Ongoing Bible study this week will be part 3 of Acts chapter 20

This week's ongoing Biblical study on the progressive Christian Blog with Author & Web Minister Paul J. Bern will be part 3 of Acts chapter 20; the apostle Paul bids his longtime companions a tearful farewell -- https://www.pcmatl.org/weekly-bible-study #realteaching #realtruth #realdedication

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Biblical studies this week with Author Rev. Paul J. Bern....

This week's ongoing Biblical teaching on the Progressive Christian Blog with Author & Web Minister Paul J. Bern will be part 2 of Acts chapter 20; Part one of Paul's farewell at Miletus to the elders from Ephesus -- https://www.pcmatl.org/weekly-bible-study #progressiveChristian #realfaith

 

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Ending poverty must be done one person at a time

Commentary this week on the Progressive Christian Blog with Author & Web Minister Paul J. Bern; Living out the commands of Christ by helping the poor whenever we can -- https://www.pcmatl.org/weekly-commentary #compassion #empathy #realChristianity

 

To tithe or not to tithe: That is the question

This week on the Progressive Christian Blog with Author & Web Minister Paul J. Bern; to tithe or not to tithe: that is the question -- https://zurl.co/O6Xn #tithing #theRealBible #ProgressiveChristian

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This week's ongoing BIble study will be part 4 of Acts chapter 19

The Apostle Paul Evades the Angry Mob at Ephesus, or,

How Spiritual Warfare Can Break Out at Any Moment

[Acts chapter 19, verses 32-41]

by Minister Paul J. Bern

Last week when we left off at verse 31 of Acts chapter 19, we found the apostle Paul being restrained by his Christian brothers from going out and trying to reason with a crowd of tens of thousands, having been persuaded to attempt no such thing lest he be crushed or otherwise killed by this angry mob that had formed. At this point, Paul had been in Ephesus for some time, having founded and built a church there that was growing each week. But there were no pro audio systems available to Paul, or anyone else for 19 more centuries. Paul had absolutely no chance of telling the crowd what he wanted to say, which simply was, “Jesus is Lord over all.” Yet he wanted to try anyway, and that's where we will begin part four of Acts chapter 19.

“32) The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. 33) The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34) But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!' 35) The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: 'Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? 36) Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash.'” (Acts 19, verses 32-36)

OK, now let's think back to how all this started. A silversmith named Demetrius made statues and other religious relics for their god Artemis. He, together with many other craftsmen, were evidently earning a very comfortable living from the crafting and sale of these idols. In other words, their religion was also a profitable enterprise, not unlike some churches today, especially the ones that demand 10% of the incomes of its members. So, these guys are doing just great, and along comes Paul preaching Jesus Christ crucified, died and resurrected, and he's converting people to Christianity left and right. Christianity has become a threat to their livelihoods. And, since they have the majority of the people there worshiping these idols, everyone has been offended by Christianity. Paul and the disciples with him were finding themselves in the middle of a virtual hornet's nest.

It was a mob scene that would rival any riot we could think of today. “Most of the people did not even know why they were there.” In some ways that scene was similar to that of the Arab-Jew clashes in modern Israel today. And, in the end, that's all this was – antisemitism, as it is written, “33) The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34) But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!'” Alexander, you see, was from the synagogue there in Ephesus, the same people who were so abusive towards Paul when he presented the gospel to them that he left and went to the lecture hall at Tyrannus instead, and where he had been based ever since. To those in the crowd, the Jews worship of the Lord Almighty was just as much an offense to them.

Finally, after all the hubbub quieted down to a manageable level, and after Alexander had been shouted down from the podium, it was the city clerk who finally got the crowd to do some listening instead of all their shouting about nothing. “...Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash.'” I don't know what the city clerk meant by his reference to the image of Artemis, “who fell from heaven”. That would have to have been either a meteorite or something like that, such as a chunk of ice, which is rare but it does occur. I find it a strange notion that an entire city would worship some darned space boulder, so there's really no way to know for certain what the city clerk was referring to.

What the city clerk did say was that their faith in this idol they were worshiping was beyond questioning, and so they should never, he said, have gotten so worked up about it in the first place. The Christianity that Paul and those with him were preaching and teaching about was being viewed as a passing fad by the city clerk, whereas Artemis, or so they reasoned, would be there forever. As we all now know, it was and is very much the other way around. Artemis is a relic from ancient history that would be completely forgotten if it weren't for Acts chapter 19. The name of Jesus Christ, on the other hand, lives on for all eternity. Having said that, let's move on to part 2 of this week's study.

