The Prophet Who Lost His Head (II Kings 6)

Who lost a head of an ax in a stream? The sons of the prophet (II Kings 6:5, 6)

In the midst of a series of miraculous stories featuring Elisha, the prophet made iron float (II Kings 6:1-7). Though living in a tumultuous time spiritually, Elisha was developing a following, so much so that the prophets had a housing problem. There was not enough room for all of them (II Kings 6:1). (This is a good problem to have.) Elisha accepted his protégés’ recommendation and agreed to join them in building a new settlement along the Jordan River (II Kings 6:2-3).

While cutting trees, one of Elisha’s pupils’ ax heads plunged into the river (II Kings 6:4). The fact that the tool had been borrowed made matters worse. The (literally) poor man turned to Elisha and explained his plight, presumably to evoke empathy, not a miracle (II Kings 6:5).

Mark Batterson (b. 1969) writes:

Notice the verb tense. This apprentice uses the past tense. As far as he’s concerned, this ax head is gone. It reminds me of one of Jack Handey’s deep thoughts: If you drop your keys in a river of molten lava, let ’em go man, ’cause they're gone! If you drop your iron ax head in the river, let it go man, ’cause it's gone! (Batterson, In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day, 31)

Undeterred, Elisha asked where the ax head fell and successfully defied the laws of nature by throwing a stick where his student indicated which signaled the iron to float (II Kings 6:6). The story ends with the prophet instructing his pupil to procure the lost object (II Kings 6:7). The narrator supplies neither explanation nor interpretation. The story ends with no moral, object lesson, life application or even a suggestion to be more prudent.

In many ways, the story is typical as Elisha often saved his fellow prophets from physical want or financial disaster (II Kings 4:1-7, 38-41, 42-44) and Elisha stories often involve water (II Kings 2:18-22, 3:16-20, 5:10-14, 6:1-7). The two halves of the story are unified by the term: maqowm. This word is used for both the “place” where the prophets wish to build (II Kings 6:1, 2) and the “place” where the ax head fell (II Kings 6:6) The floating iron verifies the prophet’s true identity - what Elisha does can only be done by God working through him.

The story’s trainee prophet is in a difficult position. As evidenced by the fact that he had to borrow the tools, he was poor. The law was clear - he would be obligated to make restitution for the lost tool (Exodus 22:13-14). He likely could not. It was the Iron Age and an ax head represented the height of technological achievement. Unlike copper and bronze, iron had to be molded while hot which required a significant amount of fuel. Robert L. Hubbard, Jr. (b. 1943) summarizes, “iron was expensive in Bible times and the student-prophet was very poor (Hubbard, First and Second Kings (Everyman’s Bible Commentary), 157).” The student prophet became another in a long line of poor, hard working religious workers who could not afford to lose a borrowed tool.

Have you ever borrowed anything you could not afford to replace? Have you ever lost or damaged a borrowed item? When has God bailed you out of a predicament as is the case with this young prophet?

Though the event meant a great deal to Elisha’s student, the episode is strikingly mundane. Commentaries devote little space to it. It is overshadowed by most all of the incidents that precede it: saving a widow and her son from slavery (II Kings 4:1-7), raising a child back to life (II Kings 4:8-36) and curing a Syrian of leprosy (II Kings 5:1-27). Retrieving an ax seems insignificant in comparison. If Elisha were going to utilize divine power, why not simply erect a structure for the prophets?

Critics might even say that Elisha exploits his divinely granted power for pedestrian purposes. The incident is nothing if not a miraculous. Though a few have speculated that Elisha thrust the pole into the water to spear the ax head through the haft-hole or that he simply maneuvered the ax head into shallower waters this was certainly not the author’s intent. Iron, like any mineral with a density greater than one gram per cubic centimeter, does not float. (The density of cast iron is approximately 7.2 grams per cubic centimeter). Elisha performed a miracle in making an iron ax head buoyant. Was this incident worthy of a miracle?

Perhaps the triviality of the story is its significance. Batterson concluded, “God is great not just because nothing is too big for him. God is great because nothing is too small for him either (Batterson, 32).”

In 1980, William J. Krutza (b. 1929) published a book entitled How Much Prayer Should a Hamburger Get?.

How much prayer should a hamburger get? Do you ever opt not to pray for something because it seems too inconsequential? Is anything too trivial to pray about? If something bothers you, why would you not take it to God (Philippians 4:6-7; I Peter 5:7)? How many ax heads lie lifelessly upon river bottoms because no one attempted to retrieve them?

“God may not play dice but he enjoys a good round of Trivial Pursuit every now and again.” - Federico Fellini (1920-1993)

Nile River: Blood is Thicker... (Exodus 7)

Which river did Moses turn to blood with his rod? The Nile

During the Exodus, God sent ten plagues upon Egypt (Exodus 7:14-Exodus 11:10). The first plague occurred when Moses raised his staff over the Nile River at God’s request to transform the river’s water into blood (Exodus 7:14-25). The results were immediate and palpable: “The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt (Exodus 7:21 NASB).”

Many scholars have identified the blood of the first plague with the red silt that characterizes the Nile during its flooding season. Werner Keller (1909-1980) is representative of this rationalistic approach, writing, “Deposits from the Abyssinian lakes often color the flood waters a dark reddish brown, especially in the Upper Nile. That might well be said to look like ‘blood’ (Keller, The Bible As History, 120).”

While this explanation is prevalent, it does not fit the tone of the Biblical account. The text explicitly claims that what was once water was now blood (Exodus 7:17-20) and elsewhere the Bible uses language for water that merely appears to be blood (II Kings 3:22). Further, the natural phenomena that affects the Nile is a gradual transformation, commonly seen as a blessing by the natives, not the immediate curse seen in the text (Exodus 7:18, 21). Silting also does not typically result in the death of fish or produce a stench (Exodus 7:18, 21). The Biblical phenomena actually extended beyond the river to water in “vessels of wood and in vessels of stone (Exodus 7:19 NASB).” As such, the Biblical account goes to great lengths to present a supernatural event.

Do you prefer the natural or supernatural reading of the first plague? Why? Why do you think that the assault on Egypt began with contaminating the water supply?

The Nile was synonymous with Egypt and served as the source of life or disaster for civilizations in Northeast Africa. The Egyptians regarded the Nile’s annual flooding as a manifestation of the god Osiris. In attacking the water, the text pits God against god. The Nile was also where Pharaoh had decreed that all newborn Hebrew males be cast into the river (Exodus 1:22) and attacking it carries a sense of poetic justice.

In areas where it is readily available, one can easily forget just how important water is. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) said “Water is the driving force of all nature.” As can be seen by the death of the wildlife (Exodus 7:18, 21), water affects an entire ecosystem. Water is so important that many scholars have speculated that the other nine plagues represent a chain reaction stemming from the contaminated water source.

Over large parts of the world, humans have inadequate access to potable water. Water.org reports:

• 884 million people lack access to safe water supplies; approximately one in eight people.
• 3.575 million people die each year from water-related disease.
• The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.
• People living in the slums often pay 5-10 times more per liter of water than wealthy people living in the same city.
• An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than a typical person in a developing country slum uses in a whole day.

