The Perfect Translator

On Sunday afternoons, I typically meet with my tutor to study the Arabic language. She assigns homework for me to complete each week, and not too long ago my assignment was to write a paragraph in Arabic using my vocabulary words for the week, which happened to be present-tense verbs. That got us into a discussion about verb tenses, of which there are only three in Arabic (past, present, and imperative). English has twelve (sixteen if you count the conditional tenses).[i]

You can imagine my frustration as I was trying to express specific ideas related to time that were natural to my native way of thinking only to discover that there is generally no frame of reference for such conceptions of time in the Arabic-speaking mind. The sentence هي تكتب )heeya taktabu( can be translated “She writes” or “She is writing.” There is no difference between those two concepts in Arabic that can be expressed by simply changing the verb. Extra words would have to be added to indicate that “she is writing now” or “she writes all the time,” for instance.

Conversely, there are concepts that come naturally to the Arabic mind that are difficult for the English mind to grasp, e.g. making adjectives plural. For example, in English whether we’re talking about one person or multiple people, we refer to them as “happy,” but in Arabic there is a plural form of “happy” that has to be used when talking about more than two people (there’s a dual form used when only two people are referenced). My English brain can’t comprehend how it’s possible for an adjective (a non-thing) to be plural, but to Arabic brains it makes perfect sense, perhaps because adjectives are considered nouns (another mind-boggling fact for my English brain).

All of this got me thinking about how language is more than just a way to communicate ideas. It can shape the very way in which we think about the world, the capacity we have to understand certain concepts. (To see what I mean, check out this short but fascinating TED talk that my tutor sent me on the topic.) Our native language equips us to evaluate the world in a certain way, and when we encounter a new language, we aren’t just hearing a new grouping of sounds to communicate meaning; we’re confronted with fundamentally different ways of evaluating the world.

That’s why I have found it so important, when learning a new language, to have a teacher who understands both the language I’m trying to learn and my native language, because she can help point out the differences in the way I think now when I speak English and the way I need to think when I speak Arabic. So too, the best translators are those who are intimately familiar with both languages and can translate whole concepts from one to the other instead of just words.

As human beings, we are in need of such a translator when it comes to the things of God. Our natural way of viewing the world is fundamentally different from the way in which God views it. There are concepts of a God-honoring life that are foreign to our native understanding (forgiving those who have wronged us, thinking of others before ourselves, seeing suffering as a means of good, using difficult circumstances to bring praise to God, etc.). And without a teacher and translator, we have no way of recognizing that there is a different way of thinking from our own, no way of internalizing this foreign language of the spiritual life.

But thanks be to God, He has given us the best and most equipped translator—the Holy Spirit Himself. This is exactly what Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 2:

“Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,

‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,

                             nor the heart of man imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love him’—

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (vv. 6-14, ESV)

I had read this passage countless times, but it wasn’t until I started learning Arabic and recognized the things I discussed above that I realized the profound significance of its truth and the depth of our need for the Holy Spirit. Look at how many times the idea of understanding/comprehending is mentioned in these few verses. They tell us that the things of God are so foreign to us that we are not able to understand them without being taught, but that the Holy Spirit understands them perfectly because He is God.

He understands the thoughts and ways of God because they are His native language. But He also understands our native language because He is our Creator, and being all-knowing, He understands how the Fall has affected our way of thinking. So He is fluent in the language we need to learn, and He understands our native language well enough to be able to point out the differences between the way we think when we live outside of Christ and the way we need to think when we are in Christ. And it is this Holy Spirit whom God has given to us as our teacher and translator.

What a joy to know that God has made it possible for us to understand spiritual truths! What a comfort to know that He has not thrown us into a foreign world without a translator but instead has given us His very Spirit. What an encouragement to know that He has not left us to learn a completely new way of life and new way of comprehending the world on our own but instead has given us a teacher who is Wisdom itself. Living the Christian life is a lot like learning a new language, but thanks to God, we have a Native Speaker inside us to help us every step of the way, and He’s the most perfect translator of all.

 To read the Arabic translation of this post, click here.

لقراءة الترجمة العربية لهذا المنشور إضغط هنا.

PC: Betsy Traylor. Used with permission.

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[i] Past, Present, Future, Past Perfect, Present Perfect, Future Perfect, Past Progressive, Present Progressive, Future Progressive, Past Perfect Progressive, Present Perfect Progressive, and Future Perfect Progressive [Conditional, Conditional Perfect, Conditional Progressive, Conditional Perfect Progressive]. Bonus points if you can count how many tenses were used in this blog post! :D And if you’d like to learn more about English verb tenses, you can watch a fun video here.

