Hebrew Word Study | Skip Moen

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The Challenge

Monday, December 31st, 2007 | Author: Skip Moen

Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. Deuteronomy 5:1

Observe Them Carefully – So, how’s it working out for you? How’s your life been this last year? Can you look back on it and see God’s hand, guiding, directing, reproving and encouraging? Are you closer to Him now then you were on December 31, 2006?

Please notice that I did not ask if your life is easier. That is irrelevant. The question is not about comfort or ease. It is about joy and satisfaction. Are you more in love with the Redeemer today? Have you made progress in understanding His character and making it the basis of your actions? Is that your goal of the next year?

Today, I offer a challenge. For five years we have looked at God’s words. We have teased out the deeper meanings, penetrated the surface applications and discovered the depths of His revelation. But these are only words. Until they become (remember hayah – to be manifest in me) statutes and ordinances that saturate our thinking and our actions, they are useless bits of trivia. The purpose of God’s words is never information. It is transformation. Moses made that abundantly clear when he said, “shemartem la’asotam” (“be on guard to do them”). The verbs are shamar (to guard, to watch over) and ‘asah (to do, to make, to accomplish). Shamar is a kind of coupling verb, that is, it describes an action that is directed toward another purpose. I watch over something in order to do something else. In this case, I am to guard God’s statutes and ordinances in order to accomplish them in practice. Just remembering them is not enough. Writing them down, memorizing them or analyzing them does not fulfill the intended purpose. I must do them. That is the only reason God gives them to us.

So, here’s the challenge. Beginning tomorrow, we will walk our way through the statutes and ordinances the God gave to Israel on the banks of the Jordan. We will look at every one, carefully, in order that we might do them. Every day we will add one more intended action to the catalogue of God’s commands. Every day, until we have completed all of them, you will be asked to carefully observe the statute or ordinance by putting it into action in your life. We will begin a journey of transformation together. The purpose of this journey is really simple. It is to be obedient to God precisely as He instructs us.

This is not legalism. We do not expect to gain credit with God for being obedient. We don’t expect life to become easier either. We accept this commitment because we know that God knows the best way to live in this world. He designed it – and we want to please Him by honoring Him in all that we do. This is a journey of thanksgiving and love, made possible by His rescue and redemption. We volunteer to submit because we love Who He is.

A year from now there will be no hesitation in answering the question, “How’s it working out for you?” A year from now, we will be transformed by the renewing of our minds – and the work of our hands and feet. Are you with me?

A Thank-You Note

At the end of each year, I offer the complete electronic file of Today’s Word and the index to all those who wish to receive it. The cost is $10. Please request by e mail with a phone number.

For all who made contributions to the work of At God’s Table, these files are free. Just send me an e mail so that I can return them to you. Thank you.

Send your request to agtsupport@mac.com

Convert Your Thinking

Sunday, December 30th, 2007 | Author: Skip Moen

He has told you, O man, what is good Micah 6:8

Good – What is good? Well, if you subscribe to the Greek view of life, you will come up with a list that looks like this:

Exemplary effort
High standards
Self-discipline
Fairness toward all
Thoughtfulness and discretion
Moderation and capacity

In other words, the classical education that leads to praiseworthy life among the people, coupled with demonstrated skills and notable success. For the Greeks, the final phase was the link of eros with kalon (the love of the Good). Such a life led to the highest experience – a glimpse of eternal beauty. The Greek ideals still dominate our view of education, justice and economics, even if we don’t live up to them. But they are miles away from God’s view.

Our culture is saturated with the idea that God and classic virtues go hand-in-hand. Not so! We need Micah to remind us that God is the only One Who can tell us what is good. And He does, in great detail.

The fundamental difference between the Greek view and the Hebrew view is this: Everything that is good in the Hebrew culture is determined by the will of God expressed in the Law. There is absolutely no room for any motivation that results from self-determination. Self-perfection is excluded from God’s point of view.

The Hebrew word, tov, is radically different than the Greek kalos. It is kalos that stands behind the Greek educational motto “kalos kagathos” – the combination of what is noble and useful with what is holy. This is an inward perspective, looking to the soul of Man to find the eternal. But the Hebrew tov looks first to the character of God Himself to determine what is good. The Hebrew view is simple: Man cannot be trusted to know what is good within himself. He must rely on the explicit command of God. Therefore, what is useful, suitable, noble and holy is all wrapped up in the same concept, tov. And that concept is defined and delineated by what God tells us to do. The good is finally what I do and what I say and what I think according to God’s Word.

