What is communion, and other quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources. (I try to confirm the sources that I give, but may miss on occasion; please verify if possible.)

"What is communion but mutual giving and receiving, the flowing together of two hearts, the melting into one of two wills, the exchange of two loves—each party maintaining its distinct identity, yet being to the other an object of affection and delight?" -- J. C. Philpot

"There is no exegetical warrant for connecting political and social activism in modern American culture with the biblical mandate to love your enemies, execute justice, and love your neighbor." -- Edward Dingess

"Jesus taught the unteachable, touched the untouchable and loved the unlovable." -- copied

"Where the battle rages the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battle-field besides is mere flight and disgrace to him if he flinches at that one point." -- Often incorrectly attributed to Martin Luther, but actually from the novel Chronicles of the Schönberg-Cotta Family by Elizabeth Rundle Charles (London: T. Nelson, 1864, p. 276)

"Be not dismayed. There is purpose in your pain, a target for your trials, and an objective in your ordeal." -- copied

"A church has come to a pretty pass when its members believe that they are more likely to get justice from unbelievers than from their own brothers." -- C. K. Barrett, A Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians

"In matters of great damage to ourselves or families, we may use lawful means to right ourselves. We are not bound to sit down and suffer the injury tamely, without stirring for our own relief; but, in matters of small consequence, it is better to put up with the wrong." -- Matthew Henry

"If my soul were sent to hell, God’s righteous law approves it well." -- Isaac Watts

"The popular notion that the first obligation of the church is to spread the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth is false." Aiden W. Tozer (he points that first they must make certain that they have the gospel)

"Truth is like a torch. The more you shake it, the more it shines." -- From Raleigh Christian Advocate (Raleigh, NC), Vol. XX, No. 37; Wednesday, Sept 23, 1874, p. 1

"Christians should not have a political opinions apart from the Gospel." -- copied

The Ideal Church

I finally found the Ideal Church and joined it...

It’s not the Ideal Church any more.

Biblical Inerrancy

"A Short Statement," from The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

1. God, who is Himself Truth and speaks truth only, has inspired Holy Scripture in order thereby to reveal Himself to lost mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture is God's witness to Himself.

2. Holy Scripture, being God's own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God's instruction, in all that it affirms; obeyed, as God's command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God's pledge, in all that it promises.

3. The Holy Spirit, Scripture's divine Author, both authenticates it to us by His inward witness and opens our minds to understand its meaning.

4. Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God's acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God's saving grace in individual lives.

5. The authority of Scripture is inescapably impaired if this total divine inerrancy is in any way limited or disregarded, or made relative to a view of truth contrary to the Bible's own; and such lapses bring serious loss to both the individual and the Church.

History of The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

Safely confiding

“Then we can go on without fear, trusting in the Lord who ‘worketh all things after the counsel of his own will,’ who turneth the king’s heart withersoever he will, as the rivers of water are turned, who declares that the wicked are his sword, and the men of the world his hand, who commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind, and who saith to the sea, ‘Thus far shalt thou come, but no farther.’ In this glorious God, ‘whose counsel shall stand and who will do all his pleasure,’ we can safely confide, assured that he will in his own time and way bring us into the full enjoyment of that righteousness for which we hunger and thirst, and cause us to dwell in his presence forever.” – Silas H. Durand, February, 1887

The Lord is our shepherd, we never shall want; 
In him may we safely confide. 
He’ll guard us in danger, direct us in doubt, 
And everything needful provide.
Stanza 1, Hymn 286 in Sacred Poetry and Music Reconciled, Or, A Collection of Hymns Original and Compiled, by Samuel Willard, 1830

Their hearts shall not be moved 
Who in the Lord confide, 
But, firm as Zion’s hill, 
They ever shall abide: 
As mountains shield Jerusalem
The Lord shall be a shield to them.
Stanza 1, Hymn 672 (Psalm 125) in The Sabbath Hymn Book: for the Service of Song in the House of the Lord, edited by Edwards Amasa Park, Austin Phelps and Lowell Mason, 1858

Since all that I meet 
Shall work for my good,
The bitter is sweet, 
The medicine is food;
Though painful at present 
‘Twill cease before long,
And then, O how pleasant 
The conqueror’s song.
John Newton, Stanza 7 of “I Will Trust and Not Be Afraid” in Olney Hymns, which begins “Begone, unbelief, My Saviour is near…”

Strong evidence

I copied the following at some point without preserving from where (unless I wrote it, but I don't think I did). Nevertheless, I like at and am sharing it here. If anyone knows the source, I be glad to gives credit. Thanks.

