It's Time to Wise Up

When I was a teenager, my older brother, being brotherly, used to rib me. "Hey, look up at the ceiling. The word gullible is written up there."

And, being exactly what he called me, I'd glance up (although I still claim it was reflex, and not actual curiosity to see said word).  

He'd die laughing, and I'd plant my hands on my hips and counter with a brilliant retort. "Nuh-uh!" And the whole situation would devolve from there.

I'll get to my point with this flashback in a second. First, in Romans 16, Paul wraps up his letter to his readers by sending a whole slew of greetings to a whole slew of people, some of whom we meet in various others of his epistles and in the book of Acts, and some of whom are mysteries. 

I've read the book of Romans so many times, but this time through, I was really arrested by the number of women mentioned in this final chapter. Having read through the years passages like 1 Corinthians 11 and other places where Paul talks about order of worship, I guess I had sort of solidified in my mind that women -- while obviously still valued -- didn't hold many leadership positions in the church in that culture and time.

However, look at this: "Greet Priscilla and Aquila..." -- a married couple, of whom, Priscilla the wife is mentioned first, and who worked in ministry with Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:2-3). Interesting.

"Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you..." There are six Mary's listed in the New Testament in various places. This is one of them (though there's no contextual information to plug her identity into any of the earlier mentions of Mary).

"Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives, who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was." I studied Latin when I was a senior in high school, and we got to review the name endings. A -us name ending was masculine. A name ending in -as was feminine. So Junias, a Christian, an apostle, a sufferer in prison, was a woman. 

"Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord..." Possibly sisters, possibly twins, since it was (and sometimes still is) common practice to name twins from the same root.

"Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord." 

At least one of these women, he was as close to as family, because he says: "Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too." 

Then he greets what seems to be a little house church, possibly, or small group of mixed company: "Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas (woman), Hermas (another woman), and the brothers with them." 

Another house church or small group: "Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints with them."

Why did I just go through all that? 

You know, I've heard some arguments that Paul was a misogynist. This chapter unravels this theory quickly. It is clear that he values both women and men for their labor for the cause of Christ, and y'all, I don't want to leave Romans with anyone holding this mistaken, horrific impression of one of the most zealous men for Christ who ever lived, and resultingly, refuse to listen to anything he has to say. 

He had a Gospel. Galatians 1:11-12 says: "I want you to know, brothers, that the Gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." Paul was faithful to preach that Gospel, and he was called to preach it to the Gentiles (that is, most of us). How awful would it be to turn away from what he wrote because we don't think he treats women well?

His love for both his brothers and sisters -- all of whom are co-missionaries with him -- shines out brilliantly in this chapter.

Okay, and then Paul gives one final warning to the church in Romans 16:17-19: "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naïve people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil."

So when my brother teased me about gullability, he was poking fun about my lack of knowledge. In a sense, I was innocent of many things. But one thing I hope I maintained (and still do today) is wisdom. 

That is, knowing what the Holy Spirit asks of me, what He speaks to me through His Word, and how He leads me through this world.

When Jesus sent out his twelve disciples in Matthew 10, He "gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness" (Matthew 10:1). He also gave them some instructions before they left. "As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons."

Wait a second... Lord, I can tell people all day long: Hey, the kingdom of heaven is near. But what's this about healing the sick? Uh... raising the dead?!?! You surely mean that in a metaphorical sense, right, Lord? Cleanse l -- l -- leprosy?! Lord, if I get too close to any of those leper guys, I'll get sick, too. You're asking me to not practice social distancing?

... ;)

Hang on, hang on, hold it right there! Drive out demons? But what if it's just, you know, epilepsy or seizures? They could take me to court for defamation of character! They could sue me for psychological damage!

So here's the deal: Jesus wasn't interested in social conventions and limitations. He didn't so much care that leprosy was the Big Bad disease of the day; He held power over sickness. He didn't so much care that the mortician had announced time of death; He held power over death. The point He was making to his twelve disciples was that they were to preach the gospel no matter the circumstances.

And He didn't say it was gonna be easy. 

Down in Matthew 10:16, He says: "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

Last I checked, sheep weren't very shrewd. Living in Ireland as my husband and I did for a year, there were lots of times that we sat in the roadway, staring at a bemused flock of sheep who stared right back at us, like... what is a car doing on our roadway? And no amount of horn beeping moved those sheep. They left when they were good and ready (or when the shepherd's dog decided it was time for them to move. Most of the sheep we met were wild sheep that wandered at will through the Donegal highlands, though). 

If those sheep had found themselves in the middle of a wolfpack, they might have stared at those wolves with the same bemused expression... How did we get here? And how do we get out?

Why would Jesus send out His disciples like sheep among wolves? 

Here's the answer. Because He equips His sheep. 

With wisdom, with power. With the ability to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons, etc. And not just in the metaphorical sense.

He makes Super Sheep out of us. :) Because of Him. Without Him, we will end up in the center of a ring of wolves, glancing up at the ceiling where the word gullible is written. 

But He freely gives us His Holy Spirit, and because of that, we walk in the Holy Spirit's power. Because of that, we can be both shrewd, and gentle. Speaking truth, speaking it in love.

Y'all, if anyone is asking you to "dumb down" the gospel, to "make it nicer," to "make it more comfortable, palatable, easier to swallow, cut out parts of it, only preach the words in red, leave out the book of Leviticus or Numbers, debate its relevance in a modern world..." 

That's a wolf. Leave them alone and preach the whole Truth.

Which is this: You and I are sinners. We have the gift of God -- salvation -- sitting on the table. It's got your name written on it, and all you have to do is claim it. It's yours. It's there. Nobody's gotta go purchase it; it was already purchased by Jesus when He died and rose again. 

You have the choice to pick it up... or leave it there.

Oh friend, be wise. Be so wise.

I'll leave Romans now with the same words that Paul uses to leave his letter to the Romans. "Now to Him who is able to establish you by my Gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed (we can know Christ, and the power of His resurrection, y'all!) and made known through the prophetic writings by the commands of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey Him -- to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ. Amen" (Romans 16:25-27).

Those prophetic writings... sometimes when my kids ask me: "How do you know it's all true, Mom?"

There's a whole lot of factors that go into knowing Christ. But one thing that has flat-out amazed me as I've dived into deep-study of the Word is this: Out of all the prophecies of the Old Testament, from the ones that have already been fulfilled, every single nuance of these prophecies are fulfilled to the letter. Usually in ways that people don't expect until they're already fulfilled. 

All that to say, we can predict what God is going to do all we want. We can even be inspired by the Holy Spirit to give prophetic words, and we can have some idea of how God is going to fulfill those words. But our God is just so awesome, that He fulfills, but usually in a way that still blows our minds beyond all expectation, even when we expect something mind-blowing!

Sometime, y'all, study the book of Daniel in a side-by-side study of Greek history. It's fascinating.

Tomorrow... I'm actually a little emotional about this. Tomorrow will be one entire year of writing this blog every single day. 365 days of the Lord's powerful work in my leaky, cracked, broken heart. I cannot believe the journey the Holy Spirit has led me on. Wow. 

Listen, I pray that the Lord has worked in your hearts through these messages. I know He has in mine. I will finish out my year tomorrow, and then... well, I'll tell you tomorrow what I believe the Lord is leading me to next.

Blessings!