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What does basketball have in common with relationships? In both, boundaries are crucial. Try to imagine what a game would look like without the players’ knowing what’s in-bounds or out-of-bounds. That same level of chaos and disarray that came to your mind is what happens when someone doesn’t respect the boundaries of the workplace environment, or those of the person with whom they’re out on a first date, or those of someone who just walked into church. I know I’m not the first to point out the necessity of boundaries. It seems that we have recently entered a new level of collective consciousness of the need for boundary-setting and boundary-respecting. This can only be a good thing, especially when everyone understands what boundaries are for. I asked the participants in our Sunday morning Bible study to describe healthy boundary setting as they understood it. What unfolded was a masterclass in social skills and social awareness. They told of the loving intentions behind healthy boundaries – that one shows love for another person by respecting their privacy or personal space. They told of the need to pay attention to body language and social cues that indicate that you may be crossing a line in conversation, or about to. Above all, what rose to the top of the feedback I received was the idea of protection. Boundaries are set to protect something good, whether for the one setting them or the ones called to respect them. The most important thing that boundaries protect is the relationship between the boundary-setter and the boundary-respecter. We want to keep that relationship as good, healthy, and reciprocal as possible, and that’s why we set boundaries. Boundaries are not always interpreted that way, though. Sometimes drawing a line that you wish not to be crossed is seen as an affront. Someone might even say, “You mean I can’t do X? Are you saying that you don’t want to do Y? I thought we were friends!” And no matter how you strain yourself explaining, “We ARE friends! That’s why I’m telling you this!” the hurt feelings don’t seem to go away. Sometimes, “You can’t talk to me that way,” sounds like aggression when it’s really protection: of the relationship, and of yourself. If this is a risk we’re willing to run in our various relationships, from our deepest friendships to our freshest acquaintances, then how about at church? What kind of boundary-setting and boundary-respecting is appropriate within the family of God? What about between those within the church and outside of the church? First, let’s talk about the goal. What are we trying to protect with social and biblical boundary setting? For this I’d like to share a little Greek. The word “Koinōnia” is the Greek word that encapsulates the blessing that comes with gathering with people of common faith. In 1 Corinthians 1:9, Paul uses this word to describe what we have with Jesus our Lord – translated “Fellowship.”* In 1 Corinthians 1:16-17, Paul says that when a church family eats the bread and drinks the wine in communion, we are conducting a Koinōnia in the body and blood of Christ – translated “participation.” In Philippians 2:1-2, Paul says that Christians who join together in the love of Christ have a “common sharing” (Koinōnia) of the Spirit. In Philippians 1:3-5, Paul thanks God for the “partnership” (Koinōnia) fellow believers share in gospel ministry. After examining these passages, participants were asked to share what other words came to mind when they consider the concept of Koinōnia. Responses included: “Joyful shared participation,” “common sharing,” “family,” “united participation,” “being in common faith,” “a congregation,” “intimate,” “the Body of Christ.” Three words stood out above the rest: “Community,” “Unity,” “Togetherness.” To summarize, Koinōnia is the word used in the Greek of the New Testament to describe that beautiful joint-partaking in the truth of the gospel enjoyed by brothers and sisters united by faith. Koinōnia is observed in the mutual joy the flows in response to the truth content of the gospel. Koinōnia is expressed in partnership in gospel ministry efforts. Koinōnia is expressed at the communion railing when brothers and sisters of the same faith kneel to receive the sacrament together. I then asked the participants to tell me when they feel Koinōnia at its best. Each person had a different moment to call out. One participant said that they feel it most strongly when we jointly confess our faith in worship using the Apostles’ or Nicene Creeds. Another said it was when we confess our sins in the service and hear the announcement of our forgiveness in Jesus’ name. Another said receiving the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper together when it feels more pertinent. Another referred to those efforts we undertake together to serve our community, as in our upcoming Easter for Kids event. Do you notice what all these examples