2012 JAN

Greetings to all on 10 JAN 2012


Word for the Day
Vestibule - The outer area or hall near the entrance, which may have specific uses or dedications. A specific vestibule leading into the church nave is called the narthex. As a verb, vestibuled means to explain from the pulpit. [1]

Quote for the Day
Corporate worship is often the flash point where this occurs because for immature believers this is their only contact with the Unseen world. [2] The “this occurs” refers to the discomfort, discontent, even anger, over any deviation from the norm in corporate worship service.

Thought for the Day
Change is difficult. And changing one’s theology is nigh unto impossible. One might change from Honda to Ford or from Republican to Democrat, but to change one’s childhood beliefs on core religious concepts is almost unheard of among the majority of our tribe. So how is it, as most of you know, that I have changed my thinking over the past two decades about almost every core belief?

A few days ago, as I was reading through Acts, the story of Peter and Cornelius struck me in a new way. As we would say, Peter was “raised in the church,” well, at least in the synagogue! He had never eaten anything unclean and wasn’t about to start. The vision of the sheet brought down from above was shown to him three times; each time his response was the same: “No, Sir! Absolutely not! I have never eaten food that was unclean.”[3] Each time the Ruach HaKodesh (HS or maybe an angel) said, “Stop treating as unclean what God has made clean.” [ACT 10.15] You know the rest of the story, so I’ll not retell it.

Imagine how difficult it must have been for Peter to repent (change) over something major like accepting the goyim (gentiles) into fellowship. In fact, we have further proof of how difficult this was for him. Paul tells the story in Galatians 2.11 about Peter lapsing back to his original upbringing when, after the arrival of several Jewish brothers, he excused himself from dining with the goyim.

About ten years ago, our elder board (BCOC) decided to install an overhead projector for broadcasting the hymns onto a screen. Something as innocuous as this was apparently deemed semi-heretical by some congregants. A few years before, we had placed supplemental song books in the racks along with the authorized hymnals. The booklets were produced in-house and mostly contained songs the teenagers preferred. However, one day the booklets mysteriously disappeared. Some people had taken it upon themselves to dispose of those books that only had “camp-fire” songs!

Just a few months ago, it was decided to replace the traditional communion cracker with individual “bite-sized” pieces. Even this change had to be vestibuled by no less than the pulpit minister. Otherwise, the orthodoxy of such a change would have been called into question. I know I’ve used the Quote for the Day before, but it’s still so appropriate.

Stop treating as unclean what God has made clean. Maybe there’s a new application of that sentence for us today. Can’t you and I identify with Peter? He was told to “Arise, kill and eat.” All we have to kill are some misguided allegiances to traditions. Peter was told to go against some core beliefs he had known since childhood. Can’t you and I do the same?

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Adrienne Owen, ed.

1. Found on: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_church_vestibule#ixzz1gtlaqUdm

2. Michael S Moore, Faith Under Pressure, Leafwood Publishers, Siloam Springs AR, 2003, p.96

3. David Stern, Complete Jewish Bible, Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. Clarksville MD, 1998

2011 NOV

Greetings to all on 11 NOV 2011

This month we’ll take a break from the usual theological fare for a personal story.

Quote for the Day
You can't go back home to your family, back home to your childhood ... back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time — back home to the escapes of Time and Memory.
Thomas Wolfe, You Can’t Go Home Again [1]

Thought for the Day
Many of you know that I grew up in Panama City Florida, “Home of the World’s Most Beautiful Beaches.” After graduating from Rutherford High School in 1971, I went on to the University of West Florida and graduated in 1975 with a degree in math education. My last quarter was student teaching at Bay High School in Panama City, where I was fortunate to get a job there in the fall. Pam and I said goodbye to Florida and moved back to Texas in August 1988.

After my retirement in June 2010, I decided to join the Facebook crowd, not only to keep up with my own kids, but to try reconnecting with some friends from the past. I was able to track down several people and also learned that my class was planning our 40th high school reunion; it would be in late September on Panama City Beach. The handful of classmates who organized the event did an outstanding job. Countless hours were spent planning and promoting our reunion. One of the features on the website allowed us to post biographies. Sadly, 30 of the 388 had already passed away, including several of my friends.

In the movie, It’s A Wonderful Life, Jimmy Stewart is shown by Clarence the angel what life for others would have been like without him. My story is kind of the opposite; I was allowed to realize the impact I had on some of my old friends and students without the inconvenience of death.

