Exegesis on Philippians 2:12-13

In literary criticism, there is a debate on whether meaning is imbued by the author or by the reader. Whether the meaning of any particular text is subjective or not is not necessarily the point, but for the sake of argument, in this exegesis we will explore a variety of facets which potentially shape the meaning of the text. To effectively exegete this text, we must look at what Paul had in mind when he wrote the letter to the Philippian church. Thus, we must look at the context surrounding Paul personally, the political/cultural context in Philippi, and compare those findings with other writings which are attributed to Paul.

The city of Philippi was located in the north eastern corner of Macedonia. It is named after the father of Alexander the Great, Philip II of Macedon. In 168 BCE, Philippi became part of the Roman Empire when the Roman army defeated the Persians. Paul came to Philippi in approximately 49 AD. The official language of the area was Latin, but most people spoke Greek. “The religious life of those in Philippi was marked by very syncretistic practices including the worship of the emperor (Julius, Augustus and Claudius), the Egyptian gods Isis and Serapis, as well as many other deities.”^[1] In Acts 16:1-40, we find the record of Paul’s second missionary journey to Macedonia. Paul was not originally planning on going to Macedonia, but Paul had a dream in which a man from Macedonia asked him to come. Paul traveled to Macedonia with Silas and they were imprisoned for casting demons out of the fortune telling slave-girl, thus interrupting her master’s financial gain. During their night in prison, an earthquake broke the foundations of the prison. Believing everyone to have escaped, the jailer was about to end his own life, when Paul and Silas, spoke up and revealed that they were all still there. Paul and Silas’ were then able to explain the Gospel of Christ and usher in salvation for the jailer and his family. Thus, this missionary journey was the birthplace of the church in Philippi. It was also the beginning of a people to whom this letter would eventually be addressed.
            As for authorship of the book of Philippians, most scholars believe that Paul was the author. The writing style is consistent with all other Pauline writings. As for the date of the writing, much of that depends on when and where Paul was imprisoned, as written about in 1:12-26. There are three different possibilities which include Rome, Ephesus and Caesarea. There are Scriptural references which indicate Paul was imprisoned in both Rome and Caesarea. However both of these locales are a significant distance from Philippi, which makes the travel schedule that Paul outlines in Philippians difficult to imagine.  While Ephesus is much closer, making the itinerary much more realistic, there is a substantial lack of evidence to prove that Paul was imprisoned in Ephesus. Most scholars believe that Philippians was written by Paul, while imprisoned in Rome, during 60-62 AD.
            Now that we understand the background of this text, let us look to the text at hand. We see that in the New American Standard Bible, Philippians 2:12-13 is translated,

 “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

Paul’s consistency in his writings must be our foundation for this exegesis. The context that surrounds verses 12-13 is incredibly important. The ultimate goal of the first chapter in Philippians is to lay a template that reveals Christ as the first son who chose humility and obedience, with Paul following in Christ’s footsteps, and an invitation for the church at Philippi to follow as well. This section begins with a phrase, ‘so then’ which is translated as ‘therefore’ in the ESV. The word therefore, always refers back to a previous principle, in which the author is trying to draw a correlation. In the case of 2:12, it refers back to the hymn about Christ’s obedience and humility in 2:5-11. In this verse Paul is not questioning the churches obedience nor is he issuing a stern command, but rather is applauding them on their behavior.

 “Paul has no misgivings about the Philippian Christian’s obedience: unlike the Corinthians in the situation reflected in 2 Corinthians 10:6, they had always shown obedience, not so much to Paul as to the Lord whose apostle he was.”^[2]

By inserting this hymn at this point in his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul is using the song as a literary exclamation point in the middle of his letter. For Paul faith in Christ is, in the end, articulated as obedience to Christ, not in the sense of adhering to the law but of submitting wholly to His lordship. This is the only obedience Paul is concerned with.[3] The significance of this context is its impact upon the following admonition to “work out your salvation.”

One key to understanding verses 2:12-13 is to determine whether Paul directed this command to the congregation or to each person individually. In Philippians: A Greek Student’s Intermediate Reader, Jerry Sumney wrote,

“…the verb and the reflexive pronoun that modify σώτηρίαύ are plural. This shows that the call to live out their salvation is a call to the Philippians as a community and anticipates that the matters to be raised in the following verses involve relations within the community.”^[4]

If those modifiers had been singular, the context of this passage would have been altered significantly. Sumney is not alone in recognizing the corporate ramifications in this text. F.F. Bruce also believes in the communal concept of salvation. In the New International Biblical Commentary he writes,

“In this context Paul is not urging each member of the church to keep working at his or her own personal salvation; he is thinking of the health and well-being of the church as a whole. Each of them and all of them together, must pay attention to this.”^[5]

Personal salvation is explicitly linked to eternal salvation, whereas corporate salvation is synonymous with sanctification. The term corporate salvation also lends itself to an entire community being transformed into a group of people who fully represent the Kingdom of God, and thereby offer an attractive alternative to the lifestyle of the non believers who are watching and judging the community as a whole. Thus the entire community is preserved or saved together, collectively. Moises Silva wrote, “One must ask, however, how it is that God works in the midst of people if not through their personal transformation.”^[6]  Silva believes that Paul is referencing personal salvation but is quick to admit that sanctification comes through community. Thus when we look back at 2:5-11, we see humility, which manifests as dying to self, is a requirement for the sanctification process. Just as Christ was humble and obedient to the point of death, so too should the Philippians choose to walk in humility and obedience. While looking at both sides of the debate on this Scripture are helpful, we cannot fully ascertain the meaning of Paul’s writings until we understand the words that he uses.