How would your life change without access to water? Are you thankful that you live in an area that has water? How can you assist those without water?

“Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” - W. H. Auden (1907-1973)

Enoch: Gone Without a Trace (Genesis 5:24)

Of whom is it said, “He walked with God and he was not?” Enoch (Genesis 5:24)

In the genealogy of Seth, a character named Enoch breaks up the monotonous formulae (Genesis 5:21-24). Enoch appears in Genesis as the seventh of the ten pre-flood patriarchs, the great grandfather of Noah. His father Jared is the second oldest man in the Bible (962, Genesis 5:20) and his son Methuselah is the oldest (969, Genesis 5:27). Instead of announcing Enoch’s death, instead the text mysteriously reads that “he was not” (Genesis 5:24 NASB):

Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. (Genesis 5:21-24 NASB)

Enoch’s absence is described in two ways: 1. He was not. 2. God took him. Claus Westermann (1909-2000) surmised that the second clause “is certainly a later statement, an attempt to ‘rationalize’ (Westermann, 358).” The anomaly of his earthly exit elevates Enoch among the ten descendants of Noah and makes him one of only two Biblical characters to not experience natural death (Genesis 5:23-24; II Kings 2:1-14).

Kenneth A. Mathews (b. 1950) speculates that “Enoch’s age corresponds to the 365 days in a solar year, suggesting completeness (Mathews, The New American Commentary: Genesis 1- 11:26, 315).” The key is that Enoch’s shortened life is not indicative of punishment but is rather honorific.

In the genealogical prescription, where his predecessors were said to have “lived”, Enoch instead “walked with God”. Some commentators emphasize that the only other character the Bible explicitly says walked with God is Noah (Genesis 6:9) though Abraham walked “before” God (Genesis 17:1, 24:40). For the psalmist to walk before God indicated life and prosperity (Psalms 56:13-14, 116:9). The expression to walk with God is reminiscent of Adam’s initial state of being (Genesis 3:8).

Given the rarity of Enoch’s departure from the earth, it would seem that it is significant.

Why do you think Enoch did not need die? What does it mean to “walk with God”? Are you walking with God or are you just living? What is the connection between sin and death?

Enoch is remembered as an exemplar of righteousness (Sirach 44:16, 49:14; Wisdom of Solomon 4:10; I Clement 9:3). Sirach states, “Enoch pleased the Lord and was taken up, an example of repentance to all generations. (Sirach 44:16 NRSV).”

After Christianity and Judaism had separated, the prevailing view regarding Enoch was that Enoch had such close communion with God that he received a reprieve from death. He appears three times in the New Testament (Luke 3:37; Hebrews 11:5; Jude 1:14-15) including being listed in the “hall of faith” (Hebrews 11:5). In contrast, a Jewish view of Enoch claims that he was he was the only pious man of his time and was taken away before he could become corrupted.

An entire mythology sprang from Enoch’s brief account in Genesis. Gerhard Von Rad (1901-1971) stated, “The passage, to be sure, gives the impression of being only a brief reference to a much more extensive tradition (Von Rad, Genesis: A Commentary (Old Testament Library), 71).”

Walter Brueggemann (b. 1933) adds:

The main reading in tradition does not concern obedience (which is presumed) but privileged entry into the secrets of God. Thus, Enoch subsequently became a clustering point for apocalyptic traditions. (Brueggemann, Genesis (Interpretation : A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching), 68).

Enoch is nothing if not mysterious. Brueggeman concludes, “Even in this terse form, it reflects that Enoch represents some role in overcoming the utter discontinuity of God and humankind (Brueggemann, 69).”

Enoch is a glimpse of the future restored relationship between God and huamnity.

Where do you think Enoch was taken? Why? Would you want to be taken by God? Which is scarier to you a “natural” or “unnatural” exit from the earth?

“And like that, poof. He’s gone.” - Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey [b. 1959]), The Usual Suspects (1995)

Satan, a Roaring Lion (I Peter 5:8)

Who described Satan as a roaring lion? Peter (I Peter 5:8)

I Peter encourages steadfastness and perseverance in the face of persecution (I Peter 1:1–2:10). In its closing advice, the letter warns to guard against the devil (I Peter 5:8). The letter draws on Old testament imagery and compares Satan to a lion (Psalms 22:13; Amos 3:8). The lion was a symbol of power, the king of the beasts (Proverbs 30:30) and an instrument of death (Daniel 6:16-28).

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (I Peter 5:8-9 NASB)

I Peter 5:8-9 has been part of the Compline (or Night Prayer), the final church service (or Office) of the day among Catholics, for centuries.

Thomas R. Schreiner (b. 1954) explains:

The devil roars like a lion to induce fear in the people of God. In other words, persecution is the roar by which he tries to intimidate believers in hopes that they will capitulate at the prospect of suffering. If believers deny their faith, then the devil has devoured them, bringing them back into his fold...The roaring of the devil is the crazed anger of a defeated enemy, and if they do not fear his ferocious bark, they will never be consumed by his bite. (Schreiner, The New American Commentary, Volume 37 - I and II Peter, Jude, 242)

If Satan were an animal, what animal would the devil be? Why? (Yes I just asked that.) In what ways is the devil like a lion?

Wayne A. Grudem (b. 1948) writes, “The metaphor is apt, for a prowling lion attacks suddenly, viciously, and often when its unsuspecting victim is engaged in routine activities (Grudem, 1 Peter (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries), 196).”

Lions do not hunt indiscriminately but rather use a highly calculated method. They choose the coolest hours to hunt which is linked to energy conservation since their hearts are relatively small. Lions usually seek prey under a cover of night and the moonless part of the night is preferred. Lions hunt less during the day due to the heat and the probability of being spotted by their prey. When they do hunt during the day, their best opportunity for making a kill is when they encounter a lone animal who is caught by surprise. They methodically stalk the prey moving closer inch by inch and strike when the animal lowers its head to graze.

Once a lion has selected its prey, it will sprint to it and attempt to grab hold of it. As lions are not endurance runners, they usually need to be within 20 yards of their quarries. Killing is generally done in two stages, first, bringing the animal down, then completing the kill. Many animals who are seemingly successful in escaping a lion’s advances die later from lacerations. Most deaths at the paws of lions occur through suffocation as a single lion will often crush its victim’s windpipe. After a success, unlike most other cats, lions prefer to eat crouching or lying down. A lion will then gorge itself, if possible, on any given kill.

Interestingly, the prey seldom struggles after it is brought down, perhaps due to the shock of being caught. Although it may seem that lions attempt to “humanely” dispatch their prey, they actually selfishly prefer quick kills so that they will be able to dine sooner.

In comparing the devil to a ravenous lion, I Peter paints the image of a calculating predator. In response to this threat, the epistle repeats its previous commands to be self controlled or “sober” (I Peter 1:13, 4:7, 5:8) and adds that the Christian need always be alert.

