Are you a savvy Christmas shopper?  If so, you may have taken advantage of all the Black Friday sales this week.  Or perhaps you started shopping in mid-July and you are smugly pleased with yourself for being done already.  I have one friend who shops for Christmas each year the day after Christmas to take advantage of the huge mark downs.  Me, I’m more of a little shopping here, a little shopping there sort.  And when all else fails I will resort to the gift card- which probably has a few of you shaking your heads in disdain!  For some the best way to shop at any time of year is by comparison.  How does one product stack up against another?  Consumer Reports, the non-profit product testing mogul with approximately 7.3 million readers, is the hands-down expert at this.  Since it has no shareholders, its own independent laboratory, sells no advertising space and buys all the products it tests, folks who rely on their ratings are confident they are finding the best product for their money.
            The Book of Hebrews is the believer’s version of Consumer Reports.  But instead of comparing which figs are the tastiest, which road is the best to take when traveling to Jerusalem, or where to buy the best olives, Hebrews takes a look at Jesus Christ and compares Him to angels, the Mosaic Covenant, the Aaronic priesthood and the sacrificial system.  The author of the book is unknown but the dating is a bit easier to estimate since much of the book refers to on-going practices taking place at the Temple (and formerly the Tabernacle) which wasn’t destroyed until 70 A. D.  The persecution which is mentioned in Heb. 10:32-34 indicates that it did not end in death.  Nero’s persecution in 64 A. D. made martyrs out of many believers, but the persecution under Claudius in 49 A. D. was not as severe although it displaced many from their homes and dispersed them throughout the empire.  This puts the writing somewhere in the early 60’s, just before Nero’s onslaught against Christians.
            The style of writing in Hebrews is what causes most readers some confusion.  That is due to the fact that most of us are unfamiliar with “midrash”.  Midrash is a literary form which uses a quotation from a passage of Scripture and follows it with an interpretation that deliberately incorporates the words of the passage to explain it.  This method can easily be seen in passages such as Heb. 3:12-4:10, Heb. 7:11-28, and Heb. 10:8-18.  The definition of midrash, to seek, investigate, interpret, is exactly what the author of Hebrews is doing in his writing.  He seeks to see how Jesus Christ fits into the overall scope of God’s interaction with humanity.  Through his investigation and interpretation he demonstrates as Donald Hagner wrote, “the incomparable superiority, and hence finality, of God’s work in Jesus Christ”.  While the priesthood, sacrificial system, and Mosaic Covenant all had great value, they were merely shadows of what would be accomplished by Christ.
            The author structures his argument in this way: 1) Jesus, as God’s final Word is superior to the angels (Heb. 1-2), superior to Moses (3), and Joshua (4:1-13); 2) Jesus is a superior high priest (4:14-7:28); and 3) as part of a new and better covenant, Jesus is a superior sacrifice (8:1-10:18).  Thus Jesus is to be the object of our faith, not the rituals and covenant formerly associated with the Temple (10:19-13:17).  In this section the author affirms that perseverance must be a characteristic of our faith (10:19-39), hope and discipline are characteristics of faith (10:11; 12:1-11), and faith comes with a series of challenges (12:12-13:17).  Rounding out his treatise are several “parathensies” as noted by Lawrence Richards (4:12-13; 5:11-6:8; 12:25-29) and an epilogue (13:18-25) that cover and assortment of topics (the power of God’s Word, Christian maturity, responding to God’s correction, and personal requests, updates and exhortations).
            Some of the most beautiful and eloquent passages concerning Christ can be found in Hebrews.  They speak of His deity (1:3), His sacrifice (9:11-13), His humanity (2:14-18; 5:1-8; 12:3), and His role as Mediator of a New Covenant (8:7-13).  The book of Hebrews also contains the definitive passage on the essence of faith (11:1) and a lengthy list of those who demonstrated it in the way the responded to the work of God in their lives (11:2-39).  Along with these lofty statements and recitations come many warning passages (2:1-4; 4:12-13; 5:11-6:8; 10:26-29; 12:25-20).  These are not inserted to bring us down, nor make us feel as if we will never attain success in our Christian walk.  Rather they are there to remind us that we must be prepared for “the road ahead”.  It is a journey that Christ walked, and we will walk it too.  Will we have the same commitment as He did?  Lord willing, we will!
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div. 
