The Depth and the Simplicity of Christ

26 July, 202525 July, 2025Marissa

One of the interesting, seemingly contradictory, things about Christianity is that it is both very simple and deeply complex. The basics of following God are easily grasped once He opens your mind to understand, and at the same time there’s so much depth to His truth that you’ll never exhaust the possibility for learning more.

At its most basic, God’s way is simple and it’s all contained in the Bible. We can read the scriptures and see that God created all things, He wants a relationship with people, and that under the Law governing the universe people deserve a death-penalty for sins, but that Jesus Christ died in our place so that we could live forever as part of God’s family. All we have to do is repent (turn away from) our sins (which we can recognize as sin by comparing our actions to God’s law), believe in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God, and commit to following Him the rest of our lives.

Then, we have the rest of our lives to study the Bible, learn about the culture and languages it was written in, pray to and talk with God, and figure out just what’s involved in following Him for the rest of our lives. We get to experience the same feeling Paul did when He wrote, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how unfathomable his ways!” (Rom. 11:33, NET). As we dive deeper into those riches, though, we need to be careful we don’t get distracted from the foundations of our faith.

Remember The Foundations

I did a study 10 years ago (can’t believe it’s been that long!) on the concepts the author of Hebrews calls foundational: “repentance from dead works, of faith toward God, of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment” (Heb. 6:2-3, WEB). Those are core doctrines of Christianity. Repentance is what you’re supposed to do when you first enter a relationship with God, and involves turning away from your sins. Faith is key to the next step: actively believing (or faith-ing) in Jesus Christ and accepting His sacrifice. Baptism is when we commit to God in covenant, and there’s an ongoing aspect as well. Laying on of hands is linked with setting us apart for God (along with a few other things). Understanding the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement aligns our perspective for the future with God’s plan.

We need to be careful not to forget the simple foundations as we continue our Christian walk. Sure we want to learn more about what God expects of us when we’re in a relationship with Him and how to follow Him whole-heartedly, but that doesn’t mean we should forget that repentance, belief, and commitment are the core things (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 16:31; 19:4; Romans 10:9). Following God isn’t hard (Matt. 11:30). It can be challenging to stick with it, but figuring out what God wants or how to follow Him isn’t complicated.

Image of five Bibles open on a table overlaid with text from 2 Cor. 11:2-3, NET version: “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” — Image by Inbetween from Lightstock

Appreciate The Depth

I am very thankful that God both keeps things simple and invites us to keep learning and growing. I would get so discouraged if God kept changing the requirements, expected perfection with no slips, or hid something that’s key to pleasing Him and earning the rewards He promised. At the same time, I’d get so bored if there wasn’t more to learn and discover in the Bible.

Ironically, the most famous verse talking about “simplicity in Christ” is one of the places that we can dig deeper and learn something that isn’t immediately apparent (at last in English translations). Let’s start by looking at the verse in two different translations.

But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2 Cor. 11:3, WEB (bold added)

But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:3, NET (bold added)

Already, just looking at this verse in two different translations shows us there’s something more to learn. One says “simplicity that is in Christ” and one says “sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” The NET has a footnote on their translation pointing out that most manuscripts don’t have “and pure,” but several early ones do and that provides strong evidence that the original letter included both haplotētos (“sincerity”) and hagnotētos (“purity”) (NET translation comment on 2 Cor. 11:3). It doesn’t change the meaning much, but it does give us something to think about.

Then we have the difference between “simplicity” and “sincerity.” We often look at the Greek and Hebrew behind the English translation when trying to puzzle out a meaning, but I think we often forget that English words can also change meanings over time or have multiple meanings. In the Oxford English Dictionary, “There are 13 meanings … for the noun simplicity, three of which are labelled obsolete” (it’s behind a paywall, though, so we can’t access those definitions). Perhaps the meaning of “simplicity” has changed since 1611 when translators used it in the King James Version. Even today, though, there are four common meanings: 1) “the state of being simple, uncomplicated, or uncompounded,” 2) “ lack of subtlety or penetration,” 3) “freedom from pretense or guile,” and 4) “directness of expression.” In this case, it’s the English word “simple” that has multiple meanings and leads to confusion, not the Greek or Hebrew words.

