teaching – Like An Anchor

Thoughts on Sharing the Gospel

25 May, 202424 May, 2024Marissa

As I mentioned in my email newsletter that went out this past Wednesday, I’ve been reading quite a bit of New Testament historical fiction. One of the series–Angela Hunt’s “Jerusalem Road”— made me think about is how weird it would have been to live at the time of Jesus. We look back from our modern perspective and think it would have been amazing to be alive at that time and have the chance to actually meet and talk with Jesus. But I wonder if it’s more likely we’d have been confused and perplexed by this seemingly ordinary man who suddenly started performing miracles and who claimed to be the literal Son of God.

It’s hard for me to imagine not knowing Jesus is the Messiah (the Hebrew word for “Christ,” which means “anointed”). I grew up going to church. Not only that, I grew up in a culture that was shaped by Christianity and where most people I met had at least a basic understanding of who Jesus is and what Christians believe. It’s so natural for me to think of Him as the Son of God and accept that He lived, died, and rose from the dead. But that all would have been brand-new to early 1st century people.

As our modern culture moves farther and farther away from Christianity, more and more people don’t have much–if any–Christian cultural background or Bible knowledge. Those of us in the U.S. and similar countries can’t really assume anymore that if we talk with someone about our faith they’ll have any foundational Biblical knowledge to build on. It’ll be more like Paul preaching to Gentiles who’d never heard of Jesus and thought Yahweh was only a God for the Jews than it is like Peter preaching to Jewish people who already had a faith background but needed to hear how Jesus is relevant to them.

Image of four smiling people walking toward the camera overlaid with text from 2 Tim. 4:1-2, NET version: "I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his
appearing and his kingdom: Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and instruction." — Image by Matt Vasquez from Lightstock

What Are the Gospels Doing?

I’ve also been pondering a related thought, this time about sharing Jesus with someone rejecting Him rather than someone who never knew about Him. I know of someone who was Christian but is now adopting Jewish beliefs, and I’ve heard that this person challenged someone to prove that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God using only the Old Testament. In many ways, that’s a ridiculous thing to ask. You can prove just from the Old Testament that there is a promised Messiah coming, but if you’re going to prove that it’s Jesus you need to cite evidence that His life lines up with those prophecies. As I thought about this topic more, I realized this is exactly the point of the gospels. They’re there to convince readers of who Jesus is.

Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not recorded in this book.But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 2o:30-31, NET

Have you ever noticed how many times the gospel writers (especially Matthew) say things like, “it is written” or “that it might be fulfilled”? They’re constantly referencing back to the Old Testament writings and linking them to Jesus, showing that He fulfilled prophecies. Just like Jesus came to fill the law and the prophets to the fullest and just like He had to open His disciples eyes to understand the scriptures about Himself (Matt. 5:17-20; Luke 24:25-48), so are the gospel accounts there to open up the scriptures for us and show that Jesus is the Messiah. Of course, God the Father is the one who opens minds to comprehend these truths (John 6:44), but He also responds to those who diligently seek Him (Matt. 7:7-11) and expects His people to help share His truths with the world (Matt. 28:18-20; 2 Tim. 4:1-2).

Preaching the Word of Christ

Image of two people studying a Bible together, overlaid with blog's title text and the words, "Pondering ways that talking about God today is similar to the first century." — Image by Anggie from Lightstock

I feel like a lot of times when we talk about our faith, we want to jump right into the details. We like to explain what makes our church’s Christianity different from other churches. We want to make sure people know God has expectations for them and their conduct if they commit to following Him. But that only matters to people if they already know about Christianity and they already care what God thinks about them. If they don’t have that already, they need to hear the gospel–the good news about who Jesus is and what He taught–before all the details about how to follow Him.

For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them?And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news.”But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ.
Romans 10:10-17, NET (bold italics mark quotations from Isa 28:16; Joel 2:32; Isa 52:7; Nah 1:15; Isa 53:1)

The details about how to follow Jesus are important–He included many of those “how-to” details in His message, and His followers filled in more information in their letters that make up the rest of the New Testament. But at it’s core, the gospel is very simple. People hear the preached word of Christ, they respond in faith and obey the good news, and their belief results in righteous living. Remember, God’s sincere desire is that everyone turn away from wickedness, turn to Him, and choose life (1 Tim. 2:1-4; 2 Peter 3:9; Eze. 18:21-32). That should be our desire as well, and the ways we talk about Him should reflect that.

