Bible Briefs: 2 Peter

Series Introduction: Bible Briefs are a short introduction and summary of the overview of a book of the Bible, with a view to helping people take up their Bible and knowing what it's about.

Have you ever wondered what it was like when the first generation of Christians began to die out? The first disciples had walked and talked with the Lord Jesus. But they were beginning to die, mostly by martyrdom. The next generation hadn’t met Jesus during the days of his life on earth; they depended on the apostles’ teaching. So what do you do when the apostles are dying?

It’s this very circumstance that prompts Peter’s second letter. He knows that his own death is imminent (1:14), so he writes to the Christians who will come after him. What can they depend on? What should they hold on to? Peter’s resounding and repeated answer is to hold on to God’s word as the means to growth in the ‘grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’ (3:18)

God has granted us ‘his precious and very great promises’ (1:4) which assure us of sins forgiven, our entrance into the eternal kingdom, and spur us on in the path of sanctification - adding to our faith virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection and love. (1:5-7).

Peter is making sure that these promises are recorded and remembered after he has put off his body (presumably through Mark’s Gospel), because Peter was an eye-witness and an ear-witness of the events of the Transfiguration: ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’ (1:17) Yet we have something more sure - the prophetic word, spoken by men carried along by the Spirit (1:19-21).

Just as in the Old Testament there were false prophets alongside the true, so the ongoing life of the church will have false teachers exploiting and corrupting. But don’t worry - Peter reminds his readers of how in the Old Testament God was able to rescue his people while punishing the unrighteous - Noah and Lot as prime examples. (2:4-10)

Holding to God’s word (by remembering the predictions of the prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour 3:2) through the apostles will help us answer the scoffers who ask what has happened to the promised return of Jesus. (3:4) God made the world by a word, the same word that now reserves the heavens and earth for judgement and destruction. But we shouldn’t be fooled into thinking that God is slow to fulfill his promise - that supposed slowness is actually patience, in giving opportunity for repentance, but the day of the Lord will come, suddenly, unexpectedly.

Even as the earth is destroyed by fire, we have the promise of new heavens and new earth - where righteousness dwells. Holding on to this promise spurs us on to be ready for the new world - just as Paul in writing the scriptures has urged us.

From start to finish and beyond, God’s precious and very great promises give us everything we need for life and godliness - forgiveness, hope, clarity, witness to the person and work of Jesus, safety in the midst of false teaching, and the certainty of our eternal future with Christ. It’s all in God’s word, written for us, so keep reading, and keep going. and growing.

Bible Briefs: Ruth

Series Introduction: Bible Briefs are a short introduction and summary of the overview of a book of the Bible, with a view to helping people take up their Bible and knowing what it's about.

The story begins with a family tragedy. Famine. Emigration. Death. A widow woman left bereft with two foreign daughters-in-law. It’s no wonder Naomi (‘pleasant’) wants to be called Mara (‘bitter’). Everything has been taken from her; and what remains she tries to send away. One daughter-in-law gladly goes home, but the other, she stays, stuck to her like superglue. ‘Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me... if anything but death separates you and me.’ This Moabite woman has been won to the LORD, even through the weak witness of a wandering widow.

They arrive back at harvest time. Her faithfulness to her mother-in-law is recognised and repaid by the farmer - abundant grace is shown to her as she takes refuge under the LORD, the God of Israel. The farmer just happens (!) to be a kinsman of the dearly departed, who becomes the kinsman redeemer to buy back the property and secure the inheritance of the family line.

It’s a well loved rags to riches romance. The story draws the reader in. But it’s more than just a wee story with a happy end and the returning of Naomi’s pleasure. Through the rescue of one family and the inclusion of a stranger, God is carrying on his great purpose of rescuing his family and the inclusion of strangers from all peoples and nations and tribes and tongues. The hero is God, the covenant-keeping LORD, who uses the heroine Ruth, and includes her in the family tree of the Lord Jesus himself.

When tragedy comes, we cannot always see God’s purpose. But keep trusting - he is in control and is advancing his great purposes. Just ask Naomi and Ruth.

Bible Briefs: Mark

Series Introduction: Bible Briefs are a short introduction and summary of the overview of a book of the Bible, with a view to helping people take up their Bible and knowing what it's about.

When Mark begins to write his Gospel, he gives the game away in the very first sentence: ‘The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.’ (1:1) As John the Baptist and then Jesus appear on the scene, the reader knows who this Jesus is, but the crowds and the disciples and the religious leaders are all trying to work out just who he is.