Following With Sincerity

Image of a man studying the Bible, overlaid with blog's title text and the words, "As we progress in our Christian walks, we must be careful neither to stray from the rudimentary principles of truth nor forget there is always more to learn from the Lord." — Image by Anggie from Lightstock

Most people I’ve heard talk about this verse assume that “simple” means “uncomplicated.” But the fact that another translation used “sincerity” indicates that perhaps we should read “simple” as meaning “freedom from pretense.” A Greek dictionary confirms that we’re on the right track with this interpretation. Thayer defines haplotes (G572) as ” singleness, simplicity, sincerity, mental honesty,” including “the virtue of one who is free from pretense and hypocrisy.” So this verse isn’t actually talking about how easy it is to follow Christ. It’s about following Him with integrity and devotion, which also fits the context better.

I wish that you would be patient with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you are being patient with me!For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his treachery, your minds may be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus different from the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough!
2 Corinthians 11:1-4, NET

Here, Paul’s focus isn’t on how uncomplicated or easy Christianity is. He’s concerned about his readers being lured away by people who spread false teachings. He doesn’t want us to become like those who “will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead, following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things.And they will turn away from hearing the truth” (2 Tim. 4:3-4, NET). There is plenty of depth within God’s truth to satisfy our desire to learn without us running off after some counterfeit teaching that adds to or takes away from God’s word (Deut. 4:2; Prov. 30:5-6; Ecc. 3:14; Rev. 22:18-19).

As we progress in our Christian walks, we need to be on guard against several dangers in relation to the knowledge that we’re given. We might become haughty, thinking we understand everything and that there’s nothing new for us to learn, when in reality we’re someone who “does not yet know to the degree that he needs to know” (1 Cor. 8:2, NET). On the other hand, we might become discontent with the basics of God’s way and start adding things on, having “itching ears” that seek out whatever new thing or controversy catches our attention (1 Tim. 6:3-4; 2 Tim. 4:2-4). We must guard ourselves, neither straying from the foundations of God nor forgetting there is always more to learn from Him.

Featured image by MarrCreative from Lightstock

Song Recommendation: “Praise to the Lord the Almighty” by Reawaken Hymns

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Pauline Introductions, Part 1: How Does Paul Introduce Himself?

8 March, 202520 March, 2025Marissa

As I was reading Galatians a couple weeks ago, I was struck by how much Paul packs into those first couple sentences of the letter. He introduces himself, explains his qualifications for writing to them, wishes his readers well, glorifies God, and highlights one of the amazing things God has done for His people.

This introduction is part of a pattern that Paul follows in his other letters to churches. The first few lines of the letter might also include a brief summary of the gospel, some further description of his audience, and/or expressions of thanksgiving. As I looked at the openings of these letters, I wondered what we might learn by comparing the very first things that Paul wanted his readers to see and hear when they read his letters.

I expect this will be the first of a three-part post series: how Paul talks about himself, how Paul talks about God, and how Paul talks about us in the introductions to his letters. We’ll be focusing on the epistles he wrote to church communities rather than the pastoral epistles (Timothy, Titus) or the letter to an individual (Philemon). This series will also exclude Hebrews since there’s a good chance Paul wasn’t the author. That leaves us with nine letters: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, and 2 Thessalonians.

Apostle

Paul introduces himself as an apostle in six of the nine letters: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians. He also talks about how he became an apostle, probably because it wasn’t the usual way. The other apostles named directly in the New Testament were among Jesus’s original 12 disciples, while Paul was personally selected by Jesus later. (Note that there may have been other apostles, but it’s not clear if that’s the case. For example, some consider Barnabas an apostle but he’s not explicitly called one in scripture [Acts 4:36; 14:14; 15:2, 22], and it’s unclear if Andronicus and Junia were apostles or not [Rom. 16:7]).

In the book of Romans, Paul introduces himself as “a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God” (Rom. 1:1, NET). Just a few lines later he adds, “Through him we have received grace and our apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles on behalf of his name” (Rom. 1:5, NET). It matches something he says later in Romans, calling himself “an apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13, NET). Most of the time, he’s not that specific, though. He simply states that he’s “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God” (2 Cor. 2:2; Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:1, NET) or that he’s “called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God” (1 Cor. 1:1, NET).

