Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Fifth Sunday in Lent

Again the hand of the Lord came upon me, and brought me by the Spirit of the Lord, and set me in the midst of the plain, which was full of human bones. So He led me round about them, and behold, there was a great multitude of bones on the face of the plain. They were very dry. Then He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord, You know this.” Then He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord to these bones: “Behold, I will bring the Spirit of life upon you. I will put muscles on you and bring flesh upon you. I will cover you with skin and put my Spirit into you. Then you shall live and know that I am the Lord.”’” (Ezek 37:1-6)

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” (John 11:25)

Christ has healed the vices of my soul, and taken on Himself the sicknesses of my body, Man by His mother, God by His Father. He bore the weaknesses of the flesh that are appointed by nature, and evinced the feelings of the human body. He ate and drank, and closed his eyes in sleep, and grew weary with journeying in accord with His human sensibilities. He shed tears over the death of a friend like a man, but then as God raised him from the tomb. As a man He sailed on a ship, and as God He governed the winds; by His strength as God the Man walked over the sea. With His human mind He feared the hour of imminent death, but with His divine mind He knew that the moment of execution was at hand. As man He was nailed to the cross, and as God He terrified the world from the cross. The Man endured death, but death itself endured the true God. The Man hung on the cross, but as God He forgave sins from the cross, and by dying destroyed the life of sin. He who was counted among the guilty, and was assessed as worse than the thief whom the Jews ranked before their devoted Lord, gave the kingdom of heaven to the thief who believed, and while still confined to earth opened the gates of Paradise.

Accordingly, though we share with other breathing creatures the same substance of flesh, we are not at death’s dissolution restored to nothingness as souls excluded because of the death of the flesh. No, when the trumpet sounds every region of earth will restore our bodies from their hidden seeds; our body, mind, soul will be joined in their compact with each other, and we shall be haled before the Lord God in our wholeness. If you are skeptical that ashes can be reassembled into bodies and souls restored to their vessels, Ezekiel will be your witness, for long ago the whole process of resurrection was revealed to him by the Lord. In his pages you will behold the dusty remains of people of old come to life over the entire region, bones scattered far and wide over the broad plain spontaneously hastening to fuse together when bidden, sprouting sinews from the innermost marrow and then drawing the skin over the flesh that had grown on them. Then the limbs are perfectly ordered more quickly than words can tell, and from the ancient dust stand forth people made new.

Paulinus of Nola, Poem 31.115–134, 303–322

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Fourth Sunday in Lent

I held My peace, and I will not always be silent and restrain Myself. Now I will be steadfast, like a woman in labor. I shall amaze and dry up together. I will make the rivers into coastlands and dry up marsh-meadows. I will bring the blind by a way they did not know and will cause them to tread paths they have not known. I will turn darkness into light for them, and make crooked places straight. These things I will do for them and not forsake them. But they turned back. You be greatly ashamed who trust in carved images, who say to the molded images, “You are our gods.” (Isa 42:14-17 LXX)

The prophetic words are describing the glorious advent of the Savior, of which the Apostle Paul also speaks, “In accordance with the illumination of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” He compares him to a very mighty man who will wage war against his adversaries and stir up jealousy... And the meaning is,

For a long time I carried you as you transgressed often, but I who had previously held my peace will no longer keep silent. And just as a woman in labor brings forth an infant into the light and brings into the open what was previously being held confined within, so I will now bring forth my grief and dissimulation that I always had because of your evil deeds, and I will destroy your plans. At one time I will swallow up every nation and all the pride of the mountains and the swelling up of your hills, and I will reduce to a desert the grass, of which it was said above, “Truly the people is grass,” that is, both the princes and the ignoble common people.

And when I will have dried you up and destroyed you from head to foot, at that time I will cause rivers of my teaching to flow to the islands of the Gentiles, and will reduce to dryness your standing pools, or “marshes.” Accordingly, the knowledge of the Scriptures will be among the Gentiles, and the dryness of doctrine among you. And I will lead the blind by the way which they did not know before. We also read about this above, “I have given you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles, that you may open the eyes of the blind” (Isa 42:6). They will be led by the way of which Christ speaks: “I am the way”; or I will make them walk on the way of the knowledge of God and in the paths of the prophets.

At that time their darkness will be turned to light, and crooked things will be turned to straight so that they understand what they read, and view with the eyes of their hearts the bright light of Christ in the Old Testament.

And at the same time he adds, These things have I done, or “will I do,” to them. I am not promising additional things to come, but delivering on what I had previously promised. But while I am saying these things, the Jewish people have been turned back, so that they did not believe the one who made the promises, and they were confounded by their own errors, and they neglected God’s promise, the people who had previously believed in idols.

Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Third Sunday in Lent

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:1–8)

How we may have access to grace through our Lord Jesus Christ the Savior himself states, “I am the door, and no one comes to the Father except through me.” We have access to grace through him, then, because he is the door. But let us see what sort of door he is in order that we might understand what sort of people they ought to be who would enter through it and have access to grace. The door is truth, and through the door of truth liars cannot enter. Again, the door is also righteousness, and through the door of righteousness the unrighteous do not pass. The door says, “Learn from me because I am gentle and humble in heart.” Through the door of humility and gentleness, then, neither the wrathful nor the arrogant may enter. Consequently, if there is someone who, in accordance with the Apostle’s word, wants to have access through our Lord Jesus Christ to the grace of the Lord in which Paul and those who are like him claim to stand, he must be purged from all these things we have recorded above. Otherwise, this door will not allow those who are doing things alien to it to enter through it. Instead, it closes at once and does not allow those who are dissimilar to it to pass through.

Since he had said above that “Christ, at the set time, died for those who were still ungodly,” now he wants to show from this the greatness of God’s love for men. For if it was so great for the ungodly and sinners that he gave his only Son for their salvation, how much more bountiful and widespread shall it be toward those who have been converted and atoned and, as he himself says, redeemed by His own blood?

In my opinion, for Paul this variety of words is not superfluous, that sometimes he calls those for whom Christ died “the weak,” sometimes “the ungodly,” and sometimes “sinners.” And even though he confesses that he is unskilled in speech, nevertheless I do not believe that he has alternated in this through any lack of skill, but rather through profound knowledge. For in these three terms every class of sin is collected. A person, being ignorant of God, is led into every evil and is called “ungodly.” Another, while knowing God and wanting to keep the commandment, is conquered by the frailty of the flesh and becomes ensnared by the allurements of the present life and is called “weak.” Or a person may knowingly and willingly despise the commandment and hate the correction of God and cast his words behind him and is named “sinner.” And so Paul, who, as we have said, confesses that he is untrained in speech, has comprehended by this threefold diversity of expressions all those for whom Christ is being proclaimed to have died.

Origen, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans 8.5, 11.1–2

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Second Sunday in Lent

What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin. (Rom 4:1–8)

Faith relies on the grace of the justifier. Works rely on the justice of the rewarder. When I consider the greatness of Paul's speech, by which he says that the worker receives what is due to him, I can hardly persuade myself that there is any deed which could claim a reward from God as its due.… Faith, which believes in the justifier, is the beginning of justification before God. And this faith, when it is justified, is like a root in the soil of the soul, which the rain has watered, so that as it begins to grow by the law of God, branches appear, which bring forth fruit. The root of righteousness does not spring from works; rather, the fruit of works grows from the root of righteousness, viz., by that root of righteousness by which God brings righteousness to the one whom he has accepted apart from works.

Origen, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the First Sunday in Lent

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned—(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. (Rom 5:12-19)

What has Adam’s guilt got to do with us? Why are we held responsible for his sin when we were not even born when he committed it? Did not God say: “The parents will not die for the children, nor the children for the parents, but the soul which has sinned, it shall die.” How then shall we defend this doctrine? The soul, I say, which has sinned, it shall die. We have become sinners because of Adam’s disobedience in the following manner.… After he fell into sin and surrendered to corruption, impure lusts invaded the nature of his flesh, and at the same time the evil law of our members was born. For our nature contracted the disease of sin because of the disobedience of one man, that is, Adam, and thus many became sinners. This was not because they sinned along with Adam, because they did not then exist, but because they had the same nature as Adam, which fell under the law of sin. Thus, just as human nature acquired the weakness of corruption in Adam because of disobedience, and evil desires invaded it, so the same nature was later set free by Christ, who was obedient to God the Father and did not commit sin.

Cyril of Alexandria, Explanation of the Letter to the Romans

Ancient Patterns of Prayer

St. Paul’s Lutheran - Hamel, IL

Michael C. Legaspi has written a piece for First Things trying to correct the common misconception of individualism in prayer and a call to return to

less a “dialogue” between man and God than a time to approach the King as loyal and humble subjects. The author makes an historic case for corporate prayer at set times per day.

I know of several churches that either purport or desire to be houses of prayer according to Jesus’ call to abide by God's desire: “For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isa 56:7). While this desire is worthwhile, the implementation generally boils down to having a group of people together praying, each as he or she desires, whereas the ancient view is more corporately engaged.

Once gathered, the faithful recite set prayers in a prescribed manner. The words and the position of the body (standing, prostrating, or kneeling) are important, as is the body’s geographic orientation (toward Mecca, toward Jerusalem, toward the East). The one who prays does so with mind, words, and body, in harmony with fellow adherents. At times set aside for prayer, the faithful are examples of fully integrated persons, positioned body and soul on a vertical axis that joins time and space and unites individual, community, cosmos, and creator.