As Jesus proclaims the kingdom, he works miracles and overturns the accepted standards of the religious leaders. The questions come thick and fast: ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority!’ (1:27) ‘Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ (2:7) ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ (2:16) ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (4:41)

Eventually, Peter realises who Jesus is: ‘You are the Christ.’ (8:29). The question asked in the first half of the gospel has been answered. Who is Jesus? He is the Christ. Straight away, we’re plunged into the second half of the gospel, which asks (and answers) the question: What did Jesus come to do?

Within two verses, Jesus has already told the disciples that he, the Son of Man ‘must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.’ (8:31) From this point, Jesus is on the way to the cross, predicting his sufferings twice more, but his disciples just don’t seem to get it.

Almost a third of the gospel is taken up with the last week leading up to Jesus’ death on the cross, as Mark shares Jesus’ teaching and the disputes with the religious leaders. They, like Peter, should have recognised that the Messiah was in front of them, but they could not see it. Instead, they fulfill the scriptures as they condemn him to death. Yet as Jesus dies, one man does recognise who Jesus is, and what he came to do. A most unlikely of men: ‘And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”’ (Mark 15:39).

Who is Jesus? He is the Christ, the Son of God. He came to die for us. He came to rise again to new life for us. We know it from the very first verse, but Mark urges us to read on, to see and hear and discover this Jesus for ourselves, to become his disciples as we too come, and follow him.

Bible Briefs: Titus

Series Introduction: Bible Briefs are a short introduction and summary of the overview of a book of the Bible, with a view to helping people take up their Bible and knowing what it's about.

When Paul sent Titus to the island of Crete, he wasn’t there for a poolside holiday. There was work to be done in leading the church and appointing elders. Paul’s letter to Titus enables us to read over Titus’ shoulder as God shows us what a growing church should look like.

Throughout the letter, there’s a constant refrain. It’s the theme tune that repeats over and over again, heard in every section of the letter: believing and behaving go together. What we do will flow out of what we believe. We’re called to live lives of integrity - where our faith and deeds match up.

We find it in the opening verse: ‘Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness.’ (1:1) our knowledge of the truth must lead to godliness - believing brings behaving. The qualifications of the church leaders echo this (1:5-9), as does the testimony of the false teachers - ‘They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him’ (1:16).

As the letter progresses, there is specific application for various groups and profiles of people - old men, older women, younger women, and young men - all under the heading of ‘You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.’ (2:1) Healthy teaching must lead to right behaviour. Similarly with the slaves, their actions and reactions will be a sign of their faith ‘so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive.’ (2:10).

This was the very reason Jesus Christ came: ‘who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness [the truth] and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. [godliness] (2:14). The same theme is loud and clear as we come into the final chapter, where our relationship to the authorities and to the world around us is dealt with. Reflecting on the kindness and love of God which appeared, in order to save us, Paul urges Titus to teach these things: ‘so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.’ (3:8).

As we rejoice in the glorious good news of the Saviour who came to redeem us, that grace must bring change as it ‘teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.’ (2:12-13)

No matter how far along the path of discipleship we have travelled, there’s always more to do in pursuing godliness - but don’t be downhearted, because God’s grace is the encouragement for godliness. Let’s keep going and growing together.

Bible Briefs: Ezekiel

Series Introduction: Bible Briefs are a short introduction and summary of the overview of a book of the Bible, with a view to helping people take up their Bible and knowing what it's about.

The book of the prophet Ezekiel has always struck me as particularly odd. Perhaps it’s the opening chapter with the amazing vision given to the prophet with its details of the living creatures and the wheels within wheels which is hard to picture, and hard to understand. Having made it through chapter one, the reader is then faced with 23 chapters of doom, as the judgement and desolation of Jerusalem and Judah is declared.

As if the words weren’t enough, Ezekiel is commanded to act out the judgement by besieging a model of the city (4); by cutting his hair with a sharp sword (5); packing his bags and digging through the wall (12); and most horrific of all, by not mourning when his wife passes away (24).

The weight of the chapters lies heavy on the reader. The message is unmistakeable - sinners will not stand in the judgement of a holy God. That message is amplified as Ezekiel turns to the nations and addresses the same word to them (25-32). It seems as if there is no hope at all.

The people of God have neglected their God; the promises of God to Abraham look as if they will fail. What will happen? In the midst of the gloom, suddenly comes the promise of a new covenant - for the sake of God’s holy name - a new promise of a new heart and a new spirit leading to covenant faithfulness (36).

Ezekiel is taken to that most famous of his chapters, the valley of dry bones (37). Israel is dead and dried up, but these dry bones come together and live by the breath of the Spirit. New life is given in the place of death; leading to the vision of the restored (and greatly expanded) temple and city, the name of which closes the book: ‘The LORD Is There’ (48:35).

