Interviewing the Apostle Paul on money

We’re happy to have the Apostle Paul back with us in today’s Bible readings. Last month we discussed the spiritual gifts each of us has been given to up-build the church Body of Christ, but lately, many of us have money on our minds. Even our churches need it to keep the doors open and ministries going. So this time, Paul, I’d like to ask you about the attitude Christians should have about money. Is it important at all?

Paul: Of course, but we gain more through godliness and contentment with what we have. We brought nothing into the world and can take nothing out of it, so if we have food and clothing, we can be content with these.

MHS: Okay, but what if we win the lottery or invent a video game that makes us rich?

Paul: People who want to get rich get more temptations! Or they get trapped by all sorts of senseless, harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

MHS: I see the dangers of loving money more than God.

Paul, nodding. Love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. Some, who are eager to be rich, wander away from the faith, which pierces them with many pains.

MHS: So, how do we avoid this?

Paul: As for you people of God, shun all this! Instead, pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.

MHS: Sounds hard!

Paul: Then fight! Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life you’re called to and which you acknowledged in front of witnesses and in the presence of God, who brings all things to life – including Christ Jesus, who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made a good confession too.

MHS: To be rich in faith – yes, that’s what I want! That’s what all of us in all of the churches want!

Paul: And I charge you all – I give you custody of the Lord’s commandments, so you may keep them without blemish or blame until our Jesus Christ comes again at just the right time. And He will! For He is the blessed and only Sovereign King of kings and Lord of lords. In Christ alone dwells immortality and unapproachable light – such as we have never seen – and never could see without Him. So to Him give honor forever and eternal control over your lives. Amen?

MHS: Amen!

Paul: As for those who are already rich, command them not to be haughty or to set their faith and hope on unreliable riches but on God who richly provides everything that’s truly delightful!

MHS: Yes! Thank you, Paul, You’ve helped a lot. Is there anything else you want to say before you go?

Paul: Just do good! Be rich in good works. Be generous and ready to share, thus storing up the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so you may take hold of a life that really is life. Guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid disrespectful talk, and avoid arguments that make you miss the point of faith.

MHS: Good words to live and love by! Thanks again, Paul. God bless you and your writings to the church.

Paul: May the grace of God be with you all.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, prayer-a-phrase of today’s Daily Bible Reading in the Epistles, 1 Timothy 6:6-21

~~

Lifting hands in prayer

Prayer-a-phrase from the first letter Paul wrote to Timothy:

First of all I urge you
to plea, pray, intercede,
and give thanks for everyone –
including leaders in high places,
so we can lead
quiet, peaceful lives
of godliness and holiness.

Isn’t this a good thing to do?

Yes, and it pleases God our Savior,
Who desires for everyone to be saved –
for everyone to come to know the truth –
the truth of the one God and the one
mediator between God and mankind,

Christ Jesus, Who, as a man,
gave Himself as the one ransom
Who pays for all people

To this I attest.
For this God blessed
and appointed me to be
a messenger, a proclaimer
of God’s good news,
a verifier of truth –
and that’s no lie!

So I teach this faith and truth,
hoping to reach all,
desiring that everywhere everyone
will pray, lifting holy hands
that hold nothing back – hands
lacking anger or argument –
clean hands – smudge-proof –
holding no grudge.

© 2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, prayer-a-phrase of 1Timothy 2:1-8 from today’s Daily Bible Readings in the Epistles

~~

Chatting with Paul about the church

Me: Paul, recently I heard you say there’s only one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, and yet we children of God don’t always act like that’s true. How can this change? What do we do?

The Apostle Paul: Each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Me: Yes, we’re different and have different ways of doing things, but sometimes that seems to make misunderstandings and ill feelings get in our way.

Paul: That’s why the Bible says Jesus ascended into heaven and captured captivity.

Me: Wow! Jesus imprisoned prisons. He bound up whatever binds us. He confined whatever confines us. He….

Paul: He gave gifts to His people. So some of us are apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.

Me: It’s wonderful how God gives each of us exactly what we need to do the work God gave us to do! Now, if we’d just respect those differences and appreciate one another more.

Paul, nodding: Each gift equips each saint for a unique work of ministry to build up the Body of Christ (the Church) so we can all be united in the faith and knowledge of the Son of God as we grow and mature into the full standing of Christ.

Me: Hmm. Sounds like God wants us to grow up! And grow into the Spirit of Christ.

Paul, nodding his head again: We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro or blown about by every wind of doctrine or by people's trickery or by craftiness and deceitful schemes.

Me: But, oh, sometimes it’s hard to know what's what! So I pray for God to help us become more discerning and loving too.

Paul: As we speak the truth in love, we grow up in every way into Christ, Who is the head of the whole body, joined and knitted together by each ligament, so each part is equipped to work properly, promote body growth, and build up the whole Church Body of Christ in love.

Me: Amen! And may God keep on reminding us to keep on praying for spiritual growth, discernment, love, and unity in the Body of Christ in Jesus’ Name.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, prayer-a-phrased conversation with the Apostle Paul drawn from today’s Bible reading in Ephesians 4:7-8, 4:11-16

~~

Paul prays for our discernment

Background: Paul, who became an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God after the Resurrection rather than during Jesus’ earthly ministry, wrote this letter (epistle) to his young friend and fellow Christian Timothy and to the faithful followers of Christ who formed the church in Colossae, but also to all people made saintly by belief in Christ.


Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

In our prayers for you we always
thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
for we have heard of your faith
in Christ Jesus and of the love you have
for all the saints because of your hope in heaven.

You heard of this hope in the word of the truth,
the gospel that came to you, growing your faith
and bearing fruit to nurture the whole world.

From the first day you heard of the grace of God,
the Gospel began bearing fruit among you,
thanks to Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who
faithfully ministers to you in Christ and who
made known to us your love in the Spirit.

And from the first day we heard this,
we have not ceased praying for you
and asking for you to be filled
with the knowledge of God's will
in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully
pleasing to God as you bear fruit in every good
work and grow in the knowledge of God.

May you be made strong with the strength
that comes from Christ’s glorious power,
and may you be prepared to endure everything
with patience while joyfully giving thanks
to the Father, Who enabled you to share
in the inheritance of the saints in the light
of the Lord Who rescued us from the power of darkness
and transferred us into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son
in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, Bible prayer from Colossians 1:1-14, today’s reading in the Epistles

~~