Proverbs 1: 20-33

The stage is set, the curtain rises, and you know without doubt where you are: in the center of town with the sun shining down warmly and the breeze gently rustling in the discarded papers and cigarette butts. And you sneeze, either from the brilliance of the light or the staleness of the blown dust.

Have you ever wondered at the alfresco setting? It is very overt, very public, which are good. But it is also very impersonal, and anonymous voices mingled with the din of the busy streets are difficult to understand and easy to ignore. Wisdom, being wise, is certainly aware of this. So, then, why does she choose the great outdoors to preach in?

Wisdom began her teaching within the home, inside the house. Why, then, did she decide to go out into the bright and filthy streets? Perhaps verses 22-25 hint at an answer.

How do these verses influence your reading of Rom. 1: 18-32? Indeed, how does today's whole portion inform your interpretation of the Apostle's words?

Psalm 19 [2-15, TNK]

With the above consideration in mind, read this Psalm.

What is the source of Paul's basic premise?

True, true. But there is a difference between unheard and 'unheeded'.

As we discovered last week, The teaching and the decrees of the LORD [8], The precepts and the instruction of the LORD [9], The fear and the judgments of the LORD [10], that is, the sovereign law laid down in scripture, 'Love your neighbour as yourself,' (Jas. 2: 8) makes those who are to be judged... free. (Jas. 2: 12)

Is not freedom a reward worthy of our best efforts? That depends largely on what we are freed from. Is it enough to be wholly and forever cleared of the guilt for our sins? Would it not be a far greater freedom to be relieved even of the consciousness of sins?(1) 'If then the [Christ] sets you free, you will indeed be free.' (Jn. 8: 36) Christian, you are that free! It is for freedom that Christ set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and refuse to submit again to the yoke of slavery. (Gal. 5: 1)

You, my friends, were called to be free; only beware of turning your freedom into license for your unspiritual nature. Instead, serve one another in love; for the whole law is summed up in a single commandment: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' But if you go on fighting one another, tooth and nail, all you can expect is mutual destruction. (Gal. 5: 13-15)

Christian, Wisdom-- God-- Christ(2)-- has spoken. Having ears, do you hear? Do you take heed? Beware; do not be unbelieving, for Proverbs warns of the calamity (1: 27) that shall surely follow if you do not. Rather, accept, believe, credit God's Word: It is for freedom that Christ set us free. Prove your faith by putting that freedom into practice(3): serve one another in love.

Jas. 3: 1-12(4)
I do not know about other Churches, but in the Presbyterian tradition, the clergy are called "teaching elders". Now ponder v.1.

All of us go wrong again and again; a [person] who never says anything wrong is perfect and is capable of controlling every part of [the] body. (2) Now James is not contradicting Paul here; rather, with irony, he is affirming Paul's application of Scripture: There is no one righteous; no, not one; ...All have swerved aside, all alike have become debased; ...Their throats are open tombs, they use their tongues for treachery, adders' venom is on their lips, and their mouths are full of bitter curses. (Rom. 3: 10..12..13-14)

To refresh your memory and set the above in its proper context: From Paul, ...to all of you in Rome, who are loved by God and called to be [God's] people (Rom. 1: 1..7); From [Jacob], ...to the twelve tribes dispersed throughout the world (1: 1) take heed: we have already drawn up the indictment that all, Jews and Greeks alike, are under the power of sin. (Rom. 3: 9) Be not deceived, Christian. Both Apostles are speaking to the Church, to you and me; both are speaking of the Church, of you and me. All of us, even the Pope, Billy Graham, your seminary professors and kindly pastors of fond memory, you and me, All of us go wrong again and again. But we refuse to believe that; we know that we possess the inerrant and infallible interpretation of God's Word. But Wisdom asserts that we are wrong again and again; 'You think as [people] think, not as God thinks.' (Mk. 8: 33) 'Repent, and believe the gospel.' (Mk. 1: 15)

The tongue, as both James and Paul were aware, is a metaphor (6); it is the slave of the mind and, like Balaam, can only say what it is told to say. Unfortunately, our minds are more like Balaam's than that of his ass.(5)

Out of the same mouth come praise and curses. This should not be so, my friends. (10) Will that preach? Most likely so. But can you preach it with clean lips and a pure heart?

And on Sunday afternoon through Saturday evening, too.

Mk. 8: 27-38

But Jesus, turning and looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter. 'Out of my sight, Satan!' he said. 'You think as [people] think, not as God thinks.' (33) Why did Mark include the phrase, turning and looking at his disciples? Was it because he knew that Jesus' disciples-- of his day and of ours-- need to hear what Jesus said to Peter? Considering the import of our Lord's gaze(6), could it be that Jesus was using Peter as a stand-in for the disciples-- and us? That Christ's rebuke was meant for us? "Oh, but we don't think like that!" we protest, hugely offended. And in so doing, we profess that we are not one of Jesus' disciples.

Now study Romans 1 and 2.

1. 1 Read Heb. 9: 1 - 10: 2.

2. 2 See 1Cor. 1: 24.

3. 3 See Jas. 1: 22-25, 2: 17-18ff.

4. 4 Are you still reading James through every day? Or, at least, each week?

5. 5 See Num. 22 - 24.

6. 6 Does not a speaker usually look at those being spoken to?

7. 7 Haiku poem by Phil Gilman. Please feel free to utilize anything from these pages; just give God the Glory, Praise and Thanks and me whatever credit may be due.

(comments to Phil at ENAPXH@aol.com )