Stephen M. Miller

Did Paul make an oops on the Second Coming?

Q

Paul wrote as though he believed Jesus was coming back any minute. He said he expected that the people in Thessalonica, like himself, would be relieved of their troubles “when Jesus returns from heaven, with his entourage of mighty angels” (2 Thessalonians 1:7). Didn’t happen. Jesus did not come back, as far as we can tell from reading ancient Christian writings. Christians continued to suffer. Paul was executed, beheaded according to some reports. Did Paul get it wrong?

A

Many Christian scholars would answer yes, Paul got it wrong. They say that Paul’s earliest writings, such as the letters of 1, 2 Thessalonians, reveal that he expected Jesus to come back before Paul died (see 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17). They also say that later in his life, he came to believe that he might not live long enough to see the Second Coming. In a letter he wrote about a decade later, he wrote from prison saying he was ready to die: “As far as I’m concerned, if I live, I live for Christ. If I die, I win the jackpot. Here’s my dilemma. If I live, I get to keep on working and helping grow the church. But honestly, I don’t know which I want more. I’m pulled both ways. I want to leave and be with Christ” (Philippians 1:21-23).

Reprinted from Leader’s Guide & Atlas for 1, 2 Thessalonians.

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God’s flair for the dramatic

Q

The first birth announcement on record about Jesus went to shepherds working the night shift, “keeping an eye on their sheep” (Luke 2:8). If God has a flair for the dramatic and a taste for metaphor, what do you think the value was in an angelic announcement like this to shepherds whose status on the social ladder was lower than dirt?

A

If God played poker, he saw their status lower than dirt and he raised them higher than the sky. Getting a message from an angel would have put them in the company of Israel’s most respected spiritual leaders. An­gels came to Abraham, father of the Jewish people (Genesis 21:17; 22:11). David, too, Israel’s best-loved king (2 Samuel 24:17). The angel Gabriel visited the prophet Daniel (Daniel 8:17).

Reprinted from Leader’s Guide & Atlas for Luke

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Was Gabriel fair to Zechariah?

Q

The angel Gabriel struck Zechariah mute, and possibly deaf, some experts say, merely because Zechariah asked how it would be possible for him and his wife to have a child: “I’m an old man, and my wife is up there in years, too” (Luke 1:18). Gabriel got ticked by that. And it could seem as though he overreacted. Why do you think Gabriel struck Zechariah mute? He didn’t do that to Mary when she questioned how she could get pregnant since she was “a virgin” (Luke 1:34).

A

There’s no indication about why Gabriel treated Zechariah like that. Perhaps we are getting just part of the story reported in this Gospel, and if we knew all the facts, we would understand why Gabriel did what he did. But because he did strike Zechariah unable to speak, the story of the birth of John the Baptist became so dramatic that Luke decided to include it in his book about the life and teachings of Jesus. If the story hadn’t been so dramatic, with Zechariah miraculously recovering the ability to speak at the birth of his son, who knows if there would have been any mention of the birth of John the Baptist.

Reprinted from Leader’s Guide & Atlas for Luke.

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Is a sermon “God’s word”?

Q

Paul complimented the people of Thessalonica for accepting his message “for what it is: God’s word” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Christians typically reserve the Bible for that tag: God’s Word. Many preachers, however, describe their ser­mons as God’s word, much like Paul did. When is a message God’s word, compared to a script written by a preach­er or some other well-intended Christian?

A

That’s a bit like asking how the inspiration of the Bible compares to an inspiring book or a sermon. If God still inspires his people today, is his inspiration any less inspiring than it was 2,000 years ago? That’s hard to think about. Most Christians hold the Bible in a special zone of reverence. And if we consider the possibility that something our pastor says is as inspiring as what Paul wrote, that’s perhaps a little too jarring for many Chris­tians today. Maybe a better approach would be to recognize that God still speaks through his people, whether it’s the pastor or our best friend’s mother. But anything from God will mesh with the teachings of Jesus, since Jesus taught, “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30, NLT).

