The main thrust or mission as Christians bearing the light of Jesus is to grow deeper in our intimacy with Jesus and bring others to the same place. If you didn’t notice, that’s not where the rest of the world is! If you have Jesus, You know we are all in ministry and if you didn’t notice, Ministry is tough. We are anointed to admonish and edify each other, as we are faithfully walking in the spirit, humbly leading hand-in-hand as the body of Christ. This one’s hard I’m speaking to the choir; we can all do better, especially myself!

Some have said that you should never be offended in this ministry and there is some truth to it, there’s definitely the idea of putting on your thick skin as we are fairly warned that we will experience toil and tribulation if our course is on track with the Lords work.

-but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead Philippians 3:13 NASB

I really like Paul’s use of wording, “reaching forward” I like to point out things often that I see in the native language of the scripture that some people might not pick up on. (I don’t think too many of my friends know Greek!) in Greek you can add emphasis to something by adding the prefix EPI before. In this case it is the combination of epi with epekteino. It means to really reach out or strive hard toward something.

I’m torn on football these days. Half of me doesn’t want to support any of it, but the other half of me remembers days of watching football games week in and week out with my dad reloading ammunition, playing games of chess, organizing baseball cards, and countless other things all while having an amazing time with him on a Sunday afternoon with the Packer game going on in the background. These are some of my greatest memories in life from the time I was a little child until the year he passed, it was a Sunday tradition. It was what brought us together. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately with the Packers having another chance at a Super Bowl and having to decide whether I’m going to sit down and watch these games or not!

When you consider this verse in the context of the chapter and even the whole book from Paul, You can get the idea of thinking of someone who is playing football. Now if you’re a Bears fan I hope this analogy doesn’t bring feelings of hurt and resentment! (but if it does let’s pray that God will turn those feelings to joy next season!)

Picture this in football … The valiant play to stretch over the goal line. I remember as a kid playing football in grade school this was the big thing; reaching for the goal line, leaping over people trying to tackle you to make a impressive bound for the touchdown! You just had to break the line with the ball before your knee hit the ground. It was what dreams are made of.

I want to encourage you to think similarly in your Christian life. To put this kind of thinking on the pedestal of your Christoformity. I love the charge of Philippians three. That we are called to rejoice in the Lord together and to not be put off by little things. It’s a thrust to see the bigger picture and put aside the ways of the world and think more spiritually.

In the beginning of this verse, Paul says that he deliberately makes a choice to leave those things of the past in the past. He decides to forget about them.

In our Western thinking we want to treat this “forgetting of the past” as if it’s old addictions or major ghosts in the closet from years ago, and it does mean that but it also means more.

Grammatically, the way it’s written in the Greek, is actually more immediate. What it’s talking about is putting aside immediate differences… to put aside something that you could take offense to that was just said or done.

It’s a commitment or refusal to be delayed or distracted by anything in the past, even just seconds after it was said or done. Paul’s concentration is all on the prize (Which is a kingdom transformation that I will get to shortly).

This verse gives us the correct understanding of our current circumstances. Paul is describing being stretched thin for something more significant. Notice whenever you’re stretched thin like you’re leaping through the air with your body completely outstretched in the football analogy, you’re more vulnerable. Nothing in a football game would hurt worse than opening yourself in a position like this not to have somebody from the other team hit you hard; but what if somebody from your own team tackled you at the goal line? Anyone ever feel like they’ve been tackled by a teammate before? It really hurts in ministry when you get hit by someone on your own team, but Paul says put it aside!

I love how Paul writes, “This one thing I do.” There’s no better picture of being all in.

It is “the prize of the high calling of God.” This is the thrust of the entire message of the Bible that we all might become deeply devoted to a more missional calling to be a true disciple of Christ putting aside things of the world.

Is that your goal – the high calling to God for your life? When you pray, do you say, “God, let me stretch toward the high calling you have for me”?

There’s also one more thought here, when people read this they want to read it as if the finish line is heaven. As I mentioned above, this whole section is written not so much eschatologically (as if it were talking about the great reward of heaven. I would agree that there is some implication there but grammatically that’s not what it’s referring to) but for the now. I use the football analogy because it fits here too. It’s not talking about one big push in life (seems like we always want to make everything about heaven- The great pie in the sky); it’s talking about several finish lines in life; bringing glory to the name of Jesus at every hurdle. In a football game you’re gonna hit the goal line more than once if your part of a unified team that’s moving in the right direction. That’s the calling of the unified church.

There’s an ancient Hebrew thought that begins in the first pages of Genesis and is regularly seen through the scripture that’s sets up Jesus‘ primary teachings. I share these regularly, they are called Contronyms. The idea is that we can take something that we think is our worst trait or perhaps situation and when given to God at the alter in humble prayerful supplication; God might take that and transform it from the worst thing about us to our greatest gift for the kingdom. And this is the context to understand how the toils of this world might become the greatest joy of God‘s kingdom. It’s sets the tone for Jesus’ backward kingdom; that the last might be first. It’s completely giving yourself to the work of God that he might take your complete living sacrifice and do immeasurably more then you ever considered.

I find regularly that I need to be bathed in prayer in the spirit to enable my heart and mindset to do this. That I may be in a heartset to put aside the differences and even pray that those differences that look like toil or troubles and might be turned by the grace and power of Jesus from ashes to beauty.

I want to think more missional for the kingdom. Big picture thinking. I pray that I may be able to roll up my sleeves for the kingdom and enable my thick skin for the glory of God, that what I offer might be met and transformed to be immeasurably more for His kingdom.

Moses made a copper serpent and mounted it on a standard; and when anyone was bitten by a serpent, he would look at the copper serpent and recover. Numbers 21:9

I preached on this topic about a year ago. And it seems people were mesmerized by the thought of the snake being the cosmic healer in the garden. There’s a lot more to it than I preached on, and I’ve alluded to some of the bigger picture throughout various expedition44 videos. Let me share another small bit here. This one’s pretty interesting.

The word I want you to focus on is recover.

There’s a lot of sickness today and recently I was in a little bit of a discussion or debate as to whether Christ offered simply spiritual healing at the cross or also physical healing at the cross. I’m not gonna answer that one for you, but this is going to help in that exploration of truth.

I’m going to continue talking about Contronym‘s. Those of you who regularly follow my work know that a Contronym is something that’s introduced in the Bible as being particularly the extreme example of something; and then another idea is introduced as its opposite. Usually, the point or meaning inferred contrasts some kind of transformation in a word play. There are a lot of these in the Bible but you have to look for them. They set the tone in the Old Testament for Jesus‘s teachings of the backward kingdom in the New Testament. Jesus’ way is rival or contrary to the way of the world.

This is one of the early stories or examples of a Contronym in the Bible and I like it probably more than any others because it’s in direct reference to something in the early Old Testament that is applied to Christ. And if you didn’t figure it out, that’s kind of my mantra -complete connection of theology in the entire lens of the Bible.