Week  of 11/29/2015

           The musical The King and I, which debuted on Broadway in 1951, was based on a novel written by Margaret Landon which in turn was based on the experiences of Anna Leonowens, a British governess who ended up in the court of King Mongkut of Siam (modern-day Thailand).  To say the relationship between Anna and the king was a clash of worldviews would be putting it mildly!  However, while the morays and mindset of the king were mostly unchanged by Anna’s influence (even though his heart would direct him otherwise), the son and heir of the king, Prince Chulalongkorn, becomes a catalyst of change thanks to the lessons he learned under Anna’s tutelage.  While the king admires the advances in human rights made by President Abraham Lincoln (as portrayed in a dramatic rendition of Uncle Tom’s Cabin performed by Anna’s students), he cannot find the will to reverse the cultural views he has lived by all his life.  Although literary, the depiction of cultural paradigms and how they clash where human worth is concerned is perfectly illustrated in the musical.
            We may think that the battle for human rights is a contemporary issue, but that would not be true.  Every society has a structure which determines human value.  For some you must only scratch lightly on the surface to discover the rank and file of human worth.  For others you must dig deeply to find where those measurements of worth are established.  It appears as an undercurrent across the pages of Scripture and rises to the surface frequently.  Perhaps most surprisingly it is the central issue of a very small and highly personal letter from the evangelist Paul to Philemon, a man whose runaway slave, Onesismus, has somehow ended up in service to Paul.  More often than not, those who read this letter let their focus rest on the grand theme of forgiveness which is certainly Paul’s most prominent reason for sending the wayward Onesimus back to his master.  But the forgiveness of Onesismus is clearly counter-cultural!  Paul’s challenge to Philemon aims to determine whether or not Philemon will follow His Lord over and above what society would prescribe in dealing with a slave.  Will he forgive as Christ forgave, or will he remain stuck in his cultural boundaries like the King of Siam?
            A further look at life in New Testament times is beneficial in helping us to see just how unusual Paul’s request is.  The structure of Roman society was very apparent to those who lived in it.  Divisions of people were designated by both religion and economy.  In the religious arena the main division was that of Jew and Non-Jew (i.e. Greek).  Onesimus’ value was attached to the economic structure which placed women (of non-wealth status), children and slaves on the lowest level of society with a non-person status.  In other words, they had no value whatsoever.  Ironically the name Onesimus which was a common name for male slaves and means “useful” really had nothing to do with designating his worth as a person.  Rather it served to remind him that if he did not live up to his name his master would not think twice about doing away with him.  In Philemon’s case his “useful” slave had proved “useless” and all the more so by committing some sort of crime against his master and then fleeing the scene to escape punishment.
            How or when Onesimus came into contact with Paul after this incident is unknown, but it is most certainly something that only God the Father could orchestrate.  Philemon lives in Colossae.  Paul is in Rome.  The two cities are separated by thousands of miles!  We learn in Paul’s letter that the Gospel has touched Onesimus as it has his master (Phile. 1:10) and since his conversion, the slave has taken such good care of Paul, he is now indispensible (vv. 11-13).  But the sin of his past must be dealt with and Paul returns him to his legal owner bearing a letter and what a letter!  Paul asks Philemon to do something that was culturally inconceivable.  Instead of punishing Onesimus as was his legal right to do, Paul suggests that Philemon forgive him and return him to Paul (vv.8-9, 17-18) with Paul incurring the debt for Onesimus’ indiscretion (v. 18).  Paul’s argument in essence claims each person in the triad has been forgiven much.  Paul, Philemon and Onesimus all owe a debt of gratitude to Jesus for His sacrificial death on the cross (vv. 6, 19).  Christ’s death assigns great value to each of them, therefore, each one is to behave as Christ and treat the others with the same sense of value.  The heart of forgiveness knows that each person is of the highest worth because Christ died for all (Jn. 3:16-17; 1 Pet. 3:18).
            If you are harboring an unforgiving spirit towards another person, perhaps it is time to look at the perimeters you place on human worth.  Are you bound by cultural chains or a selfish sense of pride over your own “rights” as a person?  If so remember Jesus’ admonition to Peter in the parable of the unforgiving servant (Mt. 18:21-35) and determine to set your mind and will in the direction of forgiveness as Philemon was challenged to do (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:12-13).