Galatians is the letter where Paul spends the most time discussing his apostleship. He opens the letter by saying, “From Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor by human agency, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead)” (Gal. 1:1, NET), then follows that with a vindication of his apostleship and more details about it (Gal. 1:11-2:10). In the letter to the Galatian brethren, Paul focuses on correcting their theological errors and countering false teachers. That gives us context for his focus on his credentials in this letter: he wants to assure the Galatian believers that the gospel they originally received came straight from Jesus and was verified by the apostles. Throughout all of this, Paul’s reason for calling himself an apostle is to point his readers to Jesus and the Father as the higher authority. They are the ones who “empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles” (Gal 2:8, NET) and that’s the reason we can trust what Paul says in his role as an apostle.

Slave

In both Romans and Philippians, Paul calls himself a “slave of Jesus Christ” (Rom. 1:1; Phil. 1:1). He also uses this phrase to describe himself in other letters we’re studying today, just not in the introduction (2 Cor. 4:5; Gal. 1:10; Col. 1:7; 4:7). Slavery in the Bible is a super tricky subject, but in this particular context at least we have a pretty good idea of what Paul is talking about. Here’s part of what the New English Translation (NET) translators have to say in their footnote that accompanies most verses using the word:

tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG [Bauer’s Lexicon of Biblical Greek] notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). One good translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος) in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force. …

sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times (Isa 43:10), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses (Josh 14:7), David (Ps 89:3; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8) and Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”
NET translation note (tn) and study note (sn) on Galatians 1:10

In Romans, Paul further developed this idea by explaining that all human beings serve as slaves, either to sin or to righteousness (Rom. 6:15-20). We don’t get the choice to not serve anything, but we do get to choose who we submit to as our master. Will we be controlled by sin, or will we accept and strive for the privilege of serving God and living righteous lives that glorify Him? Paul made that choice when he rejected human privilege and credentials, responded to God’s call, and stopped persecuting the church and became someone persecuted for preaching the truth (Phil. 3). When he describes his service to God, he doesn’t use a word that would indicate a servant who can just walk away if they want, but someone who (in this case voluntarily) bound himself in lifelong service. He’s fully committed to serving God.

Thankful and Praying

Several times when writing to a church, one of the very first things Paul tells them is that he is thankful and praying for them. He has prayers in other letters as well, but in 1 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, and 2 Thessalonians it’s right at the start of the letter.

A lot of what Paul shares in these assurances that he’s praying for his readers is about how he views them, but it also tells us something about him. He says, “I always thank my God for you” (1 Cor. 1:4, NET), “I thank my God every time I remember you.I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you” (Phil. 1:3-4, NET), “We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you” (Col. 1:3, NET), “We thank God always for all of you as we mention you constantlyin our prayers” (1 Thes. 1:2, NET), and “We are bound to always give thanks to God for you” (2 Thes. 1:3, WEB). Paul wants his readers to know that he–and for some letters his co-authors as well (Timothy for Colossians, Silvanus and Timothy for Thessalonians)–are thankful for them and that they remember them when they’re praying.

I think it tells us a lot about Paul’s character and his focus that he doesn’t start these letters by talking about his credentials (other than apostle chosen by God and slave in Jesus’s service, both emphasizing his humility) or by telling the churches what they’re doing wrong. There is correction in many of these letters, some very serious (especially 1 Corinthians), but that’s not where he starts. He starts with thankfulness. He wants his readers to immediately know that he’s thankful for them and he’s praying for them.

Blessed

Image of a man sitting on a couch writing on a pad of paper, overlaid with blog's title text and the words, "What can we learn from looking at the first things Paul wanted his readers to see when they read his letters?" — Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

Paul also used a few other phrases to describe himself, which I’ve collected in this final section. All of these descriptions (“set apart for the gospel” and recipient of grace in Romans, “comforted by God” in 2 Corinthians, rescued by Jesus in Galatians, and “blessed” in Ephesians) relate to ways that God has blessed Paul. One of these letters was written from Prison (Eph. 3:1) and another Paul recounts a huge list of sufferings he’d gone through (2 Cor. 11:23-33), yet he focuses on his blessings. And not just his blessings, either: in 2 Corinthians, Galatians, and Ephesians, he talks about “us” being blessed.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul encouraged us to imitate him as he imitated Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). Just from the way he talks about himself in the introduction to these epistles, we see a humble man who focused on the work that God was doing in him and the churches he served. We think of Paul as one of the most important men in the whole Bible, but he kept pointing back to Jesus and the Father. Even when acknowledging that he had been commissioned by God as an apostle, he also called himself God’s slave.