When Moses lifts up the snake it’s going to be a direct correlation to the ascension & the cross in John 314.  In Egypt copper snakes represent healing by mysterious dark powers. This is a reference to the snake at the fall having magical power changing what it was designed to do, which was originally meant to do (extreme good) which degrades to becoming the extreme opposite of good and becoming the greatest Icon of evil. In ancient Egypt people would have to trade the allegiance of their life if they wanted to affirm or accept the healing that this evil creature would grant. This is where we get the idea originally of selling your soul to the devil.

Now this is amazing because the snake is going to choose to go from being a very useful creature in the garden to completely falling; it’s a picture of extreme opposites. Not only does he fall but he becomes the root of what will cause everybody else to fall as well. Again the example (archetype) of the most evil creature on earth.

But now Moses is going to take the same example of extreme evil and use it as a method of transformation. The icon for the greatest evil is going to be transformed to become the icon for the greatest good the world has ever known. This is going to signify to everybody that even the worst Evil or atrocity can be used or turned for good.

I also like to point out things in the original text that others might not be able to see and in this one there’s a wordplay in Hebrew that we can’t see in English.

Moses makes a nehash nehoshet, the first word meaning “snake” and the second “copper.”

Now it’s interesting that Moses chooses not to completely remove this plague as he did in Egypt but asked for a sign of obedience through the people to look upon it for healing. This is going to begin the picture of faith for Israel and for all of mankind from that point forward. It starts the reciprocal dance of grace. God offers a free gift with the understanding that the dance continues to be freely given.

The Hebrew word here that means “to look” is not a normal word that would have been used to describe gazing on something. The word is “sum” and although it does occasionally mean to look or gaze on something it’s frequently associated with the idea of being set apart, to appoint for a special purpose. It’s going to later lead to the verb Kadosh which means set apart for holiness. Similarly this word is also a word that was commonly used in culture for being set apart for death or destruction and God is going to turn it to have a new significance which will be for His people to be set apart for life. In the same way, the word “sum” takes on the idea of immediate change, or where kadosh- holiness is going to be seen as more of a journey of life. In other words the word sum is the first act of allegiance, its later going to lead to the bigger picture of Kadosh thinking that your whole life might be set apart in a journey with Him. The idea here is that it’s not a complete change but it’s the first step to change. Most of you have probably picked this up but this word “sum” is to salvation as “kadosh” is to sanctification.

I regularly pick on the idea of momentary salvation as if it were some line drawn on the ground that you simply say a cognitive prayer for and now you’re on the other side of the line. The idea of the allegiant step of faith was just the first step. This is what the biblical word “salvation” better means in its ancient context; rather than thinking of it the way that we do in our western world thinking of being completely saved at that moment. The original word salvation described a journey not a moment. The definition that we want to give salvation (in our modern thinking) is actually better given to the definition of biblical sanctification.

Later, on the cross, when Christ introduces the power of healing by accepting new life in Him, it’s not going to be a one and done, it’s going to allow you to enter into that healing process that might or might not take some time. In other words, the first step of healing is also the first step towards sanctification. If you didn’t notice God often wants this process to take a little bit of time. I’ve written an entire post on this. In the Hebrew mindset you were more blessed by the longer that it took. Our American “want to have it right now” way of thinking is actually counter Biblical. God may grant healing quickly, but if he does you should consider it a reason beyond your expectation as it is not the biblical norm.  I’ve also found that when God chooses to quickly heal its for his greater kingdom purposes… it probably has very little to do with you. But with that being said God honors the prayers of those that are fervent and faithful. we get a picture in the Bible that those who have a very deep fervent relationship with him ask him to intercede and he does so. If God grants quickly it’s because he has a specific reason to do so, and maybe it’s your relationship with, but even then; that immediate result is not the expected biblical norm. In ancient Hebrew thinking this was a very selfish thought to ask for yourself. It’s also contrary to Jesus in an act of servitude at the cross.  he asks that we take on the same mindset towards others (not necessarily ourselves.)

Your prayers were better geared towards the communal good of the people towards God rather than your own afflictions. A better prayer (and perhaps the only unselfish prayer) is that your hardship might be turned to a spiritual sense of joy for his kingdom. Paul rarely asked that his afflictions be removed, he was honored by them. That’s hebraic thinking of hardship. In some ways you don’t pray that it goes away, you pray for the blessings that it might bring… and this is why in Hebrew we often understand that people are deeper blessed for their enduring hardships. There is almost a since they didn’t want to be physically healed yet.

There’s a lot of things here that are really interesting when we study them. The first is the idea that God is going to use something of a pagan culture and He’s going to meet people where they are and transform the most evil of things into something beautiful in his kingdom. This is the regaining of what has been lost (and become greatly defiled by this world) making it into something beautiful (not of this earth). Let’s not forget that eventually even the earth which seems to be the symbol of the world and evil is going to be reclaimed and re-created into a new earth for heavenly beings. It’s also a reference that our God is above everything else.

The snake represented perhaps the greatest of the Egyptian gods that is now under the power of the one true God. That reference is still true today that our God is stronger than anything that the world has. I can’t stand it when people want to make the devil out to be God’s equal opponent.

Moses was asking for a sign of allegiance for each person to signify that they were putting God above everything else in their life in order to accept the power that came with this transformational healing. It was a cognitive decision that they were going to be “all in” putting God first in their hearts and in their minds. It was a picture of entering into a beautiful covenant relationship were you would be cared for through and through.

Squirrel… I want to just step back and say that this is still very elementary in our walk with the Lord. This is what God is asking for as the “first step” -to believe that he is stronger than the rest of the world and wants to completely heal you through and through; and eventually through sanctification, He will heal you of all things. Christ is the picture of the ultimate physician at the cross.

Fast forward to when Jesus died on the cross and makes a reference to the healing of the snake through Moses. The cross in Roman culture was the ultimate symbol of death. It was the worst form of death in history. That’s where we get the word excruciating from. There’s never been such a symbol in history. Jesus is going to take the most powerful symbol of power over life and transform it showing that He is stronger than that and now replaces the worst power on earth with the greatest gift of new and everlasting life. There’s also the idea here that if you accept this in allegiance, that healing comes with it; it’s the first step in the journey of sanctification; which is your transformation from a worldly being into a healed spiritual being.

In Hebrew the word healing signifies the transformation of being marred or ruined by the world and being healed by God through Jesus.

So what he does is transforms this icon that shows pagan control over life into healing by a greater power in Jesus. Not only was he linking the idolatry of Egypt to the idolatry of Rome but in the same way he was asking that a person place allegiant faith in this symbol to receive healing. Today when we look at the icon of the cross that represents ultimate healing.

The cross not only shows God‘s final authority over death, the greatest thing the world or evil powers can dish out…. toil or hardship towards a believer; but it gives us the exact opposite; it transforms something of severe hatred and evil into the most beautiful thing that we’ve ever experienced. This is the message of the Contronym of the cross in Hebrew scripture.

