So that you may come to believe
Commentary
Object:
The challenge for those who preach from the lectionary every year is that we have the “Doubting Thomas” lesson as a constant in the liturgical universe. What more can one say about “Doubting Thomas”? If one has not preached on this great saint recently, he is also a patron saint of India. Legend says that he was skinned alive during his execution. Yes, he might have had questions when he did not see the first post-resurrection appearance of Jesus (John 20:25), but once he became a believer he was quite zealous for the risen Lord. How one develops zeal for any cause, especially when it is deemed “spirit-related,” is one pathway to pursue.
As a veteran pastor for about 28 years, I might suggest that John 20:31 as the interpretative lens through which to read the lessons for today: “But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” Most families have a relative or two who has not come to believe in Jesus Christ as savior and Lord. So what prompts basic belief in Christianity might be one strand to examine in today’s lessons.
Acts 4:32-35
Whereas the gospel of Luke might describe the “historical Jesus,” the book of Acts points to the “Christ of faith.” The audience is second- or third-generation Christians who are living in a delayed or long-term postponement of the parousia. Hence “eschatology” in Luke-Acts tends to be replaced by “salvation history” (God’s salvation in today’s chapter of time), as well as ways in which the church will have to carry on daily, practical ministry for the long haul in time (ecclesiology) (Matera, p. 95). One of the core values shared in this text Acts 4 text is that people are to be held in higher esteem than property.
This particular text serves as a transition into the verses of Barnabas selling a field for the community of faith (4:36-37). This is a positive example of placing people over property. A negative example shared immediately afterward is that of Ananias and Sapphira, who were struck down due to dishonest disclosures of proceeds from the sale of property (5:1-11). A stewardship sermon might suggest that we ought to be honest with God in finances, because God knows anyway!
Sharing of property occurred with other groups in that time, such as the Essenes. Luke-Acts is making an appeal to Governor Theophilus (1:1-2) that Christians do seek an orderly way of nurturing and enhancing a community within the Roman empire. Rome does not need to feel threatened by Christian families. Are there places in the world where Christian practices are a threat?
One could also view this gathering in Acts 4 as analogous to an extended family who shares things where they now reside or who are no longer present in their community of origin. One example might be an Oriental family arriving into a town to start a business. They are not all directly related to other families from the same country of origin, but because they arrived in the town at about the same time they tend to share community property. This includes sharing of shelter, meals, child care, transporting children to school, as well as finances. Modern American citizens in the same community may recall stories of their European grandparents sharing similar experiences when they arrived to the North American continent. They simply want to live together as a family of faith as well as being peaceful, productive citizens.
Acts reports that the Christians were of “one heart and soul” (4:32). What has this meant in the past for many churches, and what does it mean today? For example, language and marriage barriers or divisions have changed dramatically among many faith groups in the past few decades. What does having “one heart and soul” mean today? Is this a defense for “parochial” communities of sorts? Have difficult economic times caused some families to revisit whether they should have extended family members living with them under one roof? One way to show other people that Christians really mean what they confess would be to discover creative ways to share while having “one heart and soul.” How people use their physical and financial resources is one way to show others what a group really believes. [sources: Frank J. Matera, New Testament Theology: Exploring Diversity and Unity (Westminster John Knox Press, 2007); Ben Witherington, The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998)]
1 John 1:1--2:2
A congregation belongs to a denomination which has taken what might be termed a “liberal” or “controversial” position on a heated topic/social issue. This has divided the denomination. Sure enough, certain congregations have left the denomination to start or join their own denomination. Schism was common as early as the epistles of John. The key question then was the incarnation or humanity of Jesus as Christ. Now the people of the community of First John’s church are feeling both the scars of the separation and doubts about the church’s views on many topics. The Elder John addresses such congregations of all times.
First, John the Elder (hereafter “John”) is the voice of the community who is assuring the people of faith that they are indeed part of the original Johannine (Gospel of John) tradition, and their communion with God remains fully intact. One cannot have communion with God in an authentic way unless one remains in communion with other Christians. The author has also transformed historical events which the congregation experienced into an early form of a creedal position. This is one work that supports the idea of creeds in the early church, which might be a good sermon topic.
