense of superiority, we should be marked by the compassion that moved John Wesley often to say, "Let me commend my Saviour to you."

John concludes his letter with the plea, "Dear children, keep yourselves from idols" (5:21). There is no one else like Jesus Christ. We need to make sure that he is the unrivalled Lord of our lives.

Lord Jesus, we recognise that there is no-one like you. You are the one in whom the living God has appeared in a perfect human life; we want our lives to be filled with the life of God; we want to live the life that appeared in you. You became the atoning sacrifice for our sin; we thank you that we are forgiven and welcomed into the embrace of Father God. Help us to turn away from all that nailed you to the cross; keep us from sin. You were raised from the dead; we thank you that, in fellowship with you, we share in that resurrection life now and we shall know that life in all its fullness when you appear. You have overcome the evil one; help us to overcome his malevolent influence in this world – to push back the dark realm of his kingdom with the light of your presence. Help us to keep ourselves from idols and may our testimony to you be used to turn many others from idols to serve the living and true God.

Peter Misselbrook