The Living Word

Bible study on the set readings widely used by various churches and chapels and a weekly storytelling video. Also at www.medium.com/the-living-word and https://thelivingword.substack.com

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Archives for January 2022

Jan. 30: Return to Me!

January 30, 2022 by Ian Greig Leave a Comment

Hereford city rooftops from Churchill Gardens with Hay Bluff showing out of mist in the distance
Hereford city rooftops from Churchill Gardens with Hay Bluff showing out of mist in the distance

Theme: God is always calling people to return to His way

Jeremiah 1:4-10 — The Lord’s call to speak for Him is a challenge

Luke 4:21-30 — Jesus brings conviction in the Nazareth synagogue

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 — Gifts are not about us but about God’s love

Also read: Psalm 71:1-6


• See also this week’s linked article  ‘God is Calling Others to Walk With Him‘ and video on YouTube (best for desktop) and Instagram (best for mobiles)

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Jeremiah 1:4-10 — The Lord’s call to speak for Him is a challenge

God calls courageous people to speak forth and call people back to faith

4-5 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

“I knew you… I appointed you” — Jeremiah received a non-negotiable call to proclaim what God gave Him to say,at a time when the nation was in rebellion.

“Prophet to the nations”— with a message that would touch Assyria, Babylon and Egypt as well as Judea.

6 “Alas, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

“Too young” – possibly a teenager. The word used is for someone who has not yet left home.

7-8 But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.

“Do not be afraid of them” — the Lord identifies the real reason for Jeremiah’s reluctance: his (understandable) fear. Then follows one of Scripture’s very many “Fear not!” promises reassuring him, not of freedom from persecution, but of rescue in it. 

9-10 Then the LORD reached out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

“My words in your mouth” — similar to that spoken to Moses in Deut. 18:18. The message is the Lord’s but the messenger, authorised to speak in public, is the prophet.

“To uproot… to plant” — the nature of the prophetic call combines a breaking down of what has been constructed out of human pride, but also planting and building afresh in God’s purpose.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Jeremiah already knows when God is speaking to Him. Now God is challenging Him to speak forth the word He hears, which may not always be well received. He recognises that he is unprepared, and no orator. But the Lord sees that as his pledge of dependence and therefore His qualification.

APPLICATION  In Jeremiah’s time, God was experienced through ritual sacrifices and through the priests who offered them. God called and anointed special people — prophets, priests, and kings — to be allowed a more personal relationship with him. Today, every Christian who has become reconciled to God through choosing to trust Jesus has the capability of hearing God’s voice, and to a greater or lesser extent the call to speak it out. Like Jeremiah, this will often become a conflict with settled establishment values and practices where God is doing a new thing.

QUESTION  Who do we hear speaking out for God, for example during the pandemic?

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Luke 4:21-30 — Jesus brings conviction in the Nazareth synagogue

The reminder of God’s favour shown to believing Gentiles results in fury

21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

“This scripture is fulfilled” — this was Jesus saying that God’s plan and promise is fulfilled in Him, because the Isaiah passage He has read is about Him. 

22 All spoke well of Him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

“The gracious words” — two things are going on here. They are being stirred by “gracious” or powerfully anointed words, but they are coming from someone who they knew from Joseph’s workshop.

23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”

“Heal yourself” — can be understood as “your own people”. There was some resentment of the miraculous work He was known to have carried out in Capernaum.

24-27 “Truly I tell you,” He continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed — only Naaman the Syrian.”

“Elijah’s time” — a time of widespread unfaithfulness to God where the nation experienced judgment in the form of famine. Jesus is reminding the people of Nazareth that when Israel rejected God’s prophets, God sent them elsewhere, notably to these two Gentiles.

28-30 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove Him out of the town, and took Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him off the cliff. But He walked right through the crowd and went on His way.

“The people…were furious” — at Jesus’ reminder that at former times of rebellion, Gentiles had received God’s covenant blessings, which they believed were theirs exclusively.

“He walked through the crowd” — the shadow of the Cross had touched Him but this was not His time and, perhaps by a miracle of concealment, He was delivered.