Unfortunately, I’m not going to settle the great debate of whether we simply have spiritual healing in the cross or whether there’s also physical healing in the cross. But I do know that it’s the ultimate symbol of transformation in coming to the kingdom of the Lord; and then that kingdom will be transformed to spiritual beings completely healed conquering the elements of this world and all of evil. In a sense, it doesn’t matter whether you interpret them as spiritual or physical because in the end both are given to you.

May you walk faithfully today in the dust of the rabbi.

1 Peter 1:13-14 talks about the unison of mind and action. It’s “all in” thinking to be fully allegiance and committed to Christ. This is another section of the Bible that I feel really needs to be read in its native language or you just can’t fully get the point. I hope you like the idea of learning a little bit of Greek because we’re gonna jump in! This would have been very difficult to explain in the video so it’s going to flow a little bit easier in writing. (I hope) 13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance.

The king James uses the translations “girding up” the loins of your mind. It’s the Greek word anazosamenoi. It’s the only time we get this exact word in the Bible. I talk about this sometimes in a tres Dias talk and people always assume that the loins are the legs, but they actually are the lower five vertebrae of the back.

In their custom they pulled up the robe and belt and put everything together so they would have ease of movement perhaps running but the wording is more about strength and foundational back support. There’s a connotation that you can take away from this from when we work out today, putting a heavy leather weight belt around our back for support and to make sure we don’t do more damage than good. A lot of people that lift heavy things for their work also wear these big belts. Whether you apply it to your job or working out, the idea is you’re ready for action to get to work. But Peter uses it applying it to your mind not your body. The word he uses is dianoias. Normally when a biblical author speaks of the mind he uses a different word -nous. So when I read this in Greek the first thing I wonder is why did he use this unusual word for mind? He also uses a prefix before it dis which signifies the idea of through. It’s a strange combination and you actually have to think about it for a minute to translate it into English. The idea is to think through something. what he is seeing here is that faith in action requires a change in your thinking. Faith is not inactive acceptance.

But this little Greek puzzle continues. Most translations say “do not be conformed” but the actual translation more literally reads” not fashion in yourselves”, It comes from the Greek word suschematizo. In English this translates to “schematic” or a pattern that is used to produce copies. You can also think of it as a mold of which you’re going to produce several things that look exactly the same, it’s a pattern for living in the NT that comes from Leviticus 18:1-5 and 24-30.

What Peter is getting at here is that before we knew Christ we lived a certain way. Now that we know him something needs to change. We can’t continue living off of the same pattern that we did before we are aware of Gods grace in what He is asking us to live like. He describes the former ways as “lusts”. This is a very interesting choice of words in my opinion. The Greek is epithymia. What he says here is that during our former (proteron) state of living we lived in ignorance; or in other places of the New Testament this is described as living in the dark. This is a reference to sacred space. When you are holy you were revealed by the light, when you’re of the world you are in the dark. This is a wordplay on the mind. Peter is alluding to the idea of ignorance.

This is a profound place in scripture that if you’re not reading in Greek you totally miss. This word is agnoia (from which we get “agnostic”). This is the battle that Paul was in with the people the letter was written to. Peter is writing this entire sermon in Hebrew thought form (but to a mixed audience). You have to read it in Greek but think like a Hebrew!  What he is describing is a lack of knowledge that leads to mistaken conduct and moral deficiency.

To the Greek world at the time they believed that knowledge lead to enlightenment. But in Hebrew this word is ewil and has very little to do with how smart you were, it had to do with relationships. We read this kind of Hebraic thought throughout the Psalms and Proverbs. Foolishness was the mark of a man who did not understand his place before the Lord. In the Hebrew mind, foolishness isn’t about moral deficiency it was about spiritual and sacred deficiency.

Matt and I continued going right into the beginning of chapter 2 because there isn’t a chapter (or thought) break here in Greek.

2:1 charges right back into this kind of thinking admonishing us to put aside malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy and slander.

Malice is the word kakia & means evil of the heart. Now this is a “naphesh” type of word that means the totality the whole of everything. Guile is the word dolon and means bait. This is a hard one to get in English but what Peter is alluding to is hypocrisy. The Greek is hypokrisis and literally means under judgment. Under means something that is hidden. He’s talking about exposing something that is in the dark. Hypocrisy is the root of deceit. It’s when somebody’s not being forthright. It’s interesting that Peter describes this as utter evil. In the Old Testament it was also described as idolatry, anytime you put something else in the place of or “over” God. (Some great over/under contrast language going on.)

We get the cultural translation of envy meaning jealousy, slander means all evil words. In Greek there’s a lot of words associated with this like turning against something or being the catalyst.  It means to talk at random, the contronym of lego which means to speak from the intellect or reason. Katalalias is gossip, fruitless talk with evil intent, or a “back-biter”.

This is the end of our third film, but eventually he is setting all of this up to later in the chapter say Jesus was not like any of this and if you want to be like Jesus then all of it has to go.

Peter tells us the reason that Jesus did not retaliate but “gave himself over to” – the word is paradidomi. It has the sense of completely delivering oneself over to the power of another.

Non-aggression in adversity and suffering. “Suffer” is the verb pascho. This is undeserved suffering for the sake of “righteousness” (dikaiosune) – that which is just, the state of good standing before God. As I have mentioned many times before, in Hebraic thought you were blessed by the longer you had to suffer or endure hardship. This is the picture of Jesus at the cross the ultimate form of suffering, and that we are ultimately called to be like Jesus. When we can be like Jesus then we will be blessed. In our world we think that means prosperity or given things but that’s not the biblical meaning of the word.

You are blessed – “makarios” which is the same word used over and over and the beatitudes. In fact it was probably Peters way of getting you to have a flashback to remember exactly what Jesus described as life in Him.

This is a whole circular thought that comes back to the beginning of the puzzle where Peter began. To be blessed meant to humbly be in intimate relationship or union with God. Which is exactly what he starts with. Joy in Jesus.

1 Peter 1:8 Inexpressible Joy

“and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible “

In life there are a few things that we just don’t have the words to describe. We hear this a lot and corny love songs.

Peter uses a phrase that describes this kind of thinking when he says (aneklaleto) or “Joy inexpressible” which means literally unable to call out. There’s a literal sense of not even being able to speak. This sense is that it’s so deep that we don’t quite have the language to describe the experience. And it usually comes to us when we are least expecting it.

CS Lewis referred to this as a shadow to the heavens. We’re on a course to sanctification looks and it looks and feels often like a long tedious journey (at least if you’re living up to your calling as a disciple!) On this journey we experience a lot of toil, but we’re going to find a glimpse of being complete and when we experience this moment, words can’t possibly explain it… it is a sacred moment or a heavenly grace. Jesus described this as a peace that passes understanding.