have in common? They are a group participation in the gospel, fueled by gospel joy, and informed by gospel truth. And they are all joyous, blessed events. The blessings of Koinōnia are so great that it is worth Paul commanding us to do everything we can to be united in teaching and belief (1 Corinthians 1:10, Philippians 2:1-5). The blessings of Koinōnia can only come in their fullest form when a church family is first and foremost rooted in the truth of the Bible (Ephesians 4:11-16). While some church bodies might de-emphasize teaching and doctrine and increase emphasis on community outreach programs and services, the Bible’s perspective is that the two are inseparable. There is no partnership in gospel work without first partnership in the gospel teaching. Or, if you’ll allow me to stick to my Greek vocabulary here, there is no Koinōnia expressed in action without the Koinōnia that comes from observing and believing the same doctrine. The same goes for receiving the sacrament of Communion together, as this is an expression of the Koinōnia we have in the gospel. When you read the New Testament, it can be easy to become lost in the warnings against those who teach or believe false doctrines (see Romans 16:17, Titus 1:5-11, 1 Timothy 1:3-5, and 2 Timothy 4:1-5). If those passages were taken in isolation, one could start to think that we’re supposed to hate people who believe differently than we do. One could even suppose that we’re called upon to judge hearts! – that if we deny someone the chance to commune with us, we’re denying them their dignity, or if we deny the chance to participate in joint study or prayer with people of other denominations or faiths, that we’re being mean, stand-offish, stuck-up, and judgmental. Does that sound at all similar to when someone offers you a beer two or three times, but you politely decline each time? Does it perhaps sound similar to how someone responds when you tell them you don’t want to talk about politics? Or when you deny your date a kiss because you’d rather get to know them better before showing physical affection? As we’ve discussed, some respect such boundaries. Others take them personally. If they do, that doesn’t mean you weren’t loving in your boundary-setting. It's the same with Koinōnia. What we have in the gospel is so good (Psalm 133). When there is no unity of doctrine, Koinōnia cannot thrive (Romans 16:17). We must maintain that while we cannot judge hearts (1 Samuel 16:7), while faith is an inner, invisible phenomenon (John 3:8), and therefore we are not to condemn those who profess faith in Christ but may still cling to false doctrines. However, faith always expresses itself in some way, through words or action (Romans 10:10, Matthew 12:34-35). Anyone who believes in Jesus as their Savior is going to heaven (Romans 10:12-13). God knows those that are his (2 Timothy 2:19). But we are called upon to react to the confessions of faith we hear from others (2 Thessalonians 3:6), and to avoid giving even the appearance of unity in doctrine where there isn’t any (Romans 16:17). If we can help correct false doctrine and belief, of course we want to do that (2 Timothy 4:2, James 5:20). We want to participate in the gospel and in reacting to its content with acts of service and love, as much as possible, and with as many as possible! But the first step to Koinōnia in practice is always Koinōnia in doctrine. This is by no means an exhaustive treatment of the topic of fellowship, nor of the concrete practices that result from these thoughts. It is our church’s mission to establish Koinōnia by digging into the Law and Gospel message of the Bible together as a family, and seek to put it into practice. But doing so is not always clear-cut! We would love it if Trinity could be your safe place to explore what God says about you and how God would guide you to live in response to that beautiful news. In other words, we would love to have Koinōnia with you! For more about this, join us any Sunday for Bible class at 9am or worship at 10:15am! Pastor Mike Cherney *The translations referenced above are taken from the NIV(2011).
I am so thankful that there are people in the world who know how an internal combustion engine works. I am grateful to God that the secret knowledge of how to repair such an engine has been passed down through the generations ever since this technology was invented. When my own vehicle is having issues, there is someone out there who is capable of helping me fix it. There is no doubt that aspects of my life would improve if I understood more about how a car works and how to fix it. Sad to say, I just don’t. And yet, I survive. Because when my son needs to go to the hospital, knowing how the car works is not nearly as important as knowing how to drive it. When the ball rolls into the street, and the basketball player chases after it, understanding how hard one needs to press on the brakes to stop the car is more important