"One of the strongest evidences in the New Testament of the congregation being the final authority is Paul’s words to the congregation in Galatians 1:6-8. It is the congregation that has the responsibility of being the last stop to prevent false doctrine from infiltrating the church. Paul gives the congregation final authority for protecting the purity of doctrine, even over an apostle gone rogue."

7 Brain-Power Foods, and other old links

Below are a number of links I had saved to post and had forgotten about; some are now somewhat outdated, newswise.

• 7 Brain-Power Foods You Should Eat Every Day -- "A few tweaks to your diet might restore your mediocre memory to Total Recall."
• Arminianism vs. The TULIP of Calvinism-- "An Outline of the FACTS of Arminianism vs. the TULIP of Calvinism"
• Al Mohler "chides" some evangelicals for holding homosexuality a choice that’s "relatively easy to change" -- "Along with CNN's implication that Dr. Mohler embraces evangelicalism's new but subtle shift in its understanding of homosexuality, stands, side by side, Jonathan Merritt."
• Evangelical college gay rights stand causes uproar -- "Under the proposed changes, faith-based charities with federal grants worried they could lose the right to hire and fire according to their religious beliefs. Religious leaders flooded the White House with pleas to maintain or broaden the exemption."
• Is Your Baby Gay? What If You Could Know? What If You Could Do Something About It? -- "For some time now, scientists have been looking for a genetic or hormonal cause of sexual orientation."
• Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry, Spring 2013, Vol. 10, No. 1 -- "These 'Essays on the “Traditional Statement”' particularly relate to the Southern Baptist debate on Calvinism, but may also interest others who are intrigued by varieties of soteriology."
• Reflected Light -- "They have only a reflected light, of which HE has always been and shall always be, the SOURCE, even as the Moon is but a reflection of the light of the Sun."
• Terminally ill Brittany Maynard takes her own life -- "Maynard ended her suffering from brain cancer right on schedule after hinting at a possible delay in a video released last week."
• Three Days in Nashville Talking to Southern Baptists about Homosexuality -- "The Convention’s theology on homosexuality has not changed. The Bible, as they read it, declares homosexual behavior to be sexual immorality..."
• Top Ten Ways Churches Drive Away First-time Guests -- "I did a Twitter poll to ask these first-time guests why they chose not to return to a particular church."
• Why I am a baptist (with a small 'b') -- "The local church in which I serve as pastor practices the baptism of believers, so we might be considered 'Baptists'. But we also receive as members believers who have been baptized as infants."