Reflection

SUMMARY  The heart of Jesus’ message is that He, standing before them, is the fulfilment of Isaiah 61 which He has just read. Without being more specific – which would open Him to a charge of blasphemy – the implication of His words is that He is the long-awaited Messiah and the servant of whom Isaiah spoke. That was a challenge to those who had seen Him grow up and learn His trade helping Joseph. Jesus had moved to Capernaum where He called people to repentance and established a following. Back in Nazareth, He was “Joseph’s son” and there wasn’t the same faith to see God move. The allusion to the rejection of God unbelieving Israel at the time of Elijah and Elisha brought to a head a resentment that was already simmering, and prompted an attempt to carry out an illegal lynching. But Jesus was delivered from the threat: His time had not yet come.

APPLICATION  Jesus’ message and teaching can be brought down to three elements: a call to change our way of thinking, to recognise our need of Him, and to receive Him and His kingdom. That’s a big shift, and we may need to get angry, or at least very uncomfortable, before we start to turn.

QUESTION  Have you heard a call to repentance in your church? What was the response?

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1 Corinthians 13:1-13 — Gifts are not about us but about God’s love

Spiritual gifts which come from God must not be paraded in an ungodly way

13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

“Speak in the tongues” — people of the Corinth church talked about the gift of tongues a lot and treated it as a badge of spirituality. Following on from earlier discussion, Paul begins with this gift.

“Resounding…clanging” — probably allusions to Greek theatre. The point is, not using the gift to draw attention to oneself, but motivated to help others.

2-3 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

“If I give all” — charitable giving or suffering as a “good work” yields no spiritual gain.

4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 Love does not” — the negative statements are linked to the self-seeking attitudes in Corinth that Paul’s letter addresses.

“It always… always” — emphatic statements which define the kind of love which is not self-seeking but willing to make sacrifice.

8-10 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.

“Prophecies… will cease” — at the end of the age on the Lord’s return when there will be no need for spiritual impartations to give believers a channel for God’s grace to flow unaffected by the spiritual confusion and opposition of the world. Some have argued that it supports the belief that gifts ceased as the canon of Scripture was established, but “when completeness comes” needs to be understood by the “face to face” and “know fully” of the following verses.

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

“As in a mirror” — the imperfect reflection of the then polished bronze mirrors. “Mirror” is also used for the word of God, 2 Cor. 3:18, James 1:23-25, contrasting the partial understanding of God it gives us, with seeing Him face to face when Jesus returns to fully establish His kingdom.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

“These three remain” — because unlike gifts, which are situational helps, these are eternal heavenly qualities. Faith is how we come to God, Hebrews 11:6, but it is love that gives us the capacity to imitate Him.

• For further study on faith, hope and love, compare Romans 5:1–5; Galatians 5:5–6; Ephesians 4:2–5; Colossians. 1:4–5; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 5:8. 

Reflection

SUMMARY  Jeremiah was commissioned by God as His spokesperson to call the Jewish people of His time back to following God’s ways. Jesus appeared and revealed Himself as more than a prophet, God’s Son and Messiah, and His message to call people into the kingdom of God, personalised by His sacrificial love on the Cross, is now believed by billions. In the church people’s experience of Him meeting their needs through spiritual gifts continue to call people back to His love and His way. In this well-known passage Paul singles out four or five representative spiritual gifts and shows them to have significance only as specific reflections of the eternal power of God’s love.

APPLICATION  The Bible’s salvation landscape shows a regular pattern: times when God and His people were one, and times when they were pulling apart. In every age, God raised up a prophet to call people back to Him — and finally His Son who is the Way. The role that God laid before Jeremiah, Jesus’ rejection by His own people in Nazareth, and lack of love in spiritual gifts illustrate our selfish tendency to pull against God’s desire for us to enjoy fellowship with Him. The call to return to God, to confess sin and independence and to pledge to walk closely with Him again, is an appeal we all need opportunity to respond to regularly.

QUESTION  How does the thought that spiritual gifts are expressions and evidences of God’s unconditional love strike you? Should they be taught and practised more, or less?

PRAYER  Father God, we all like sheep tend to go astray. We praise You for Your love as a Shepherd who calls us back to You. We, your church, have often put our desires above your mission and love for others. Help us, we ask, to be better at following Your plan — and helping others to be reconciled with You. In and through jesus we pray. Amen.