than understanding how the brake mechanism works. When surprised with a crisis or emergency, knowing how to use the technology or information is much more important than knowing how to explain the information. That’s why the goal for this discussion will not be to explain the doctrine of the Trinity in a as satisfying a way as your mechanic (or you!) can explain how an engine works. Everyone who has tried, throughout the history of Christianity, has failed. Unlike an internal combustion engine, God is not an invention of mankind. His thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9); his knowledge, his being surpasses ours (Isaiah 40:13-14). Every time we confess God to be almighty, divine, the “LORD,” we recognize how superior he is to us (Isaia 40:28). So, why bother? If God’s essence cannot be fully comprehended nor explained, why even try? Why “invent words,” as we are often accused of doing with the words “Trinity” or “Triune,” which don’t appear in Scripture (which is true, they don’t)? Why did the early church fight tooth and nail to against trinity-deniers, to protect a doctrine that is by nature incomprehensible? First and foremost, because God reveals it to us. The words Trinity (noun) and Triune (adjective) do not occur in Scripture, that’s true. But the concept is all over Scripture’s pages. We get little glimpses of it in the Old Testament. In Genesis 1:1-3, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all present in the creation of the world (compare with John 1:1-4). God commanded the priests of Israel to pronounce a three-fod blessing over the congregation, and Isaiah has a vision of God’s glory where he hears the three-fold praises of the angels, “Holy! Holy! Holy!” understood by many to be hints at the trinity (Isaiah 6:3). (There is more we could say about the Trinity in the Old Testament, but we’ll stop there for now.) The New Testament reveals the Trinity a bit more explicitly. At Christ’s baptism, God the Son was being baptized while God the Father spoke, and God the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove (Mark 1:9-12). The three-fold blessing that hinted at God’s three-in-oneness in Numbers becomes more explicitly trinitarian in Paul’s closing blessing when he says, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14). Peter summarizes the contributions of each person of the trinity in his gospel preaching (Acts 5:30-32). The Bible never attempts to explain how it is possible that God can be only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4) and yet also exist as three, distinct persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). However, God’s Word does reveal this truth to us, despite the difficulty in comprehending it. See 1 Corinthians 2:7-10, where Paul describes the truth of Scripture to be “a mystery” and “the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.” So, if God is so far above us that we can’t understand him, and if he picks what to reveal about his incomprehensible will and nature to us, and if he chose to reveal the fact that he is triune to us, doesn’t it make sense to conclude there must be a good reason? Return to the example above. If I know how to explain an internal combustion engine, that’s great. It’s more important that I know how to use it, especially when in crisis.God reveals the truth of his triune nature to us, because this is a truth we need to know. This is information that we can and should use, because we’re in crisis! To a humanity that is in crisis of identity, God reveals, “I have formed you, created you, and love you, you are mine” (see Isaiah 43:1). He says, “I will always protect, preserve, and provide for you,” (see Psalm 145:15-16). These are activities ascribed to the person of God the Father. To a human race that is in crisis of belonging, of acceptance, knowing we need love but not knowing where to find it, God reveals, “I am a God of grace, of unconditional love. I don’t hate you, but love you everlastingly,” (see John 1:14,18). To a human race plagued by gnawing guilt and agonizing shame, God creates a relationship of safety, of forgiveness, of everlasting and eternal life (see 1 Timothy 2:5-6). This is what we ascribe to the person of God the Son (Jesus). To a human race in a crisis of direction, of ignorance, in need of guidance and hope and comfort, God reveals, “I am with you. You are mine. I will yoke myself to you and always be with you. I will lead you,” (see Galatians 5:22-26, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Romans 8:4 and 8:9). This is what we ascribe to the person of God the Holy Spirit. Simply observe how Paul uses the work of God the Father to reach the hearts of the people of Athens in Acts 17:22-34. See how the forgiveness and love of Christ is used to spur us on to similar acts of service and love to one another in Ephesians 4:32-5:10. Go to Romans 8:14-17, 8:26-27, 15:14-16 and 1 Corinthians 2:9-16 to be comforted by