For those concerned about the place of individual petitions, these are considered appropriate, but within the framework of first understanding who we are as a believing community coming together before our Sovereign.

The author references Muslim practice to enforce the point of regularity in Abrahamic faiths. While this is disappointing and unneeded, it does not deter from his thesis. I commend the article to you and leave you with his parting words:

Of course, prayer has been difficult in all eras. Every generation wrestles with pride, sloth, anger, and malice. Still, we have a good deal to learn and relearn from the tradition. In dwelling with the old prayers, we heed the words of the prophet, who told the people to “seek the ancient paths, where the good way is, walk in it, and find rest for your souls” (Jer. 6:16).

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Transfiguration

But I was established as King by Him
Over His holy hill of Zion,
Declaring the Lord’s decree.
The Lord said to Me,
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You;
Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall shepherd them with an iron staff;
You shall shatter them like a potter’s vessel.” (Ps 2:6–9)

As God, you see, He is maker of all things: “Through Him everything was made, and without Him nothing was made,” and “through Him all things were created, things visible and invisible.” If He is Lord and Creator of all things, He is Lord and Master of what He created; yet while Lord by nature insofar as He is God, as man He also receives the lordship of all things. Since in former times particular care seemed to be lavished only on the Jews—“The people of Jacob,” Scripture says, “became the Lord’s portion, Israel his allotted inheritance”—and yet were rejected for gaining no advantage from the special care, properly He transfers his care to the nations, without having been uncaring towards them in former times. Thus He fulfilled the oracle of Moses, whose words were, remember, “Rejoice, nations, with His people.”

Now, it is possible to discover an appropriate fulfillment for this prophecy, too: the number of the Jews who came to faith was not only the twelve apostles but was as well the seventy disciples, the hundred and twenty whom blessed Peter addressed in assembly, the five hundred to whom he appeared on one occasion after the Resurrection according to the statement of the divinely inspired Paul, the three thousand and the five thousand that the chief of the apostles made his catch through addressing them, and the many myriads of whom the mighty James exclaimed, “You see, brother, what countless numbers of Jewish believers there are.” These, to be sure, and in addition to them those of the Jews throughout the whole world who have come to faith He declares a holy people, and through them He takes possession of all the nations, thus fulfilling the prophecy in the words, “Rejoice, nations, with His people.”

In addition to this, however, He fulfills also His own prophecy which He made in regard to the Jews in the words, “Now, I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. Those, too, I must gather; they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.” This, too, He says in the present psalm: Ask it of me, and I shall give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your possession. But it occurs to me to lament the faithlessness of the Jews, who though hearing the prophecy that made specific mention of the ends of the earth, and realizing that none of their kings had had such sway, but only Christ the Lord, David’s offspring in the flesh, blind the eyes of their mind according to the prophecy that says, “They grope about, as blind people do for the wall, and not as they will do who have the benefit of eyesight.” That, of course, is the reason why the inspired word is directed against them.

Theodoret of Cyrus, Commentary on the Psalms 2.8–10

Converts or Disciples: Which Are We Making?

I have been thinking recently about our mission as followers of Christ. Several areas could fall under this broad topic, but what draws my attention is the expansion of the Kingdom of God. What is required? How are we to go about it?

At first blush, someone would say the answer is to concentrate on evangelism. In other words, we need to get the message of the gospel out. True, we do need to make the gospel known. After all, how will they believe unless they hear, and how will they hear unless someone is sent? However, having this as an all-encompassing focus, the model is little more than multilevel marketing wherein each person is to bring so many to Christ, then those in the next level do the same. Someone may ask, “What is wrong with this model if people are won to Christ?” The problem is that they are being converted to an individual, pastor, local church, denomination, etc. but not to Christ. Converts buy into a program or mentality that is more concerned with earning credit toward an excellent report card at the final judgment than living as a believer and letting others see and hear Christ, becoming more wedded to a program than the Bridegroom. More correct would be living like the sheep in Matthew 25 who went about their routine existence and were surprised that their good deeds were done to and for Jesus Himself.

If we look at Scripture, we see a different practice. Before Jesus was taken in a cloud, He left instructions recorded in two forms: be My witnesses (Acts 1:8) and make disciples (Mt 28:19). Witnesses are those who saw, heard, or otherwise experienced an event and can relate facts to another. In short, they talk about what happened, not themselves. Here is where we tend to insert ourselves into the story. While there is a strong urge to evaluate the experience, this needs to be avoided: the emphasis is on the objective reality. For the believer, then, this translates to being a witness of Christ and the gospel. We relate the plan of redemption that culminated in the cross of Christ for our sins. We witness to the salvific working of the Godhead. We testify to the truth of God in three persons. We witness to the sure hope of Christ’s return, our bodily resurrection, Judgment Day, and life eternal. We witness to the recorded testimony handed down from one generation to the next, corroborated by independent and sometimes antagonistic evidence. In other words, we confess the Apostle’s Creed. Notice that nothing is said of making converts, so why do we spend so much time, energy, and money doing that very thing? Constant energy is expended on learning formulaic questions and answers to convince someone to “give your heart to Jesus” or “accept Jesus into your heart.” An emphasis is always to pressure someone through closing the deal.