By early summer I knew I could not miss this reunion. Although flying is not my favorite thing, Pam purchased our tickets early and we began making arrangements for our five day getaway. As we approached for landing at the new Northwest Florida Beaches International, the scenery was immediately familiar - pine trees, palmettos and saw grass. The small but modern airport is nestled among the pine tree farms around North Bay. Translation: it is out in the middle of nowhere!

We spent Friday driving around to see the sights - both old and new. I had lived in five different houses over the course of 30 years; we located three of them, including the childhood home my parents built. At noon, Pam spotted a hole-in-the-wall eatery, called Bayou Joe’s, down on Massalinna Bayou. Customers had to walk down a narrow covered dock to enter the diner. Well, one did not actually enter it, but dined on a section of the dock that overlooked the bayou. I had fish-n-chips; the fish was grouper - yummy! Several Coast Guard personnel were also eating there; they just tied their boats at the dock and hopped out.

After lunch, we drove back to Harrison Avenue, the old main street. You know you’re getting old when the street where you once shopped now has a plaque that reads: Historic Downtown Panama City! I noticed one store that hadn’t changed much in 40 years, so Pam suggested we go inside C & G Sporting Goods. As we browsed the aisles, I walked by the manager who was standing behind the handgun showcase. He greeted me with “Hello, Mr. Toole.” I was overwhelmed that he recognized and remembered me; Ray Groom was one of my math students about 30 years ago.

We then found Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery and visited my parent’s grave sites along with those of my uncle Melvin and aunt Ruth Toole. My mother passed away in Burleson in 1990 and we had her body shipped back to Florida for burial, so I had never seen her grave marker. My dad died in 1978 and his brother Melvin in 1989. They bought these adjoining plots back when door-to-door salesmen still roamed the earth.

Late Friday afternoon we arrived at the Majestic Resort on Panama City Beach; this was also the site for our reunion. I attended the Friday evening “mixer” alone and reminisced with several friends including Alan Shoemaker, Greg Cobb and James Wall. Saturday afternoon, Pam and I ventured out to explore the “strip” from our condo to the west toward Phillips Inlet. When I grew up there, 40 years ago, this part of the beach was home to only hermit crabs and hermit people! Now there is an entire “city” made to emulate a small town Main Street of 60 years ago. Adjacent to that shopping area is a mall with modern architecture. From my frame of reference, all of this was built “in the middle of nowhere.” Saturday evening we attended the formal reunion complete with a catered meal and once again conversed with some old friends. I was especially touched by James Wall and his concern for a mutual friend; the three of us used to play guitars together. As we parted, he gave me a big hug, which melted my heart.

Early Sunday morning Pam and I walked down to the beach so we could say that we put our feet in the sand and salt water at least once. After checking out, we bade farewell to the beach and drove back to town for worship at Palo Alto Church of Christ. Bob and Ruth Sullivan were there to greet us, along with several other old friends. My dentist for over 20 years, Jerry Harrison, and his family were among the people I remembered. He and June had three kids who all agreed to a triple wedding in June 1988. Pam and I were among the guests at that amazing event. The youngest, Rex, married a young lady who was my student in 1982. Today, Cathy Rivard Harrison is a wonderful young lady and mom to three precious children. Rex was leading singing that morning and, unbeknownst to me, he told Cathy that I was there. Pam and I were on the back row; I had spotted Cathy up front but had no idea that she knew I was there. As we began the call to worship, she came back to hug me and greet me with “Mr. oole-Ta;” we used to speak pig-latin some in that small class. Emotionally, I lost it at that point; I think I cried through the remainder of the service. Even as I wrote this rough draft, tears streamed down my cheeks. That flashback opened the locked memory gate and suddenly my conscious mind was flooded with sub-conscious memories and emotions. We visited for a while after dismissal and, hopefully, can stay in touch after 30 years has passed by.

