Touching Base! Part 154
Hot Topics - Part 2 - Abortion
What’s In The Womb Matters!
(This article can also we found on our website
at http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called "Blog")
This Touching Base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.
Once again in Canadian politics the abortion issue seems to be gaining some momentum in terms of moving to the front of public debate. In a recent interview with Evan Solomon, host of CBC TV's “Power & Politics”, Stephen Woodworth (MP, Kitchener Centre), said the law defining a human being dates back to centuries-old English common law and Parliament has a responsibility to lead a debate on whether it's time to rewrite it. "Our definition of human being says that a child does not become a human being until the moment of complete birth," he said.
So we believe that every Christ-follower should be doubly-equipped…
… with the best of science to understand that what’s in the womb does matter. “Embryology textbooks uniformly state that new human life comes into existence upon completion of fertilization…” (Scott Klusendorf, The Case for Life, p. 49)
… AND with what Scripture has to say about what is in the womb. Often in our world, even as Christians, we only allow the scientific data to shape our worldview on the unborn. However, we must also dig into God’s word on this issue. We believe that when we do, God’s word will show us what it is that science clearly points to - that what’s in the womb matters.
In this Touching Base, I want to outline four statements from scripture that will help us to see this.
What’s in the womb is described with the language of personhood from conception.
Text: Psalm 51:1-6
Read through this text. The most salient verse for our purposes today is verse 5.
Note in v1-4- What was David’s sin? (adultery with Bathsheba) Who had he ultimately sinned against?
But notice v5- David says that he was sinful… only from birth? Not just birth, but conception.
Conception- Hebrew meaning hot - fertilization.
How can someone be guilty at birth if they haven’t done anything? How does verse 5b answer that question?
Our guilt is not rooted in behaviour alone but in our nature. We are sinful by nature, not just because of our actions. David is stating a biblical teaching which is not unique to his pen alone but which is found throughout scripture. If you are studying this in a group, you may want to search up other scriptures that talk about the sinful nature.
Here is my point: What is synonymous with a sinful nature? Do cells have a sinful nature…? Does “potential life” have a sinful nature…? Scripture makes it very clear that humanity, persons, have human nature. David is using the language of personhood, “sinful from conception” to describe what is in the womb at conception. What’s in the womb matters.
However, there are a number of pro-choice advocates who would say personhood does not come into being until later. Carmen spoke about the following two in particular:
Answers to these arguments are to be found at the end of the Touching Base, using the SLED Test.
What’s in the womb is morally accountable to God.
Text: Psalm 51:1-6
Notice another biblical truth about what is in the womb. Whenever someone sins there are two questions we often will ask- what and who? What did they do? (we are just nosey) and Who did they sin against? In David’s case in v.1-4 we know both the “what” the “who”. But notice verse 5. What is the what? And who is the who?
What - What did we do/sin? Lots, if you look at our lives since exiting the womb. But our actions are rooted in a sinful nature, not some kind of bad psychosis. A sinful nature inherited, passed down to us from Adam (Romans 5). Sin is not just an action but a state of being/nature.
Who - The context of Psalm 51 makes it pretty clear that the Who of our sin is ultimately God.
So get this, David is saying that we are accountable to God, not after birth or at the age of accountability as we sometimes talk about but our accountability starts at conception. We are liable before God at that “hot” moment. Again note that things, inanimate objects and even life do not share in this unique kind of accountability that humanity or persons do. What’s in the womb matters - he/she is accountable to God.
What’s in the womb is the focus of immeasurable love/value.
Key Text: Psalm 139
A. Seen in God’s involvement
v.13” inmost being”- actually it is the Hebrew word for kidneys. This is probably so because in dismembering an animal the kidneys are the last organ to be reached.
Knit - note the intimacy of this imagery as the wool or fabric passes through the hands of the Maker.
Then read v.14, 15 - an amazing statement that science would agree with. God’s involvement speaks of our incredible value. We are constructs of God. But note the following comment:
A biblical worldview is not based on a social construct, but on a divine construct.