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There’s a print edition produced as a  convenient Bible-size folder which you can download and copy from this link. Permission given to copy for home groups and other church discipling uses.

TLW04C Jan 30 final – Booklet

Filed Under: Epiphany, Year C

Jan 23: The word is proclaimed, God is revealed!

January 20, 2022 by Ian Greig Leave a Comment

 

Foundations and a remaining wall of a medieval palace on a hill overlooking Salisbury
Part of the wall of the great hall of the Clarendon Palace, on the historic route out of Salisbury towards Winchester and where King Henry II summoned Archbishop Becket for the Clarendon Convention — arguably the beginnings of the Reformation

 

The Living Word for January 23, 2022, is a non-denominational Bible study which relies on the Bible explaining the Bible, uninfluenced by any church’s traditions or preferences, and following the Bible’s sequence of progressive revelation. Read the whole passage first and let the Holy Spirit begin speaking to you through it, then go deeper with the verse by verse commentary and reflections. The week’s readings are as set by the Revised Common Lectionary, an inter-denominational resource shared by many different churches and chapels. The Bible version, widely used in contemporary churches, is the NIV © Biblica. Ref. TLW03C

The word is proclaimed, God is revealed

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 — Ezra reads the Law to the people

Luke 4:14-21 — Jesus reads the Scripture which defines His call

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a — God’s gifts comprise His church, His body

Psalm 19

• This week’s linked article and message God’s Word — Catalyst for Change

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Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 — Ezra reads the Law to the people

The assembled people find both conviction and joy in Scripture

1 All the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.

“Water Gate” — south of the Temple and more open space

“Bring out the Law” — the first five books, probably emphasising Deuteronomy.

2-3 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

“Seventh month” — the people first assembled for the Festival of Trumpets, Leviticus 23:24-25 at the beginning of the new year, October 1,445 BC

5-6 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

“Opened the book… the people… stood… and… lifted their hands” — Ezra unrolling the scroll and publicly reading the precepts was worship, in the presence of God.

8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

“Giving the meaning” — articulate exposition of the Hebrew Scriptures for the Aramaic-speaking people, brought up in Babylon.

9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

“Weeping as they listened” — the word of God, brought worshipfully, brought conviction, Ezra 10:6; Isa. 57:18-19; Jeremiah 31:13; Ezra 3:13. They were becoming painfully aware of their ancestors’ failure before God. However, the New Year festival recalled with joy what God had done for them, Numbers 29:1-6.

10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

“The joy… is your strength” — as the people, rejoicing, received the presence of God afresh, He would show Himself strong for them. 

Reflection

SUMMARY The Holy Spirit is active in the Old Testament but He is seldom highlighted until later, but he is certainly active in this public reading of Scripture which leads to a profound revelation and repentance among the people. The Law, their heritage as the people of God, had been missing from their lives. They could now see how their ancestors had become independent from God (a good definition of sin), had dismissed warning after warning from God’s prophets, and the cause-and-effect of the exile which was their experience.

APPLICATION Scripture is God’s words of instruction, and also God’s “now” word of direction as the Holy Spirit makes a deep connection with us. The hearers came to repentance before God, not for what they had done, but for others who had gone before, which is teaches us that we can make the same response. Joy and strength arise through repentance, because God is love, and His very nature is mercy. What he wants most is to give us a second chance – and to do what connects us to this desire.

QUESTION  The people, hearing the law, were aware of how badly the nation had failed. What touches God’s heart to turn their weeping to rejoicing?

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Luke 4:14-21 — Jesus reads the Scripture which defines His call

He proclaims freedom, God’s gracious, generous favour — and causes a storm

14-15 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised Him.

“Returned… in the power of the Spirit” — following baptism and a visible encounter with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returns to his homeland with a public ministry.

“Teaching in their synagogues” — in Galilee, including Capernaum. Luke highlights what happened at Nazareth. Jesus’ followers start to see Him as Messiah; others start to challenge His authority.