We had one last call to make, so late Sunday afternoon we drove to Janet’s house in Lynn Haven. I had not seen her in at least 20 years - way too long. She and her sister, Carol, grew up next door to me from 1965 -1980. Their mom, Ruth, passed away a year ago. Janet has a son named Logan, whom we met for the first time. Since we hadn’t eaten supper, we asked Janet where might be a nice quiet place we could go; she suggested a small Italian restaurant that was close by. While we were eating our pizza, a Florida Highway Patrolman sat down at a table across from us. After ordering his meal, officer Jackson looked over and said, “Hello, Mr. Toole.” I don’t recall his first name but he said I was his math teacher back in 1978. Obviously, his memory was much better than mine! Needless to say, I was once again flabbergasted and Pam told me that Janet was also quite amazed.

I realize this story is long and I’ve omitted several sidelights and details. But if you made it this far, I appreciate you giving me a hearing. For me, this trip was not just a reunion; it was a spiritual journey to connect my past to my present and future. It was revealed to me that I did make a difference in the lives of those hundreds of students that I taught over my 35 year career. No one can reach everyone, but now I know that I touched the lives of a few, and I’m sure many others, about whom I will never know in this life.

And so I write this not only to share my story but to encourage you to realize that you are making a difference for those in your sphere of influence, even if you never know the outcome. What a blessing it is when the hidden is briefly revealed, as the Holy Spirit pulls back the curtain to give you a glimpse into the impact of your life. Perhaps it’s not the planned events, public appearances or overt actions that define your life, but just the everyday living to serve others. It’s been a wonderful life.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Adrienne Owen, ed.

1. Found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Can't_Go_Home_Again on 23 October 2011

2011 SEP

Greetings to all on 10 SEP 2011


Word for the Day
Remez – Rabbis sometimes use a dialogue technique now called remez. The speaker makes a point by referring to a verse near the beginning (or end) of a passage. As goyim (gentiles), we would never get the point because we don’t know the Tanakh (OT) like a rabbi would. The hearer would automatically connect that verse to the rest of the story and the message would be driven home – often with an “ouch! “[1]

Quote for the Day
For him, unity was preferable to truth. [2]

Thought for the Day
Zacchaeus was the focus of our recent Sunday class. Most of us have known this story since we were kids. We can still hear the song in our heads: “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he…” But is it possible that our understanding and, therefore application, is still based on a child-like view of Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus?

His name in Hebrew is Zakkai, which means pure. We remember that Zacchaeus was a tax collector, a career choice hated even more in those days than now. Most of us were taught that Zacchaeus had coerced, maybe even extorted, extra money from his own people in order to enrich himself. He was despised as a Jew who worked for the Romans and, as such, was viewed as a traitor to his own people. The text does not guarantee that he had become wealthy at the expense of his fellow Jews, although this was common practice among his ilk. Notice that Zacchaeus says, “If I have defrauded anyone, I will repay fourfold.” [LUK 19.8]

Is there more to the story than illustrating that Jesus is a friend to the outcast or that restitution should be made when fraud is committed? Consider the final verses of Luke’s tale: “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham, for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” [vvs.9-10]

It is very likely that the phrase “to seek and save the lost” comes from Ezekiel 34. [3] Beginning with verse eleven we read, “Thus says the ADONAI, behold, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land.” [EZE 34.11-13a]

The first part of that chapter outlines the abuses of Israel’s shepherds. “The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. …. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them… Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.”

Make no mistake - when the Jewish leaders heard the key verse [v.11], they got the point in the form of a stinging rebuke! First, Jesus pronounced Zacchaeus as a son of Abraham, thereby implying that he was ceremonially clean. [4] This would have been in direct contradiction to their view that he was unclean because he handled “dirty money,” i.e. Roman coins. [5] Second, Jesus declares that these shepherds will lose their flock because they have focused on their own desires and neglected the wounds of the people. They had refused to recognize Jesus as the chief shepherd of the next iteration of the kingdom of God on earth. Sometimes it is difficult for leaders to see the need for a change of direction.

I like the way Jeremiah described these same abuses of his day: “The wounds of my people are treated lightly, for they cry ‘peace, peace’, when there is no peace.” [JER 6.14] Haven’t we heard the same assurances that all is well; we are enjoying peace and unity? Look around, don’t you see that the wounds of our people are being ignored?

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Adrienne Owen, ed.

1. Found at: www.followtherabbi.com/Brix?pageID=5557

2. Michael S. Moore, Faith Under Pressure, Leafwood Pub., Siloam Springs AR, 2003, p.131
In this true story, the elder board is deciding if they should help a family in need. One
man’s plea is “Can’t we all just get along?” as he wrestled with the divided decision.
For him, unity was preferable to truth.