Fearlessness in Context: A Closer Look at 2 Timothy 1:7

In this third installment of the “in Context” miniseries, we’re diving into another of Paul’s letters, but this time, instead of a letter to a whole church as we saw with Philippians and Romans, we’re dealing with a letter to an individual—Paul’s mentee Timothy. In the first chapter of 2 Timothy, we find a verse that is often plucked from its context and used in isolation. You’ll likely recognize it:

“for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7, ESV).

Or perhaps you’re more familiar with another translation:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (NKJV).

This verse has been used as a pep talk for people facing situations that make them afraid, whether that fear falls on the mild or the paralyzing end of the spectrum or anywhere in between. But while the statement “God has not given us a spirit of fear” is true for believers across the board, Paul’s intent, as we will see from the context, was not to make a blanket statement about Christians never being afraid of anything.

To use an extreme example, I think we could all agree that quoting this verse to ourselves as we jump out of an airplane to convince ourselves that we shouldn’t be afraid is a questionable application. Some types of fear are healthy and prompt us to take wise, precautionary steps—like putting on a parachute and making sure we know how to use it before we jump out of the airplane. Using the verse “God has not given us a spirit of fear” to rationalize reckless behavior does a disservice to Scripture.

But even less dramatic examples of applying this verse stretch it to cover situations that are not implied in Paul’s letter. We have a big exam coming up, and we’re nervous about how we’ll do. We’re about to give a speech, and the butterflies are having a heyday in our stomach. We try to talk ourselves out of the nerves by telling ourselves, “God has not given us a spirit of fear,” or the derivative paraphrase, “Fear is not from God,” but we forget that nerves are not always equivalent to fear. Certainly they can be rooted in fear and at other times can turn into fear, but nerves in and of themselves are not always a bad thing. Sometimes they can be a gift, because they show us what we find important and can be harnessed into helpful energy.

There is ample evidence in Scripture to support the statement that “fear is not from God” (aside from the type of reverent fear that we should have of God Himself, of course). Time and time again, in the Old Testament and the New, God tells people, “Do not be afraid.” David talks about trusting in God when fear assails him (Psalm 56:3), and Jesus tells His disciples not to be afraid or troubled because He gives peace (John 14:27). So it’s not wrong to lean on the peace and strength of God in times when we are fearful, but pulling out 2 Timothy 1:7 for any and every situation in which we find ourselves uneasy does miss the very specific point that Paul was trying to make.

As we saw with Romans 8:28, 2 Timothy 1:7 is not written in isolation. The biggest clue that this verse is part of a larger whole is the very first word. “For” is a conjunction, a joining word, that usually connects one idea to another by using the second idea to provide a reason for the first. So to get the full idea that Paul is expressing, we have to go back to verse 3: “I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:3-7, ESV).

Timothy, who was discipled by Paul, now serves as pastor over a local church, and Paul is writing to remind him “to fan into flame the gift of God.” Why? Because “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” But what is this “gift of God” and why does it require fearlessness to be cultivated? The answer to those questions lies in what follows verse 7.

Paul continues the chain of thought with another link: “Therefore.” Because we have a spirit of power and love and self-control rather than one of fear (v. 7), we should be bold in proclaiming the gospel and experiencing the suffering that doing so inevitably brings (v. 8). “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,” (2 Timothy 1:8, ESV). Paul was encouraging Timothy not to be timid in sharing the good news of Jesus.

In fact, the word for “fear” in verse 7 is only used this one time in the whole Bible, and it means cowardice.[i] Paul isn’t telling Timothy that God won’t give us feelings of uneasiness; he’s telling him that God hasn’t made us cowards. And more specifically, he’s telling Timothy not to be cowardly when it comes to telling other people about Jesus, even if it leads to hardship.

The concept of hardship doesn’t only appear once in this letter, though. Instead, it’s a bit of a theme, popping up again and again throughout the entire book. Paul’s mention of suffering in verse 8 is the first of thirteen such references in the four chapters of 2 Timothy:

        “I suffer” (1:12)

        “Share in suffering” (2:3)

        “I am suffering” (2:9)

        “I endure everything” (2:10)

        “if we endure” (2:12)

        “patiently enduring evil” (2:24)

        “there will come times of difficulty” (3:1)

        “my persecutions and sufferings” (3:11a)

        “which persecutions I endured” (3:11b)

        “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (3:12)

        “endure suffering” (4:5)

        “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed” (4:18)

So we see that Paul was seeking to strengthen Timothy, to remind him of the power of God that dwelt within him that would enable him to step out in boldness for the cause of the gospel rather than shrink back in timidity. And that same power that God gave to Paul and to Timothy, He has given to followers of Jesus today, through the Holy Spirit.