In addition, we see that Paul was an encouraging person. Over and over in these letters, he told Christians to build others up rather than fight with them and tear them down, and he models that approach in his letter writing. He also tells his readers he’s thankful for them and that he’s praying for them. He also talked about his blessings, something that is encouraging to hear from other people, and included his readers in the “us” who are blessed.

Featured image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

Song Recommendation: “In Christ Alone” by Keith & Kristyn Getty

Approaching God’s Kingdom Like A Child

9 September, 20238 September, 2023Marissa

You know that story from the gospels where Jesus welcomes children to Him and blesses them? And the other one where he calls a child to Him and tells His disciples they must become like children?

Those are some of the most familiar stories from the gospel accounts. And if you spend much time in church, listening to messages online, or reading Christian blogs, articles, and books then you’ve likely heard someone talk about the child-like faith that these stories teach us. We need to believe like little children, we’ve learned, who trustingly accept what God tells us.

I’ve been reading a book called Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes: Patronage, Honor, and Shame in the Biblical World by E. Randolph Richards and Richard James (click here to read another post inspired by that book). They have a different reading of the moment where Jesus calls a child to teach His disciples a lesson. It surprised me a little, so I wanted to take another look at these two moments. When we read closely, we realize that while these events might teach us lessons about faith, Jesus highlights a different focus for what we’re supposed to learn.

Who is the greatest?

Matthew and Mark both record a moment when Jesus used a child to teach His disciples a lesson. The disciples had a question about who would be the greatest. In Matthew’s account, they directly ask, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matt. 18:1, NET). In Mark’s account, Jesus “asked them, ‘What were you discussing on the way?’But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest” (Mark 9:33-34, NET). It seems likely this was the same incident (both conversations happen after arriving in Capernaum [Matt. 17:24; Mark 9:33]), just with different levels of detail recorded by Matthew and Mark.

He called a child, had him stand among them, and said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven! Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me.”
Matthew 18:2-5, NET

After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
Mark 9:35-37, NET

Often when I hear people discuss this verse and the other story (which we’ll look at in a moment), they say something like, “Jesus tells us to be like little children, so let’s ask ourselves, what are children like?” Then we talk about things like innocence, accepting faith, and trust in the Father. But Jesus isn’t talking about faith, at least not directly. He directly states that He’s talking about humility (and, to be fair, I have also heard teachers point this out). Often, though, we seem to read over this point.

In our culture, we value a child’s simple faith, believing without facts. Aside from the questionable value of believing without facts, the passage isn’t about faith. It is about seeking status and honor. The disciples were arguing about who is greatest, and Jesus urges them to become like children, who are not concerned with worldly status. … Jesus doesn’t mean to “have simple faith” but to show a lack of concern about seeking status.
Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes, Richards and James, p. 137

I’m not quite sure where the idea that this passage is about simple faith came from. For one thing, children are curious; they question everything (as anyone can attest who’s fallen into a cycle of “why?” questions when speaking with a child). For another, Jesus very clearly says this lesson is about humility. If you want to be the greatest, then you need to stop worrying about your status and embrace childlike humility. That’s what we’re supposed to learn from this story.

Image of a little girl skipping overlaid with text from Matthew 18:1-4, NET version: At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child, had him stand among them, and said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven! Whoever then humbles
himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." — Image by Jupi Lu from Pixabay

Receive the Kingdom Like A Child

There is one other story where Jesus calls children to Him and then teaches His followers a lesson. Maybe the idea that this is about faith comes from that other story. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record this account. We’ll read Mark’s to start (it’s similar to Matthew’s, but just a little more detailed).

Now people were bringing little children to him for him to touch, but the disciples scolded those who brought them.But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” After he took the children in his arms, he placed his hands on them and blessed them.
Mark 10:13-16, NET

Once again, Jesus doesn’t mention faith. He does mention receiving “the kingdom of God like a child,” though. Receiving God’s kingdom involves faith (i.e. active trust in God that results in loyal actions), but once again the context can give us more information about the specific lesson Jesus is teaching here.

In two gospels accounts, the lead-in to this event involves people questioning Jesus about Moses’s writings on divorce (Matt. 19:3-12; Mark 10:2-12; Luke records only a shortened version of Jesus’s answer to this question in Luke 16:18). That doesn’t seem all that relevant for the topic of receiving God’s kingdom like a child. Luke, however, prefaces this event by recording one of Jesus’s parables.