3. Found at: www.grenoblechurch.org/wiki/uploads/common/Zaccheus_Encounters_Jesus.pdf
Also at: www.followtherabbi.com/Brix?pageID=5557

4. The woman with the issue of blood was healed and declared a “daughter” of Abraham. She had been unclean for twelve years. [MAR 5.34]

5. Wealthy Jews would employ others to handle their Roman coinage so they would not become ceremonially unclean. Those employees were in a continual state of uncleanness, meaning they could not enter the synagogue. Remember the phrase “filthy lucre” from the KJV?

2011 AUG Clothesline

Greetings to all on 10 AUG 2011


Word for the Day
Liturgy - A prescribed form or set of forms for public religious worship. [1]

Quote for the Day
"You don't think your way into a new kind of living. You live your way into a new kind of thinking." — Henri J.M. Nouwen [2]

Website for the Day
http://www.henrinouwen.org/ Site for more information about Henri Nouwen

Thought for the Day
I just finished an encore reading of Can You Drink The Cup? by Henri Nouwen. He served as a Catholic priest for many years, teaching at Notre Dame, Harvard and Yale. During the last ten years of his life, Dr. Nouwen lived and worked among handicapped people at L’Arche Daybreak in Toronto. His willingness to step down from academia to work among the “least of these” always spoke to me about Nouwen’s life as a servant-leader. Like most of us, he had his own “demons” with which to contend, one of them being an ongoing battle with depression. He was born in Holland in 1932 and died, unexpectedly, from a heart attack in 1996.

Nouwen presents three stages to drinking the Eucharistic cup: holding, lifting and drinking. First, we must hold the cup, reflecting on what has been poured into our own cup. What joys and sorrows have come our way? What have we done with these events and emotions? How have they shaped our life? We must own them; we cannot ignore them or hope they will go away.

Just as the first drinks are lifted to toast a special occasion, we also must lift our cup for all to see its contents. We celebrate our life together – both the delightful and the painful moments. The toast often marks a new beginning; each Eucharist marks a new beginning for the Christian. We hold the cup in a moment of transparency so that all may see us for who we really are.

Finally, we drink the cup, not just a sip but all the way to the bottom. We accept our life even while offering it to God. We must gladly embrace the sweet aroma from the crushed grapes as well as the bitterness of the dregs. Sadly, our Eucharistic liturgy allows, even encourages, us to bypass all such reflections. Perhaps you could employ this practice within your small group.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Adrienne Owen, ed.

1. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/liturgy
2. http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/4837.Henri_J_M_Nouwen

2011 JULY Clothesline

Greetings to all on 10 JUL 2011

Word for the Day

Narrative - A narrative is a form of storytelling. This technique includes all the conventions of storytelling: plot, character, setting, climax, and ending. It is usually filled with details that are carefully selected to explain, support, or embellish the story. All of the details relate to the main point the writer is attempting to make. [1]

Quote for the Day

The restoration of the church must surely depend on a new kind of monasticism, which has nothing in common with the old but a life of uncompromising discipleship, following Christ according to the Sermon on the Mount. I believe the time has come to gather people together to do this.  Quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer [2]

Thought for the Day

Several weeks ago our Sunday house church was holding a midrash based on Mark 5 and Galatians 6. The two stories in Mark are the woman with the “issue” of blood and Jairus’ daughter. Like you, I’ve read this many times but the link between these two stories had never occurred to me until that day.

The first woman had suffered from chronic hemorrhaging for 12 years. We know neither her name nor her age. If this ailment began around age 13, she would have been about 25 (and maybe older). Perhaps she had been married but was now past her prime. Because she was in a continual state of uncleanness, she would have been excluded from participating in synagogue. If childless, that would have been another mark against her. As Jesus nears, she manages to touch part of Jesus’ clothing and the blood flow instantly ceases. Jesus blessed her return to society by addressing her as “daughter.” [MAR 5.34] Could she ever have forgotten the gift of restored life from this mysterious man?

Next, we meet “Talitha,” the 12 year-old daughter of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue. [3] Remember, Jesus was on the way to his house when he was sidetracked by the other woman. Jairus had described his daughter’s condition as near death. In a striking similarity to the story of Lazarus, Jesus is in no hurry to get there, perhaps delaying his arrival on purpose. Before Jesus gets there, word arrives that the little girl is deceased. He provokes laughter by saying that she is not dead but only sleeping. Jesus restores her blood flow thereby blessing her impending passage into womanhood. Jesus charges Jairus to tell no one. But how could he be silent?

