Is someone sitting? Stop and ask these three questions.

While working on our latest Bible workbook, “Body Language in the Bible,” I was surprised at all the little words we commonly overlook in the Bible.  One of these small words which had the biggest impact on me was “sit” or “sat.”

In all the times I have read through the Bible I rarely stopped to consider the significance of sitting.  While researching for this book on nonverbal communication, I realized that sitting is very important.  When the Bible tells you someone was sitting or sat down, it gives you that detail for a reason.  There are two common reasons someone sits down in the Bible, and in everyday life, for that matter.

First, people sit down because they are tired.  They want to rest.  This is obvious and easy to spot.

The second reason people sit in the Bible is because it is their dwelling place.  They might sit in their tent, or by the city gate, or on a throne.  The important thing to consider is whether or not they belong in that dwelling place.  Are they sitting on someone else’s throne?  Are they dwelling somewhere improper where they might get into trouble?

Here are some examples.  Think about where they are sitting, and if they are in their rightful dwelling place.

How about Solomon?  Was he sitting on a throne which belonged to him?

And Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established. 

[1 Kings 2:12, NASB] 

Where is Jesus sitting after He ascended to heaven?  Is this the rightful place for Jesus to sit?

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.   

[Hebrews 12:2, NASB] 

Here is an example of someone who made a good decision regarding when and where to sit. Jesus commended her for her choice.

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. 

[Luke 10:38–39, NASB] 

These last two examples are men who chose to dwell in the wrong place.  Their choice to sit among evil people resulted in much anguish.

Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 

[Genesis 19:1, NASB] 

After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them. And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, “This man was with Him too.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” 

[Luke 22:55–57, NASB] 

Don’t overlook small clues in the Bible.  Always be on the lookout for seated, sit, and sat.  Train yourself to ask these three questions:  

• Who is sitting?  
• Why are they sitting in this place and at this time?  
•  Is this the proper dwelling place for this person?

Body Language in the Bible is now available on Amazon.com.

The Tomb Was Not Empty

This weekend, while working on our next book, it occurred to me that two phrases I’ve heard and said for many years are not true.  These are things that are part of our vocabulary, often repeated, and as such are accepted without challenge.

The first is something you hear every Easter.  We often rejoice because on Easter morning the “tomb was empty.”  Not true.  In fact the Bible record is very clear on this subject.  The tomb was NOT empty.

According to Luke 24:12, “But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.”

In his account, John provides a little more detail, “So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.” (John 20:3-7)

You can see that the tomb was not empty.  At the very least, the linen and face-cloth used to wrap Jesus’ body were still inside.  So, what difference does that make?  Well, if someone stole the body, they certainly would not have unwrapped it first.  Remember, this is three days later.  Unwrapping a body that was in a tomb three days would be… Not a good idea. 

My feeling is that the linen in the tomb is further evidence that Jesus’ body was not stolen, but that he rose from the dead.  Next time someone tells you that the tomb was empty, tell them the whole truth.  The tomb was not empty, and the items left in the tomb attest to the truth of the resurrection.

Understanding James using a Center-Out Outline

In the previous post (dated October 21, 2012) I discussed the outline of James.  After studying conflicting outlines from several different scholars, my conclusion was that the letter from James uses a Center-Out approach instead of the traditional Left-to-Right flow.  The difference may be difficult to understand since this writing style is so unique.

To help you adjust, let me give a good example based on James’ instruction to those in humble circumstances as found in James 1:9-10a (NASB).  “But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation…”  The rest of this instruction, in verses 10 and 11, continue to talk about the rich man.  There is no further discussion of the poor. 

Based on Verse 9 we know that the poor, often considered in a low position, should take glory in their high position.  However, James doesn’t provide any reason or cause for this unusual attitude.  He does continue to discuss the rich, but not another word about the poor.

In a traditional Left-to-Right outline we would expect James to give more detail about this attitude change in the following verses.  However, since this is a non-traditional outline, James leaves the subject without giving a full explanation.

But wait, in Chapter 2 we find another discussion about the rich and the poor.  This time, in Verse 5, James gives a very convincing reason for the poor to glory in their high position.  “Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” (James 2:5, NASB)

Why should the lowly glory in their high position?  They should rejoice because God has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith.  And, they should remember that those who love Him are heirs of God’s kingdom.

This is a great example of James’ writing style.  His letter doesn’t flow from topic-to-topic in sequential order.  Instead, he set down an anchor point, “various trials,” in the second verse.  From this anchor he moves through many different challenging situations.  Very often he skips from topic to topic with no warning.  You will have a much, much better understanding of this important letter, once you appreciate and apply the Center-Out, or Hub-and-Spoke outline format.

Outline for James

If you search the Internet for an outline of the epistle of James you will find a wide variety of interpretations.  In my searches I have found some who suggest the outline of James consists of two or three main points.  At the other end of the spectrum, I found outlines with up to 13 main points.

Why is there such a discrepancy in creating an outline for a short letter with only five chapters?

There are several reasons why James is a difficult book to describe.  First, James had a unique writing style.  His style was very different from Paul.  Since Paul wrote many of the letters included in the New Testament many people try to impose Paul’s style on the letter from James.  Second, in our Western society we are trained from an early age to use a topic outline starting with Roman numerals.  In this outline form you have the main topic, then the sub-topic, followed by sub-sub-topics.  The letter from James simply does not follow this pattern.  Depending on which outline you follow, there are either many main topics, or many sub-topics.  In either case, the writing style of James does not follow a traditional Western outline style.

