“Dread Nothing” ( Acts 20: 24, WYC, KJV, HCSB, NIV ) by Carley Evans

English: St. Paul by El Greco, c. 1608-1614. Originally taken from artchive.com (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Paul is warned by the Holy Spirit to expect hardships and prison. He writes:

“But I dread nothing of these, neither I make my life preciouser than myself, so that I end my course [the while I end, or fulfill, my course], and the ministry of the word, which I received of the Lord Jesus, to witness the gospel of the grace of God.” (WYC)

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” (KJV)

“But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course^{[with joy]} and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.” (HCSB)

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me —the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. (NIV-1984)

I love the Wycliffe Bible translation! Note that Paul is not testifying about the gospel of the grace of God, but he is witnessing the good news firsthand. He is not counting his life so precious that he dreads imprisonment or hardships. Rather he determines not to “end his course” before he finishes “the ministry of the Word, which [he] received of the Lord Jesus.”

Perhaps the other translations miss this subtlety only slightly — that Paul does not testify about the gospel; but rather witnesses it himself. What Paul works to complete is “the ministry of the Word” which is certainly more than telling others the good news. Paul determines to consider his life worthless in comparison to his calling — for to Paul, to live is Christ and to die is Christ.

“Called Into Liberty Only” ( Galatians 5: 13, WYC ) by Carley Evans

King James Bible (Photo credit: freefotouk)

One of my all-time favorite movie titles is “LOST IN TRANSLATION” written and directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Bill Murray and Scarlet Johannson. This title — and the film — say so much about communicating meaning from one language to another. Take Paul’s statement here in his letter to the Galatians:

“[Forsooth, brethren, ye be called into liberty only; give ye not liberty into occasion of flesh], but by charity of [the] Spirit serve ye together.”

The Wycliffe translation — as it often does — provides two different meanings of the same verse. The big difference is the location of the word “only.” In one version, “only” is placed after the semi-colon; in the one I’ve chosen to quote, the “only” is placed before the semi-colon, indicating that Christians are called to freedom only. We are not called to any sort of bondage! We are not in bondage to the law, nor are we to be in bondage to “the flesh.” Rather, we are called to liberty in Christ. In this freedom, we are called to “serve together” “by charity of the Spirit” according to Paul.

Look at the King James Version of the same verse:

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”

Here the “only” is placed after the semi-colon, rendering it as emphasis not to use freedom “for an occasion to the flesh.” Additionally, the Spirit is missing completely from Paul’s statement. Rather than the power of God, love is emphasized. And instead of serving together, we are called to serve one another.

No wonder we sometimes get a little lost; a little defensive of our views; a little wary of a different viewpoint. Yet, God calls us to unity. He also calls us to love. And, He calls us to freedom.

“A Different Gospel” ( 2 Corinthians 11:3-5, NIV 1984 ) by Carley Evans

Mormons (Photo credit: More Good Foundation)

Paul is distressed that the church at Corinth is deceived by “super-apostles” preaching “a Jesus other than the Jesus [I] preach” He is fearful that these Christians are believing “a different gospel from the one [they] accepted” and that they may even be receiving “a different spirit from the one [they] received.” These apostasies disturb Paul. He worries about the minds of the Corinthian Christians, who have a “sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” Here Paul writes:

³ But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. ⁴ For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. ⁵ But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”

He’s concerned that the church at Corinth is not concerned. Why aren’t they as distressed as he is at their confusion? Why can’t they see that they are “being led astray?” How is it they are deceived?

Two young men come to my door. I invite them to come back at another time. Because they are in suits and wearing name badges with Elder S0-and-so, I realize these young men at Mormons. If you don’t know what the Mormons believe, check out the 13 Articles of Faith. When they come back, the young men explain to me that Joseph Smith sincerely desired to know which church preached the true gospel. He was so distressed, he went out into the woods of New York to pray. As he prayed, a pillar of light appeared above him and two ‘men’ stood there. One said of the other, This is My Beloved Son, listen to Him. I gather Joseph decided to do just that. As a result, the Mormon faith came into existence.

Now I realize some of you reading this may be of the Mormon faith, but I say to you this is “a different gospel” which Paul warns against.

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:8)

The true gospel is simple. Nothing can be added to Christ’s redemptive work on the Cross. There Christ bore our sins in His body, and through His shed blood He made us clean, holy, righteous in the sight of God the Father. He offers this redemption as a free gift. We either accept the gift of salvation or leave it unopened, so to speak. If we open His gift, the Holy Spirit enters and lives in us so that over time we reflect Jesus Christ, who is the Light of the world.

Yes, Jesus died for the ungodly. Paul reminds that rarely will someone die even for a good man, but Jesus died for us while we were His enemies. How much more will He save us!

“The God Of Hope” ( Romans 15:13, NIV ) by Carley Evans

(Photo credit: hickory hardscrabble)

Paul exhorts us to “overflow with hope” as God “fills [us] with all joy and peace” “by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Read it in Romans:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Trust in God, says Paul. Trust in the “power of the Holy Spirit.”

Look carefully at Paul’s exhortation. In describing the Christian life, he uses a wonderful selection of words: hope, joy, peace, trust, power.