What about making disciples? We think that we know what this entails, but it gets relegated to part two of a process that begins with the decision. But this is not how the command is stated. The two-step process is a symptom of an improper understanding we have as to whose disciples these are that are being made. Jesus said to make disciples by baptizing and teaching. Notice there is no initial requirement for an emotional appeal from a preacher. Instead, we proclaim the good news, and when the hearer is pricked in the spirit, realizing his sin and need of repentance, he is baptized as a confession of faith imparting the Holy Spirit, new life, etc. (Rom 6; Gal 2; Col 3; 1 Pet 3); then after baptism, teaching ensues in all that Jesus commanded. Instead of drawing people to ourselves, we become examples to other believers and the world. The disciples that come of this are not ours: they are the Lord’s and His alone.

Having a proper perspective of whose disciples these are, and what our true mandate is, how should this be reflected in our local congregations? First, we should reject programs specifically geared to tell a simplistic message: Chick tracts, Four Spiritual Laws, etc. While these are well intended, they make evangelism formulaic and superficial. Second, we need to catechize believers. We need to give them the tools to share the faith, The point of this exercise is to be sharing what you purportedly trusted from the beginning. What does God require (Ten Commandments)? What has God done for me (Apostle’s Creed)? How do I now come before Him (Lord’s Prayer)? Having our hearts and minds centered on what has been gained in Christ, our worship and instruction should revolve around these core elements to the glory of God.

Behold the Man? No, Beware!

I came across a Twitter video that demonstrated Steven Furtick’s abuse of God’s Word. When I watched the clip, I wondered how someone so devoid of sound exegesis could build such a following for himself. It occurred to me that people are more attracted to success than truth, and we must be vigilant to not follow in their footsteps. This was driven home in my Bible reading this week as I was looking at Psalm 144 taken from the Septuagint:

Deliver me and save me from the hand of the sons of foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks empty things,
And their right hand is a right hand of wrongdoing,
Whose sons are like new plants
Matured in their youth,
Their daughters beautified,
Adorned like a temple;
Their storehouses are full,
Bursting forth with abundance on all sides;
Their sheep give many births,
Multiplying in their streets;
Their oxen are fat;
There is no gap in their fence or passage,
Nor outcry in their streets.
They call the people blessed, whose lot this is;
But rather, blessed is the people
Whose God is the Lord. (Ps 143:11–15 LXX)

David described the unrighteous as spewing empty words and doing evil though everything about them is prosperous. There is a temptation to honor these people and called them blessed because of their success. David contrasts that temptation by acknowledging that only those whose God is the Lord are blessed, inferring that the empty talkers are not His people: they serve a different god altogether.

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.” But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, “Raca!” shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, “You fool!” shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. (Matt 5:21-26)

This second fulfillment of the Law was done according to the law of how to live. When Christ did these things and taught them, He fulfilled the Law and did not break it. For the commandment of Christ is not contrary to the Law but is broader than the Law. The commandment of Christ includes the Law in itself, but the Law does not include Christ’s commandment. Therefore whoever fulfills the commandments of Christ tacitly fulfills in them also the commandments of the Law, for whoever does not grow angry all the more does not kill. But whoever fulfills the commandment of the Law does not altogether fulfill the commandment of Christ. Often an individual does not kill because he fears punishment, but nonetheless, he is angry. Do you see then, that the Law is fulfilled by grace but not abolished? Then without these commandments of Christ, the commandments of the Law are not able to stand. For if a license is granted to become angry, a reason for committing homicide is also given, for it is from anger that murder originates. Remove anger, and there will be no murder. Everyone who is angry without cause, as far as his will is concerned, commits murder, even if he does not do so out of fear. Consequently, there is not as much grief as if it had happened, but the sin of the angry person is just as great. So John in his canonical epistle says, “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer.”…

See the mercy of God, how He looks more at the advantages to people than at His own honors. For if He were regarding his own honors, He would have said, “Meanwhile, offer your sacrifice and later go and be reconciled.” Now, however, He says, “Go, first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” It is as if He would say to him, “Go. I am gladly despised and freely suffer the loss of my honor, and I, your Lord, willingly await you, My servants, only so that you can come in friendship. Go, then, so that you can know that I love the harmony of My faithful more than sacrifices”—because the sacrifices of humankind do not profit God, but indeed their love effects God’s glory.

Anonymus, Incomplete Commentary on Matthew 11