There is a contrasting parallelism in 1:6 and 7. The negative pole is “If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are waking in the darkness, we lie and do not do what is true” (v. 6). The positive pole is “[B]ut if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin” (v. 7). A three-point sermon might be: Walking in the Light means 1) fellowship (koinonia); 2) cleansing or freedom from contamination; 3) freedom from the consequences of sin.
What concrete behavior translates into fellowship within any congregation? One question that has arisen in my church committee meetings is about having community dinners and movie nights that are open to the public. Who is responsible for set-up and clean-up? What happens if one or two families feel overburdened with the work? Are they being irresponsible in suggesting that if they don’t get help they no longer wish to do this ministry?
Second, 1 John defines “light” as being authentic in truth and goodness to other Christians. Living in the “dark” is to be inauthentic, false, and evil (Kysar, p. 35). “Truth” is to be content with the context of the revelation that has been revealed to the community from those who announced it earlier. The root Greek word kerygma is used, meaning “what is preached, message, proclamation” (Newman, p. 101).
How do Christians get along when they sincerely disagree over very heated if not divisive issues? One way to show others what we sincerely believe is in how we handle differences. An example might be a father who is a member of a large labor union sending his children to a Sunday school class where the teacher is a foreman or supervisor at the father’s workplace. In the same town, two competing funeral directors attend the same church. This shows genuine belief in practice. [sources: Robert Kysar, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: 1, 2, 3 John (Augsburg Fortress, 1986); Frank J. Matera, New Testament Theology: Exploring Diversity and Unity ( Westminster John Knox Press, 2007); Barclay Newman, Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament (United Bible Societies, 1971)]
John 20:19-31
As the text begins, the disciples were locked in for fear of the Jews (Judeans, if one wants to be sensitive to anti-Semitic issues). The text concludes with Thomas’ confession of “My Lord and my God,” then the statement of the purpose of the book: “so that you may come to believe” (John 20:19, 28, 31). A narration sermon of the text could work as one describes the journey from fear to belief. The root Greek word for “fear” is phobos, from which we get the word “phobia,” meaning irrational fears. This is synonymous with terror, alarm, or apprehension (Newman, p. 194; Bauer, p. 863). One movement might be sorrow à fear à then joy.
Many commentators make the point that Jesus is human, so this account parallels the concerns of the 1 John lesson in underscoring the humanity of Jesus. His resurrected body still shows the scars of the crucifixion.
One could follow the Thomas story. His doubt is actually the reverse side of faith. The church should not be afraid of doubters or those who question the faith. Possibly the best time of spiritual growth is when lively conversations occur about certain faith matters (even at the risk of schism as in the 1 John community). Also, have we ever known people who have had a “loss of faith” over the death of a loved one? This might point to the theodicy question (“If God is in charge, why do the righteous suffer while evil exists?”) in some form.
In some catechisms, the words “retaining and forgiving sins” are part of the “Office of the Keys.” What sins are acceptable and what are unpardonable within any given congregation? One example might be a strange child running around the sanctuary, then uttering a profane word. This might be deemed as somewhat “excusable.” When this same child spills red soft drink on the new bright carpet, this might be seen as a “retainable sin” (for the members who paid for the new carpet!).
Another route to go with this text might be to discuss the breathing or inflating of the Holy Spirit into the disciples. This can go in a couple of directions. Are there two baptisms of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament (John 20 and Acts 2)? Is one filling of the Holy Spirit lesser, or simply a “preview” of the second one in Acts 2? If one is comfortable with tension between books in scripture, the two accounts do not need to be mutually exclusive but can be simply differing accounts of how the Holy Spirit arrives into the community of faith. The other direction is the bottom line remains that Jesus keeps his word. For those who have not come to faith, do they see Christians keeping their word -- despite any consequences? This might also go in the direction of the integrity of the gospel preached at any given church. [sources: William Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (University of Chicago Press, 1979); Andrew T. Lincoln, Black’s New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to Saint John (Hendrickson Publishers, 2005); Barclay Newman, Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament (United Bible Societies, 1971)]
Application
Who is Jesus for us? The John 20 text alongside John 1:1-18 (the prologue) makes a good argument for the traditional church teaching on the Holy Trinity. Is Jesus just another good teacher and prophet with some good ideas that would make the world a better place? John intends for readers to see Jesus as the Word or God incarnate. Is this a hard sell today? Stated right to the point: “Do Christians in our congregations believe that Jesus is God?”