I know this wasn’t really my typical blog post format this week. It was more musings and reflections than a topical Bible study. I just really struggled coming up with a topic this week, and so I wrote about the ideas my thoughts kept coming back to pondering.

Featured image by Ben White from Lightstock

Song Recommendation: “The Basics of Life” by 4HIM (a song I haven’t thought about in probably 10 years, but which popped into my head while writing this post)

Click here to learn more about these books or to order a copy.

3 Keys to Biblical Motherhood

6 January, 20245 January, 2024Marissa

I wasn’t quite sure what today’s post would be about until I’d been working on it for nearly a week. I knew I wanted to look at motherhood in the Bible, then as I studied three things gradually stood out to me as key points the Biblical writings emphasize. Society often places a ton of pressures on mothers to be perfect, and in the church it’s often described as the most important thing a woman can do.

For most of my life, when I studied women’s roles in the Bible and in the church, I was trying to find hints for what is expected of unmarried women without children. That’s a bit challenging, because instructions are often addressed to wives or talk about children. Now that I’m married and pregnant, though, all those verses are suddenly more relevant. I find it encouraging to study the Bible and see God really expects three basic things from mothers: pray for their kids, love their kids, and teach/train them in God’s way of life.

Image of a woman's and a toddler's feet overlaid with text from Psalm 127:3, WEB version: "Behold, children are a heritage of Yahweh. The fruit of the womb is his reward." — Image by Brimstone Creative from Lightstock

Praying For Children

I’ve long been fascinated by God’s interactions with the patriarch’s wives. He’s called the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but He’s also the God of Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachael and we have record of Him interacting with the women as well as the men (God spoke directly with Sarah and Rebecca [Gen. 18:9-15; 25:20-26] and Leah’s name choices imply a relationship with Him [Gen. 29:31-35]) . Interestingly, all these interactions are related to their roles as mother. God definitely talks to and works with women who aren’t mothers as well, but for many women who talked with God, their interactions with Him involve their children. Either they’re asking for a child, or God’s telling them they’ll have a child, or they’re seeking God’s help with a child.

Christians are under no obligation to get married or have kids if they don’t want to (there are even verses where Paul counsels it could be best to remain single), but the Bible assumes that the majority of people will marry and that they’ll want to have kids. As we discussed in last week’s post, God loves children and He cares deeply about how His people raise the children that He gives to them as a gift.

She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Yahweh, weeping bitterly. She vowed a vow, and said, “Yahweh of Armies, if you will indeed look at the affliction of your servant and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a boy, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head.” …

When she had weaned him, she … brought the child to Eli [the priest]. She said, “Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to Yahweh. I prayed for this child, and Yahweh has given me my petition which I asked of him.”
1 Samuel 1:10-11, 24-27, WEB

I love that God listens to women’s prayers or even just thoughts for and about their children. We see this first in Hagar’s story, where she was clearly worried about her son but doesn’t even have to make a specific prayer for God to respond to her plight (Gen. 16:6-15; 21:8-21). We see it in Rebecca, who had a question about her pregnancy that God personally responded to (Gen. 25:20-26). We see it in Hannah (whose story I just quoted), who asked God for a son and received exactly what she requested (1 Sam. 1:1-2:11). From the many examples of praying mothers in the Bible and God’s careful attention to their prayers, we can see that praying for children is a key part of Biblical motherhood.

Image of a mother coloring at a table with her son and daughter, overlaid with text from Prov. 1:8-9, WEB version: "My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching: for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck." — Image by Brimstone Creative from Lightstock

Teaching Your Children

My husband and I were both homeschooled, and we’re planning to homeschool our children as well. I’m so excited about this, particularly now that I have teaching and tutoring experience working with everyone from 5-year-old beginning readers to teens struggling with homework to Ph.D. candidates looking for editing help on their dissertations. I love teaching and I’m excited to teach my children and discover their learning styles.