the truth of the Holy Spirit’s work. The trinity is a doctrine to be studied, certainly, but it is a beautiful doctrine that begs to be used! That’s why leaders in the early Christian church fought tooth and nail to protect it. The stakes were high! To abandon or misrepresent the doctrine of the trinity meant depriving anxious souls of the comfort they need, wayward wanderers of the direction they sought, and depressed and lonely hearts of the belonging and love that is so clearly there. That’s why it was worth their time to come up with three Creeds (the Apostles, the Nicene, and the Athanasian) that succinctly and directly express what Scripture teaches about each member of the Trinity. This is that important. Next time you worship with us (and I so hope and pray that this is soon!) count for yourself how many references to the trinity there are in the service. More than that, observe how the doctrine of the trinity is used throughout! See for yourself how beautiful this doctrine is. Put it to good use. After all, that’s why it’s there! This was a very quick discussion of a complex topic. If you have more questions and thoughts, we’d love to keep the discussion going! Join us any Sunday for Bible class at 9am, and service at 10:15am, and/or reach out to us directly via the Contact page. God bless you! Pastor Mike Cherney
Before you continue, we recommend reading the previous post: “I Hope So” (A discussion of the Fall into Sin and God’s Promises of the Savior) if you haven’t already! The disciples were a band of misfits. Each of the Jewish men Jesus called into his close fellowship came from a wildly different background, different levels of education, even different political persuasions. It would be superficial to conclude that they, being Jewish men residing in the Mediterranean area during the first century, were all exactly the same. What they did have in common, though, was Jesus. They were entranced by the authority, the teaching, the power, and the love of this man. Jesus is on his teaching and healing tour. He’s aware that the day of his crucifixion draws near. While traveling, Jesus asks this band of misfits, his students, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” In our Sunday morning Bible class, we asked each other the same question. Who do people say the Son of Man (one of Jesus’ favored titles for himself) is? The answers covered it all. We observed that, of course, many maintain that Jesus never existed, despite the extra-Biblical (“outside of the Bible”) historical evidence that supports that he did. Others accept that Jesus was a real person, and that he was an influential figure. However, there’s a lot of confusion about the extent of that influence and the type of influence he had. People will talk about Jesus the same way they talk about Martin Luther King Jr., an important man who stood by his beliefs even when it cost him everything, and through whose legacy the world greatly improved. People will equate Jesus with prophets and important figures from other religions, as if he’s just Christianity’s “guy” as much as Mohammed or Buddha are the “guys” of Islam and Buddhism, respectively. Thus is the basic gist of what you hear about Jesus “out there.” During the same Bible class, we asked each other, “Who is Jesus to you?” and the answers were very different. Far from, “A teacher,” or “An influential figure,” or even, “A man who may or may not have existed,” participants finished the sentence “Jesus is…” with: “My friend,” “My shield,” “Protector,” “The Light,” “Patient,” “Nurturing,” “Selfless.” Now, before you say to yourself, “There’s nothing uniquely Christian about those perspectives. Many people believe Jesus was a positive character,” let me ask you this: How crazy would it sound if you said that Martin Luther King Jr. was not just an important historical figure, but that he is your personal friend, your protector, your teacher? For one thing, he was killed in 1968, decades before I was born, and maybe you too. It would be ludicrous to believe that you have a personal relationship with someone so removed from you in terms of life, time, and geography. The answers the participants gave to the essential question, “Who is Jesus?” showed that they feel a personal relationship with him still, even though he was crucified close to 2,000 years ago. I don’t think that sounds any less ridiculous than the way the disciples answered the same question when Jesus himself asked it. After collecting their responses to his poll of who the people say he is (Matthew 16:13-14), he turns the question on the disciples, “But what about you? … Who do you say I am?” and Peter, often the spokesperson for the disciples, declares, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God,” (Matthew 16:15). By confessing this about Jesus, Peter was declaring all the prophesies of the Messiah and Savior to be fulfilled in Christ (we talked about this in the previous post