Jamie Greening's Blog, page 9

Advent 2022: Week Three, Tuesday, Revelation 3:14-22

Today’s reading is the last of the seven letters to seven different churches from Jesus. They are all memorable, but the Laodicean church has a firm grip on the psyche of the American church. There are probably a lot of reasons for this.

14. To the angel of the church in Laodicea write these things: The amen, the witness, the faithful, the truth, the source of God’s creation says, 

15. ‘I know your works. You are neither cold nor boiling hot. If only you were either cold or hot. 

16. Because you are tepid, neither boiling hot nor cold, I am about to vomit you out of my mouth. 

17. You say, ‘I am rich. I have always been rich. I need nothing.’ You are unaware that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 

18. I advise you to buy from me gold purified by fire, so that you might actually be rich; buy clean white clothes so that you may be dressed and not exposed in your naked shame; buy eye ointment to apply on your eyes so that you might see. 

19. I reprove and discipline those whom I love. You must be eager, then, to repent. 

20. Behold, I stand at upon the doorway and I knock. If anyone should hear my voice and perhaps open the door, then I will come in to him. He will eat supper with me and I with him.

21. I will give those who conquer to sit with me in my throne, just as when I conquered I sat with my father in his throne.

22. Those who have ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

The Laodicean church thinks it is rich, but that is a lie. They are impoverished in the areas that matter — spirituality, faith, love, devotion. Jesus calls them out on this, and indicates that their faith is a disgusting faith. It makes him sick to his stomach.

A note or two on the hot and cold water. I have heard this text ravaged of its meaning many times. People tend to say that hot is good, and cold is bad, and Jesus would rather you pick a side than straddle the fence. FALSE!

That is not what Jesus is saying. Hot water is good for many things, cleansing and therapy come to mind. It is healing. Cold water likewise is good as a refreshment, also for healing, and for temperature control. Lukewarm water, in this context, is useless because it neither cleanses or refreshes. It neither heals nor helps.

The Laodiceans practiced a useless faith. There is something in here about relevancy, about the poor, about the widow, about the orphan, about the social justice issues of climate, life of the unborn, immigrants rights, the needs of families, comfort of the grieving, and protecting children from abusers. But useless faith turns a blind eye and says, ‘let’s get back to Bible study.’

The image in verse twenty of Jesus standing at the door is very popular. There are paintings of it. This passage is a common evangelism text in which the idea of Jesus standing at the door of our heart and hoping we will invite him in. I think that is true in the sense of salvation, but that is not what this text is teaching. This text is about the church gathering inside the house, and Jesus, ironically, is left outside. He is knocking to be let back inside the church where the communion meal may again be shared between Christ and people.

Imagine a church without Jesus in it. It shouldn’t be hard, because they re all around.

Advent 2022: Week Three, Monday, Revelation 3:7-13

Usually week three is the last full week of readings, but since Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, we are only half-way through, which means we have twice as much fun left. We begin the week with Jesus’ letter to the church at Philadelphia.

7. To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write these things: the holy one, the true one, the one holding the key of David, the one who, what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open, says, 

8. ‘I know your works. Behold, I have put an open door in front of you. No one will be able to close it. You have very little power, but you kept my word and did not deny my name.

9. Behold, I will bring it about that those people from the synagogue of Satan, liars who claim to be Jews but are not, they will come and fall at your feet; they will know I love you.    

10. Because patiently you kept my word, and so I will keep you from the hour of trial about to come upon the entire world, to test those living upon the earth.

11. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so no one can take your crown.

12. I will make those who conquer a pillar in God’s temple. He will never leave it. I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven.

13. Those who have ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. 

Jesus has left a door open for the church at Philadelphia. This is the kind of door nobody can shut. The question seems to be what is the purpose of this door? It seems unlikely this is a door of salvation, as these are already redeemed people. It also seems unlikely this is a door of opportunity (the dreaded open door theology). Likewise, I do not think this is a door to heaven, as in an escape. I think something else is going on here.