In what ways are you guarding against Satan?

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” - Ephesians 6:11 NASB

Don’t Count Your Chickens (Proverbs 27:1)

Complete this Proverb: “Do not boast about tomorrow, for ____________________________________________.” You do not know what a day may bring forth (Proverbs 27:1)

Proverbs 27:1-22 constitutes a unit of sayings (Proverbs 27:1-22). Bruce K. Waltke (b. 1930) explains that this section of Proverbs “is a relecture of once isolated proverbs. As such, its proverbs can be interpreted both individually and as part of a whole. For example, its frame in light of the whole composition features the necessity of friends praising each another (Waltke, The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 15-31 (NICOT), 372).” The unit begins by admonishing against self praise, namely future successes. It echoes the modern saying “don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.”

Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you do not know what a day may bring forth. (Proverbs 27:1 NASB)

Humans cannot boast of tomorrow because it overshoots their capacity. One of the limitations of the human condition is an inadequate knowledge of the future. No triumph is assured. There is a famous Yiddish saying that captures the tone of this proverb - Man tracht und Gott lacht - humans plan and God laughs.

How would you rewrite this proverb in your own words? When you think of the future, does it excite or scare you? Or both?

While boasting of the future is discouraged, the inverse is also true. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:30 NASB)

Our limited knowledge of the future also means that hopelessness is as foolish as bravado. John Claypool (1930-2005) consistently reminded his congregation that “despair is presumptuous”.

As an old rabbi once said to me, “Despair is presumptuous. It is saying something about the future that we have no right to say. If God can make the things that are out of the things that are not, and can make dead things come to life again, who are we to set limits on what that kind of potency might yet do with what we have done?” (Claypool, God The Ingenious Alchemist: Transforming Tragedy Into Blessing, 21)

What can we say for certain about tomorrow? What is the proper attitude towards tomorrow?

“Today was good. Today was fun.
Tomorrow is another one.”
- Dr. Seuss (1904-1991), One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

David’s Bromance (II Samuel 1:26)

Who was David’s best friend? Jonathan

Only two men in Scripture are explicitly said to be the friend of David: Hushai (II Samuel 15:37, 16:16-17; I Chronicles 27:33) and Hiram (I Kings 5:1). Both of these men were actually Gentiles which may be why it was found necessary to state that they were friends of the king.

The language when referring to the relationship between David and King Saul’s son Jonathan is stronger than friendship. The first time they are seen together, the narrator informs “the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself (I Samuel 18:1 NASB).” In fact, the two even made a covenant with one another (I Samuel 18:3, 19:8, 16, 22:8, 23:18). Jonathan even sided with his friend when his father unjustly sought to eliminate David (I Samuel 19:1-7, 20:1-29).

Proverbs claims:

A man of too many friends comes to ruin,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24 NASB)

David and Jonathan were friends who stuck closer than brothers. At Jonathan’s death, David eulogized:

I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
You have been very pleasant to me.
Your love to me was more wonderful
Than the love of women. (II Samuel 1:26 NASB)

Why do you think David and Jonathan bonded so tightly? Who is your best friend? Were you to get married today, which friends would serve as your wedding party? In your opinion, what makes someone a true friend?

Jonathan repeatedly demonstrated his love for David, consistently showing that he loved David as himself (I Samuel 18:1). Jonathan frequently assisted David in fleeing his father’s murderous advances. He was a big part of the mechanism by which David became king. Had David not become king, Jonathan himself would have ruled. Jonathan chose friendship over the kingdom.

The Mishnah expounds:

Whenever love depends on some selfish end, when the end passes away, the love passes away; but if it does not depend on some selfish end, it will never pass away. Which love depended on a selfish end? This was the love of Amnon and Tamar. And which did not depend on a selfish end? This was the love of David and Jonathan. (Avot 5:15)

When have you placed your friends above yourself? How did you meet your friends? Do you think God was involved in the process?

“A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.” - Arnold H. Glasow (1905-1998)

Chloe’s People: Gossip? (I Corinthians 1:11)

In which city did Chloe’s people live? Corinth (I Corinthians 1:11)

While working in Ephesus, Paul wrote to the Corinthian church which he had founded (I Corinthians 16:8). Paul’s letter was topical, addressing conflicts that existed within the church. Paul remained familiar with the Corinthian news as he had informants in the form of “Chloe’s people” (I Corinthians 1:11).

For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. (I Corinthians 1:11 NASB)

This is the only time Chloe’s name appears in the New Testament. Any other statements regarding her are speculative.

Paul’s informants were most accurately “Chloe’s “people”. Though this is reflected in many translations (ESV, NASB, NRSV, RSV), it is not the most common rendering. “Family” (CEV), “house” (KJV, MSG) and “household” (ASV, HCSB, NIV, NKJV, NLT) are all used in prominent translations of this passage. Even so, Chloe’s people were likely unrelated to her. Family would customarily be identified through the name of the father (not the mother) even if the father was deceased.

Gordon D. Fee (b. 1934) summarizes:

Most likely, therefore, Chloe was a wealthy Asian–whether a Christian or not cannot be known–whose business interests caused her agents to travel between Ephesus and Corinth. Some of them had become Christians and members of the church in Ephesus. (Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians (New International Commentary on the New Testament), 54)

Were Chloe’s people correct to tell Paul of the shortcomings of the Corinthian church? When have people informed others of your actions? How did it make you feel?

Paul names his informants. They give validity to his letter. In naming them, Paul brings everything out into the open. Evidently, Chloe’s people proved to be a reliable source.

In a very real sense, Paul relied on gossip. Though gossip has a pejorative connotation, this has not always been the case. The word is from Old English godsibb, from god and sibb, the term for godparents.

Richard Lischer (b. 1943) writes:

A gossip was a sponsor at baptism, one who spoke on behalf of the child and who would provide spiritual guidance to the child as it grew in years. A gossip was your godmother or godfather. Gossiping was speech within the community of the baptized...For all its negative assocations, gossip retains something of its salutary function in a small town. (Lischer, Open Secrets: A Memoir of Faith and Discovery, 95-96)

When is gossip be helpful? When is it hurtful? How do you determine the difference?

God in the Book of Esther?

Which book in the Old Testament does not mention the name of God? Esther

Many have questioned whether the book of Esther should be included n the Bible. Of all the books of the Old Testament, it was the only one not found amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls. Esther is the story of a woman who plays political power games, uses her feminine wiles and conceals her faith and heritage. She even abandons her Jewish name, Hadassah, in favor of the Persian name by which she is remembered (Esther 2:7).

Esther is also the only one of the Bible’s 66 books that does not directly reference the name of God. In contrast the king of Persia, Ahasuerus, is mentioned 29 times by name in the book. Some have claimed that though the name of God does not appear as a single word in the book, it is encoded into the text as the first letters of four consecutive words in Esther 5:4 reveal the Tetragrammaton, the name of God (יבוא המלך והמן היום).

Not only is God not mentioned in Esther, neither is prayer. The titular character never mentions God nor is said to have prayed throughout any of her trials.