Isn’t it interesting that Genesis 2:17 uses the word tov to describe the tree of good and evil? Good is doing what God commands. Evil is not doing what God commands. Simple. At least in principle. It is the execution of what God commands that becomes difficult, especially in a world that encourages you to “think for yourself.” Now you have a chance to re-educate yourself. The Word is there to tell you what is good – and all that is good. Still comes down to trust, doesn’t it?

Category: Today's Word | Tags: Convert Your Thinking, Micah 6:8 | Leave a Comment

The Prosecution

Saturday, December 29th, 2007 | Author: Skip Moen

Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel. 1 Chronicles 21:1

Satan – The Old Testament doesn’t have much to say about this character, in spite of the fact that he seems to play a significant part in our contemporary religious paranoia. In fact, satan is really just a Hebrew word that means “accuser or adversary.” You might look at Numbers 22:22. In this verse, the Hebrew word satan is used for the angel who stood in Balaam’s way! Clearly, the meaning is simply “adversary.” We have added the capital “S” to this Hebrew word and moved it into our vocabulary. We give the Accuser a lot more credit than he is due. Hollywood and mythology have convinced us that we should be afraid of him. But Scripture has a different view.

The New Testament really doesn’t give much credit to him either. The words satanas, Beelzeboul and diabolos are used only a combined 79 times. The devil’s area of influence is most apparent in the world of the unrighteous. That means he doesn’t get much leverage with followers of Jesus. Those who are righteous because of the sacrifice of the Lamb are really protected from his seductions. Of course, this doesn’t mean that followers are not tempted by their own lusts (see James 1), but the idea that the devil sits on your shoulder whispering sedition in your ear is strictly from the movies.

The Accuser’s battle plan is to disrupt God’s order and distort God’s good creation wherever possible. Why? Because he is angry, humiliated and vindictive. Even though he knows he has lost, he is anxious to take as much of God’s good work with him as he can. But he is still defeated! Jesus’ mission was to confront Satan at every level and in every arena and crush him with irresistible power. You might give that some thought when you feel a chill in the dark. You serve the God of irresistible power, and Satan can do nothing but cower before Him.

Do you wonder why we have this preoccupation with a spiritual being who has been defeated, kicked out of heaven and is simply waiting for the inevitable. The Bible places far more emphasis on human evil and disobedience than it does on the demonic. Why do we seem to think that the devil is around every corner? Perhaps there are two reasons. The first is that we really know that this is a spiritual world. The evil one really exists. Denial is useless. Since we live in a place where there really are evil beings, we fear them. Of course, that fear is irrational, but don’t tell Hollywood. They make millions playing on irrational fears.

The second reason is a bit closer to reality. Perhaps we tend to give the Accuser more credit than we should because we are disobedient and we secretly want an excuse. “I would have been obedient, Lord, but the Devil put so many obstacles in my way,” or something like that. We give the Accuser credit because he accuses us! He is the first to remind us that we are disobedient; that we fail. And we listen to him because it’s true.

SO WHAT! God knows we fail and He still loves us and forgives us. He takes us back and restores us. God’s plan is good fellowship and redeemed community. Who are you going to believe – the one who has been cast out, or the One Who rescues? Forget Hollywood’s fear mongers. Give satan the 79 occurrences and tell him to shove off! Don’t listen to the lies of the Accuser. His accusation might point out true facts about our behavior, but they don’t speak the truth about God’s intervention. Determine to listen to the Word of the Lord, not the words of an adversary.

Category: Today's Word | Tags: 1 Chronicles 21:1, The Prosecution | Leave a Comment

The Help Desk

Friday, December 28th, 2007 | Author: Skip Moen

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Prince of Peace – The last title in Isaiah’s name for the child is the most startling of them all. Today, we are so used to the “Prince of Peace” appellation for the Messiah that we no longer see how out-of-place this translation really is. We don’t realize that the Hebrew word sar (in sar-shalom) is almost always a designation for a vassal king or a subordinate authority. Isaiah does not want us to make this mistake. In fact, this is the only place in all Scripture where the combination sar-shalom is used. That should tell us to be very careful about how we translate this title. It is not to be translated in the usual way. This child is not a subordinate or lesser official in the Kingdom, as are all the rest of the sarim in the Old Testament. When Isaiah coins the title, sar-shalom, he is not thinking of Yeshua as a subordinate god. Isaiah is thinking of the further purpose of the Messiah, and that further purpose is not just about “peace” or about who has authority over peace.

