God's Gift of Scripture with Belton Joyner

What is the connection between what we had for supper and the Holy Spirit? What is the connection between sexual activity and the Holy Spirit? What is the connection between my time at the gym and the Holy Spirit?

Paul is upset that some of the Corinthian Christians are resolving their differences by going to civil court rather than working it out among themselves (1 Corinthians 6:1). Because of a translation issue, readers of the Revised Standard Version may miss some of the power of Paul’s pain. In 1 Corinthians 6:5-6, the RSV refers to “believers” taking other “believers” to court. The word translated as...

Look around you. Do you see anything for which you are totally responsible for its being? I look at my shirt—a gift from my sister. I look out the window—yard work done by a landscaping company. I look at the computer at which I am typing—put together by folks far wiser than I and sold to me by a clerk in a store about twenty minutes from here. I look at the Bible on my desk—generations of stories...

What differences do you see between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom revealed by God? There was a homeless woman who attended Bethany Church. She said, "I feel at home here." I remember a very wealthy man who attended Trinity Church. He said, "It is one of the few places I can go and not be made to sit at the head table."

Years ago, when I was in college, I was sitting in a dorm group discussion. Usually, we talked about the most recent ball game or what grade we hoped to make in the English class, but on this night, we got to talking about religion. All kinds of beliefs and practices were represented. Finally, one of the Christians in our group told how he believed that God saved us through the cross of Jesus. One...

Look at 1 Corinthians 1:15-16. Paul seems to devalue baptism. Rather than that, I think he is trying to clarify a misunderstanding that many had in that day. There were those who assumed that the person who did the baptizing then had ownership of the person who was baptized. We can see that in 1 Corinthians 1:12 where Paul gives examples of how people think they belong to the person who baptized t...

When we think of the apostle Paul, we usually think of his preaching or his teaching. But he also had to buy clothes, get groceries, and pay for his cell phone. Well, maybe he didn't have a cell phone, but there were everyday expenses to be met. Occasionally, friends would help him with those expenses (2 Corinthians 11:9), but he had to have some income like the rest of us.

My first name is Frank. I only use that name in legal documents. When I need to sign papers, I usually write "F. Belton Joyner, Jr." Because of that, I often get scam mail or bulk mail that addresses me as "Dear F." The choice of names is interesting. My father, myself, my son, and my first grandson all have had the name "Frank Belton." All of us have used the name "Belton." I mention all of this...

A friend gave me a gift card so I could get a free pedicure. At the time, I was almost eighty years old and had never had a pedicure. From time to time, I had trimmed those pesky toenails, but this was my first time at a professional shop. I checked in and waited. I watched the activity all around me, and finally, when they called my name, I walked over to the waiting chair and took a seat.

This week's focal text tells about something Jesus did at the celebration of the Festival of Booths. Look back at John 7:2 to see how we know which festival was the context for this lesson. The Festival of Booths—or Festival of Tabernacles—was a time to remember when God provided shelter and harvest in the wilderness for the escaping people of Israel. Today's Jewish community refers to the holiday...

There is a lot of mystery in this week’s focal text, but one thing is particularly obvious: Jesus showed up where He was not expected. Walking on the water! That’s not exactly what the disciples were looking for!

In this week’s focal text (John 5:1-15), Jesus brings healing and new life to a man who has been ill for thirty-eight years. Jesus does it (1) without a big show (5:8), (2) at a time when many thought it was wrong to heal (5:9-10), and (3) with acknowledgment of divine power (5:17).

Several unexpected and interesting things emerged for me in this familiar story.

“Happy Easter!” we greet one another. “Happy Easter!” as we celebrate the day.

The Beatitude for this week (Matthew 5:10) makes me a little nervous. Is the Kingdom of Heaven only for those who are persecuted for righteousness sake? If so, I am in trouble. I have a hard time thinking of a time when I was persecuted because of my Christian witness.

As I sat at my computer, ready to start typing this week’s commentary, my cell phone screeched with a loud warning. Emergency! Emergency! Take shelter! Tornado warning in your area!

The Beatitude that mirrors the account of Jesus admonishing the scribes and Pharisees (Mark 7:5-15 and last week’s text, Matthew 15:1-20) is “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.”

If, after reading the first part of this week’s focal text, you are not sure what Jesus was trying to teach, don’t worry. You are in good company. The disciples did not understand either.

Sometimes, when we begin a study of a biblical text, we wonder if there is some hidden meaning. We ponder, “What is the context in which this text appears?” We ask, “What is the implication for how I live my life?” We dig to find a deeper level of meaning.

Isn’t it interesting that when Jesus brought this young man back to life (Luke 7:15), the crowd’s reaction was fear (v. 16)? (Some translations say “awestruck.”) The truth is that often when God does an unexpected miracle, we don’t know how to respond.

This week begins a walk with the Beatitudes. My ability with the Aramaic language is, shall we say, rather limited. In fact, let’s be honest. My knowledge of the Aramaic language is borderline non-existent. This means that I am limited when it comes to reading what Jesus said as He spoke Aramaic. I am dependent on what knowledgeable translators have done.

The truth is that most of us do pick and choose the portions of the Bible that we value and seek to obey. My guess is that few of us would choose this week’s focal texts as biblical principles around which to organize life.

These verses are, in many ways, about forgiveness. The New Testament word translated as “forgive” is aphieēmi. Literally, it means “to send forth.” In other words, when I forgive someone, it is not that I do not recognize or acknowledge that I have been wronged. I do recognize and acknowledge it, but I send it forth. I send it away.

Children are dependent on others for food and clothing. Children are dependent on teachers who can help them learn basic facts. Children are dependent on those who can protect them from hidden evils. Children are dependent. So, who does Jesus say is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Children! Dependent!

Have you ever been happily reading the Bible and suddenly—boom!—come across a text that you wish were not there? This week’s focal text is one of those. It doesn’t match up with the world in which we live. It doesn’t match up with life as we know it. It doesn’t match up with the way we have lived our own lives.