Regarding the absence of God’s name, Jon D. Levenson (b. 1949) summarizes:

Though various explanations to mitigate this anomaly have been proposed, they are all apologetic and unconvincing. As a result, many scholars have pronounced the book to be irredeemably secular. Cornhill, for example, terms it “an entirely profane history” and Bernhard Anderson finds it a “nationalism...in complete indifference to God.” (Levenson, Esther: A Commentary (Old Testament Library), 17)

Do you feel that the absence of the name of God and the book’s secular premise should have disqualified Esther from inclusion in the Bible? Why would the author of Esther not directly reference God?

Many commentators through the centuries have seen the absence of God’s name as a literary device that underscores the theme of providence. Matthew Henry (1662-1714) wrote, “Though the name of God be not in it, the finger of God is, directing many minute events for the bringing about of his people’s deliverance.”

Esther’s guardian, Mordecai even alludes to providence in advising her:

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14 NASB)

Some claim that though not mentioned directly, God is the main character in Esther, the story’s prime mover. Mark Dever (b. 1960) concludes, “He may not be named, but this book is one of the longest sustained meditations on the sovereignty and providence of God in the whole Bible (The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made, 454).”

How active was God in the events of Esther? How much do you think God interacts in your life? Do you look for ways God has intervened in your life?

Seeking Advice or an Accomplice? (John 12)

To whom did the Greeks say, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus”? Philip (John 12:21)

Shortly before his crucifixion in Jerusalem, a contingent of Greeks sought an audience with Jesus (John 12:20-22). They enquired of Philip, one of the first disciples (John 1:43-44) and member of his entourage (John 12:21). In turn, Philip relayed their request to Andrew who led the party to Jesus (John 12:22). This narrative aside, though exceedingly short, marks the first time Greeks interacted with Jesus. Interestingly, John does not record the outcome of this encounter. The account is more concerned with illuminating the scope of Jesus’ ministry and perhaps addresses doubts of Jesus’ willingness to engage Gentiles (Matthew 10:5-6, 15:22-24).

Bruce J. Malina (b. 1933) and Richard L. Rohrbaugh (b. 1936) concluded that the disciples were merely following standard operating procedure: “Note the chain of access here, really a brokerage chain, from Philip to Andrew to Jesus, indicates the status of those core followers who stand between Jesus and the public (Social Science Commentary on the Gospel of John, 212).”

Others have speculated that the Greeks chose Philip because he was a disciple with a Greek name. His hometown of Bethsaida (John 1:44, 12:21) also had a significant Gentile population. Of all the disciples, Philip was mostly likely to grant their request. Coincidentally, Andrew was the only other disciple with a Greek name.

Philip seemingly did not know what to do so he consulted his peer, Andrew.

What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Who do you go to for advice? How do you select your advisors?

Khalil Gibran (1883-1931) wrote, “Most people who ask for advice from others have already resolved to act as it pleases them.” As such many people choose an advisor whom they know will deliver advice that corroborates their direction. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) claimed that to choose an advisor is to already have decided.

Andrew never prevented anyone from seeing Jesus. In fact, each time Andrew is seen by himself, he is leading another to Christ (John 1:41, 6:8, 12:21). As Andrew first led his brother Simon Peter to Jesus (John 1:41) and later introduced the Greeks to Christ (John 12:22), it has been said that Andrew was both the first home and foreign missionary. It is doubtful that Andrew would have rejected someone’s petition to encounter Jesus.

Do you think Philip picked Andrew out of convenience (he happened to be there) or because he already knew what Andrew would do? When you choose advisors, do you pick those whose advice you can already surmise?

“The best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.” - Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

Dirty Diana (Acts 19:28)

What female goddess was the “patroness” of Ephesus? Artemis [or Diana] (Acts 19:28)

Paul stayed two years at Ephesus during his “third missionary journey” (Acts 19:10). Near the end of his sojourn, as was often the case in Paul’s ministry, he faced significant conflict (Acts 19:23). He was challenged by a silversmith named Demetrius whose occupation was creating shrines for the goddess Artemis (Acts 19:24). The temple of Artemis at Ephesus was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (pictured). Paul’s monotheism severely threatened the local economy. In modern parlance, Paul went from preaching to meddling.

Artemis was one of the most widely worshiped Greek gods (Acts 19:24, 27, 28, 34, 35). In Greek myth, Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto and the twin of Apollo. She is a virgin huntress and is frequently depicted carrying a bow and arrow. She was the goddess of the hunt, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth, virginity and young girls, and bringing and relieving disease in women. The Roman equivalent is Diana though this name never appears in the Bible. The temple of Artemis had been at Ephesus for centuries before Paul challenged its authority and would stand until 401.

Though people in the western world seldom worship a pantheon of gods, they do often put other things before God that become false idols.

What idols do people worship today? What do you put ahead of God? Does your religious belief system affect your purchasing patterns? When do you feel preachers go from preaching to meddling, overstepping their bounds into your comfort zone?

Demetrius was able to enlist support in his crusade against Paul and delivered a stirring speech:

“Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all. Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.” (Acts 19:25-27 NASB)

The plea was effective and a riot ensued (Acts 19:28) before being quelled by the town clerk (Acts 19:35-40). Helmut Koester (b. 1926) speculates that this clerk was perhaps the most powerful Ephesian of his day (Koester, Ephesos: Metropolis of Asia, 130). He was able to restore peace and the incident would prove to be Paul’s final battle against a pagan religion as a free man.

For Demetrius the issue was simple: “our prosperity depends upon this business (Acts 19:25).” Whether Paul spoke truth was not a primary concern.

What would you do if you felt God asked you to change professions? What if God asked you to give up your “prosperity”? What goal do you seek, truth or prosperity?

Quarantining the Gospel (Revelation 1:9)

Which New Testament character was exiled on an island? John

A Christian named John wrote the Bible’s last book, Revelation, while on the Island of Patmos.

I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. (Revelation 1:9 NASB)

Which John penned Revelation and the circumstances during its writing are debated as the book does not explicitly say.

John does not claim to be exiled on Patmos, only that he was there “because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 1:9 NASB).” These words echo those spoken at the breaking of the fifth seal (Revelation 6:9) which clearly speak of Christian martyrs. As such, it has been deduced that John, too, was persecuted.

Tradition claims that the author was exiled on the island. Chuck Swindoll (b. 1934) colorfully compares Patmos to Alactraz (Letters to Churches … Then and Now, 3). There is no concrete evidence to justify this analogy. John Philip McMurdo “J.P.M.” Sweet (1927-2009) counters that there is “no contemporary evidence that it was used as a penal settlement” (Sweet, Revelation (TPI New Testament Commentaries), 64).”

Assuming John was exiled at the time of his writing, the reader is left to wonder why the pastors of the seven churches to whom he was writing were not also exiled. If the author is John the Apostle writing during Nero’s reign, the reader must wonder why he was exiled instead of executed.

