by R. Herbert | Jan 18, 2015 | Difficult Scriptures, The Life of Jesus
Scripture in Focus: Matthew 13:55
“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” (Matthew 13:55)
Mainstream Christianity is divided on the understanding of this verse and its parallel in Mark 6:3. Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians, as well as some Anglicans and Lutherans, believe the brothers and sisters mentioned were in fact Jesus’ cousins, or children of Joseph by a former marriage, and that Mary remained a virgin throughout her life. The main argument for this view is that the Greek word adelphos used in this scripture can also sometimes be used in a broader sense meaning step-siblings or cousins.
Most Protestants believe that because there is no indication in scripture of this former marriage, and for several other reasons, it is better to understand sisters and brothers as literal siblings. They argue that although adelphos can sometimes mean “cousin,” its normal use is “brother,” and the actual word for “cousin” in Greek (anepsios) is never used of any of Jesus’ family members. If the children mentioned as being with Mary in Matthew 13:55 were from a former marriage of Joseph, those brothers and sisters are not mentioned when Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem, or to Egypt, or returned to Nazareth.
Another argument sometimes proposed in this context is that in three of the Gospels, when Jesus is told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you,” he replied: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it” (Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21). This is sometimes said to show that Jesus’ brothers and sisters were just disciples, but it seems clear that these scriptures are speaking metaphorically because the apostle John wrote that Jesus “… went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples …” (John 2:12), and here Jesus’ actual family members are clearly distinguished from his disciples.
A final issue to consider is that Protestants believe other scriptures such as Matthew 1:25 which says of Joseph, “ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son…” and Luke 2:7 which says of Mary: “and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son” indicate Jesus’ brothers and sisters were physical siblings. By the second century, this was the position of some members of the early Church such as Tertullian (c. AD 160 – c. 225), whereas others believed in the perpetual virginity of Mary.
Yet ultimately far more important than any theological or historical discussion of whether Jesus did have siblings is the fact that the Son of God now does have brothers and sisters. The Book of Hebrews tells us that we who follow Jesus since His resurrection become his brothers and sisters in the family of God: “Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, ‘I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters…’” (Hebrews 2:11-12). It is clear that those with whom we share fellowship in Christ are now His brothers and sisters, as well as ours.
by R. Herbert | Jan 14, 2015 | Positive Living
“I have experienced many awful things – most of which didn’t happen.” – Anonymous
You have doubtless heard the old story about the optimist and pessimist having coffee together. When the optimist told his friend, “You always think the worst will happen and then it usually doesn’t,” his pessimist friend replied “Yes – see how well it works!”
It’s a silly story, but it makes a point. Even people of faith are often guilty of presuming the worst in everyday situations. Has it never happened to you? You don’t hear from someone you emailed for several weeks so you begin to think they are angry with you, don’t like you that much anyway, or whatever – only to finally hear back from them that they have been ill for a while. Or you find that the person you thought was a parking slob was dealing with a true emergency which denied time for proper parking.
These may be trivial examples, but if we allow it to become a pattern in our lives, presuming the worst can affect our relationships in more serious ways, especially if doing this leads to presuming negative motivation or actions on the part of those who are not guilty of them.
A classic example of arriving at such wrong conclusions based on presuming the worst can be found in the Book of Job, in the form of Job’s three friends. These friends doubtless loved Job and were concerned for him, yet they allowed themselves to presume the worst about Job’s character in looking at the limited facts they had available. It’s unfortunately a human tendency – a part of human nature that can even be manifested in human relations with God Himself. The Old Testament gives many examples of this among the Children of Israel as they encountered various problems before going into the Promised Land:
“You grumbled in your tents and said, ‘The LORD hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us’” (Deuteronomy 1: 27).
Many of these Israelites were obviously hard hearted and full of their own human nature, as the Bible shows; but their attitude of presuming the worst remains a lesson to us all. In fact, learning to assume positive intent on the part of those around us – and God Himself – is a vital part of spiritual maturity. Certainly we may be disappointed at times if we develop this attitude, and we should always be wise in our dealings with others (it’s OK to presume the worst about a person offering to sell you the Eiffel Tower or a bridge in Brooklyn); but we shouldn’t presume the worst without some indication to justify the feeling. Most of us have no problem in accepting the legal mantra of “innocent until proven guilty,” but sometimes we have to broaden our thinking to include that approach in our everyday lives.
