---
other discussion questions, or substitute other questions for the marked ones, at their discretion.
---
“You are being made into a holy priesthood”
Friday, 3 November 2017
1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, the living stone, rejected by people but chosen by God and precious to him, 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be cohanim set apart for God to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to him through Yeshua the Messiah. 6 This is why the Tanakh says,
“Look! I am laying in Tziyon a stone,
a chosen and precious cornerstone;
and whoever rests his trust on it
will certainly not be humiliated.”[1 Peter 2:6 Isaiah 28:16]
7 Now to you who keep trusting, he is precious. But to those who are not trusting,
“The very stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone”;[1 Peter 2:7 Psalm 118:22]
8 also he is
a stone that will make people stumble,
a rock over which they will trip.[1 Peter 2:8 Isaiah 8:14]
They are stumbling at the Word, disobeying it — as had been planned. 9 But you are a chosen people,[1 Peter 2:9 Isaiah 43:20; Deuteronomy 7:6; 10:15] the King’s cohanim,[1 Peter 2:9 Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 61:6] a holy nation,[1 Peter 2:9 Exodus 19:6] a people for God to possess![1 Peter 2:9 Isaiah 43:21; Exodus 19:5] Why? In order for you to declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; before, you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.[1 Peter 2:10 Hosea 2:25(23)]
---
The medieval church said priests, bishops, archbishops, cardinals and popes were inherently superior, spiritually and legally, to everyone else. Based on the Bible’s teaching, Luther strongly disagreed. “God gave the ‘precious keys’ for heaven itself, which was first received in baptism, to all believers….Luther then referred to such forgiven sinners as ‘the priesthood of all believers,’ a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5) that was not
reserved for a special class of people sacramentally ordained.” *
Ø Peter drew from Exodus 19:5-6 (Israelite people were a “holy priesthood”) and Hosea 1:10 and 2:23 (Israelites freed from exile were God’s people, though for a time they hadn’t been). Have you ever thought of yourself as a member of “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession”? How can that rewrite your sense of mission and purpose in life?
• One of Luther’s projects that re-shaped the world was translating the Bible into German. Since God called all Christians to be priests, he believed they should be able to read the Bible for themselves. Today there is a wide range of English translations of the Bible, and we can access them through tools like www.biblegateway.com. Yet we often don’t read our Bibles much. That’s why Resurrection offers classes like “Meet Your Bible” and Disciple Bible study, as well as a series of studies called Tuesday Bible Study. How will you deepen your understanding and application of the Bible in your own life?
Prayer: Lord God, you give me a high and holy calling, and you make the Bible’s writings readily available to guide me in living out that calling. I’m no Luther, but give me his devotion and willingness to learn from you. Amen.
* Steven Paulson, Luther for Armchair Theologians. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p. 163.
---
Darren Lippe
Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group and a men’s group, and serves on the curriculum team.
As we ponder today’s theme, I thought we might “visit” with Mrs. R.E. Stone, noted translation expert, about our friend Martin Luther & his theological revolution to help each of us re-discover God.
DL: Thank you for your time, Mrs. Stone. First, since you are an expert on translations could you tell me what our son’s text means? I had told him we would have Kansas City Joe’s BBQ this weekend & he responded with “URTM!”
Mrs. Stone: Please call me Rosetta. Um, “You Are The Man!”
DL: (Blushing) Well, thank you & thanks for trying. Anyway, so what might you tell us about Martin Luther’s efforts to translate the Scriptures from Latin to German?
Rosetta Stone: So, 500 years ago this week Luther posts his 95 Theses. But he was just getting warmed up. Martin’s intellectual jousting with the church left the church officials scrambling & they skip trying to defend their positions & opt to attack the messenger. Luther, instead of cowering under these threats, feels great freedom to say what he truly thinks. In 1520 Luther writes an essay, “To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation.” This essay argues that the Biblical phrase “priesthood of all believers” means the entire church hierarchy is a man-made creation & not Biblically based. (He minces no words in this essay referencing his churchly opponents as “a crawling mass of reptiles” & “babblers.”) Martin contends that since we all share the same baptism, there is no spiritual/upper class (popes/priests) & secular/lower class (parishioners): we are all equal members in the family of God, we can all share in the rite of Communion, & the gates of heaven are opened wide to all who accept Christ as our Savior. Period.