The church in Philadelphia is powerless according to the world’s standards, but they they have been faithful. This has afforded them an open door of access, access to God’s protection. There is a play on words in verse 10. The Philadelphians had kept the word of God, therefore he will keep them. Keep them from the trial that is coming. We must assume this trial will not be spared upon the other churches, but just this one.

God loves all, and he loves all his people. But he doesn’t treat all churches equally. He seems to deal with them according to their faithfulness. In our world, we seem to equate God’s special favor with high attendance, big buildings, large bank accounts, flashy worship sets, online clicks, and political influence. Philadelphia had none of these things. They were small and powerless. But they were faithful, and that matters more to the Lord than all of our metrics. Keep that in mind the next time you are seeking a church.

Perhaps there is some kind of connection between what we value and how the Lord relates to us. It does seem to me churches which value the Word of God, in spirit as well as in letter, seem to be blessed with a certain kind of longevity and relevance far greater than their numbers might indicate. Today we might call that influence.

This influence is made a reality when, in an apparent display of love and favoritism, God says he will drag those liars who claim spiritual pedigree before these and make them bow a their feet. The whole point of the display of power from God is so that these fakers will know that God really loves his people.

I am captivated by the blessing for those who conquer. They will be made into a pillar or a pillar will be made representing them — one or the other. I opt for a pillar made representing them in the future temple. And that temple will be, perhaps, like a place of honor in which secret names will be written as a testimony. My suspicion is that if there is such a courtyard of pillars in the temple of the New Jerusalem, it will be inscribed with the names of countless churches and Christ-followers who have been unknown throughout history, but will forever be celebrated in eternity.

Advent 2022: Week Two, Saturday, Revelation 3:1-6

Sardis is like a place where forty years ago everything was awesome, but now it is just a washed up has been, nevertheless tourists still come by because of the reputation. You know, kind of like DisneyWorld.

1. To the angel of the church of Sardis write these things: The one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says, ‘I know your works. You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 

2. You must wake up and repair what remains, that which is about to die. For I have not found your works finished before my God. 

3. You must remember, therefore, what you received, what you heard, and what you cling to. You must repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

4. You have a small number of people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me in white because they are worthy. 

5. Those who conquer will be dressed in white clothes. My name for him shall not be erased from the Book of Life. I will acknowledge his name before my father and before his angels. 

6. Those who have ears should listen to what the Spirits says to the churches.  

I call your attention to two aspects of this letter. First, they are dead but they do not have to stay that way. Revival is possible. Revival is a beautiful word that has been ruined in the last two generations as it has become confused with something that can be scheduled in the spring or fall and then manufactured with out-of-town preachers and pizza feeds. Revival is not a program. Revival is when that which is dead comes back to life.

Revival is possible. Revival is needed. Revival is at hand. Revival is coming.

Jesus wants us to experience this kind of revival by ‘repairing’ the things that are broken. Trust has been broken between churches and the communities they are in. Faith has been broken between church leaders and the people they lead. Love has been broken by lust and greed.

Repair these things, and revival is around the corner.

The second thing I want to show you is this remnant. Jesus says there are some in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. This doesn’t mean they haven’t played in the dirt or worked hard. No, this is an evocative image that the other people in Sardis, the dead ones, have pooped themselves because that is what happens when you die. But some haven’t. These are who are alive and clean will be blessed by the Lord.

Again we see a remnant, just as in Thyatira (click here). Nestled within the broader church community which has walked away from Jesus and disappointed him there is a faithful remnant whom he will reward for being faithful. Indeed, it is hard to stay alive, to nurture the will to live, when everyone else is dead and celebrating a culture of death.

Okay, I said I would show two things but I meant three. One more thing amazes me here. It is the reference to not having names erased from the Book of Life (v. 5). It is a terrifying thing to imagine that apparently, some names are erased. That didn’t sink in to me until I worked with the text at length.

I pray you all conquer, and keep your name in permanent ink, ink drawn from he vein of Immanuel.