“37) 'You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. 38) If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. 39) If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. 40) As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.' 41) After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.”

OK, let's all go back to our studies of chapter 18 from several weeks ago. Remember how Paul had been previously seized by the Temple authorities in Corinth? Gallio, the proconsul who served as the local magistrate there, had dismissed the charges against Paul straight out of hand (see verses 14-17) because the proceedings had been called for a religious dispute instead of issues of legality. Here at the conclusion of chapter 19, we find a similar occurrence in the verses above. The city clerk, whose name is not mentioned in this case, was clearly unhappy with what was happening, especially with all the noise and confusion. He rebukes them all, being the sole legal authority present: “38) If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. 39) If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly.”

The city clerk's address to the crowd left no doubt as to who was in charge. I would call this an example of leadership in action. Take your demonstrations before the authorities, he ordered the crowd, and keep them out of the streets so people can go back to work. “As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” Right here is the underlying crux of the matter as far as the Ephesian populace was concerned, and especially for that city clerk. The place in which they were living was a part of the Roman Empire as it existed back then. So the city clerk was admonishing the crowd by telling them there would be hell to pay if the Romans ever found out what had occurred. And he was absolutely right.

Next week, as we move on to chapter 20 in this ongoing series of Biblical studies, Paul remained in Ephesus for only a short while longer, having realized that his days were numbered there. His very presence for the previous 2 years, together with the evangelizing activities of the church he had founded, were the spark that kindled the riot that had just occurred there. The time had come for Paul to move on, and he had by this time begun to quietly acknowledge that to himself, and soon after to the others with who he had worked for the last 2 years. So everyone be sure and return next week for another installment of this series on the writings of the apostle Luke, part 1 of chapter 20. I look forward to seeing you all then!

Governor Cuomo, the Abortion Wars, and Progressive Christianity

What Does The Bible Tell Us About Abortion?

by Minister Paul J. Bern

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Without a doubt, this week's commentary is inspired by what transpired this past week in the state of New York, where the abortion law has been amended to legalize abortion right up until the point of birth. The law expands the state’s already liberal abortion laws to allow late-term abortions when “the patient is within 24 weeks from the commencement of pregnancy, or there is an absence of fetal viability, or the abortion is necessary to protect the patient’s life or health.” I offer this quote from the Philadelphia Inquirer as further explanation: “The law passed this week makes it impossible for the government to prevent a woman from choosing an abortion during the first six months. The state cannot step in to stop her. This could be catastrophic. Imagine if women in America could wait up to six months to choose to abort their babies for issues.... less devastating than Down syndrome. What if a woman chose to abort because she wanted a boy instead of a girl? That’s feasible under Cuomo’s law.”

The article continues: “The law also legalizes abortion up to the moment of birth if the mother’s life is in danger. In short: The law values the life of the mother more than the life of the child.” As this was being signed into law by governor Andrew Cuomo, the governor stated he “was opposed to abortion personally, but would not deprive others of that 'right.'” By the way, Andrew Cuomo is a Catholic. The Catholic church is by and large opposed to abortion, but usually for the wrong reasons. A prevented abortion becomes a new Catholic convert. That means more members, more robust Sunday collections during mass, and more priests and nuns for the Vatican to recruit.

Many people presume that a human being is created at the time of conception, but this belief is not supported medically or by the Bible. The fact that a living sperm penetrates a living ovum resulting in the formation of a living fetus does not mean that the fetus is a living human being, or at least not immediately. According to the Bible, a fetus is not a living person with a soul until after drawing its first breath. Allow me to explain the results of my research on this very touchy subject as delicately as possible.

First of all, God formed man according to Genesis 2:7, which says, “... the Lord formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being”. Although the man was fully formed by God in all respects, he was not a living being until after God put breath into him. In Job 33:4, it states: “The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” We were all formed prior to our birth, but we weren't living beings until God breathed life unto us. Again, to quote Ezekiel 37 verses 5 and 6, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: 'I will make breath to enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you, and make flesh to come upon you and cover you with skin; and put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord'.”