How do we know that Isaiah doesn’t think of sar in the typically Hebrew way? Because Isaiah has already given us two other titles that can only be ascribed to God Himself, el-gibbor and abi-ad. The same child who is “mighty God” and “eternal Father” is also sar-shalom. So, “prince” cannot be correct. Some other translation is required.

To determine what sar means, we must think about the word shalom. Of course, shalom does mean “peace,” and the alliteration “Prince of Peace” has a pleasant sound. But “peace” is far too limited an understanding of shalom. Shalom is a word that really means well-being in all aspects of life; physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. When one Jew greeted another with the word “Shalom,” it need not mean, “Have a nice day.” It meant, “May all that you need for your well-being today come to you this day.” That’s shalom. This child is the official in charge of all shalom. This child is the “well-being authority.” If you really want shalom, then you must come to him, for he is the one divinely ordained to give it.

Of course, this means that Yeshua grants peace with God. But that is not the limit of His authority. All that is necessary for men to find well-being is under His care. When Jesus said, “Without me, you can do nothing,” He meant it. No effort toward well-being is accomplished without the expressed authority of Jesus, even if no one ever acknowledges His power over this effort. All that I need for a life well-lived is to be found in Him.

No, “Prince of peace” is not enough. His authority is much bigger than that. John tells us that His authority extends to all creation; that everything came into being through Him. This is no subordinate ruler. This is no prince. This is the King of glory, the absolute monarch of the ages, the Alpha and Omega of all that is. This child is Pele-yoez-El-gibbor-Abi-ad-Sar-Shalom. Quake before Him! Kneel in submission!

And then remember this: Amazingly, He loves you. Now you can rejoice!

Category: Today's Word | Tags: Isaiah 9:6, The Help Desk | Leave a Comment

Irrevocable

Thursday, December 27th, 2007 | Author: Skip Moen

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Eternal Father – Did you think that Jesus was the first to call God “Father”? Were you taught that the God of the Old Testament was a stern, fearsome and unapproachable monarch? If you are under the impression that Jesus was the one who changed our view of God from Lawgiver to Sin Forgiver, then you never really understood the meaning of abi-ad. In the middle of this child’s name, the Hebrew word combination abi-ad signifies more than Eternal Father. It tells us about the character of God and about the Messiah who comes as the fulfillment of these qualities.

Abi-ad combines the word ab (father) with the word ad (perpetual, continuing, eternal). Often this second word (ad) is found in conjunction with olam, meaning “forever and ever” or “everlasting.” Behind this designation is the theological idea of trust in the character and promises of God. Ad is the context for trusting God. I can trust Him forever because His promises are irrevocable.

Followers of the Messiah proclaim God’s eternal promises. We put our hope in what God says will come to pass. We believe His word. But often the circumstances of life seem to deny God’s claims. Often we are left with the question, “Why should I trust you, God?”

The name abi-ad gives us the answer to this important question. Abi-ad tells us why we can trust Him. In ancient Semitic cultures, the father’s responsibility for the welfare of the family and all those who depended on him included provision, protection and promises like inheritance and destiny. God as Father insures that all of these requirements will be accomplished eternally. The abi-ad is more than a figurehead or a propagator. The abi-ad plays a crucial role in the continuation of the entire family line, and, of course, with God that line goes on forever. Of His kingdom there will be no end.

When Isaiah uses the term abi-ad, he is not employing a special, technical, theological term. He is using a word combination that anchors God’s actions and promises in the center of family life – right where the Child is born. This Child, the one who is the Abi-Ad, comes to us in the most ordinary way. But He comes with the mantle of the Father Forever, with all the consummate responsibilities, obligations and abilities that belong to the Father of all Mankind.

This Child is the namesake and, consequently, the exact identity of the Father Forever. He secures the irrevocable promise of the Father by bringing that promise to its fully revealed existence.