To fully understand the nuances of this text, we must further examine it in the original Greek language. The Greek word that is used in Philippians 2:12-13 for salvation is soteria.

“The KJV translates soteria as deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation (i.e. deliverance from the molestation of enemies; in an ethical sense, that which concludes to the soul's safety or salvation; of Messianic salvation; salvation as the present possession of all true Christians; future salvation, the sum of benefits and blessings which the Christians, redeemed from all earthly ills, will enjoy after the visible return of Christ from heaven in the consummated and eternal kingdom of God.)”^[7]

Thus salvation can refer to liberation from a person’s current circumstances and also to the future liberation from Hell. Etymologically we are reminded that, in modern times, when an injury occurs it is typical to put an ointment or salve on the wound. In the same way, salvation is an ointment for our souls that brings healing and wholeness. Sin has left our souls broken and damaged and the road to restoration or salvation begins with Jehovah Raphe, The Lord our Healer, applying a salve to our souls and healing those broken places.

“The word ‘salvation’ comes from the same Latin root as ‘salve’, an ointment for healing. To be saved is to be made whole. In Greek the word is soteria, meaning not only salvation, but preservation. While there is a beginning point in our salvation experience, the point of repentance and justification—the time of our faith commitment to Jesus Christ—this is only the beginning. We are to ‘work out’ our salvation, to grow into maturing, into the full stature of Christ.”^[8]

Maxie Dunnam, noted that salvation is not so much a onetime experience but more so a progression of experiences that happens in the life of every believer. The theological term for this is “sanctification.” The primary definition for sanctification in Webster’s Dictionary is “to make holy, set apart as sacred or to consecrate,” however, the third definition is to “render legitimate.”[9] Sanctification both legitimizes Christ’s sacrifice on the cross as well as rendering us legitimate to the Father.

When Paul speaks of corporate salvation, he is describing individuals who have experienced a personal salvation and are working it out corporately in the context of family. While the initial salvation encounter is intensely private, the sanctification process is worked out through daily interaction with believers in our community. This conviction finds its goal in deliverance/salvation, which from the beginning of time God has willed and plans to grant. In its implementation God’s work through his sanctifying Spirit is combined with the obedience of the believer as evidenced in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 “God chose you from the beginning for salvation, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.”[10] Thus, salvation cannot remain in one category or the other.  It must be embraced in tension.  A strictly personal view of salvation would lead to an immature faith that has never been sharpened in community. Likewise, if salvation were to remain entirely corporate, it would lead to a lack in personal relationship with God.  Neither stream is beneficial or desirable. By staying in the tension, Christians best emulate the nature and character of God who delicately holds the balance between extremes in perfect unison.

“For all that, our dependence on divine activity for sanctification is nowhere made as explicit as here. To begin with, God’s work is viewed as having a causal relation to our working; our activity is possible only because of divine grace. Second the syntax is emphatic: Paul says not merely “God works” but “the one who works the working is God”. Third, the divine influence is said to extend not only to our activity but to our very wills—a unique statement, though the idea is implied in other passages (e.g., John 1:13, Rom. 9:16).”^[11]

To further prove this, it is interesting to note that in Philippians 2:12-13, the word ‘work’ is mentioned three separate times. When we juxtapose the phrase “work out your salvation” in Philippians with Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, it would seem contradictory.  In the NASB, Ephesians 2:8-10 is translated as,

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For, we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

As was stated earlier, context is incredibly crucial. One must not read v.12 without also reading v.13. Paul goes on to emphasize in v.13, that the working is not man-made effort but the grace of God made manifest in our lives. Silva reinforces this thought by saying,

“For those who admit the soteriological thrust of the passage, the tendency is to define verse 12 by means of verse 13 (or verse 13 by means of verse 12), that is to tone down human activity by appealing to divine grace (or vice versa). One may, for example, so emphasize the truth that God does not force us to act against our will, that as a result grace is restricted to little more than a spiritual aid: “God will help us along, but it’s really up to us.” Conversely, fear of legalism may lead us to a more or less passive understanding of sanctification: “Our responsibility is simply to rest in God’s grace, to let him work in us.” The text itself, by its very juxtaposition of those two emphases, cries out loudly against any such attempts at resolution. And the point here is not merely that both the human and the divine are stressed, but that in one and the same passage, we have what is perhaps the strongest biblical expression of each element.”^[12]

While it is very natural for us to be polemic in our response, as Silva so beautifully articulates, we must embrace the tension found in these two verses to achieve the maximum balance and benefit.

The question now remains, what is the biblical application of Philippians 2:12-13? Quite simply, in order to legitimize or manifest the out-workings of your salvation, you must humbly submit to the sanctification process which is found in the context of community. First century Philippians lived in a tribal or familial system. Communities consisted of groups of families that were ruled by the leading patriarch.  Therefore, when hearing a message from Paul in which they were instructed to ‘work out their salvation’, their worldview would mandate the interpretation of this Scripture as ‘salvation comes in the context of community’.  Twenty centuries later, Americans are much more individualized.  Today, salvation is almost always portrayed as a personal experience. The bridge that divides these twenty centuries is wide. As Americans, who have chosen to submit to the Kingdom of God, though, Scripture must trump our individualistic proclivities, thereby mandating our participation in community. In THE MIRROR, Francis Du Toit translates Hebrews 10:25 as,

“In light of our free access to the Father, let us extend that embrace to one another. Our gatherings are no longer a repetition of tradition but an essential fellowship where we remind one another of our true identity. Let us do so with greater urgency (now that the day has dawned in our understanding).”^[13]

In this passage we can see more clearly what church is really about.  It is a place where we remind one another of our true identity.  The Church is about Christians understanding their place in the family of God as sons and daughters.