Historically speaking, who do you think of when you think of exile? Why would a government exile someone instead of executing them? Would it change the interpretation of Revelation were its author not exiled when it was penned?

Whether exiled or not, John wrote from a remote location. Patmos is a rocky crescent shaped Greek island in the Aegean Sea near the west coast of Turkey. It is relatively small, spanning only 5 by 10 miles. Revelation 1:9 marks the only time Patmos is referenced in the Bible.

If John was exiled, the intent would be to isolate him to reduce his influence. If this was the case, it did not work as the letter John wrote there is still impacting the world centuries later. The Gospel cannot be quarantined.

“Only the misfortune of exile can provide the in-depth understanding and the overview into the realities of the world.” - Stefan Zweig (1881-1942), a Jewish novelist who fled to Austria when Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) rose to power

Gilgal: Stacking Stones (Joshua 4:20)

Where did Joshua set up the twelve stones which they took out of Jordan? Gilgal (Joshua 4:20)

The first big obstacle the Israelites faced after Joshua assumed command did not come from an opposing army but rather a natural boundary - the Jordan River (Joshua 3:1). God allowed Joshua, like Moses before him (Exodus 13:17-14:29), to successfully traverse a large body of water (Joshua 3:1-17). Once successfully on the other side, God commanded that a representative from each of Israel’s twelve tribes procure a stone from the river to be used as part of a monument to commemorate the milestone (Joshua 4:1-7). The place where the stones were stacked was called Gilgal (Joshua 4:20).

Fittingly, the name “Gilgal” is derived from the Hebrew verb galal, meaning “to roll, roll away, roll down, roll together”. Though this is the most famous incident at a place called Gilgal there are several other Gilgals in the Old Testament and debate as to which Biblical references overlap. The Bible also speaks of a Gilgal near Shechem (Deuteronomy 11:30), a Gilgal near Bethel that served as a prophetic headquarters during the time of Elijah and Elisha (II Kings 2:1, 4:38); a Gilgal in the valley of Lebanon (Joshua 12:23), and a Gilgal that served as a border city for Judah between Jericho and Jerusalem (Joshua 15:17). Joshua is even said to have captured a Gilgal (Joshua 12:7) but whether or not this is the same site where the stones were stacked is subject to debate.

Why do people build monuments? What monuments are near you? Why were they built? Who was involved in the decision to build them?

People naturally celebrate milestones in their lives. The crossing of the Jordan River represented a new era in Israelite history. The nation was finally actively pursuing the Promised Land and the event also legitimized the reign of a new leader, Joshua (Joshua 3:7).

What events do you want to commemorate? Do you venerate your own successes or God’s successes through you?

Noah’s Ark’s Mystery Wood (Genesis 6:14)

Of what kind of wood was the ark made? Gopher wood

In one of the Bible’s most well known stories, God saves Noah and his family from a cataclysmic flood by having Noah construct an ark (Genesis 6-8). As the vessel was the first of its kind, God lays out very specific instructions for the ark detailing the building materials, its dimensions and its cargo. Among the ark’s unique features was being constructed from gopher wood (Genesis 6:14).

Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. (Genesis 6:14 NASB)

This is the only time that gopher wood appears in the Bible and no one is quite sure what it is. Its name does not in any way relate to the burrowing North American rodents of the same name but rather is a transliteration of the Hebrew gopher. Some have speculated that gopher is a borrowed word from another language or the work of a careless scribe who meant to write kopher (covering or pitch). The word is literally meaningless today. As it cannot be identified with any certainty many translations simply leave it untranslated (ASV, ESV, HCSB, KJV, NASB, NKJV, RSV).

Some translations make a guess. “Cypress wood” is the most common (NIV, NLT, NRSV) though the Message supplies “teakwood”. Cypress was often used by ship builders of the time. Cypress trees are large and strong and as such could potentially withstand the beating the ark would inevitably take. This interpretation was espoused by Adam Clarke (1760-1832) who found similarity in the Greek word for cypress, kuparisson, and the Hebrew word gopher. Unfortunately there is a unique Hebrew word for cypress (b@rowsh) that could have just as easily been used.

Though Cypress is the most common guess amongst translators, it is far from the only hypothesis. Other trees and plants suggested include pine (Cassuto), cedar, fir, ebony (Bockart), wicker (Geddes), juniper (Castellus), acacia (Religious Tract Society), boxwood, and slimed bulrushes (Dawson). Others have speculated that gopher wood is it an extinct tree that ironically did not survive the flood.

What is not in doubt is that, unlike modern ships, the ark was constructed of wood. Something (trees) died so that humanity might live.

If you had to construct an edifice to protect you from a flood, what building materials would you use? Why do you think God selected gopher wood? What do you think it was? Does it matter what kind of wood the ark was built with?

It was critical that the ark’s inhabitants survive the flood as the fate of humanity (and much animal life) literally rested in the ark. Consequently, John H. Walton (b. 1952) and Victor H. Matthews (b. 1951) assume “This is an unknown type of material, although it undoubtedly refers to some sort of coniferous tree thought to possess great strength and durability (Walton, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Genesis-Deuteronomy, 27).”

Others have seen gopher as a quality of timber or design as opposed to a type of wood. Ideally, a wooden ship is not constructed entirely from a single species. This is seen as modern wooden vessels are more likely to employ a variety of materials. The CEV takes this safe route and translates gopher wood simply as “good lumber”.

The ark was nothing less than the barrier between life death and God selected the wood to ensure that the people would live.

What is your barrier between life and death? Can your insulation withstand life’s pressures?

Hey, Which Jude? (Jude 1:1)

How many letters did Jude write? One

The Epistle of Jude is one of the seven catholic (or general or ecumenical) epistles of the New Testament. It is the penultimate (next to last) book in the Bible. It is so closely related to II Peter that commentaries often group the books together.

Jude was composed as an encyclical letter, meaning it was a general letter meant to be circulated to various churches as opposed to being written with a specific church in mind. The book is brief, comprised of only one chapter of 25 relatively short verses. The tract addresses apostasy (Jude 1:3-4).

Have you ever read Jude? Have you ever heard a sermon preached on Jude?

Like ancient form dictated, the letter begins with a salutation:

Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,
To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: (Jude 1:1 NASB)

Exactly which Jude wrote the epistle, if any, has long been subject to debate. The first documented doubts as to Jude’s authorship are found in the writings of Origen (184-253), though he only recorded the skepticism of others rather than asserting his own.

The debate concerning the author’s identity has continued ever since. The usual suspects are Jude the apostle (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13), Jude the brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3), both, and neither (someone using the pseudonym “Jude.”). Some have argued that since the author did not identify himself as an apostle and actually distances himself from them in Jude 1:17, he cannot be identified with the Jude who is listed as one of the Twelve. Conversely, others have supposed that an apostle would not have made that claim on his own behalf. (That never stopped Paul...)

Others have supposed that it was written by Jesus’ brother as the notation of being “brother of James” would make Jude also the half-brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3; Galatians 1:19). (The reference to brother James has actually created more confusion than clarity.) Since information on Jude is scarce, it would explain the need to identify himself in reference to his more prominent brother.

