Studying the Bible : barren days

We want life-transforming truth, not just good feelings. We are willing to pay the price of barren day after barren day until the meaning is clear. This process revolutionises our lives.

– Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline : 86.

 

Discussing the Bible

In Jesus’ world, it was assumed you had as much to learn from the discussion of the text as you did from the text itself. One person could never get too far in a twisted interpretation because the others were right there giving her insight and perspective she didn’t have on her own. Jesus said when he was talking about binding and loosing that ‘where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.’

Community, community, community. Together, with others, wrestling and searching and engaging the Bible as a group of people hungry to know God in order to follow God.

– Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis : 52.

 

Rabbis and Yokes

Different rabbis had different sets of rules, which were really different lists of what they forbade and what they permitted. A rabbi’s set of rules and lists, which was really that rabbi’s interpretation of how to live the Torah, was called that rabbi’s yoke. When you followed a certain rabbi, you were following him because you believed that rabbi’s set of interpretations were closest to what God intended through the Scriptures. And when you followed that rabbi, you were taking up that rabbi’s yoke.

One rabbi even said his yoke was easy.

– Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis : 47.

 

Jeremiah 2:13

My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me
    the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
    broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

 

Garden to a city

In Genesis 1 and 2, we are told of a garden, but in Revelation 21 and 22, we are told of a city. A city is more advanced, more complicated than a garden. If a garden is developed and managed and cared for, it is eventually going to turn into a city. If there was no sin or death, creation would still move forward because God doesn’t just want to reclaim things; God wants to seem them move forward.

– Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis : 161.

 

Fullness of Christ

His gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers… for building up the body of Christ… until we attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God… to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.– Ephesians 4:11-13, RSV

 

20 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, the inhabitants of many cities; ²¹the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Come, let us go to entreat the favour of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.’ ²²Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favour of the Lord. ²³Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from nations of every language shall take hold of a Jew, grasping his garment and saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’

– Zechariah 8:20-23

 

¹¹But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, says the Lord of hosts. ¹²For there shall be a sowing of peace; the vine shall yield its fruit, the ground shall give its produce, and the skies shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. ¹³Just as you have been a cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you and you shall be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.

-Zechariah 8:11-13

 

8 The word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying: ⁹Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgements, show kindness and mercy to one another; ¹⁰do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.

– Zechariah 7:7-10

 

Becoming family in the church

We become family as we experience conflict with each other. The process of sharing our differences and facing the problems we have with each other can actually bring us closer together…. Hiding our differences, on the other hand, can create distance as we gradually increase the number of subjects about which we cannot talk to each other.

– Lois Barrett, Building the house church : 79

 

It is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers …

It is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to drink beer, lest they drink it and forget what the law decrees and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.

– Proverbs 31:6-7

 

Law of love

There is no law but that of love. Love means having joy in others. Then what does being annoyed with them mean? Words of love convey the joy we have in the presence of brothers and sisters. By the same token it is out of the question to speak about a Brotherhood member in a spirit of irritation and vexation. There must never be talk, either in open remarks or by insinuation, against a brother or a sister, against their individual characteristics – under no circumstances behind their backs. Without the rule of silence there can be no loyalty, no community.

– Eberhard Arnold, God’s Revolution, 130