Find out what is happening at Ramsgate's Town Centre Church.
Our bible study this week looks at the question ‘Who cares if you’re a boy or a girl?’ In this time we will have worship, reflecction and prayer, followed by sharing food and conversation with each other.
Supper this week is chicken dippers, fries and accompaniments.
Then at 6:30 our doors remain open for anyone who wants to come and there will be a variety of games and activities available.
We’d be delighted to welcome any young people from Year 6 to 13.
Have a good rest of the week.
“Now the body is not made up of one part, but of many.”
(1 Corinthians 12:14)
With the Coronation of King Charles, it is worth reflecting on the Christian understanding of political authority. If Christians see God as the ultimate authority, how are we to relate to earthly rulers? Both the good and the bad? Claire explores the Biblical teaching in Romans 13.
Preacher: Claire Coleman
Whose law is it?
Introduction
Our title slide asked the question whose law is it?
This week has seen significant political events take place . We’ve had the local elections and we celebrated the coronation of our king.
Whatever your political standing or views on monarchy. These events took place. And there are a variety of opinions and engagement with these ruling authorities and powers.
In our passage from Romans 13, Paul is writing to the early church. Before this passage in ch12, He’s been writing about the churches conduct in the world. In ch 12v9 he writes ‘love must be sincere, hate what is evil cling to what is good.’ And in v21’ do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good’. Then following on from this verse Paul writes the passage we’ve just heard read about their relationship to the governing authorities.
As we look at these verses my prayer is that we discover more about how God wants us living in the world, about how we react to and engage with the governing authorities in our world and that we discover more about our God who greatly loves us.
After the local elections this week many news articles are pointing out how people are not taking advantage of their political vote, they’re not engaging with having their voice heard or even believing their voice can be heard, with only 18-32% of people who can vote actually voting in the local elections.
In relation to the coronation A poll was done earlier this year on March 17, and of 5,133 brits surveyed -7% said they were very likely to watch the coronation, 13% said they were fairly likely, 20% said it was fairly unlikely, 38% it was very unlikely and 22% said they had no plans to watch the coronation at all. Might give some indication of people’s views on monarchy.
I wonder if we went back in time and this was repeated in the times of the early church, and in Rome, what voter turnout would’ve been like, or how many would’ve watched the crowning of the Emperor?
Whatever our political standing may be or our view on the monarchy, or whether we engage or not it is a fact that we are earthly citizens and that there are governing authorities and laws in existence.
Paul thought how the early Christian’s viewed governing authorities was important enough to write about in his letter.
God establishes rulers
The early Christians were living under Roman rule. At the time, Paul was writing the atmosphere was actually quite stable. It was Neroes early reign before he turned against the Christians and persecuted them. And yet here we have Paul talking about the Christian’s relationship to the governing authorities following on from his discourse about interacting with the world in a way that has love pitched against evil.
Paul’s opener is – submit to the governing authorities . And why? because he says there is no authority except that which God has established.
This seems to have been a common Jewish teaching and as we look back into the old Testament, we see evidence of this:
In Proverbs 8 we read – by me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just , by me, Princes govern and nobles – all who rule on Earth
Daniel chapter 2 we read ‘he changes times and seasons he deposes Kings and raises up others
And in chapter 4. ‘The most high is sovereign over the kingdoms on Earth and gives them to anyone He wishes’.
In job chapter 12 Job says about God ‘he makes nations great and destroys them, he enlarges nations and disperses them.’
There seems to be a clear understanding in Old Testament thinking that all in power have been given that gift by God. And all can have that power removed by him too.
Jesus himself before Pilate in Johns gospel says: ‘you would have no power over me, if it were not given to you from above’ (19:11).
So Paul’s conversation about the early churches relationship with governing authorities, comes from the belief and assumption that they’ve been established and put in power by God.
(Do we believe that God is our creator God who establishes and deposes leaders?)
Therefore submit to authorities
It’s because Paul views the governing authorities as being established by God that he calls the early church to submit to them. He calls them to submit Because God has entrusted them to maintain order.
Whether we think this or not laws, are often established to maintain order to prevent chaos to have structures and boundaries.