One of the things that the Bible assumes (and commands!) is that fathers and mothers will both be teaching, training, and disciplining (disciple-ing) their children. When we look at Moses’s words in Deuteronomy about passing on God’s teachings to children, we can remember that his audience was “all Israel” (Deut. 1:1; 5:1). That’s the whole assembly of the congregation, men and women.

Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul. You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates; that your days and your children’s days may be multiplied in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth.
Deuteronomy 11:18-21, WEB

When you have kids, God expects you to make His way of life part of their everyday learning. Even if you don’t homeschool, you’re still responsible for teaching your children the word of the Lord. That goes for both mothers and fathers.

My son, keep your father’s commandment,
and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.
Bind them continually on your heart.
Tie them around your neck.
Proverbs 6:20-21, WEB

Mothers taught both boys and girls (for example, all of Proverbs 31 is “The words of king Lemuel; the revelation which his mother taught him). There’s a good chance that Jesus’s mother Mary was His primary teacher, since she was from a priestly family and spent time in the home while Joseph would have been busy with his work as a carpenter (Metsämuuronen, 2019). Jewish children of Jesus’s time grew up steeped in religious tradition, learning prayers, keeping Sabbath and the feasts, and eating kosher foods. They were likely taught “the contents of the main scriptures and proverbs” and learned how to “read something” from their mothers before beginning formal schooling at the age of six or seven (Metsämuuronen, p. 5). If there was a local synagogue, both boys and girls would have gone there to learn Torah until around age thirteen. If not, it was the parents’ responsibility to continue their schooling.

Teaching and training children in God’s way of life is still a responsibility for parents, regardless of how else their children are being taught things more traditionally considered school subjects. It’s not something we can leave to chance or hope they learn through osmosis at church or from our examples. We need to be intentional about it. As such an important responsibility, teaching and training children is a key aspect of Biblical motherhood.

Love the Children

Image of a mother sitting by a lake with two little girls, overlaid with blog's title text and the words, "Reading the scriptures shows God expects three basic things from mothers: to pray for their kids, to love their kids, and teach them His way of life." — Image by Anggie from Lightstock

Praying for their children is something we see mothers in the Bible do. Teaching their children is something they were commanded to do. Another command, which involves older mothers teaching new mothers, is to love our children.

But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with sound teaching. … Older women likewise are to exhibit behavior fitting for those who are holy, not slandering, not slaves to excessive drinking, but teaching what is good.In this way they will train the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, fulfilling their duties at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the message of God may not be discredited.
Titus 2:1, 2-5, NET

It seems a little odd that the older women have to train the younger women how “to love their children.” We tend to think that love is something that just happens and people don’t need to work on it, especially for women with their maternal instinct. There are also hints in the Bible that it’s natural and normal for women to cherish their own children (Is. 49:15-16; 1 Thess. 2:7). But just like we learn to love a spouse more fully and deeply (rather than simply settling for impulsive, romantic love), we can also learn how to love our children better.

I know there’s a lot involved in being a good mother, but I suspect most of it is going to fall into these broad categories (based not just on Bible study, but practical observations of and conversations with mothers I know and admire). It’s kind of like how the entire law is fulfilled by truly following the command to love God and love your neighbor (Matt. 22:35-40; Rom. 13:8-10). If we’re praying for our children, teaching them God’s way, and loving them truly, then maybe the rest is simply details on how to do that properly.

Featured image by Pearl from Lightstock

Song Recommendation: “A Mother Like You” by JJ Heller

Paul’s Focus in Ministry: A Study of Titus

1 July, 202330 June, 2023Marissa

Sometimes, reading familiar verses in a new translation can give you just enough of a perspective shift that they hit you a different way than before. I’ve been using the New English Translation for a few years now, but there are still some books I haven’t spent as much time in and the wording really makes me sit up and take notice. That happened this week when I was reading Titus 3:8 for my ladies’ group’s 30-day scripture writing program this month.

