What did Paul look like?

The posts are running about a day behind, but I thought I’d offer up a little tidbit from a recent sermon. Legend has it that Paul was an unattractive man. Paul himself, quoting his detractors says in 2 Corinthians 10:10, “For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.”

In the second century (about 170 CE) an extra-canonical piece of Christian writing, The Acts of Paul and Thecla, became popular. It told the stories of missionary journeys of Paul with a female disciple Thecla. The text describes Paul this way:

A man small in size, with a bald head and crooked legs; in good health; with eyebrows that met and a rather prominent or hooked nose.

He was, it seems, no George Clooney.

Now the text goes on to say, Paul was

…full of grace, for sometimes he looked like a man and sometimes he looked like an angel.

But the damage had already been done. It’s hard to imagine an angel as short, with one solid eyebrow across the forehead, an oversized nose and a bald head. Not a pretty picture.

 

Acts 20:1-38

Read the text here: Acts 20:1-38.

Today’s reading includes a favorite Sunday School character, Eutychus, the poor lad who falls asleep during an extra-long teaching session of Paul’s. Having grown up in a church in which the pastor’s sermons regularly went 35 to 45 minutes, I have long empathized with Eutychus. The narrative underscores Paul’s verbosity: “he talked with them…prolonged his speech until midnight…as Paul talked still longer.” Eutychus sits on the window ledge, and falls asleep, and lands 3 stories down on the ground outside.

Paul rushes outside, takes the young man in his arms, and restores him to life. Does he take the hint and send everyone home to get some rest? No, he takes a snack break (actually, breaking bread–usually refers to ritual of communion) and eventually resumes teaching until after daybreak.

It’s an intriguing story; makes for good Sunday School fodder. It also underscores the importance of Paul’s farewell message to the elders in Asia Minor. He warns the elders in Acts 20:31 “…Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.” There will be little time to rest, in Paul’s estimation. Those who are leading the churches must pay attention and not fall asleep. Their work is too important.

 

Acts 19:23-41

Read the text here: Acts 19:23-41.

Now we find that the fledging movement known as The Way is beginning to have a larger effect. Merchants are feeling an economic crunch, as former worshippers at the Temple of Artemis have become followers of The Way and no longer purchase religious items from local businesses and craftspeople.

The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, first constructed in th 8th century BCE and rebuilt or remodeled several times after that, was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The Temple attracted pilgrims from all over the world to come and worship. Artemis was known as the virgin goddess and defender of chastity. She was the daughter of Zeus and sister of Apollo, the goddess of the hunt. Over time she gained the characteristics of the great mother goddess, and she attracted even more followers. Because of its significance, Ephesus was an economic powerhouse in the area. The city’s ampitheater mentioned in Acts 19:29 was a large one by most standards, seating 24,000 people.

A silver artisan named Demetrius who makes silver replicas and votive holders for Temple worshippers feels the economic crunch. The text uses the understatement, “no little business,” to underscore the significance of the downturn in sales. Demetrius bands together with other craftspeople and merchant and stirs up a mob against Paul and the others. The crowds swell including many people just along for the experience with no understanding as to why the ruckus began: “most of them did not know why they had come together,” Acts 19:32.

Paul is ready to go out into the crowds and speak, but his friends would not let him near the theater. Alexander, a representative of the Jews tries to speak to the crowd, but he is shouted down. The text leaves his motives unclear; was he going to defend Paul or attempt to distinguish the Jewish community in Ephesus from the followers of The Way?

Notice that no one on Paul’s side ever disputes the charges. Demetrius declares the following about Paul and the others:

“Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people,”

“saying that gods made with hands are not gods,“

These descriptions of Paul’s efforts and teachings correspond with what we have already seen in Acts, and there is no attempt to debate them. Demetrius is correct in assuming that the spread of this new faith will inevitably have a detrimental effect on both his livelihood and the worship of Artemis.

While we have no great Temple to Artemis in our midst, are there economic powers that might feel threatened by a resurgence in the practice of Christianity?

Does our faith have an influence on our financial choices?

Not long ago there was an advertising campaign by the Evangelical Environmental Network asking “What Would Jesus Drive?” They are attempting to help Christians think about their actions in a more faithful and theological way. How does our faith influence how we spend our money? How can we as individual believers take more responsibility for our enviromental impact?

 

Acts 19:1-22

Read the text here: Acts 19:1-22.

