That’s me. 21 years ago in a Jalepeno eating contest in Tijuana, Mexico. I was 13. And although you can’t see it in this picture. It was a week and a trip that changed my life forever. Just four days before I began to speak in tongues.
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Some people have asked me how to get the most out of their Bible study. Here are the essentials.
- Pick a book and read all of it. Don’t get stuck on a single chapter or verse before you’ve surveyed the horizon. Always work from whole to part and back to whole again. Read it and then Read it again.
- Take Notes (mental or otherwise). Ask questions. What happens in chapter 1, chapter 2 and so on? Note any patterns, topics and or themes. Write your questions and observations down. You might want to throw out the modern chapter divisions and outline the book yourself.
- Connect the Dots. Answer your questions with a regard to the whole book. Don’t ask, “What does this chapter or verse mean to me? before you’ve asked, “How does this verse fit into the book?
If you have come with me this far, I hope you will agree that diversity is essential to the Body of Christ and at the present we as the Body are suffering from our uniformity. In this post I want to suggest a solution to our present segregation. What is it going to take to put the Body of Christ together again?
Our lack of uniformity typically arises from the image and perspective of a single head pastor. If a pastor is black the congregation is typically black. If the pastor is white then the congregation is usually white. If a pastor is a vocal conservative or a vocal liberal the congregation will typically refect his views. There are exceptions of course but the principal appears to hold true. A single image and perspective draws a like-minded crowd.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not accusing the pastor of descrimination. As an individual the pastor simpy cannot consistently reflect more than a single perspective. He can only present authentically the views and opinions he holds.
The solution to our segregation then is to open up our pastorates to a variety of perspectives. Instead a single pastor our churches should be lead by a variety of pastors. Why can’t churches have a black pastor and a white pastor, a liberal pastor and conservative pastor, a young pastor and old pastor, an intellectural pastor and a goofy pastor? Why shouldn’t the leadership reflect the diversity that we desire to see in our congregation?
A pastor who is surrounded by a diversity of co-equal pastors will be more timid in the perspectives he presents. When a pastor is a monarch (single ruler) he may feel free to rule his congregation as a king. Diversity in leadership calls the pastor to account and causes us to rely upon the scriptures rather than our own opinions.
Not only do I beleive this the solution to our present segregation I also believe it is more consistent with the teaching of the New Testament. I encourage you to do a little digging on this subject. Start here for good biblical analysis on the Plurality of Elders.
The modern church has by and large underestimated the importance of John 19:34 – the flow of blood and water from the pierced side of Christ. Not only is the culmination of John’s extensive water motif it is connected with the gospels multiple allusions to marriage. The flow itself is a capstone, binding these two motifs together in an allusion to the creation of Eve.
1. The Early Church Father’s recognized in John 19:34 an allusion to the creation of Eve.
The blood and water that flowed from Christ’s wounded side drew attention of many church fathers and were occasionally connected in patristic thinking to the Genesis account of Adam and Eve’s creation by God and subsequent fall into sin. Many church fathers view the church, composed of all who were baptized into Christ, as the new Eve. The first Eve, creation from Adam’s rib, sinned. The second Eve – the church – is created from Christ’s pierced side, from the water (baptism) and blood (the Eucharist) that flowed from Christ’s body.
Origen wrote,
Christ has flooded the universe with divine and sanctifying waves. For the thirsty he sends a spring of living water form the wound which the spear opened in His side. From the wound in Christ’s side has come forth the Church, and He has made her His Bride.
Terullian – on the Soul
For as Adam was a figure of Christ, Adam’s sleep shadowed out the death of Christ, who was to sleep a mortal slumber, that from the wound inflicted on His side might, in light manner (as Eve was formed), be typified the church, the true mother of the living
Augustine – Exposition on Psalms 127
When He slept on the Cross, he bore a sign, yea, He fulfilled what had been signified in Adam: for when adam was asleep, a rib was drawn from him and Eve was created; so also while the Lord slept on the Cross, His side was transfixed with a spear, and the Sacraments flowed forth, whence the Church was born, For the Church the Lord’s Bride was created from the side of Adam. But as she was made from his side no otherwise than while sleeping, so the church was created from his side no otherwise than while dying. Augustine – Exposition on Psalm 127
This second Adam bowed His head and fell asleep on the cross, that a spouse might be formed for Him from that which flowed from the sleeper’s side. Augustine tractate on John 19:31-20:9
2. The interpretation is bolstered by John’s multiple and consistent allusions to Marriage.
John has created a book in which every time Jesus interacts with a woman there appears to be an allusion to marriage.
The Mother of Jesus and the Wedding of Cana
The Samaritan Woman and a Bride for Isaac
Martha and Mary and the Brides of Jacob
Mary and the Shulamight woman
3. Like the side of Adam, the blood and Water from Christ’s side are two elements God uses to form the Church.
John’s water motif suggests that blood and water are the human divine natures of Christ – the materials God used to form the church.
Unlike the Church Father’s however I don’t believe the blood and water exactly figure Eucharist and Baptism. I’ll come back to this in my next post.
It’s well known that Matthew and Luke used Mark as a source for writing there gospels. What isn’t as clear is the relationship between John these first three gospels. Did John known them? Did John use them and if he did how and to what extent?
1. Parable of Lazarus and the rich man
2. Mary and Martha
3. The Raising of the Widow of Nain’s Son/The Healing of the Centurions’ Servant
4. The Raising of Jarius’ daughter.
5. Allusion to Genesis 29