Advent 2022: Week Two, Friday, Revelation 2:18-29

Today’s reading is the letter to Thyatira. Thyatira is one of those words that I enjoy pronouncing — it is so much fun to say it. Take a moment or two and just say it out loud over and over — Thyatira. Isn’t that fun.

Too bad the words Jesus has for them aren’t really that much fun.

Friday Week Two, Rev. 2:18-29

18. To the angel of the church at Thyatira write these things: the Son of God, the one having the flaming eyes and the bronze feet says, 

19. ‘I know your works, love, faith, service, patience, and I know your recent works are greater than your earlier works. 

20. But I have this against you, you tolerate that Jezebel woman, the one who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and deceives my slaves to fornicate and to eat food offered to idols.

21. I gave her time so that she might repent, but she did not want to repent from her fornicating. 

22. Behold, I will throw her and everyone she’s in bed with into great distress if they do not repent from her works.  

23. I will kill her children in death. All the churches will know that I myself search the heart and guts. I will give to each of you according to your works. 

24. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, those not holding this teaching, those who do not know the secrets of Satan, I say I will not put another burden on you.

25. Except, you must hold on to what you have until I come. 

26. I will give those who conquer and keep my works until the end authority over the nations,

27. to shepherd them with a rod of iron as when the ceramic pot is broken. 

28. Just as I have received from my father, likewise I will give the morning star. 

29. Those having ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. 

The church at Thyatira has a lot going for it. Jesus commends it for love, faith, service, and patience. Look at that list again. These people are serious about the Christian life. Yet, they are not what they should be. They put up with that which they shouldn’t put up with.

They tolerate that woman. Jesus calls her Jezebel, a slur from the Old Testament. It means she is an idolator, a murderer, and manipulator. I’m not certain exactly what that Jezebel woman is up to, but I suspect, in context, she is preaching a power that is based on getting ‘into bed’ with government, rulers, and commerce. Jezebel is in it for the money and power, and she uses the church to get what she wants.

The curious thing, and I mean it that way, curious, is how Jesus seems to bend over backwards to give the people in Thyatira more time to repent. He seems more patient with them than others. He says he’s already given them time to repent, and even as he comes to punish them, he says he is still judging the hearts and ‘guts’. The word for guts is kidneys. The point is, he is not bringing blanket condemnation like a removal of a lampstand. He keeps holding out for hope of repentance. I feel like the reason for this is the remnant’s presence — those who have not studied the ways of Satan or follow that Jezebel woman. These are pure and sincere, and for them, the Lord will not lay any more burden. Their sincerity covers a multitude of sins.

Verses 26 and 27 compare nicely with the Messianic language of Psalm 2, where the language soars making the nations a heritage and the ends of the earth a possess, and ruling with a rod of iron and smashing them to pieces like a potters vessel. Not that we should naturally think this way, but the way Jesus uses Psalm 2 here to apply to his followers in their faithfulness, could be instructive in perhaps the way we should or could read some of the Psalms.

Those who have ears should listen.

Advent 2022: Week Two, Thursday, Revelation 2:8-17

We have two of the Lord’s letters in today’s reading — Smyrna and Pergamum.

8. To the angel of the church in Smyrna write these things: The first and the last, the one who was dead and lived, says, 

9. ‘I know your distress and poverty, but you are rich. I also know the blasphemy of those claiming to be Jews when they are not. They are the synagogue of Satan. 

10. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. The devil is about to throw you into prison to test you. It will be ten days of distress. You must have faith unto death, and then I will give you the crown of life. 

11. Those who have ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches: those who conquer will never be hurt by the second death.’ 

12. To the angel of the church in Pergamum write these things: the one having the two-edged sord in his right hand says, 

13. ‘I know you live where the throne of Satan is, and you hold firm to my name and do not deny faith in me, as in the days of my faithful witness Antipas who was killed among you right where Satan lives.

14. Yet I have a tiny complaint against you. You have there these people holding to the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to cast a stumbling block in front of the Children of Israel, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to fornicate. 