This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people.
Titus 3:8, NET

The phrase “I want you to insist on such truths” was translated “concerning these things I desire that you affirm confidently” in the WEB, which is more literal. However, I like the way the NET calls attention to Paul’s emphasis on affirming truthful, trustworthy things. It made me want to meditate and study more deeply on Paul’s goal in writing this letter.

To Further The Faith

In a letter to the Corinthians, Paul called Titus a “brother,” partner, and “fellow worker,” and described his presence as a joy and comfort (2 Cor. 2:13; 7:6, 13-14; 8:6, 16, 23; 12:18). We also know from Galatians that Titus was a Greek, which caused some contention among Jewish believers who wanted to insist non-Jewish male converts be circumcized (Gal. 2:1-10). We don’t know much else about him from the Bible, but we know he traveled with Paul on ministerial work and that Paul left him in Crete “to set in order the remaining matters and to appoint elders in every town” ( Titus 1:5, NET). That’s where Titus was when Paul wrote him the letter that we have in our New Testaments today.

From Paul, a slave of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before time began.But now in his own time he has made his message evident through the preaching I was entrusted with according to the command of God our Savior. To Titus, my genuine son in a common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior!
Titus 1:1-4, NET

Look at how Paul describes his role in the opening salutation of this letter. He is a slave or bondservant (i.e. one who sells himself in service to another) belonging to God; in other words, he doesn’t see himself as free to leave but his service is voluntary. And the purpose of being “a slave of God and apostle of Jesus” is “to further the faith of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness.” We’ve been studying faith a lot on this blog recently, particularly in connection with covenant faithfulness. We can think of faith in the first-century Biblical context as “active loyalty, trust, hope, knowledge, and persuasion … within the new covenant brought about through Christ’s Atonement” (Brent Schmidt, Relational Faith, p. 11). That’s what Paul wanted to “further” among God’s chosen ones as he shared knowledge of Truth “in hope of eternal life.”

Faith, truth, and hope are also something Paul wants others to share. As I mentioned, he left Titus in Crete to appoint elders, and the next thing Paul focuses on in his letter is qualifications for those elders. Some of those qualifications have to do with the elder’s family, others with his character, and finally with his commitment to teaching God’s word correctly (Titus 1:5-9).

He must hold firmly to the faithful message as it has been taught, so that he will be able to give exhortation in such healthy teaching and correct those who speak against it.

For there are many rebellious people, idle talkers, and deceivers, especially those with Jewish connections, who must be silenced because they mislead whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught.
Titus 1:9-11, NET

Here’s where the NET translators made what I think is a misstep. They translated “those of the circumcision” as “those with Jewish connections,” which implies that anyone with Jewish links was an issue when in reality Paul was addressing a specific faction that taught circumcision was necessary for salvation and wanted to enforce extra-Biblical Jewish teachings on top of God’s laws.

For this reason rebuke them sharply that they may be healthy in the faith and not pay attention to Jewish myths and commands of people who reject the truth. All is pure to those who are pure. But to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted.They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed. But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with sound teaching.
Titus 1:13-2:1, NET

One of the responsibilities of ministers like Paul, Titus, and the elders Titus was entrusted to pick out is to help other believers stay healthy in their faith. Here, Paul indicates that we can stay healthy in the faith by holding fast to truth (rather than rejecting it), acknowledging God by doing good deeds, and making sure our behavior aligns with sound teaching.

Image of four people studying the Bible together overlaid with text from Titus 3:1, 8, NET version: “Remind them ... to be ready for every good work. ... This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people.” — Image by Ben White from Lightstock

To Behave As God Intends

There’s a big focus here in Paul’s letter to Titus on good behavior and works. Paul instructs Titus to “communicate the behavior that goes with sound teaching” (NET) or “say the things which fit sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1, WEB). He then goes on to give instructions specifically for older men and women, for younger women, for young men like Titus, and for servants (Titus 2:1-10). Then, Paul shares instructions that apply to all groups.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.He gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his, who are eager to do good.So communicate these things with the sort of exhortation or rebuke that carries full authority. Don’t let anyone look down on you.
Titus 2:11-15, NET

Here’s another spot where the phrasing in this translation really grabs my attention. It is “the grace of God” that “trains us to reject godless ways ” and to live in a way that honors God. This really highlights that grace is a gift that carries covenant obligations rather than some sort of carte blanche to live however we like. Jesus died to “set us free from every kind of lawlessness” and turn us into a people “who are eager to do good works” (NET footnote on 2:15 and other, more literal, translations add “works”).

