Category: New Testament

MBT (S2:E4): “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin”

On By Jovan PayesIn Audio, Monkey Bread Theology, New Testament, Podcast, Romans

In this episode we cover the topic – “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). Thanks Sandra, from Tennesee!

Monkey Bread Theology is a podcast that addresses listener questions regarding faith, God, the Bible, Christianity, Jesus, and the church.

Go to our website to submit your question – www.monkeybreadtheology.com

A special thank you to the Ministry League for including us! – https://ministryleague.com

Additional Resource

Jovan Payes, Scripture Over Feelings, Making Disciples Training Program (2017)

Chapel Talk: Knowing God (Acts 7)

On By Jovan PayesIn Audio, Book of Acts, Church History, Discipleship, evangelism, Faulkner University, Messages, New Testament, Persecution

Devotional: Doves (Genesis 8:8)

On By Janine TuggleIn Animals, Devotional, Doves, Genesis, John, Luke, Mark, Matthew, New Testament, Old Testament 
“Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground.” (Genesis 8:8)

The dove, a beautiful bird with a lovely cooing sound is one of God’s creatures that has many symbols. We find many of them in the Bible.

Let us learn a little bit about the nature of doves. Doves, turtle doves (a dainty dove), and pigeons (larger in size) are from the order Columbiformes family of birds. A dove’s eyes are on the sides of their head, having a 340° vision. They can see in front and in back at the same time. This is necessary for an animal of prey to watch out for predators.

Doves can fly up to speeds of fifty-five mph.

Doves will only descend when they know it is safe and trust where it will land. Once a dove starts its descent, it doesn’t have the ability to go in reverse.

We first read of the dove in Genesis 8:9. After Noah sent out a raven, he sent out a dove. It flew to and fro, then came back after no place to land. Seven days went by, and Noah sent the dove out again. This time by evening the dove brought back an olive branch. This is where the symbol of hope, peace, and a new beginning came from.

In the gospel accounts we read that the Holy Spirit descended as a dove when Jesus was baptized. 

“The heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him” (Matthew 3:16b; cf. Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22, John 1:32).

When Jesus was baptized the Holy Spirit came down and rested upon Jesus to stay. Just as when we are baptized, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, there is trust. And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest” (Psalm 55:6). A symbol of peace.

Hymn: “I’ll Fly Away”

Fellowship

On By Jovan PayesIn 1 Corinthians, 1 John, 2 Corinthians, Book of Acts, Ephesians, Focus Magazine, Johannine Literature, New Testament, Old Testament, Paul's Letters, Psalms, Publications, Published, Spiritual Formation

When I was a young man, my mom would stress her concern to me regarding the person I was becoming. As a Central American mother, she would often say to me this Spanish proverb, “Dime con quién andas y te dire quién eres,” which means, “Tell me whom you are with, and I will tell you who you are.” She had good reason for concern. I was slipping into the world of street gangs, violence, and drugs. She was attempting to make me aware that the company I kept said a lot about who I was becoming.

In church-ese, we speak of those with him we share “fellowship.”

A Perspective

This word is typically reserved for formal relationships, it is not a word commonly used in everyday talk. Yet, what this word means is readily accessible. The English word “fellowship” tells us who or what we shape our life around. It describes certain boundaries that shape our lives, our relationships, and even our priorities. We could say it a fellowship is a circle we draw that includes certain relationships and excludes others. To make this more complicated, we may have many overlapping fellowships.

Our English New Testaments remind us that what we fellowship is important. For example, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:11, English Standard Version). “Take no part,” this means Christians are called to be disassociated from what spiritual darkness creates. As light has no common ground with darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14), Christians have no partnership with evil except to expose it for the spiritual corruption it is (Ephesians 5:7–10). This is what light does, it shines to expose what is hiding in the dark.

Light does not allow darkness to hide its contents, and neither should Christians allow spiritual darkness of sinful corruption to hide what it is doing in the world we live in. We may live in a world surrounded by corruption, but we are called to be disassociated from it.

Additionally, the apostle John provides a “test” of sorts to help God’s people realize that our fellowship with God comes with personal responsibility: “If we say we have fellowship with him [i.e., God] while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6). The claim to be in fellowship with God must be supported by a life living in the light, not darkness. Otherwise, our claim is a work of pure fiction. It is this truth that makes the Christian faith so consequential. It means our fellowship with God affects our lifestyle and our priorities, for it shapes the boundaries of what we will accept and what we must reject.

More positively, John follows up his caution with another maxim, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Our fellowship with God entails the redemptive and sanctifying gifts of God provided we “walk in the light” with God.

Being with Likeminded Kindred

Fellowship is a practical thing that God’s people do. Not only does it provide a boundary marker of godly living amid a corrupt world which sharpens our understanding of what a faithful life before God looks like. It also provides a clear way to share in the life of other like-minded kindred. The early church participated in “the fellowship” of those who devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching, the breaking of bread, and praying together (Acts 2:42).