B. Seen in God’s healing and restorative work. (Back to Psalm 51)
The common “scar” we all share as persons is a sinful nature. A nature that has been damaged by sin. What is the full story behind that scar? For example we all have physical scars. What is the story behind some of your physical scars? Our shared scar is a sinful nature and the story behind it is one of incredible love, sacrifice, healing, and restoration. David experienced God’s healing from his sin but he looked forward to that day when Jesus would come - God’s medicine in a physical ”bottle.” Read Acts 2:22-28. Also read Galatians 5:16-26 about our new way to live. What’s in the womb? Not just cells, not just life - but a person - scarred, yet a scar that shows that they are the object of God’s love.
What’s in the womb has intrinsic, not functional, value.
“Intrinsic”: inherent, built-in
“Functional”: you have to earn it
We live in a world that often equates worth with performance, productivity, assets, education. But when David says, “sinful from conception” David is illustrating the incredible worth and value of each human being. The analogy of the sin nature as a scar speaks of value – an object of love, an object of intimate involvement by God. Without a word being spoken by that person in the womb, without a degree being earned, without a culturally-acknowledged achievement, without a bank account to boast of or a trophy pointing to success - with nothing functionally accomplished, that sinful-natured person, although morally accountable to God is the object of God’s immeasurable love, fearfully and wonderfully knit together. The God of the universe makes provision for salvation without that person lifting a finger or taking a single step:
“But God demonstrated His love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners (even at conception) Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)
That is the great mystery of the gospel, the good news: God’s love is not based on our maturity, performance or contribution but simply on God’s grace and mercy.
Now, some pro-choicers would disagree and say that our worth is based on functionality: size, level of development, environment and degree of dependency. Carmen referred to this as the SLED Test on the weekend. At the end of this TB you will find an extra document explaining what the SLED test is and how to answer those arguments.
Our prayer is that you would understand both the science and the theology of what’s in the womb and protect the person God loves.
If you or someone in your group has had an abortion, read the context of Psalm 51. Even in his sin, David experienced God’s forgiveness. Next week, in part 2 of this Hot Topic, the Kingston Pregnancy Care Center will be with us, as well as the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, who will be presenting in the morning services.
Mark
If interested in joining or starting a small group contact markkotchapaw@gmail.com
SLED Test
Klusendorf, Scott. The Case for Life. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2009.
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (www.evangelicalfellowship.ca) “The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) is the national association of evangelical Christians in Canada. It gathers Evangelicals together for impact, influence and identity in ministry and public witness” Their website has a page titled “Abortion/Fetal Rights” at http://www.evangelicalfellowship.ca/page.aspx?pid=365
Life Training Institute (www.prolifetraining.com) “LTI was started by our president Scott Klusendorf in order to create a ministry that focused entirely on pro-life issues with the goal of maximizing its impact through single-minded dedication. Simply stated, our sole purpose is to train others to save lives. That's what we're all about.”
Stand to Reason (http://www.str.org): “Stand to Reason trains Christians to think more clearly about their faith and to make an even-handed, incisive, yet gracious defense for classical Christianity and classical Christian values in the public square.” Their website contains hundreds of pages of free resources and training material on many apologetics issues, including defending the pro-life position (search the website for “abortion”). Together, Greg Koukl and Scott Klusendorf have created the outstanding course, Making Abortion Unthinkable, which is available for purchase on the site.
What’s In The Womb Matters!
(This article can also we found on our website
at http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called "Blog")
This Touching Base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.
Once again in Canadian politics the abortion issue seems to be gaining some momentum in terms of moving to the front of public debate. In a recent interview with Evan Solomon, host of CBC TV's “Power & Politics”, Stephen Woodworth (MP, Kitchener Centre), said the law defining a human being dates back to centuries-old English common law and Parliament has a responsibility to lead a debate on whether it's time to rewrite it. "Our definition of human being says that a child does not become a human being until the moment of complete birth," he said.
So we believe that every Christ-follower should be doubly-equipped…
… with the best of science to understand that what’s in the womb does matter. “Embryology textbooks uniformly state that new human life comes into existence upon completion of fertilization…” (Scott Klusendorf, The Case for Life, p. 49)
… AND with what Scripture has to say about what is in the womb. Often in our world, even as Christians, we only allow the scientific data to shape our worldview on the unborn. However, we must also dig into God’s word on this issue. We believe that when we do, God’s word will show us what it is that science clearly points to - that what’s in the womb matters.