How often we are quick to claim 2 Timothy 1:7 to help us overcome difficult or intimidating tasks, and yet when it comes to doing what the verse actually references—telling others about the good news of Jesus—we leave it behind and let fear rule the day. May God help us remember, just as Paul reminded Timothy, “to fan into flame” the light within us that is “the gift of God,” and to do so with boldness and confidence, with power and love and a sound mind, because that is the type of spirit God has given us. May we “not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord” and “share in suffering” with Him, doing so with the spirit of fearlessness that only He can provide.

To read the Arabic translation of this post, click here.

لقراءة الترجمة العربية لهذا المنشور إضغط هنا.

PC: Rose Creger Tankard. Used with permission.

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[i] Greek: deilia. See https://biblehub.com/greek/1167.htm

Life after Easter

This post was originally written and shared on the blog in 2020.

Have you ever thought about what the day after Easter was like for the disciples? Scripture doesn’t tell us, but we can use some informed imagination to surmise. To say the Sunday after Jesus’ crucifixion was a full day would be an understatement. It started early in the morning with a few women discovering an empty tomb and being told by an angel that Jesus was alive (Matthew 28:1-6; Mark 16:1-6; Luke 24:1-7). The women quickly told the disciples, but not quite believing them, Peter and John ran to the tomb to see for themselves, and sure enough, it was empty (Mark 16:11; Luke 24:11-12; John 20:3-10). Then Jesus met Mary in the garden, and she saw Him with her own eyes (John 20:11-17). Later in the day two others were met by Jesus as they were walking along the road, and once they realized who they were talking to and he had left them, they hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples (Luke 24:13-34). In the evening, Jesus came to where the disciples were huddled together and told them to be ready—more things were going to happen (Luke 24:36-48). Now that’s a day.

If you’ve ever lived through a major event, negatively traumatic or positively momentous, you’ve likely experienced that it wasn’t until after some time had passed, perhaps until the next day after a night’s sleep, that the significance of the event began to sink in. Especially in the case of the disciples, who had gone through arguably the most traumatic day of their lives on Friday, likely their most depressing day on Saturday, and then probably their most exhilarating day on Sunday, the day after Easter would have found them experiencing a great deal of emotional whiplash.

I can only imagine their thoughts and feelings as it began to sink in that Jesus was alive. Everything they had hoped, that then for a while had seemed in vain (Luke 24:21), now would have come roaring back with all the force of the supernatural resurrecting power of God. Add onto that the self-realization that they had been completely obtuse when it came to discerning what Jesus had told them about his death and resurrection (John 20:9), and they surely felt a powerful comingling of elation and embarrassment. But as they recovered from the reeling about-face that they had just taken, the reality of Jesus’ resurrection and what that consequently meant for their own lives must have begun to sink deeply into their beings. If Friday’s cry was “Why?”, Saturday’s rumbling was “What now?”, and Sunday’s refrain was “He is risen!” then Monday’s rumination was a hopeful “So now what now?”

  

In the days that followed, more would be revealed. Jesus would meet with the disciples again to remove Thomas’s doubts (John 20:24-29); He would commission them to “go into all the world” (Mark 16:15); they would witness Him ascend into heaven (Acts 1:6-11); and they would receive the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-3). But that first Monday, none of that had happened yet. They were left to sit and ponder what they had just witnessed, with a new understanding of Scripture that Jesus had imparted to them.

Now, 2000 years later, we have just finished a day of rejoicing that Jesus rose from the dead, displaying victory over sin and death. We have the benefit of knowing Sunday was coming and knowing what happened next, but I’d like to challenge us to spend a moment in the disciples’ shoes and really ponder, with fresh attentiveness to Scripture, the thrilling weight of what Sunday meant—and continues to mean.

For just a few moments, marvel at the perfect plan of God and at the intentional revelation of it to the world throughout all of human history, from the first promise of the Savior to Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:15) to the angels’ proclamation to the shepherds near Bethlehem (Luke 2:8-14). Then revel in the fact that the realization of this God-written, true story from past to present brings with it the fact that the story extends from present to future. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection was not the end of the story; it was the great turning point of human history, and God is continuing to write His story and reveal Himself to us through His Word and His Spirit as He brings all things toward the time of completion.

So today, the day after Easter, as we have come through the grief, come through the silence, and come through the rejoicing, let us settle into reflection that leads to action—reflection on the overarching narrative of God’s universe that we are privileged to be a part of, reflection on the truth that Jesus is ALIVE right at this very moment, reflection on the implications of this truth for our lives, and action to live accordingly.