DL: Actually in Luther’s case “Exclamation Point.”
Rosetta Stone: Exactly. There are 4,000 copies printed in German & they sell out in 2 weeks. But this bold declaration presents a problem: How can the laity be part of this “priesthood” if we can’t even read the Bible? So, Luther starts the painstaking process to translate the New Testament from Latin into German.
DL: Anyway, is this a challenge?
Rosetta Stone: Very much so. Translating text is very hard – as they saying goes “every translator is a traitor, either to the original writer or to his reader.” You have idioms, you have words that only appear one time, you have odd creatures & unique gems (like in Revelation), & you have shorthand/lingo that was specific to that era or locale. In addition to his translating, Luther writes a preface to accompany each book to help the reader’s understanding.
Luther considered the “Heart of the Gospel” to be the Gospel of John, Romans, & 1 Peter. Considering that he feared his time was short, he may have started with these books.
DL: Interesting. I’d probably have started with 2 John,
Rosetta Stone: Why - because of its theme of encouragement in the midst of controversy?
DL: Um. Yes, that &, well, because it is one of the shorter books. But your question does raise a series of challenges for us 1,500 years later:
Rosetta Stone: I Don’t Know. Got To Go.
DL: Don’t feel bad. You are right - translating IS hard. Thanks for your time.
---
“The Lord of heavenly forces is with us!”
Saturday, 4 November 2017
Psalm 46:1 (0) For the leader. By the descendants of Korach. On ‘alamot [high-pitched musical instruments?]. A song:
2 (1) God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
3 (2) Therefore we are unafraid,
even if the earth gives way,
even if the mountains tumble
into the depths of the sea,
4 (3) even if its waters rage and foam,
and mountains shake at its turbulence. (Selah)
5 (4) There is a river whose streams
gladden the city of God,
the holy habitation of ‘Elyon —
6 (5) God is in the city.
It will not be moved —
when daybreak comes, God will help it.
7 (6) Nations were in turmoil,
kingdoms were moved;
his voice thundered forth,
and the earth melted away.
8 (7) Adonai-Tzva’ot is with us,
our fortress, the God of Ya‘akov. (Selah)
9 (8) Come and see the works of Adonai,
the astounding deeds he has done on the earth.
10 (9) To the ends of the earth he makes wars cease —
he breaks the bow, snaps the spear,
burns the shields in the fire.
11 (10) “Desist, and learn that I am God,
supreme over the nations,
supreme over the earth.”
---
All through his life, Luther battled against awful low points. “The content of the depressions was always the same, the loss of faith that God is good and that he is good to me….Always and above all else, the one great objective aid for Luther was the Scriptures ….[He wrote,] ’The true Christian pilgrimage is not to Rome or
Compostela, but to the prophets, the Psalms and the Gospels.’” * In his later years, he wrote one anti-Semitic pamphlet that even admiring biographer Roland Bainton called a “vulgar blast,” adding that “one could wish that Luther had died before ever this tract was written.” ** Yet this flawed but faithful servant, like the apostle
Peter we studied in August and September, left an overall legacy of faith and fortitude that continues to challenge and inspire Christ-followers today.
• Luther based one of his greatest, most enduring hymns on Psalm 46. Let the message of his powerful lyrics sink deeply into your heart:
“A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing: For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal. Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing; Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing: Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same, And He must win the battle.” ***
Prayer: Lord God, you are a mighty fortress, one to whom I can turn amid whatever flood of mortal ills I face. Thank you that I can share with Luther the confidence that, in the end, you must win the battle. Amen.
* Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1950; paperback edition by Mentor
Books, pp. 282-283, 288.
** Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1950; paperback edition by Mentor
Books, pp. 297.
*** Two stanzas of the hymn in the familiar English translation by Frederick Hedge. For all four stanzas, and an alternate
English version, click here.
Family Activity: For us to fully live into God’s wisdom and grace, it is important that we know Scripture. Create a stack of Scriptures for your home. Gather and distribute colored index cards and pens or pencils along with a Bible to each family member. Ask each person to choose 3-4 favorite Bible passages and write them on his or her index cards along with his or her name. Collect the cards and keep them on the dining table. Before each meal, select a card, read the passage and pray for the person who chose it. Place that card on the bottom of the stack. If you have young family members, invite them to draw pictures describing a Bible story or to help other family members. Keep adding to your family’s stack throughout the year and see how many portions of the Bible you can memorize!
---
---
Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• LaRue Wyatt and family on the death of her husband Don E. Wyatt, 10/24
• Clara Clark and family on the death of her husband Edward F. “Ed” Clark, 10/23
• Carrie Soper and family on the death of her husband Kurt Brannon Soper, 10/22
• Cricket Culp and family on the death of her husband Dean Culp, 10/22
• Family and friends of Delores Jean “Jeanie” Scott on her death, 10/22
• Sue Babson and family on the death of her mother Eleanor Dye, 10/21
• Michelle Hodge and family on the death of her mother Elaine Smith, 10/20
• Paula Slifer and family on the death of her father Paul Allan Cole, 10/20
• Glynn and Nancy Brown and family on the death of their daughter Lia Brown, 10/19
• Sherri Comfort and family on the death of her father Kenneth E. “Ken” Bowers, 10/17
---
“You are being made into a holy priesthood”
Friday, 3 November 2017
1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, the living stone, rejected by people but chosen by God and precious to him, 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be cohanim set apart for God to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to him through Yeshua the Messiah. 6 This is why the Tanakh says,
“Look! I am laying in Tziyon a stone,
a chosen and precious cornerstone;
and whoever rests his trust on it
will certainly not be humiliated.”[1 Peter 2:6 Isaiah 28:16]
7 Now to you who keep trusting, he is precious. But to those who are not trusting,
“The very stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone”;[1 Peter 2:7 Psalm 118:22]
8 also he is
a stone that will make people stumble,
a rock over which they will trip.[1 Peter 2:8 Isaiah 8:14]
They are stumbling at the Word, disobeying it — as had been planned. 9 But you are a chosen people,[1 Peter 2:9 Isaiah 43:20; Deuteronomy 7:6; 10:15] the King’s cohanim,[1 Peter 2:9 Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 61:6] a holy nation,[1 Peter 2:9 Exodus 19:6] a people for God to possess![1 Peter 2:9 Isaiah 43:21; Exodus 19:5] Why? In order for you to declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; before, you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.[1 Peter 2:10 Hosea 2:25(23)]
---
The medieval church said priests, bishops, archbishops, cardinals and popes were inherently superior, spiritually and legally, to everyone else. Based on the Bible’s teaching, Luther strongly disagreed. “God gave the ‘precious keys’ for heaven itself, which was first received in baptism, to all believers….Luther then referred to such forgiven sinners as ‘the priesthood of all believers,’ a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5) that was not
reserved for a special class of people sacramentally ordained.” *
Ø Peter drew from Exodus 19:5-6 (Israelite people were a “holy priesthood”) and Hosea 1:10 and 2:23 (Israelites freed from exile were God’s people, though for a time they hadn’t been). Have you ever thought of yourself as a member of “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession”? How can that rewrite your sense of mission and purpose in life?