In these two short verses Paul amazingly articulates such profound thoughts on the concepts of personal versus corporate salvation, works versus grace, the fear of the Lord, as well as hints at what brings pleasure to God. It is no wonder why scholars have debated these verses throughout the centuries. As for the literary criticism and determining the meaning of this text, we absolutely cannot separate the first century context from the words that Paul wrote. Neither do we have the liberty to move then entirely into the 21^st century context. Just as we did with the concepts within we must balance the divide in careful tension. This is what makes Scripture beautiful in my opinion, it is a living document that spans time and is equally relevant to both the church in Philippi as well as the church in America two thousand years later.

---

[1]           Marshall, I. Howard, and W. Ward Gasque, eds. The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Acts of the Apostles. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1980.

[2]           Bruce, Frederick F. New International Biblical Commentary: Philippians. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1989.

[3]           Fee, Gordon D. "The Philippians "Affairs"-Exhortation to Steadfastness and Unity." In Paul's Letter to the Philippians, 233. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 1995.

[4]           Sumney, Jerry L. Philippians: A Greek Student's Intermediate Reader. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 2007.

[5]           Bruce, Frederick F. New International Biblical Commentary: Philippians. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1989.

[6]           Silva, Moises. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Philippians. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1994.

[7]           Strong, James. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Updated ed. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2007.

[8]           Dunnam, Maxie D. The Communicator's Commentary: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. Edited by Lloyd J. Ogilvie. Waco, TX: Word Books, 1984.

[9]           Webster, Miriam. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sanctification (accessed: December 11, 2014).

[10]          Balz, Horst and Gerhard Schneider, eds. In Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, "Soteria (deliverance, Salvation)." 327-329. Vol. 3. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1993.

[11]          Silva, Moises. The Wycliffe Exegetical Commentary: Philippians. Chicago, Il.: Moody Press, 1988.

[12]          Silva, Moises. The Wycliffe Exegetical Commentary: Philippians. Chicago, Il.: Moody  Press, 1988.         

[13]          Du Toit, Francois. "Hebrews 10." In Mirror Bible. 3rd ed. Hermanus, South Africa: Mirror Word Publishing, 2014.

Oh Ye of Little Faith

I grew up listening to stories of the Civil Rights era and made a vow that I would be different. I wouldn't let ignorance blind me. I would fight for the worth of all those living. I never could understand how believers couldn't see that all of humanity was created in the image of God. I always said if I  ever lived in an area where this was happening I would sit at the counter, ride the bus, march the march. I never thought I would get that chance. I thought surely we would be much more advanced in 2014 than it was in 1814. If we as a people have achieved such radical growth in industry, how have we not also grown ethically? I genuinely don't understand. Humanity. There is an inherent value just for being human.

While I truly believe that, nevertheless, there are still issues that feel like they threaten my faith. The choice between defending the truth and walking in compassion seem to be at odds. How did Jesus so perfectly balance Mercy and Justice? For me the issue has never been about pigments. That's a no-brainer. However when the recipe shifts to the sinful choices of other humans, I all to easily forget that I too am saved by grace.  I flop like a fish out of water. There sin deserves punishment, where mine deserves grace. Ten minutes later. My sin deserves punishment, while there's deserves grace. Love, Holiness, Grace, Truth, Militants, Pacifism. A thousand opinions fill social media, but I see no white man/woman, laying down their life. Thousands of  Atticus Finch's encouraging us to walk a mile in their shoes, but no one doing it. How is it lived out? I don't have the slightest idea. I am terrified of the conversations that desperately need to happen. I'm afraid the conversation will open closet doors that have ancestral skeletons, which will reveal that I am not as altruistic as I would like to believe I am.

I'm reminded of a quote by Mike Mason in his book "The Mystery of Marriage" that says something like, "You can stare at a starry sky and say that you feel closer to God, but the reality is that humans are created in His image. Therefore when you look in the face of the most despicable of humans, you are still closer to God than you are when you look at a sunset."  Or I think Mother Teresa said that each time she cared for a leper, she was ministering to Jesus directly.

As believers, if we don't see that the same is true when we look into the face of anyone who has different color of skin than we do, bears a different sexual orientation, worships differently (including not just denominational differences, but yes even Muslims), then we have clearly not fully understood the message of the Cross and how far the divide was that separated us from God before it. There is no one that has come anywhere near the enmity that the entire human race had against God. "Greater love hath no man than he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13. Until each one of us that calls ourselves by His name, picks up our cross and lays down our life for our fellow human beings, thereby walking out the highest form of love, we will continue to miss the message of the Gospel.

I know so many who want to take up arms and fight those that are different from us. Fight to defend the truth. Fight for God. In the story found in Matthew 8, we see a group of disciples that are panicked because they fear they will die at the hands of the storm. Jesus rebukes them for having little faith. I propose that if they had truly believed in the full revelation of Jesus, then they would have known that even in dying, God can raise the dead. When it comes to God, Life Always Wins. If your house and home are faced with a storm called Hate and you feel like you (and your opinions, beliefs, etc) are going to die, instead of panicking I encourage you to go ahead and die to self. Lay down your life for your friend. Walk in love and let Hate kill you. I know what happens on the 3rd day. Resurrection. Choose love. CHOOSE LOVE!

