God's Gift of Scripture with Belton Joyner

When I was in the eighth grade, as we listened to our teacher explain a Mark Twain story, my friend Paul raised his hand and said, “Mrs. Gyles, I think you are wrong.” A gasp of shock rushed across the room. We were in a culture that did not challenge authority, but underneath it all, I admired Paul for speaking up. Truth to tell, I also admire Peter for speaking up in Matthew 16:22. It is interes...

Friendship is more than just liking someone else. True friendship involves my willingness to go to bat for the other even at damage to me. The story of David and Jonathan in this week’s focal text is an example of the kind of true friendship. Students of the Bible disagree on some of the dimensions of the love than Jonathan and David had for each other. Did it have a sexual component? In 1 Samuel...

Get out a Kleenex before you start reading this week’s text. What a beautiful story! What an amazing account of a parent’s love!  Jesus called God “Abba” (sometimes translated “Daddy”) (Mark 14:36) because He saw there a love that suffers in order to do what is good for a child. It was just the kind of love that our Lord Himself showed when He accepted the cross because it was good for us (Hebrews...

The answer is 27. The question is: How many times in this text from 1 John does some form of the word “love” appear? Many students of the Bible are familiar with the Greek word agapē. All twenty-seven uses of “love words” are some form of agapē. This is the self-giving love seen in God. This is the caring initiative seen in God. This is the undeserved acceptance seen in God. This is the sacrificia...

The chief priests and religious authorities were trying to pick a verbal fight with Jesus, maybe tricking Him into saying something that would turn the people against Him. Jesus answered their forays by telling sto­ries. Today's study text is such a parable. There are several handles for picking up these verses, but let's zero in on the strange scene when the king gets upset because one of the gue...

Tonight, I shall take off the shirt I have worn today. Tomorrow morn­ing, I shall put on a different shirt. The writer of Colossians uses the image of taking off and putting on clothes to describe how believ­ers are to get rid of old practices and to start wearing new and divine­ly-touched garments. (I need to keep in mind that I can still put on that dirty shirt tomorrow. Even if I have grown in...

There must be a dozen or more places in this week's Gospel text that we might explore, but let's zero in on John 17:15. Jesus prayed, "I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but to protect them from the evil one." Wouldn't you think our Lord would want to get us out of a world filled with racism, gender discrimination, political strife, climate damage, elit­ism, wars, avarice, sexual b...

I wonder. Do you think we have mislabeled this familiar story, "The Prodigal Son"? We call it that because this younger son was reckless in spending what he had (Luke 15:13). He got rid ofwhat he had inher­ited (v. 11 ). He spent his livelihood and came home in repentance. He got a good welcome from his delighted father. But there is another prodigal figure in this account. Was not the father extr...

Friends of mine who were adopted give varying accounts of the expe­rience. "These were the only parents I ever knew." "I don't think my adopting mother really wanted me." "All I ever felt was love." "I was always afraid I might be turned back in for another adoption." "I didn't know I was adopted until my aunt let it slip out." "I always liked the way my family said they had picked me out." "I am...

Isn't the Christmas story supposed to be in Bethlehem? But, here in this week's study text, the holy family has had to escape to a far place-back to Egypt from which the Jews had escaped centuries before. What an irony! They go to the very place from which once their ancestors had fled! (Did I hear someone say "God's ways are mysterious"?) What a splendid reminder that life does not always unfold...

Once, when I was pastor of a local church, I was meeting with a class of elementary-aged boys. We were talking about how we could do a Christmas play, acting out the characters described in this week's focal text (Matthew 2:1-12). After we studied these verses, I asked for vol­unteers for the various roles. "I want to be a wise man and bring the gold," one fellow said. Anoth­er one teased and said...

Joseph could have dumped all the blame for the unexpected baby onto Mary (Matthew 1: 18-19). In that time and culture, women had no way to defend themselves against the claims and blasts of a man. But, he decided "to dismiss her quietly," without any big fanfare or public dis­grace. Then, an angel (literally, God's messenger) kicked it up a notch and revealed to Joseph God's gift of"Emmanuel" (v....

These strange verses become a reminder that ruling by human standards can have disastrous results.: first by describing how Abimelech cheat­ed and killed his way to the throne and then, in a parable about trees, showing how paltry leaders will step forward if competent leaders do not accept the responsibility. The healthy alternative is for leadership to guide by divine standards. Abimelech, at a...