Do you see the connection between the two stories in the narrative?

The nameless woman had a blood flow for 12 years, which was sapping her physical life as well as her spiritual life. Talitha’s normal first 12 years were unexpectedly ended when her blood flow ceased.

The woman was banned from the synagogue; Talitha’s daddy was the ruler of the synagogue.

The woman had probably missed her prime child-bearing years. Talitha was just entering puberty.

The woman was most impacted by her own healing. I’m going to submit that Talitha’s parents were the most awe-struck by her resuscitation.

So what is Mark’s point? We believe his gospel was intended for a Roman audience. It is the most compact and succinct of the gospel accounts. He emphasized Jesus’ authority and immediacy of his commands, something with which his audience would have identified. The word immediate occurs almost 40 times in this gospel (three times in ch.5). Mark’s Jesus often leaves the person alone with the warning to tell no one. But how could you not tell? The first hearers of Mark’s story must have thought the same thing. How could you not tell?

May God Bless

Mike Toole

Lori Moores, ed.

1. Defintion from http://essayinfo.com/essays/narrative_essay.php

2. Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, Thomas Nelson Publ., 2010.

3. Talitha means “little girl,” not her actual name.

Thanks to Paige E. and Sharon G. for initiating these thoughts.

A special thanks to Lori for helping me to be clear, concise and correct over the past few years.

2011 MAY Clothesline

Greetings to all on 17 May 2010

Word for the Day
Charis [Gk] - the root for charity, charismatic and grace.

Quote for the Day
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.
John Newton

Website for the Day
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2010/07/29/audio-and-video-for-d-a-carsons-the-god-who-is-there/
This is the website to see the 14 lesson series by Don Carson based on his book, The God Who Is There.

Thought for the Day
I have a mental list of Bible stories that will never become VBS skits. For example, the stories of Lot and his guests, the man who chopped his dead concubine into a dozen pieces [JUD 19], and Jael, who drove the tent peg through the head of Sisera [JUD 4], quickly come to mind. Another one, and the subject of today, is the story of Abraham’s willingness to offer Isaac as a human sacrifice. [GEN 22]

Let’s start at Genesis 15 to set the background for the story. We find Abram about to make a covenant with the living God. A covenant was an agreement, like a contract, between a “greater” and a “lesser” party. (I cringe whenever I hear the marriage vows referred to as a covenant.) Abram is instructed how to flay a heifer, a ram and a goat in such a way that their blood flows into a swell that bisects the symmetrically arranged carcasses. Notice that Abram does not question God about this nor act like it was the strangest ritual of which he’d ever heard. As a person of wealth, he had probably entered into covenants with others many times before using the same ritual, with one difference; this time Abram was the “lesser” party.

The covenant was sealed by the two parties walking the blood path. This was a way of saying, “May my blood be upon me if I fail to deliver on my promise.” Of course, in the real world of commerce, it was only the “lesser” party who needed to be concerned about that promise. Suddenly, Abram finds himself in that unenviable position; he is being asked to, “walk before me, and be blameless,” [GEN 17.1] Simple, huh?

At this point, he becomes terrified and God has mercy on him, putting him into a deep sleep. [GEN 15.12] What happens next is truly amazing. God knows that Abram cannot walk the path with him, so he walks the path with himself! That is conveyed by the imagery of the flaming torch and the smoking fire pot in verse 17 and is confirmed in GEN 22.16 where God says, “By myself I have sworn...” Ray Vander Laan says it was at this point that Yeshua knew what was in his future!

Do you get it? This is the ultimate story of grace! God knew that Abram couldn’t keep all the commandments nor be blameless. So, he put his own life on the line and promised to make the covenant good by his own blood and to redeem us, even though we can’t live up to the covenant. Now that’s good news - our salvation is not dependent on our own goodness!

Oh ... the offering of Isaac? Child sacrifice was also customary in those days. My opinion is that Abram may still be thinking that his God is just one of many gods and now he also wants a child sacrifice. This is God’s way of driving home the point to Abram that he is not like the other gods. He provides the sacrifice, even his own son. Remember, he walked the blood path with himself.