August: Worse than Chinese Water Torture

In my crazy life these days I am leading and directing two campus ministries, running two different business endeavors, writing a bible study on the book of Esther, trying to spend time with family and friends as well as sleep 8 hours a day and eat healthy.  There's no way that I accomplish all of it each day, but life is like math...you round up.

Here's what a typical week looks like for me:
On MWF (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) I teach English to two lovely Korean ladies from 10a-12noon. Then I take a 30 minute lunch. From 12:30-usually 6:30, I am working on a mixture of planning for Chi Alpha/Tech 24-7 campus ministry events and working to build both my business endeavors.  Starting at 6:30, I usually meet with 1-2 people for an hour or so.  Some of this is fun, some of it is work.  Usually by 8:30, I am back at work finishing tasks that I didn't complete earlier in the day.  If I'm lucky, I get to get in some writing.  Today, I've written two blog posts and not written any for my book. It's now 11:37pm.  I have been busy doing something for 13 hours, 11 of them work related.

On Tuesday/Thursday I don't have to be at work till 1 pm.  It's great because I can use my mornings to catch up on sleep or run errands. These days it's making Office Depot/Cost-co trips to get prepared for the semester.  I work from 1-5 on business/ministry stuff and usually have 2-3 meetings in the evening.  I usually get home around 10 pm on these days.  Saturday is spent catching up on anything that still needs to be finished, doing laundry, buying groceries, organizing life so that I can start it all again on Monday.  I am very intentional in busy seasons like this to rest on Sunday. Sometimes I go to church, sometimes I stay home and watch church on the internet.  Sometimes this is when I get a chance to write for my bible study. Sometimes I spend time with family.

I easily spend 50 hours a week working doing ministry and trying to grow two businesses.  Usually it's more like 65+ hours a week.

For the last two years I have raised support as a campus missionary through Texas Tech.  We used to bring in approximately $1000 a month with which I ran a ministry and 'took a salary'.  In the last year, our support has dropped to approximately $500 a month.  My businesses are bringing in about $400 per month.

Will you join with me in praying that God will release new finances into my life and the ministries I am leading? I don't care if those finances come through support raising or through new clients for these businesses.  Once August is finished, my time will not be stretched so thin.  I will be able to cut back to a normal 40 hour per week investment.  It's always a struggle, but God has always been faithful and provided for my every need.

Ideally I would bring in $2500 personally plus an additional $2000 per month to cover ministry expenses for both campus ministries.  This will cover printing costs, t-shirt production, fall retreats, supplies for CHOP and much more.

If you know of anyone or specifically a church that would be interested in supporting a missionary to Texas Tech, please feel free to give them my name and number.  My information can be found at www.txtech247.com or www.xalubbock.com.  Both organizations are 501(c)3's and therefore donations are tax exempt.

If you know a small to medium sized business that might need help with an assistant, you can send them to www.essentiallyjill.com.  If you know an international student who needs help with English tutoring, you can send them to www.bathanan.wix.com/esltutor.

As with every day, I lay it all down at the foot of the cross and ask him to breathe on all my efforts and multiply them for the glory of His name.  Thanks for joining me in prayer!  Bless you!

Birthdays: Worse than Chinese Water Torture

We've seen those movies like Tomb Raider or something where the main character is tied up and attached to a conveyor belt, which is whisking them away to a machine which will momentarily chop them into bits unless they are rescued.

That's how birthday's feel to me.  There is a time and day and no matter how hard I try, I cannot escape getting older.  It's not just the getting older thing, although that's a big part.  For me the weeks preceding and the day itself are fraught with a myriad of mixed emotions and expectations.

The ideal situation: 1) I felt like compared to all other 39'ers I was successful. 2) I am surrounded by 10-12 deeply close friends, plus my family all of who are super excited that I am on the earth and can't wait to lavish me with love, words of encouragement, and walks down memory lane.  3) Those friends and family are so looking forward to celebrating me that they have purchased super intentional presents that will blow my mind with how much I am loved and known. 4) I would end the day telling God I am very grateful to be alive, how excited I am about turning 39, and can't wait to see what adventures lie ahead of us.

Reality (as I see it): 1) Despite my internal believe if you love Jesus and are loved by him then you are successful.  The reality is that we live in a culture that defines success very differently.  Marriage: Kids: Degrees: Jobs: Bank Accounts, Clothing Size, etc....that's how our culture defines success. I am a failure based on those definitions. I can't help but look at my life compared to my peers and feel like a 12 year old pretending to be a grown up.  Yes, I know....comparison is the thief of joy.  Somebody quick...call 911. My joy just got stolen by the Birthday Monster.  2) Relationships are difficult.  I have had some friendships in my life that have been deeply profound and meaningful.  Unfortunately, many of them live thousands of miles away.  I have a few peer relationships in Lubbock. The other unfortunate thing is that 99.9% of the time I feel like a burden to bear rather than a friend to be celebrated.  I don't feel like a priority or a treasure.  Quite frankly if I didn't bring up my birthday and Facebook didn't notify you, I honestly wonder who would remember my birthday.  I've thought about testing that theory, but I don't know that I could handle the disappointment I would feel if no one called or did anything.  My love tank certainly is at an all time low. 2b) Furthermore, new relationships are tough!  It's hard to invest in new relationships.  2c) More than that, the writing of this blog can be misconstrued as manipulative and that's the last thing that I want.  Actually, the difficulty is how do you express very real emotions and needs/wants. It seems that it either forces people to celebrate you when they may not have wanted to do it initially and then you get in an ugly cycle of forcing action, and feeling as though the reaction isn't genuine or you say what you feel and nothing changes.  It's a very complicated path to navigate in my opinion.  3) Finances are tight all around.  Presents will be rare. 4) I will go to bed half happy/half sad. Life will continue.

