1 Timothy on Prayer

1 Timothy: On Prayer

Speaking about the prayer we can identify a few sub-topics:

Types of prayer – this will/might determine the content of prayers

Prayerful posture – kneeling, hands up, and what about Abrecht Durer?

Place of prayer – special building/room or where?

A. Types of prayer. In 1 Timothy St. Paul identifies four types of prayers: supplications, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving (2:1, cp. Phil. 4:6).

Supplication – lit., entreaty or petition. Something one asks of the LORD, 1 Peter 3:12.

Prayer – very general term. Time, dedicated to a formal ceremony at a specific place (Acts 16:13,16).

Intercession – petition (on a person’s behalf). Later St. Paul will use this word to describe a prayerful engagement (4:5).

Thanksgiving – lit. good gifting. This is what Adam and Eve failed to do in the Garden of Eden. What Jesus had to restore for the disciples at the Last Supper (Luke 22:19).

B. Prayerful posture. Modern culture promotes minimalism as it pertains to spirituality. Hiking, fitness, diet, exercises – anything that is related to body life should be done actively. But the spiritual exercises – the less action, the better. That’s a reflection of materialistic worldview that penetrated the church. Along with turning a church into a lecture hall, the main posture for the people is sitting.

In the Bible the only “person” who sits is a king. Everyone else is either prostrated, kneeling, or standing up. Therefore, the apostle picks up on that in 2:8, since we are in the presence of the King, we should stand, and the worshiping attitude can be expressed by raising “holy hands.”

At the same time, we can enjoy the care of the Church for the varicose veins of her members, allowing people to sit during a lesson or a sermon. Side note, as you might know, benches came to church gradually beginning XIII-XIV century. It was the Protestant Reformation (not Lutheran) that, shifting the accent of the service from Lord’s Supper to sermon, sprang a wide pew installation project. It resulted in the architectural collapse of modern church buildings, which look like a warehouse (outside, and what is worst of all – inside). People come to be fed, to listen, to consume, creating “what did I get from the service?” attitude. Apostolic Church was the church of prayerful engagement of the congregation as a whole, going through words and motions of the liturgy (Psalm 136). Yet, even now, some Lutheran churches keep the kneelers (cp. Bethey, Lompoc-CA) to maintain a variety of prayerful postures.

C. Place of prayer. St. Paul does not address the question of a dedicated building in the letter. At the same time, when the apostle talks about the Church, he brings up “building” references – pillar and buttress of the truth. On one hand, it is a good visual. People of the I century AD were very familiar with the temple structures.

This is not the first time Scripture uses construction terminology as a description of metaphysical realities. Solomon talks about the wisdom is a “house builder” (Proverbs 9:1).

On the other hand, as mentioned above, first church communities had special/dedicated places or buildings for “prayer. See Acts 16:16). When St. Paul speaks of “every place” (2:8) he does not mean wherever you are individually. He means that in every city, town, and community men (note the plural form) should get together for prayer and teaching. There is no deviation from the service of the sacrament – the prayer includes the eucharistic part (the last one), as we talked before.

Psalm 9

Psalm 9

Comments: Psalm is too long to tackle it verse by verse. So, we’ll pick up the main themes.

Thankfulness to God (my whole heart). Even though the psalm will tackle some tough themes, David begins with the words of thanksgiving. If I have to limit the signs of godliness to one element it would be “thankfulness” – a missing link in the Garden story. If we compare what Jesus does at the Last Supper and Adam and his wife, we can notice the lack of thankfulness. Because it is impossible to be thankful for a stolen fruit…

Enemies in life of a believer – who are they? This is tri-folded question. First, we need to think about people wo opposed the rule or life of David. His life was a life of struggle. His father-in law brought him closer only for a single purpose – it would be easier to get rid of a young lad. Then he had to face armies and armies of neighbors – Philistines, you name it… There was a moment when his own son became a mutineer. Many people can be marked in the life of David as “enemies.” Second, there is a spiritual aspect of these assaults. From the time of the Garden the “enmity” is between the humans and the serpent… (no wonder Goliath is armed or covered with scales, which makes him look like a snake/serpent). Sometimes the lives of people are the battleground for God and diabolical forces (see the evil spirit attacking king Saul, 1 Samuel 16). Third, there are inner sinful inclination with a person – in theology it’s called fleshly desires. David’s story with Bathsheba is not a conspiracy of the Philistines or an attempt to compromise his kingship by some court provocateurs… No, it was his own inability to overcome sexual passions. So, there are three types of enemies: people/world, demons, and flesh.       