As David proclaimed in Psalm 119:63, “I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts.” Christianity is not a lonesome religion. In this way, it stands against the trend within Western society of individualism, which is a form of thinking of ourselves in isolation from our community, our family, and our ancestors. This problem has only worsened in our post-pandemic world in which “going to church” is as easy as hopping online and clicking on a few buttons while still in our pajamas.

The in-person “fellowship” of God’s people, once a marker of togetherness, unity, and godly accountability, as a spiritual biome where God’s redemption is lived out has become a privatized novelty. Yet, when Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers, he reminded them, “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9). The “you” in “you were called” is part of a plural verb. Christians experience the fellowship of the Son together as brothers and sisters, not in isolation together.

Ultimately, fellowship is a vital part of being disciples of Christ and a worshiper of God. Our fellowship with God guides us to make clear distinctions between us and corrupting evil in the world. It also has a practical communal part to it, as we join with other fellow believers in worship. The more we appreciate this, the better the language of the communal worship will penetrate our hearts: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1).

This article originally appeared in Think magazine. To subscribe click here. There are slight edits in this version.

Devotional: May the Spirit be with You (2 Corinthians 13:13)

On By Jovan PayesIn 1 Peter, Devotional, General Letters, New Testament, Peter's Letters

The closing words of 2 Corinthians bestow a profound wish for its Christian audience. The passage reads, 

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” (2 Corinthians 13:13)

This is more than a simple feature of Greco-Roman letter-writing etiquette; it is a call upon the full presence of God. The closing verse is also an affirmation of the biblical concept of the Trinity. Finally, we will consider the unique emphasis of “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.”

The Presence of God

As with most ancient letters of the New Testament period, 2 Corinthians ends with a cordial farewell wish. The wish is ultimately that the Christians in Corinth would bask in the triune blessings which accompany the Lord Jesus Christ, God, and the Holy Spirit.

This is emphasized by the phrase, “be with all of you”; or, in an alternative translation, “be within your company.” Paul sends forth, then, a blessing to his brethren that the church in Corinth is accompanied by grace, love, and community. God does not only gives us blessings; in truth, we live our lives under the influence of their presence.

Grace, love, and community express the ways the church experiences the presence of God, to experience what the gospel is all about. When we fail to exhibit grace, love, and community, we fail to experience the blessings Paul longed to see. The church needs to be vigilant so that it does not forget its purpose: to be a place where forgiven people help others experience God’s grace, love, and community.

The Trinity Affirmed

The apostolic testimony to the Trinity is clear and strong. Peter describes the Christians in Asia Minor as “elect exiles” in keeping with the Godhead (1 Peter 1:2):

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood." (1 Peter 1:1–2)

In Matthew’s record of Jesus’ immersion by John (3:13–17), the narrative demonstrates the presence of God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus converging at that moment (3:16-17). Likewise, in the “great commission” (Matthew 28: 18–20), Jesus declares that disciple-making is accomplished by immersing believers “into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (19).

In 2 Corinthians 13:13, Paul not only wishes a blessing of grace, love, and community, but also that the blessings are those which are uniquely given by the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit. It is not that these blessings are lacking outside the church; instead, it is their new coloring by the presence of God reframes their purpose and experience.

The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit

The biblical subject of the Holy Spirit is rich and comes with its element of complexity. There are, nevertheless, many passages that speak to the personhood of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4, 15:28; John 14-16:15; 2 Corinthians 4:17–18, 5:5, 6:7).

Paul’s blessing of “fellowship” (“partnership, a close mutual relationship”) is associated with the Holy Spirit. Fellowship is a subject of considerable concern for Paul when he writes to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1:9, 10:16; 2 Corinthians 6:14, 9:13). Instead of being a community of darkness and self-centeredness, sharing in the “fellowship of the Holy Spirit” fosters us to participate in the redemptive work of Jesus.

Ask this: “Am I being gracious, loving, and participating?” If your actions represent God’s presence, how does He look?

Hymn: Glorify Thy Name

Devotional: May the Word be with You (John 1:1-3)

On By Jovan PayesIn Devotional, Gospel, Jesus Studies, John, New Testament

It is a staggering idea to contemplate God choosing self-sacrifice in order to create the opportunity for reconciliation between Himself and his rebellious creation. In fact, Paul would word the matter in the following way: 

“God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)

The agent through whom this is accomplished is Jesus Christ. The means by which this occurs is His death, so that we (humanity – “us” 5:19) may potentially experience the reconciliation of God (2 Corinthians 5:14–21).

The Gospel of John provides a fuller detail as to how God was reconciling the world to himself. The record of John is, however, unlike Matthew’s Gospel which begins with the Hebrew genealogical table which emphasizes the Lord’s lineage from David and Abraham (Matthew 1:1–17). It is unlike Mark’s abrupt mention of “the beginning” of the gospel, which is marked by Jesus’ ministry inaugurated by the baptism by John (Mark 1:1–14).