In this Touching Base, I want to outline four statements from scripture that will help us to see this.
What’s in the womb is described with the language of personhood from conception.
Text: Psalm 51:1-6
Read through this text. The most salient verse for our purposes today is verse 5.
Note in v1-4- What was David’s sin? (adultery with Bathsheba) Who had he ultimately sinned against?
But notice v5- David says that he was sinful… only from birth? Not just birth, but conception.
Conception- Hebrew meaning hot - fertilization.
How can someone be guilty at birth if they haven’t done anything? How does verse 5b answer that question?
Our guilt is not rooted in behaviour alone but in our nature. We are sinful by nature, not just because of our actions. David is stating a biblical teaching which is not unique to his pen alone but which is found throughout scripture. If you are studying this in a group, you may want to search up other scriptures that talk about the sinful nature.
Here is my point: What is synonymous with a sinful nature? Do cells have a sinful nature…? Does “potential life” have a sinful nature…? Scripture makes it very clear that humanity, persons, have human nature. David is using the language of personhood, “sinful from conception” to describe what is in the womb at conception. What’s in the womb matters.
However, there are a number of pro-choice advocates who would say personhood does not come into being until later. Carmen spoke about the following two in particular:
- Mary Anne Warren, an American writer and philosopher, asserted that a person “is a living entity with feelings, self-awareness, consciousness, and the ability to interact with his or her environment.” (Klusendorf, p.52) And so a human fetus can’t be a person with rights since it has none of these. One point to note is that, by that definition, any sleeping person can be killed since they fail the test as well. But the most important point to note here is that Ms. Warren is simply making an assertion (as opposed to providing evidence), without explaining why persons should be defined this way.
- Another idea has been articulated by Paul D. Simmons, a university professor and minister. He “concedes that zygotes (early embryos) are biologically human but denies they are "complex" or "developed enough" to qualify as "persons" in a biblical or philosophical sense. ‘No one can deny the continuum from fertilization to maturity and adulthood,’ writes Simmons. ‘That does not mean, however, that every step on the continuum has the same value or constitutes the same entity.’” (Klusendorf, p.52) In other words, since these things only “develop” later, the zygotes aren’t persons.
Answers to these arguments are to be found at the end of the Touching Base, using the SLED Test.
What’s in the womb is morally accountable to God.
Text: Psalm 51:1-6
Notice another biblical truth about what is in the womb. Whenever someone sins there are two questions we often will ask- what and who? What did they do? (we are just nosey) and Who did they sin against? In David’s case in v.1-4 we know both the “what” the “who”. But notice verse 5. What is the what? And who is the who?
What - What did we do/sin? Lots, if you look at our lives since exiting the womb. But our actions are rooted in a sinful nature, not some kind of bad psychosis. A sinful nature inherited, passed down to us from Adam (Romans 5). Sin is not just an action but a state of being/nature.
Who - The context of Psalm 51 makes it pretty clear that the Who of our sin is ultimately God.
So get this, David is saying that we are accountable to God, not after birth or at the age of accountability as we sometimes talk about but our accountability starts at conception. We are liable before God at that “hot” moment. Again note that things, inanimate objects and even life do not share in this unique kind of accountability that humanity or persons do. What’s in the womb matters - he/she is accountable to God.
What’s in the womb is the focus of immeasurable love/value.
Key Text: Psalm 139
A. Seen in God’s involvement
v.13” inmost being”- actually it is the Hebrew word for kidneys. This is probably so because in dismembering an animal the kidneys are the last organ to be reached.
Knit - note the intimacy of this imagery as the wool or fabric passes through the hands of the Maker.
Then read v.14, 15 - an amazing statement that science would agree with. God’s involvement speaks of our incredible value. We are constructs of God. But note the following comment:
“For many on the academic and secular left, natural rights are nothing but an oppressive ideology because for them human nature is nothing but a fiction. ‘In the understanding of the post- modernists,’ writes Hadley Arkes, ‘there is no objective nature of human beings, and no settled truths that arise from that nature: What we call human nature is socially constructed from one place to another according to the vagaries of local culture.’” (Klusendorf, p.65)
A biblical worldview is not based on a social construct, but on a divine construct.