titled “I Hope So”). He declares that Jesus is not just the mascot of a new religion getting off the ground, but that he comes from – is the “Son of” – God himself. Which means that Peter believes God almighty to have given his Son into the world, which means that God has initiated his plan of salvation in the world through Jesus Christ. Clearly, Jesus is so much more than just the “guy” of Christianity. The writer to the Hebrews records, that Jesus was “made lower than the angels for a little while,” that is, that he came from heaven and submitted himself to life as fully human (Hebrews 2:9). He became a mortal man so that he could live under the weight of the expectations of God’s holy law (Galatians 4:4) perfectly in our place, and so that he could die the death we sinners deserve (Hebrews 2:9). The writer to the Hebrews concludes, based on this, “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters” (Hebrews 2:9-11). Because Jesus was truly human, he is the Savior that sits beside me. As the participants in our bible class pointed out, he is our nurturing and gentle friend. Peter declared his faith that Jesus, a true, flesh-and-blood human being, is also the Son of God. That this man standing before him, whom he had seen eat and drink, go to sleep, and maybe even excuse himself to take bathroom breaks, is not just a man. Compare this to what John, another disciple, later wrote about Jesus, “John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (John 1:1-2), and “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14), and “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known” (John 1:18). While Jesus became 100% human, he also remained 100% God. As Paul wrote, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). This is crucial. If Jesus were just human and not God, his righteous life and innocent death would have no significance in my life. He would just be an important guy, another tragic martyr lost to human cruelty. However, if Jesus were just God and not human, then he would just be another “angel of the Lord” appearance as we see in the Old Testament. He would have just been a vision. He wouldn’t be the empathetic Savior who suffers for me and with me that he claims to be. Jesus is more than just the mascot of the Christian religion. He is God himself. That’s why participants in the Bible class were able to say that he is, “omnipresent” (a fancy word meaning “everywhere”), “all-powerful / omnipotent,” “truth itself,” “eternal,” “all-knowing / omniscient,” because he truly is God himself. Don’t get lost in the theological jargon. Jesus isn’t just God. He is your God, and my God (John 20:28). He isn’t just a deity figure of this particular religion, he is your brother (Hebrews 2:11), who came to bring you into God’s grace (John 1:17-18). If you’re having trouble wrapping your head around that, then take a break. Don’t try too hard to solve it logically, but think about this: How does it make you feel about the rough week you’re going to have at work, to know that Jesus, though God, suffered through many rough weeks of his own? How does it make you feel, when you are burdened with temptation, to know that Jesus felt the constant nagging of temptation as well (Luke 4:2)? How does it make you feel to know that even though your sin separated you from God, God himself bridged the separation by becoming a human just like you (Ephesians 2:14-18)? Remember this the next time you feel far from God. No matter how ashamed of yourself you feel, God is not ashamed of you (Hebrews 2:11). No matter how distant you feel from God, his grace is not distant from you. No matter how weak you feel in your own flesh and blood, Jesus is powerful for you. That’s the difference that recognizing the two natures (1. human nature, 2. divine nature) of Christ can make. Permit one final observation: This band of misfits, of wildly different people, called “the disciples,” were united by one thing: the importance and specialness of this Jesus character. Not all of them hung onto that truth. In fact, one of them betrayed that same Jesus, handing him over to death. It still is worth observing the tremendous power Jesus has to bring different people together. If you are looking, you will see the same phenomenon in any church that teaches “Jesus” rightly. You will find people from wildly different backgrounds, having different tastes, maybe even different political persuasions. My prayer is that, when you enter such a church, you’re able to see what unites them: that each worshipper is enamored and captivated by this person called Jesus Christ. And I pray that you become as enamored and captivated by the grace of the God-Man, too. Let’s talk more about this. Visit us any Sunday for Bible Class at 9am (your input and participation just might get featured in a future blog post!) and worship of our Savior at 10:15am. God bless you with the peace that comes from knowing Jesus! Pastor Mike Cherney