Deconstruction & Reconstruction

The Lord inspires us through nature, through Scripture, and through Jesus. Yet we’re also inspired by your hearts. So, first off, thanks so much for meeting last week’s donation requests in full (Ghana, Nigeria, Pakistan, UAE)! There will be more giving opportunities in a week or two.

Today we continue our series on Early Christian Writings (in 107 AD), offer a couple of new Q&As, and share our most recent “conversation,” Deconstruction & Reconstruction.

MORE Q&As

Is something missing from the OT?

Q: According to Qur’an 5:32, God had “ordained for the Children of Israel that whoever takes a life—unless as a punishment for murder or mischief in the land—it will be as if they killed all of humanity; and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.” I found these words nowhere in the Jewish scriptures. Did Jews forget a portion of the teaching imparted to them by God? — L. W.

A: Please take a look at Lieve Teugels’ article, which should answer your question well. But no, the Old Testament isn’t missing a precept.

An elder at the tender age of 24?

Q: Do you think a young man could be eligible to be an elder? My best friend's son is 24, married with one toddler and one on the way. He is part of a house church, and the pastor wants to make him an elder. What do you think of this? — A. M.

In my opinion, it is risky to give the responsibility of eldership to one so young. After all, “elder” means older. Unless I’m badly misreading the scripture, 24 = junior! The admonition of 1 Tim 3:6 is germane.

This is not to say that younger people should be excluded from leadership opportunities. Perhaps the young man is able to facilitate a house church, or at least play a vital role. But church leadership—eldership, at least as I understand the Scriptures—requires experience and wisdom. Admittedly, sometimes age comes without wisdom, but when they are together, it's a great blessing to all.

EARLY CHRISTIAN WRITINGS (6)

There’s so much we can learn from the early church—both good and bad! If you’ve just started reading this series, the first 5 installments are in the previous 5 newsletters. We continue to explore the letters written by Ignatius of Antioch en route to execution in Rome.

The Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans (107 AD)

[Heretics] abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the eucharist to be the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ… It is fitting, therefore that you should keep aloof from such persons…” (ch. vii).

• The heretics don’t observe the Lord’s Supper. Nor are they devoted to prayer. There are two activities that feed and enrich us spiritually.

• To be honest, this passage really surprised me. It’s as close as we could get to the doctrine of transubstantiation—and this is in the early 2nd century.

“Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the overseer [bishop]. Let that be deemed a proper eucharist which is [administered] either by the overseer [bishop], or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the overseer [bishop] shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the universal Church. It is not lawful without the overseer [bishop] either to baptize or to celebrate a love-feast; but whatsoever he shall approve of, that is also pleasing to God, so that everything that is done may be secure and valid” (ch. viii).

• Ignatius believed that the Lord’s Supper cannot be validly observed, nor a baptism be performed, unless the overseer approves.

• Unless Ignatius equates the love feast with the communion, we have here the seeds of the ultimate division / distinction between the eucharist as ceremony (bread and wine only) and the agape, or love feast, an actual meal, like what we read about in 1 Cor 11.

• Again, we find Ignatius’ doctrine of the monarchical episcopate: the overseer is the top dog, and must unquestioningly be obeyed. The next excerpt intensely upholds the episcopate.

“It is well to reverence both God and the overseer [bishop]. He who honors the overseer [bishop] has been honored by God; he who does anything without the knowledge of the overseer [bishop], does [in reality] serve the devil” (ch. ix).

Apart from the letter to Polycarp (below), Ignatius’ letters are to churches. Since he wrote only a few years after Jesus’ own seven letters (Rev 2-3), it is interesting to compare. Here’s what I notice:

• He addresses several communities to whom Jesus also spoke: Ephesus, Smyrna, and Philadelphia.

• The Ephesians are doing well, seeming to have taken to heart the challenges of Rev 2. Good news!

• There is no letter to the Laodiceans, recipients of the Lord’s sternest warning (had they refused to repent?—we are tempted to speculate), although the church of Laodicea continued in some form for some time. There was even an important church council there in the 4th century.

The Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp (107 AD)

“Let not those who seem worthy of credit, but teach strange doctrines, fill you with apprehension. Stand firm, as does an anvil which is beaten. It is the part of a noble athlete to be wounded, and yet to conquer… Be ever becoming more zealous than what you are. Weigh carefully the times…” (ch. iii).

• Some teachers are impressive, even credible, yet we should be wary. If they aren’t following apostolic teaching, they are false teachers. See 2 Cor 11:13; Heb 13:9; 2 Pet 2:3; 1 John 4:1.

• We are to grow in zeal—but with wisdom and discretion. The two ideally grow in tandem. See Rom 12:11; Prov 19:2; Matt 10:16.

• Discerning the times—that’s always sound counsel. See 1 Chron 12:32; Eph 5:15.

Next week:

• The Syriac Version of the Ignatian Epistles

• Various Spurious Epistles, Tarsians, Antiochians, the Epistle of Maria the Proselyte to Ignatius, the Epistle of Ignatius to John the Apostle

• The Martyrdom of Ignatius.

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DECONSTRUCTION & RECONSTRUCTION

LIGHT-HEARTED LIMERICKS (2)

• There once was a pious young priest, / Who lived almost wholly on yeast; / “For,” he said, “it is plain / We must all rise again, / And I want to get started at least.”

• The Methodist said, “I esteem / My good Baptist friends, and I dream / We may some day unite.” / Cried the Baptist, “All right! / Let us meet in the midst of the stream!” – Casey Renn

• God’s plan made a hopeful beginning, / But man ruined his chances by sinning. / We trust that the story / Will end in God’s glory; / But at present the other side’s winning. – Oliver Wendell Holmes

Coming up: One (final) week of humor.

GOOD-BYE!

Or God be with ye. The phrase good-bye is first found in the late 1590s, deriving from godbwye (1570s), which is a contraction of God be with ye (1400s). Useful information? Maybe not. But I pray the earlier parts of our newsletter did prove stimulating and useful.

God be with you all, and thanks again to the many brothers and sisters who, in the last week, provided financial support for biblical learning in Pakistan, Ghana, Nigeria, and the Emirates.

Yours in Him,
Douglas