God gave the 10 commandments to his chosen people the Israelites, and the Levitical laws as ways of establishing order for the good of his people, systems that maintained fairness and justice for all. Systems that looked out for the widow and orphan, those on the margins.
In verse 3 of our passage from Romans Paul says rulers hold no terror for those who do right, meaning following the rules of the governing authorities. he goes on to say if you want to be free from fear of those in authority do what is right.
Paul says if you follow the laws of the ruling authorities, then all will be well. And punishment will come if you don’t. What do we make of that?//
It’s interesting that he says submit to the governing authorities and not obey. Submit means to give over or yield to the authority of another. Whereas Obey means to comply with or follow the commands of another. There is a difference in the two.
Paul doesn’t say obey everything that your governing authorities say but he does say submit. He summarises this sentiment in verse seven, when he writes if you owe taxes, pay taxes, if revenue than revenue, if respect than respect, if honour then honour, and this is in the context of giving to everyone what you owe them
It has a ring about it of Jesus’s own words in the gospels. When he was asked about paying taxes, and he responded with these words, ‘give to Caesar, what is Caesars and God what is gods.’
What about Russia, Hitler, Polpot?
This saying of Jesus’ may help in the difficulties that we might have had when first hearing this reading. I wonder when you heard the passage read whether questions like these entered your mind – what about Putin, Hitler, PolPot or any other regime that has an example of governing authorities that can be viewed as oppressive and evil? What about Nero later on in his reign when he persecuted the early church severely? What are we to do when people clearly abuse their power?
Although Nero was fairly stable at this point when Paul was writing Romans, Surely Paul wasn’t naive to the reality of bad, leadership, bad rulers, bad powers and authorities. Rulers that abuse their power? He himself had encountered beatings even at the hand of the state. Is he asking the early church to submit to these type of rulers?
One commentator says that there are two prongs to Paul’s argument about submitting to the governing authorities. He writes that 1st believers are to willingly submit to the authorities on the assumption that they are just, and secondly, if a rulers authority derives from God, they must rule in a way that is consistent with God’s justice.
It can probably be well argued that Putin, Hitler Polpot have not lead with Gods justice.
One commentator wrote on this subject – ‘perhaps our submission to government is compatible with disobedience to government in certain exceptional circumstances, for heading the hierarchy of relations, in which Christians find themselves, is God, and all subordinate submissions must always be measured in relationship to our all embracing submission to him.’
Remember what I said at the beginning that this passage on submitting to governing authorities follows on from ch 12 – v 21 which says ‘do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’
In verse 4 of Romans 13 Paul says that the governing authorities are God’s servants for your good. And repeats this sentiment in verse six saying that they are Gods servants.
Paul is clear that those in governing authority are established by God and are also therefore servants of God. And should be governing for the good of their people. And as servants of God their rule is to be in line with God’s rule. We are to overcome evil structures with good.
There’s a phrase that gets bandied around ‘ be the change you want to see.’ As Christian’s we can respect those in authority. We can get engaged. We can submit but not obey if it’s contrary to Gods will, we can respect authority but oppose policies and regimes. Importantly we can pray that those in governing authority do lead with Gods rule of justice.
God’s law – the law of Christ
In yesterday’s coronation service the gospel reading was about Jesus, standing up and declaring what he’d come to do from Luke’s gospel and the fourth chapter. Jesus reading from the prophet Isaiah declared that he had come to give sight to the blind to set the prisoners free to care for the orphan and widow, in other words, to see justice being done.
When King Charles was given the Bible in yesterdays service, he was told that this is the Royal law, the lively oracles of God, and was commanded in his rule to maintain the laws of God. King Charles was given Spurs, and told to be an advocate for those in need and the sword he was given was to represent justice and mercy. There was a theme of being strong and keeping gods commandments walking in his ways as his reign as Monarch throughout the service and a strong sense of his authority being one of service just like Jesus.
Our title slide asked the question whose law is it? And from yesterdays coronation and from Paul’s letter to the Romans, law and rule was established by God. But Paul doesn’t just tell us who established it but also what has fulfilled it.