Reprinted from Leader’s Guide & Atlas for 1, 2 Thessalonians.

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A church worth talking about

Q

LIFE APPLICATION. Writing from Corinth, a 300-mile walk (483 km) south of Thessalonica (400 miles/645 km by sea), Paul says everyone in what is now Greece seems to have heard about the people of Thessalonica getting religion: “You have managed to shout out God’s message all over the place” (1 Thessalonians 1:8). Have you ever known of a church like that, which had a reputation for believing in Jesus and living like it? If so, what was it about that church that got people talking?

A

For some churches, the worship services might become the subject of complimentary conversation because of engaging and relevant sermons or vibrant and emotive music that helps carry the congregation to God. Or it might be because of practical ministry the people perform in the community and abroad. The church helps the poor, the elderly, and other needy folks with everyday concerns: painting a house, making household repairs, setting up a daycare or preschool for kids, providing backpacks loaded with school supplies for students. In other words, the church looks for a need and then works on taking care of it.

Reprinted from Leader’s Guide & Atlas for 1, 2 Thessalonians.

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We have to forgive each other because…

Q

LIFE APPLICATION. On the flip side of talking about the nasty behavior we are supposed to get rid of, Paul tells us to dress up in our pretty spiritual clothes: “tenderhearted compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Cut each other some slack. (Philippians 3:12-13). In our workaday world, which of those do you think is especially tough to do?

A

Forgiveness is never easy, especially if someone at work does something mean to you for no good reason— and the backstabbing cost you time, money, or previously healthy working relationships. In cases like that, you might be working on forgiveness until they die. Humility might be tough, too, because there’s a degree to which many people have to promote themselves to get ahead. That’s pretty much what a job resume is all about, although it may also refer back to the previous question regarding nasty behavior such as lying.

Reprinted from Leader’s Guide & Atlas for Philippians.

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Did “thanks” come easy for Paul?

Q

When you read the part of Paul’s letter in which he thanks the people in Philippi for the gift they sent by way of Epaphroditus (Philippians 4:10-18), what do you read between the lines? Does Paul seem comfortable with thanking them?

A

Some readers might feel that Paul shows a sense of hesitation when he expresses his gratitude. He never does seem to come right out and say thank you very much.

He talks about not really needing the gift because he can get along in whatever circumstance he finds himself. On the other hand, he says he has plenty of supplies “now that I’ve received the gift you sent” (Philippians 4:18).

Some folks might even read a little self-pride into Paul’s expression of thanks. To some readers it could seem as though he’s wanting to present himself as a man who can take care of himself, with God’s help. Still, he may want to use this situation as an example of how God uses people to fulfill the needs of others. In that sense, the people of Philippi represent part of God’s “treasure in Christ Jesus” (4:19). And it’s from this storehouse of treasure that “My God will give you everything you need” (4:19).

Reprinted from Leader’s Guide & Atlas for Philippians.

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Did Paul jockey for power?

Q

Paul seems to say that someone named Epaphras started the church at Colossae. Then he adds that Epaphras is “one of our dearly loved associates” (Colossians 1:7). Does that sound like Paul is laying claim to a leadership role over this church, perhaps a bit like bishops or district superintendents who supervise local pastors or priests? If so, why do you think he did it?

A

Paul considered himself an apostle, a top-tier leader in the Christian movement. He wrote about it in a letter to a church that caused him a lot of trouble: “Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles” (1 Corinthians 12:28 NLT). Paul may have put apostles at the top of the list because they were handpicked by Jesus, and they had met Jesus—though in Paul’s case it was in a vision (Acts 9:3-5).

Reprinted from Leader’s Guide & Atlas for Colossians.