How should we live in light of the resurrection? I could answer that question, but I’d rather leave it open for you to wrestle with yourself. To help you get started though, here are just a few areas to think about. How does Jesus’ resurrection affect your relationship with God? How does it affect your relationship with other people? How does it affect your communication with God? What does it mean for fear? For grief? For perseverance?  For confidence? For boldness? For compassion? For joy? As you think on these things, feel free to leave a comment below regarding your ruminations, whether they are fresh realizations or helpful reminders.

Jesus is risen. He is not a person in the past tense. He is presently living and calling you to live as well for His glory. I pray you will step into that life and really internalize all of the implications of Jesus’ resurrection, because as it turns out, life after Easter is the best life of all.

To read the Arabic translation of this post, click here.

لقراءة الترجمة العربية لهذا المنشور إضغط هنا.

PC: Pamela Hollis. Used with permission.

Goodness in Context: A Closer Look at Romans 8:28

After examining Philippians 4:13 in its context in a previous post, today we turn to another of Paul’s epistles to look at another verse that is frequently misunderstood—Romans 8:28, coming near the end of one of the most beautiful chapters in all of Scripture. Although its place in the rest of Romans 8 is often forgotten, this verse is also simply misquoted at times, resulting in just as much misunderstanding as when it is taken out of context. So what does Romans 8:28 say?

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (ESV).

Right off the bat, we should notice that the first word is a huge clue that there is more to see. “And” is a word of addition, so when a verse begins with “and,” we can be confident that there is a multi-part point being made and that the verse in question is only one part of it. So what is the point Paul is making in Romans 8?

To answer that question, we must step back even further and look at the overall outline of the book of Romans. Romans is Paul’s grand theological treatise in which he explains powerful truths about the righteousness of God.[i] The first eleven chapters show our need for a Savior, the means of our salvation, the effect of our salvation, and God’s sovereignty over the whole process, while the last five chapters explore how we are to live in light of our salvation.[ii] Romans 8 is the final chapter in a three-chapter section discussing the effect of our salvation—namely, our sanctification (i.e. our being made holy). In chapter 6, Paul talks about sanctification and sin, in chapter 7 about sanctification and the law, and in chapter 8 about sanctification and the Holy Spirit.[iii]

Paul begins chapter 8 explaining the difference between living in the Spirit and living in the flesh before discussing how those who are in the Spirit are adopted by God and therefore become co-heirs with Jesus. In this section, he returns to the concept of suffering, which he mentioned earlier, where he showed that followers of Jesus can rejoice in suffering because of what it produces in our lives (see Romans 5:3-5). In verse 18, he writes that our current sufferings pale in comparison to the future glory we will experience.

But this future glory is just that—in the future. In the present, we still live in a fallen world struggling against the desires of the flesh that war against our spirits. So as we wait for this future glory, there is a lot of groaning going on, yearning for the day when the new heaven and the new earth come to be. “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. […] Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Rom. 8:22-23, 26, ESV, emphasis added). Until our bodies and all of creation are redeemed, we live in partial weakness, even as we have the power of God within us. We have been saved, but the extent of our salvation has not yet been fulfilled—we have yet to be glorified.

In the meantime, we experience hardship and suffering, just as creation experiences wildfires and earthquakes and other disruptions reflective of the fact that the earth has not yet been made new. But in this suffering, we have the comfort of knowing that we are not alone. And more than that, we have an active advocate—the very Spirit of God—who “helps us in our weakness” and “intercedes for us” (v. 26). But as if that wasn’t enough, Paul adds something else about the Spirit: “And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (v. 27). The Spirit doesn’t just pray for us; He prays according to God’s will, meaning His prayers are always perfect and consist of exactly what is needed in each and every situation.

You may have noticed that we made it to verse 27, one verse before the verse of our focus today. So we’ve seen that after establishing what it means to live in the Spirit, what the hope for our future is, and what our present realities still are, Paul gives a string of encouragements. First, the Holy Spirit helps us and intercedes for us (v. 26). Second, He does so in accordance with God’s will (v. 27). And the third we find in verse 28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” So now that we know the preceding context, let’s unpack this verse.

Often, Romans 8:28 is misquoted to say, “We know that all things work together for good.” But this leaves out two key phrases that put conditions on whom this verse can be applied to. As much as we would like it to be true, we can’t use this verse to say all things work together for good for everyone—because they don’t. This encouragement is only “for those who love God,” which, stated another way means “for those who are called according to his purpose.” In other words, only those who fit the description in the preceding verses of chapter 8, those who are filled with the Spirit, who have been adopted as God’s children, are those who can claim this promise.