Ann H. LeFevre                                                                                                                               
Week of 11/22/2015

            Has anyone ever asked you, “Who has made the greatest impact on your life aside from your parents?”  That would be a hard question for me to answer as my parents did make a huge impact on me, but if pressed, I would probably name a teacher or two.  Good teachers make a profound impression on us, and often steer our lives in a direction we’d never thought we’d take.  Anne Sullivan is perhaps one of the most well-known teachers in this category.  Born in Massachusetts in 1866 to Irish immigrants, Sullivan had a very difficult childhood.  At age 5 she contracted Trachoma which severely damaged her sight.  At age 8 her mother died from TB and her father eventually abandoned the family.  Sullivan persevered, went to school and eventually graduated as valedictorian of her class.  At 21 she became employed by the Keller family as a nanny and tutor to their daughter Helen.  The rest is history as they say.  Sullivan’s work with Helen has been immortalized on stage, film, and in the book The Miracle Worker.  Were it not for Sullivan, the world would never have known Helen Keller.
            Behind every good teacher stands another good teacher.  It is possible to have an innate skill or talent for teaching but someone has to develop it, nurture it and bring it to its best possible level so that students will benefit from that skill.  This week we are turning our attention to Titus, who like Keller, has a powerhouse of a teacher standing behind him, the Apostle Paul.  Titus joined Paul on his third missionary trip and apparently demonstrated an aptitude for dealing with difficult situations and bringing them to a positive resolution as he is quickly deployed to Corinth (2 Cor. 7:6-9; 8:1-6, 16-23) to troubleshoot the issues plaguing the struggling church.  After that he is assigned to Crete, another church in disarray.  The letter which Paul sent to Titus which we have in the New Testament is written to Titus as he ministers in this undisciplined congregation.  Crete had a horrible reputation!  Paul notes that even Cretans themselves recognize this (Titus 1:12) and agrees with the assessment (1:13)!  Titus has his work cut out for him, but what a vote of confidence that Paul puts him in charge here (1:3-5). 
            The central theme of Paul’s letter is to inform Titus on what he must teach the Cretan church if they are going to grow and thrive as the body of Christ.  In this way teaching becomes more than just reciting facts and expecting the believers to echo them back.  What must be taught is “sound doctrine” (1:9; 2:1), but more than just knowing what it is, it must be adopted as a lifestyle (2:11-13).  Operating on the principles of sound doctrine the church will 1) elect leaders who demonstrate a godly life (chp. 1); 2) they will live life in such a way that it is harmonious with sound doctrine (chp. 2); and 3) their good works will bear out the reality of their faith in Christ (chp. 3).  What exactly is “sound doctrine”?  The Greek word for doctrine literally means “teaching”.  According to Scripture, sound doctrine is the authoritative teaching on Christ:  that Jesus Christ was God’s Messiah, He died for our sins, was raised from the dead and became the means for our salvation when we place our trust in Him (Acts 2:22-24, 32-39).  This belief will have an influence on the way we treat others (2:2-8), interact with others (3:1-2), and who we put in authority over us (1:7-9).
            Sound doctrine stands in contrast to false teaching.  The former is comprised of Truth and affirms Christ as our Savior and emphasizes His grace (1:1-3; 2:11-14; 3:4-7).  The latter is made up of myths (1:14), heritage (3:9), regulations (3:9), controversy (1:10; 3:9), deception (1:10), done for financial gain (1:11) and promotes some sort of lofty “spiritual” and philosophical experience (1:15).  The aesthetic experience receives a lot of attention from Paul.  This is not to be the predominant feature of the Christian life.  Rather Paul places emphasis on God’s grace and the ensuing good works which are evidence of the inward reality of that grace (3:8).  So while you are reading the Book of Titus pay careful attention to the connection Paul makes between the two.  These admonitions are just as relevant to us today as they were to the people that Paul entrusted to Titus’ care.
            The pivotal moment of Anne Sullivan’s work with Helen Keller came when Helen got the connection between the signed word for water and the water itself.  At that moment the whole world opened up for her and Helen became connected to her world.  Paul exhorted Titus to help the Christians on Crete get the connection between their faith and the way they lived (2:15).  He wanted them to be connected to their faith in every way possible.  How connected is your life to “sound doctrine”?  You will be able to answer that by examining the way you live out your faith as it is described in the Book of Titus.