15. In the same way, you have those holding to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 

16. Therefore, you must repent. If you do not, I will come quickly and will attack them with the sword of my mouth.  

17. Those who have ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches: I will give those who conquer the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone. Upon the white stone a new name is written that no one knows, except the one receiving it.’

Pergamum’s persecution seems to be in the past. At some time, Antipas, apparently a leader there, was killed for his faith. Nevertheless, the people were faithful to the Lord and did not deny him. This is a good thing. May we all be found faithful when the moment of trial comes.

Smyrna’s persecution is yet to come, but it is coming soon. The strangely specific time period of ten day is either very individualized or some kind of stylized number. Whatever the actual duration, Jesus encourages them to remain faithful unto death, for the ominous text indicates some will certainly die.

Smyrna has nothing negative in its letter, only an encouragement to stay faithful and a promise that no matter what happens here, the second death will not harm them if they are true. The same cannot be said for Pergamum. The Lord has what he calls a tiny complaint — they put up with false teachers, the Nicolaitans. Jesus compares these to the Old Testament figures of Balaam and Balak, and likens it to eating sacrilegious food and fornication.

We don’t know who these Nicolaitans are, but Jesus can’t stand them. In fact, he hates them.

I can’t tell, grammatically, if the warning of ‘I will come quickly and will attack them’ is for the whole church if it doesn’t repent, or, rather, if it is a threat against the Nicolaitans, that Jesus will purge his church. I take the latter. I choose to believe Jesus is telling them, ‘You can purge the bad teaching, or I will. One way or an other, they have to go.’

So much of these letters is Jesus warning churches to clean up their act. We shudder at the thought of Jesus attacking church folks, and we also quiver at the idea of him removing the lampstand (2:5 — also in context of hating the Nicolaitans). Removing the lampstand can only mean he takes away his Spirit and the church is no longer a real church.

Without the Holy Spirit, a church is a powerless civic organization. A form of godliness, but no power. Jesus is in the midst of judging many such congregations right now, places that look and smell like the body of Christ, but in actuality they are not. The fire left long ago.

Advent 2022: Week Two, Wednesday, Revelation 1:17-2:7

The reading for today takes us from the end of John’s introduction to Jesus in Revelation into the first of the seven letters.

17. When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He put his right hand on me and said, “Do not fear. I myself am the first and the last,

18. the living one. I was dead, but behold I am living forever and ever. I have the keys to death and hades. 

19. You must write, therefore, what you saw, are seeing, and what is about to come about after these things.

20. The secret of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands is that the seven stars are the angels of the churches. The seven lampstands are the seven churches. 

2:1. To the angel of the church in Ephesus write these things: The one holding the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands says, 

2. ‘I know your labor, patience, and that you do not tolerate evil. You tested the people calling themselves apostles and discerned they were liars. 

3. You have patience; you endure through my name; you have not become weary. 

4. But I have it against you that you left your first love.

5. Therefore, you must remember how far you have fallen. Repent and do the works you did at the first. If you do not, I will come to you and will remove your lampstand from its place, should you not repent. 

6. But you do have this, you hate the works of the Nicolaitans just as much as I hate them.

7. Those who have ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches: those who conquer will be allowed to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.’ 

Jesus says you should listen to what the Spirit says.

Do you notice that these are the words of Jesus, and he is speaking, yet he tells us it is what the Spirit says. Nestled within these letters is a great mystery of the Trinity: The son is speaking for the Spirit, when usually it is the other way around. Fascinating.

But back up to the idea of leaving your first love. That is the fault of the Ephesian church. It feels to me like something you might say to a middle aged person who has lost their passion. It could be a passion for a wife, a career, or a hobby. Comfort and ease have replaced hard work and desire. Churches can fall into the same pattern. The solution is to go back and do what you used to.

If you feel far from God, further than you used to be, and you want to fix it, go back to what you used to do. My suspicion there was a time when you you studied the Bible more, prayed more, worshipped more, and perhaps attended more Bible studies, served more, and got involved more. The busy things of life crept in, and with age and time, we compromise.