So after thinking about all of this, I tend to do one of two things:  I become more distant, less dependent, and more independent.  I don't need people.  I am perfectly ok all by myself.  I'll cancel all festivities, go spend time with Jesus and live in my own happy bubble.  Option 2, which is much harder, is to choose to be grateful for whatever is given.  Let go of expectations.  Tell God that you want to be loved, and open your heart to love.  And be grateful.  It's crazy ridiculous hard.  It's hard to trust that God can do it. That he can fill your love tank and emotional cup, even though you've witnessed him doing it 1000 times first hand.  It's hard to release expectations from people. To quote Will Reagan, it's hard to "climb this mountain with my hands wide open."

I was telling someone the other night that most of the time I feel as though everything about me is intrinsically wrong.  The way I think, work, dream, love, etc is wrong.  Never good enough.

I know many of you won't believe me but this isn't depression talking.  I'm not depressed.  Life is hard. There are spiritual, emotional, supernatural battles that we face daily.  The "working out our salvation" process is real and painful.  Life makes me realize I need Jesus, every moment of every day.  Just like I do with the love of God, I often have to choose to believe daily that people love me.  Even though their actions are not as I would like them to be.  I will believe my family loves me and my friends love me because 1) I am worth being loved and 2) because they say so and attempt to show it in their own way.

Ok. so that's it.  You have 10 days till I turn 39.  You can do whatever you want to do.  I am surrendering it all to God and trusting that he will work it all out.  ...

PS.  You think this was dramatic....just wait till next year when I turn 40!

Worshipping with the Psalms

A while back i noticed that lots of my music was written based on the Psalms in scripture, and I was curious if I could compile a playlist based on the Psalms. Here's what I came up with so far:

Psalms 2                                  by Heather Clark
4:8                                           by Daniel Lehmann
13                                            by Shane & Shane
18                                            by Cory Asbury
18, 50                                      by Enter the Worship Circle/First Circle
19                                            by Sheri Keller
23                                            by Justin Barnard
24                                            by Cory Asbury
25                                            by Justin McRoberts
25-30                                       by EWC/First Circle
27                                             by Shekinah
27:4                                          by Dwayne Roberts
29                                             by Todd Ganovski
30                                             by Emily Schiavi
33                                             by Jon Thurlow
34                                             by Seeds Family Worship (kids music)
37:4                                          by Daniel Lehmann
42                                             by Heather Clark
50                                             by EWC/First Circle
55                                             by Heather Clark
56                                             by Daniel Lehmann
57                                             by Heather Clark
62                                             by Will Reagan. Another version also by Shane & Shane.

63                                             by Heather Clark
84                                             by Heather Clark
93                                             by Justin Rizzo
96                                             by Daniel Lehmann
97                                             by Heather Clark
100                                           by Matt Gilman. Another version also by Heather Clark.
108                                           by Will Regan
118                                           by Shane & Shane. Another version also by Heather Clark.
121                                           by The Covenant
126                                           by Charlie Hall
130                                           by Daniel Lehmann
139                                           by Justin Barnard
142                                           by Heather Clark
143                                           by Shane & Shane
145                                           by Shane & Shane
150                                           by Misty Edwards. Another version also by Will Reagan.

I found songs by several groups that could supplement this playlist. Do you have any songs that I should add to this playlist? I think it would be cool if these people joined together and did a compilation album.

Do you have any playlists based off scripture?

Put on your dancing shoes!

I am 38. In my 38 years I have been a part of some incredible movements in the Kingdom of God (KOG). I have been a part of a few start ups, trying to do awesome things in Lubbock. I have learned a ton of lessons. I have failed epically, I have wanted to quit, I have wanted to die. Not tonight. Since January 2012, I have been running a ministry called Tech 24-7. It has been amazing and wonderful. I have seen God show up time and time again, proving his faithfulness. It has also been incredibly hard. I have seen betrayal, fear, division, and insecurities destroy this ministry. It has been painful, like what I can only imagine it must be like to watch your child be ravaged by disease and die. Tonight I sit here, and I am the only one here. The day has finally come when no students are here to join me in worship, prayer or encouragement. You know what....I'm ok! Scratch that, I am really, really good. Lance Wallnau said the other day on Facebook, "when you've done everything yo can to stand firm, now it's time to dance." That's the mood I am in...it's time to dance and worship my Jesus. 

25 Body Types....better than a personality test

As you know I have been on an adventure with essential oils for the last few years. In my journey to become Essentially Me, I attended a training on those oils and purchased a book called "Releasing Emotional Patterns with Essential Oils." In reading the book I found that the author has broken society down into 25 body types, which are all characterized by a dominant organ. There is a way to discern what your dominant organ is; and I discovered that I am an Intestinal Body type. Here's what the description of the intestine body types are:

The Intestinal dominant traits are Spiritual and Emotional. Expansion is absolutely essential. If Intestinals do not expand mentally or emotionally, they will expand physically. Restriction motivates them to change, forcing them out of an untenable situation into an unknown physical, mental world. It is here where they can genuinely expand, taking in new experiences and creating an environment which is truly peace on earth. 