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work. …

This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people. …

Here is another way that our people can learn to engage in good works to meet pressing needs and so not be unfruitful.
Titus 3:1, 8, 14, NET

It might seem surprising how much Paul focuses on works in this letter since he’s so often cited as the one who talks about dying to the law and not being saved by works. Reading his letter to Titus really hammers home how often Paul is misinterpreted. Here, as in all his letters, he teaches that New Covenant Christians are supposed to keep the spirit of the law; this actually carries a higher expectation than simply keeping the letter. And though we’re certainly not saved by our own works, we are saved with the expectation that we will then do good works.

To Maintain a Godly Perspective

Image of a man reading the Bible with the blog's title text and the words "Paul's letter to Titus focuses on furthering each believer's faith, behaving as God intends, and maintaining a Godly perspective on the self, fellow believers, and those outside the faith." — Image by Anggie from Lightstock

The last of the three main themes that I see Paul focusing on in Titus has to do with how to view other people and your own calling. Remember, he has already reminded Titus that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people” (Tit. 2:11, NET). All, not just some. That doesn’t mean Paul thinks every human being is automatically saved as a result of Jesus’s death, but it does mean that He didn’t die for only one group of people. God loves the whole world and offers salvation to everyone. We must never forget that.

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work. They must not slander anyone, but be peaceable, gentle, showing complete courtesy to all people. For we too were once foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending our lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another. But “when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us in full measure through Jesus Christ our Savior. And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.”
Titus 3:1-7, NET

The same mercy that saved us is available to even the most irritating people we meet. And as people who were just like that before our relationship with God (and could be just as “foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved, … evil and … hateful” again if we reject God’s guidance), we should have compassion toward those who have not (yet) accepted the gift of God’s powerful grace. It is “this saying” which is “trustworthy” and that Paul calls Titus to insist upon so that Christians might focus intently on “engaging in good works.”

This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people.But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, quarrels, and fights about the law, because they are useless and empty. Reject a divisive person after one or two warnings. You know that such a person is twisted by sin and is conscious of it himself.
Titus 3:8-11, NET

As I mentioned in my last two posts (“Do Not Forsake” and “The Necessity of Godly Conflict Resolution and Forgiveness“), there are times when we need to reject fellowship with someone who is sinful and toxic. One of the few times we’re told to do this is when someone is purposefully, unrepentantly causing divisions and quarrels. Spreading discord is one of the seven abominable things that God hates (Prov. 6:16-19). This means that we also need to vigilantly watch ourselves and make sure we avoid such useless, empty fights.

Paul’s letter to Titus is encouraging and instructive. He wants Titus and others who, like him, are entrusted with teaching and leading roles, to help further other believer’s faith, to behave as God intends, and to maintain a Godly perspective on themselves, their fellow believers, and those outside the faith. Those who aren’t elders or in other leadership roles can also learn from this, because the things Paul focuses on teaching and encouraging are the things we’re supposed to work on as well. We need to commit to growing in the faith, to making sure our deeds align with God’s ways, and to having a humble, godly perspective.

Featured image by Creative Clicks Photography from Lightstock

Song Recommendation: “With Every Act of Love” By Jason Gray

Click here for Jason Gray’s explanation of the lyrics and inspiration for this song

What’s Up With the Word “Teacher”?