The result is our old lover is jilted, waiting over a cold communion meal for us to show up to show up for supper, but we never do because of . . . well, you name it.

A translation note here, which I am not doing very much of on these rendering ,but the formula I use for each of these letters is a little different than most English translations. Compare:

To the angle of the church in Ephesus write: The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

Revelation 2:1 ESV

There is nothing wrong with the standard rendering, but I have one thing against it. The Greek text uses the verbal form, ‘he says’ which is swallowed in most English versions and turned into the noun ‘words.’ But the text it is a verb, so I move the verb to the end of the description because I think that is where it belongs. It makes more sense to me. I follow this pattern for all seven churches because the opening is the same — ‘write these things to _______’ and then there is a description of Jesus that is relevant to the church, and then ‘says’ — because the one saying is the one being described.

Advent 2022: Week Two, Tuesday, Revelation 1:9-16

Jesus appears to John in the midst of heavily symbolic imagery.

9. I, John, your brother, sharer in the kingdom, and by the patience of Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus.

10. I was in Spirit on the Lord’s day when I heard a loud noise behind me, like a trumpet,

11. Saying, ‘write down what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. 

12. I turned around to see whose voice was speaking with me. When I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. 

13. In the midst of the lampstands was like a son of man, dressed in clothes hanging to his feet and a belt of gold around his chest. 

14. His head and hair were white as wool or snow. His eyes were a flame of fire.

15. His feet were like bronze, as if refined in a furnace. His voice was the sound of many waters. 

16. He had in his right hand seven stars. A double-edged sword came out of his mouth. His face was like the sun when it shines in all of its power. 

I have a lot of questions. One of them is how big are these lampstands? I think of them of them as tall, maybe ten feet, and the Son of Man is standing in the midst of them.

The voice, we must assume, is from the Son of Man, Jesus. He is telling John to write these letters to the seven churches. Another question then is why these seven churches? There were many other churches, notably Antioch, Rome, Corinth, Philippi and so forth. We know these seven are all geographically linked, but there must be more to it. My gut tells me these are representative of something.

I am curious about the clothes the Son of Man is wearing. They are white, and they hang to his feet, but somehow we know that this feet looked like refined bronze. Did the Son of Man show these to John, or did the clothing he wore come just above the ankle? Did John spy his feet as he walked?

The belt of gold is sometimes rendered as a sash. I have a hard time seeing it as a sash. It is golden, and around his chest, but I just can’t bring myself to think of it as a sash.

The white hair that looks like wool calls to mind the visage of a black man of age, which matches the color of bronze on his feet. If this is John the Apostle, then he knows who Jesus is and what he looks like. Here, he describes him, and it may be the only description we have of him other than he looked pretty much like everyone else. The Son of God pictured as an older black man with white hair and flaming eyes is a powerful image of wisdom, burden, and power.

The face of the Son of Man intrigues me. How can the sword come out of the mouth? Either this is a metaphor for the word of God, or John is trying to tell us something else. We also see that his face shines like the sun in all its glory, at full strength.

The brightness of the scene is, I think, lost on us if we don’t stop and imagine. The gold in the lamp stands, the fire in the lamp stands, the white clothing, the golden sash, and the brightness of Jesus’ face would have been luminescent, ultraviolet, or even radioactive. Could John see his bones through his flesh? Did he have to cover his eyes? Close his eyes?

All of that shining light is an indicator of God’s holiness and his glory. John is not in the presence of a prophet or a teacher. The Son of Man is radiating divinity. He is God.

Advent 2022: Week Two, Monday, Revelation 1:1-8

Jesus is coming, and John wants you to know it.

1. God gave the revelation of Messiah Jesus to his servant John to show his servants what must happen soon. He sent it by his angels. 

2. This is what he testified — what he saw — the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Messiah. 

3. Blessed is the one reading it, and those hearing it, and those keeping the prophecy that has been written down, for the time is near. 

4. John, to the seven churches in Asia, grace and peace to you from the one who is, was, and is yet to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,

5. and from Messiah Jesus, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth; the one who loves us and freed us from our sins by his own blood.