Another very big theme in the psalm is the actions of the nations or, saying it differently, a global scale of God’s influence. After the Flood and rebellion at the Tower of Babel, God chose a single family – Abram and Sarai. Through their descendants He developed them into a nation – people of Israel. He gave them the land. After the loss of the land and going through the Babylonian exile, they became a part of the empires that God erected. Then with the coming of Jesus Christ everything found its consummation – He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. But throughout of all the periods of salvation history the people of God should’ve been witnessing to their neighbors. David, who lives in the period of the kingdom of Israel in the land, brings the good news to some Philistine territories (see 1 Samuel 27:1-7). So, even when the nations conspire against God and His anointed (see psalm 2:1-2), God will turn the tables, and they will sing in their own pits (v. 15). Reflecting on the beginning of the psalm: nations have the same choice as individuals – giving thanks or to sing to the pit of our own makings.     

Death and resurrection. The more I read Psalter, the more I see this theme. Every person should have the answers for the ultimate questions – purpose of life, what will happen after death etc. v. 17 says that the wicked will go to Sheol – a place of abandonment. The reason is – they forgot God, on the national level. There ungodly nation has godly people (see Genesis 18, an argument of Abraham and God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah). Their spiritual needs and hopes will be answered (v. 18), but it is important to share the Gospel with the people on a national level. For the countries and nations can come and go – the Church is going to stand forever.      

Man vs. God. The psalm presents a strong case for rebellious human anthropology. On national and individual level men rebel against God (vv. 5, 19, 20). They try, try hard to set their own plans in motion, but God is stronger, and justice is His. That’s why David, being a man, asks the LORD to rise (v. 19). Risen Lord Jesus is the One Who prevails over men (see Acts 9 – meeting of Saul and Jesus on the road to Damascus), and He judges the nations according to His standards.    

Psalm 28

Psalm 28

Psalm begins with two requests (v. 1):

a. Be a rock

  b. Not to be deaf to me

  b’. if you’ll be silent

a’. I will go to the pit  

Then the primary answer is right there (v. 2):

Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help

When I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.

 

But then David goes into a “negative” example (vv. 3-5):

a. Description:  Wicked – workers of evil 

being treacherous: speaking peace but having evil in their hearts

   b. Outcome: Give them what they deserve (in accordance with their deeds), v. 4

a’. Description of the reason: Because they do not regard the works of the LORD (the Living one, see the reference to the pit, v. 1)

   b’, Description of the outcome: He will tear them down and build them up no more – they will not experience resurrection. For all of us go through the cycles of “down-ups” or “death-resurrection.”

   

Fuller description of God’s “answers” (vv. 6-9):

a. Hearing (vv. 6-7). He hears – I give thanks with my song.

b. Lord – the strength of His people (vv. 8-9) – like a ROCK. He is a saving refuge, where people can hide in times of trouble.

LENT: EXODUS 8

Lenten devotions: Exodus 8 

(please read the chapter before reading this devotion).

Chapter 8 tells us 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th plagues. Frogs, gnats, flies. There is an interesting progression – from water (the first plague) to frogs (who come from water), then a bit higher – to gnats, then to flies (level up). Spoiler alert – the LORD will destroy the whole religious system of Egypt. Beginning with Nile – one of the basic gods of Egypt. Ending up with the Sun – the “top” deity of the land. Step by step, the LORD will show His superiority.

What I would like to point out is the fact that the release of pressure on the authorities and the land leads to hardening of the pharaoh’s heart. He is not thankful for a deliverance, his doesn’t consider the audacity of the futile resistance to God… Every time Moses and Aaron announce a withdrawal of a plague, he doubles down…

PRAYER: Thanksgiving

PRAYER: Thanksgiving

Why do we need to talk about it?

Actually, it is un-natural to be thankful.

Or, in the beginning of creation thankfulness was a proper place – even God was “thankful.” Every day He acknowledged the achievements of every day with the statement “it is good” or, on the sixth day “it is very good.”