As a veteran pastor for about 28 years, I might suggest that John 20:31 as the interpretative lens through which to read the lessons for today: “But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” Most families have a relative or two who has not come to believe in Jesus Christ as savior and Lord. So what prompts basic belief in Christianity might be one strand to examine in today’s lessons.
Acts 4:32-35
Whereas the gospel of Luke might describe the “historical Jesus,” the book of Acts points to the “Christ of faith.” The audience is second- or third-generation Christians who are living in a delayed or long-term postponement of the parousia. Hence “eschatology” in Luke-Acts tends to be replaced by “salvation history” (God’s salvation in today’s chapter of time), as well as ways in which the church will have to carry on daily, practical ministry for the long haul in time (ecclesiology) (Matera, p. 95). One of the core values shared in this text Acts 4 text is that people are to be held in higher esteem than property.
This particular text serves as a transition into the verses of Barnabas selling a field for the community of faith (4:36-37). This is a positive example of placing people over property. A negative example shared immediately afterward is that of Ananias and Sapphira, who were struck down due to dishonest disclosures of proceeds from the sale of property (5:1-11). A stewardship sermon might suggest that we ought to be honest with God in finances, because God knows anyway!
Sharing of property occurred with other groups in that time, such as the Essenes. Luke-Acts is making an appeal to Governor Theophilus (1:1-2) that Christians do seek an orderly way of nurturing and enhancing a community within the Roman empire. Rome does not need to feel threatened by Christian families. Are there places in the world where Christian practices are a threat?
One could also view this gathering in Acts 4 as analogous to an extended family who shares things where they now reside or who are no longer present in their community of origin. One example might be an Oriental family arriving into a town to start a business. They are not all directly related to other families from the same country of origin, but because they arrived in the town at about the same time they tend to share community property. This includes sharing of shelter, meals, child care, transporting children to school, as well as finances. Modern American citizens in the same community may recall stories of their European grandparents sharing similar experiences when they arrived to the North American continent. They simply want to live together as a family of faith as well as being peaceful, productive citizens.
Acts reports that the Christians were of “one heart and soul” (4:32). What has this meant in the past for many churches, and what does it mean today? For example, language and marriage barriers or divisions have changed dramatically among many faith groups in the past few decades. What does having “one heart and soul” mean today? Is this a defense for “parochial” communities of sorts? Have difficult economic times caused some families to revisit whether they should have extended family members living with them under one roof? One way to show other people that Christians really mean what they confess would be to discover creative ways to share while having “one heart and soul.” How people use their physical and financial resources is one way to show others what a group really believes. [sources: Frank J. Matera, New Testament Theology: Exploring Diversity and Unity (Westminster John Knox Press, 2007); Ben Witherington, The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998)]
1 John 1:1--2:2
A congregation belongs to a denomination which has taken what might be termed a “liberal” or “controversial” position on a heated topic/social issue. This has divided the denomination. Sure enough, certain congregations have left the denomination to start or join their own denomination. Schism was common as early as the epistles of John. The key question then was the incarnation or humanity of Jesus as Christ. Now the people of the community of First John’s church are feeling both the scars of the separation and doubts about the church’s views on many topics. The Elder John addresses such congregations of all times.
First, John the Elder (hereafter “John”) is the voice of the community who is assuring the people of faith that they are indeed part of the original Johannine (Gospel of John) tradition, and their communion with God remains fully intact. One cannot have communion with God in an authentic way unless one remains in communion with other Christians. The author has also transformed historical events which the congregation experienced into an early form of a creedal position. This is one work that supports the idea of creeds in the early church, which might be a good sermon topic.
There is a contrasting parallelism in 1:6 and 7. The negative pole is “If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are waking in the darkness, we lie and do not do what is true” (v. 6). The positive pole is “[B]ut if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin” (v. 7). A three-point sermon might be: Walking in the Light means 1) fellowship (koinonia); 2) cleansing or freedom from contamination; 3) freedom from the consequences of sin.