Everyone Can Sing, and other music links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Accent & Emphasis in Sacred Harp singing -- "Listen to this rendition of 159 WONDROUS LOVE performed in a liturgical setting and compare it to a recording from The First National Sacred Harp Convention in 1980."
• Church Music in the United States 1760–1901 -- "essays by David W. Music and Paul Westermeyer (preview)"
• Dewey Williams, 81st Birthday Singing, Wiregrass Sacred Harp Singers -- "1979 independent film project directed by Landon McCrary...Shot on Location in Ozark Alabama with the Wiregrass Singers, Director Dewey Williams and Assistant Director  Henry Japheth Jackson."
• Ebenezer Primitive Baptist Church -- "Congregational Singing, February 21, 1990"
• Everyone Can Sing: How to Stop the Non-Singer Epidemic in Our Churches -- "Further countering the idea of the non-singer is the fact that we know in generations past, basically everyone did sing. They sang in church. They sang at home. They sang at civic functions."
• Music therapy weaning babies off opioid addiction at Kosair Children's Hospital -- "The Neonatal Intensive Care team weans babies with NAS off the drugs using a multi-layered approach including drug interventions like morphine and more recently ... musical therapy."
• Philadelphia, Birthplace of the Shapes and Center of Shape-Note Publishing -- "Although shape-notes were associated with southern and western music, the most successful four- and seven-shape notation systems have their origins in Philadelphia..."
• Singing Schools were very popular in Alabama – this is how they were organized -- "The teacher solicits pupils, and when 10 or more are secured, comprised of both adults and children, the school opens."
• The Hottest Social Scene in the 19th-Century American South -- "When Almanzo Wilder took Laura Ingalls to singing school in a tiny South Dakota town in 1884, they sang rounds, practiced scales and learned to harmonize. It turned out they harmonized pretty well in other ways, too."
• Tubby Walton, “An Indispensable Head Waiter” at the 1935 United Convention -- "Singers today may be surprised to realize that a singing might rely on catered food even during the Depression."
• Why We Sing -- "Churches sing because their new hearts can’t help but echo the Word which has given them life."

Immigration links

My posts on the topic of immigration

• Undocumented aliens
• DACA, Trump, Obama, Congress and Children
• Beyond DACA: the Story of Jose
• Jesus, the Illegal Immigrant?
• Five Guiding Categories: Biblical Considerations
• Five Guiding Categories: Biblical Considerations Expounded
• Immigration: Christian Individuals and Civil Authorities

Links I’ve viewed on immigration

• These links have been removed, as apparently a Malware or Virus has been reported in one of them. I do not know which one, so I have removed them all. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Jesus Wept

John 11:35.

1. Who is this in silence bending
O’er a dark sepulchral cave?
Sympathetic sorrow blending
With the tears around that grave?
Christ the Lord is standing by,
At the tomb of Bethany.

2. Jesus wept! those tears are over,
But His heart is still the same;
Kinsman, friend, and elder brother,
Is His everlasting name.
Savior, who can love like Thee,
Gracious one of Bethany?

3. When the pangs of trial seize us,
When the waves of sorrow roll,
I will lay my head on Jesus,
Refuge of the troubled soul.
Surely, none can feel like Thee,
Weeping one of Bethany!

4. Jesus wept! and still in glory
He can mark each mourner’s tear;
Loving to retrace the story
Of the hearts He solaced here;
Lord, when I am called to die,
Let me think of Bethany.

5.Jesus wept! that tear of sorrow
Is a legacy of love;
Yesterday, today, tomorrow,
He the same doth ever prove.
Thou art all in all to me,
Living one of Bethany.

John Ross Macduff (1818-1895)