But even when we get that part right, we can still misunderstand the point of this verse by holding onto a faulty idea of what it means for things to be “good.” In our limited perspective, we think that good equals easy, happy, or pain-free, and that anything difficult, sad, or painful is therefore bad. This view stems from our desire to live a comfortable life. But God’s framework for goodness is different from ours. His ultimate goal for us is not that we be comfortable but that we be holy, so that we may better enjoy and reflect His perfection and glory.

We see this in what comes immediately after verse 28: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (v. 29a, ESV). That is our destination—being made more like Jesus. That is the ultimate good, and that is what God uses “all things” to work toward in the lives of His adopted children. 

So the encouragement to us is that God is able to use even the brokenness of the world and flesh we live in to achieve the ultimate purpose for our lives—our sanctification. He is able to take the suffering and the groaning as we wait and make it work together for our good. Because, as Paul said in Romans 5:3-5, God makes it so that “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (ESV). In God’s economy, suffering can be redeemed to produce goodness—and it is redeemed in the lives of those who follow Jesus.

So while Romans 8:28 isn’t a blanket promise for everyone to have a “good” life by the world’s standards of goodness, it’s a much better promise—that no matter what we face in life as followers of Jesus, God uses it all for present and eternal good in our lives as He molds us into Christ’s likeness. And there’s more good news, too. Although this verse doesn’t apply to everyone, it does not exclude the possibility of its applying to anyone; that is, the door is open for anyone to call on Jesus and be saved, becoming His follower, an adopted child of God, and a recipient of His Spirit and the promise of Romans 8:28. For anyone who turns from a life of serving self, with all the sin that such a life entails, and turns to a life of serving God, placing their trust in Jesus and what He did for us on the cross, this promise becomes theirs—immediately and eternally. How amazing is the goodness of God!

To read the Arabic translation of this post, click here.

لقراءة الترجمة العربية لهذا المنشور إضغط هنا.

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[i] Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, 3^rd ed (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996), 366.

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Ibid., 367.

Convicting Questions in Light of the European Conflict

In my last post, I shared a couple of reasons we outside observers of the current conflict in Eastern Europe shouldn’t be shocked that such turmoil still exists in our world. But as I’ve been burdened by these recent events, there has been more to my thought process as I’ve been submitting my own perspectives and preconceptions to scrutiny. So today, I challenge you to join me in asking these questions of ourselves. They are difficult and painful to answer but worth answering honestly, no matter how uncomfortable it might be. Are you ready? Here we go...

Am I quick to have negative assumptions of individuals simply because of their nationality?

I’ve been encouraged in recent days to see many people reminding others that the Russian people are distinct from the Russian government (as could be said for Ukrainians and their government). It’s been heartening to see people verbalizing the truth that we shouldn’t be angry at all Russian citizens simply because we’re angry their government decided to invade another country. But it’s also telling and somewhat saddening that there is a need to verbalize such a truth, that it isn’t something everyone already understands and exhibits.

And yet, it still has to be said. Why? Because prejudice runs deep in the human heart, and humans, who love to take the easy path, tend to oversimplify things. Put those two things together, and it becomes understandable why we like to lump people into categories and ignore the nuances that make individuals different from each other. It’s a lot easier to think of all people who share a certain characteristic, like nationality, for instance, as falling into the same category to which we can apply a single value in our minds, either positive or negative. It’s more difficult to take the time and mental effort to parse the points of divergence among those people, especially when Person A might agree with Person B on one thing but with Person C on another thing, and Persons B and C, disagreeing on the first two things, might agree with each other but disagree with Person A on a third thing.

Age, gender, and ethnicity stereotypes are talked about a lot, but stereotyping nationalities is just as problematic. Often nationality stereotypes are tied to government actions. For example, individuals from a country might view individuals from a rival country with contempt, simply because the two countries are rivals. Or, people might assume that an individual from another country agrees with that country’s position on every issue. From traveling to multiple countries to now living in the Middle East, I know what it’s like to be viewed through the lens of my government, and it’s not fun to say the least.

So I have to ask myself: Do I do the same to other people? Do I think less of them because I don’t like what their government is doing? Do I think citizens of a corrupt government are correspondingly corrupt? Do I impute certain characteristics, mindsets, or motives onto people without first hearing from them directly—or even knowing them personally at all?

The current conflict in Europe is a good reminder to us to reevaluate our attitudes toward other people. And for those of us who are followers of Jesus, we have all the more reason to put to death our prejudices regarding nationality. Not only are we called to die to ourselves, but we are also commanded to treat others as we would want to be treated and are reminded in Scripture that God does not show favoritism, which stated another way, means He also shows no prejudice. May we submit our attitudes and opinions to Christ, allowing Him to refine us and remove the impurities of a prejudicial heart and mind.