B. Seen in God’s healing and restorative work. (Back to Psalm 51)
The common “scar” we all share as persons is a sinful nature. A nature that has been damaged by sin. What is the full story behind that scar? For example we all have physical scars. What is the story behind some of your physical scars? Our shared scar is a sinful nature and the story behind it is one of incredible love, sacrifice, healing, and restoration. David experienced God’s healing from his sin but he looked forward to that day when Jesus would come - God’s medicine in a physical ”bottle.” Read Acts 2:22-28. Also read Galatians 5:16-26 about our new way to live. What’s in the womb? Not just cells, not just life - but a person - scarred, yet a scar that shows that they are the object of God’s love.
What’s in the womb has intrinsic, not functional, value.
“Intrinsic”: inherent, built-in
“Functional”: you have to earn it
We live in a world that often equates worth with performance, productivity, assets, education. But when David says, “sinful from conception” David is illustrating the incredible worth and value of each human being. The analogy of the sin nature as a scar speaks of value – an object of love, an object of intimate involvement by God. Without a word being spoken by that person in the womb, without a degree being earned, without a culturally-acknowledged achievement, without a bank account to boast of or a trophy pointing to success - with nothing functionally accomplished, that sinful-natured person, although morally accountable to God is the object of God’s immeasurable love, fearfully and wonderfully knit together. The God of the universe makes provision for salvation without that person lifting a finger or taking a single step:
“But God demonstrated His love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners (even at conception) Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)
That is the great mystery of the gospel, the good news: God’s love is not based on our maturity, performance or contribution but simply on God’s grace and mercy.
Now, some pro-choicers would disagree and say that our worth is based on functionality: size, level of development, environment and degree of dependency. Carmen referred to this as the SLED Test on the weekend. At the end of this TB you will find an extra document explaining what the SLED test is and how to answer those arguments.
Our prayer is that you would understand both the science and the theology of what’s in the womb and protect the person God loves.
If you or someone in your group has had an abortion, read the context of Psalm 51. Even in his sin, David experienced God’s forgiveness. Next week, in part 2 of this Hot Topic, the Kingston Pregnancy Care Center will be with us, as well as the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, who will be presenting in the morning services.
Mark
If interested in joining or starting a small group contact markkotchapaw@gmail.com
SLED Test
RESOURCES FOR FURTHER READING/TRAINING
Klusendorf, Scott. The Case for Life. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2009.
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (www.evangelicalfellowship.ca) “The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) is the national association of evangelical Christians in Canada. It gathers Evangelicals together for impact, influence and identity in ministry and public witness” Their website has a page titled “Abortion/Fetal Rights” at http://www.evangelicalfellowship.ca/page.aspx?pid=365
Life Training Institute (www.prolifetraining.com) “LTI was started by our president Scott Klusendorf in order to create a ministry that focused entirely on pro-life issues with the goal of maximizing its impact through single-minded dedication. Simply stated, our sole purpose is to train others to save lives. That's what we're all about.”
Stand to Reason (http://www.str.org): “Stand to Reason trains Christians to think more clearly about their faith and to make an even-handed, incisive, yet gracious defense for classical Christianity and classical Christian values in the public square.” Their website contains hundreds of pages of free resources and training material on many apologetics issues, including defending the pro-life position (search the website for “abortion”). Together, Greg Koukl and Scott Klusendorf have created the outstanding course, Making Abortion Unthinkable, which is available for purchase on the site.
Touching Base! Part 153
Update
(This article can also we found on our website
at http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called "Blog")
This Touching Base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.
Church Family:
I want to communicate with you about some things going on at Bethel as we move into the New Year. We deeply value people knowing what’s going on so they can pray about what’s going on, and have a say in what’s going on. Functioning in silos (no communication or coordination) can be costly to any team. It’s important that all the individual parts stay informed and engaged with what is happening.