The focus of the story now moves to Paul’s three-year ministry in Ephesus. His work begins by giving additional instruction to disciples of Apollos who have been baptized and yet have not received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Once he discovers they have not heard of baptism in the name of Jesus, he baptizes them again and lays hands on them. The believers receive the Holy Spirit in a similar manner as that of Pentecost in Jerusalem (Acts 2) and also the experience in Caesarea (with Peter and the household of Cornelius, Acts 10:44-48). As the story of Acts unfolds we see the Holy Spirit breaks down boundaries as the gospel spreads out from Jerusalem and Judea into the Gentile world.

Paul continues to teach those who had begun their journey of faith under Apollos. Here again, as in Acts 9:2 we find those early followers being referred to as People of the Way.

I find something compelling in this image of Christianity. There are some groups who see the faith as a one time event, or merely an intellectual assent to a certain set of religious beliefs. But to be People of the Way points to faith as a journey and not a one time event.

As People of the Way we see the Christian faith as an alternative way of being in the world. It can offer a well-needed humility; rather than declaring to have all the answers. Congregations become open communities, including people who are just dipping their toes into this whole “church thing,” individuals who have more questions than answers, and those who embody a deep and profound faith.

How would our churches be organized differently if we took seriously this image of Christians being on The Way?
In what ways could we invite people to walk along on The Way?
Would this image change how we understand who’s in and who’s out of the church?
Would church membership be a thing of the past? Or would it function differently? (see Rocking the Church Membership Boat, by Jan G. Linn and his concept of covenant membership or church membership as a spiritual discipline.)

 

Acts 18:1-28

Read the text here: Acts 18:1-28.

From Athens Paul makes his way down to Corinth. He may have been hobnobbing with the philosophers in Athens, but now he is staying with a married couple name Aquila and Priscilla, who are tentmakers, a lower class of artisans. He has an extended stay with the folks in Athens, working and teaching in the city.

This will be the beginning of Paul’s long and often turbulent relationship with the house church in Corinth. His ministry extends from Crispus, the local synagogue president and Gentile worshippers. He also has the tacit approval of the proconsul Gallio, who dismisses certain charges against Paul as an intra-Jewish squabble. The dispute is over “words and names.”

The writer also gives a glimpse of a later fizzure in the Corinthian church, by giving us a brief description of the ministry of Apollos beginning in Ephesus. He is described as an eloquent and persuasive preacher, who has a partial understanding of the good news (baptism). Paul mentions Apollos in his first letter to the Corinthians. Apparently, one of the divisions within the church community there was over the teachings of Apollos as opposed to Paul, and Paul quotes their slogans, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos!” (see 1 Cor. 3:4-5). In his letter Paul does not see himself in competition with Apollos, but rather sees their ministries complementing each others.

 

Acts 17:16-34

Read the text here: Acts 17:16-34.

Paul has made his way to Athens, that all important city in Greece. Although the Roman Empire had long ago gained dominion over the known world, the importance of Greek culture was still immense. Greek was a commonly spoken language throughout the empire. Greek philosophy, art, religion, writings, poetry, and drama, all continued to deeply influence Roman culture.

Although the text tells us that Paul spent time in the synagogue in Athens, neither his teachings nor the response of the people there is given. The focus in our reading today is on Paul’s interaction with Athenian Greeks. His regular conversations in the marketplace with disciples of Greek philosophies (Epicurean and Stoics) lead to an invitation to come before the Areopagus, the highest government council in the city. There Paul delivers the address of a lifetime, connecting the spirituality, philosophy and art of Greek culture to his understanding of the work of God in humankind.

Paul quotes Greek philosopher/poets: “In him we live and move and have our being…” most likely a quote from the 6th century BCE poet Epiminides of Crete. He takes a reference to Zeus “For we too are his offspring...” from a 3rd century BCE writer Aratus of Cilicia and connects it to the Jewish/Christian God. (see Spencer, p. 184). Paul finds connections between Greek thought and the ancient traditions of Judaism, focusing on the common themes of God as creator and sustainer of the world. Paul’s address leans much more toward theology, talk of God; the role of Christ receives only a brief mention.

There is deep richness in the text; the image of Paul engaging the Greek thinkers of Athens is dramatic. Perhaps we can learn from his approach. Paul actively seeks to engage Greek culture, acknowledging the wisdom he finds there, and making connections with his faith perspective. It is a respectful encounter. Although the writer tells us that Paul is disturbed by the many Temples in Athens, he does not go on a prophetic rampage through the Acropolis. Rather, he listens and learns from the culture, gleans good from its resources, and draws relationships between Greek understandings and his own.

This story of Paul in Athens is exciting–and we can tease out our own parallels to today’s setting. How do we actively engage our culture? Where can we find common wisdom? How do we engage in humble and generous dialogue with those outside the church?

 

Acts 17:1-15

Read the text here: Acts 17:1-15.

