Commentary: Church as Body

 Church as Body 

 

Air traffic control is a service which promotes the safe and fast movement of aircraft operating in the air or on an airport surface by providing rules, procedures, and information and advisory services for pilots.  The people giving this service are called air traffic controllers.  In a few words they coordinate all airplane travel.  Between the pilots and these controllers there is constant communication.    Although, these controllers are viewing the skies on a monitor with radar data, they have a view the pilot does not have.  So, the pilots depend on the information the controllers give them.  And, the controller uses the information the pilot gives them about the aircraft to give back accurate information.  The pilot typically will submit to the instructions of these controllers. 

 

Our bodies work in a similar way.  Our body parts are not flying, but in order to work effectively they are coordinated from the brain.  Yes, the body parts are pretty much interconnected in many ways.  But, in the end it is the brain that instructs whether a part will move or rest, work or stop working.  There is constant communication between our body parts and our brain.  The brain receives status reports from our body and based on these reports the brain decides how to proceed and instruct the body how to proceed.  The body parts work together because of the brain.

 

This is something to consider when we use Paul's metaphor of the church as a body.  Paul uses this metaphor a few times; among other places in Romans 12: 4 – 5; 1 Corinthians 10: 16 -17, 12: 12 -27; Ephesians 1: 20 – 23, 4 :4 -12 – 16, 5:30; Colossians 3:15.  He says that just as the physical body has many members working together for the sake of the body so does the church have many members working together for the sake of the church. 

 

In Ephesians, Paul ties the body to the head(where the brain is),

Eph5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Eph5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ,  

Notice what Paul says: the head is Christ and the body is the church.  In verse 24 Paul adds that the church (the body) is subject unto the Christ (the head).  In Colossians, Paul repeats that Christ is the head of the body (Colossians 1: 18).  Paul adds in Colossians 2:19 that it is the Head "from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God".  Paul seemed to know approximately 2000 years ago what anatomy and physiology have revealed.  Paul also knew that since God's law is written in His creation, he, Paul, could use the functioning of our body as a metaphor to teach us how God works.   

Why is there no unity or oneness among the members (leaders and laity included) of our Church?  It is because they are not subjected to the Head, Christ.  Why is there an increase on apathy?  The members are not subjected to the head, Christ.  Why is there a decrease in membership and giving?  The members are not subjected to the Head, Christ.   

When Christ is truly the Head the body will perform as He says.  When Christ is the Head of the church, its members will not have their own prerogative and priorities, they will have Christ's.  For the group in the upper chamber on the day of Pentecost Christ was the Head (Acts 2).  Christ today is waiting for us, the members, to make Him the Head of our body. 

 

--
Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com

No commentary this Week

No commentary this Week

Due to extenuating circumtances there is no commentary this week.  But I wanted to leave you with a couple of quotes from Ellen White about how nature reveals God.

"God is love" is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green -- all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy. {SC 10.1}

As the foundation principle of all education in these lines, the youth should be taught that the laws of nature are the laws of God-- as truly divine as are the precepts of the Decalogue. The laws that govern our physical organism, God has written upon every nerve, muscle, and fiber of the body.  Every careless and willful violation of these laws is a sin against our Creator. How necessary, then, that a thorough knowledge of these laws should be imparted! {CG 363.1}

--
Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com

No commentary this Week

Due to extenuating circumtances there is no commentary this week.  But I wanted to leave you with a couple of quotes from Ellen White about how nature reveals God.

"God is love" is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green -- all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy. {SC 10.1}

As the foundation principle of all education in these lines, the youth should be taught that the laws of nature are the laws of God-- as truly divine as are the precepts of the Decalogue. The laws that govern our physical organism, God has written upon every nerve, muscle, and fiber of the body.  Every careless and willful violation of these laws is a sin against our Creator. How necessary, then, that a thorough knowledge of these laws should be imparted! {CG 363.1}

Commentary: “The Light”

"The Light"

 

In the following story, found in the teacher's help of this week's lesson, a home owner and a friend discuss the owner's frustration with the darkness in his home.

 

Owner. I give up! I'm never going to find my way out of this trap.

Friend. Trap? This is your home. You built it. You invested years of your income to get this place. Now you want out?

Owner. In a heartbeat. But it's not going to happen, is it? I feel betrayed and lied to!

Friend. What?

Owner. You heard me! I was told that this was the great adventure.

Friend. What is?

Owner. The absence of light. At first it was a novelty. It was a real kick feeling your way around in the dark—kind of secretive like the hide-and-go-seek you play as kids. Then I did a face plant, tripping over something. May have broken my back falling down some stairs nobody told me about. Tried feeling around the walls for an outlet to plug in a light and got shocked. I hate darkness.

Friend. Then let the light in.

Owner. Aren't you listening? I've tried till I'm blue in the face . . . that is, if you could see my face. I was promised this forever light . . . fluorescent deal that never goes out . . . only I can't see where to screw it in and I fell on it. Cut my hand to pieces. They said just start the generator for electricity, but the pull cord snapped. I've done everything I know to put some light in this dungeon. Nothing, I mean nothing, works. I'm doomed to darkness.