15 April, 202314 April, 2023Marissa

One of the verses in the gospels that puzzles me is in Matthew 23. Here, Jesus instructs His disciples not to call anyone Rabbi, Father, or Teacher. However, Paul later refers to people as teachers in his epistles. I don’t think he would have so blatantly contradicted a command straight from Jesus (that is, I think, one of the chief principals to keep in mind when trying to interpret Paul’s writings). Maybe Paul knew something about this instruction that isn’t readily apparent to us. Let’s start by looking at the context for Jesus’s remarks.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The experts in the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long. They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagoguesand elaborate greetings in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ.The greatest among you will be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 23:1-12, NET

Reading this, we see the context is instructing us to avoide self-exaltation and not take on yourself titles/honors meant for God the Father and Jesus Christ alone. You are not to be called Rabbi (G4461, rhabbi, the Hebrew word used to refer to Jewish teachers) because Jesus is our Teacher (G2519, kathegetes, master, guide, teacher). You’re not to be called Father (G3962, pater, male ancestor, originator) because God is our Father (this would likely be an interesting study as well, but today we’ll just focus on “teacher”). Then the next verse warns against being called Teacher (kathegetes) again. Finally, this conversation wraps up with a warning against pride and an instruction to humble the self and serve.

Image of two people across from each other at a table with books, overlaid with text from 2 Timothy 2:24-25, NET version: “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth” — Image by Claudine Chaussé from Lightstock

What Type of Teacher Ought You To Be?

Matthew 23 is the only place the word kathegetes appears in scripture. Rabbi doesn’t appear outside the gospel accounts. When we see other writers talking about teachers in the New Testament church, they use a different word. It seems that the New Testament writers were careful about this warning not to be called “rabbi” or “teacher” even though that’s not apparent in the English translations.

The word Paul uses for “teacher” is didaskalos (G1320). It’s a more widely used, general term for “instructor, master, teacher” (Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary, entry G2519). While it is listed as a synonym for kathegetes, that word for teacher, master, or guide seems to have more to do with authority; Zodhiates also lists kathegetes as a synonym for lord, master, and overseer (entry G2519).

Both didaskalos and kathegetes are used as a synonym/translation for rhabbi (didaskalos in John 1:38 and kathegetes in Matt. 23:8) (Zodhiates entry G4461). It may be that using “rabbi” as a general Hebrew word for teacher is okay in modern use because it could be synonymous with either of these Greek words. However, Spiros Zodhiates thinks the didaskalos teacher would more commonly be seen in the NT times as an equivalent role to Jewish scribes, who are “acquainted with and interpreters of God’s salvation.” He also considers pastors a sub-set of teachers, and says that teaching can be a gift or an office within the church (entry G1320).

Didaskalos is a role linked with apostles, prophets, pastors, and other roles in the church (Acts 13:1; 1 Cor. 12:28-29; Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11). Hebrews implies that all mature Christians should be teachers, though James warns it’s a great deal of responsibility and is paired with stricter judgement (Heb. 5:12; James 3:1). There’s also a very specific focus to this version of teacher and related roles, which links back to Jesus’s warning.

And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God—a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature
Ephesians 4:11-13, NET

Remember that when Jesus warned not to be called teachers (kathegetes), it was in the context of not exalting the self or taking His titles for yourself. Here, the role of teachers (didaskalos) has to do with serving and building up the whole body/church. I think that Jesus’s warning in Matthew 23 and the choice of NT writers to use didaskalos to describe their roles has to do with the way authority is supposed to work in the church of God.

Image of an open Bible with the blog's title text and the words, Why does Paul talk about the role of "teachers" in the church when Jesus said not to be called "teacher"? — Image by Lamppost Collective from Lightstock

A dispute also started among them over which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.So Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’Not so with you; instead the one who is greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the one who serves.For who is greater, the one who is seated at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is seated at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”
Luke 22:24-27, NET

Jesus didn’t want His followers lording it over people the way that the corrupt Jewish religious authorities did. That’s the main point in Matthew 23–their teachings were solid when they came from the Law of God, but many of the scribes, experts in the law, and Pharisees had a heart issue. They were not right with God and kept the letter rather than the spirit of the law (see the rest of Matt. 23). In contrast, teachers under the authority of Jesus serve the people they teach with humility.

We don’t have different words for “teacher” with different nuances of meaning in our English translations of the Bible. But I think we all have enough experience with people to know the difference between teachers who want recognition and power, and teachers who want their students to learn and thrive. We don’t need to obsess about not calling someone “teacher” (particularly since English doesn’t have two words like we saw in Greek), but we do need to be careful which teachers we listen to and even more careful about the types of teachers we are.

