3rd John

9/21/2010 fccsj men's bible study

3rd John (a chapter only 1/2 page in length)
<> Local leader lording over group of believers >Follow Paul's instructions: go first to confront alone, then with a witness, and as a last resort in front of whole church. It is the intent of calling a person's actions into question that matters. Doing so for status quo or institutional comfort is wrong. The process of engagement should be equally painful for both parties to be an honest one, guided by prayer and The Word, not by personalities or emotional responses.

<> Reference to the local pagans >these worship local dieties, rather than the non-Jew "God Fearers" who were seeking God's favor.

<> Church >while the original Jesus follower's included early leaders who countenanced and coached local gatherings as a recognizable (if persecuted, secret) Body of Believers; i.e., Church, there was no formal authority to issue any charter to define and recognize a particular collection of people to be "a church," at least to begin with. Similarly of Apostles (those given a mission), Disciples (students/followers of...), or Brothers (and Sisters). One could become these things unilaterally? Or would some leaders dub a person to be any or all of these statuses?

Being Christian? Doing Christian?

 We can begin from the New Testament idea that being righteous and striving to be holy is all about one's relationship with the Creator and ultimately concerns what is in one's intentionality and in one's heart.

 

If that is true, then one never attains perfection in any static, finished sense. No matter how you may dress, walk, talk in such as way that expresses the extra effort and intention to excel and rise about the murkiness of daily hustle and bustle, what really matters is not what it looks like on the outside, but what you are striving for on the inside.

Using the same inside/outside logic as a measuring tool, one can size up the greats: the disciples and the Christ, but also the people called saints in hindsight, and those among us living today who may accomplish a lot of good in the world and who may or may not be doing this fully mindful of God's place in their lives.

Using the same inside/outside logic as a measuring tool, one can also observe those among us living today who may NOT (visibly) accomplish much good in the world and who may or may not be doing this fully mindful of God's place in their lives.

On balance what is the difference between those doing good things, and those who are not producing good results? Using the inside/outside logic, what matters is the person's heart primarily, then what joy or succor they bring to their fellows secondarily.

The "fruit and the vine" image says the same thing: stay in the game, stay connected to The Word (Jesus as the Word made flesh) and results will grow: both the relationship to God inside one's heart AND the material good one accomplishes among fellow creatures.

 

In sum, when our times consist of fragmented spaces and lives, filled with disconnected messages, interactions, obligations and aspiration, perhaps the greatest thing to ask for is the fullness of life: being able to see oneself and others in the life course big picture that holds all those pieces together in one frame as they ripen, mature, produce and decay. What matters, then, is to strive to understand God's word and presence and authorized with his commission to each one of us, to go forth as His hands and feet; doing his work and knowing that we are cherished, that we belong to Him (love in many facets) and that that condition will never end.

Stated in terms of advice to trial-and-error, seeking Christians: (1) use all avenues to understand who/what God is in order to see His presence and works [i.e., firstly, Love God - mindfulness], and (2) knowing Him, then fulfill his work among one's fellows [i.e., Love your neighbor as yourself -usefulness].

So in a word: be mindful and be useful. Do good works, and do them mindfully (or prayerfully). To play the game, you need to show up in the first place (get off the bench and play).