Those who believe that the letter is pseudonymous note that the epistle’s references to the apostles, tradition, and opposition to Gnosticism fit a later period.

The one consensus is that Jude was not written by the Jude who betrayed Jesus, Judas Iscariot (Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:19, 14:10; Luke 6:16, 22:48; John 6:71, 12:4, 13:2, 18:2, 18:5).

Since the material was deemed worthy to be in the Bible, does it matter to you who wrote Jude? If it was not written by a man named Jude, would you discredit it? Supposing the letter was written by, Jesus’ half-brother, why would the author not include this in his greeting? If you had to write a letter about your sibling, what would it say?

Name Value (Proverbs 22:1)

Complete: “A good name is to be chosen rather than ____________.” Great riches. (Proverbs 22:1)

Proverbs 22:1 begins a new subunit of Proverbs. Like many sections of Proverbs, it begins with a charge to acquire wisdom. One of the byproducts of wisdom is acquiring a good name. Proverbs asserts that no amount of riches can compare to the wisdom of the sages.

A good name is to be more desired than great wealth
Favor is better than silver and gold. (Proverbs 22:1 NASB)

Though not always stated explicitly, the value of a good name underlies many of the sayings in Proverbs (Proverbs 10:7, 11:16, 22, 27, 12:8, 13:15, 18:3, 21:21, 27:21). The word “good” is not actually in the Hebrew text of Proverbs 22:1 but is supplied by the translators to make the meaning clearer. The importance of a good name (or reputation) is a biblical concern (Ecclesiastes 7:1; Sirach 41:11-13). Including becoming a great nation, one of the promises God initially makes to Abraham is that his name will be great (Genesis 12:2). Having a good name was of the upmost importance in the ancient world.

Do you think a good name is as valued today as it was in the time of Abraham? When you think of having a good name, who do you think of? Do you think you carry a good name? Which would you prefer, a good name or great riches?

Most people would like to have both a good name and great riches. This proverb juxtaposes the two. Do you feel the two are mutually exclusive? Can you have a good name and great wealth? Which do you think society promotes? What truly motivates you, a good reputation or a substantial bank account?

Where do you spend most of your time and money? That is likely what you value.

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” - Jesus, Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:16 NASB

Jesus Wept (John 11:35)

At whose death did Jesus weep? Lazarus

Jesus wept. The Bible features two stories that show Jesus being publicly moved to tears. He weeps with Mary and Martha in Bethany at the passing of their brother Lazarus (John 11:35), whom Jesus would soon famously raise from the dead (John 11:43-44). The word John used for “wept” (dakruo) means “to weep, shed tears”. The second instance where Jesus cried was more demonstrative. When he makes his final approach in Jerusalem, Jesus wept over the city (Luke 19:41). The word used in Luke (klaio) means “to mourn, weep, lament”. It is as if a tear trickled down Jesus’ cheek in Bethany while he bawled in Jerusalem.

Though these are the only specific instances in which the Bible records that Jesus wept, Hebrews implies that tears were not uncommon in his life:

In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. (Hebrews 5:7-8 NASB)

The passage in John is the most well known passage in which Jesus wept, likely because the action constitutes the entire verse: Jesus wept. John 11:35. It is the shortest verse in all of Scripture. The versification emphasizes it. This sentence could have been attached to the verse preceding it or the following verse. But it is not. It stands alone as if to say that there is something profound in the act of Jesus weeping.

What causes you to shed tears? When is the most you have ever cried? Why did Jesus weep at the news of Lazarus’ death when he would raise him moments later?

Perhaps Jesus cried because he saw his friends suffering. Perhaps he wept because his purposes required him to delay going to Bethany (John 11:6). Perhaps he wept for Lazarus, either because of the suffering he had endured or because he would raise him and as such, die again. Whatever the reasons for Jesus’ tears, they indicate that he cared. The fact that Jesus wept means that Jesus cared.

We do not worship an indifferent apathetic God. We worship a God who cares enough to wish to save us. We worship a God who cares enough to send his own son to make that happen (John 3:16). We worship a God who cares enough to weep for us (Luke 19:41; John 11:35).

Do you believe that God cares for you? Really? Why? Why not?

“Whenever you find tears in your eyes, especially unexpected tears, it is well to pay the closest attention. They are not only telling you something about the secret of who you are. More often than not, God is speaking to you through them of the mystery of where you have come from and to summoning you to where, if your soul is to be saved, you should go to next.” - Frederick Buechner (b. 1926), Whistling in the Dark: An ABC Theologized, 117

Amos: Midlife Calling (Amos 1:1)

Where was Amos the prophet’s home? Tekoa (Amos 1:1)

Many consider Amos to be the first Israelite prophet to have had his work transcribed, though Hosea, Isaiah and Micah contend for this claim. Amos’ visions and prophecies are canonized in the Bible as one of the twelve Minor Prophets.

In the book’s opening verse, Amos is identified his occupation and his location - Amos “was among the sheepherders from Tekoa” (Amos 1:1 NASB). Tekoa was a city twelve miles from Jerusalem in the southern kingdom, situated high upon a hill (2800 feet above sea level). It had been fortified by Rehoboam to maintain order at the time Israel was divided (II Chronicles 11:6, 12). Sir George Adam Smith (1856-1942) surmised “In the time of Amos Tekoa was a place without sanctity and almost without tradition. The name suggests that the site may at first have been that of a camp (Smith, The Book of the Twelve Prophets, 74).”

Though Tekoa is situated in the southern kingdom, Amos’ mission was to the northern kingdom. There is a minority view which claims that another Tekoa existed in the northern kingdom and this is the locale from which the prophet originated. Stanley Ned Rosenbaum (b. 1939) summarizes, “The Book of Amos neither says nor implies that Judean Tekoa was Amos’s birthplace, only that he was (or his words were) known there.” (Rosenabuam, Amos of Israel: A New Interpretation, 32). No such northern Tekoa has yet been discovered by archaeologists.

A facet of Amos’ background that is not debated is that the prophet received no formal religious training. In addition to Amos’ opening verse identifying him as “one of the shepherds of Tekoa” (Amos 1:1 NASB), Amos described himself:

“I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock and the LORD said to me, ‘Go prophesy to My people Israel.’” (Amos 7:14-15 NASB)

The word used in Amos 1:1 which the NASB renders “shepherd” is noqed. James Luther Mays (b. 1921) explains that “Nōqēd probably means ‘breeder and tender of small cattle (sheep and goats).” Though the word is used only one other time in the Bible, to describe Mesha king of Moab (II Kings 3:4), Mayes determines that “The use of nōqēd in the Old Testament and a Ugarit does suggest that Amos was no ordinary shepherd, but a breeder of sheep who would have belonged to the notable men of his community (Mays, Amos: A Commentary (Old Testament Library), 19).”