16-17 He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, as was His custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it is written:

“The scroll… was handed to Him” — synagogue worship included set readings from the law (early books) and one of the prophets (later books), and an exposition drawing from both. Jesus is handed the scroll for Isaiah 61 to read in Hebrew and paraphrase in the Aramaic vernacular.

18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”

“Set the oppressed free” — all five phrases speak about those marginalised in society “Poor”, “prisoner”, “blind” etc carry both material and spiritual meanings.

20-21 Then He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on Him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

“Scripture is fulfilled” — gracious words, they said, from “Joseph’s son” until Jesus, in His exposition, vv. 22-29, dared to apply the good news to non-Jews. Then they became angry.

Reflection

SUMMARY Here Scripture is being read in a different context but with similar deep impact, as Jesus unrolls the scroll to Isaiah 61. He had attended the Nazareth synagogue countless times as He grew up. Now, following His encounter with the Spirit of God at the riverside in baptism, He reads and speaks with a prophetic tone and authority — applying the words to Himself as a personal commission. More shocking was His explanation that the good news is not just for the people of the covenant, but for others as well.

APPLICATION  Judaism was never intended to be a ‘closed shop’. Neither is the Christian church which particularly exists to bless and make Jesus known to others. The word of God, proclaimed with the Spirit of God, brings a mixture of salvation and conviction, as we see in the synagogue hearers who became angry..

QUESTION  In what ways are we bound up, unable to see properly, feeling bad about ourselves and lacking God’s joy in our lives? How does encountering Jesus change us?

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1 Corinthians 12:12-31a — God’s gifts comprise His church, His body

They all work together in concert, diverse but harmonised in God’s purpose

12-14 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body — whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

“One body” — Paul assumes the Corinthians know that they together form Christ’s body.

“Many parts” — earlier Greek and Roman sources use the state as an analogy for many different members comprising one unified body.

15-17 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

“If the foot should say” — orators of this period often personified objects as speaking.

18-20 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21-24 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment.

“Parts… we treat with special honour” — the “parts that we think are less honourable” stay clothed however hot it gets.

“Eye cannot say to the hand” — the Corinthian church had got carried away with the more demonstrative gifts, and Paul will single out the prayer and praise language of tongues as a gift to use wisely, not to show off spirituality, 1 Cor. 12:10, 27, 30.

24-26 But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.

“Greater honour” — people with spiritual gifts that stand out to other do not need extra honour.

“Equal concern” — when all the gifts are working together, there will be a mutual concern that will prevent division.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

“The body” — Each individual, in each congregation and every expression of Trinitarian church is part of Christ’s body on earth.

28-30 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

“God has placed in the church” — earlier, different spiritual gifts were discussed but now, people with a specific and established kind of ministry gifting are in view. Paul teaches that ‘showy’ and less evident gifts are of equal value. When it comes to gift ministries there is a certain order, not of value, but in function, because of how they edify the church. Not all are the first-to-act pioneers who go out and plant churches, but without them there would be no new churches. Not all are commissioned to speak a word from God and shape the church’s vision, but those that are should be recognised in their calling without any jealousy. Similarly with those who instruct others in the faith, or take risks in exercising faith for the miraculous.

31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

“Greater gifts” — emphasising the gift of God’s unconditional love, given to us to to give away. This verse headlines 1 Cor. 13, which is where chapter 12 is going. All gifts are empty gestures unless motivated by God’s love.

Reflection

SUMMARY  Paul’s teaching, arising from tensions in the church in Corinth, makes the assumption that spiritual gifts are part of the life of the church but must be balanced and free from competition or jealousy. Those who lead in giftedness, in breaking new ground, proclaiming, explaining, or in one-to-one personal ministry, are recognised as the ones who equip the congregation.

APPLICATION  There is a tension between our desire for predictability – this is “our synagogue” or this is “our church” – and God doing something unpredictable, like Jesus’ message at Nazareth or Holy Spirit-led ministry at Corinth. God knows our needs, meets us with love, and wants to walk over the bridge of our faith, to work in our lives and community. Will we learn to let Him?

QUESTION Does the Lord need to remind His church of the centrality of His word again? What would Paul write to our church about practising spiritual gifts and Spirit-led ministry?

PRAYER In your own words, thank God for His life-giving, encouraging and at times correcting word. And for gifts in the church who help bring that word.

