"Jesus is Lord", eh?
I Corinthians 12:1-11 (esp. v. 3)
When the writer of I Corinthians says: "...no one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except in the Holy Spirit," surely he (?) can't be absolute in this. All kinds of people might be able to utter the sounds "Jesus is Lord" without being under the influence of the Spirit. Televangelists, for example, claim this regularly, but only wish to climb on the cross so that they can be better seen by others, often trampling on the One already up there. Just a person saying "Jesus is Lord" doesn't necessarily express anything.
The author can't be literal with this - if he were, is this claim then limited to the original Greek words? Obviously not. The author must be writing about the meaning of the words. And the meaning of the words is a whole different ballgame.
What does this phrase do in an individual? We're not just talking about a person, a first-century Palestinian Jew, here. This phrase is meant to work in us or express between us a conviction greater than that a man called Joshua (Gk = Jesus) existed and was executed by the Roman Empire around 33CE. The phrase "Jesus is Lord" must express a conviction of the sovereignty of something greater than worldly powers in the world. Whatever one might mean by "Jesus" and whatever one might mean by "Lord" (and there are several possibilities for either), this phrase must confess that something in the Spirit of that ancient, young, rebellious, deeply caring man is, in fact, ruling over this world in a way that "lords" cannot. There is a Power at work in us and in our world that is far beyond the Powers That Be, beyond their control, beyond their manipulation, and not serving their needs. Nations and Leaders of all kinds will claim a hold on this Power-we-know-not-What, but the confessional of Jesus being Lord is (among other things, surely) a confession that these things (nations, presidents, armies, ideologies, denominations, money, greed, debt, lifestyles of consumption, and so on) do not have the ultimate claim on us. We pledge our allegiance to something above and beyond them, and must keep our eyes fixed on that point beyond the horizon.
And That, my friends, IS, the Holy Spirit working in us. We cannot confess that "Jesus is Lord" without making a resounding distinction between what our world tells us should be ruling our lives. When Americans say "Jesus is Lord," they are making a bold claim that flies in the face of nationalism, self-interest, labels like "terrorism" and "freedom" and "patriotism". This is a huge thing, and comes about through a Spirit of something greater working in us.
If it is possible for someone to profess Jesus is Lord without confessing this (like, for example, the televangelist), might it also be true for someone to confess this underlying conviction without professing that "Jesus is Lord"? I would think so.
Oftentimes, in fact, I think Christianity is a stumbling block to people seeking to follow Jesus. All too often, it is a community of hypocrites and self-righteousness. I've said several times to friends that they'd be better off not joining a particular denomination. But of course, that's only half true. We need each other - flawed and faulty as we are - to help learn about the Spirit. We need to practice Grace in order to learn about it more; practice forgiveness in order to learn it.
But must one finally profess "Jesus is Lord" in order to confess the Spirit in their lives? I don't know. The bulk of me says no. But there is a small portion of me that wonders if I am merely allowing myself an indulgence in saying this.
When the writer of I Corinthians says: "...no one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except in the Holy Spirit," surely he (?) can't be absolute in this. All kinds of people might be able to utter the sounds "Jesus is Lord" without being under the influence of the Spirit. Televangelists, for example, claim this regularly, but only wish to climb on the cross so that they can be better seen by others, often trampling on the One already up there. Just a person saying "Jesus is Lord" doesn't necessarily express anything.
The author can't be literal with this - if he were, is this claim then limited to the original Greek words? Obviously not. The author must be writing about the meaning of the words. And the meaning of the words is a whole different ballgame.
What does this phrase do in an individual? We're not just talking about a person, a first-century Palestinian Jew, here. This phrase is meant to work in us or express between us a conviction greater than that a man called Joshua (Gk = Jesus) existed and was executed by the Roman Empire around 33CE. The phrase "Jesus is Lord" must express a conviction of the sovereignty of something greater than worldly powers in the world. Whatever one might mean by "Jesus" and whatever one might mean by "Lord" (and there are several possibilities for either), this phrase must confess that something in the Spirit of that ancient, young, rebellious, deeply caring man is, in fact, ruling over this world in a way that "lords" cannot. There is a Power at work in us and in our world that is far beyond the Powers That Be, beyond their control, beyond their manipulation, and not serving their needs. Nations and Leaders of all kinds will claim a hold on this Power-we-know-not-What, but the confessional of Jesus being Lord is (among other things, surely) a confession that these things (nations, presidents, armies, ideologies, denominations, money, greed, debt, lifestyles of consumption, and so on) do not have the ultimate claim on us. We pledge our allegiance to something above and beyond them, and must keep our eyes fixed on that point beyond the horizon.
And That, my friends, IS, the Holy Spirit working in us. We cannot confess that "Jesus is Lord" without making a resounding distinction between what our world tells us should be ruling our lives. When Americans say "Jesus is Lord," they are making a bold claim that flies in the face of nationalism, self-interest, labels like "terrorism" and "freedom" and "patriotism". This is a huge thing, and comes about through a Spirit of something greater working in us.
If it is possible for someone to profess Jesus is Lord without confessing this (like, for example, the televangelist), might it also be true for someone to confess this underlying conviction without professing that "Jesus is Lord"? I would think so.
Oftentimes, in fact, I think Christianity is a stumbling block to people seeking to follow Jesus. All too often, it is a community of hypocrites and self-righteousness. I've said several times to friends that they'd be better off not joining a particular denomination. But of course, that's only half true. We need each other - flawed and faulty as we are - to help learn about the Spirit. We need to practice Grace in order to learn about it more; practice forgiveness in order to learn it.
But must one finally profess "Jesus is Lord" in order to confess the Spirit in their lives? I don't know. The bulk of me says no. But there is a small portion of me that wonders if I am merely allowing myself an indulgence in saying this.
Labels: 1 Corinthians, Community, Doctrine
posted by Christian at 8:39 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home