First, in looking back for a second, I want to say thanks to the many who were responsible for the huge outpouring of generosity during the month of December. From food hampers (35) to shoe boxes (235), to the selling of poinsettias (fund raiser for Kingston Pregnancy Care Center), to generous and sacrificial giving to our General and Build funds and the generous Benevolent gift given to Martha’s table – THANKS! We then saw over $1000.00 come in on January 8th through the benevolent for the rent bank at the Salvation Army. Living biblically-measured lives (one of our marks of a disciple) means being good stewards with all that God has given us. Thanks for making it happen at Bethel.
Secondly, we are very excited about many of the things that are in the works for 2012. Our plans are not solely devised from the top down but from the body of Christ giving input and taking responsibility to lead, minister and make a difference. Some of the things we are looking forward to are:
First, let us continue to be willing to walk with people in whatever place they may be. Some are at the peaks, looking out with renewed strength and experiencing days of great hope and enthusiasm. Others are in the valley, barely able to lift their head, wondering where God is, wondering if anyone cares. Welcome to the body of Christ! We are all in different seasons, we all have different issues, and we all are in need of God’s transforming work in our lives. Let us continue to be a body that cares, making God and people the centerpiece, not programs, and being a conduit for the power of God to touch hearts deeply.
Finally, I am grateful for the many leaders I get to work with who represent so many great teams at Bethel. This past week I had a great meeting with our Design Team, leaders who regularly meet to evaluate services and discuss ways to make our musical worship increasingly God-centered and life-changing. We also process any input we receive from the church about music-related issues. This is a great team of men and women who care about what happens on Sunday mornings. Later this past week I had a meeting with a group of folks who are helping us develop our leadership culture at Bethel. Again, I am so grateful for people who say the local church matters and who are willing to give their best energies and thoughts to what happens. I’ve also met with members of our teaching team to go over up-and-coming messages. We can gain valuable insights when we submit our teaching plans to gifted teachers, men and women in the church. On Wednesday our staff had a full-day retreat. We do this twice a year. The first half of our meeting was focused on long-term planning - we looked at the next 12 months and laid out events and tried to evaluate what is working and not working and how our vision informs us on what can be improved or even deleted. The second half of our day saw us engage in a team-building event. We were led by an outside consultant who helped us work through the Myers Briggs personality assessment tool. This is a great tool for understanding team members and dynamics.
So thanks for all you are doing! Realize that we are a church called by God to do something on this corner, 314 Johnson Street, not for our own glory, but for the glory of God.
If interested in joining or starting a small group contact markkotchapaw@gmail.com
(This article can also we found on our website
at http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called "Blog")
This Touching Base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.
Church Family:
I want to communicate with you about some things going on at Bethel as we move into the New Year. We deeply value people knowing what’s going on so they can pray about what’s going on, and have a say in what’s going on. Functioning in silos (no communication or coordination) can be costly to any team. It’s important that all the individual parts stay informed and engaged with what is happening.
First, in looking back for a second, I want to say thanks to the many who were responsible for the huge outpouring of generosity during the month of December. From food hampers (35) to shoe boxes (235), to the selling of poinsettias (fund raiser for Kingston Pregnancy Care Center), to generous and sacrificial giving to our General and Build funds and the generous Benevolent gift given to Martha’s table – THANKS! We then saw over $1000.00 come in on January 8th through the benevolent for the rent bank at the Salvation Army. Living biblically-measured lives (one of our marks of a disciple) means being good stewards with all that God has given us. Thanks for making it happen at Bethel.
Secondly, we are very excited about many of the things that are in the works for 2012. Our plans are not solely devised from the top down but from the body of Christ giving input and taking responsibility to lead, minister and make a difference. Some of the things we are looking forward to are:
A. Sending 24 people overseas in February and March to Honduras, our international focus this year. Short-term missions trips are a proven way to help people develop a global perspective of what God is doing, and a passion for missions.A few more things to think about:
B. Continued collaboration with the elders, staff, deacons, and membership/congregation of Bethel as we continue to flesh out the vision and identify key action steps over the next 3- 5 years.
C. Our new partnership with Ellel that kicks off next weekend (January 20-21). At this point there are over 40 registered for the training that will cover a 12-month span, one weekend per month. As we seek to be more prayerfully engaged, this training will help several of our people be equipped in this area. This is a city-wide event drawing people from a number of different churches.