He also spoke this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others.“Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

They were also bringing their babies to him, that he might touch them. But when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. Jesus summoned them, saying, “Allow the little children to come to me, and don’t hinder them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these. Most certainly, I tell you, whoever doesn’t receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.”
Luke 18:9-17, WEB

In Luke’s gospel at least, the context once again is humility. Stop thinking so much of yourself or how you compare to others and be more like a child. We need to get out of our own way. God’s kingdom belongs to those who come to Him with humility, more focused on their relationship with Him than on any worldly concerns like one-upping your neighbor.

Image of two little boys playing overlaid with text from Matthew 19:13-15, NET version: Then little children were brought to him for him to lay his hands on them and pray. But the disciples scolded those who brought them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” And he placed his hands on them and went on his way. — Image by Hai Nguyen Tien from Pixabay

From My Youth

The lesson Jesus teaches about receiving God’s kingdom like a child is reinforced by a conversation Jesus has with a wealthy, important young man immediately after blessing the children. This conversation is recorded in all three gospels (Matt. 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30). This young man comes to Jesus asking a question we can all relate to, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18, NET) Jesus tells him to do God’s commandments, and the man counters, “All these things I have observed from my youth. What do I still lack?” (Matt. 19:20, NET).

I relate to this question a lot, particularly in Matthew’s account with the addition of “what do I still lack?” I grew up in church and never left. I certainly haven’t been perfect, but I’ve worked to keep God’s commands from my youth and repented of the (many) times I slipped. I know there’s plenty of perfecting and growing that I need to do. But sometimes it would be nice for God to clearly tell me, “Hey, here’s what you really need to keep working on.”

Jesus looking at him loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the cross.”

But his face fell at that saying, and he went away sorrowful, for he was one who had great possessions. Jesus looked around, and said to his disciples, “How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!”
Mark 10:21-23 NET

Sometimes we ask a question about ourselves and discover we don’t really want to know the answer. For this specific young man, Jesus told him he needed to let go of all the stuff he was holding on to, give it away generously, and follow Jesus alone. We don’t know if the young man ultimately heeded Jesus’s advice or not, but based on the fact that he walked away sorrowful it seems that he chose his earthly riches over the kingdom of God.

Now remember, we’re reading this in the context of Jesus saying, “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Matthew, Mark, and Luke all expected their readers to go straight from one story to the other. And I suspect they wanted us to notice overlapping themes and lessons. Jesus told people they needed to be more like children. Then this young man comes to Jesus, Jesus tells him to keep the commandments, and the man says he’s been doing that since he was a youth. In other words, since he was a child. But now he knows there’s something missing, and Jesus told him what it was. At some point, he’d started trusting his riches rather than following God.

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answered again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter into God’s Kingdom! It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.”

They were exceedingly astonished, saying to him, “Then who can be saved?”

Jesus, looking at them, said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.”
Mark 10:24-27, NET

Image of two little girls playing overlaid with text from Ephesians 5:1-2, NET version: Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. — Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

One-Downmanship

In the one story where Jesus teaches a lesson using a child as an example, He’s correcting His disciples for wanting to be the greatest. In the next, He stops His disciples from trying to exclude children and says the kingdom belongs to those like them. For this latter story, all three gospels recording the story immediately move into Jesus’s conversation with a young man who kept the commands from his youth but now trusts in his riches. And in Luke’s account, this all comes after a parable about “people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others.”

Taken together, we can start to see patterns emerging from the lessons Jesus teaches. We learn what it means to God for His children to be child-like in a positive sense.

Children (typically) don’t care about status. They don’t look down on others for not being righteous enough. They don’t trust in riches to save them. That’s what we’re to learn from and emulate in children. And, it turns out, that’s one of the lessons Jesus modeled as well.

In his death on the cross, Jesus didn’t consider defending his status something of importance. This is not a repudiation of honor. Note that God honors Jesus for having this value (Phil 2:9). Jesus is modeling a new value: one-downmanship. The world values one-upmanship and honors those who pursue it. The world thinks about who should submit to me. The Christian message is to ponder to whom should I submit. Rather than thinking of those under my authority, we should be only thinking of those under whose authority I am.
Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes, Richard and James, p. 172

The way Richards and James phrase this really struck a cord with me. Sometimes (and I say this to my shame), I struggle with feeling like my writings (and me) don’t get the attention they “deserve.” I want to be more important and be recognized for my work. But that’s not the right attitude. That’s not how the children Jesus used to teach His disciples acted, that’s not how Jesus told His people to act (Mark 12:38-40; Luke 14:7-11), and that’s not how Jesus acts or thinks.

