Life In Greencastle

"Sometimes [attacks] will take the frontal form of actual authorities in towns and cities who try to prevent Christians from spreading the message. Sometimes it will take the more oblique form of persuading Christians to invest time and energy in irrelevant side-issues, or to become fascinated by distorted teaching. Sometimes it will be simply the age-old temptations of money, sex and power. But in each case what individuals and the whole church must do is, first, to recognize that attacks are coming; second, to learn how to put on the complete armour which God offers; and, third, to stand firm and undismayed." - N. T. Wright commenting on Ephesians 6:10-17 (the full armour of God) This week we enter the final part of Paul's letter to the Ephesians - which is primarily about the difficulties the world throws at us. In this concluding word (Chapter 6:10-24), Paul makes clear that the life of faith is a struggle and that there are oppositional forces aligned against God...

"We begin to realize that, far from being at the periphery of his life, tent-making was actually central to it. More than any of us has supposed, Paul was Paul the tentmaker . His trade occupied much of his time - from the years of his apprenticeship through the years of his life as a missionary for Christ, from before daylight through most of the day. Consequently, his trade in large measure determined his daily experiences and his social status. His life was very much that of the workshop, of artisan-friends like Aquila, Barnabas, and perhaps Jason; of leather, knives, and awls; of wearying toil; of being bent over a workbench like a slave and of working side by side with slaves; of thereby being perceived by others and by himself as slavish and humiliated; of suffering the artisan's lack of status and so being reviled and abused." - Hock, Social Context, pg. 67 as quoted in Ben Witherington III's Conflict & Community in Corinth .

As we continue in our study of Ephesians, I came across this wonderful quote from Marcus Barth regarding Paul's discussion of the "trespasses and sins" that separate us from God. This is a wonderful piece to read if you are wondering why we confess our sins weekly in the Presbyterian church: "One cannot persuade or convince another of sin. Sin cannot be proclaimed or treated as a topic of teaching. Sin can only be confessed in prayer. When sin really is spoken of, man does not speak against fellow man; he must not do so, even if he should be the 'holiest Joe' dealing with the most insulting backslider. We can only speak of sin in solidarity with fellow sinners, and before God. In the prayer in which we praise God for the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and in which we cry "Father!" through the Holy Spirit (i.e. the Lord's Prayer), we can and will also confess, "Forgive us our sins." Wes

"True, whole prayer is nothing but love." - St. Augustine (as quoted in Richard J. Foster's Prayer ) This week we delve into Paul's letter to the Ephesians again - having looked at how God's amazing grace serves as the foundation and frame for the entire letter. Now, we turn our attention to a specific prayer Paul offers for the Ephesians: "That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you - every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask - ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory - to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his follower, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him - end...