Interesting! Then, the next page says that each body type has core emotional issues that they deal with. The Intestinal type often deal with Abandonment, Not Good Enough, Rejection, Despair and Criticism. 

Shut the front door! Hi, my name is Jill and I am the poster child for a Intestinal Body types. Crazy!

So then I skim the rest of her book and see that she wrote a book about how each Body Type has their own diet. So I bought it. I'll be damned. ( I was going to try to change that to danged or something, but it just doesn't sound right.)

Here's what the diet book says about Intestinal Body types. 

"Intestinal Body types are symbolized by a funnel. Intestinal types accept everything that comes in and then discern what to keep and what to release. Constant new experiences are vital to their growth and expression. Sensitive and extremely emotional, Intestinal body types are typical gentle, loving and compassionate. Relationships are of utmost importance to them, particularly family and close friends. With their extreme sensitivity, they are exceedingly concerned about feelings. When they are not sure how to deal with an uncomfortable situation, they internalize it. Being acutely aware of the stress that unresolved issues creates for them personally, as well as in their relationships, they have a strong need to clean the air."

It goes on to say amazing stuff about motivation for Intestinal types. One thing to note is that "Change is not easy, however, for because their sensitivity and feelings of insecurity in the world often cause an internal conflict. To feel safe, Intestinal types often gather all the information they can find on a new subject and analyze it in detail until they fully understand it." Basically over thinking things is the way Intestinal people balance out being over emotional. Sweet Jesus! I have never read a truer statement. 

"Intestinal people when at their worst can be arrogant know it alls, who shut out new sources of information. When emotions are close to the surface, they can be overly sentimental, easily crying or laughing or swinging to the opposite extreme of being abrasive." It's true, and I am sorry. "When they let people push their buttons, their soft spoken demeanor quickly changes to suspicion and contentiousness." Summarizing the rest, they are prone to worry, stress, fatigue which leads to depression and pessimism, or fantasy and denial because they don't know how to deal with their emotions. "Because of a fear of loss or rejection, Ontestinal types tend to get too attached to their families (or their put together families). 

At their best, "intestinal types have a good sense of humor and can be a lot of fun to be around. They can fill a room with their jou and vivaciousness." They are drawn to non-traditional experiences. 

The goal for me: "self sufficient and introspective, they take care of themselves, setting limits and establishing boundaries for what other people can expect of them...once intestinal types are able to express their creative energies effectively by keeping the channel to their intuitive side open and learning to observe their emotions and let them pass, they seem to be intuitively connected to the universe and are able to flow with life." 

After that amazing description of myself, the book then goes on to talk about foods to eat and ones to avoid. It's super interesting. 

I profiled my parents as well. I believe my mom is a Skin Type and I believe that my dad is a Pituitary Gland Type. That in and of itself it so revelatory. It explains a ton of tension between my mother and me, and why my dad and I get along so well. 

I cannot help but think of 1 Cor. 12:12-31, when I read this:

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ's body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit. 14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear says, "I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not an eye," would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 Suppose the whole body were an eye -- then how would you hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell anything? 18 But God made our bodies with many parts, and he has put each part just where he wants it. 19 What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you." 22 In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen,24 while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. 28 Here is a list of some of the members that God has placed in the body of Christ: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who can get others to work together, those who speak in unknown languages. 29 Is everyone an apostle? Of course not. Is everyone a prophet? No. Are all teachers? Does everyone have the power to do miracles? 30 Does everyone have the gift of healing? Of course not. Does God give all of us the ability to speak in unknown languages? Can everyone interpret unknown languages? No! 31 And in any event, you should desire the most helpful gifts. First, however, let me tell you about something else that is better than any of them!

What Dr. Mein has done, is to use body analogies to describe psychological or personality traits. As the body of Christ, we have too see that we are not all the same. 

What do you think about all of this? 

If you would like to get these books, here are pictures of the covers. 

Exegesis of 2 Timothy 4:1-5

I have never done an official exegesis of scripture as an assignment. I took a class once but was so confused that I decided to drop it. Now, I'm taking a class on Paul's Epistles from ENMU, and have a paper due at the end of the semester. So without further adieu, here is my exegetical work. There are still a few things that I am working on, but I would love to know your thoughts about it.

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The Roman Empire stands as an icon for an enduring kingdom lasting roughly around 1500 years, depending which dates you use to give it definition. As with anything that lasts for 1500 years, the Roman Empire went through a myriad of transitions in religious, political and economic standing. With the birth, death and resurrection of Christ and the sending out of the Apostles, the whole world would eventually be flipped on its edge. In the midst of all of this slow upheaval, a famous Jew turned Christian was born. Saul of Tarsus was the quintessential Jew. As translated in the English Standard Version, Philippians 3:4-6, the now converted Paul writes, “If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.” His conversion was miraculous. Quite literally God knocked him off his ass, blinded him and called him to quit persecuting Christians and instead become one of the leading voices for Christianity of all time. Paul writes in Ephesians 3:1-3, “…you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.” (NASB) The revelation that Paul received was so incredibly dramatic and explosive, that the world has not been the same since. When Paul was converted in approximately 33-36 AD, Tiberius was Emperor of Rome. After approximately twenty years serving as an apostle, Rome gets a new Emperor by the name of Nero. Nero is infamous for his persecution of Christians. He is known for burning people alive and using them as human torches in his gardens. (Secrets of the Dead: The Great Fire of Rome, 2002) This is the time period where we find Paul in prison in Rome in 2 Timothy. Paul is facing imminent death after having been imprisoned in house arrest for years. (Ronconi, 2014) Paul is experiencing high emotions that are driving him to tie up any loose ends. He, like anyone facing death, does not want to be alone and is longing for companionship especially in the face of so many people who have abandoned him in his time of need. While he is having legitimate human concerns, he is also trying to do everything he can to prepare and encourage his protégé to continue the work of the ministry especially in the face of the current persecution of Christians.