Featured image by Inbetween from Lightstock

Song Recommendation: “Better Is One Day” by Matt Redman

Thoughts on Sharing the Gospel

11 March, 202317 March, 2023Marissa

I came down with a flu last week and just did not have the mental focus to do much of anything for the first few days. Which threw-off my typical Bible study routine and therefore my blog post plans. I did, however, feel good enough to read. As I perused my bookshelves, I realized I’d never actually read The Heliand: The Saxon Gospel translated by G. Ronald Murphy, which I’d been very excited about when I discovered it existed a few years ago.

The Heliand is an Old Saxon epic poem from the ninth-century A.D. The author is unknown, but based on clues in the text itself Murphey’s introduction suggests that we can assume the author thought a cultural translation of the gospel into a form Saxons could identify with would be a better conversion tool than Charlemagne’s forcible Christianization. This resulted in a gospel account that’s more of a retelling than a direct translation, with some interesting results.

For example, when Gabriel announces John the Baptist’s birth in The Heliand he says the All-Ruler sent him to say “your child will be a warrior-companion of the King of Heaven. He said that you and your wife should care for him well and bring him up on loyalty” (Song 2). Murphey’s footnote points out this is the “earliest known blending of Germanic warrior virtue with Christian religion,” and a likely origin for Medieval notions of knighthood.

In this version, all the disciples are called Christ’s warrior-companions. On the one hand, this is an inaccurate translation. It misses the Hebrew concept of a learner following a teacher and modeling his behavior. On the other hand, it’s not wrong to describe the original 12 disciples as “a picked group … for a special expedition or mission” (footnote on Song 14) or to say that we can also join Christ’s chosen warrior-companions. So maybe it’s not a mistranslation so much as a choice to emphasize a different Biblical aspect of following Jesus that will connect better with the audience. Then, after they’re interested in learning more, you could talk with them about what else it means to be a disciple.

Image of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains in Saxony overlaid with text from 1 Corinthians 9:22-23, NET version: "I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some. I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in it." — Image by Peggychoucair from Pixabay

What Makes A Good Translation?

As I think about The Heliand, I remember another book I read that talked about modern challenges with translating the Bible for some cultures today. There are still many languages in our modern world that don’t yet have a Bible translation. That’s something I don’t think we often think about as English-speaking Christians. The Bible has been available in English for over 400 years at this point and there are a dizzying array of translations available. At times, it can almost feel like the Bible has always been in English or has always been part of Western religious tradition.

I also get the sense from many American Christians that we expect what we read in our English Bibles to accurately reflect what’s in the Greek and Hebrew versions. I spend a lot of time looking at Greek and Hebrew words when I’m studying, so it always surprises me when I hear someone teaching from the Bible or writing an article about a Bible topic focus on one of the English words in a verse. For example, it might be helpful to know “disciple” comes from the Latin word for “learner” and it’s related to the word “discipline,” but the same link isn’t there between the Greek words manthanō and paideia so that tells us more about the translators than the New Testament writers.

Many of us opt for “literal” translations that are word-for-word, or as close to it as possible, like the New King James. “Dynamic” translations that aim to be thought-for-thought, like the New International Version, are also popular. The “free” or “paraphrase” translations like The Message are typically viewed with more suspicion (and rightly so, I think, since there’s more risk that the author’s opinion and modern culture will influence the text). (Click here for more on the different options with English translations.) However, despite the cautions with paraphrase translations, sometimes there might not be the option to translate word-for-word, or even thought-for-thought, depending on the language.

I think the other book I remember reading that talked about some of the challenges translating the Bible today was Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus by Lois Tverberg but I don’t remember for certain and I don’t have a copy here to check so I’ll need to reference it from memory.