And of course this is Contronym language, it’s the opposite of what our world usually considers joy. Maybe it comes in the form of hurt or brokenness and moves you to steps outside of your expectations. In fact, it takes us away from the world where God greets us; it’s an eschatological picture, but also a picture of sacred joy within the tangled world that we live right here right now.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3 NASB

In Christianity we hear the term born-again a lot. In fact most people (Christian’s and non) believe that the church soley exists to get people “born again.” Unfortunately, that’s not biblical, that is Greco-Roman theology laced with more modern reformational and stoic philosophy creeping into Christianity mainstream thinking unnoticed.

The process of being transformed from being of the world to being of God is called sanctification & is not simply a development. It is a description of an existing relationship with God, not a pathway to God. (The path simply describes the tough journey biblically, especially in the context of 1Peter) This is allegiant language for sure, but obedience doesn’t ensure you have the desired relationship. Allegiance is the first step and obedience is a result of already experiencing the relationship. Furthermore, the actual Greek word for “born again” only appears one time in Scripture (that’s called a hapax legomenon), in 1 Peter 1:3 where the verb, anagennáō, is an aorist, active participle, meaning something like “causing to be re-generated.” (I’m sure you’re wondering about John 3:3 but that’s another conversation!)

Crazy how much emphasis has been put on this one word in scripture.

The preeminent calling of Christianity to the church (deeper discipleship) has gotten greatly deluded. People hope to follow God. They want to follow God. But how is that possible when even the Christian community still follows Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin or even worse; worldly philosophers more than Jesus and Peter?

First Peter is a book about sanctification that connects a lot of dots of the complete lens of scripture and what that process looks like.

The term born again in our modern culture has taken on a little bit different of a meaning than it did when Jesus, John, or Peter might have used the same words.

Today we think of being “Born again” as the regeneration of the human spirit. Jesus said in the book of John that “You must be born again before you can see, or enter, the Kingdom of Heaven.” In some ways the verse implies this modern version of regeneration of the person, but that might be misleading according to the Greek. I’ll get to this.

The emphasis on first Peter 1:3 might be the only time in the Bible that we truly see the simple English phrase “born again” being used. We refer to a lot of passages or translate the Bible to say “born again” in a few different places but John and 1 Peter are literally the only references that translate to English as “born again” and even that is arguable. As we learned yesterday, a better aorist active participle translation implied a much more relational transaction which would be translated as “causing to be regenerated.” But that doesn’t quite have the ring that “born again” might! and just to be clear I really don’t have a problem with the term born again I just want to interpret its meaning more scripturally, not the way that we typically understand it in western culture eyes.

I Peter 1:23  also uses a similar word that we would translate “having been” with “born again” but in Greek it’s one word, and therefore it is a different word than what is used earlier in first Peter 1:3. The word born again itself in the context of first Peter 1:3 displays the idea that you have entered into an existing relationship and the result is obedience that grows deeper by being sanctified. So now in 1:23 we’re reading it as “having started that relational process”… You’re a little further on the road to sanctification… now you’re a few steps further along the way. This is “sacred complete lens of Scripture” language. The author is crafting together the entire lens of the Bible from the very beginning (foreknowledge) laced in Jesus as the enduring word and your relationship to Him signifying the ancient communal covenant that we (all) are united in Jesus.

There’s actually an idea that this is bigger than one singular notion (or person); that together we are all grafted into the same person of Christ. As I have mentioned before, in the Hebraic way of thinking, it would’ve been very selfish to just consider your own person, it was a bigger picture considering the journey of all of Gods people -including Gods original chosen people of Israel but even going back before that to the Abrahamic covenant (reclaiming what was lost) and opening the door for all people. This isn’t Covenant Theology, or replacement theology it’s simply the entire church of God for all of time. The grafting of everybody who claims the one true God into the big picture of His kingdom!

My main point is nothing about first Peter describes this term “ born again” as a simple line of salvific one time transformation, in fact quite the opposite; the language of first Peter describes the term with a much larger spectrum defined by holiness. The complete journey of sanctification for God’s reclaiming of all of His people throughout the complete spectrum of both the old and new covenant. To write this off as a simple “one and done, step over the line in your in” way of thinking doesn’t work in these texts or for that matter, any others.

A lot of modern translations are going to use the word “born again” more than a couple times in the Bible. But we really only see the original Greek making reference to this phrase 3/4 times. We have first Peter 1:3 and 23 which I explained above and John 3:3 and 3:7. Even though they translated the same way, they are actually different words in Greek.

The premise of Yesterdays post was the thought that I am finishing today; that being “born again” is often understood as merely the decision to become a Christian. This is sometimes theologically described as regeneration. The moment that your mind decides to live allegedly and hopefully your actions and mind will continue to follow… in our modern culture we talked about this momentary type of thinking a lot but I would encourage you as you study the Scriptures there’s little if any kind of consideration for this thinking. Even when you look at the theological term regeneration, there’s a much broader implication in a one time commitment that you may or may not stick to.

From Gods’ eyes there’s a little bit of a perspective going back and moving forward that he understands the long range intention of the heart. This is what first Peter starts out with. When humans try to draw the line it actually describes a type of judgment… but God sees differently (but you even have to be careful here this isn’t fortuneteller language – we get into this on the third series of our videos).

I tend to think that John 3:1–21 doesn’t only talk about the entry point of a Christian’s conversion experience, but also a life of transformation in the Spirit. It seems clear that 3:3, 5–8 speak of the fact that a Christian is born from God and of the Spirit. The Christian life, then, is a life of transformation by the Spirit’s empowerment.

The two phrases are slightly different in Greek they mean “born again” and “born of God”. In John 3:3 the Greek expression γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν is used, which (literally) means “born from above,” “born anew” or more modernly translated as “born again.” In 1 Peter 3, 23, the Greek verb ἀναγεννάω is used, emphasises “to be” signifying “causing to be regenerated.” In 1 John 3:9, the Greek verb is γεννάω, which means “to bring forth birth” or “to be father of.” Do you see the difference between them?

This is ancient Hebraic grafting language. This is why I repeatedly say in our video series that even though Peter is teaching to a mixed audience of Hebrews and Gentiles he is speaking in Hebraic language signifying the ancient covenant in connection with Jesus from the beginning.

When the world was created those that were originally created by the hand of God were referred to his holy ones or sons (daughters) of God. In the New Testament when Jesus and Peter both explain the concept of entering into an allegiant relationship, they describe the process of the journey. But make no mistake, these words are very different than our concept of being born again today. In John, Jesus is talking about the work of the father. It was rightfully His, what was stolen by the world is now being reclaimed. (Way maker language) Where Peter is going to take the fact that you were being reclaimed and apply it to a relational journey called sanctification for all of the church.

I try not to get too scholarly in these posts but this is a good way of also understanding it…

On John 3:3 (and 3:5 in context), Keener (who is one of my favorite scholars) says the following (and much more worth exploring if you want to go find it).

