Contradiction: Photo by topastrodfogna
In part one I drew attention to the problem that this verse seems to contradict what Paul himself approves and to some funny things going on in and around the verse. Here I’ll focus on my reason for mentioning this, how we should respond when a Bible passage seems to contradict what the same author says or does elsewhere…
Photo by Chicago Man
Perhaps no Bible text illustrates the dangers of a simplistic reading of Scripture than 1 Cor 14:34.
If we tear this verse from its cotext,1 and then read it as if the Bible were “God’s instruction manual for life” and even worse read it also literally then we are in trouble! The verse (in the fairly literal NET)2 reads:
the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Rather, let them be in submission, as in fact the law says.
The verse is full of oddities.3 Not the least of which is that in 1 Cor 11:4-6 Paul assumes that both women and men will pray and prophesy, and in this same chapter 1 Cor 14:4-5 suggests the same thing, and that this is indeed in the public meeting (cf. v.4). Paul seems to be contradicting himself!
What is going on, and how should we interpret such passages?
Window on the world? (Photo by Las Valley 702)
Beware this reading is dangerous!
After readings from Peter and then James, the E100 gives us another reading from one of the less Greek of the NT writers. Like James John circles round his topic and returns to the same “place” (though having moved forward). John is (at least if you have a poetic cell or two in your brain) less confusing than James, partly because he is obviously writing poetry. But also because the ebb and flow of his thought, and its parallelism more obviously moves forward.
Having said John writes (near) poetry our reading cuts in at just one of the points where John breaks into prose and logic, though the first line sounds quite poetic. However after a little prose logic we get a fine “poem”, and one that carries a powerful “sting” like the prophets for many readers today.
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The truth is we have a wonderful country full of hotels,clubs,food franchises... and most of the people who work in this places for the rich come from a hood like this, No electricity and no water most of the time, still they manage to make it to work, get their kids to school,deal with public education, transportation and health which have always been a disaster here. The incredible part of all, is not how they survive,.. next time you visit a foreign country specially one in the third world, look a the smiling face serving you and know what they have to endure. (Photo and caption by Mercedes Ramirez Guerrero)
James is a difficult book to read, though in this podcast I’ll suggest that things we learn reading the Old Testament can help us. I’ll also try to explain how understanding where James is coming from can help, that is a bit of cultural understanding will make clearer how his mind works, and so his book. But if I tell you more you won’t listen to the podcast 
[PS: sorry, this podcast is longer than it should be, but it does introduce how to read James, and begins to address the "famous" faith and works dispute among early Christian leaders!]
I chose the picture and (longer than usual) caption on the right because an example James gives in this reading (James 2:16) happens (or almost happens) too often today – truly we live in a global village!
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This picture by Ed Yourdon popped up in a search for "Peter bishop of Rome" it seemed to fit this reading, and I have used Ed's excellent photos before, so welcome another chance to say "Thanks!"
This epistle is a bit of a puzzle it presents itself as written by Peter, Jesus’ rough practical fisherman disciple, but it is written in smart literary Greek and the style seems to reflect Hellenistic rhetorical training. (As well as the sort of knowledge of Scripture we might expect from Peter!) Perhaps it was written by someone who owed a great debt to Peter or perhaps Peter had help from a ghost-writer – Silvanus (see 5:12) is a frequent candidate.
The Bible quotations and allusions pretty consistently seem to reflect the Greek (LXX) which also points away from Peter having selected the words of the letter. But the letter is most deeply concerned to discuss the Scriptural basis of Christian theology (remember Scripture means OT). As well as the Psalms and references from Isaiah that are common in the NT it also quotes Proverbs several times and Leviticus.
However the letter was composed, its solid Scriptural foundation, and polished style make it surprising that it is not better known among Christians, perhaps it is only read so little because Paul has such a dominant place, and because Peter deals less in controversy and more with the simple basics of faith!
Wow never mind who wrote it, and what writing it meant, just listen to the powerful language and theology!
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Fragments of a roman box flue (photo from Finds.org.uk)
Clay vessels were everywhere, plates, bowls, cups, storage, cooking… most of the everyday objects we make of glass or china, and many we make of plastic (or even metal) were clay pottery in the ancient world. Living back then you were deeply (and probably unconsciously) aware of just how fragile standard clay pots are. We live in a world of bone china and hardened glass. Even the average cheap dinnerset is so much tougher than an ancient pot, and the broken pieces of pottery were everywhere. Walking across the top of Tell Miqne – identified by the excavators as the Philistine city of Ekron – there were small fragments of broken pottery everywhere. Most of them from ancient times.