Love fulfils God’s law
In his conversation about governing authorities, Paul writes in verse seven, ‘give to everyone what you owe them if you owe taxes pay taxes, if revenue then revenue, if respect then respect, if honour then honour’, he goes on to say in verse eight, ‘let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.’ And then in v 10 he says ‘love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.’
One commentator writes ‘ by continuing to pay their debt of love to one another believers will give expression in their lives and behaviour to what the law of Moses sought to produce.’
Paul sites off some of the Ten Commandments saying in v9 that commands can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’
The command to love your neighbour as yourself comes from Leviticus, chapter 19 verse 18, where it says, do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but Love your neighbour, as yourself, I am the Lord.’
And Jesus in the new Testament summed up the law in this way when he said Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbour as yourself. On these two hang all the law and the prophets.’ Suggesting that it’s love that fulfills all that has come before.
Looking out for the neighbour, treating them as precious as yourself. Ensuring justice for them, is an outward sign of Gods law.
In Jesus teaching, in the parable of the good Samaritan he showed that a neighbour is any person we encounter in need.
What are we doing that shows sincere love for one another ? That seeks to address injustices we see around us?
Conclusion
Whose law is it? Well, according to Paul, true law is from God, and seeks justice and fairness. He is the one that establishes governing authorities and can tear them down.
Gods law is fulfilled by love as Christian’s that we can show one another – sacrificial serving love. This is how our governing authorities should be serving and how we should be serving one another.
So let’s keep praying for our governing authorities here in our town and country and also worldwide, that whether they know God or not they will govern with sincere love. May we also seek, to see where we can challenge Unjust systems and serve where there is need, and in our interactions with each other have sincere love for one another.
Thank you to the fantastic St. Luke’s and St. George’s social events team for organising such a wonderful event for the Coronation. The church was decorated beautifully and the lunch afterwards was fit for a king!
It was a great event enjoyed by people from both churches and visitors from our local community.
Join us over the coronation weekend as we meet to celebrate King Charles III’s crowning.
From 10:30am on Saturday 6th May, we will be showing the Coronation Ceremony itself on the BIG SCREEN at St. Luke’s church. Everyone is welcome to come and join us.
Afterwards there will be a shared lunch in the church with party games and activities for all.
Our 9:30am Sunday service on 7th May will be a special service celebrating the coronation and praying for the king and our country.
Our bible study this week looks at the question ‘Why can’t we just agree that love is love?’ We will look at scripture and different responses and experiences of thia question. In this time we will have worship, reflecction and prayer, followed by sharing food and conversation with each other.
Then at 6:30 our doors remain open for anyone who wants to come and there will be a variety of games and activities available.
We’d be delighted to welcome any young people from Year 6 to 13.
Have a good rest of the week.
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”
(Romans 13:8)
The last parade costume workshop is this Saturday (6th May) 1-4pm in St. George’s church hall, with the parade on Sunday afternoon. Great activity for all the family to join in with.
See below for details of the parade and other town events:
As he writes to challenge the church in Corinth, Paul urges the church not ‘to go beyond what is written’. But what does he mean by that and how is he challenging them?
Sermon by Colin Gale.
Last time I visited my sister, which was just before Easter, I noticed that the walls and table-tops of her house were covered with framed and decorated inspirational sayings, life mottos and uplifting quotations. If I could, I would tell you what some of these sayings were, but unfortunately, I can’t remember a single one of them, even though I last visited her house less than four weeks ago. This tells you that I have a terrible memory, or that I don’t pay enough attention to the things that are all around me, or at least that my imagination was not captured by these sayings quite enough for me to commit any of them to memory, let alone to live my life by them.
Did you spot that in our reading from I Corinthians chapter 4, the apostle Paul invites the church in Corinth into a knowledge and appreciation of a quotation of unknown origin – one which we will see is not only worth remembering, but also worthy of shaping our lives by. In chapter 4, verse 6, he writes ‘I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying Do not go beyond what is written. Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.’ This saying can help open up for us the whole of I Corinthians chapter 4, and it can help sum up for us the essence of Christian living.