• One of Luther’s projects that re-shaped the world was translating the Bible into German. Since God called all Christians to be priests, he believed they should be able to read the Bible for themselves. Today there is a wide range of English translations of the Bible, and we can access them through tools like www.biblegateway.com. Yet we often don’t read our Bibles much. That’s why Resurrection offers classes like “Meet Your Bible” and Disciple Bible study, as well as a series of studies called Tuesday Bible Study. How will you deepen your understanding and application of the Bible in your own life?
Prayer: Lord God, you give me a high and holy calling, and you make the Bible’s writings readily available to guide me in living out that calling. I’m no Luther, but give me his devotion and willingness to learn from you. Amen.
* Steven Paulson, Luther for Armchair Theologians. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, p. 163.
---
Darren LippeDarren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group and a men’s group, and serves on the curriculum team.
As we ponder today’s theme, I thought we might “visit” with Mrs. R.E. Stone, noted translation expert, about our friend Martin Luther & his theological revolution to help each of us re-discover God.
DL: Thank you for your time, Mrs. Stone. First, since you are an expert on translations could you tell me what our son’s text means? I had told him we would have Kansas City Joe’s BBQ this weekend & he responded with “URTM!”
Mrs. Stone: Please call me Rosetta. Um, “You Are The Man!”
DL: (Blushing) Well, thank you & thanks for trying. Anyway, so what might you tell us about Martin Luther’s efforts to translate the Scriptures from Latin to German?
Rosetta Stone: So, 500 years ago this week Luther posts his 95 Theses. But he was just getting warmed up. Martin’s intellectual jousting with the church left the church officials scrambling & they skip trying to defend their positions & opt to attack the messenger. Luther, instead of cowering under these threats, feels great freedom to say what he truly thinks. In 1520 Luther writes an essay, “To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation.” This essay argues that the Biblical phrase “priesthood of all believers” means the entire church hierarchy is a man-made creation & not Biblically based. (He minces no words in this essay referencing his churchly opponents as “a crawling mass of reptiles” & “babblers.”) Martin contends that since we all share the same baptism, there is no spiritual/upper class (popes/priests) & secular/lower class (parishioners): we are all equal members in the family of God, we can all share in the rite of Communion, & the gates of heaven are opened wide to all who accept Christ as our Savior. Period.
DL: Actually in Luther’s case “Exclamation Point.”
Rosetta Stone: Exactly. There are 4,000 copies printed in German & they sell out in 2 weeks. But this bold declaration presents a problem: How can the laity be part of this “priesthood” if we can’t even read the Bible? So, Luther starts the painstaking process to translate the New Testament from Latin into German.
DL: Anyway, is this a challenge?
Rosetta Stone: Very much so. Translating text is very hard – as they saying goes “every translator is a traitor, either to the original writer or to his reader.” You have idioms, you have words that only appear one time, you have odd creatures & unique gems (like in Revelation), & you have shorthand/lingo that was specific to that era or locale. In addition to his translating, Luther writes a preface to accompany each book to help the reader’s understanding.
Luther considered the “Heart of the Gospel” to be the Gospel of John, Romans, & 1 Peter. Considering that he feared his time was short, he may have started with these books.
DL: Interesting. I’d probably have started with 2 John,
Rosetta Stone: Why - because of its theme of encouragement in the midst of controversy?
DL: Um. Yes, that &, well, because it is one of the shorter books. But your question does raise a series of challenges for us 1,500 years later:
- If we were translating the Bible, which book would be our starting point? Why?
- If we are considered to be part of the priesthood, what are we doing to justify this honorific?
- Finally, what Biblical books or chapters or passages would we consider essential to our faith? Maybe we could make a point to underline those verses, or star those paragraphs, or even add our own notes about what this verse means to us & our faith journey. What an amazing way to honor Martin Luther & all those who risked/sacrificed their lives & freedom to give us the Bible in language for the laity.
Rosetta Stone: I Don’t Know. Got To Go.
DL: Don’t feel bad. You are right - translating IS hard. Thanks for your time.
---
“The Lord of heavenly forces is with us!”
