Sunday, February 17, 2008
The Fellowship of the Mystery--Part 4
11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.... Eph 1:11
Without going near all the classic debates on the nature of Divine election (which is a great subject for us to study and ponder in itself and for which there is space for honest and loving disagreement among committed Jesus followers), let me simply make a statement that believers who hold various positions on election can agree:
God continually accommodated and compensated for tragic human choices without being deterred from His kingdom intentions and also without breaking His Covenant with His people or minimizing their responsibility.
I believe this creative, kind, intentional, ingenious, mysterious, powerful, loving, resourceful Divine capacity is the key to understanding the big "God-Story" of the Bible. (The apostolic metanarrative of history is also the context of Eph 1 in the midst of which Paul makes the statement in v. 11.) It is this belief that enables the integration of the various parts of the Story that sometimes appear contradictory, if it is missing. It is the philosophical concept (undergirding the biblical theology), clearly grasped and taught by Jesus (and his first apostles...after their initial struggles with it!), that weaves together the whole history of God's actions/interactions with his entire creation and that also provides our strong hope for a most beautiful and eternal friendship with God in the future.
In my view, the lack of a clear consciousness of and appreciation for this overarching construct is also the source of much historic unbelief in Jesus as Messiah among non-Christians and also much theological confusion about the Kingdom and the Covenant among people who genuinely love our Lord and cherish the inspiration of Scripture.
I'm now looking forward to blogging about the basic outline of this apostolic metanarrative--"the fellowship of the mystery"--as Paul called it. It is our common immersion and interactive participation in the big God-Story that provides us with a genuine sense of belonging to, and a sharing in the same Life with, one another.
Friday, February 15, 2008
The Fellowship of the Mystery--Part 3
“What kind of story have we fallen into?”
Sam to Frodo in The Fellowship of the Rings
Maybe more accurately stated for we who follow Jesus, "What kind of Story has sucked us up into it?" It may seem that some of us stumbled into the faith, but the truth is that resurrection power exerted from an extra-terrestrial, loving and personal Source has drawn us into the realism of eternal life. But...back to the Story.
Meditate with me for a few moments on the following Scriptures in light of this premise: this Gospel of Jesus, that we have embraced, is essentially about the Person and Event of all time and eternity and that brings to light the true meta-narrative of Divine/human history, integrates its various sub-plots and provides the essential interpretative template for rightly understanding God's intentions and activity throughout time and eternity. (I know that these are really big thoughts, but...come on...it's good for us to "go there" on occasion! Oh, we so often don't perceive or remember what has actually come upon us.)
So...here is a smattering of such passages from the apostolic record (read the words slowly and contemplate their meaning and implications):
...3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery… 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets…. 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord…. Eph 3:3, 5, 9-11
9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. Eph 1:9-10
25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith…. Rom 16:25-26
1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. Heb 1:1-2
Our seemingly, but apparently not so, little lives and life stories are mysteriously nested in this Greatest Story ever told. The Gospel is truly the uber-intriguing mystery/adventure/romance epic imaginable and you're a player in the drama of it. "Unbelievable!," say the fearful. "No...Believable," say the courageous.
Sam to Frodo in The Fellowship of the Rings
Maybe more accurately stated for we who follow Jesus, "What kind of Story has sucked us up into it?" It may seem that some of us stumbled into the faith, but the truth is that resurrection power exerted from an extra-terrestrial, loving and personal Source has drawn us into the realism of eternal life. But...back to the Story.
Meditate with me for a few moments on the following Scriptures in light of this premise: this Gospel of Jesus, that we have embraced, is essentially about the Person and Event of all time and eternity and that brings to light the true meta-narrative of Divine/human history, integrates its various sub-plots and provides the essential interpretative template for rightly understanding God's intentions and activity throughout time and eternity. (I know that these are really big thoughts, but...come on...it's good for us to "go there" on occasion! Oh, we so often don't perceive or remember what has actually come upon us.)
So...here is a smattering of such passages from the apostolic record (read the words slowly and contemplate their meaning and implications):
...3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery… 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets…. 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord…. Eph 3:3, 5, 9-11
9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. Eph 1:9-10
25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith…. Rom 16:25-26
1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. Heb 1:1-2
Our seemingly, but apparently not so, little lives and life stories are mysteriously nested in this Greatest Story ever told. The Gospel is truly the uber-intriguing mystery/adventure/romance epic imaginable and you're a player in the drama of it. "Unbelievable!," say the fearful. "No...Believable," say the courageous.
The Fellowship of the Mystery-Part 2
Definition: Metanarrative--a controlling story that informs our worldview and operates at a presupposition and precognitive level.
Is there such a Story in this world that is authentic and that possesses the animating force and informing power to integrate all aspects of reality? If so, there is only space in our hearts, minds and imaginations for one such story. No other smaller story could or should or would actually compete with the way this Story would effortlessly capture and focus our entire being. All that we would be and do would flow out of the subterranean culture that it would create in our deep heart.
As I write this morning, I am aware how few of our teachers in the faith have understood or labored to present the Story of Scripture, that truly is a beautiful and compelling whole--"God's one big God-Story". I've called this series "the fellowship of the mystery" which is a phrase used by the apostle Paul in Ephesians because, in the context of that passage, he is speaking about the metanarrative of Scripture and ... he spoke of it often in his epistles. I don't think the book of Romans can be properly interpreted or applied without first seeing it as the apostolic metanarrative of the entire history of God's intentions and interactions with all humanity.
“All of human life is shaped by some story...If the Bible is fragmented into little bits...then it will be absorbed into our cultural story...Our whole lives will be shaped by our idolatrous cultural story rather than the story of Scripture.” Jason Zahariades
What Jason warns us about above, sadly, has happened to most believers and church communities. I believe this is a main reason for whatever degree of spiritual impotency by which we are plagued. N. T. Wright has said that if we do, however, get this big picture of God's Story deeply seated in our hearts and minds then it will answers these ultimate kinds of questions (which we all share) quite sufficiently: Who am I? Where am I? What is wrong? What is the solution? What time is it?
More to come....
Is there such a Story in this world that is authentic and that possesses the animating force and informing power to integrate all aspects of reality? If so, there is only space in our hearts, minds and imaginations for one such story. No other smaller story could or should or would actually compete with the way this Story would effortlessly capture and focus our entire being. All that we would be and do would flow out of the subterranean culture that it would create in our deep heart.
As I write this morning, I am aware how few of our teachers in the faith have understood or labored to present the Story of Scripture, that truly is a beautiful and compelling whole--"God's one big God-Story". I've called this series "the fellowship of the mystery" which is a phrase used by the apostle Paul in Ephesians because, in the context of that passage, he is speaking about the metanarrative of Scripture and ... he spoke of it often in his epistles. I don't think the book of Romans can be properly interpreted or applied without first seeing it as the apostolic metanarrative of the entire history of God's intentions and interactions with all humanity.
“All of human life is shaped by some story...If the Bible is fragmented into little bits...then it will be absorbed into our cultural story...Our whole lives will be shaped by our idolatrous cultural story rather than the story of Scripture.” Jason Zahariades
What Jason warns us about above, sadly, has happened to most believers and church communities. I believe this is a main reason for whatever degree of spiritual impotency by which we are plagued. N. T. Wright has said that if we do, however, get this big picture of God's Story deeply seated in our hearts and minds then it will answers these ultimate kinds of questions (which we all share) quite sufficiently: Who am I? Where am I? What is wrong? What is the solution? What time is it?
More to come....
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