6. He made us a kingdom of priests of God his Father: to him be glory and might in eternity. Amen.  

7. Behold, he comes with the clouds. All eyes will see him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn the one whom they pierced. Yes. Amen. 

8. ‘I myself am the alpha and the omega,’ says the Lord God. ‘The one who is, who was, and the coming one. The Almighty.’ 

It feels as though every word in these verses is taught with meaning – taught like a flirt ready to become a relationship, like a championship game just before tipoff, like a rubber band about to break, like a woman wailing in labor.

There are no throw away lines here, and each could become volumes — God gave the revelation. Through angels. No wonder we emphasize angels at Christmas. They are the intermediaries who do the bidding of God and who speak his words. The blessing is for those who read it — that is you and me — and those who hear it — that is the saints in worship — and those who keep it — that is between you God.

‘He made us a kingdom of priests’ echoes the words of Peter (1 Pete 2:9). What kind of priesthood does John see in the revelation? One that stays faithful to the word in the face of opposition and persecution. Faithful servants who do not waiver.

Advent calls us to consider our commitments and what we are living for, truly. Jesus is coming, and every eye will see him. I don’t know how that can happen if we are thinking about appearing at once to everyone, but not so hard if we think of it as there being no nook or cranny on earth unaware of his arrival. It will not take television cameras or smart phone screens for this to happen, for his presence will encompass the known world.

Every eye will see. Even the blind ones.

‘Dear Lord, help my feeble eyes to see you now as you are already in the world through your church, your people, and the Holy Spirit. Help me see your body all around me so that when you at last manifest yourself to every eye, I will neither be shocked nor surprised, but instead will have the confirmation that you’ve been there the whole time. In Jesus’ name. Amen.’

Advent 2022: Week One, Saturday, Jude 17-25

The first week of my translations for Advent 2022 finish with this beautiful doxology from Jude.

17. But you, dear ones, must remember the words already spoken by the apostles of our Lord Messiah Jesus.

18. For they kept saying to you that in the last times there will be scoffers led away by their own desires. 

19. These people create divisions. They are worldly, for they do not have the Spirit. 

20. But you, dear ones, should build each other up in holiness and faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. 

21. Keep yourselves in the love of God, awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Messiah in eternal life. 

22. You should have mercy on some who are doubting.

23. Others, you should save by snatching them out of the fire. Still yet others you should have mercy, with fear, while hating even their clothes which are polluted by the flesh. 

24. To the one who is able to guard you, standing steady in the presence of his glory, spotless and glad,

25. to the only God, our savior through our Lord Messiah Jesus be majestic glory and mighty power from all the ages, now, and in all the ages. Amen. 

Scoffers are gonna scoff. It is what they do. Jude is on to them, and so should we. You can spot the scoffer because he or she inevitably works to create divisions. As people who live in an age marked by division — political division, social division, family divisions, racial divisions, and religious divisions — we should hear this warning with fresh ears. When you hear or encounter someone whose words, tone, and ideals seek to divide people into them and us, you have encountered a scoffer.

Sadly, I fear, this describes most of our leaders. I am also afraid it sometimes describes me.

By contrast, people who follow the Lord Messiah Jesus, a formula phrase for Jude, build each other up. The root word here is edification. We don’t divide, we build. We build upon holiness, faith, prayer, love, and mercy.

I am particularly moved by the rather subjective imperatives of verses 22 and 23. I say subjective because the command we are given seems to be predicated upon the individual we are dealing with. For some people, we should have mercy in their doubt, which indicates patience and waiting while others we need to snatch, pursue them, save them from the fires of this world. Another group of people we need to have mercy on but hate their clothes. That is not a fashion statement, but rather their lives are so filthy their clothing is a metaphor for their sinful behaviors and lifestyle. In my mind, this is something like a rich and powerful person dressed in fine clothing but whose character is filthy with no integrity or perhaps filled with malice. We must find a way to love this person with mercy, but never accept their sinfulness.

