II Corinthians 3:1

The first two chapters have left us an impression that relations between Paul and the church in Corinth had become strained. We go on with 3:1:

"Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?"

Obviously kind of astringent! rhetorical questions with an obvious answer in the negative!

Do you understand this, Jo? tell me yes or no.
Anyone? If I go on I'll need some comments.

To Jo-Dahn and 'Many Other Things'

A thousand apologies, Jo; for some unknown reason your November comment never got to my eyes. Yes, I will gladly consider 2nd Corinthians; but meanwhile I've written the following:

The Gospel according to John ends with this verse:

"21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen" (KJV)

According to one internet source there are some 146 million books in the world as of 'today'. Have you written your book? Have I written mine?

Well yes and no. What does the word 'book' mean? Written and published books is one thing; my life and yours something else.

Friends, we are writing now; today will be another chapter.

Many Quakers seem to have a horror of proselytizing; I wonder why. As a UMF minister I knew I was supposed to 'seek souls', but when I became a Quaker (some 27 years ago), I became more evangelistic.

Of course there are many forms of evangelism. If your life is one of the apostle John's books, other people are reading it (we call it witness). What will they read today?

St. Francis reportedly said, Preach at all times, and if necessary use words. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)

questions and discussions

What do you want to discuss or study?

Are you interested in the Bible

Perfect Peace

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3 KJV)

This verse was given to my wife years ago by a dear and valued Friend. Through the years it became a guidon which I try to wear every day.

If you can live by that, the devil will have no chance to afflict you with any nasty habits, prejudices, fears and pride. Try it.

Let me know if you have success with it. Do you have a favorite verse that means as much to you? Share it here.

re Oswald's missionaries

I wonder if Oswald perceived 'that of God in Everyone' the way most Quakers I know perceive it. Everyone has his own Vision of God: Oswald's God may not be my God. Is he yours? Who is your God (if any)? If you could answer that question here, it might provoke some welcome activity to this blog. Or should it be laid down? Please comment!

Role of the Missionary

Re Chambers take on the role of the missionary I can only say that it doesn't speak to me. I believe rather than Jesus means us to heal the sick, feed the hungry, etc. What do you think?

The Eternal Crush of Things

""I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." 1 Corinthians 9:22.

I find it easy to wish that I was somewhere else, somebody else, somebody without all my blemishes and flaws. But I'm right where I need to be for God to do with me what he wills.

Purity of Heart is to will one thing.

Missionaries 2

"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest." Matthew 9:38

Oswald had a lot to say about this.

Missionaries

oct14
The Lord wants us to 'teach all nations'.  In this nation what we have to do first is to learn to respect all nations.  Unfortunately we too often despise in the name of patriotism.

The Lord would have us to stop thinking poorly of immigrants, muslims, african Americans.  We have no call as missionaries until we stop hating people.

In the Bible it's pretty clearly a radical either-or: we love or we hate; those are our only options.

Beloved (Friends) love one another.

Continuing the Quaker Bible

Forest had a noble 'clerkship' here for several years; you may have noticed that I am the only other (listed) contributor.  You may also perceive that we began the blog in Nov of 2004.  As one of the earliest participants had devoted a lot of time on it.

But one's values change; the originator dropped out after several years; several years after that I more or less dropped out, too.  We were fortunate that Forest was here to carry the responsibility.  I occasionally tried to encourage him, but my priorities were (and are) otherwise.

Now it has been empty for about six months.  I feel the need to keep it alive.  I've decided to lean on Oswald Chambers to maintain continuity.  You may find him a good substitute.  Here is his entry for today:

"Moses went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens." Exodus 2:11. We might review the chapter and talk about it.  Failing that I suggest that Friends (and friends) may profit from seeing what Oswald had to say about it.  Feel free to comment.

John 6.30-40

"Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from Heaven to eat.' "

Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from Heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from Heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world."

They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry; and whoever believes in my will never be thirsty. But I have said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from Heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me. And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I should not lose even one of all that He has given me, but raise it up on the Last Day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the Last Day."