Now that we understand the historical background for where we find Paul’s words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:1-5, let’s look at the words Paul writes,

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.” (NRSV)

There is no doubt that Paul advises Timothy about how to handle ministry situations in this passage. However, if we limit this pericope to a strictly teacher-student relationship we miss the humanity found within. In this pericope, we find Paul facing imminent death. In those intensely emotional moments people wax nostalgic; analyzing the significant moments in their own lives in order to give to those that remain bits of wisdom to guide them in future decisions. In Paul’s personal journey, he experienced the greatest of extremes of the depths of Jewish legalism of which by his own words he fulfilled to the highest degree in contrast with the heights of his instantaneous euphoric grace encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.  Paul is emotionally summarizing that incredible expanse with such intense passion, that when he writes to Timothy he longs for the whole world to be able to experience that same grace encounter.  In 2 Timothy 4:1-5, if we limit this exegesis to what is written, we miss Paul's humanity. We cannot fully exegete this text without experiencing Paul as a real human being with a wide variety of emotions that are being expressed in words which are pregnant with meaning. There is more than meets the eye in 2 Timothy 4:1-5. I propose that in this pericope, we see Paul instruct Timothy on the importance of teaching grace in a world that is hostile to that very message, from the worldview of one who was intimately familiar with the traps of legalism and yet knows the life transforming power of a grace that is scandalous just as well.

Having studied this portion in a variety of translations, I find there are some unique differences in how certain parts are portrayed. In 2 Timothy 4:2, the NASB translates the verse as “reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” Other versions translate it as ‘correct, rebuke and encourage’ or ‘challenge, warn, and urge your people’ while another version says ‘reprove, rebuke, and exhort.’ A few translations take these three words and turn them into full sentences. The Living Bible translates it as, “Correct and rebuke your people when they need it, encourage them to do right, and all the time be feeding them patiently with God’s Word.” The Amplified Bible translates it as, “And convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and urging and encouraging them, being unflagging and inexhaustible in patience and teaching.” In one of the more recent and poetic translations of 2 Timothy , The Mirror Bible translates it as, “value every individual in your audience highly; esteem people’s authentic identity passionately; teach tirelessly!” I find this incredibly intriguing. I don’t believe this translation is merely poetic license, but rather the translator is tapping into a deeper level of what Paul is trying to communicate. For instance,  Francois du Toit translates 2 Timothy 3:1 in the Mirror Bible as, “Know also that there will be days where the extremities of people’s fallen mindsets will be very obvious; where the gulf between heavenly grace-thinking and earthly legalism-thinking will be most pronounced.” If Paul is consumed, convinced and completely arrested with the mentality of grace, then Paul is saying more here than meets the eye. In a legalistic mindset that is preoccupied with right and wrong, when you read the words ‘reprove, rebuke, exhort’ it can quickly lead to a mentality where you feel the permission to be the local sheriff, arresting everyone for doing something wrong. I don’t believe that Paul is encouraging Timothy to be the local fault finder. That is incredibly unproductive. Paul knows that the Holy Spirit is the one who will do the convicting. Paul is all too familiar with the Holy Spirit’s power to transform lives; his own life is the result of that very work. So certainly Paul cannot be telling Timothy to be a busy body who is on the lookout for every single mistake that people make. On the contrary, I believe that Paul is speaking to him about two things. First, Paul is instructing Timothy generically about the church as a whole and specifically how to help guard them against false theologies like Gnosticism and Jewish legalists. Second, Paul urges Timothy to see people through the eyes of grace. It is in this second level that I believe the Mirror Bible’s translation of 2 Timothy 4:2 exposes Paul’s highest intention. Grace is what enables you to “value every individual in your audience highly; esteem people’s authentic identity passionately; teach tirelessly” because instead of being a fault finder you are seeing people as God sees them. You are consumed with the revelation that Jesus died for the person sitting in front of you, and how much love he has for each one. I think the more conservative translations miss this aspect and are more concerned with the legalistic adherence to sound doctrine than trusting in the work of grace through the Holy Spirit to accomplish the mysterious work that happens in each human heart.

Another passage that is interesting is in verse 2 Timothy 4:4, which is translated in the NRSV as, “and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.” However the Mirror Bible, translates it as, “In their pursuit they would exchange the truth for man-made fictions and fables as their source of reference!”  Since we’ve already seen a connection between this pericope and previous passages from Chapter 3, I believe we can look again to Chapter 3:8 to see Paul outline exactly what he believes those ‘man-made fictions and fables’ are specifically in verse 8 Paul writes,

 “These guys, with their deadly legalistic Jewish agendas, seem to be on par with the two Egyptian magicians, Jannes and Jambres, who tried their best tricks to compete with Moses! The supernatural is not proof of faith! These people oppose truth (of grace); their minds are fully engaged in selling their religious self-help programs, and they stubbornly refuse to acknowledge what God believes about them.”