“Put On” ( Colossians 3:12, ASV ) by Carley Evans

Human Heart (Photo credit: Curious Expeditions)

Did you know you can get dressed up as a Christian? You can put on your neatly pressed, fully cleaned heart like a garment especially tailored for you!

“Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, long-suffering;”

The heart you put on is not like your own human heart. Rather your tailored heart is like Christ’s — “a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness and long-suffering.” Christ’s heart makes you “God’s elect, holy and beloved.”

“Love Mercy?” ( Proverbs 14:22 WYC ) by Carley Evans

The one who knows the truth; who believes in the Lord — in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — loves mercy.  That those who believe in Jesus and His sacrifice also love mercy should come as no surprise. Jesus is the epitome of mercy. The opposite of mercy is evil. “They err that work evil.”

“He that believeth in the Lord, loveth mercy; they err that work evil. Mercy and truth make ready goods (Mercy and truth bring forth good things);”

A lot of wrath rolls off the tongues of those who ought to remember that “mercy and truth bring forth good things.”

“This Is Love” ( 1 John 4: 10, ESV ) by Carley Evans

We talk quite a lot of our love for God. We declare, “I love God! I follow God!” But God, in a succinct statement in a letter likely penned by the disciple whom Jesus loves, reminds us love is not that we love Him but that He loves us. We need to turn our statements around, putting God in the subject slot and ourselves in the object slot. We ought to declare, “God loves me! God seeks to save me!”

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Our toddler looks up to us, pulls on our clothes, “I love you, Daddy!” But our love — not the toddler’s –  is the mature love of a parent completely devoted to the child at our feet. The best the child may do is reflect our love back to us. How many times do parents hear, “I hate you!” from that same toddler who suddenly rebels in an attempt to gain attention or some forbidden thing?

This is love — God loves us. He sends His only Son to save us from our sins. Like the best parent imaginable, God protects. And, His protection extends forever.

“Long-Suffering” ( 1 Corinthians 13: 4-5, KJV ) by Carley Evans

Can you see yourself suffering for a long time under the abuse of a wife or husband? Can you see yourself being only kind to that person? Can you see yourself not envying your neighbor whose wife apparently treats him like a king? Can you imagine never seeking your own welfare? Can you imagine not being easily provoked and not thinking evil of the spouse who abuses you? Can you not think more highly of yourself because you live under the thumb of an abusive spouse?

“⁴Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

⁵Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.”

“Time Passed” ( 1 Peter 4:3, ESV ) by Carley Evans

Tomorrow is “SUPER-BOWL SUNDAY” a day of big neighborhood parties, drinking, cheering, bickering, but hopefully not murdering as in the row between rival fans at a soccer game in Egypt recently.

Superbowl Sunday is the anniversary of the day my x-husband told me he was “giving up” on me with plans to abandon me and our children for another woman in the coming fall of 2004. Tomorrow, for me, is forever a blackened day — not a ruined day; rather a day with the shadow of a really big black eye.

^“3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.”

Of course, I’m not saying my x-husband is not forgiven. I’m certain God is fully capable of forgiving my x-husband of his adultery. In fact, I am saying that the past is the past. Tomorrow is not a day to bring back “what the Gentiles want to do,” not a time for “sensuality, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties.”

I happen to like football. I don’t idolize it or its heroes. Rather, I enjoy rooting for the underdog. This year, I don’t even know which team that is — I’ll figure it out as I watch the game. If I had to guess, I’d say I’ll be cheering on the NY Giants.

I’ll likely drink a beer, and eat some cheese and crackers. But I won’t be focused on the past or harboring ill-will toward the man I promised to love and cherish til the day I die.

“Are You Ready For It?” ( 1 Corinthians 2:9, WYC ) by Carley Evans

The heart of man has no idea what is prepared for those who love the Lord God. What can not be seen or heard by man can neither be imagined by his heart. The human eye is darkened, the ear is deaf, and the heart is black.

“But as it is written, That eye saw not, nor ear heard, neither it ascended into the heart of man, what things God arrayed to them that love him [what things God made ready before to them that love him];”

Paul says, “but God showed to us by his Spirit. For why the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10) The children of God see, hear, and know in our hearts “the deep things of God” because God shows these things to us by His Spirit. Yet, Paul prays that we:

^“be able to comprehend with all saints, which is the breadth, and the length, and the highness, and the deepness; [that ye may comprehend with all saints, which is the breadth, and length, and highness, and deepness;] also to know the charity of Christ more excellent than science [also to know the charity of Christ above-seeming to science], that ye be filled in all the plenty of God.” (Ephesians 3:18-19,WYC)

Jesus says,

^“In the house of my Father be many dwellings; if any thing less, I had said to you [if any thing less, I should have said to you], for I go to make ready to you a place. And if I go, and make ready to you a place, again I come, and I shall take you to myself, that where I am, ye be. And whither I go, ye know, and ye know the way.” (John 14:2-4,WYC)

Jesus claims we know where He is going and we know the way.

“And to him that is mighty to do all things more plenteously than we ask or understand, by the virtue that worketh in us [after the virtue that worketh in us], to him be glory in the church, and in Christ Jesus, into all the generations of the world of worlds [into all the generations of the worlds of worlds]. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21,WYC)