I'm a black daughter of the Confederacy, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• Gustaf Aulén, Christus Victor: An Historical Study of the Three Main Types of the Idea of Atonement -- " Aulen applies 'history of ideas' methodology to historical theology in tracing the development of three views of the atonement."
• I'm a black daughter of the Confederacy, and this is how we should deal with all those General Lees -- "As for my Confederate ancestor, I consider him without bitterness. He was a man of his time, his family, his community and his culture. He probably wasn’t particularly evil — just an ordinary man, without the advantage we have: 152 years’ perspective on the Civil War."
• Judge to Rule on White Nationalist's Speech at University -- "A federal judge will decide whether Michigan State University must rent campus space to allow white nationalist Richard Spencer to give a speech there this month."
• Missouri senator who urged Trump assassination booted from committees -- "The move reflects the erosion of support Chappelle-Nadal has seen ever since she posted on Facebook last week [Aug. 17]: 'I hope Trump is assassinated!'"
• Mysterious fossil footprints may cast doubt on human evolution timeline -- "Enter the newly-discovered footprints. Found in Trachilos in western Crete, they have a distinctly human-like shape, with a big toe of a similar size, shape and position to ours."
• Read The Letter Barack Obama Left Donald Trump Upon Leaving Office -- "This is a unique office, without a clear blueprint for success, so I don’t know that any advice from me will be particularly helpful. Still, let me offer a few reflections from the past 8 years."
• The Old Regular Baptist, Union Church, and My Family -- "I hope this page helps to tell the true story of the Old Regular Baptist. I have found that so much of the information found on the internet is either misleading or just plain wrong."
• The Wrong Donations – Some Tough Words on Disaster Relief -- "So here’s where I get to say the really hard thing. Some of the items you are sending are the wrong donations"
• Twitter Bans 'Activist Mommy' for Criticizing Teen Vogue Editor's Promotion of Teen Sex -- "A popular Christian blogger has been suspended from Twitter for criticizing a Teen Vogue editor who approved of publishing an article that encourages youth to have anal sex."
• What To Do When Confederate Symbols Can't Be Removed -- "The most prominent, as many know, is the mammoth carving on the north face of the mountain of three horse-mounted leaders of the Confederacy...has also led to suggestions that this carving be removed - a project that would not only be costly but also would further disfigure the face of the mountain."
• Why the Rejection of the Nashville Statement on Sexuality Is a Rejection of the Bible -- "I’m all for dialogue with professing LGBT Christians, and I have often apologized for the church’s past failures in our treatment of those who identify as LGBT...But love and truth go hand in hand, which is why the Nashville Statement should be affirmed by all those who love Jesus, love the Bible, and love the LGBT community."
• 8 Wow Worthy Pies You Can Do At Home -- "To make this easy faux-lattice design, all you’ll need is store-bought pie crust dough and a fork!"

Immigration: Christian Individuals and Civil Authorities

Previous posts: 

• DACA, Trump, Obama, Congress and Children
• Beyond DACA: the Story of Jose
• Jesus, the Illegal Immigrant?
• Five Guiding Categories: Biblical Considerations
• Five Guiding Categories: Biblical Considerations Expounded

Christians are manifestly enjoined to treat the stranger with straightforward honesty, hospitality, good will, love and kindness. If the Christian individual’s treatment of immigrants and refugees can be guided unequivocally from God’s commands, precepts and examples found in the Bible, why are Christians in the U.S. so divided by the subject of immigration? Part of it can be explained as just approaching the Bible differently. I believe in large part we arrive at differences because of different understandings of the purpose of government and different applications of the Christian’s relationship to government.[i] In other words, much of what we debate is not how the individual should treat strangers, but how the government should treat them.

From whence cometh government, and what is its purpose? Michael Oh puts it succinctly: “Government...has been instituted by God not only for the good of humanity but also for the glory of his own name.” Here are some biblical principles.

Civil authority is instituted by God, both generally and specifically.

• Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
• Daniel 2:21 and he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings

Civil authority is an agent of justice, rewarding good and punishing evil.

• 1 Peter 2:13-14 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
• Romans 13:4 for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Civil authority deserves prayerful consideration and lawful obedience.

• 1 Timothy 2:1-3 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
• Mark 12:17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him. (Cf. also Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-17)

Civil authority is not absolute (only God’s authority is).

• Acts 4:18-19 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
• Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Broadly we can say that our government both generally and specifically exists by the decree of God and at the delight of God. In engaging its purpose, it should defend what is good and those who abide by it, while punishing what is evil and those who practice it. Christian citizens should be good citizens who obey the law, pray for & promote peace and seek justice. Only as a last resort should they disobey the law, choosing obedience to God over obedience to government.

Some people, once they have gone through this many scriptures and this much thinking, will have all the right answers (or at least think they do). As for me, I confess to not knowing how to put together every piece of this puzzle. There is no direct command from God to governments how they should or should not regulate immigration. I find nothing to indicate that government regulating immigration is either inherently moral or immoral.[ii] I believe any such laws should ideally correspond with the purpose of government. As much as is possible, Christians should use their influence to promote good. In conclusion, with hope for more light in the future, I say this. When unsure of which direction to turn, follow the course that does less harm. “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

Finally, I leave you all with this thought that Chris Johnson wrote in a comment at SBCVoices, “Whatever the plight of the ‘Dreamer’ ends up with respect to whether they remain in limbo (Obama’s directive), become legalized (neo-amnesty with perks through Congress), or are systematically removed in order to follow the law of the nation (existing laws on the books), the churches can be there to help, love, and share the gospel. The great commission is something the church can do in all three of those scenarios...that will never change.”