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Greek thinkers could speak of God or gods as ‘above,” in terms of a vertical dualism; but Jewish texts were no less attracted to the portrait of God as “above” and to a vertical dualism contrasting God’s heavenly realm with the earthly. “Above” or “the one above” in fact became standard Jewish circumlocutions for God, as elsewhere in this Gospel (19:11), so birth from above means birth from God. Birth “from above” conveys the same essential sense as “birth from Spirit” as opposed to fleshly birth: what is merely human is inadequate, and the chasm between divine and human power is infinite. (p. 1.538–1.539)

Granted, born ἄνωθεν can mean “born again” rather than or in addition to “born from above”; but John’s informed audience, familiar with his own usage, will find Nicodemus’s more limited interpretation wanting… In this passage Nicodemus becomes a foil whose misunderstanding allows Jesus to clarify his point for John’s audience (cf. 14:5, … Jesus’ words about a rebirth, a transformation of character (3:6) that is an essential prerequisite to understanding the things of the Spirit (3:8; 1 Cor 2:10–16), are clear enough on their own terms… (p. 1.539)

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Let me put this in simple terms, basically, John 3:3 speaks of a new birth (reclaiming) from God that engenders a life of transformation by the Spirit (3:5–8; cf Ezekiel 36–37). For sure, being born from above is the beginning of a new life. But it is a life to be transformed by the Spirit continually. The journey that we are all United through in Christ.

Therefore, to think about the term born again as being a onetime momentary experience was not the biblical mindset of either Peter nor Jesus (Who are the only New Testament authors that seem to use any kind of term similar to that.) It could be described very loosely as the condition you’re entering into after the first cognitive decision. But honestly, I don’t even feel good about that. That doesn’t seem to be the way the biblical authors would have thought, that is more of the way that we think about it today… so you could consider it as the first step of the journey but a better hermeneutic would be to look at the whole journey together, as through the eyes of God.

The problem is born-again carries a lot of modern connotations that really aren’t that great. What I was alluding to yesterday trying to keep it short, is it the idea of being born again (the way that we think about it today) is actually a lot closer tied to worldly philosophy than it is to the Bible.

This morning Tyler Childers song “born again” came on (which I will add is very well written unfortunately according to transcendentalism) and the spirit nudged me, reminding me of the worlds version of what this term means. The song implies all kinds of transcendental ideas, reincarnation, mysticism and much more. Unfortunately, this is the world’s version that Christians have bought into when using the term “born again”. It’s the idea of the Platonic soul being elevated to the place of a God. It’s an escapist idea. This way of thinking also opens the door to a universalist pluralism that all roads lead to one thought.

This is exactly the problem at Babel and what is countercultural to the kingdom language that Jesus and Peter are using. I’ve mentioned this several times before, that this is a fine line- when we are re-born into Christ and enter into the process of sanctification we will eventually become “like gods” (this is the plan from the beginning starting in Genesis three). But this is very different than trying to become equal to or even over God which was the problem at Babel.

This is exactly the opposite of the picture that God wants for us through sanctification. But this is what the world and the evil principalities and powers (better term than simply saying Satan) have done so well. They take a biblical concept and come up with something that looks very similar to it, yet is countercultural or exactly opposite to what God is asking for. It’s the great deception from the beginning of time.

Essentially, when we treat “born again” to mean something like this; we’re actually using terminology that’s more rooted in the world or Satan‘s definition, than we are to the scriptural definition of it.  It’s a major problem that I find evangelical Christians slipping into time and time again.

As a couple people have alluded to in these posts, this is exactly what my book to be released this month talks about. That evangelical Christianity unfortunately has wandered far from what the scripture as described by the journey of sanctification biblically. In many ways, we have taken on the powers and principalities version of this term and many others (or anti-versions) then we have the scriptural directive of the term.

My continual point is that Americans (particularly) need to get back to studying what the scripture actually says in the context that it was written, and put aside all of the worldly chatter and entanglement philosophies.

I’ll use one last analogy. The rainbow was originally a sign of Gods beautiful covenant of covering love to humankind. Today Christians generally abhor that image. I’m not going to get into that conversation right now… but from the time of God‘s covenant to now, the image of the rainbow represents something different to a modern culture than it did when it was presented to God‘s people. (Or does it? Squirrel! That’s another series of posts!) Should “Christians” not use the rainbow as a sign of God‘s covenant anymore because it means something different today? Or would it be better to reclaim the rainbow (a sign of cosmic love) in the name of the Lord? I’m always of the mindset that if the term meant something in the biblical language then let’s keep it meaning that and living within the ancient covenant language. (God was a master at reclaiming language in the ancient Old Testament) I’m not ready to give up what is Gods, but I’m also not willing to use the terms in the way that the world has sometimes twisted or defiled them; whether we are talking about the word rainbow or being born again.

In essence thinking about being born again as a one time momentary line in the sand that you cross looks a lot more like the philosophies of the world than it did the relational kingdom that Jesus was proclaiming and Peter signified.

My challenge, is to return to a better scriptural perspective of God‘s word and covenant; living as aliens completely given to the kingdom of God not of this world.

Are you speaking Gods covenant language or the world’s twisted language?

Genesis — God’s enduring grace setting forth the plan to reconcile the fallen world and reclaim those that desire to enter into a relationship of covenant love to those that live in Faith through Him.

Exodus — God’s covenant to rescue and deliver us from the bondage of the world delivering His people into promised life.

Leviticus —God establishes a sacrificial system to atone for sins that will paint a picture of holy living dedicated to God and will eventually set the stage for the messiah that all might be reclaimed and enter into a new exodus and new covenant in Christ.

Numbers — God’s mercy towards those that do not fully follow His ways; He continually continues to draw us back to Him.

Deuteronomy — God’s promises to guard and Keep his people in covenant love that is all encompassing.

Joshua — God displays his amazing provincial power to those that follow Him. The promise of sacred life and land is given to His people in a picture of reciprocal gift giving by a picture of grace and lasting inheritance.

Judges — A span of 300 years where God wrestles with His people that don’t honor their relationship with Him. We see God continually meeting His people where they are and forgiving them over and over in love.

Ruth — God demonstrates that his plan is to honor those even in the worst of situations. That He is faithful through and through and not only cares for the destitute, but also gives way to drawing those outside of His chosen people (those that seemed lost) into his covenant family and giving them the greatest honor imaginable, to be in the seed of the messiah.

1 Samuel —God meets Israel by granting them a king showing His dynamic love for them and hoping that his anointed leader might lead the people back to Him. Unfortunately. 1 Samuel is a story of leaders that are given everything by God and turn on Him. But the story ends with the hope of a new king who will turn the hearts of the Bible back towards God, a man whose, heart is after the Lords… David.