John 6.28-30

"This food the son of Adam will give you, for he it is upon whom the Father has set the seal of his authority."

"Then what must we do," they asked him, "if we are to be doing the works of God?"

Jesus replied, "This is the work that God requires: believe in the one whom He has sent."

So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform?"

John 6.22-27

(Next morning the crowd was standing on the opposite shore. They had seen only one boat there, and Jesus, they knew, had not embarked with his disciples, who had gone away without him. Boats from Tiberias, however, came ashore near the place where the people had eaten the bread over which the Lord gave thanks. When the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were any longer there, they themselves went aboard these boats and made for Capernaum in search of Jesus. They found him on the other side.)

"Rabbi," they said, "when did you come here?"

Jesus replied, "In very truth I know that you have come looking for me because your hunger was satisfied with the loaves you ate, not because you saw signs. You must work, not for this perishable food, but for the food that lasts, the food of eternal life."

Genesis 24

Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his house, who had charge of everything he had, "Put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of Heaven and Earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.

The servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land; must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?"

Abraham said to him, "See that you do not take my son back there. The Lord, the God of Heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and swore to me, 'To your descendants I will give this land,' he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife from my son from there. But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there."

So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master, and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water.

And he said, "Oh Lord, God of my master Abraham, grant me success today, I pray thee, and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring of water; and the daughters of the city are coming out to draw water. Let the maiden to whom I shall say, 'Pray, let down your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels'-- Let her be the one whom thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac. By this I shall know that thou hast shown steadfast love to my master."

Before he had done speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah (the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother) came out with her water jar upon her shoulder. The maiden was very fair to look upon, a virgin, whom no man had known. She went down to the spring, and filled her jar, and came up. Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, "Pray give me a little water to drink from your jar."

She said, "Drink, my lord," and she quickly let down her jar upon her hand, and gave him a drink. When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw for your camels also, until they have done drinking." So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels.

The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.

When the camels had done drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, and said, "Tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?"

She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." She added, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."

The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord, and said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me to the house of my master's kinsmen."

Then the maiden ran and told her mother's household about these things.

Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran out to the man, to the spring. When he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, "Thus the man spoke to me," he went to the man, and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. He said, "Come in, O blessed of the Lord; why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels."

So the man cam into the house; and Laban ungirded the camels, and gave him straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. Then food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told my errand."

He said, "Speak on."

So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great; He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and asses. And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to his master when she was old; and to him he has given all he has. My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; but you shall go to my father's house and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son.' I said to my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me.' But he said to me, 'The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father's house; then you will be free from my oath, when they com to my kindred; and if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.'

"I came today to the spring, and said, "Oh Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now thou wilt prosper the way which I go-- Behold, I am standing by the spring of water; let the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I shall say, "Pray give me a little water from your jar to drink," and who will say to me, "Drink, and I will draw for your camels also," let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master's son.'

"Before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, 'Pray let me drink.' She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder, and she said, 'Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.' So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. Then I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Micah bore to him.' So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her arms. Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left."

Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing comes from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go; and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has spoken."

When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord. And the servant brought forth jewelry of silver and of gold, and rainment, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. And he and the men who were with him ate and drank; and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, "Send me back to my master."

Her brother and her mother said, "Let the maiden remain with us for awhile, at least ten days; after that she may go."

But he said to them, "Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way; let me go that I may go to my master."

Then they said, "We will call the maiden, and ask her." And they called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?"

She said, "I will go."

So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, be the mother of thousands of ten-thousands; and may your descendants possess the gate of those who hate them!"

Then Rebekah and her maids arose, and rode upon the camels and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way.

Now Isaac had come from Beerlahairoi, and was dwelling in the Negeb. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted up his eyes and looked; and behold, there were camels coming.

And Rebekah lifted up her eyes; and when she saw Isaac; she dropped down off the camel, and said to the servant, "Who is the man yonder, walking in the field to meet us?"

The servant said, "It is my master."

So she took her veil and covered herself.

And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into the tent, and took Rebekah; and she became his wife; and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.