Friend. You're the one who isn't listening. I didn't say, "Make light." I didn't say, "Generate electricity." I merely said, "Let the light in."

Owner. Huh?

Friend. There's already plenty of light on the other side of your cur­tains. You don't have to make it. You just need to let it come in.

 

So let us recap: In this story a man lives in a dark house.  He was unaware where things were so he stumbled into them, sometimes falling and hurting himself.  He tried to create light in the house but was never successful; adding to his frustration.  His friend suggested the man opens the curtains.  Light from the outside would come in and make the darkness disappear.  When the darkness disappeared what was in the house would be exposed.  He could stop stumbling, falling, and getting hurt.  He could even find other sources of light for the spaces where sunlight could not reach. 

 

The story is a great illustration of how spiritual light works.  In the Gospel according to John, the beloved apostle introduces Jesus in the first chapter as the Word of God made flesh.  He adds that In Jesus "… was life; and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4).  Jesus himself said several times that "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12; 9:5).   Thus a contrast is established:  anything and everything pertaining to Jesus is light, Sin is darkness.  This contrast is clear in John 8: 12, "… he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." 

He that follows Christ denies himself, takes up their cross and are worthy of Him (Matthew 10:38; 16:24).    You can safely say that if someone is worthy of you that you are pleased by them.  Paul wrote in Hebrews 11:6

 

Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

 

When you seek someone you follow.  As you see everything comes full circle.  So, when you diligently seek or follow Christ by faith, when you deny yourself, you walk in His light and partake of it.  This Light shines through you. 

 

So, if the light in the above story is Christ - or the effects of accepting Him by faith - then the light comes from the outside and all we have to do is open up the curtains of unbelief and let Christ shine on, in and through us.  We will stop stumbling because of Sin.  The Light exposes the Sin, and we can let Christ take it away from us.  As we can see from the story, trying to create Light on our own will never work effectively.  Will you let Christ's  Light shine on, in, and through you?

--
Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com

Objects In Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear

Objects In Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear

Things are not the way they seem to be when you look through the passenger's side mirror of motor vehicles.   Which is why they engrave the phrase "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear" as a safety warning on these passenger side mirrors of motor vehicles in the USA, Canada and Australia.  It is present because while these mirrors' convexity gives them a useful field of view, it also makes objects appear smaller.  Since smaller-appearing objects seem farther away than they actually are, a driver might make a maneuver such as a lane change assuming an adjacent vehicle is a safe distance behind, when in fact it is quite a bit closer.  The warning is required to remind the driver of this potential problem.  Despite its origin as a utilitarian safety warning, the phrase has become a well-known catch phrase that has been used for many other purposes.  

One such purpose was to illustrate the imminence of Christ return.  The illustrator inserted a painting of Christ return in a passenger mirror with the engraved inscription "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear." The message is obvious.  Some say the event will occur in a far distant future, but it only seems that way; it is a lot closer than we think. 

Pride is a mirror in which everyone else seems lesser than they truly are.  Pride distorts our vision of ourselves and others in a similar way.  We appear larger, better or more than; while others appear smaller, worse or less than.   When this happens we can unfortunately reason that we deserve more and better.  If others get what we believe we deserve or should be rightfully ours, then we reason that they took what is ours and we should get it from them, by any means necessary; even if it means removing them.  What is described above is when pride leads to jealousy.  (Pride can also lead to jealousy's evil twin: envy).

Jealousy denotes a feeling of resentment that another has gained something that one more rightfully deserves.  This is how Lucifer felt about Jesus.  You see, Satan (known then as Lucifer) was once an honored angel in heaven, next to Christ (known then as Michael).  They were both covering Cherubs.  Satan's countenance, like those of the other angels, was mild and expressive of happiness. His forehead was high and broad, showing great intelligence. His form was perfect; his bearing noble and majestic. A special light beamed in his countenance and shone around him brighter and more beautiful than around the other angels; yet Christ, God's dear Son, had the pre-eminence over all the angelic host. He was one with the Father before the angels were created.  However, the universe was then unaware of this fact.  So, when God said to His Son, "Let us make man in our image," Satan was jealous of Jesus.  And, Satan wished to be consulted concerning the formation of man, and because he was not, he was filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred. He desired to receive the highest honors in heaven next to God (Truth about Angels, p 27; Early Writings. P. 145).   Even though the Father set the record straight about Michael being God, Satan and His followers refused to submit to Christ's authority (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 36 - 37). 

Pride and jealousy had skewed the Devil's sense of reality.  He saw his beauty above all other beings save God (Ezekiel 28: 12- 17; Isaiah 14: 12 – 14).  He thought he should be the one next to God, not Michael.  So, Satan set out to destroy Michael, whom Satan now saw as inferior to himself. 

We too can be victims of pride that skews our view of reality.  With our skewed view of reality we can reach the wrong conclusions and make wrong choices.  God wants not only to cure us of pride and jealousy; He wants to prevent from it happening again.  Humility is the answer.  When the Spirit convicts us will we humble ourselves? 

 

--
Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com