2 Samuel — God re-stablished his sacred land and Kingdom through a man whose heart is for Him. A promise is granted to Him that His son will rule forever. We see a picture of a relationship that thrives between God and His servant David; in spite of continual sin, God cares for David and honors Israel.

1 Kings — Despite Israel still wavering in their relationship to God, King Solomon is blessed by God with great wisdom, riches, and honor. But as most of Israel’s kings were wicked leading the people farther from God not closer to Him. God send a prophet Elijah, to point the people back to God revealing himself again in grace abounding in hope and love for his people that continue to turn on Him.

2 Kings — Elijah is translated to heaven, and Elisha takes his place as God’s prophet in Israel. There are some glimmers of hope in Godly kings but eventually the leadership of Israel completely turns on God and turns to idol worship and adultery against the Lord. The Lord allows judgement on them through captivity of the Assyrians and Babylon’s in hopes that through their anguish they might return to Him. He hasn’t given up on them despite many generations of turning away from God resulting in wickedness rather than holiness.

1 Chronicles — We see a deep picture of the life of David being imperfect and broken yet still having a heart and intimate relationship for God. We see that God honors faithful steps towards Him despite our shortcomings.

2 Chronicles — This book is about Holiness and connects worshipping God with sacred space and land through a temple. It reminds us that everything is the Lords and that we honor Him when we offer it back to Him.

Ezra — After 70 years of captivity God’s people are given another chance to return to their land and rebuild the temple, yet many don’t return and fall short of God’s expectations again. God sends more of His prophets to once again urge them to live as those set apart for holiness.

Nehemiah — God blesses the remnant, those that decide to rebuild the temple and return to God’s way. This leads to celebration, joy, and life.

Esther — Is a story of a Jew who didn’t return. Some would not have considered her holy because of that yet God smiles on her. It is a message that he is also still interested in those that might still be short of God’s expectations for them. He is going to seek them out and show them the way. It is also a story of God using someone to step out and claim Him in the midst of possible persecution and even death. There is hope that some still seek him and he not only meets them where they are but blesses them beyond their expectations.

Job — God is God, and His ways are higher than ours and sometimes we won’t see things through the eyes of God; but must still have faith and trust in Him. God overwhelms Job with His majesty, wisdom, and power.

Psalms — Reminders of praise to the Lord, cries of the needy, worshipful adoration, laments, thanksgiving, prophecy, and the full spectrum of human emotion. These are continual pictures of how God interacts with His people.

Proverbs — A collection of moral teachings and general observances about life dedicated to the Lord.

Ecclesiastes —Nothing in this world satisfies: riches, pleasure, knowledge, or work. Without God in the equation, all is vanity.

Song of Solomon — A look at the bride and groom as an undying strength of love. This is a metaphorical picture of how much God loves his people.

Isaiah — Is a book of Gods struggles with His people. God miraculously saves Jerusalem from an attack by the Assyrians. Isaiah predicts the fall of Judah at the hands of Babylon, but he also promises a restoration to their land. Isaiah sets the tone of a kingdom of redemption, peace and prosperity to come; it gives hope to the broken.

Jeremiah — Jeremiah is a story of God calling his people to repent over and over, but is ignored and even persecuted. Through Jeremiah, God promises that He will one day establish a new covenant with Israel.

Lamentations — God’s people have left Him and all seems lost. Yet God is just in His discipline, and He is merciful in not destroying the rebellious nation completely; God’s people will yet see God’s compassion.

Ezekiel — God allows judgment for idolatry but promises a miraculous restoration of God’s people to their land, the reconstruction of the temple, and God’s rule over all the nations of the earth. God desires hope and reconciliation.

Daniel — God’s remnant continues to shine in the dark and are blessed in many ways such as being given the eyes to see predicting the rise and fall of many nations and the coming rule of God’s chosen king, the Messiah.

Hosea — Hosea’s mission is to call Israel to repentance as an illustration of Israel’s spiritual adultery and the fact that a loving God is still pursuing them to redeem them and restore them to their proper place. God doesn’t give up.

Joel — Joel ministers in Judah during a time of drought. We learn how to experience God’s love even throughout the most difficult of times. Joel’s final promise is that the Lord will dwell with His people in Zion and bring great blessing to the restored land.

Amos — Amos contrasts destruction with restoration in view of the Lord.

Obadiah — God’s justice revealed. God’s people will be the ultimate victors.

Jonah — Is a rare OT story of God desiring other nations to follow Him.

Micah — Micah is a call to re-examine the word of the Lord. It is a story for hope and restoration in the midst of extreme hurt.

Nahum — Is a book of justice on a nation that that had once terrorized the rest of the world. Unlike God’s judgment against Israel, the judgment against Nineveh will have no respite, and the destruction will not be followed by restoration.

Habakkuk — God is sovereign and faithful no matter what we might see or feel. The just will live by faith.

Zephaniah —Jerusalem is called to repent, and the book ends with a promise from God to restore His people to favor and glory.

Haggai —Haggai preaches a series of four sermons to spur the people back to work so that the temple can be completed.

Zechariah —Zechariah encourages the people of Jerusalem to finish the reconstruction of the temple, a work that has languished for about 15 years. Judgment on Israel’s enemies is promised, along with God’s blessings on His chosen people. Several messianic prophecies are included, predicting the Messiah’s coming, His suffering, and His eventual conquering glory.

Malachi — Ministering to post-exilic Israel, Malachi calls God’s people to repentance. The prophet condemns the sins of divorce, bringing impure sacrifices, withholding tithes, and profaning God’s name. It seems that all might be completely lost, but God ends the book with hope of a coming savior.

New Testament:

Matthew — The ministry of Jesus Christ is the rightful king to rule from Israel’s throne. Jesus offers the kingdom to His people, but Israel rejects Him as their king and crucifies Him. Jesus rises again and sends His disciples into all the world to proclaim His teaching.

Mark —Jesus is the Righteous Servant of God. Jesus is victorious in His mission.

Luke —Jesus is the Son of Man who came to save the whole world. Jesus shows the love of God to all classes of people, regardless of race or gender. He is unjustly betrayed, arrested, and murdered, but He rises again and offers reconciliation to all.

John —Jesus speaks at length of His nature and work and the necessity of faith, and He proves that He is the Son of God through a series of public miracles.

Acts —The Holy Spirit empowers Jesus’ followers and the church of Christ begins.

Romans — The righteousness of God and how God can declare guilty sinners to be righteous based on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Having been justified by faith, believers live in holiness before the world.

1 Corinthians — How to deal with various issues, including sin and division in the church, marriage, idolatry, spiritual gifts, the future resurrection, and the conduct of public worship.

2 Corinthians — Encouragement to the church and how to live in peace.

Galatians — Salvation and sanctification are all of grace. Christ’s salvation has set us free. We rely on the Spirit’s work, not our own.

Ephesians — Salvation comes by grace through faith in Christ, and not by our own works. The life Jesus gives, to Jew and Gentile alike, results in a new heart and a new walk in this world. The church is the Body of Christ, and marriage is a picture of Christ and the church. God has provided spiritual armor to wage spiritual battle.