Worship is the only appropriate response.

Category: Today's Word | Tags: Irrevocable, Isaiah 9:6 | Leave a Comment

Warrior, Champion and Hero

Wednesday, December 26th, 2007 | Author: Skip Moen

Mighty God – Now we discover that this child is the champion of the universe, the supreme warrior of all creation. But how would you know that unless you knew His next title, el-gibbor? This part of the full name of the child combines the title of “God” (el) with the adjective gibbor. We translate it as “Mighty,” but there is much more to this adjective. Some of it is hidden in the construction. Some is hidden in the usage. But, of course, it is only hidden from us, because we do not speak or read Hebrew.

Let’s put this word under the magnifying glass and see what happens.

First, the root is gbr (the consonants that form this word). Did you notice that if we look at the consonants of gibbor, we see two b’s, not one. This is called “doubling the middle radical.” It is a technique to add emphasis to the word. So, this is not just a mighty God; this is a very mighty and particularly powerful God. It’s like having an exclamation point in the middle of the word! Second, we discover that most of the uses of gibbor surround military conquests and actions. Gibbor is a word for someone who carries out great deeds – a hero. Third, by looking at the other instances of gibbor, we find that only men who demonstrate prowess, strength and exceptional accomplishments are called gibbor. No women or children are ever included in this group, nor are ordinary men (but don’t be upset if you are a woman –‘eshet hayil [Proverbs 31] is the parallel of gibbor when a woman is the subject). Now you can see why this name is so startlingly unusual. This is a child who is gibbor from birth! He is born to power, something that marks Him as totally exceptional. Finally, this name recalls other names of God that incorporate gibbor. You will find some in Psalm 24:8 and Deuteronomy 10:17. These uses of gibbor tell us that this God is terrible in His power and might, shattering His enemies and causing dread and fear among those who oppose Him.

Part of the name of this baby, born among the livestock in a backwoods village, shouts out His true identity – THE ALL MIGHTY GOD FOR WHOM NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE! Yes, babies are cute. Yes, there is a certain softness to newborns. But never let the depiction of the manger scene rob you of what is really happening here. El-gibbor has arrived among men, and His presence will change everything. This is a birth for which there is no parallel. This is the creative power of the universe wrapped in hand-woven cloth, sleeping in Mary’s arms.

If that doesn’t make you fall on your face in worship, nothing ever will.

Category: Today's Word | Tags: Champion and Hero, Isaiah 9:6, Warrior | Leave a Comment

What’s In A Name

Tuesday, December 25th, 2007 | Author: Skip Moen

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Pele-yoez – So, you’re looking at these words in bold and thinking, “What is that? What is pele-yoez?” The answer, of course, is that Pele-yoez is His name! We have read this verse in translation so long that we don’t realize that Isaiah is telling us the name of the child, not the translated meaning of the child’s name. The full name of this child is Pele-yoez-el-gibbor-Abi-ad-sar-shalom. That’s right. His name is “wonderful counselor-mighty God-prince of peace.”

What difference does it make if we have the translation of the meaning or if we have the name itself? Well, in the Hebrew world, it makes a tremendous difference. You see, naming is not just a random act of selection in the ancient world. To name something is to designate its true essence. So, when we read the name “Adam,” we know that the root word adamah means that Adam is a man from the ground (the dust). That is his true essence – and in the end, that essence will prevail. Adam will return to his true essence – dust. Of course, Biblical names are generally like this. So, a name like Balaam (Numbers 22:5) is not just the name of a prophet who is to utter a curse against Israel. It is his essence – to swallow or devour the people. You will find these kinds of examples throughout the Old Testament.

Now, are you ready for a shock? “Jesus” is not the name of this child. This child has many names, as we can see from this verse in Isaiah, but Jesus is not one of them. You see, Jesus is a Greek derivation from a translated meaning of the Hebrew name. We end up with this word Jesus because the sound of the Y in Hebrew is phonetically a J sound in English. The real name of the child born to Miriam is Yeshua, which, of course, has a specific meaning that describes the essence of this person (by the way, this is not the same as Joshua, Yehoshua in Hebrew – “The Lord is salvation”). Yeshua means “salvation,” not “the Lord is salvation.” Why this change? Because this child is salvation. In other words, in the context and culture of ancient Israel, this child’s very name expresses His divinity.