It is even unlike Luke’s historically grounded retelling, beginning from Jesus’ birth announcements to the unfolding of the universal gospel call as seen in Luke’s second volume Acts (Luke 1:1–4; Acts 1:1–9). John begins the narration of his Gospel Account from the very beginning. In this way John stands upon unique footing.

Although not being distinct in message and general outline, John’s Gospel Account is a maverick of sorts, focusing upon the cosmic drama mentioned above which grounds the gospel message. To provide his readers the needed perspective in order to appreciate all that proceeds, John pens the first line of his account with the following words: 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1–3)

This eternal “Word” is explicitly identified as the Father’s son– Jesus – who indeed “became flesh and dwelt among us” (1:14).

John further affirms, “and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (1:14; the term “Father,” Grk. pater, is used approximately 107 times as the name for “God” in John’s Gospel). This is a profound truth regarding Jesus’ nature and ought to inform our understanding of the Gospel message as well. Let us consider a few ideas from John 1:1, as expressed in three clauses:

(a) “In the beginning was the Word”

(b) “the Word was with God”

(c) “the Word was God”

The rich language of the first verse of John’s Gospel conveys the divine nature of “the Word” (Grk. logos), who in fact is the pre-incarnate Jesus (i.e. before he put on his human identity). Many times the “beginnings” of Jesus of Nazareth are only considered from the standpoint of his birth and baptism; however, the implications of John 1:1 demonstrate that His beginnings are from eternity (Micah 5:2).

In order to truly appreciate the gospel proclamation, it is a vital matter to understand that Jesus had an existence before he walked the rocky soil of Palestine in the 1st Century A.D. In fact, Jesus was/is an eternal divine being, namely God. This truth becomes more profound when we see that the Word abides with his people who abide in Him (John 8:31–32).

Hymn: Lord, We Come Before Thee

Devotional: May the Lord be with You (Romans 15:33)

On By Jovan PayesIn Devotional, New Testament, Paul's Letters, Romans

Romans 15:33 is an interesting break in Paul’s great letter to the culturally diverse brethren who fellowshipped in the city of Rome (1:7). It is so abrupt that it marks a clear line between the main teaching component of the letter (1:14-15:32) and the salutations and quick words Paul sends to specific house churches in Rome (16:1-23).

Romans 15 marks the apostle Paul’s desire for continued mission work to Spain (15:28), where Christ has not been proclaimed (15:20-21; Isa 52:15). His belief in the power and influence of the prayers of the saints to be incorporated in the providence of God is clear from his pleas to his brethren to pray for him (15:30-32).

Moreover, Paul anticipates considerable opposition to his upcoming ministry to the “poor saints” in Jerusalem (15:26). Recalling that he had already been hindered to come to Rome before (15:22), he enlists his Roman brethren to pray on his behalf so that he make it to Rome (15:28) on his way to Spain, the “very ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Paul anticipates a joyful and refreshing environment to accompany his visit to Rome (15:32). 

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)

Romans 15:33 finalizes, then, Paul’s great desire to evangelize the world, cooperate with the Roman brethren in ministry, and to enjoy the power of fellowship. He closes this section of the letter with a prayer of blessing: 

“May the God of peace be among all of you, Amen.” (Romans 15:33)

(1) Paul calls upon God. The text has no verb but it is supplied since it is a call for God to be among His people. In this prayer of blessing (i.e, a benediction), Paul calls upon their creator (1:19), their justifier (4:25-26), their savior (10:13-17), and their peacemaker (1:7, 5:1).

(2) Paul seeks for Peace. “The God of peace” speaks to character of God (i.e, “the Peaceful God”). This is a hebraic way of emphasizing God’s attribute of peace and harmony. Here, Paul alludes to the need the church has for harmony to overcome the internal turmoil it experienced.

(3) Paul desires that God blesses their fellowship. The focus of Paul’s prayer towards the Christians in Rome, is that God be among all of them (“among all of you”). There is no partiality in his prayer. This prayer calls attention to both our individual relationship with God, and His presence within the community of His people.

(4) Paul stamps his spiritual desire. “Amen” is a Hebrew phrase used to express a variety of ideas. As the counterpart to God’s “it shall be,” amen means, “let it be so” (Vine, et al., Expository Dictionary, 2:25). Most commonly, it is to express agreement to the content of a public prayer (1 Cor 14:16). The prayer ends with this call to agreement.

Are there troubles in your Christian life? Are there hinderances to things you want to do for Christ? Are there internal problems among us? Paul’s answer: Invoke the presence of God. We must include God in our private lives, and our church life, to become who God’s wants us to be. In turn we will become the church He intended us to be. So doing we will invite peace and harmony because the God of peace is among us. So, can I get an “Amen”?

Hymn: Praise the Lord