Filed Under: Epiphany, Year C

Jan 16: God’s Glory in Church and Community

January 18, 2022 by Ian Greig Leave a Comment

Swimmers take a plunge in the cold surf New Year's Day at Saunton Sands, N. Devon
Swimmers take the traditional plunge in the cold surf on New Year’s Day at Saunton Sands, N. Devon

The Living Word for January 16, 2022, is a non-denominational Bible study which relies on the Bible explaining the Bible, uninfluenced by any church’s traditions or preferences, and following the Bible’s sequence of progressive revelation. Read the whole passage first and let the Holy Spirit begin speaking to you through it, then go deeper with the verse by verse commentary and reflections. The week’s readings are as set by the Revised Common Lectionary, an inter-denominational resource shared by many different churches and chapels. The Bible version, widely used in contemporary churches, is the NIV © Biblica. Ref. TLW02C

God’s glory seen in church and community

Psalm 36:5-10 — sets the scene: God’s light and glory in His love, faithfulness, justice and secure life.

Isaiah 62:1-5 — God’s people renamed in move from shame to glory

John 2:1-11 — Jesus miraculously changes water into good wine

1 Corinthians 12:1-11 — Paul teaches balance in spiritual gifting

• See this week’s linked article How We See God’s Glory and video introduction


 

Psalm 36:5-10 — Introduction to theme

5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies.

6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, Your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.

7 How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of Yyour wings.

8 They feast on the abundance of Your house; You give them drink from Your river of delights.

9 For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.

10 Continue Your love to those who know You, Your righteousness to the upright in heart.


Isaiah 62:1-5 – God’s people renamed in move from shame to glory

His gracious vindication will resound until it shines out for all to see

This passage expands Isaiah’s earlier theme of man’s shame erased by God’s glory

1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.

2 The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.

“Vindication” — or righteousness. In Isaiah 46:13 the same word in Hebrew is translated “righteousness”.

3-4 You will be a crown of splendour in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate.

But you will be called Hephzibah [My delight is in her], and your land Beulah [married]; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married.

“You will be called”– biblical names often reveal a person’s character or reputation or even their call. Sometimes people changed their names to reflect this. This change of name reflects how God now sees His people differently.

“Married” —– the change is from being lonely, deserted and desolate, to the intimacy of an exclusive and delightful relationship of love and protection, like the covenant of marriage. This way of expressing a deity and a territory in covenant is unique to the Bible, and specifically between the One God Yahweh and Israel, only in Isaiah.

5 As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.

“Your Builder” — the One who has formed you. Other versions render this “so shall your sons marry you”, the idea of the blessing of an expanding household.

Reflection

SUMMARY Many passages in Isaiah see far ahead of his time to a series of events which will only come to finality when Jesus returns. Here Isaiah sees a time of Israel’s “desolation” from abandoning trust in God and failing to listen to those charged to proclaim His message. But Isaiah has also caught God’s heart — that He is for His people, that His fundamental nature is to be merciful, that He can always bring His purpose out of man’s mess. 

APPLICATION  God’s sure purpose is reassuring when everything around seems to be a mess, and even if we are convinced that we caused it. God is bigger, and already has a new name and new life for us. Renewing is what He does. Sometimes our little bit of personal glory or fulfilment just has to die, because God will have us see His glory, and His alone.

QUESTION If renewing, vitalising, “re-branding” is what God does, why are we reluctant to let go of what we have and allow Him to bring change?


John 2:1-11— Jesus miraculously changes water into good wine

Social shame is averted as Jesus shows God’s glory at a community gathering 

1-3 On the third day a wed­ding took place at Cana in Gal­i­lee. Jesus’ moth­er was there, and Jesus and His dis­ci­ples had also been in­vit­ed to the wed­ding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ moth­er said to Him, “They have no more wine.”

“Wine was gone” — a social embarrassment. The family was under obligation to provide a plentiful feast and people would drink wine, water or a mixture.

“No more wine” – some commentators see here a problem that symbolised Israel’s spiritual barrenness. The OT background of Judaism in the first century saw plenty of wine as a figure for God’s blessing and joy,.