---

[i] In addition, we derive much of our view on immigration and immigration law from the application of principles we find (or think we find). I am unfamiliar with the history of border controls and entry requirements (such as visas, passports). I am not aware of anything like that in either the Old or the New Testaments. The concept of territory and borders can be found in Scripture (e.g. Numbers 21:22), but not like we have refined it in modern “first-world” countries.

[ii] Curiously, there are a number of people who emphatically deny that the United States is a Christian nation, and furiously clamor for complete separation of church and state – and yet when it comes to immigration they argue for the government to found the immigration laws in what they believe are Christian principles. This study has revealed another odd inconsistency. A good number of Americans who support complete amnesty for illegal immigrants also support same-sex marriage. When supporting the former position (amnesty), they do so citing the Old Testament Law of Moses (i.e, what it says about foreigners/strangers). When supporting the latter position (same-sex marriage) they deny any weight to the Old Testament Law of Moses passages against homosexuality (often comparing it to laws against sowing different kinds of seeds). Consistency, thou art a jewel!

Five Guiding Categories: Biblical Considerations Expounded

This morning I posted five categories of Bible texts that demonstrate how the Christian individual’s treatment of immigrants and refugees can be guided.

The example of the Law of Moses shows that the resident foreigner or stranger was a recognized class under the law. They were objects of love and reminders of their own past (Leviticus 19:33-34). They were not to be taken advantage of. The law required equal justice, fair treatment and proper consideration for them, and they also enjoyed most of the same rights as the Israelites.[i] The law even made some provision for escaped foreign slaves.[ii] See Deuteronomy 23:15-16.

Our Christian duties to all teach us to treat all persons with hospitality, respect, honesty, patience, prayer, peace and love. There is no exclusionary clause in our Christian duties that remove foreigners and strangers from these exhortations. There is no excuse provided for Christians so that we can treat some people well and other people badly. We owe others love and kindness, and above all, the gospel (Mark 16:15, 1 Corinthians 10:33).

Like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who were strangers in the land where they dwelt, so Christians are strangers in a strange land – citizens of a heavenly kingdom that is not of this world. Our Christian “otherworldliness” ought to constantly remind and explicitly teach us what it means to be foreigners, what it is like to be from somewhere else, and how the strangers in our land may feel (Hebrews 13:14). We should be able to relate. It is high time that we be shaken from our sleep and remember these things (Romans 13:10-12)!

The example and sayings of our Lord are the supreme exhibition of love and compassion on guilty sinners. His mercy extended to strangers as well as Jews (Luke 17:11-19), to the poor as well as the rich (Luke 4:18), to the outcast as well as the in-crowd (Luke 15:1-2).[iii] The taught the unteachable, reached the unreachable, touched the untouchable and loved the unlovable.

The character of God acquaints us with a view of a world larger than our own. God is Creator the heaven and the earth, and made all the people thereon of the one blood of Adam and Eve. He alone can say all souls are mine, establishing reverence how we come near each soul that belongs to him. Not only is God the creator and owner, but he is also the sustainer of all that is. He is judge of all the earth (Genesis 18:25). The creator, owner, sustainer and judge of all the earth is no respecter of persons.

Much more might be written, but the Bible presents a God who is creator and ruler of all. Our self-importance pails when we understand that fact. Yet that God has demonstrated through the Scriptures that he relates to all his creation throughout history, giving them command, precept and example to guide them in this world. The Christian individual’s treatment of immigrants and refugees can be guided unequivocally from these commands, precepts and examples.

To be concluded (d.v.)

---

[i] In some cases differences are noted – such as some dietary restrictions, leadership possiblities, usury. Cf. Deuteronomy 14:21, Deuteronomy 15:2-4, Deuteronomy 17:15, and Deuteronomy 23:20.