Isaiah gives us another name of this child; a name of divine titles that describe the character of the one born to us. The first title is pele-yoez. Pele means “a miracle, a marvel, a wonder.” It is a word about the extraordinary, the astonishing and the tremendously significant. This word is always used in connection with God (except once in Lamentations). The second term, yoez, means not only to counsel and advise, but also to plan and execute. Both ideas are combined in the same root. The child that is born to us will be an astonishing and miraculous advisor who will also marvelously execute His plans. He will be someone totally unique, combining God’s purposes with miraculous counsel. He will know God’s perfect will and perfectly bring it to pass. His name is not two separate ideas, “wonderful” and “counselor.” It is a single unity of miraculous plan and execution. That is what we celebrate today.

And that’s only the first part of the name.

Category: Today's Word | Tags: Isaiah 9:6, What’s In A Name | Leave a Comment

Only One

Monday, December 24th, 2007 | Author: Skip Moen

This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Day – Have you ever heard this expression applied to the current day? Maybe you grew up like I did where your mother used this verse as a kind of reminder to not grumble. Maybe you have used it yourself to provide encouragement or affirmation. Guess what? That is not how David uses this verse. In fact, there is only one day when this verse actually applies to the present, and that day happened 2000 years ago.

Like most pithy Bible verses, we often ignore the context. In order to understand why David proclaimed this one day, we must read the preceding verses. David is talking about “the stone which the builders rejected.” The day David has in mind is the day of vindication when this rejected stone becomes the fundamental building block of God’s grace. That is the day which the Lord has made. It is all God’s doing.

Tonight you will celebrate the final stages of that day. In spite of the fact that this particular night is unlikely to have been the real night of Jesus’ birth, it is nevertheless the adopted day when God revealed the last steps leading to the day of vindication. It is a night of remembrance. It is a night that David longed to experience, when angels announced startling news. We are privileged to know when that day of rejoicing occurred, centuries ago.

Of course, the Hebrew word is yom. It certainly means “day,” but it is a word that has a wider umbrella than 24 hours. In fact, yom is used for a day, a year, a life span and some unspecified period of time (so, don’t get too worked up over its use in Genesis 1). It can point to the future as well as the past. In all its flexibility, it is the fundamental concept of time in the Old Testament.

David looks ahead to the time of the Messiah, the day when God will vindicate His anointed one. David sees, prophetically, that part of the role of the coming King will be rejection and suffering. That comes before victory. When we celebrate Christmas as the birth of the Savior, we must never forget that the wise men brought embalming substances! They knew a deeper truth. This one was born to die.

In rabbinic fashion, we must turn our attention from what lies before our eyes to see what lies in the mind of God. Yes, there is a baby in a manger. Yes, there are shepherds and angels. But what is also here is the God of weakness. The way of God is not shock and awe. He leaves those pointless exercises to men. God’s way is humility, ignominy and death. God’s way is humanly inconceivable. We would never have thought of this. We look for the spectacular, the overpowering and the glorifying. God uses another way. This we much remember, on the night of celebration. The pathway of God leads not to enviable status but to crushing service. If you’re going to follow the Son, you must first become a helpless infant. In that day, you too can rejoice.

Category: Today's Word | Tags: Only One, Psalm 118:24 | Leave a Comment

The Event of Church (3)

Sunday, December 23rd, 2007 | Author: Skip Moen

and greet the church at their house, and my beloved Epenetus Romans 16:5

Church – One more pointer, and then I promise to let this go. L. Coenen says, “If one compares the two Hebrew words, it becomes clear . . . that ‘edah is the unambiguous and permanent term for the covenant community as a whole. On the other hand, qahal is the ceremonial expression for the assembly that results from the covenant . .”

Only one of these ideas is captured in the word ekklesia, that is, the ceremonial expression of the assembly. If that is true, then “church” is not only event oriented, it is also a formal occasion built on ritual. So, God calls His people. They gather (the event) under certain, prescribed ordinances (the ritual) for a particular purpose (the reason for the gathering). This is qahal.