When we couldn’t keep our part of the agreement to be obedient, someone had to pay the price. And he was a willing sacrifice, bowing to the will of his father, just like Isaac submitted to Abraham.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

The illumination of this story came from Ray Vander Laan’s messages and from Don A. Carson, The God Who Is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story, Grand Rapids MI, Baker, 2010. Lesson 3 is called The God Who Writes His Own Contracts.

2011 April Clothesline

Greetings to all on 10 APR 2011.

Word for the Day
Discernment - the process of making decisions based on experience, knowledge and wisdom within a normative framework such as the scriptures and common practice (catholicity).

Quote for the Day
A man can come up with some wonderful ideas when he has a business meeting with himself. (old saying from my youth in Florida)

Thought for the Day
Let’s consider the Jerusalem conference described by Luke in Acts 15. You are familiar with the story; Paul and Barnabas come to relate how they have witnessed Gentiles being blessed by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) just as were the Jews. Apparently, some Messianic Jews were teaching that Gentiles had to become Jewish proselytes (or, at least, God-fearers [ACT 10.2, 16.14 et al]) before they could be extended full fellowship.

At this time, Jerusalem was still considered the mother-church and so it was that the meeting was held there. It is worth noting that the meeting seems to have been chaired by James, though, and not Peter. [see also ACT 12.17, 21.17-18] Perhaps several people addressed the issue at hand; we only have a snippet from Paul and Peter. After hearing the various presentations, James renders the verdict that we read in v.19-20, “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.” Everyone seems satisfied and unified, even Paul and Barnabas agree to carry the message back to Antioch. .

Some of you will remember the old comedy classic, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” with Zero Mostel (1966). An isolated reading of Acts 15 leaves the impression that one has just witnessed a watershed court case. Alas, things are not always so simple. A funny thing happened on the way back to the rest of the world.

Have you ever read Galatians 2.1-10? Yes, I know you’ve read it many times, but did it ever click that something wasn’t quite right? You know, the part where Paul says he went up to Jerusalem where “those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.” [2.6]

Apparently, Paul’s “take-away” from this meeting was not exactly what was intended. His words are that they were “to remember the poor.” [2.10] Some preachers will argue that Paul is referring to an earlier meeting, but that seems like a stretch to me, based on my study. Paul did meet with Peter and James about three years after his conversion. [GAL 1.18] The Jerusalem conference occurred between 48 - 50 C.E., more likely the earlier date. Galatians was written circa 50 C.E., which would place the meeting fresh on Paul’s mind.

I have one more piece of evidence to enter. In 1Corinthians 8, Paul addresses the issue of eating meat offered to idols. If the Jerusalem decision was a rule for all places (and time), then wouldn’t Paul have applied it to Corinth? Not only does he not mention it, but says it’s all right to eat the meat if you can do so in good conscience without offending your brother. Paul’s usual approach to discernment favors individual liberty and choices. Only in rare cases like 1 Corinthians 5.1-5 does he give an edict like, “Hand this man over to Satan...” [v.5] By the way, I Corinthians is usually dated at 54 C.E., several years after the Jerusalem conference.

So what is the point of all this? I suggest to you that Luke includes the Jerusalem council episode as a narrative story about the practice of discernment. Nowhere else in the NT do we find such a detailed account of decision making. Luke’s point was not the exact decision, but rather the process which we can still use today.

Despite any denial that we practice discernment today, our traditions belie that claim. In the early years of the Restoration Movement we decided that slavery was acceptable and that women and men should sit on separate sides of the auditorium. In more recent years, most of us recanted our traditional views regarding divorced people. Even now, many churches are discerning equality between men and women.

We have the Ruach HaKodesh (HS) within us, just as the first Christians, to empower and enable us to lead the church through changing times and cultures. The Jerusalem model is communal, so that differing views can be considered and allow arrival at a consensus. It is based on listening to how the Ruach HaKodesh is at work in the lives of people. It is grounded in the text and bounded by catholicity. Finally, it is not a one-size-fits-all rule forever. Each generation must reexamine anew the traditions handed down to them.

May God Bless
Mike Toole
Lori Moores, ed.

Note: Although I avoided footnotes, credit goes to Luke Timothy Johnson’s book Scripture & Discernment: Decision Making In The Church. Abingdon Press, Nashville TN, 1983.