[ii] Verse 16 – he shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best – suggests this is a foreign slave or servant, perhaps escaping from tyranny and oppression to live among God’s people. This would not have applied universally to all servants who fled from their masters, since the Law of Moses itself allowed for the institution of slavery. Certainly we can see some application in the present, especially in the cases of refugees escaping tyranny and oppression, death and destruction.

[iii] Jesus put the welfare of people before strict interpretation and traditions of the law – such as healing folks on the Sabbath (Cf. Luke 13:10-17) – and demonstrated the hypocrisy of folks who would water their oxen or their asses on the Sabbath while objecting to healing on the Sabbath!

Five Guiding Categories: Biblical Considerations

As Christians in the United States, we discuss both what our law our law and the Bible have to say about immigration and how that should/might affect immigration policy in the United States. A good number of Christians have lit on advocating leniency, amnesty and such like for illegal immigrants based on their conception of Jesus himself as an illegal immigrant. I find a much more convincing argument in the biblical passages that teach us to love our neighbors, to love our enemies, to treat others better than ourselves, and so on. How did Jesus, his apostles and his church treat others? What does that say about our treatment of immigrants – even illegal ones?[i]

The Christian individual’s treatment of immigrants[ii] and refugees[iii] is guided by:

The example of the Law of Moses

• Exodus 23:9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
• Leviticus 19:33-34 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
• Leviticus 25:35 And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.
• Deuteronomy 10:18-19 he doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
• Deuteronomy 26:12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;

Our Christian duties to all

• Romans 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
• Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. (Cf. Hebrews 12:14)
• Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 3:12)
• 1 Corinthians 10:33 even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
• Galatians 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
• Philippians 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
• 1 Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
• Hebrews 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Cf. 3 John 1:5; Romans 12:13)
• James 2:15-17 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (Cf. 1 John 3:18)
• 1 Peter 2:17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Our Christian “otherworldliness”

• John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world...
• 1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
• Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (Cf. Deuteronomy 26:5)
• Hebrews 13:14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
• Philippians 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
• Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

The example and sayings of our Lord

• Matthew 5:43-44 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
• Matthew 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
• Matthew 21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
• Matthew 25:35-40 for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
• Luke 4:16-19 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
• Luke 13:14-16 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? (Cf. Luke 14:1-6)
• Luke 15:1-2 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. (Cf. Matthew 9:11; Mark 2:15)
• John 4:4-9 And he must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. (See also 4:27)
• John 5:10-11 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

The character of God

• Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth
• Psalm 24:1-2 The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
• Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh…
• Zechariah 6:5 And the angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.
• Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
• Acts 17:26 and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
• Romans 2:11 for there is no respect of persons with God. (Cf. James 2:9)
• Romans 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
• Ephesians 4:6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
• Ephesians 6:9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
• Colossians 1:16 for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

To be continued (d.v.)

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[i] Sometimes there can be a disconnect in what we can do individually as Christians, and what a government chooses to incorporate as law concerning immigrants. As Christians, we are responsible to act as Christians and obey God regardless of what government does (Acts 5:29). That said, it is not always an easy choice to light on where to draw the line in obeying and disobeying government.

[ii] Immigrants [noun] are persons who leave their birth countries to live permanently (or long-term) in a foreign country – in hopes of having a better life, often for economy-related reasons.

[iii] Refugees [noun] are persons who have been forced to leave their countries in order to escape war, persecution, violence or natural disaster. They usually have a reasonable or active fear for their persons because of their race, religion, etc. – have left their countries for such a reason and fear to return home for the same reason.

Jesus, the Illegal Immigrant?

Yesterday I wrote about DACA, Trump, Obama, Congress and Children in which I expressed a few thoughts on immigration and immigration policy in the United States. An exchange of friends on Facebook incited the response. One friend posted on immigration saying that “God was born in a family that crossed borders at night.” I have found it interesting that “Jesus was illegal immigrant (or undocumented immigrant),” “Jesus was an alien, undocumented, migrant Messiah,” and such like have become pithy proverbs in the immigration debate. I’m not sure how long these saying have been popular.