We find that the message of Ezekiel is not weird at all - it’s the story of the good news as it points to the salvation we have in the Lord Jesus. We, under the judgement of God, ‘dead in our trespasses and sins’ (Eph 2:1), like those dry, dusty bones, are made alive in Christ and being built into the spiritual temple (1 Pet 2:5) where we will dwell forever with God. You could almost say that it’s the Gospel According to Ezekiel - thanks be to God!

Bible Briefs: 1 Peter

Series Introduction: Bible Briefs are a short introduction and summary of the overview of a book of the Bible, with a view to helping people take up their Bible and knowing what it's about.

Towards the end of Peter’s first letter, he writes that ‘I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.’ (1 Peter 5:12) While there may be false notions of God’s grace, Peter has written about the true grace of God, encouraging those who received the letter (and us too!) to stand fast in God’s grace.

What does it look like? How could we summarise it? It’s possible by jumping from the end of the letter to the very start, in two ‘e’ words: elect exiles.

Peter is writing to God’s elect - chosen by God the Father through the Spirit for the Son (1:2); born into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus, being built up into the spiritual temple on Christ the cornerstone. From 1:1 to 2:10, Peter describes what it looks like to be elect, ending in his great statement: ‘But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God...’ (2:9)

It’s a great reminder of the wonderful privileges we have in Christ; the hope that is ours in Christ; the way we are being knit together as the church. Yet as we look around, things aren’t how we would like them to be. It’s plain to see we’re not home yet, that we are still exiles.

The rest of the letter (2:11 - 5:14) is taken up with Peter helping us to see how we should live as the elect who are still in exile. We should submit to one another as we follow the pattern of our Saviour; we seek to live for the will of God, and not our own evil desires; we may even suffer as Christians in a world and culture that is hostile.

In our exile, as we journey towards home, we’re to remember that we are elect - God’s chosen - and that he will finish what he has started: ‘And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.’ (5:10-11)

Bible Briefs: Introduction

One of the regular features of my monthly schedule is the production of the parish notes for the diocesan magazine. The drawing together the next month's service details isn't the issue - I'm normally reasonably good at planning ahead. Neither does the problem come with the compiling of the various reports and notices from the parish organisations. The leaders are great at feeding me the information in good time and keeping things updated. But there's one part of the notes that causes me some anguish: the Rector's letter.

In it, I'm not just writing to my parishioners - or at least those who get and receive the magazine. It's different to a parish weekly notice sheet, or a special letter to the parish in advance of harvest or Christmas. The diocesan magazine doesn't just come to our folk; it doesn't even just get distributed in each of the other churches in the diocese of Clogher; the diocesan magazine is on sale in Eason's Enniskillen branch and I'm sure in other local outlets. Friends in Belfast have told me that they receive a copy each month and are checking up on what's going on (and even my spelling, punctuation and grammar is checked by a former teacher!).

With such a wide audience, and such a diverse group of people (which, I suppose, is much like a blog), what to say? How to say it? What would bring most benefit to anyone who cares to read a few lines from the rector of a small, rural parish? For the first year or so, I tried to be topical - a short snappy introduction linked to the time of year, with a thought for the day reflection on a Bible verse. They're sometimes hard to write. The rest of the notes are done, the deadline is swiftly approaching, so occasionally no letter was included, nothing would come in a coherent fashion.

Recently, however, I've started a different approach. A couple have appeared, and it's a style that I think I'll continue and see through to the end. It's what I'm calling 'Bible Briefs' - a couple of paragraphs giving a brief introduction and overview of a book of the Bible, with the hope that it will help the reader to pick up their Bible and get stuck into the book.

They're arising out of my own devotions as I try to read bigger chunks of the Bible this year (ignoring chapter divisions and the wee inserted headlines which can sometimes be misleading), and spurred on by the search for the 'melodic line' of each Bible book. That phrase comes from Dick Lucas, the grandfather of The Proclamation Trust, who urges us to discover the key idea / theme / verse that drives the whole book / letter and transforms our understanding of the whole thing.

As David Jackman writes in 'The Practical Preacher':

One of the things The Proclamation Trust has tried to encourage over the years is thinking about the melodic line: every book has its theme tune. If your series does not get your congregation to the theme tune then they are not going to learn the Bible in the way in which it was written. They are going to learn it cut up into chunks by us, and I do not think we do it as well as God did it! So let us preach the Bible the way God gave us the Bible: book by book.

So these Bible Briefs will occasionally pop up on the blog. Together, perhaps we'll come to grasp God's big picture, and get to know the Bible better - because in it, we find the God who speaks to us in and through his word.