Philippians —The gospel of Christ is advancing in the world, despite hardship, and Christians can rejoice in that. We are urged to humble ourselves as Christ did, be unified, and press toward the goal of pleasing the Lord in all things.

Colossians — In Christ, all believers are made alive and complete; the new life we have in Christ should impact our relationships with spouses, parents, children, masters, and servants.

1 Thessalonians — encouragement in steadfast faith. Believers are encouraged to live pure lives and to maintain the hope that Jesus will return.

2 Thessalonians —God will protect His children. Until the time that Christ returns, keep doing what is right.

1 Timothy —A pastor must be qualified spiritually, be on guard against false doctrine, pray, care for those in the church, train other leaders, and above all faithfully preach the truth.

2 Timothy — Encouragement to hold fast to the faith, focus on what is truly important, persevere in dangerous times, and preach the Word of God.

Titus — Encouragement to be spiritually qualified, avoid distractions, model the Christian life, and enjoin all believers to practice good works.

Philemon —Show the love of Christ and be reconciled to grace for the sake of Christ.

Hebrews — Move on to full spiritual maturity, by faith. Jesus Christ is everything we need.

James —True, saving faith will affect our prayer life, our words, our response to trials, and our treatment of others.

1 Peter — Our grace in God should exhibit holiness in suffering throughout the journey of sanctification.

2 Peter — Exhortation to follow the Word of God, and live in holiness as you await the second coming of Christ.

1 John — God is light, love, and truth. Those who truly belong to Christ will seek fellowship with His redeemed; walk in the light, not in darkness; confess sin; obey God’s Word; love God; experience a decreasing pattern of sin in their lives; demonstrate love for other Christians; and experience victory in their Christian walk.

2 John — The Christian life is a balance of truth and love.

3 John — Living in truth and love through hospitality.

Jude — The message of the gospel will not change.

Revelation — Jesus is the Lord of the church, the Lamb of God returns to earth setting up His kingdom of peace in a recreated new heaven and new earth.

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 1 Peter 1:14-15 NASB

I have been “studying” and living out first Peter. When I’m into a study I’m all in. I’m googling Greek & Hebrew words all day, I’m having conversations with people throughout the week about what they think of of the verses, I’m reading books about it, I’m watching YouTube videos, and I’m listening to podcasts. I’m engaged in prayerful conversation with the spirit throughout the entire process. I’m fully engulfed in trying to understand every ramification of my text. Now, I don’t say this to boast, (which would be a strange thing to boast about) but some people have wondered how much time and effort I might put into these posts.

Last night at the basketball game I glanced over to see my youngest son Reid and his friends looking like they were praying about the basketball game from the sideline bench! It was super cute and a little bit endearing that they were asking God to influence their little basketball game as they laughed and giggled. As I begin to consider them, it came to me, isn’t this the kind of relationship that God is looking for? In their child like faith they didn’t consider it abnormal to ask God to intercede in their day today matters as they were giggling away.

As I reflect on this passage in first Peter I stop at the phrase ”obedient children” – I smile to myself and think when am I actually supposed to grow up? As I dig deeper you, guessed it, there’s more to this phrase than you might think. The Greek expression is tekna hupakoes. Tekna (children) is a special word in the New Testament. The connotation is a diligent pupil that carrie’s spiritual implications. John uses it as a tender address (“my little children”) and it’s often applied to the followers of Jesus in their early obedient walk.

The word for “obedience” is hupakoes which literally means “through hearing.” Now most people would never know this, but when I read it this way all the sudden the light goes off! You see, the phrase “children of obedience” is a Hebrew idiom. And you might find it surprising that I’ve been studying first Peter for almost 6 weeks and I just finally picked up on this as I’m translating Greek to Hebrew.

It means “children whose mother – is obedience”.

In Hebrew it’s the idea that you’ve been taught obedience from your mother at an early age, and you readily accepted without question. When we enter into new life with God, God takes over guiding us into obedience with him. We often think of God as our spiritual father, but there are many aspects of God that represent him as our spiritual mother as well.

When we are “reborn” We have an intimate connection of obedience with the father who “birthed us.” Therefore when we can continue to live in disobedience it suffers that intimate relationship.

I praise God that my boys were raised to obedience under an amazing Godly woman. I’m thankful every day that God blessed me with someone that would partner with me in instilling a heart for God in our children from a young age. But I also rejoice for the new life that they have in Christ and love to see these moments where they are now being guided not only by us, but even more so in their spirit walk.

When we choose to live in the light, we choose the path of obedient faith.

I pray I might never grow up in this sense, that I may walk in the obedient faith that I was destined and designed for!

Last night we had a YWAM circuit rider party at our church. It was super fun to introduce our kids to YWAM, I think they are all ready to sign up after last night!

My next book is about discipleship and I have long said that biblical discipleship is nearly lost in America. Yet, YWAM and other immersive types of intense training (such as some of our programs at CTS) might still represent a biblical picture of what discipleship meant. More than anything I want to teach my kids what true discipleship looks like.

The theme of the night referenced Isaiah 6:8, the here am I send me passage. I was brought back to my current x44 studies in 1 Peter.

“you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house” 1 Peter 2:5 NASB

So I bet you’re wondering how this verse in first Peter connects to Isaiah 6:8?! You might have to speak Greek to make the connection.

Built up in Greek is oikodomeisthe and is where we get our English word “domestic” and it means literally to build but usually referenced a rock or foundation specifically. We are used to this interpretation with the parable of building a house on a firm (rock like) foundation.  but have you ever actually considered what that meant spiritually?

The way it’s written here is in the present passive tense, that means that something is actively being done to us. In other words it’s not us that’s building the house it’s the The Lord that’s doing the work in and through us; we are simply the tool.

It’s very easy just to say here am I send me. But Isaiah understood the implications when he said it, I wonder if we do? When you consider building something out of a rock it’s much more difficult than building something out of wood or man-made materials. I’m often enamored by pyramid construction & the amount of man hours and time that it took to construct them. We have to take on that same mindset when we consider what God is doing in us here on our journey. He’s willing to chip away the rock, to break here, to cut to polish… maybe even add some miraculous spiritual glue or mortar where we are lacking.

The problem comes in the fact that we are living stones. We have our own mindset when God is trying to mold us. Sometimes we don’t wanna fit in that mold, his mold is countercultural to what we think feels good in our world. The stone starts by saying “here I am” but the stone doesn’t shape itself… the master builder is the one that gives it form and function.

YWAM (DTS) is a biblical view of discipleship because they’re asking people to leave everything & be fully immersed, “all in”, to Jesus. To truly leave the world behind and become molded by Jesus.