This last bit convicts me. I can handle people who smell bad or who are down and out, in other words. I am okay with people whose literal clothing is filthy. However, people whose actions disgust me turn my stomach, and I have very little mercy for them. I need to work on this.

Advent 2022: Friday, Jude 1-16

If you thought Peter was brutal, wait until you read Jude. Note, the Greek rendering is Judas, but historically he is known as Jude. I suppose that is to keep him from getting mixed up with that other guy, the one we don’t talk about.

1. Jude [Judas], a slave of Messiah Jesus, brother of James, to those who have been loved by Father God and preserved in the call of Messiah Jesus.

2. May mercy, peace, and love increase in you.

3. Dear ones, I was all very eager to write to you about our shared salvation, but find it necessary instead to write calling you to strive for the things that once were handed to you as a deposit of faith.

4. For some people sneaked in, the kind of godless people who from of old were ordained to judgment. These people transformed the grace of our God into debauchery and denied the Master and Lord Messiah Jesus.

5. I want to remind you, the same Lord who once saved the people from Egypt destroyed them the second time around when they did not trust.

6. From the beginning, he has kept in continual chains and gloom until the great day of judgment the angels who did not keep themselves but abandoned their own realm. 

7. These people fornicate and sexually gratify with other flesh, like Sodom and Gomorrah and the five cities, which was set before us as an example, undergoing eternal punishment of fire.  

8. Nevertheless, they likewise dream of the flesh. They defile authority and blashpheme the glorious ones.

9. Even the archangel Michael, when he kept debating the disputed body of Moses, dared not to bring a charge of blasphemy but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you.’ 

10. But so many of these people blaspheme what they do not know and at the same time they live as unreasonable animals. They are destroyed by their instincts, which is all they know. 

11. Woe to these kinds of people: they travel in the path of Cain, earn the wage of Balaam’s error, and all the while being swept up in Korah’s rebellion. They destroy themselves. 

12. These are the ones who are like hidden rocks at your love feasts, eating without fear, shepherding themselves, waterless clous carried away by the wind, fruitless trees at harvest, doubly dead. They have been uprooted.

13. They are wild, foaming waves of the sea, shaming themselves. They are wandering stars reserved to gloom and eternal darkness. 

14. But Enoch, the seventh descendant from Adam, prophesied saying, ‘Behold, the Lord came in his holy myriad’ 

15. to pass judgment against all of them and to convict every soul that commits ungodly deeds as well as all those who speak defiant words against him, all the ungodly sinners.

16. They are disgruntled grumblers who have led themselves away after their own desires. They speak from the mouth inflated words to people’s faces for their own advantage. 

Jude launches with, ‘I wanted to talk about our shared joy of salvation, but you guys are so astray that I feel the need to write about judgment instead.’ I feel you, Jude. I feel you.

The problem seems to be people who have settled into the community of faith and are following error. He likens them to Balaam, the professional curser, and to the fallen angels of old. The tenor of the text seems to be, ‘If God punished even these people, how much more do you think he is going to punish the ones who disingenuously live amongst you.’

It is a good question. One doesn’t have to look with too much imagination at the present condition of the church in the western world to see those who follow their own desires rather than the teachings of Scripture. Imposters are everywhere — left, right, up and down.

The imagery of wandering stars in the dark sky is captivating to me. This might be a reference to comets, which move with apparent randomness, unlike the fixed stars and predictable planets. They are unhinged from the pattern of authority, discipline, structure, and holiness. The result is they are doomed against the backdrop of night. These people look like as if they belong, but they are really just passing through.

The warning Jude has is for true lights, believers, to not be caught up into the tiny gravitation pull of these roaming figures for they will only drag people away into their own darkness. Advent is a time of light, when we remember the light of the world came in and dwelt among us. Jude is calling us to cling to the true light, and not be drawn away by these temporarily bright but utterly doomed people who are filled with doctrinal error, misguided notions of propriety, confusion, and consumed by a desire to justify their own immoral lifestyles or greed, division, and power.