Turning the world upside down! Paul and Silas head to Thessalonica and have continued success spreading the good news to both Jews and devout Greeks. As happened before, their success brings conflict, and this time a new believer is dragged in front of city officials. The charge: aiding and abetting those who would challenge political authority. Paul and Silas are accused of turning the world upside down, declaring Jesus as King not Caesar.

The gospel, it seems, has political implications. Those opposing the work of Paul & Silas rightly see the dangerous side of this developing faith. Once you have joined others in the way of Jesus, it reorients your life. Priorities shift; worldviews are turned upside down. Previously you may have claimed allegiance to Caesar, but now proclaiming Jesus is the Christ changes everything. Caesar no longer has your allegiance.

Does modern-day Christianity in the U.S. turn the world upside down? Does our affirmation that Jesus is the Christ change our perspective on a pledge of allegiance to our country, to our culture and its values? During most of my lifetime the church in America was part of the status quo, a fixture of small towns and downtown cities. We had become an established faith, Christendom. We did not so much turn the world upside down, as we were part of the foundations of culture, one of the public institutions that promoted good citizenship and acts of charity in support of our culture.

However, there has been a shift in many parts of our society, and the place of the church is no longer central. I’ve come to appreciate Will Willimon’s description of this shift from his book, Resident Aliens, written with Stanley Hauerwas.

“Sometime between 1960 and 1980, an old, inadequately conceived world ended, and a fresh, new world began. . . . When and how did we change? Although it may sound trivial, one of us is tempted to date the shift sometime on a Sunday evening in 1963. Then, in Greenville, South Carolina, in defiance of the state’s time-honored blue laws, the Fox Theater opened on Sunday. Seven of us — regular attenders of the Methodist Youth Fellowship at Buncombe Street Church — made a pact to enter the front door of the church, be seen, then quietly slip out the back door and join John Wayne at the Fox. That evening has come to represent a watershed in the history of Christendom, South Carolina style. On that night, Greenville, South Carolina — the last pocket of resistance to secularity in the Western world — served notice that it would no longer be a prop for the church. There would be no more free passes for the church, no more free rides. The Fox Theater went head to head with the church over who would provide the world view for the young. That night in 1963, the Fox Theater won the opening skirmish. You see, our parents never worried about whether we would grow up Christian. The church was the only show in town. . . . Church, home and state formed a national consortium that worked together to instill ‘Christian values.’ People grew up Christian simply by being lucky enough to be born in places like Greenville, South Carolina, or Pleasant Grove, Texas. . . . A few years ago, the two of us awoke and realized that, whether or not our parents were justified in believing this about the world and the Christian faith, nobody believed it today. At least, almost nobody. . . . All sorts of Christians are waking up and realizing that it is no longer ‘our world’ — if it ever was.” (from Resident Aliens, Hauerwas & Willimon, pp.15-17.

Now that may seem like an inconsequential story, but it points to a larger phenomenon–our time has been one of declining numbers and puzzled churches as mainline denominations have tried to figure out where all the people have gone.

What would the Christian faith look like today if it were indeed seen by those outside the church as trying “to turn the world upside down?“ What powers in our world, culture, country would seemed threatened by a church proclaiming “Jesus Christ is Lord.” Anybody feeling uncomfortable yet?!

 

Acts 16:16-40

Read the text here: Acts 16:16-40.

Paul and Timothy, along with their traveling companions spend some time in Philippi. Paul becomes irritated with a slave girl, possessed by an evil spirit, who keeps pointing at them and yelling, “These men are servants of the Most High God…” Now perhaps Paul simply saw the slave girl as a nuisance, but more than likely he is annoyed by the connection between their ministry and the evil spirit. Her possession is characterized as “pythian,” a term connecting her spirit of divination with the inspiration of the famous oracles of Delphi.

She is an interesting character in the story–a slave girl prophesying to the coming of God’s salvation just as the quote from the prophet Joel in Acts 2:18 describes. Her repeated announcements are disregarded, and she is ultimately silenced, with no word of her fate after the spirit is cast out. This act of healing (whether of kindness or expediency) creates new opponents for Paul, the owners of the slave girl who are now deprived of her fortune-telling income.

Before too long Paul and his traveling companion, Silas, are imprisoned for disturbing the peace. Thus the stage is set for one of the most familiar Sunday School lessons of all time–Paul and Silas singing in jail!

They are in the “innermost prison,” with no possible means of escape, and yet we who have been reading along know that this will not be the end of the story. Jail walls have not stopped the work of spreading the gospel. An earthquake frees all the prisoners, but they remain in their cells, to the visible relief of the jailer (who would have been killed for such a grievous error). The witness of Paul and Silas extends to their fellow prisoners, to their jailer, the jailer’s household.