In order to grasp what Paul means by adopting this saying, Do not go beyond what is written, we need to understand what he is talking about when he refers to what is written. In the overall context of Paul’s thinking, what is written must refer to the Bible as a whole – he writes elsewhere that ‘everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope’ (Romans 15:4). In the context of his letter to the Corinthians in particular, what is written means: the things written in the Old Testament which appear as quotations in the first three chapters of I Corinthians, things such as
These and other quotations from the Old Testament which appear in the first three chapters of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians promote three things.
The first thing is humility as far as our capacities are concerned, and trust in God as far as his capacities are concerned. The wisdom of the wisest person, and intelligence of the most intelligent person, pales by comparison with the wisdom and intelligence of God, so whoever who is inclined to boast about their own abilities should stop, think about it a bit, and instead boast not in themselves but in the Lord, as it says in Jeremiah chapter 9, quoted at the end of I Corinthians chapter 1. That would express humility and trust in God.
The second thing promoted by the Old Testament quotations contained in the first three chapters of I Corinthians is a holy expectation and hope, which is again centred on God. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him. We have not yet arrived at our end of the journey we are on; this is what is written. There is more to come, of which we presently know nothing, in the demonstration of God’s love for us. And so, as well as living humbly, we live expectantly, patiently, and with confident hope.
The third thing embedded within those Old Testament quotations in the first three chapters of I Corinthians is the compassion of God, and his preparedness to make reasonable adjustment for us. He catches the wise in their craftiness (Job 5:13) and The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile (Psalm 34:11) are lines from the book of Job and the Psalms, quoted in I Corinthians chapter 3 not to be unkind, but simply to express the difference between the Creator, God, and the creature, you and me. The Psalms also say that ‘as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust’ (Psalm 103:13-14). If we think about it, compassion and reasonable adjustment are hardwired into the Christian gospel of God becoming incarnate as a human being, stooping so low as to suffer death on a cross, in order to raise sinners heavenward.
So the apostle Paul’s answer to the question concerning what is written is first, humility and second, expectation on our part; and third, compassion and reasonable adjustment on the part of God. These three things help to sum up the essence of the Christian life, and they are what makes the saying Do not go beyond what is written worthy of shaping our lives.
Yet of course the apostle Paul was writing to a real church made up of flesh-and-blood members who, just like us, were sinful and imperfect in all kinds of ways. He says in verse 6 of I Corinthians chapter 4 that he has applied the saying Do not go beyond what is written not to them but to himself and Apollos, so that they may learn from their examples, but if we read on through chapter 4, we can pretty easily work out how it did apply to the them in Corinth.
The Corinthian church was in no way a model of humility, hope and compassion. In place of humility and trust in God, there was pride and arrogance. In place of expectation and hope, there was a presumption of having already arrived. In place of compassion and reasonable adjustment, there was inflexibility and abuse of power. In each of these three ways, they had gone far beyond what had been written.
The pride and arrogance is mentioned by the apostle Paul in verse 6 of I Corinthians chapter 4. Once the Corinthians have learned the meaning of the saying, Do not go beyond what is written, ‘they will not take pride in one man over another’, says Paul. The reason for this is that they will have learned from what is written that they are no different from anyone else, and that they have nothing that they did not receive. That lesson is appropriate not just for the start of the Christian life, but for every single day of the Christian life, until its end.
Yet if the Corinthians were ever in that place of humility, by the time Paul wrote to them, they weren’t any more. They had gone beyond what is written, beyond humility and trust in God alone, to take pride in who they were, and pride in what they had. They wrongly believed themselves to be, or else they wrongly acted as if they were, self-made people. Whatever success they had, they attributed it to themselves, and whatever social markers they observed, they used them to distinguish themselves from other people, on whom they looked down.
Their pride was fuelled by a presumption of having already arrived. They had indeed arrived, according to one commentary on I Corinthians, “but in all the wrong ways”[1] and to all the wrong places. They had gone beyond expectation, patience and hope in God to presumption.
‘Already you have all you want!’ writes the apostle Paul sadly in verse 8. ‘Already you have become rich!’ In their own eyes, and in contrast to the apostles, he writes that they had ‘become kings – and that without [help from any apostle]. How I wish you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you!’.
The contrast between the ‘now’ of the Corinthians and the ‘not yet’ of the apostles is then drawn starkly by Paul. ‘God has put us apostles on display … like men condemned to die in the arena … We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honoured, we are dishonoured! … We go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless … we have become the scum of the earth”. And then he adds, in verse 14, ‘I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children’.