For further study, read Psalm 104:15, Proverbs 3:10, Matthew 26:2. 

4 “Wom­an, why do you in­volve Me?” Jesus re­plied. “My hour has not yet come.”

“Woman” – a formal but not inappropriate expression which could be rendered “With the greatest respect, why are you involving Me?” Jesus would not let the nature (and cost) of His ministry be set by a human agenda. There is a hint here that Jesus and the disciples arrived unexpectedly.

5 His moth­er said to the ser­vants, “Do what­ev­er He tells you.”

6 Near­by stood six stone wa­ter jars, the kind used by the Jews for cer­e­mo­ni­al wash­ing, each hold­ing from twen­ty to thir­ty gal­lons.

“Ceremonial washing” — as we wash hands before eating, so did they, but with ceremonial law more of a motive than practical hygiene. For a feast with many guests, over several days, large quantities of water were needed.

7 Jesus said to the ser­vants, “Fill the jars with wa­ter”; so they filled them to the brim.

8-9 Then He told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the mas­ter of the ban­quet.”

They did so, and the mas­ter of the ban­quet tast­ed the wa­ter that had been turned into wine. He did not re­al­ise where it had come from, though the ser­vants who had drawn the wa­ter knew. Then he called the bride­groom aside and said,

10 “Ev­ery­one brings out the choice wine first and then the cheap­er wine af­ter the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

“The best” — symbolising how everything Jesus introduced in the Messianic age He inaugurated, was better. Good wine was viewed as a sign of God’s blessing, Amos 9:13-14. God’s particular and personal blessing, the Messiah, had now arrived.

11 What Jesus did in Cana of Gal­i­lee was the first of the signs through which He re­vealed His glo­ry; and His dis­ci­ples be­lieved in Him.

“First of the signs” – John records seven or eight, each of which make a statement about who Jesus is, His lordship, and the glory of God.

• For further study, see also John 1:14, 11:4, 11:40

Reflection

SUMMARY  When Jesus turns up, everything is likely to change. Averting shame by the miraculous provision of choice wine was a good change. However, Jesus’ ministry was to get more conflicted. Surely healing the sick could only be good, but for some people, not good if someone was ‘meant’ to be sick or blind, and not on the Sabbath. 

APPLICATION  Life with Jesus at the centre opens up all sorts of possibilities but as it always challenges the established order of how things are, it may not be comfortable, and we sense Jesus’ reticence in performing this miracle as He started out.

QUESTION  Do we want Jesus to show up at our party? For that matter, how much do we want Jesus to show up in our church, knowing that He will disrupt the familiar order?


1 Corinthians 12:1-11 — Paul teaches balance in spiritual gifting

The glory of God is shown in supernatural enabling for ordinary people 70

1 Now about the gifts of the Spir­it, broth­ers and sis­ters, I do not want you to be un­in­formed.

“About the gifts” — the Corinth church flowed in the gifts, which was good, but there had been tensions and a lack of balance where the more demonstrative gifts had been allowed too much prominence. He will continue beyond this passage to teach that sacrificial love is the standard; the “common good” of the whole body is a higher value than individual expressions.

2-3 You know that when you were pa­gans, some­how or oth­er you were in­flu­enced and led astray to mute idols. There­fore I want you to know that no one who is speak­ing by the Spir­it of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” ex­cept by the Holy Spir­it.

“Speaking by the Spirit of God” — the mark of true worship, a sincerity of heart beyond words that comes only through the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives. In a pagan society with many processions, temples and idols, expressing Jesus as one of many deities was not the same as exclusive allegiance to Jesus as Lord. The Greek word for Lord is that used to translate ‘Yahweh’ in the old Greek-from-Hebrew OT.

4-6 There are dif­fer­ent kinds of gifts, but the same Spir­it dis­trib­utes them. There are dif­fer­ent kinds of ser­vice, but the same Lord. There are dif­fer­ent kinds of work­ing, but in all of them and in ev­ery­one it is the same God at work.

“Different… gifts” – gifts of grace, i.e. unmerited, and explained in a way that reflects the Trinity (like Matt. 28:19), a way of emphasising the diversity and also unity of spiritual gifts.