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
Week of 11/15/2015

            Ephesus was located 4 miles from the Aegean Sea and accessed by an inland harbor off the nearby Cayster River.  Because of its harbor, it was also connected to all the major trade routes by the Roman Empire's extensive road system.  Even in ruins Ephesus is an impressive site.  When I visited Ephesus in 2003, Ergin, our tour guide, described it as a metropolis, calling it the “Big Apple of Asia Minor”.  It certainly had similar features to many big cities: busy streets, theaters, a public library, numerous places of worship, two thriving markets and even a brothel that advertised its location with a carving (that included directions!) in the street.  Life in Ephesus was really quite pleasant as long as there were no uprisings to disturb the peace of Rome.  The climate was temperate and the city had a public sewage system, paved streets, beautiful architecture and homes heated with steam heat.  People had jobs and families too.  The world they lived in was not primitive.  It was sophisticated and very much like our own.  But their culture was also steeped in pagan worship and myths, amoral indulgences and greed- very much like our own!
            Timothy joined Paul's ministry team on the Paul's 2nd missionary trip (Acts. 16:1-3).  He came from the city of Lystra, about 200 miles east of Ephesus.  Both his mother and grandmother were believers in Jesus (2 Tim. 1:5), but it appears from the wording in Acts that his father was not.  Although he was young in the eyes of the cultural mindset of his day to be a leader, Paul felt very strongly about his abilities (Phil. 2:19-22; 1 Tim. 1:3; 6:20-21) and loved him like a son (1 Tim. 1:2).  What we gather from Paul's letters to Timothy is that he was on the timid side, somewhat uncertain of himself, but also loyal and committed to serving God and Paul (1 Tim. 4:12).  Combine what you've learned about Ephesus, with what you know about Timothy and you can imagine what this gentle, young soul was facing when he took on the leadership of the Ephesian church.           But there was a further complication, distance.  When Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy, he was on the road and Timothy was in Ephesus.  When the second letter was written, Paul, Timothy’s trusted mentor, father figure and fellow evangelist was in prison in Rome (over 1.000 miles away, if I did my math correctly!).  It must have been difficult to have the teacher and friend he relied on for strength absent from the day to day demands of his ministry and as far as we know, these two letters are Paul’s final words to Timothy.  That makes these words even more significant and just as applicable to us.
            There are four basic categories that Paul is concerned with in regards to Timothy and us.  First and foremost, Paul is concerned about our witness in the world (1 Tim. 4:14-16; 2 Tim. 1:8, 13; 2:3, 15, 24; 3:10; 4:1, 5, 15).  Secondly, Paul is concerned about our walk with God (1 Tim. 1:5, 18-19; 2:8-10; 4:1-11; 6:3-12; 2 Tim. 1:6, 14; 2:1, 15, 19, 22, 23; 3:10, 14, 16; 4:5).  Paul reminds us we must kindle the Spirit- like stirring up the embers in a fire, so that it keeps burning.  How do we do this?  By reading God's Word, coming together with His people, spending time with Him in prayer, and sharing what He has done in our lives with others.  These are the things that keep the Spirit refreshed within us.  Thirdly, Paul is concerned about our spiritual health (1 Tim. 1:4-11; 4:13-16; 2 Tim. 2:2; 3:14, 16).  In his words to Timothy Paul admonishes us to entrust teaching to faithful men and to remember and follow the teachings of Scripture.  The Bible should always be our first resource when we have questions concerning our walk of faith because it is inspired; direct from God to you!  And lastly, Paul is concerned with our relationship with other believers (1Tim. 3:1-16; 5:1-6:2; 2 Tim. 2:11-13; 4:19-21).  Paul particularly tells Timothy to remind the church of God’s promises.  When you know a brother or sister is hurting, struggling, or suffering, do you know how powerful those promises can be?  They offer HOPE, and hope is a powerful weapon in overcoming the trials of this world.
            Your life is a letter that you are writing for all to read.  Paul says there are four areas that we are to examine as we write this letter.  First, what is our witness like?  Are we living STRONG in the grace of Christ?  Secondly, what is our relationship with God like?  Are we keeping that gift of His Spirit refreshed?  Thirdly, how is our spiritual health?  Are we in God's Word, drawing our strength from its teaching?  Or are we distracted with other more earthly things?  And lastly, what is our relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ like?  Are we an encouragement?  Are we a need waiting for a solution, or a solution waiting for a need?  The way you live reflects your response to these questions. 
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div. 
Week of 11/8/2015