In many cases, translators begin with the New Testament when translating since that seems like the most relevant for new Christians. That choice can, however, have some drawbacks. One of the stories I remember is that some well-meaning translators working on the gospel accounts left out all that boring genealogy information at the beginning. It wouldn’t mean anything to the people reading it anyway; they had never read a translation of the Old Testament in their language so they wouldn’t know who Abraham, David, and all those other people were. But then later, when the people they were working with found out about the genealogies, they said something like, “Oh! You mean Jesus was a real person? We thought he was made-up because he didn’t have a family.” In this case, the thing English-speaking readers thought was boring was essential for this non-Western audience. A literal translation was better.

The other story I remember involved the challenge of translating Paul’s letters into a language that didn’t have abstract nouns. How do you translate 1 Corinthians 13 into a language where love is always an action, not a concept to discuss? A direct translation is impossible; you’d have to paraphrase or introduce an entirely new concept to the target language. Obviously, it would be much easier to say, “when you’re loving, you’re also being patient and kind” than to try and explain abstract nouns. This is similar to what the author of The Heliand chose to do. He probably could have done a closer to literal translation from Greek into Old Saxon, but he evidently thought a paraphrase would make a whole lot more sense.

Cautions and Tips from the Word

Image of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains in Saxony with the blog's title text and the words "How do we view gospel translations? How do we share God’s word cross-culturally? What can we learn from teaching methods people tried in the past?" — Image by Sven Lachmann from Pixabay

When Jesus told His disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations,” He didn’t tell them precisely how they were to translate when “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20, NET). But we do know that when He filled those same disciples and others with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, “a crowd gathered and was in confusion, because each one heard them speaking in his own language” (Acts 2: 6, NET). God is perfectly fine with translations. And one of His most accomplished servants, Paul, modeled the importance of becoming relatable to people when preaching to them (1 Cor. 9:19-23).

Yet there are also cautions. James has this line, which ought to keep any of us teaching up at night: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly” (James 3:1, NET). In addition, we have very strict cautions not to add to or take away from the things which God delivers to us (Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Rev. 22:18-19). In other words, don’t take out the “boring” or uncomfortable bits, and don’t add things to make it more palatable either.

There’s a difference, though, between adding/taking away and making strategic decisions on what to emphasize first. If you’re writing an epic to be sung in Saxon mead halls, it makes sense to emphasize the fact that God is a warrior before talking about Him as a shepherd. If you’re translating into a culture that’s collective and family-oriented, you focus on God’s work building His family before talking about an individual relationship with God (actually, this is probably an easier translation than making it clear to individualistic Western readers that God sees His church as a whole collective).

There’s a lot to think about when considering how to translate God’s word, how to use the translations we have, and how to share the gospel across cultures. It’s even an increasingly relevant concern right here in the United States, where we can no longer assume people we talk with have any background in Christianity. Maybe there’s something we can learn from The Heliand about how to talk with people who may only have seen Christianity as something hostile to them. Maybe considering how the Bible is translated and taught cross-culturally can help us figure out how to speak with people who don’t have Christian backgrounds in our own cultures.

I am finally feeling better, so hopefully we’ll be back to a more typical sort of blog post next week. I hope you got something out of my musings on The Heliand this week, thought. If it made you think of any stories you’ve heard or experiences you’ve had sharing the gospel cross-culturally, I’d love to hear them.

Featured image by Peter H from Pixabay

“Song” Recommendation: It’s not sung in this version, but the reading by Dr. Shell gives us an idea of what The Heliand sounded like.

Writing (Like Life) Is an Individual Growth Process

25 August, 202025 August, 2020Marissa

I started graduate school last week! It’s a Master’s program of Rhetoric and Writing, and it means I suddenly have less time for blogging than I did before. But it also means I’ve been reading a number of books and scholarly articles that are prompting me to think more deeply on topics related to teaching and the writing process.

That might not sound, at first glance, like something that has to do with “finding our true selves in the people God created us to be.” However, I’m struck by similarities between best practices for teaching students to improve as writers and what I know about personal growth. We don’t all follow the exact same patterns for personal growth, nor do we all grow at the same pace and in the same way. Similarly, one-size-fits-all is not a great approach to teaching writing. There are, of course, certain things we look for in “good writing” — a strong thesis, structure that supports the thesis, integration of quotes and examples, etc. But to a certain extent, whether or not something is “good writing” also depends on the individual writer. Read more →