Saturday, 4 November 2017
Psalm 46:1 (0) For the leader. By the descendants of Korach. On ‘alamot [high-pitched musical instruments?]. A song:
2 (1) God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
3 (2) Therefore we are unafraid,
even if the earth gives way,
even if the mountains tumble
into the depths of the sea,
4 (3) even if its waters rage and foam,
and mountains shake at its turbulence. (Selah)
5 (4) There is a river whose streams
gladden the city of God,
the holy habitation of ‘Elyon —
6 (5) God is in the city.
It will not be moved —
when daybreak comes, God will help it.
7 (6) Nations were in turmoil,
kingdoms were moved;
his voice thundered forth,
and the earth melted away.
8 (7) Adonai-Tzva’ot is with us,
our fortress, the God of Ya‘akov. (Selah)
9 (8) Come and see the works of Adonai,
the astounding deeds he has done on the earth.
10 (9) To the ends of the earth he makes wars cease —
he breaks the bow, snaps the spear,
burns the shields in the fire.
11 (10) “Desist, and learn that I am God,
supreme over the nations,
supreme over the earth.”
---
All through his life, Luther battled against awful low points. “The content of the depressions was always the same, the loss of faith that God is good and that he is good to me….Always and above all else, the one great objective aid for Luther was the Scriptures ….[He wrote,] ’The true Christian pilgrimage is not to Rome or
Compostela, but to the prophets, the Psalms and the Gospels.’” * In his later years, he wrote one anti-Semitic pamphlet that even admiring biographer Roland Bainton called a “vulgar blast,” adding that “one could wish that Luther had died before ever this tract was written.” ** Yet this flawed but faithful servant, like the apostle
Peter we studied in August and September, left an overall legacy of faith and fortitude that continues to challenge and inspire Christ-followers today.
• Luther based one of his greatest, most enduring hymns on Psalm 46. Let the message of his powerful lyrics sink deeply into your heart:
“A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing: For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal. Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing; Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing: Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same, And He must win the battle.” ***
Prayer: Lord God, you are a mighty fortress, one to whom I can turn amid whatever flood of mortal ills I face. Thank you that I can share with Luther the confidence that, in the end, you must win the battle. Amen.
* Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1950; paperback edition by Mentor
Books, pp. 282-283, 288.
** Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1950; paperback edition by Mentor
Books, pp. 297.
*** Two stanzas of the hymn in the familiar English translation by Frederick Hedge. For all four stanzas, and an alternate
English version, click here.
Family Activity: For us to fully live into God’s wisdom and grace, it is important that we know Scripture. Create a stack of Scriptures for your home. Gather and distribute colored index cards and pens or pencils along with a Bible to each family member. Ask each person to choose 3-4 favorite Bible passages and write them on his or her index cards along with his or her name. Collect the cards and keep them on the dining table. Before each meal, select a card, read the passage and pray for the person who chose it. Place that card on the bottom of the stack. If you have young family members, invite them to draw pictures describing a Bible story or to help other family members. Keep adding to your family’s stack throughout the year and see how many portions of the Bible you can memorize!
---
---
Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• LaRue Wyatt and family on the death of her husband Don E. Wyatt, 10/24
• Clara Clark and family on the death of her husband Edward F. “Ed” Clark, 10/23
• Carrie Soper and family on the death of her husband Kurt Brannon Soper, 10/22
• Cricket Culp and family on the death of her husband Dean Culp, 10/22
• Family and friends of Delores Jean “Jeanie” Scott on her death, 10/22
• Sue Babson and family on the death of her mother Eleanor Dye, 10/21
• Michelle Hodge and family on the death of her mother Elaine Smith, 10/20
• Paula Slifer and family on the death of her father Paul Allan Cole, 10/20
• Glynn and Nancy Brown and family on the death of their daughter Lia Brown, 10/19
• Sherri Comfort and family on the death of her father Kenneth E. “Ken” Bowers, 10/17
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©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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