Contemplative Bible Reading

Romans 1:16-17 (New Living Translation)

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. ¹⁷ This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

This is the second time I am using these two verses for a contemplation. Give me time, I’ll use them again with another thought or two.

The thought that hit me this time is the simplicity of the Good News about Christ, a.k.a., the Gospel. This is it. There is nothing more. This little paragraph tells us all we need to know.

Another little thought on this: in my circles, people study and book of Romans over and over again. These studies last months and months. What does Paul say in this letter? These two verses. That’s what he says. The beginning, middle, and end of his letter are right here. Enough said for today.

Acts 19:16 (New Living Translation)

Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.

This describes another instance of what I consider the super-human creation. One man beat seven in a fight. The accomplishment here is diminished by movies we see everyday. Sylvester Stallone does this in every movie and on and on. What’s the big deal.

Let’s step back into real life: one man does not beat seven men in a fight. Yet here it is, and in the Bible of all places.

God created us. I believe He created in us mental and physical abilities that we fail to realize the vast majority of the time. Praise God who created us.

2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 (New Living Translation)

¹⁴ Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. ¹⁵ Don’t think of them as enemies, but warn them as you would a brother or sister.

Do you have any enemies?

Of course that is a loaded question. It is also a subjective one.  Google defines enemy as: a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.

I know people who are opposed to some of the things I do. Who doesn’t know such people? Do you consider them enemies? The word enemy carries a negative connotation with most of us.

Hence, we return to the first question above, “Do you have any enemies?”

The writer to the Thessalonians instructs against thinking of persons as enemies. Instead, think of them as family members we should warn. “Don’t buy a computer from so-and-so, they deal in stolen property.” That is a warning to a loved one.

Considering those who oppose me as loved ones is, uh, how do I write this? Difficult. Actually, it is something that I just don’t want to do.

God, please help me.

Romans 8:5-7 (New English Translation)

⁵ For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For the outlook of the flesh is death, but the outlook of the Spirit is life and peace, ⁷ because the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so.

I like the words used in this New English Translation version of these verses. The world outlook hit me. How do I see? That is my outlook.

Do I want to see life and peace or death? That is a pretty simple choice. How in the world can I choose to see death? Still, many of us do choose that outlook. What is wrong with us? How does God tolerate us?

Galatians 6:3 (New Living Translation)

If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

This stings in  its simplicity. I think God that from time to time He sends people into my life who remind me of this verse, i.e., they remind me that I am not very important.

Philippians 3:17 (New Living Translation)

Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.

When was the last time you heard a preacher proclaim, “Live like me!”

My answer, “Never.”

Yet here is Paul writing to the Philippians and telling them to live like him. Paul also adds to live like others who follow our example. I am not sure who “our” is – some group of people.

We live in a world where more people can read the Bible than ever before in human history. The Bible is available, if nothing else via the Internet, available in more languages, and there are more people on the planet who can read.

This was not Paul’s world. Personal example was the predominant teacher. Perhaps today personal example is still the best teacher for many of us. I think Paul was telling the Philippians, “Look to those who follow Jesus. Imitate their lives.”

Still pretty good advice, even in our world of literacy.

Philippians 4:12-13 (New Living Translation)

12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Paul has learned how to live in any situation. He has learned the secret of contentment. What is the secret?

Paul doesn’t keep the secret to himself for long. Paul lives through Christ. Everything he does, everywhere he is, everyone he is with – everything is through Christ.

Acts 12:6-10 (New Living Translation)

⁶ The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. ⁷ Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. ⁸ Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.

⁹ So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. ¹⁰ They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him.

Notice something that the angel could do: he could open gates without touching them.

Angels can move physical objects without touching them. At least the angels isn’t touching the object in the sense that I touch objects.

Can angels touch objects, like gates and chains, spiritually?

Angels are spiritual beings unless they become physical beings like in this (hi)story of Peter and the angel and the great jail break. But then it seems that the angel in this (hi)story is both physical and spiritual at the same time. I don’t understand how that works. If someone does, please explain it to me.

Hebrews 9:12 (New Living Translation)

With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.

Hebrews 10:4 (New Living Translation)

For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

The two verses from Hebrews highlight the degree of “badness” in my life. I am so bad that the blood of goats and calves is insufficient to make me right in the sight of God. I am so bad that God had to come to this earth himself and die himself to make me right in His sight.

That is pretty darn bad, that is my state of depravity, and the is the unfathomable grace of God.

All praise to God, the author of our salvation.

Acts 7:9-10 (New Living Translation)

“These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him ¹⁰ and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace.

Sometimes, God makes some people smarter than other people. Well, maybe that isn’t correct. This passage doesn’t tell us that God made Joseph smarter than everyone else, but God gave Joseph unusual wisdom.

Now, if you can tell me what wisdom is and how it is different from smarts, please do. For now, I’ll go with the idea that God made everyone equally smart, i.e., having the same mental capacity. I put this under the category of the magnificence of the created being.

God created each of us with mental and physical capacities that none of us realize or utilize. Sometimes we meet a person who has tapped into those God-created capacities a little better than the rest of us. Still, it is there, a gift from God. And yes, it is another of those many gifts that we don’t seem to fully accept.

What is wrong with us? Again, if you know the answer, please tell me.