Last night this message was echoed in their song “I’ll go anywhere… put me where you want me”

Where you you? Are you trying to tell the builder how to use you? Or are you ready be put anywhere for the kingdom? Your a block in the flock, not the engineer. Let God move! Maybe today it’s time to say to the Lord, “I am a rock. Chip away.” Take on the humility of the calling and be a servant… which leads to true discipleship… all in.

First Peter is a subtle and subversive letter. I wish I could communicate more in the style it is written.

One of the main themes of 1 Peter is asking Christ followers to submit to human authority. We like to think of our Christian leaders differently (or higher) than those of the world; but that is more a traditional thought (likely taken on from Catholicism) than a Biblical thought. The Bible doesn’t have a place for hierarchy among the church, yet speaks volumes on the equality of every believer within the royal priesthood calling. This is one of my pet peeves with the church, we expect the pastors to do the work rather than taking ownership ourselves as “the church.”

Some have even gone as far as to say the Bible doesn’t really create a picture of hired staff that we have made the church out to be today. That the biblical picture of the church was lay leadership. That thought would also pass on to the money given in a New Testament biblical picture going to support the needy and missions, not the elaborate buildings and salaries.

The Flavor of 1 Peter, who some would say was the singular leader of the church, is actually quite contrary to that thinking. Peter insists that we have freedom under Christ and grants the emperor the same honor that is due everyone else. True equality.

Peter demonstrates this by asking slaves to submit to their masters and wives to their husbands. These slaves are not asked to be doormats, but as Christ followers who subvert injustice the way Jesus did— by bearing up under it and showing humility and servitude. This is the backwards kingdom ultimate sign of biblical leadership within the church.

Likewise, he admonishes wives not submit to unbelieving husbands from a posture of inferiority, but from one of triumph that wins over their husbands by the superior power of godly conduct. Perhaps this was cultural, but perhaps it wasn’t!

The head. kephalē (Greek: κεφαλή) appears some 75 times in the Greek New Testament. It is a borrowed word, in Greek it is known as a military term and shares a similar meaning to the more popular word phalanx (Ancient Greek: φάλαγξ; plural phalanxes or phalanges, φάλαγγες, phalanges) which was a military formation, usually composed of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, or similar pole weapons. An important aspect was that it marched forward as one entity. The head referred to the first part of the formation, guarding or revering those behind in a place of honor.

The head took the brunt of the attack. If you think of a Vietnam style formation and somebody tells you to take the lead or be the head… it’s not necessarily a place of great honor… it’s the place of great servitude… and there’s a very good chance that you might be asked to give the ultimate sacrifice of your life itself. Yet how many times in history have we seen the person who supposed to be the greatest, the commander or the general take the lead and urge the troops on towards battle.

When you take this mindset & apply it to Christ as the head of the church and the husband is the head of the wife it takes on a different meaning than what you might consider it traditionally.

It’s a position of extreme servitude, not just to the ones you love the most, but to everyone. It’s the greatest measure of honor towards equality within the church.

Today I ask you to take on the mindset of Peter and that you might not esteem to be the greatest of the church by the world standards, but to be the greatest servant… to be a picture of Christ in humility.

Laughter is a curious thing. It can show immense joy, bereavement, sorrow, hurt, cunningness or even deceit. I intentionally present this list to show that even though laughter might come through in more negative ways than positive; we always think of laughter positively first. Perhaps it is a window into the heart and the sacred heavens.

When you get to first Peter three you get to a list of people that might be considered the superstars of faith. In this list we see the name Sarah. The strange thing is that when I read about the life of Sarah in the book of Genesis I am torn. I don’t think most people would consider the description we get of her as a life of great faith. In fact, I see a lot of things that look opposite of faith such as vengeance, anger, betrayal, and abuse… how can those descriptions be reconciled with great faith?  She’s one of the last women in the Bible that I would consider as a role model or somebody of Godly obedience; is it simply a Hebrew Contronym?! What is going on in Genesis and 1 Peter? Has my theology of her in Genesis always been wrong?

We get very little in the Bible that we actually know directly from her and when we do get something, we’re not really sure how to read it; such as in Genesis 21 where I’ve always wondered, is this sarcasm? I hate to say it, but I’ve always pictured her as a bitter mess.

Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.” Genesis 21:6 NASB

Maybe you have wondered the same thing and perhaps we can consider 1 Peter to shed some light on our Theology. There is an element in the New Testament when sometimes we see Jesus and other authors set the record straight. What I mean by that, is perhaps throughout (OT) time people interpreted the narrative incorrectly (as we often might continue to do) and through the New Testament lens, the authors are inspired to paint a slightly different picture. We might get the story clarified. So let’s consider that take…

In Sarah’s mind children are everything and, right or wrong; are the basis of her self worth. When her years of child bearing seem to be over she finds herself living in a wasteland… or does she?

In fact, consider for a moment, that Sarah’s situation might even require more faith than Abraham. We always consider Abraham to be an archetype of Faith in the scripture. But what if Sarah actually had greater faith? Perhaps because of the culture where men where typically “over” women for the last several thousand years, we were given Abraham, but would this passage suggest that to a later audience when the cultural paradigm “against women” would shift or change that we might actually consider Sarah to possibly even have greater faith than Abraham? Should she be our 21st century archetype of faith? Her faith came from the inside-out; Abraham’s came from the outside-in. Everything in the scripture would indicate that God is more concerned about the heart first; it is described as a greater attribute of holiness than the outside (although that is also important).

Perhaps Peter was right. As much as we get the idea that Sarah’s life was surrounded with hurt and bitterness (and who knows what else) we also might get the picture that she believed it was entirely possible within her humanity for something of incredible magnitude to still happen through God even when Abraham didn’t. (And remember in the hebraic mindset, the idea of living in constant toil meant that you might be even further blessed in the sacred realm).

This is where I want you to consider what real faith looks like. That even though the world left no consideration… they called it impossible by science and every other logical consideration…

Sarah laughed. The world says there’s no chance, but her laughter says otherwise. So maybe she was a scoffer, but maybe she was scoffing at the world! Do you believe that your body is a sacred temple for God‘s divine work?! Do you think that you’re limited by what the world has told you?

1 Peter is all about claiming your life in sanctification. I see Sarah definitively described in this book… and it is divine.

Laughter is a Contronym in Hebrew. It can mean mockery to some, but to others it can mean the deepest faith resulting in Joy. Perhaps in your free will you can claim more than you ever thought possible. Which one will your life represent? Which side of the Contronym will you live? Will you allow your laughter to show the mockery, deceit, and lies (scoffers) of the world, or will you choose to ignite the divine inside of you; that your laughter might be the very essence of the Lord in you.

God has blessed me and my boys with a [superwoman for the kingdom] wife and mother very similar to Sarah in that she is always working from the heart. We Love you and are grateful to have you co-lead our family Krista! Together we choose joy and believe to live for a sacred kingdom.

Don’t fall into believing that the world can mandate God or anything that has been given to you through Him. Choose joy! Choose Faith.