7 Now to each one the man­i­fes­ta­tion of the Spir­it is giv­en for the com­mon good.

8 To one there is giv­en through the Spir­it a mes­sage of wis­dom, to an­oth­er a mes­sage of knowl­edge by means of the same Spir­it…

“Message of wisdom” — these gifts are often called the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom. The first is a supernatural flash of insight into a person or situation, usually to raise faith as God ‘flags’ what He wants to heal or release or impart. The word of wisdom works with the first in the sense of revealing how to proceed with the insight that has come. e.g. sensitivity to the other person and timing.

9 …to an­oth­er faith by the same Spir­it, to an­oth­er gifts of heal­ing by that one Spir­it...

“Faith… healing” — faith and healing often work together (as all the gifts work in concert) to raise faith to pray with expectation and confidence for healing. The gift of faith is distinct from general faith or saving faith. It is an impartation of the moment to see heaven’s much bigger picture, and to grasp it.

10 …to an­oth­er mi­rac­u­lous pow­ers, to an­oth­er proph­e­cy, to an­oth­er dis­tin­guish­ing be­tween spir­its, to an­oth­er speak­ing in dif­fer­ent kinds of tongues, and to still an­oth­er the in­ter­pre­ta­tion of tongues.

“Miraculous powers” — goes with the gift of faith, the ability to ‘see’ God doing something that could not be humanly explained.

“Tongues” — the gift that the Corinthians rather over-emphasised and used (wrongly!) as a badge of spirituality. It is essentially an unlearned prayer and praise language. Paul calls it elsewhere “speaking in the tongues of angels”. When you don’t know what to pray, have run out of praise or the mind gets in the way, the Holy Spirit has another avenue of expression. In practice, tongues acts as a conduit for other gifts. A very specific and less usual use is a public ‘tongue’ where another person (or persons) present will be given an ‘interpretation’, the gist of the tongue, to speak out for others to understand. It is an alternative way God brings a prophetic word.

11 All these are the work of one and the same Spir­it, and He dis­trib­utes them to each one, just as He de­ter­mines.

“Distributes”— anyone may seek any gift. God gives the gift needed, situationally, to minister for Him. But some people find they have more affinity with a certain gift or group of gifts.

Reflection

SUMMARY AND APPLICATION  God’s glory is poised to be seen in the church, not exclusively, but as training ground for what He may do with us in the wider community, and even with people of tenuous faith. He loves people! It is a narrowly religious and exclusive view to suggest people earn favour by church attendance or service. That denies the basis of the gospel which is God’s grace, unearned. However, church is a great place to learn to exercise gifts of the Spirit, and as Vineyard church founder John Wimber used to teach words of knowledge and healing, “This is the kind of thing we ought to do in church”. It brings God glory when someone is healed, or an intractable problem springs free in a way we couldn’t have predicted. God loves to partner with us and involve us in what He is doing – at a minimum, exercising faith in prayer for what we discern He wants to do. But the bottom line is, the glory is must be His, and He is not about to share it with another, just so that we can become proud. That was the learning point for the church in Corinth, and also for us.

QUESTION What would make church more relevant for 21st century people? Would more of God’s glory seen in extraordinary happenings, help? 

PRAYER  Lord, there will come a time when Your glory will be over all the earth and everyone will confess Jesus Christ as Lord.
For now, we see it dimly, here and there.
We come to You and ask fervently for more of You, more of Your light
We ask for more love and justice to break out, transforming our churches and families and communities.
We pray it in Jesus’ name and for Your glory alone. Amen.

///////

PRINT EDITION  You can download a PDF of the print edition formatted at a four-page Bible size folder. Permission to copy for your own use, your home group or bulletin.