In an August 31, 2015 CNN interview Rev. Ryan Eller said, “Jesus was an undocumented immigrant himself when he fled to Egypt escaping persecution in his day.” In Jesus of Nazareth: The “Illegal Immigrant” (February 2012), Franciscan friar Daniel P. Horan wrote, “the truth is that Jesus Christ would, had he arrived in the United States in recent weeks or months instead of Palestine some two thousand years earlier, be classified as an ‘illegal immigrant’.” Debra Dean Murphy, a religion professor at the United Methodist-affiliated West Virginia Wesleyan College opined We are Exiles Who Follow an Alien, Undocumented, Migrant Messiah (May 2010). She did not invoke the Egypt narrative but quotes from that sermon that “Jesus did not have a valid birth certificate. Mother’s name: Mary; Father’s name: unknown. In fact, Jesus had no papers in his name, no title deed, no rental contract. Nothing.” God’s Heart Has No Borders: How Religious Activists Are Working for Immigrant Rights (Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo, Berkley, CA: University of California Press, 2008, p. 135) is the earliest such reference I found, though possibly many even earlier could be found: “They [Faith-based immigrants’ rights groups] insist that Joseph and Mary, carrying Jesus, were among the first undocumented border crossers.”

These kinds of phrases have been around awhile, and have become staples in the U.S. immigration debate. I find these catchphrases clichéd and not at all a compelling argument in how to approach immigration. I suspect they are much like “preaching to the choir” that draws well-timed amens from those who already agree.[i] That Jesus “crossed borders” and was an immigrant is both inaccurate as well as mostly inapplicable. Both Judaea and Egypt were part of the Roman Empire. Egypt came under Roman rule close to 700 years, which began before the birth of Jesus.[ii] Joseph, Mary and Jesus, therefore, never immigrated to a foreign land, but traveled to a different location in their own country.[iii] Egypt is mentioned 4 times in Matthew 2:13-23. Herod ordered the slaughter of all children in Bethlehem two years old and under (Matthew 2:16-18). Joseph, Mary and Jesus fled to and returned from Egypt, and it doing so fulfilled God’s promise “Out of Egypt have I called my son.” The gifts brought by the wise men doubtless helped sustain them in their exodus to, stay in and return from Egypt. If anything, this relates better to a temporary refugee situation, when one flees for safety, than to immigration where on plans to live in another country permanently.[iv]

I find a much more convincing argument (at least as a Christian individual) in the biblical passages that teach us to love our neighbor, to love our enemies, to treat others better than ourselves, and so on. I will hope to explore these tomorrow (d.v.).

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[i] Preaching to the choir = “trying to make believers out of people who already believe, or [trying to] convince people who are already convinced.” No doubt the flight of Joseph and Mary yields an example and lessons to us about God’s care for and our compassion toward the hurting, but it gives us nothing specific about policy regarding illegal immigration, since there is no illegal crossing into a foreign country.

[ii] See, for example, Roman And Byzantine Egypt (30 Bce– 642 Ce), The Roman World of Jesus: An Overview and Roman Egypt in Ancient History Encyclopedia, The rich lands of Egypt became the property of Rome after the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BCE. (This is not to say we can learn nothing from their flight to help us today, but just a recognition that is was a vastly different situation than it is often presented to be.)

[iii] Charles Cochran, senior pastor at First Christian Church in Charleroi, Pa., describes it as “ much more like sneaking across the Georgia-Alabama line than across the Rio Grande.”

[iv] Mary and Joseph were definitely not foreigners in Bethlehem, and not even in Egypt. There are similarities between refugees fleeing for their lives and Joseph & Mary fleeing to Egypt in order to save Jesus from the madman Herod. Most Christians would (I hope) gladly be refuges for refugees in such situations. In allowing the Josephs & Marys into their Egypt, though, is it a bad thing that they wish to be sure that Herod’s assassins don’t follow? I feel that this is the position of some folks who are excoriated as “anti-immigrant.”