John W. Miller (b. 1926) concurs:

Far then from being a poor herdsman of sheep, Amos may have been one of the more substantial men of his region, and especially so in that he appears to have had a second source of income. The sycamore groves referred to would likely have been some distance from where Amos lived, for to grow properly they required the warmed climate of the Jordan valley where he would have taken his flocks for pasturing when the hills of Tekoa were barren. (Miller, Meet the Prophets: A Beginner’s Guide to the Books of the Biblical Prophets , 45)

Amos’ biographical claims were made in response to his motives being criticized. Amos had no reason to desire an occupation as a prophet as he already had a successful career.

If God called you from your occupation, would you go? Have you ever known anyone who left a profitable job in the private sector feeling called to ministry? Amos was a man without credentials. He had not attended one of the schools of prophets that existed in his day and as such had no professional pedigree. In modern southern parlance, he was a jack legged preacher.

If you served on a pastor’s search committee, would you consider hiring an untrained candidate? Would you be able to hear the voice of God from an uneducated preacher? Do you know any good untrained ministers? Is there any situation where an untrained pastor is preferable? What is the most unlikely source from which you have heard the voice of God?

The Slacker’s Thorny Path (Proverbs 15:19)

Complete: “The way of the sluggard is overgrown with ______.” Thorns (Proverbs 15:19)

As part of the longest collection of aphorisms in the book (Proverbs 15:18-16:8), Proverbs claims that the way of the “lazy” (CEV, NASB, NKJV, NLT, NRSV), “sluggard” (ASV, ESV, MSG, NIV, RSV), “slacker” (HCSB) or “slothful” (KJV) is overgrown with weeds:

The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns,
But the path of the upright is a highway. (Proverbs 15:19 NASB)

At a time when a donkey was the standard mode of transportation, a thick growth of thorns made travel difficult if not impossible. Proverbs 15:19 uses this imagery of a blocked path to contrast the progress in life made by the lazy and the righteous. While everyone faces difficulty (Matthew 5:45), the slothful face obstacles habitually.

Associating laziness with poverty and diligence with wealth is a recurring theme in Proverbs (Proverbs 6:6-11, 10:4-5, 12:24, 27, 13:4, 15:19). Claus Westermann (1909-2002) conjectured that the first half of the Proverb is older concluding that “the second half of the saying...is a subsequent addition for the sake of parallelism.” (Westermann, Roots of Wisdom: The Oldest Proverbs of Israel and Other Peoples, 19).

Newer or not, the second half of the proverb is more unique as it adds a moral component to the Proverb. Timothy J. Sandoval (b. 1966) analyzes “Proverbs 15:19 is significant as well, for this proverb contrasts the lazy person not with the diligent person but with upright persons...a term that belongs fundamentally to moral discourse (Sandoval, The Discourse of Wealth and Poverty in the Book of Proverbs, 139).” The implication is that being lazy is immoral.

How would you put this proverb into modern language? Do you identify more with the sluggard or the upright? Is being lazy immoral? Why is the slothful person’s path habitually laden with thorns? Does God place added obstacles in the path of the lazy or is there something inherent in the slothful that summons obstacles?

Many have surmised that the lazy person’s path is blocked because she wishes it to be. Leonard S. Kravitz (b. 1928) and Kerry M. Olitsky (b. 1954) write, “The slothful person is unable to act, no matter how much thinking takes place. Wherever such a person looks, problems are seen (Kravitz and Olitsky, Mishlei: A Modern Commentary on Proverbs, 150).” John Phillips (b. 1927) concurs, “He (the lazy person) is continually running into trouble, much of his own making. He never gets anywhere, mostly because he doesn’t want to get anywhere (Phillips, Exploring Proverbs: An Expository Commentary, Volume 1, 439).” This interpretation claims that the lazy person’s life trajectory is constantly impeded because she seek obstacles as an excuse not to work. Do you agree with this theory?

The crux of the passage is to be diligent. Still we must avoid the converse and assume that those who have not succeeded are lazy and undeserving of help. George Grant (b. 1954) claims that Proverbs makes a distinction between two types of poor people, the oppressed and sluggards: “Sluggards waste opportunities (Proverbs 6:9-10), bring poverty upon themselves (Proverbs 10:4), are victims of self-inflicted bondage (Proverbs 12:24), and are unable to accomplish anything in life (Proverbs 15:19). (Grant, In the Shadow of Plenty, 47)” Grant concludes that “true charity” in helping the sluggard “involves admonition and reproof” (Grant, 48).

Just who is qualified to determine who is oppressed and who is merely a “sluggard”? When Christ charges us to help those in need, should we consider such distinctions? How do we ensure that we do not blame victims?

“Then plough deep while sluggards sleep, and you shall have corn to sell and to keep.” - Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), “The Way to Wealth” (1758)

Laodicea: Hot or Cold? (Revelation 3:15)

Which church was neither hot nor cold? Laodicea (Revelation 3:15)

Revelation is written to seven churches in Asia Minor (Revelation 1:4). The church at Laodicea is the last of the churches to be addressed and is judged for its poor witness and spiritual condition and called to repentance (Revelation 3:14-22). Laodicea is famously criticized for being lukewarm, neither hot nor cold:

‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.’ (Revelation 3:15-16 NASB)

The Laodicean church was spiritually complacent as they were economically prosperous. The Laodiceans used their advantageous position on a trade route to promote their profitable garment industry. The Laodiceans were known for producing a black wool with a soft silky texture found only in the Lycus Valley. As such, it is significant that Christ implored the Laodiceans to purchase white garments of purity, as opposed to the black for which they were known (Revelation 3:18). The strong language of vomiting them out is used to arouse them from their spiritual slumber (Revelation 3:16).

The use of “lukewarm” has been traditionally interpreted as a critique of the Ladocieans’ lack of spiritual fervor.

What do you think is meant by “lukewarm” in this context? Does the passage support extremism in either direction over moderation? Is sinfulness preferable to apathy?

The traditional interpretation is problematic as God finds being both hot and cold preferable to being lukewarm (Revelation 3:15-16). This reading presents Christ as commending disloyalty.

Scholars have long conjectured that the metaphor of tepid water was drawn from the city’s own water supply. The Laodiceans’ lukewarm water stood in stark contrast to their nearby neighbors. Hierapolis was known for its hot springs and Colossae, where the Laodiceans’ sister church was located (Colossians 2:1, 4:13, 15, 16), featured pure water. Gregory K. Beale (b. 1949) explains, “There is evidence that Laodicea had access only to warm water, which was not very palatable and caused nausea (Beale, The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text, 303)”. To correct this problem, the Laodiceans constructed an aqueduct to a hot springs five miles to the south. The water would have become tepid by the time it reached the city. Like their drinking water, Christ wished to spit it out (Revelation 3:16). Taking this interpretation, hot and cold water would be equally beneficial, as opposed to hot equating with good and cold corresponding to bad. Lukewarm water, in contrast, was useless.

Where would you rate your spiritual condition in relation to being lukewarm?

Amen at the End (Revelation 22:21)

What is the last word in the Bible? Amen.

The Book of Revelation and the Bible as a whole ends with a blessing:

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. (Revelation 22:21 NASB)

The Bible fittingly ends as most modern prayers do, with the word “Amen”.