TLW02C January 16 final – Booklet

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  • Renewed and restored
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  • So, who is this Jesus?
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  • The Grace and Glory of God Appear — and Our Part In It
  • The Great Realisation
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  • Three Common Pitfalls to Avoid
  • To know Jesus is to have fellowship in Him
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  • Understanding God’s grace + our faith = new life in salvation 
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  • Understanding… How we learn to see where Jesus is present
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  • Why as Christians We Never Get to Stand Down
  • Why God’s Grace Is Too Good To Be Untrue
  • Willing to change?
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  • About…
    • The pros and cons of the lectionary format
    • A personal guide through the maze of Bible versions
  • About TLW print edition
  • Explaining…
    • Explaining… Christmas: the call to worship
    • Explaining… God’s call to all
    • Explaining… How God works beyond our boundaries
    • Explaining… How God’s grace doesn’t work by our rules
    • Explaining… How to see ourselves as God sees us
    • Explaining… How too easily we can be frustrating God’s plan
    • Explaining… Our assurance in the kingdom of God
    • Explaining… Revitalisation — God’s kingdom vs our control
    • Explaining… the ‘review and renew’ that God is doing
    • Explaining… Why the good news is good
    • Understanding… The danger in our complacency
    • Explaining the kingdom of God 1
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    • Explaining Pentecost
    • Explaining the Trinity
    • Explaining our identity as Christians — royal priesthood
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  • Understanding…
    • Understanding… Holiness and the Great Commandment
    • Understanding… how deception undermines God’s truth
    • Understanding… How we raise our expectation
    • Understanding… Revival
    • Understanding… Stepping out in faith
    • Understanding… the difference between reacting and responding to God
    • Understanding… The freedom that is ours in Christ
    • Understanding… the generosity of God
    • Understanding… The invitation we must respond to
    • Understanding… The need to be ready for the Lord’s return
    • Understanding… The way agreement and conflict play out in the kingdom of God
    • Understanding the Good News – God’s grace
    • Inexpressible and glorious joy
    • The need to be reborn from above
    • Understanding the Trinity of God
    • First-century gnosticism

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Welcome to The Living Word

You get a lot more out of the Sunday service readings if they are already speaking to you. TLW is about reading and re-reading these Scriptures with some commentary to bring out what is hidden and make connections with cross references. This is different from liturgy because it is a Bible study, putting the Bible passages in sequence from OT, through the NT gospel era, and then through the lens of the post-resurrection, early church in the power of the Spirit. Enabling this progressive revelation points to a theme.  The translation used is the readable and widely-used 2011 edition of the New International Version (NIV) Bible. Commentary is drawn from a wide range of sources and is Bible-centric and theologically neutral. As we read and reflect and allow the Holy Spirit to help us hear God through His word during the week, we prepare ourselves to hear afresh and receive the Sunday sermon in church or chapel.

For convenience, use the ‘Subscribe’ box below to receive a short email with the Bible passage and notes for each weekday (and that’s all!).

Unsubscribing is just as easy.

A little about me and my vision for The Living Word

I live in the Marches, a green and beautiful expanse of hills between England and Wales where churches and chapels share duty to the Christian faithful in every valley, and churchgoing is still part of the community life. However, there are few Bibles to be seen in these buildings, and home-based groups for fellowship and Bible study are rare.

I want to encourage Sunday worshippers in churches and chapels to enjoy reading the Bible during the week, to get used to hearing God for themselves through His word, and to be  spiritually prepared for the message they will hear on Sunday from the lectionary readings they all share. It is no substitute for meeting and worshipping together, nor for Holy Spirit-inspired preaching. It supports both by encouraging the personal growth of church and chapel members of any denomination. It offers faith encouragement for those no longer able to, or no longer wanting to take part in, formal physical church.

My background is not in churches that use the lectionary and I bring a breadth of tradition and spiritual understanding to the writing.  I have pastored a number of churches and been involved in a variety of other missional initiatives with a ‘kingdom of God’ agenda.

As well as The Living Word and its weekly video I also post regularly on www.freshbread.today and www.thelivingword.substack.com with a podcast as well as video and written content. There is also a Facebook page at fb.com/TLWbiblestudy

Revd Ian Greig BD (Hons), DPS

SEE ALSO other Living Word Publications

Substack newsletter and podcast (free subscription) — audio podcast, video and written content all in one place

Fresh Bread Today — the freshest bake, with a bit of a tang, unpackaged and uncut. His word to live by, today.

Believe the Good News – finding the good news and encouragement all through the Bible

GLOW – God’s Love Over Weobley, encouraging prayer and spiritual fellowship. With a local flavour for this NW Herefordshire village.

 

 

 

 

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