The Bible also spells out the appropriate level of punishment for those who would dare to hurt the unborn. In Exodus 21:22 it is written: “If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise”. It should be quite clear from this that the aborted fetus is not considered a living human being since the resulting punishment for the abortion is nothing more than a fine; it is not classified by the Bible as a capital offense under these circumstances unless the baby, its mother, or both are intentionally harmed or killed.

It is further stated in 1^st Corinthians chapter 3 verse 16, “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and God's Spirit lives in you?” We are only alive in Christ when we die to ourselves. An unborn fetus lives within the womb, but is not yet a human being until it draws its first breath. Can God live within the unborn baby? Well, the Bible does say, “All things are possible with God”, that is true and I believe it wholeheartedly. But as I have already pointed out, the Bible is absolutely clear that a baby is not a human being until it draws its first breath, so that question is actually besides the point. The physical body of the unborn fetus is surely there, but as before, that body isn't breathing yet.

Destroying a living fetus does not equate to killing a grown, living human being even though the fetus definitely has the potential of becoming a human being. One can not kill something that has not been born or taken a breath. This means that a stillborn would not be considered a human being either. Of course, every living sperm has the potential of becoming a human being although not even one in a million will make it; the rest are aborted. It would appear that God does not have any more regard for the loss of a sperm than he does for the loss of a placenta, or of a foreskin during circumcision, despite the fact that these were living tissue as the result of conception.

Now let's take this to the next level, which has to do with being born again in the Spirit. When Jesus taught Nicodemus about being born again he said, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of the water and of the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, and spirit gives birth to Spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'you must be born again'. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John chapter 3, verses 5-8)

Flesh gives birth to flesh, and spirit to Spirit. Being born of the water is a reference to childbirth first and to water baptism secondly. Being born of the Spirit of Christ refers to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Plus, when we read our Bible, it says quite clearly in Galatians chapter two and verse 20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me”. If the apostle Paul has been crucified with Jesus and died with him, then we are charged with the duty of being followers of Jesus right up to the very end as well. This is what being born again actually means.

In a number of versions of the Bible, one of the commandments in Exodus 20 that was spoken by God to Moses states: “You shall not kill”. According to the Mosaic text, this should read “You must not murder”, since the Bible has commandments stating that people shall be put to death for a number of different offenses. Exodus 21:17 states: “Whoever curses his father or mother shall be put to death.” There are also other capital offenses listed in Exodus 21. The popular ten commandments (in the original text there are over 600 of them) that are enumerated in Exodus 20 were given by God to Moses on tablets of stone. Verse 13 simply says, “You shall not murder”. That sums it up very nicely, I think. There is nothing in the Bible to indicate that a fetus is considered to be anything other than living tissue and, according to Scripture, it does not become a living being until after it has taken its first breath. Meaning, abortion is not necessarily murder.

Those who say, "If you're a Christian, you have to be against abortion, support our troops no matter what their mission, and therefore you must also vote conservative Republican," are simply reciting talking points from false teachers. There are a disturbing number of these people who have infiltrated the Church who are doing this very thing. Many cite the scripture found in Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." God is omnipotent. He has known all of us since before creation. In Numbers 5 describes "the Lord" ordering an abortion. It's clearly stated in verse 22, "May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells or your womb miscarries." Many argue that this is a misinterpretation, but I'm not so sure about that. It is better to err on the side of caution with regard to the Lord than not. Before false teachers turned the issue of reproductive choice into a political football, views on this matter were far less extreme.

Does this mean I am pro-life or pro-choice? Sorry, but I will not allow anyone to label and compartmentalize me like that. In many cases, I think that if the mother does not want the baby then she should put the child up for adoption. On that topic, why do women get pregnant in the first place? Often it's due to lack of access to birth control. The cure is national health insurance, such as Medicare for all which would include access to prescription drugs at minimal cost. You know, like birth control pills or other contraceptives?

In cases where abortion is necessary, such as when the baby is already dead before birth, in cases of rape or incest, or when the mother's life is in jeopardy, in those events an abortion should be performed by qualified medical personnel or under a doctor's direct supervision. But those are the only exceptions. In the end, if abortion was such a grievous sin Jesus would have mentioned it. He never did. While I am personally against abortion, I do not presume to tell women what they can or cannot do to or with their bodies. Enough said!