D. Our Prayer Summit is on January 29th this year. We are excited to take this event off-site to the Salvation Army Community and Family Services location at 342 Patrick St. We believe that it is very important to bathe what we do in prayer. This will be an opportunity for the body to come together, be informed about some of our partnerships and pray about where God is leading. Stay informed, and plan to attend. Details are in the bulletin.
E. We are excited about assimilating new families and individuals into the ministry of Bethel. I get personally excited when talking to new people who say that one of the main drivers for coming to Bethel was the vision (responding to the heart of God, transforming the heart of the city, nation and world). We look forward to who God will raise up to help the church be powerful not just in its gathered times but, equally importantly, in its scattered expressions, 24/7! Team is one of our values and it is becoming increasingly one of our strengths.
First, let us continue to be willing to walk with people in whatever place they may be. Some are at the peaks, looking out with renewed strength and experiencing days of great hope and enthusiasm. Others are in the valley, barely able to lift their head, wondering where God is, wondering if anyone cares. Welcome to the body of Christ! We are all in different seasons, we all have different issues, and we all are in need of God’s transforming work in our lives. Let us continue to be a body that cares, making God and people the centerpiece, not programs, and being a conduit for the power of God to touch hearts deeply.
Finally, I am grateful for the many leaders I get to work with who represent so many great teams at Bethel. This past week I had a great meeting with our Design Team, leaders who regularly meet to evaluate services and discuss ways to make our musical worship increasingly God-centered and life-changing. We also process any input we receive from the church about music-related issues. This is a great team of men and women who care about what happens on Sunday mornings. Later this past week I had a meeting with a group of folks who are helping us develop our leadership culture at Bethel. Again, I am so grateful for people who say the local church matters and who are willing to give their best energies and thoughts to what happens. I’ve also met with members of our teaching team to go over up-and-coming messages. We can gain valuable insights when we submit our teaching plans to gifted teachers, men and women in the church. On Wednesday our staff had a full-day retreat. We do this twice a year. The first half of our meeting was focused on long-term planning - we looked at the next 12 months and laid out events and tried to evaluate what is working and not working and how our vision informs us on what can be improved or even deleted. The second half of our day saw us engage in a team-building event. We were led by an outside consultant who helped us work through the Myers Briggs personality assessment tool. This is a great tool for understanding team members and dynamics.
So thanks for all you are doing! Realize that we are a church called by God to do something on this corner, 314 Johnson Street, not for our own glory, but for the glory of God.
“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagineMark
or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but
by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!”
Ephesians 3:20-21 (The Message)
If interested in joining or starting a small group contact markkotchapaw@gmail.com
Touching Base Part 152
TB 152
Why Community?
8 Jan 12
(This article can also be found on our website at
http://www.bethelkingston.comunder the tab called “Blog”)
This Touching Base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God’s Word needs to be discussed in community.
I want you to think about why community is important. Why is living as an island not the best thing for the human soul? For some the issue of community conjures up some pretty negative memories. While healthy community is important, it can be difficult to find and sustain. A good question to ponder would be, what is it about community that can make sustaining healthy community challenging?
This question for this TB is, why is community important? Here are three reasons that come out of our text.
Text: Romans 16
Community helps me in areas where I cannot fully help myself.
We get this point from v1,2. Phoebe was living in Cenchrea a city about seven miles south of Corinth. She apparently was on her way to the imperial city, Rome, and was able to do something for Paul that he could not do for himself- go to Rome and deliver this letter that he had dictated to Tertiusv22. Not only would she deliver the letter but possibly she would have been the one to answer any difficult questions the receiving audience would have had regarding Paul’s letter.
Notice how he commends her to the Church in Rome.
He calls her a servant, he encourages them to receive her and give her any help she may need. He then goes on to say that she has been a great help to him. The second use of the word help is actually a different greek expression than the first.
Help- A patron of a religious association was normally a well-to-do person who allowed members of a religious group to meet in his or her home. The patron was generally a prominent and honored member of the group and generally exercised some authority over it. Although most patrons of religious associations were men, some women patrons are known.