So the question is when Paul talks in Chapter 4:3-4 about people not wanting to hear sound doctrine but preferring to listen to things that will tickle their ears, what is this other theology that people wanted to hear. I think there are multiple answers to that question. The Roman Empire was a beautiful mix of a variety of religions. There were Greeks who still believed in Greek mythology, there were Romans who still believed in Roman mythology, there were Jews who still believed in the Old Covenant, there were new Christian coverts from all three who had grown up in one way of thinking but were being convinced of something totally new. As Christianity unfolded as a new religion, tensions between Jews and Christians were high. Particularly because converts were not all Jewish, but many came from pagan religions. The Jerusalem Council was the first group of Apostles, who were employed to deal with issues such as eating kosher and circumcision. For both Jews and Jewish converts, all they had ever known was the law. The importance of the law to Jewish people cannot be spoken of lightly. This presents a great tension for Gentile Christians however. They see no reason to first become Jewish to then convert to Christianity. In Acts 10, Peter has a famous vision where a sheet drops before his eyes and he begins to see a variety of clean and unclean animals in movie like fashion, be discussed by the Lord. The purpose of this vision is the Lord is telling Peter, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” The question of considerable debate is whether the Lord is using an analogy or is being literal in this passage. Many believe that it is literal and the Lord is telling Peter that all dietary restrictions are no longer valid. One commentator says, “When the Mosaic Law was instituted to Israel, certain meats were then forbidden for the Jews (Israel only -Leviticus 10:10, 11:4-7; Deuteronomy 14:7-8). This command was again changed when Jesus was crucified. The laws restriction came to its end as a requirement for believers and all meat was again allowed, as it is clean. In this new dispensation, after the cross, all meats are allowed for food, there is no prohibition of clean or unclean because we are no longer under the Law of Moses, that made these distinctions but are under a new covenant (Acts 11:8-9; Romans 14:14), but under the law of Christ.” (Are we allowed to eat meat?, 2009) Other people believe that it is only symbolic and that God is using an analogy to prepare Peter, an ardent Jew who would never have been found in the company of a Gentile, because to do so would be vile, to see Cornelius, thus leaving all the kosher laws still very much intact. “Thus, the subject matter of Acts 10 has nothing to do with clean and unclean meats. God simply used the vision of unclean animals to emphasize a point to Peter—that when God has spiritually cleansed a Gentile, he is not to be deemed common or unclean.” (Are God's Laws of Clean and Unclean Meats Upheld Under the New Covenant, 2009) Nevertheless, the point in 2 Timothy Chapter 4 is that there are tensions between the Gospel truth and other theologies or doctrines, which Paul deems as dangerous. Those doctrines could be the “deadly legalistic Jewish agendas” or “earthly legalism-thinking” they could be the more sensual permissions that those from a Greek or Roman background might have found appealing. I personally believe that Paul is being vague on purpose in order to cover anything that would oppose the knowledge of God. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul urged the church in Corinth to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive, to make it obedient to Christ.”  I believe that Paul is telling Timothy, that the church in Ephesus will need to be prepared to do the same thing.

Finally, there is a brief sentence in the Message version that expresses an emotion that is lost in other translations. In the translation The Message, Eugene Peterson translates the 2 Timothy 4:5 as, “keep the Message alive.” In all the other translations, this pericope ends with a seemingly bland exhortation for Timothy to keep doing his job. Certainly in light of all that Paul is facing, he is not wasting a single word of instruction, so this sentence cannot be as simple as it looks. I wonder if in the emotion of facing your own imminent death and seeing how treacherous Nero is towards Christians in this time frame, combined with Paul’s own reports of friends abandoning him in his time of need, if Paul is experiencing even the most minute of fears that the message of the Cross will not continue and will die with him. I wonder if thoughts are crossing his mind, as to whether his death will be in vain. I believe that hidden in the depths of Paul’s humanity is an incredibly complex set of beliefs and emotions that is saying much more to Timothy than “keep preaching.” I think Paul is saying, “I know that God has a plan, but I also know that he has used me to do something pretty significant. I have suffered a lot for it and am gladly and willingly will lay my life down because I believe that the Gospel message is worth it. However, this dying makes me realize that I will no longer have influence on how things happen, and that frightens me a bit. The seeming loss of control is a bit stressful and I realize that I am leaving all of this in your hands in a super difficult time. While I believe that you are fully convinced of the Gospel just as I am, which is why I call you my son, I hope and pray that you will continue the work of spreading the Gospel and not abandon it in the face of persecution like others have. If you were to abandon the work, what would that mean of my life’s work? Will all my suffering be for nothing? Will future generations not know the beauty of the Gospel? So by all means, Timothy, keep the Message alive.”

In summary, I believe that what we experience in 2 Timothy 4:1-5, is the emotional and very natural human expressions of a man who is facing death as he writes to his protégé. I believe we see Paul dance with even the minutest of fears and the lack of control, combined with heartache at what may come Timothy’s way in the future. I believe Paul encourages Timothy to ‘be rooted and grounded in love’ (Eph. 3:17) though using different language with Timothy than he did when writing the whole Church in Ephesus. This instruction enables Timothy to deal with heresy, controversy, and skewed thinking while responding to each person with the fullness of grace and love. I see throughout this small pericope 3 distinct places where Paul urges Timothy to view his circumstances through the eyes of grace. It is very similar to what Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth; (love) “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things… But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13:7,13 ESV)

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