But there is also ‘edah. In order for the church to also be ‘edah, it must belong, not as individuals, but as a whole unit, to God’s permanent, covenant family. Let this sink in a bit. The conclusion is shocking. The covenant is not about individuals. I do not have a personal covenant relationship with God. My covenant relationship with God is based in the community as a whole. Furthermore, church as ‘edah is not for the non-believer. If you are not part of the covenant family, you are not part of this assembly – and you shouldn’t be there!

This is a dagger in the heart of the “seeker-friendly” idea of church. The seeker-friendly church is not a church from the Bible’s point of view. It is a meeting of mixed minds and motives. It is equivalent to the crowd who heard Peter preach on the day of Pentecost. He had only one message – Repent! All of the rest of the teaching, training and equipping is for the family of the covenant community, not for the outsiders.

Now we might realize why our churches are so bland and anemic. We have the wrong audience. When we mix family and strangers, what kind of signals are we sending? How can you gather at God’s call for His purposes when half your crowd doesn’t even know Him? How can you be of single-minded unity when your audience is filled with rebels? What made you think that God even called those idol-worshippers to His event? In our efforts to make the “church” relevant, we have destroyed it. We no longer gather at His request to receive His purposes and act as a single body in the world. We gather in a meeting, filled with all kinds of agendas, rebellious enemies standing side-by-side with devoted followers. And we hope to encounter God!? How crazy is that?

Clean house! That’s what Peter says. Start on the inside! Our churches are filled with the great unwashed, and, as a result, our focus is anything but pure. Of course, we must reach to the lost, but separate church from meetings and you just might discover that the body is nourished.

End of the pointing. Beginning of the enabling. Are you staggering out of sanctuary?

Category: Today's Word | Tags: Romans 16:5, The Event of Church (3) | Leave a Comment

The Event of Church (2)

Saturday, December 22nd, 2007 | Author: Skip Moen

and greet the church at their house, and my beloved Epenetus Romans 16:5

Church – Yesterday we discovered that the two Hebrew words for “assembly” are not quite the same. Qahal focuses on the event of experience with God. ‘Edah focuses on the unity of the whole people God appoints. We found that ekklesia, the Greek word translated “church” is never ‘edah, only qahal. But synagoge can be both qahal and ‘edah.

What can we conclude? Please remember that the doctrine of the church is not going to be concluded in just a short look at the words. We can only point the direction since there is so much more to consider, but we can say at least this much. It appears as though the Hebrew idea behind ekklesia is about a “happening”, an event, not a place. A church is a gathering event called by God for His purposes. It doesn’t appear to be a routine meeting in a particular place with a set agenda. Remember that qahal is first found in the idea of a gathering of soldiers for war. It is the purpose that precipitates the gathering, not the other way around. Church, from a Hebrew perspective, is all about why we come together, not about where we come together.

Recently I read a comment by a man who was distraught because he didn’t seem able to plant a new church in his community. You can see how his thinking has been affected by the idea that church is a place. Maybe we should have church rather than go to church. How much more might we accomplish for the Kingdom if we began to think of church as an event rather than a building?

But there is more. When we point in this direction, we realize that there is an element in the Hebrew idea that is not present in the Greek word ekklesia. ‘Edah – the unity of the gathered assembly – is never picked up by the word ekklesia. The event of church does not mean unity. The event is focused on the reason for the event, namely, the call of God. We gather because God calls us to gather, and we gather because He has something to tell us and something for us to do. But that is not the same as being in unity. It is the word synagoge that enables us to communicate the idea of a single, unified whole. If we are going to experience ‘edah, our gathering cannot focus on the individuals in the group. It must focus on the whole group all together. Does this give you a clue about Paul’s comments on sharing the single mind of Christ or Jesus’ comments on unity?

The “church” is a unity, a single body (remember Paul’s language) where every individual fades into the whole, integrated unit, where no single member is any more valuable than any other and where every member is vital to the functioning of the whole. ‘Edah is a body without hierarchy, without “professionals”, without status-seekers and without individual glorification. It is the one assembly, doing what God commands.

What directions begin to emerge? Perhaps we need to re-think “church.” If the Bible’s view of church is an event called for a purpose of a single, completely unified body, a lot of things will have to change. Now, what will you do about it?

Category: Today's Word | Tags: Romans 16:5, The Event of Church (2) | Leave a Comment