What concrete behavior translates into fellowship within any congregation? One question that has arisen in my church committee meetings is about having community dinners and movie nights that are open to the public. Who is responsible for set-up and clean-up? What happens if one or two families feel overburdened with the work? Are they being irresponsible in suggesting that if they don’t get help they no longer wish to do this ministry?
Second, 1 John defines “light” as being authentic in truth and goodness to other Christians. Living in the “dark” is to be inauthentic, false, and evil (Kysar, p. 35). “Truth” is to be content with the context of the revelation that has been revealed to the community from those who announced it earlier. The root Greek word kerygma is used, meaning “what is preached, message, proclamation” (Newman, p. 101).
How do Christians get along when they sincerely disagree over very heated if not divisive issues? One way to show others what we sincerely believe is in how we handle differences. An example might be a father who is a member of a large labor union sending his children to a Sunday school class where the teacher is a foreman or supervisor at the father’s workplace. In the same town, two competing funeral directors attend the same church. This shows genuine belief in practice. [sources: Robert Kysar, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: 1, 2, 3 John (Augsburg Fortress, 1986); Frank J. Matera, New Testament Theology: Exploring Diversity and Unity ( Westminster John Knox Press, 2007); Barclay Newman, Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament (United Bible Societies, 1971)]
John 20:19-31
As the text begins, the disciples were locked in for fear of the Jews (Judeans, if one wants to be sensitive to anti-Semitic issues). The text concludes with Thomas’ confession of “My Lord and my God,” then the statement of the purpose of the book: “so that you may come to believe” (John 20:19, 28, 31). A narration sermon of the text could work as one describes the journey from fear to belief. The root Greek word for “fear” is phobos, from which we get the word “phobia,” meaning irrational fears. This is synonymous with terror, alarm, or apprehension (Newman, p. 194; Bauer, p. 863). One movement might be sorrow à fear à then joy.
Many commentators make the point that Jesus is human, so this account parallels the concerns of the 1 John lesson in underscoring the humanity of Jesus. His resurrected body still shows the scars of the crucifixion.
One could follow the Thomas story. His doubt is actually the reverse side of faith. The church should not be afraid of doubters or those who question the faith. Possibly the best time of spiritual growth is when lively conversations occur about certain faith matters (even at the risk of schism as in the 1 John community). Also, have we ever known people who have had a “loss of faith” over the death of a loved one? This might point to the theodicy question (“If God is in charge, why do the righteous suffer while evil exists?”) in some form.
In some catechisms, the words “retaining and forgiving sins” are part of the “Office of the Keys.” What sins are acceptable and what are unpardonable within any given congregation? One example might be a strange child running around the sanctuary, then uttering a profane word. This might be deemed as somewhat “excusable.” When this same child spills red soft drink on the new bright carpet, this might be seen as a “retainable sin” (for the members who paid for the new carpet!).
Another route to go with this text might be to discuss the breathing or inflating of the Holy Spirit into the disciples. This can go in a couple of directions. Are there two baptisms of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament (John 20 and Acts 2)? Is one filling of the Holy Spirit lesser, or simply a “preview” of the second one in Acts 2? If one is comfortable with tension between books in scripture, the two accounts do not need to be mutually exclusive but can be simply differing accounts of how the Holy Spirit arrives into the community of faith. The other direction is the bottom line remains that Jesus keeps his word. For those who have not come to faith, do they see Christians keeping their word -- despite any consequences? This might also go in the direction of the integrity of the gospel preached at any given church. [sources: William Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (University of Chicago Press, 1979); Andrew T. Lincoln, Black’s New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to Saint John (Hendrickson Publishers, 2005); Barclay Newman, Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament (United Bible Societies, 1971)]
Application
Who is Jesus for us? The John 20 text alongside John 1:1-18 (the prologue) makes a good argument for the traditional church teaching on the Holy Trinity. Is Jesus just another good teacher and prophet with some good ideas that would make the world a better place? John intends for readers to see Jesus as the Word or God incarnate. Is this a hard sell today? Stated right to the point: “Do Christians in our congregations believe that Jesus is God?”