The warning is this: those who have swapped out expectation, patience and hope in God for presumption have already received their reward in full. No more remains in wait for them. Do not go beyond what is written. Do not give up on hope, by pretending that you already have it all. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.
And then in place of compassion and reasonable adjustment, the Corinthians, or some of those who were leaders in the Corinthian church anyway, had begun to believe that they were accountable to no-one, and had begun to misuse their power. ‘Some of you have become arrogant’, writes the apostle, ‘as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you very soon … and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. …’ When those with power in society or in the church lack compassion and refuse to make reasonable adjustment for those that need it, that is an abuse of power. And when those exercising power are accountable to no-one, abuses of power can run unchecked for years, far beyond what is written of God’s condescension and mercy.
‘What do you prefer?’ asks Paul at the end of chapter 4. ‘Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?’ Such a question might seem to answer itself. It is obvious even in his asking of this question that Paul intends to come in love and a gentle spirit, and does not intend to abuse his power in the control of others by fear. Yet, throughout history, strong-armed, red-blooded bullies, who use the power they have over others to big themselves up in society and in the church, have survived and thrived on blind loyalty, the blind loyalty and support of those who stay near the exercise of brute force because somehow they find it attractive – although it is in fact ugly.
Having been reminded of the beauty of what is written, and having surveyed the ugliness of those things which are beyond what is written, it is time to consider what is involved in living what is written. To do so, we return to three points that are by now familiar: humility, hope and compassion.
In our reading, Paul speaks of the humble way of life adopted by the apostles. ‘We work hard with our hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly.’ (I Cor 4:12-13). These are examples of him and others walking the talk, practising what they preach, living out in flesh and blood what is written down on the sacred pages of Holy Scripture for our instruction. It’s hard to argue against kindness, generosity, endurance and perseverance. They shine with authenticity, in a world – and, may I say, a church – which is contaminated, it seems to me, with too much by way of falsehood, insincerity and showmanship.
Again in our reading, Paul speaks of expectation and hope in God. ‘Judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the secrets of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.’ (I Cor 4:5). If God is the judge, then we need not – in fact we must not – rush to judgement. If God is our judge, then we may wait patiently for him to incline and hear our cry, and rescue us. This too is a way of living what is written.
Then in I Corinthians chapter 5, which will be the subject of a future sermon when we pick up our series on I Corinthians later in the year, the apostle Paul recommends compassion – a strange sort of compassion, a tough love it may seem to us, when we come to read chapter 5 – but a compassion which is nevertheless aimed at saving the skin of a flagrant, unrepentant offender in the last ditch, and a compassion which accommodates us to living in an imperfect world. This is the compassion of God himself, who hates nothing that he has made, who forgives the sins of all who are penitent, and does all this through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So
we will live what has been written by the inspiration of that same Spirit. By the grace of God, we will live up to what we have already attained, and we will never seek to go beyond what is written, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we may always keep hold of humility, hope and compassion. We can, and we may do this, only in union with Jesus Christ, who endured the cross – there is his humiliation – and scorned its shame for the joy set before him – there is his expectation – and suffered death to bring many sons and daughters to glory – there is his mercy and his compassion. (cf. Hebrews 2:9,10; 12:2).
Though for the life of me, I still can’t remember any of the motivational phrases and life mottos on display in my sister’s house, I do remember thinking last month that they captured many admirable and worthwhile sentiments. But here in I Corinthians chapter 4 we have a saying that is really worthy of being taken to heart, not only memorable but also capable of shaping our lives – for the better, and for the sake of Christ. Do not go beyond what is written, because what is written is to us life, and health, and peace. And may this peace guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus, now and forevermore.
[1] Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians (Eerdmans, 1987), page 157.
It was great to gather with both congregations at St. George’s for our special St. George’s service. The Parade following on was amazing – especially as the rain held off! The lunch in the hall was also fantastic.
Many thanks to all who helped to organise this, especially Jemima, the St. George’s Regeneration office and Theresa Askew from Great British Carnivals.
St. George's Church Ramsgate