How Husbands Should Treat Their Wives

Whenever you give your wife advice, always begin by telling her how much you love her.  Nothing will persuade her so well to admit the wisdom of your words as her assurance that you are speaking to her with sincere affection.  Tell her that you are convinced that money is not important, that only thieves thirst for it constantly, that you love her more than gold; and indeed an intelligent, discreet, and pious young woman is worth more than all the money in the world.  Tell her that you love her more than your own life, because this present life is nothing, and that your only help is that the two of you pass through this life in such a way that in the world to come you will be united in perfect love.…Show her that you value her company, and prefer being at home to being out.  Esteem her in the presence of your friends and children.  Praise and show admiration for her good acts; and if she ever does anything foolish, advise her patiently.…Remind one another that nothing in life is to be feared, except offending God.

John Chrysostom,"Homily 20: On Ephesians 5:22-23," On Marriage and Family Life, (Crestwood:SVS Press, 1986), 60.

Antioch - Canon 9

It behooves the bishops in every province to acknowledge the bishop who presides in the metropolis, and who has to take thought for the whole province; because all men of business come together from every quarter to the metropolis.  Wherefore it is decreed that he have precedence in rank, and that the other bishops do nothing extraordinary without him, (according to the ancient canon which prevailed from our Fathers) or such things only as pertain to their own particular parishes and the districts subject to them.  For each bishop has authority over his own parish, both to manage it with the piety which is incumbent on every one, and to make provision for the whole district which is dependent on his city; to ordain presbyters and deacons; and to settle everything with judgment.  But let him undertake nothing further without the bishop of the metropolis; neither the latter without the consent of the others.

This canon specified the sphere of authority within the ecclesiastical hierarchy for a country overseer in relation to the metropolitan or in metropolitan overseers to one another.  At the top was not one above all as Rome purported but a college of oversight for the guidance of the church.

Evagrius on Psalmody and Prayer

Teachers will tell you that there is joy by unearthing a gem in a previously untapped source.  The following is one of those.  Evagrius Ponticus was a desert monk in the late fourth century.  This portion reflects some of his thoughts on the benefit from a healthy mix of prayer and psalm-singing.

Pray gently and undisturbed;
Sing psalms with understanding and good rhythm
then you will be like the young eagle that soars in the heights.


Psalmody calms the passions and puts to rest the body’s disharmony;
Prayer arouses the mind to activate its own proper activity.


Prayer is the power befitting the dignity of the mind;
it is the mind's highest and purest power and function.


Psalmody pertains to multiform wisdom;
Prayer is the prelude to immaterial and uniform knowledge.


Knowledge has great beauty: it is the co-worker of prayer,
awakening the intellectual power of the intellect to contemplation of divine knowledge.


If you have not yet received the gift of Prayer or Psalmody,
persevere and you will receive it.

De Oratione, 82-87

Sharing Hymns

I am thankful to Glenn Chatfield at The Watchman's Bagpipes for a post concerning the hymn "It Is Well with My Soul," because he shed light on two additional verses.  Most hymnals have verses 1-3, and 6, which are loved and sung heartily by every person I know.  Now I know there is more to love.  My thanks go out to Glenn for sharing.

NIV 2011: Reaping the Whirlwind

Roger Pearse has years of experience in translating ancient texts.  His qualifications give credence to issues he expresses with the latest efforts to revise the NIV which includes greater gender-inclusivity in the grammar.  No punches are pulled as he states:

The editing of the NIV for “gender-inclusivity” — to conform to the political demands of those who have power today, in more honest language – would be disgusting and dishonest whichever text was involved.  But to do it to what purports to be the Word of God is an appalling blasphemy.

He goes on to note that PETA is now seeking to have animals no longer be referred as "it" but "he" or "she" in this revision.  I recommend the brief comments and link to the main article.

The translation committee was warned some years ago about this "sowing to the wind."  Certainly there will be a political response to assuage both PETA and the Christian community, but why be in a position that necessitates this action?  My general dislike for this translation is now more a disdain.

Antioch - Canon 8

Let not country presbyters give letters canonical, or let them send such letters only to the neighboring bishops.  But the chorepiscopi of good report may give letters pacifical.

As a safeguard of communicating canonical decisions, authoritative letters required a person of proper position.  At Nicaea the council proceedings were marked with Π. Υ. A. Π. (i.e. Father, Son, Holy Spirit) attesting to their authenticity similar to a royal seal from a monarch.  Letters of commendation, however, did not require the same level of authority, but the sender needed to be in a position of responsibility.

Spiritual Warfare - Discerning Spirits

A great deal of spiritual warfare is understanding the input we receive.  The source can be the daily reception of data from media, coworkers, and acquaintances; or it may be an unexpected reception of a sporadic impulse, a spiritual message intentional directed toward us a "word from the Lord," or something a church leader said recently in public or private.  Any and all of these should be weighed as to their true source: God giving it for our good, another person who shares simply because he or she can whether intended for good or harm, or the evil one intent on our ruin.  This fourth set covered some rules for discerning spirits—or possibly better stated discerning the spirit of the messenger.

Notes – adapted from Didymus.org

PowerPoint

Handout

Spritual Warfare - Satan

Here are links to the materials for the third set in our study of Spiritual Warfare.

Notes –Again taken largely from W. Robert Cook.

MP3 referenced in notes – A clip from the July 15, 2009 episode of the radio program Issues, Etc.  The person being interviewed is Bryan Wolfmueller, pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in Aurora, CO.

Handouts – 2-up copies of the PowerPoint slides

PowerPoint – Self-explanatory

Antioch - Canon 7

No stranger shall be received without letters pacifical.

This was another expression for the type of letter mentioned by Paul (2 Cor 3:1-3) as typical of the churches to introduce a brother or sister to a receiving church.  These letters were useful in that they acknowledged the carrier as an attested believer, and the receiving church felt they could trust the stranger.  This procedure retains its practical nature today though the method of transmission may vary.

Antioch - Canon 6

If any one has been excommunicated by his own bishop, let him not be received by others until he has either been restored by his own bishop, or until, when a synod is held, he shall have appeared and made his defense, and, having convinced the synod, shall have received a different sentence.  And let this decree apply to the laity, and to presbyters and deacons, and all who are enrolled in the clergy-list.

This canon accords with scripture: deal with the outcast with the idea of reconciliation and restoration.  The formal defense after excommunication seems peculiar, since the logical step in the United States would be to have the tribunal before dismissal.  This may be a case of cultural application since the American judicial system assumes innocence.  Within the church of this era, the approach may have been to deal with questionable doctrine or impiety until a synod could be formed to gain collective wisdom on the matter.  This would protect the church though the outcast would be in a hopeless position until the synod could be convened.