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy,complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,

who though he existed in the form of God
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
but emptied himself
by taking on the form of a slave,
by looking like other men,
and by sharing in human nature.
He humbled himself,
by becoming obedient to the point of death
—even death on a cross!
As a result God highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow
—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—
and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.

So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence,for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world.
Philippians 2:1-15, NET

Image of two children walking down a path with the blog's title text and the words "Jesus used children as examples to teach us the humility needed to participate in His church and kingdom." — Image by Joshua Choate from Pixabay

We shouldn’t be concerned about how other people see us, about our status compared to others, or one-upping people around us. Rather, we should focus on using the gifts God has generously given us to serve others in Jesus’s body, the church. If there was ever anyone with the right to lord it over other people, it would have been Jesus, but He did just the opposite. He humbled Himself in service, and it’s His example that we’re supposed to follow.

You’ve probably read Philippians 2:5 before as, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (KJV) but the NET and several other modern translations correctly capture that Paul’s emphasis in this passage is on mimicking Jesus’s attitude toward other people. (For a thorough scholarly analysis of this verse, see Participating in Christ by Michael J. Gorman, where he proposes the translation, “Cultivate this mindset–this way of thinking feeling, and acting–in your community, which is in fact a community in the Messiah Jesus.”) Paul is pointing out that the way God’s people behave in community is vastly different than how people in the world act. Instead, they behave like Jesus who submitted Himself to the Father’s authority, died a humiliating death to pay the penalty for our sins, and told His followers to have the mindset of little children.

Humility is a vital character trait for people who want to be in a relationship with God, for “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5, NET). In Greek, “oppose” is translated from antitassomai (G498), which means “to range in battle against” (Thayer). If we’re proud and arrogant, then we’re enemies of God rather than loving children. But if we’re humble, then we’re going to focus on the right things. We’ll come to Jesus and relate to our brothers and sisters in the faith like little children.

Featured image by Pexels from Pixabay

Song Recommendation: “Who You Say I Am” by Hillsong Worship

Pride and Opposition v. Humility and Grace

29 July, 202328 July, 2023Marissa

There’s a proverb that both Peter and James quote in their epistles. It goes like this: “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5, NET). Here, we see two different reactions that God has to two different human attitudes. On the one hand, He offers grace when we’re humble (the mindset needed to acknowledge that we need His grace). On the other hand, He is in opposition to the proud (a mindset that sets itself in opposition to God).

God cares a great deal about the state of our hearts, how we relate to Him, and the way we behave. Once God opens our eyes to His truth and begins a relationship with us, we still have choices to make. We can live as His friends or we can keep doing things that would make us His enemies. There are many verses addressing this idea, but these provide a particularly succinct summary.

The Proverbs Context

Both Peter and James are quoting Proverbs 3:34. Many proverbs stand on their own, but this one is part of a larger message of instruction that begins, “My son, don’t forget my teaching; but let your heart keep my commandments” (Prov. 3:1, WEB). Readers are admonished to pay careful attention to sound teachings, trust in the Lord rather than themselves, and accept correction from the Lord as required (something only possible with a humble attitude). We’re also told to prioritize wisdom and use it in our dealings with others. The passage ends with some warnings.

Don’t envy the man of violence.
    Choose none of his ways.
For the perverse is an abomination to Yahweh,
    but his friendship is with the upright.
Yahweh’s curse is in the house of the wicked,
    but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.
Surely he mocks the mockers,
    but he gives grace to the humble.
The wise will inherit glory,
    but shame will be the promotion of fools.
Proverbs 3:31-35, WEB

The phrase “he mocks the mockers” is what was translated into Greek as “he opposes the proud.” In Hebrew, “mocks” and “mockers” are from the same word, luts (H3887). The basic meaning is to scorn or mock. By showing it as the opposite of humility, this proverb indicates “that the particular type of wickedness of the scorner is pride” (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, entry 1113). Proverbs 21:24 also bears out this connection: “The proud and arrogant man—“Scoffer” is his name—he works in the arrogance of pride.”

It makes me think of the verse in Hosea that says, “The pride of Israel testifies to his face” (Hos. 5:5, WEB). God’s people had been proud, and haughty, and think they know best but their pride stands testament to their misdeeds. Keep reading in chapter 5, and you’ll see God sounding a battle cry to go out and “pour out my wrath on them like water” (Hos. 5:10, WEB). That imagery of God going out in battle against the proud is what we find in the Greek translations of Proverbs 3:34.