But there’s another way we can exhibit latent prejudice in response to conflicts such as those we have seen in recent weeks, which brings me to another question:

Have I been so burdened by what is happening with Russia and Ukraine because I think Europeans are somehow above this kind of conflict in contrast to other parts of the world?

We are rightly burdened when we hear the stories and see the videos of children hunkered down in bomb shelters, of teenagers finding themselves in need of defending their homes with force, of babies being born underground, of people from all walks of life taking up arms to defend their cities. Brokenness in our world should hurt our hearts and fill us with compassion, just as it does our Savior. So, just as the last blog post was not minimizing the traumatic shock that those living through an earthly hell are experiencing, this section is in no way to diminish the suffering that is happening right now in Eastern Europe.

But as I have heard people’s heartrending stories straight from their mouths, I’ve had this nagging conviction press upon my heart. Am I burdened to the extent that I am because these people look like me and come from a part of the world whose way of life is very similar to my own? Do I think that somehow the experience of the Ukrainians and the Russian soldiers is more horrific than that of the people experiencing similar violence in the Middle East, Asia, or Africa because I think Europeans should be “past that kind of barbarity?” Or, put another way, do I think less of the oppression and violence on other continents because I think people from those parts of the world are less sophisticated and thus oppression and violence are just part of their way of life?

Remember when I said these questions wouldn’t be fun? As much as I’m ashamed to admit it, a part of me did look at the suffering in Europe differently from the suffering in other parts of the world, and I had to repent of my prejudice in this area.

Now some have said, and it is true, that it is not wrong for us to be more focused on some issues more than others. As David Platt has expressed in his book Counter Culture, God did not create us with the emotional capacity to carry the burdens of the entire world—only He can do that. So my challenge in this area is not to say that we have to give equally of our time, money, or care to every single conflict across the globe. God has laid different causes on different people’s hearts and given people particular passions to meet particular needs. But what I am doing is challenging us to examine our mindsets, to evaluate the way we think about people experiencing trauma whether from occupation, invasion, oppression, persecution, abuse, famine, disease, or natural disasters, and not to show favoritism or prejudice in our attitudes toward them.  

Every human being is created in the image of God and therefore has inherent value. Just because someone is born into a culture that tends to be more violent than another does not mean the trauma experienced is any less significant, any less horrific, or any less moving to God. So may we ask God to give us the heart of Christ, a heart of compassion for all who are suffering, regardless of what they look like or what country they are from. And as we continue to pray for Europe and to follow the Lord’s leading in sending support to the suffering, may we remember to do the same for other parts of the world as well, and may we find peace in knowing that God is strong enough to carry the burdens of all those we cannot reach or do not know. After all, He loves them more than anyone could ever imagine—just as He loves us. 

Food for Thought from the Breadbasket of Europe: Reflections on Ukraine, Russia, and the World in which We Live

I was planning this week on writing a second installment about Bible verses that are taken out of context, but with recent developments in Eastern Europe, I found my thoughts coalescing around other topics. So instead, I’ll be sharing some of my multi-track-train of thought regarding these current events and how they can serve as a reminder to us of some important truths.

In the early hours after Russia’s attacks on Ukraine began on Thursday, I heard multiple people on the news, on social media, and through private conversations express amazement that such a turn of events was possible in the 21^st century. It was as if they were genuinely stunned that with all our technological advancement, global collaboration, and general “progress,” it was still possible for countries to want to forcibly take over other countries and for individuals to be so power-hungry that they are willing to sacrifice countless lives to get what they want. “I can’t believe this is happening in 2022.” “This is just unreal that we are facing this in the 21^st century.” Such were the general utterances.

I’ll admit, when I first heard this sentiment expressed, I was inclined to agree. As much as we hear talk of “world peace,” a “global community,” showing kindness to others, and just “getting along,” it can be hard to imagine that there are still people who seek to cause division, assert dominance, and fracture harmony on the world stage. As much as we hear about the past cruelties of Hitler and Stalin, it can be hard to imagine that similarly-minded men are able to rise to and remain in places of power in the present. But once I started to ruminate on the shock that so many people were showing, I realized there are two reasons the recent conflict in the breadbasket of Europe shouldn’t shock us at all.

An important side note: the shock that I am referring to here is not the experiential shock that those who are actually living through these events first-hand are facing but rather the perplexed shock of outside observers whose day-to-day lives are continuing essentially as usual. The traumatic shock of being forced to flee your home on foot, of being separated from family members you might never see again, of seeing and hearing and feeling the places you know and love be obliterated by a neighboring, foreign military—the shock that these things are happening to your home and you are the one having to make unthinkable decisions is completely warranted, and nothing said in this post should be construed as trivializing or belittling that. Now that that’s cleared up, let’s get to those reasons that outside observers of these events shouldn’t really be surprised.