Presuming the worst can often be just a way of accepting our fears or frustrations without properly dealing with them. The old saying really has some truth in it: “If you presume the worst of others, you will all too often assume you are right.” We need to make a conscious decision not to presume the worst and to assume the best whenever possible.
by R. Herbert | Jan 11, 2015 | Bible Study
Scripture:
Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Something to think about: Does it hurt to study the Bible? It should do, occasionally! Hebrews 4:12 makes it clear that one of the primary reasons the word of God is given to us is as an effective “Sword of the Spirit” (see also Ephesians 6:17) which cuts deep within us. The word of God is a source of encouragement and help at all times, but if we are reading the Bible purely for comfort or inspiration, we are missing one of its great purposes. The word is also a sword which is intended to be wielded (on both errant doctrines and on ourselves where we err). If we are not seeking to be corrected as well as encouraged as we study, we are essentially just polishing the sword. Study tactically!
by R. Herbert | Jan 7, 2015 | Prayer, The Church & the World
“Pioneer: Noun, singular. One who is among the first to go somewhere or to do something.”
There is a mystique about pioneers. They often seem larger than life, braver, stronger, more dedicated than the rest of us as they bravely go where no one has gone before. When I was a kid I thought it would be neat to be a pioneer – one of the first people to explore unknown continents, open the US West, go to the Moon, or whatever. Now I’m older, I realize it was not as easy as I thought for the ones who were the first to do these things.
Whether being among the first to open up new continents or making some other kind of new path in any age, being a pioneer has an extra share of difficulties most of us don’t have to face. Certainly the first Christians found this. They were pioneers who had to map out and go through a whole new way of life that often met discouraging obstacles and dangerous opposition. Just think about Stephen (Acts 7:59) or Paul (2 Corinthians 11:25) or what many of the early disciples went through (Acts 8:1).
So who are the spiritual pioneers today? Who are the Christians who face the particular difficulties inherent in walking the path alone – in being the first to do something with much more limited support and encouragement from others? Those people do exist in our faith – and their numbers are growing. They are the pioneers – the first in their families or villages to convert to Christianity from other faiths – groups that are often hostile to Christianity itself.
When individuals come to the knowledge of the truth in many parts of the world, they cannot help but stand out; and in those areas they may be regarded as apostates from their background faith – worthy of harassment, punishment, and even death. It is not a hypothetical situation, it is an ongoing reality that sees Christians afflicted and even killed in areas not officially classified as areas of persecution. Often these individuals are rejected by their own families and friends and have no local support to which they can turn.
There are other pioneers also worthy of our concern today. Consider the pioneers in various areas of humanitarian effort – the William Wilberforce’s of today, those fighting human trafficking, substance enslavement, and every other evil in this world – all who are struggling against steep odds and difficult conditions to suppress evil and to help people where help is needed.
Wherever they are, pioneers don’t have it easy. We may sometimes think we do not either, but they have it worse. The pioneers often encounter so many more obstacles, so much more opposition. They face more dangers, endure more discouragement, loneliness and for many, fear. It’s harder for pioneers than for most of us except in one area. It’s easier for them to give up. We need to pray for the pioneers.
by R. Herbert | Jan 3, 2015 | Family
The number of orphaned children in the world in which we live is staggering. It is estimated that HIV/AIDS and Ebola alone have orphaned well over 18 million children (enough children to fill a Super Bowl stadium, not just once, but 180 times). According to UNICEF, an estimated 153 million children – ranging from infants to teenagers – have lost one or both parents and are now partially or completely orphaned worldwide. These orphan numbers do not include abandoned and sold or trafficked children, so the total number of functional orphans may be closer to 200 million – equivalent to 2/3 the current population of the United States.
But some things can be done to help in this situation – even if we cannot ourselves adopt or foster parent. See our newly uploaded article “Christian Adoption and Foster Parenting” to better understand the problem and some of the things we can do to help.
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