As mentioned earlier, the New Testament quotes of this proverb read, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5, NET). In Greek, “oppose” is translated from antitassomai (G498), which means “to range in battle against” (Thayer). That’s also the word used in the Septuagint when they translated Proverbs 3:34 into Greek. It seems to have been well understood that the right way to translate God’s response to pride-filled scorners was as fierce opposition.

Image of two women studying their Bibles overlaid with text from Isaiah 57:15, WEB version: "For the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, says: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" — Image by Shaun Menary from Lightstock

Proverbs 3:34 In James

Let’s look at the passage where James quotes this proverb. It’s the verse that inspired me to take a closer look at this topic (interestingly, I’d made myself a note to study grace and pride next, and then the sermon I heard last Sabbath also covered pride). We’ll start reading several verses before the quote for context.

Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you? You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask; you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.

Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy. Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, “The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning”? But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and make your hearts pure, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into despair. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.
James 4:1-10, NET (bold italics mark a quote from Prov. 3:34)

The phrase “but he gives greater grace” puzzles me. Why not simply “grace;” isn’t that already great? What is “greater grace,” and why is it contrasted with the human spirit that lives in us? Then, why does that contrast lead into Proverbs 3:34 with a “therefore.” James clearly sees these concepts as both interconnected and very meaningful for us, so it seems like something we’d benefit from puzzling out.

Let’s go through this passage again. First, James calls attention to the source of conflicts among believers (the audience he’s addressing is the “brothers and sisters” in “the twelve tribes dispersed abroad” [Jas. 1:1-2, NET]). The root cause of these issues is wrong passions and desires for things of the world. It is a basic truth that loving and lusting after worldly things makes you God’s enemy. You can’t befriend the world and stay a friend of God.

Though James references scripture when he says, “The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning,” it doesn’t exactly match any Old Testament verse. The NET translators point out, “No OT verse is worded exactly this way. This is either a statement about the general teaching of scripture or a quotation from an ancient translation of the Hebrew text that no longer exists today” (note on James 3:5). We do know from scripture that God breathed life into man in the garden of Eden, and that there is a big difference between that human spirit and the holy spirit of God (Gen. 2:7; 1 Cor. 2). In Jeremiah, God said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and it is exceedingly corrupt” (Jer. 17:9, WEB). Another translation phrases this line, “The human mind is more deceitful than anything else. It is incurably bad” (Jer. 17:9, NET). Perhaps that verse in Jeremiah was one of the scriptures James had in mind when we wrote his letter.

When you focus in on descriptions like “hostility toward God,” “envious yearning,” “exceedingly corrupt,” and “incurably bad,” it makes more sense why we desperately need grace that stands in sharp contrast to that human spirit inside us. In Greek, the word translated “greater” is meison (G3187), the comparative form of megas (G3187; root of the English word “mega”). It describes something that is “greater, larger, elder, stronger” (Thayer’s dictionary, entry G3187). The grace God gives us is bigger, older, stronger, and so much greater than the problems we face within or outside of ourselves. I think the emphasis here is that while human nature can be terribly wicked and hostile to God, His grace is surpassingly greater. He can fix even the most prideful, quarrelsome person if they are willing to cleanse their hands, purify their hearts, “grieve, mourn, and weep” over their sins, and admit they need His grace.

Image of a man praying in a church overlaid with text from Proverbs 16:5-6, WEB version: “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to Yahweh: they shall certainly not be unpunished. By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for. By the fear of Yahweh men depart from evil.” — Image by Matt Vasquez from Lightstock

Proverbs 3:34 In 1 Peter

When Peter quotes this proverb, he also focuses on how people in the church interact with each other. His emphasis is not so much on the depravity of human nature and the necessity of repentant humility, though. He’s urging his readers–particularly those in leadership–to care for others without lording over them. Really, though, submission and humility is a subject that’s relevant for everyone, as supported by the proverbs quote.

So as your fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings and as one who shares in the glory that will be revealed, I urge the elders among you: Give a shepherd’s care to God’s flock among you, exercising oversight not merely as a duty but willingly under God’s direction, not for shameful profit but eagerly.And do not lord it over those entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock. Then when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that never fades away.