When the apostle Paul wrote the Church in Rome, he often got to the basics of the Christian experience. In chapter fourteen, he has written about some of the things that divide the faithful, such as what to eat (Romans 14:2-3), which holidays to observe (Romans 14:5), what is clean or unclean to do (Romans 14: 14 ). What is to be done when one lives in a community of such division? (And what are o...

If there were an election and the two candidates were Moses and Jethro, my vote is going to go to Moses. Yet, in this week's focal text, it is Jethro, a priest ofMidian (Exodus 18: 1 ), who brings wisdom and insight and helpful advice to Moses, a leader of the people oflsrael (Exodus 18:13-27). That got me to wondering. Would I hear and appreciate any insight from someone from a tradition differen...

Elisha had a ton of reasons not to go to bat for N aaman. ( 1) N aaman was a high-powered official in an enemy army (2 Kings 5:1). (2) He suffered from leprosy, a highly contagious "don't touch me" skin dis­ease (5:1). (3) Naaman captured a young girl from Israel and made her his wife (5:2). (4) The king oflsrael thought Naaman and his troupe were trying to get a fight started (5:7). (5) Naaman go...

In this week's text, Paul shows a remarkable patience with folks who do not agree with him. (That's a quality that sometimes seems to be in short supply.) For example, he has seen idols all over the place (Acts 17: 16), but instead of accusing the people of Athens of perpetuating falsehoods, he describes this condition to show that they are religious (Acts 17:22). And when he begins to teach them...

This week’s focal text comes after some fairly complicated verses that contain words like Hethlon, Lebohamath, Zedad, Berothah, Sibraim, Damascus, Hamath, Hazerhetticon, Hauran, and Meribathkadesh (among others). The prophet is describing how the land is to be shared among the twelve tribes of Israel (v. 13). “You shall divide it equally” (v. 14). Tough job! But that assignment may not be as tough...

Jesus uses a story to make a point and then, boom!, He gives it a surprise ending. After comparing the slow response of a judge who hears a widow’s plea for justice, Jesus says that God moves quickly to grant justice (v. 8). (The word translated “justice” is rooted in ēkdikŏs, a term that in contemporary lingo might be rendered “create a level playing field.”) That seems like a good thing. But the...

If you could choose, had you rather be blind or be deaf? Had you rather miss seeing the gorgeous changing colors of the autumn trees or had you rather miss the playful laughter of grandchildren running back and forth in the yard? Of course, most of us would clearly prefer not to have to make that choice! The prophet Isaiah looked ahead to the coming of the Messiah and saw a time of sight being giv...

This week’s study texts give accounts of two women who please God by the generosity of their giving. Neither of them had much in Wells Fargo, but they emptied the account to give. When I typed the title of this lesson, I made a typographical error and put: “Widow of Zarephath and Window Offering.” Boy, would that have changed the meaning of the story! I suggested (by poor typing) that the widow ma...

Exodus 22:21-27 puts together an interesting list of people: resident aliens (v. 21), widows (v. 22), orphans (v. 22) the poor (v. 25), neighbor (v. 26). Almost every day, I encounter at least one or two persons from that list. The writer of Exodus has named the most vulnerable in that society. (He must have sneaked ahead and looked at 2022. The list still makes sense.) James 2:14-17 is a New Test...

The ball is on the two yard line. We are three points behind. There are four seconds left in the game. A field goal would tie the game, but a touchdown would win the game for us. What play should the quarterback call? I am driving down Roxboro Road and just ahead is that new stoplight. They put it up when a new school was built down Orange Factory Road. I am going 55 miles an hour, eager to get to...

After reading this text from Exodus 17, several thoughts came to mind. First of all, if God calls me to do something totally different, how likely am I to try it (vv. 5-6)? Then, if I do decide to attempt some unusual thing God tells me to do, how likely am I to encourage others to watch with me (v. 6)? (Hardly likely! No one wants to look like a fool with others watching!) How willing am I to acc...

On the day I write this, I worshiped at a service where we sang two hymns I did not know and another hymn important to me because we sang it at my wife’s funeral ten years ago. People of the faith turn to singing when community, growth, memory, joy, sorrow, learning all come together to seek and find expression. Today’s text from Exodus 15:1-18 is such an example. Most of the opening verses of thi...