Understanding current events is next to impossible when accurate history is not understood.

I would venture a guess that most people have the association “Hitler=bad” in their awareness of world history. But how many people know why he is one of the most infamous men in history? Other than the fact that his regime killed millions of people, how many people know what motivated him, why he was able to rise to power in the first place, or what his goal in life was? How many people know about the causal connection between how the end of World War I was handled and how World War II began? How many people comprehend the nature of shifting alliances throughout history, or are even aware, for example, that the United States and the Soviets were allies before they were enemies? How many people understand the ways in which the map of Europe was drawn and redrawn and redrawn again over the course of the past several hundred years?

It’s a famous saying from George Santayana that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” and an equally famous variation on the theme, from Winston Churchill, that “those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” I would wholeheartedly agree with both men, but I would go one step further and say that those who do not understand history are not able to recognize when others—or themselves—repeat it. When we fail to understand how events cause other events, how actions (or lack of actions) have ripple effects, how past atrocities are not unconnected from the present but rather fall within a succession of days, each one touching the one after it until tomorrow becomes today, then it is no wonder we find ourselves shocked when the things we thought were reserved to the history books suddenly splash into our insulated “peace, love, and harmony” lives.

History is not just dusty old stories of days long gone. History is the events of the past that have had direct consequences on events of today. And if we want to avoid seeing more repeats of the world’s lowlight reel, we would do well to seek out accurate accounts of the past, to become students of the mistakes, successes, triumphs, and failures of those who have gone before us, and to become well-informed citizens of our local communities, our nations, and our world, so that we can understand where we’ve been and where we’re headed and course-correct accordingly. When we do understand these things, we won’t be so shocked by what we see on the news. But there’s another reason we shouldn’t be shocked that “something like this is happening in our modern (or post-modern) society.”

Human nature is just as fallen today as it has been throughout history.

Some of the astonished remarks mentioned above revealed a lack of historical awareness, but what they also reveal is a misplaced hope in the betterment of humanity through human striving. We have global athletic events such as the Olympics with themes focusing on togetherness; we have diplomatic bodies with at least a stated purpose of preserving world peace; we have technological advancements that were the stuff of science fiction mere decades ago; we have remote work and social media networks that connect and humanize people around the world in a way never before experienced. Shouldn’t we be past ethnic conflicts? Shouldn’t we be past reckless hubris? Shouldn’t we be past bloody wars over pieces of land? So the thinking goes.

But the answer to those questions is, “No, we shouldn’t.” Because no amount of technological, diplomatic, or goodwill-engendering “progress” will change the fact that the default of human beings is self-serving, self-righteous self-exaltation that seeks personal glory instead of God’s glory, that seeks to live by our own law instead of God’s, and that seeks to build our own thrones instead of kneeling in worship at the throne of the King of Kings. We have no reason to expect humanity to be doing better today than it did in previous centuries.

Humans cannot evolve into morally superior beings; we can’t work our way into an unblemished state; we can’t repair the seared consciences we were born with. “As it is written: ‘None are righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one’” (Romans 3:10-12, ESV). This means that all the self-help books, all the sensitivity trainings, all the social harmony exercises are impotent to root out the problems of pride, prejudice, racism, hatred, envy, and greed that characterize our fallenness. Only one thing has the power to do that, or rather, only one Person.

The One who created the unblemished human nature is the only one able to remove the blemishes that disfigured that nature once Adam and Eve disobeyed. He can do this because He came himself to live among us as Jesus Christ, fully man yet still fully God, and lived the perfect, righteous, blameless life that none of us are able to. Then He took our punishment for us—nothing less than death—so that anyone who believes in Him can be rescued from experiencing that punishment themselves. And finally, He sent His Spirit to give new life to those who believe in Him, enabling those people to forsake the vices of their old, fallen nature and be changed from the inside out. In the absence of this regenerative work, then, there is no lasting hope of peace on earth and goodwill among men.

In short, we can hardly be surprised when those enslaved to sin keep on sinning against God and against their fellow human beings. And until we recognize that none of us has the power to fix anyone else, we will keep being surprised when our collective efforts to “make the world a better place” and “live in peace” fail time and time again. May the horrid brokenness that we see in our world today drive us to admit that we cannot help ourselves. May it cause us to cry out to the mercy of the good Creator God whose kindness draws people to repentance (see Romans 2:4). May it prompt us to kneel in humility and raise our hands in surrender, acknowledging that we are powerless to do better—to be better—on our own. And may it light a fire within us to carry the hope of Jesus into the darkness with an urgency like never before.