Pots broke very easily, hardly needing to be dropped, but apart from shattering into smaller pieces the material is very durable. So when Paul talks of treasure in clay jars the first thing to come to mind would be the fragility of the vessels. On the other hand fired clay is indeed very durable – it does not decay like wood or even iron (which rusts), unless it is broken, a clay vessel seals and preserves. Fine wines were kept in clay jars, the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were (many of them) held in clay jars to protect and preserve them. So Paul’s imagery here is vivid, simple and immediate.
But, wait… there’s more 
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"Through a glass darkly" by ktylerconk
There’s so much in this chapter!
No wonder it’s a favourite to read at weddings, for indeed it does describe a sort of love that is far removed from the sugary candy floss that popular culture usually presents as “romantic”. Though of course Paul is not writing about marriage, but about the greatest gift given by God’s Holy Spirit.
So now’s our chance (if we are not “Charismatic” with a capital C) to beat those benighted speakers of tongues over the head with a powerful Scriptural sword! Of course if we do so we’ll just prove their point that we have NOT received the gifts of the Spirit, because if we do we are obviously lacking love
Better by far to notice that Paul describes all sorts of spiritual gifts, not least in ch.12 where he stressed both the variety of gifts, and their common goal:
1 Corinthians 12:7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
These bewilderingly varied gifts all have the purpose of building up the whole body. If your gift does not build up – then it does not come from the Holy Spirit. If I look down on those claiming the gift of tongues or prophecy, then I have not received the best gift, let alone those “lesser” gifts!
That’s why “love” as described in this chapter is the greatest gift because love builds up!
You see as Paul notes towards the end of ch.13, even with all these spiritual gifts:
1 Corinthians 12:8-10 speaking wisdom, or knowledge, faith, healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, various kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues.
And all the varied sorts of leaders God raises up:
1 Corinthians 12:28-30 apostles, prophets, teachers; miracle workers, healers, helpers, various other forms of leadership, or kinds of tongues.
All of these risk leaving us blind, like the prophets of old (about whom Jewish writers used Paul’s picture of “through a glass darkly”) like those prophets of old, despite all these spiritual gifts we would see what God is like and what God is doing through a glass dimly. Whether the “glass” was a mirror or a primitive magnifying glass it was dim and obscure, as prophecy always is! But love shows us a glimpse of the clear view of God we will get one day in heaven
no wonder Paul calls it the best gift!
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Photo by marcn
To my mind this passage provides a nice example of what Paul was on about in the previous reading, many people get hung up on the picture of Christ descending from heaven, and the possibility of people rising to greet him, and spend their time constructing imaginative and creative theologies and multi-million dollar businesses writing books about “the rapture” claiming that the notion is a “biblical doctrine”. Actually , there are only a few passages like this one that merely hint at such ideas. The whole “Christian” futurology industry is built on a misuse of Scripture!
Notice here how a few verses further on Paul says very clearly something that Jesus had already said, but such end times prophecy fanatics miss the obvious, perspicuous, message of Scripture to speculate on irrelevant details!
If rather we listen to Paul (or Jesus) quite without end-times calculations and non-biblical prophecies and the rest of the “Christian” futurology businesses we are well prepared for Christ’s coming.
9 For God has destined us not for wrath
but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us,
so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:9-11
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This passage, which begins and ends with Paul’s suffering, centres on Scripture. It contains the verse which in Evangelical circles is probably the second best known (after John 3:16) Bible reference of all (more rightly it should be two verses, since one cannot understand 2 Tim 3:16 without the purpose declared in 2 Tim 3:17).
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture … is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that those who belong to God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Missed out the debated word “theopneustos”. This is a hapax legomenon1 though it does occur occasionally outside Scripture, so the Greek-speaking Jewish writer Josephus around this time says of Scripture: talks of the prophets who wrote the 22 sacred books2 who wrote according to theopneustia that comes from God.
It is quite clear he means “divine inspiration” he did not think theopneustos meant “God breathed” because “according to the God breathed quality that comes from God” is a daft thing to say, and Josephus wasn’t daft!
So in 2 Tim 3:16-17 Paul tells us Scripture is inspired by God, and then tells us how we can know that it is, and how we can use it rightly: 16 “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness“, and in v.17 tells us its purpose: “so that those who belong to God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work“.
Take-aways from this passage:
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There are two takeaways from this chapter. The first is the lovely poem (or verse from a hymn) in vv.11-13
- If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
- 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
- if we deny him, he will also deny us;
- 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful-
- – for he cannot deny himself.
The other is the apparent contradiction between Paul’s advice to Timothy (2 Timothy 2:14) “avoid wrangling over words”, suggesting that there are details that do not matter, and him then going on to correct someone teaching nutty stuff, in the strongest terms (2 Timothy 2:16-18).
There is a tension here, how do we distinguish “wrangling over words” (v.14) from the sort of false teaching that needs calling gangrene (v.17)? There’s a double answer…
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