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Paul: Accept people as they are

Q

LIFE APPLICATION. Paul tells mature Christians in Rome, “Accept your fellow believers just the way they are. Remember, the Messiah did that for you. So do it for others, as a way of honoring God” (Romans 15:7). If Paul said this to you while the two of you were enjoying a cup of coffee on the back porch, what do you think he would say in response?

A

Perhaps one of the first thoughts that comes to mind would be exceptions to the rule. A notable exception was the man in the church at Corinth who was sleeping with his stepmother. Actually, we can only hope it was his stepmother. Paul described her as the “father’s wife” (1 Corinthians 5:1). Paul ordered the church to show the man the direction to the door.

Author Stephen M. Miller says this quote from Paul reminds him of his favorite definition for “grace.” The quote goes something like this:

“Grace is God accepting us where we are, but not willing to leave us there.”

Maybe that’s a good model for dealing with newcomers to the faith. We don’t try to change them. We accept them the way they are and we let them get to know us the way we are. And we introduce them to other Christians, so they can see who those people are. Hopefully, in time, the newcomers will see Jesus in each one of those people. Then maybe they’ll want to see Jesus in themselves.

Reprinted from Leader’s Guide & Atlas for Romans.

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How to explain: Jesus died, we live

Q

LIFE APPLICATION. Here’s one main teaching of Christianity that doesn’t seem to make much sense to people outside the faith: “Our sins are a capital offense, but God sent Jesus to take our punishment. Jesus bled and died for the sins we committed” (Romans 3:25). How would you explain why Jesus had to die and how on earth his sacrifice saves us from getting punished for our sins?

A

That’s a tall order for most Christians. Many would simply say they take it on faith, which doesn’t help make a case for Christianity. Taking it on faith might come across as, “That’s what I’ve been told all my life, so I believe it and I don’t think much about it.”

The problem is that when we think about it, it’s still hard to figure out. That’s because God doesn’t often answer our why questions. Instead, he tells out how is, instead of why it is.

The Bible teaches that sin separates us from God; it creates a barrier. That gets made clear when after Adam and Eve eat forbidden fruit, “God banished them from the Garden of Eden” (Genesis 3:23). The point gets made over and over through the history of the Jewish people, especially in the book of Judges. There, the people sin. God sends punishment, usually raiders. The people repent. God saves the people from whatever is hurting them. That cycle gets repeated throughout the book. Sin and God don’t get along.

God set up a sacrificial system, allowing people to sacrifice animals to express their sorrow for sin. “Life is in the blood, and I have given you the blood of animals to sacrifice in place of your own” (Leviticus 17:11 CEV).

We can only guess why God chose animal sacrifice. Perhaps because it was common among other religions and familiar to the Jews; it would have made sense to them because it fit into their culture. In addition, it expresses the seriousness of sin. A creature had to die because of sin. Human senses registered the seriousness in several ways: the squealing sound of the creature dying, the feel of the blood, the sight of the creature cut up and displayed on the altar, the smell of burning meat.

It’s also tough to explain why God didn’t come up with a plan of salvation that didn’t involve his Son getting crucified. Maybe one reason is that the Jews wouldn’t have understood any other means of forgiveness because they had been offering sacrifices for about 2,000 years. On the other hand, Jews prohibited human sacrifice: “Don’t sacrifice your son or daughter” (Deuteronomy 18:10).

Yet Jesus voluntarily sacrificed himself for others. People understand it when someone gives up their life to protect another. A father lies on top of a child, to protect the child from a shooter. A soldier falls on a grenade. For many Christians, why Jesus had to go through this may remain a mystery. But why he did it is clearly taught: “The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them” (John 15:13 CEV).

Here’s one of many ways of looking at it. Sin created a gap between people and God. Jesus bridged the gap. God invites everyone to cross the gap and join him in his kingdom. Some people have faith in the Bridge, so they cross the gap. They find themselves welcomed into God’s world.

Reprinted from Leader’s Guide & Atlas for Romans.

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