In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
1 Peter 5:1-5, NET (bold italics mark quote from Prov. 3:34)

There’s a Rick Warren quote that says, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less” (The Purpose Driven Life, Day 19). Similarly, C.S. Lewis wrote that “if you meet a really humble man … He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all” (Mere Christianity, Book 3, Chapter 8). Our focus shouldn’t be on ourselves, but on doing the will of God. We need to realize that pride is a sin, confront it in our lives (identifying it, repenting of it, and asking God to help us change), and move forward with living lives patterned after God’s holiness. That will help us in our relationships with others. It will open us up to God’s grace. And it even helps us in our spiritual battles (which James also mentioned when he said, “resist the devil and he will flee from you”).

Image of a woman reading the Bible with the blog's title text and the words "When we humbly admit pride is a problem and ask God for help keeping it out of our lives, He graciously aids us with all our cares and empowers us to win spiritual battles." — Image by Pearl from Lightstock

And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty handby casting all your cares on him because he cares for you. Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering.And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.To him belongs the power forever. Amen.
1 Peter 5:5-11, NET (bold italics mark quote from Prov. 3:34; italics may be an allusion to Ps 22:13)

I’ve been wrapping up final copyedits this week on the Like An Anchor Study Guide: Armor of God book (which I’d planned to release last month, but I temporarily lost all my editing notes when we moved), so this feels like a particularly relevant passage right now. One of the things we need to realize when approaching spiritual warfare is that we can’t do it on our own. Thinking you can stand up against the roaring lion all by yourself is a recipe for disaster. We need to humble ourselves before the Almighty and entrust Him with all our cares. Then we can stand against His adversary while wearing His armor (Eph. 6:10-18).

Also, notice that Peter once again calls our attention to “the God of all grace” before wrapping up his letter. It is God’s charis–favor within a reciprocal covenant relationship–that enables us to live humble, victorious lives. His “greater grace” makes it possible for us to overcome pride in ourselves and to resist our adversary the devil, who was so proud he thought he could overthrow God. When we give into that same sin of pride, we’re putting ourselves on the wrong side of that battle. But when we humbly admit pride is a problem and ask God for help getting rid of it and keeping it out of our lives, He graciously aids us with all our cares and empowers us to win spiritual battles.

Featured image by Matt Vasquez from Lightstock

Song Recommendation: “Grace Upon Grace” by Josh Wilson

The Fruit Of Gentleness

9 March, 20198 March, 2019Marissa

Meekness, gentleness, and mildness get a bad rap in today’s society. People tend to think of them as synonyms for being weak or boring. A door mat. But those three words I opened with are all possible translations of the Greek word praotes (G4236), which is listed as part of the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

The spirit of God is not weak or boring. It is full of power, and it is also “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control.” Indeed, though we may not think of these traits as “powerful,” we cannot display them all unless we’re empowered by God. It takes a great deal of inner strength, commitment, and willingness to be transformed by God to live-out the fruit of His spirit, including gentleness.

The Meekness of Christ

In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul opened one of his lines of thought with the words, “I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:1, WEB). The traits of gentleness, humility, and meekness that the world spurns are key to understanding Jesus Christ’s character. Read more →

Make Pleasing God Your Lifestyle By Desiring What He Requires

24 March, 201823 March, 2018Marissa

Last Sabbath, I was at a young adult weekend centered on the theme “Desire What The Lord Requires.” All the seminars focused on Michah 6:8, which reads:

He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? (WEB)

One speaker mentioned something that really stuck in my mind. In this passage, God doesn’t tell His people to be just, merciful, and humble. He uses specific verbs instructing us to act, love, and walk in certain ways. This passage is focused on actions that come from developing God’s character. It goes beyond being like God to actively walking with Him. And though it doesn’t say so here, this should be something that we want to do rather than something we do just because it’s a requirement. God has always been concerned with the state of our hearts and the motives behind why we follow Him. We please Him when we do what He requires willingly and desire the same things He does.

Act Justly

Matthew Henry’s and Adam Clarke’s commentaries says that to do or act justly means “to give to all their due.” Giving everyone what they are “due” from us includes giving God all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength, treating our neighbors as we would like to be treated, and also treating ourselves the way God intends.

Basically, acting justly is summed up in the two greatest commands (Matt. 22:36-40). That’s because the concept of justice is tied to God’s law, and the entire law hangs on the commands Jesus shared about how to love God and our neighbors. Read more →