Phoebe is to be highly esteemed in their eyes because she is most certainly highly esteemed in Paul’s eyes.
The context of how Paul is referencing Phoebe is not regarding what Paul did for her but what she did for him that he could not do for himself. He was unable to go to Rome, she could and did. I really think one of the reasons she makes Paul’s list is because she is able to help out Paul in an area where he cannot fully help himself. He is restricted from going to Rome at this time.
We all have a “Rome”- a place we cannot go to, a challenge we cannot tackle by ourselves. Call it what you will- limitations, shortcomings, restrictions, hindrances. We all need a “Phoebe.” We all are in need of key people in our lives that help us in areas where we cannot fully help ourselves.
Here is my sample list, what might yours be?
I cannot adequately process the stuff of life and remain healthy on my own.
I cannot deeply understand scripture without community
I cannot pray as I should and need to on my own.
I cannot function as a healthy and affective leader on my own.
I cannot understand reality- the reality of who I am, what I am leading, etc without the helpful insights of others around me.
Two people that I talked to said (my paraphrase) “ I cannot move beyond personally imposed boundaries without community.” Sometimes those imposed boundaries come from past experiences, fear etc.
Finish this sentence in your small group “ I cannot….” And then add- and the person that helps me in this area is…..
Community can be a place that inspires great acts for the cause
Next up on Paul’s list is Priscilla (female) and Aquila. Why do you think they made Paul’s list? Got any clues from the text? (v3)
Notice “fellow workers”. This helps us see a bit of a different picture. In the greek the word means- work or achievement which is more or less equally divided among fellow-workers- co workers.
συνεργός (synergos)- English word synergy- combined action or operation- both are strong, both are able.
With Phoebe, the emphasis was on what she did for Paul that Paul could not do for himself. However in this next example “fellow workers” the term gives the idea that both Paul and this couple are contributing, both are working hard, both are achieving. In fact Paul tells us what they did for him in v4. This is no doubt a jaw dropping awe inspiring act. They RISKED their lives for Paul. But I think there is something more to this. This is not just a loving act towards Paul (which is great in and of itself) but this is an off the charts, through the roof, example of people going to great lengths to further the cause, the mission that they along with Paul were committed to.
You see, I think healthy community can be a place of great inspiration as we see others serve and sacrifice in incredible ways for the cause that is so much bigger than ourselves. They risked their lives for Paul, no doubt because they loved Paul, but also because they were committed to the cause of proclaiming Christ in a world not to far removed from the resurrection.
Healthy communities spur one another on to love and good works (Heb 10:24,25) We don’t compete but motivate each other with our acts of service and sacrifice.
If you are in a group, here are some good questions to discuss.
How are you contributing to this community?- small group etc
How do we inspire each other?
How do we love each other?
How would you define the cause bigger that yourself?
Community engages my life with diversity
Scan through the names Paul lists v1-24 and note the diversity. How are these people different than each other?
Now answer this question- What do you learn from people that are different from you?
When we live in a bubble we miss out on the rich diversity in the body of Christ that can bless our lives in so many ways. With the space remaining, here are some of my examples of what I learn.
Generational- we see the young and older listed in Romans 16
Students- I hear questions I don’t think about, optimism that is inspiring, energy that is contagious, passion that is motivating
Seniors- depth of faith, richness of character, resource of wisdom, model of lifetime service.
Poor Appreciation for the unique set of challenges they face. The complexity of their lives that I would not understand from just looking at the surface. I have learned how much they need relationships.
Gender - I learn from women the more emotive side of seeing an event or situation. Sensitivity, warmth, compassion. Sorry if I sound like I am stereo typing. I also have learned much in terms of leadership from women.
Married – I have learned how to love my wife. I have seen modeled healthy relationships that my wife and I seek to embrace. Also I have seen negative examples that serve as a warning, caution.
Ethnic- Gain a rich appreciation for the cultures of the world. They often demonstrate incredible hospitality. They sometimes help me see how materialistic our NA world is.
Are you connecting in community? Are you developing relationships with a few that you can trust and that you can serve with? Community is important, make it a priority!!!!
Mark
Interested in a small group? Contact us at bethelcommunitygroups@gmail.com