Amen is a Hebrew word that has been transliterated into most languages through the centuries. It is a cognate in English, Greek and Latin. Amen has been adopted directly into most languages sounding nearly the same in Mandarin Chinese, Persian, Portuguese, Spanish, etc. Consequently, it has been called the best known word in human speech. It is one of the few Hebrew words which has been imported unchanged into modern liturgy. In fact, Christians, Jews, and Muslims all use the word in worship.

Amen is used so commonly that its meaning is often falsely assumed. As it is used to conclude prayers, many simply suppose that it means “The End”. Others use it to affirm consent, much the way +1 does on Google, the Like button does on Facebook or “true dat” does in the Urban Dictionary.

Both are actually appropriate uses. Amen means “ verily, truly, so be it ”. It appears 30 times in the Old Testament, first in Numbers 5:22. The root of the word comes from the Hebrew ‘aman, which means to support or confirm. The same root produces ‘emuwnah (“faithfulness”). The ancient Greeks coopted the word to mean “truth”, “surely”, “absolutely”.

What does Amen mean to you? Do you say ah-men or ay-men?

The only time the NASB (and most modern translations) record Jesus as saying Amen occurs at the conclusion of Matthew’s version of the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:13). The word, however, is very important to the gospel of John. John features 25 sayings of Jesus which are emphasized by the expression “verily, verily” (John 1:51, 3:3, 5, 11, 5:19, 24, 25, 6:26, 32, 47, 53, 8:34, 51, 58, 10:1, 7, 12:24, 13:16, 20, 21, 38, 14:12, 16:20, 23, 21:18). The Greek actually reads “amen, amen”.

When and why do you say “amen”? Does it comply with term’s original meaning?

Nicknaming the Disciples (Mark 3:17)

Who were the sons of thunder? James and John (Mark 3:17).

In Mark’s list of Jesus’ twelve disciples, it is noted that Jesus conferred the name “Boanerges” upon the sons of Zebedee, James and John (Mark 3:17). The moniker is Aramaic, the language Jesus actually spoke, as opposed to the Greek in which the New Testament is written. Mark gives us more glimpses into Jesus’s Aramaic than anyone (Mark 3:17, 5:41, 7:34, 11:9, 14:36, 15:34). Mark translates the name for the reader, “Sons of Thunder”. Boanerges is referenced only here in Mark and never used again in the New Testament.

The epithet’s meaning is ambiguous and its etymology uncertain. Mark gives no explanation as his interest is in the renaming not its meaning. Traditionally the surname has been associated with the brothers’ temperaments, excitable and impetuous, characteristics befitting former sailors. This is consistent with their fiery outbursts later in the gospels (Mark 9:38-41, 10:35-45; Luke 9:49-50, 52-56), especially their offer to call down fire from heaven on a city of inhospitable Samaritans (Luke 9:52-54). It has been speculated that this vehemence translated into zeal and power in their preaching.

James Rendel Harris (1852-1941) analyzed the concept of “Thunder Twins” in his book Boanerges (1913) and demonstrated that the idea existed in diverse cultures throughout the world including Greece, Scandinavia and Peru. Most scholars have focused on a connection to Greek mythology’s Castor and Polydeuces (Pollux), known collectively as Diskouroi or Dioscuri - “sons of Zeus” . As is common in Thunder Twin myths, the brothers had differing paternity as Tyndareus had sired Castor while Zeus produced Polydeuces. Consequently, Castor was mortal and Polydeuces immortal. Castor died in battle and Polydeuces was so attached to his brother that he lost the will to live when his brother died. Polydeuces negotiated with Zeus a chance for a single immortality with his brother. The inseparable brothers’ appearance, in the form of St Elmo’s fire, on the rigging of ships was believed to forewarn escape from a storm.

Ronald Brownrigg (1919-2011) contended that Boanerges was “a title exactly equivalent” to Diskouroi (R. Alan Culpepper [b. 1946], John, the Son of Zebedee: The Life of a Legend, 40). In addition to the collective nickname, Dennis R. McDonald (b. 1938) identifies several parallels between the two sets of brothers (McDonald, The Homeric Epics and the Gospel of Mark, 29). James was the first disciple martyred (Acts 12:2) and like Castor died a violent death. Like the immortal Polydeuces, John was the last disciple to die and many expected him to live until the Parousia and as such, avoid death (John 21:22). Like James and John, the slain brother, Castor, is named first even though he is the lesser known of the brothers. Like Polydeuces, the sons of Zebedee attempted to negotiate a special place in the afterlife as they asked Jesus to sit at his right and left (Mark 10:35-37). McDonald interprets their having no preference as to which brother is given the more preferential seat as a sign of their brotherly love. Unlike Zeus, Jesus denied the brothers’ request (Mark 10:38-40).

Mark was purportedly written to Rome where Castor and Polydeuces were held in high regard. Some have seen a further connection as Boanerges references the brothers’ relationship to their father and they were the only disciples said to have left their father to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:22; Mark 1:20). Some have seen this as an indicator that they also left Zeus to follow Jesus.

Others have seen Jesus’ naming his disciples as replicating what God did with the Old Testament patriarchs Abraham and Jacob (Genesis 17:5, 15, 32:28, 35:10). Ched Myers (b. 1955) associates the appellation with the apocalyptic idea of being given a new name (Revelation 3:12, 22:4). Hans Bietenhard (1916-2008) relates the name to the potential unbreakable fellowship or mighty witness of the two brothers (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 5:253-61).

What do you think the name Boanerges means? Has anyone ever given you a nickname? What nickname would you most covet? Why did Jesus rename these disciples? Why do people bestow nicknames?

Nicknames are informal names of address usually awarded, not chosen by the recipient. John D. DeLamater (b. 1941) and Daniel J. Myers (b. 1966) explain:

Forms of address clearly communicate relative status in relationships. Inferiors use formal address...for their superiors...whereas superiors address inferiors with familiar forms (first name or nickname. (DeLamater and Myers, Social Psychology, 185)

Sociologist James K. Skipper Jr. (1934-1993) concludes that the use of nicknames implied feelings of intimacy with the person named (Skipper, “The Sociological Significance of Nicknames: the Case of Baseball Players”, Journal of Sport Behavior (JSB), 7(1), 28-38).

We nickname people because we want to make them ours or want it known that they are one of ours.

In Mark’s list of disciples, James and John are listed second and third after Simon, whom Jesus renamed Peter (Mark 3:16). One might think Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, would naturally follow Peter in the list of disciples, but he is usurped by the sons of Zebedee. These three and only these three receive nicknames from Jesus. They formed Jesus’ inner circle and received further intimacy with Jesus than their fellow disciples They were the only witnesses present at the raising of Jarius’ daughter (Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51), the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1, Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28), and Gethsemane (Mark 14:33).

If you have been given a nickname, how did it make you feel? Do you feel Boanerges was a term of endearment? Who is in your inner circle? Do you refer to each other differently than do outsiders?