The main reason the letter from James is difficult to outline is that his writing does not flow from left to right.  When Paul wrote a letter he began with foundational truth and then he progressed to instruction based on those truths.  The letter from James is filled with instruction, but the teaching is not based on some previously explained doctrine.  Instead, James gives instruction combined with foundational truth.

Simply put, James does not follow a Left-to-Right writing style.  The way I describe James’ writing is Center-Out.  You can picture this outline as a wheel with a hub and many spokes.

The center, or hub, of James letter is found in the second verse:  “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.”  From that starting point James writes about many potential obstacles which the readers may face.  These various trials become the spokes in the wheel.  As you read this letter, at the beginning of each new topic remember the main theme, various trials.

To help you visualize this hub and spoke type of writing style, I have created a diagram which shows six major topics found in the book of James.  You can find that diagram here: http://www.wisdomcriesout.com/James_Spoke_Outline.pdf

A second diagram which shows the main topics and the specific verses related to each topic can be found here: http://www.wisdomcriesout.com/James_Spoke_Outline_Verses.pdf

Once you understand James’ writing style the entire letter makes much more sense.  This is the approach we took to our new study guide, “Every Lap A Victory Lap.”  This guide covers every verse in the letter from James, but it takes a Center-Out format, rather than a Left-to-Right approach.  You can order this new study guide at http://www.amazon.com/Every-Lap-Victory-Bible-Letter/dp/1479197130

Single-Minded or Double-Minded

Sadly, it has been four months since I've added a new post.  I'm very sorry.

However, I have been working very hard on our latest study.  This study combines the Epistle of James with the bone-jarring action of Motocross Racing.  No, I'm not kidding.

We've been using this study with a group of 10 men throughout the summer.  And, we're looking forward to releasing the book, God willing, in September.

Here is a sample of one section we call "Mechanics' Area."  At the races, the Mechanics' Area is the behind the scenes section where the bikes are repaired and maintained.  For our study, the Mechanics' Area focuses in on the sub-themes of the book of James.  These are the subtle recurring themes that are easy to overlook.  This particular section covers the theme of being single-minded (or pure) or being double-minded (or unstable).  Please enjoy, and be sure to let me know what you think.

Mechanics’ Area

Single-Minded or Double-Minded

Before each race every bike is adjusted and tuned for maximum performance.  Different riders, different makes, different engine sizes, and different courses all require specialized settings.  The mechanic works with the rider and coach to determine the exact settings for each particular race.

James understood that having the exact mindset for each situation was essential.  One of the most common sub-themes in his letter is the importance of purity, having a single-minded focus.  In fact, this sub-theme is found in the very second verse of the first chapter.  “Consider it all joy,” can also be understood as “100% pure” joy.  In other words: all joy and nothing but joy.

Later in the first chapter James continues his thoughts on purity, or being single-minded.  In Verse 5 he describes God as being a generous giver; or one who gives liberally.  The word translated “generous” comes from a word which denotes “singleness.”  God’s single focus in giving is in direct contrast to the double-minded man in Verse 8.

In the verses below highlight every word that describes someone who is single-minded, pure, or focused.  Also highlight words showing characteristics of someone who is double-minded, doubting, or unstable.

JAMES 1:5–7  (WEB)
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him. [6] But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. [7] For let that man not think that he will receive anything from the Lord. 8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

JAMES 1:17  (WEB)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.  

JAMES 1:27  (WEB)
Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. 

JAMES 3:8–10  (WEB)
But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. [9] With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God. [10] Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.  

JAMES 3:16–17  (WEB)
For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed. [17] But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  

JAMES 4:4  (WEB)
You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.   

JAMES 4:8  (WEB)
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-mined.

JAMES 5:12  (WEB)
But above all things, my brothers, don’t swear— not by heaven, or by the earth, or by any other oath; but let your “yes” be “yes”, and your “no”, “no”; so that you don’t fall into hypocrisy.  

            

A Rich Man and A Merchant

One of my favorite stories in the Gospels is the encounter between Jesus and the “Rich Young Ruler” as recorded in Luke 18:18-23.  It is a fascinating interaction because the rich man seems to ask the right question regarding eternal life.  However, after just a short conversation the young man goes away “very sad.”

Over the years I’ve often wondered what went wrong.  Why did this man who was asking about eternal life end up so disillusioned?

The other day I was reminded of a parable Jesus told about a merchant, a pearl, and an exchange.  This parable is found in Matthew 13:45–46.  When you compare the merchant with the “Rich Young Ruler” you can gain insight into the parable, the challenge Jesus gave to the rich ruler, and our own lives. 

The first thing we notice about both men is that they are seeking something of value:

A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18)

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls …”  (Matthew 13:45)

The requirement for both men was to make a complete commitment, a total investment:

When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor …”  (Luke 18:22a)

“…and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had …”  (Matthew 13 46a)

The result of selling all they had is the opportunity to gain something of much greater value:

 “… and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”  (Luke 18:22b)

“… and bought it.”  (Matthew 13 46a)

Unfortunately, unlike the merchant, the young ruler was not willing to sell all his possessions.

But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.  (Luke 18:23)

So, what is the difference between the two men?  The merchant realized the great value of the pearl.  He understood that the pearl was worth more than all his possessions.  The ruler, on the other hand, placed more value on his possessions than he did on possessing treasure in heaven.

Both men had to make a decision regarding value and making an exchange.  The merchant serves as a great example of trading something of value for something of greater value.  The ruler warns us about the danger of being so possessive of our possessions that we miss out on that which is of true, eternal value.