Strength in Context: A Closer Look at Philippians 4:13

Among the things I count most valuable from my history training is an understanding of the importance of context. It’s something that influences much of the way I think and interact with the world, because I’ve found that without it the chance of misunderstanding and miscommunication grows exponentially, whether interpersonally, scholastically, or cross-culturally. And when it comes to reading the Bible, context is no less important.

Yet so often, we pluck a single verse as if it were a daisy while ignoring the field of flowers in which it lives. We interpret a verse to mean a certain thing with no understanding of what was said just before or just after it. You can imagine the mess that could result from someone overhearing only a single sentence of a 20-minute conversation and formulating an entire opinion of the speaker and the situation based on that one out-of-context statement. So why do we think we can do the same with Scripture and avoid a similar misunderstanding? If we want to responsibly interact with God’s Word, then we should care about reading it in context and interpreting and applying it accordingly.

With that in mind, today’s post marks the first in a new miniseries here on An Iris Awaits in which we’ll look more closely at some of the Bible verses that are often taken out of context and thus misinterpreted. And what better place to start than perhaps the most commonly context-stripped verse of all—Philippians 4:13. One of the first verses children memorize, it’s plastered all over athletic posters, spoken in team huddles, whispered as a mantra, depended on as motivation in the face of something requiring physical exertion, and on and on. You know the one: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (ESV), or in another translation: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV).

When we look at this verse by itself, it seems pretty straightforward. I mean, “all” means “all,” right? Well, yes and no. I think we can agree that someone committing fraud, murder, or any other number of sins would be off base quoting this verse to themselves as encouragement to carry out their schemes. So if Paul wasn’t making a blanket statement about God giving us strength to do whatever we want, then what was he talking about? Any guesses as to how we find out? If you said, “Look at the context!” then you’d be right! It's important to remember that Paul didn’t make this statement in a vacuum. In fact, Philippians 4:13 is nestled right in the middle of a section in which Paul is making a point about something very specific—receiving generosity and being content.

Coming at the end of his letter to the Philippians, this section begins with Paul’s rejoicing over the ways in which the Philippian believers, part of Paul’s family in Christ, have provided for his physical needs. Let’s take a look:

“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

"Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Philippians 4:10-20, ESV).

So after referring to the recent way God used the Philippians to provide for him, Paul looks further back and shares from personal experience how God had used all kinds of situations to teach him how to be content “in any and every circumstance.” Regardless of whether he was faced with scarcity or enjoying having more than he needed, he had learned to be content. And it’s in this context that he shares, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” In other words, he was able to “be brought low” with graciousness just as he was able to enjoy abundance with the same attitude because of the strength of Christ.

The New International Version, a functional translation rather than a literal one[i], translates the verse this way, which I think better expresses Paul’s original intent: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (emphasis added). When we look at the context of Philippians 4, we can see that when Paul says “all,” he is talking about all kinds of circumstances, not all kinds of tasks, all kinds of situations, not all kinds of endeavors. He was able to be content “in whatever situation” because Christ gave him the strength to do so—and I think we can all agree that being content in any and every circumstance requires a strength beyond our own.

Now of course, we know that God does give us strength to do any number of things, even things that are insignificant in the scheme of eternity. Every breath we breathe, every ability to move every muscle, every capacity for thought and reason, every ounce of sustenance both physical and spiritual comes from Him. And when we are lacking strength in any area, we are certainly right to come before His throne of grace and ask Him to give us strength. Looking at Philippians 4:13 in its context does not negate these things.

But while it is true that any physical strength we have to run a race or lift a weight, any mental strength we have to take an exam or learn a language, any emotional strength we have to love others or put to death envy or anger is only ours because God has given it to us, those things are not the point of Philippians 4:13. In this verse, Paul is talking about a deep, inner strength by which he was able to live in contentment regardless of his circumstances. And even though he was speaking about his own personal experience, I think the principle that God’s strength is sufficient to equip a person with contentment is applicable to us as well. Whatever joyous or painful things come our way, regardless of whether we are hungry or full, regardless of whether we are covered or unsheltered, we can be content in any circumstance through Christ who gives us strength. Praise be to God for this supernatural gift!

To read the Arabic translation of this post, click here.

.لقراءة الترجمة العربية لهذا المنشور إضغط هنا

Artwork by Karla Forrest. 

Used with permission.

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[i] Functional translations of the Bible translate phrases of the original language into phrases that mean the same thing in the new language, with the effect that the ideas communicated are the same even though there is not a one-to-one correspondence between the words from each language. Literal translations translate each individual word.