By morning’s light the city magistrates send word that Paul and Silas should be released and allowed to “go in peace,” no small bit of irony considering the public beating the two had received the day before, not to mention the fact that they have been cared for by the jailer not in prison, but in his own home. Paul throws a monkey wrench into the city leaders’ efforts to quietly resolve the situation when he claims his Roman citizenship and demands recognition of his legal status. The magistrates apologize in person to Paul and Silas. And one must suspect, this time politely ask the two missionaries to leave the city.

Paul’s Roman citizenship will continue to be a prominent theme in Acts until the end of the story. With his dual identity as a Jew and a Roman, Paul successfully bridges two worlds and brings the good news to the far reaches of the empire.

 

Acts 16:1-16

Read the text here: Acts 16:1-15.

Timothy. Here we find the first mention of Timothy as a traveling companion of Paul’s. The text describes Timothy as the son of a Jewish woman (making him legally a Jew) and a Gentile, thus as an uncircumcised Jew. In a slightly puzzling turn, Paul has Timothy circumcised before they begin their trip. Now some of you may wonder what in the world the whole controversy and apostolic letter in chapter 15 achieved, if Paul’s going around demanding that his missionary companions be circumcised.

It may have more to do with Timothy’s Jewish roots rather than his Gentile lineage. The exception to circumcision was for Gentiles, not for Jewish males. An uncircumcised Jewish male would have been seen as a rebellious individual, one who had abandoned the faith. (see Spencer, 169) Paul may be signaling (at Timothy’s expense!) his continued faithfulness to Jewish tradition as the new ministry to Gentiles grows.

Lydia. Led by a dream the missionary team makes its way to Philippi where they interact with a group of women gathered at a place of prayer near the river. They may be gathered there because there were not ten Jewish males available in the city to have a quorum for a synagogue. Paul speaks with them, and as a result Lydia (along with her whole household) are baptized.

Lydia joins a growing list of women mentioned by the writer, but who play only supporting roles in the narrative (Tabitha, Mary, Rhoda). She is not presented as a leader of the new Christian community in Philippi, but only as a financial benefactor for male leaders. A close reading of the gospels and Paul’s letters finds a larger role for women in early Christianity, yet, for whatever reason the author of Acts focuses the narrative on the works of male leadership.

I wonder, who are the folks who are doing ministry today whom we disregard or downplay the impact of their ministry? How or why do we overlook the many ways in which God is already at work in our world through the faithful witnesses of modern-day Lydias?

 

Acts 15:1-41

Read the text here: Acts 15:1-41.

Didn’t we just deal with this issue back in Acts 10 & 11? Didn’t the church leaders listen to Peter speak of his vision in Joppa and hear him ask them, “Who was I that I could hinder God?”

Peter’s testimony in chapter 11 silenced the critics for a time. As the mission to the Gentiles became more and more successful however, the inevitable clash of cultures and practices comes to the forefront again. This is a conflict that has deep roots and will not be solved in one single meeting or conversation.

The speeches given by Peter and Paul speak to the theoretical issues around the religious practice of circumcision. Is it necessary for one to be a recipient of God’s grace? The answer from both Peter and Paul is no. God makes no distinctions “between them and us” (15:9), and neither should we.

James responds out of another concern–what must be done to maintain table fellowship between such disparate groups? He doesn’t back down on the key issue of circumcision, but he does ask for compromise in areas of conventional Jewish moral sensiblilites of his day. No, they will not trouble the Gentile converts with circumcision, but ask that they respect certain key moral concerns for devout Jewish believers (namely, things associated with idol worship; sexual immorality–perhaps relating to cultic Temple practices; and practices dealing with food.)

James is making a determination on what is a core part of the early church’s identity and what is not. The Holy Spirit has been clear in the movement of the good news into the Gentile community–the community cannot go back on this expanding vision of God’s grace. Table fellowship has been a core area of early Christian practice. They regularly eat with one another. How can that practice of table fellowship among the diverse group of believers continue?

James is inviting the two groups of believers to practice holy ways of living in community together, in a way echoing what would become a slogan of our own denominational founders, “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; and in all things, charity.

James’s decision reflects a particular setting. In a generation or two this hot-button issue will be replaced by other ones, all challenges to Paul’s admonition to the church to be one body in Christ Jesus.

What hot-button issues confront the body of Christ today?
How do we determine which things speak to our core identity as followers of Christ and which do not?
What ways of being church together contribute to the practice of table fellowship?
To whom do we listen in times of conflict?