The word of the day is “mystery.”  In our reading of Ephesians 1:7-17 today, Paul lifts his eyes from his concerns for his churches, and he gazes into our hope in Christ.  The Apostle speaks of the “mystery of His [God the Father’s] will.”  It is the revelation of what God “purposed in Himself according to His good pleasure” (vs. 9). The Greek word for “mystery” is derived from the sense of stopping the mouth or being silenced. The term implies that a mystery is a secret that is being kept until the proper time.  Even then, it can only be disclosed by revelation and known by those whom the Spirit enlightens (Strong’s #3466 168).  The mind of the Almighty is inscrutable.  His judgments and “ways are…
The word of the day is “chose.” Today we begin reading Paul’s letter to the Ephesians with Ephesians 1:1-9. Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province of Asia. It was the residence of the proconsul and the seat of the courts of justice for the whole region. According to tradition, Paul wrote to this vital center of ancient Christianity while imprisoned in Rome from 61-63 AD (OSB “Introduction to Ephesians”). At the mouth of its harbor stood one of the “Seven Wonders of the World,” the Temple of Artemis (the fertility goddess Diana) (OSB fn. Acts 19:27). Paul spent almost two and half years there, the longest he would stay in one place in his missionary journeys. In today’s…
The word of the day is “bear.” Words must be understood in context. A single word can have different meanings depending on the situation in which it is used. Today in our reading of Galatians 6:2-10, St. Paul seems to contradict himself.  He writes, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (OSB vs. 2).  But then he writes, “For each will have to bear his own load” (OSB vs. 5). We learn from our study that these verses are not opposed to each other. They refer to different points that Paul is making. Bear One Another’s Burdens The first statement is that we should “bear each other’s burdens” (OSB vs. 2).  The word, “burdens” here refers to what is “heavy,”…
The Word of the Day is “fulfill”’ as in to “fulfill desire.” In our reading of Galatians 5:11-21, St. Paul urges his flock to “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (OSB Galatians 5:16).  Today we consider Paul’s warning not to use our freedom in Christ as a pretext for indulging in our sinful desires. Paul qualifies that Christian liberty does not mean license. His congregations in Galatia are being torn apart by bitter and hateful controversy. But it is not merely a theological argument over circumcision. Paul sees that the deeper problem is a misunderstanding of his teaching of believers’ liberty in Christ. A False Choice It seems that the Galatians are…
The word of the day is “work.”  A popular slogan is that we are justified “by faith alone.” But this familiar translation of Romans 3:28 adds the word “alone” to the Greek text.  Today in our reading of Galatians 4:28-5:10, Paul does not isolate faith. But he says, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love (OSB vs. 8).  Today we will consider how true faith does not exist by itself, but love makes faith “active,” that is, effective. When we separate faith from everything else, we make it into belief. It becomes the assent to the truth of something that cannot be proven by empirical evidence. The Book of James addresses this…
The word of the day is “cross.” What one thing in this world is the most desirable? The answer must be power, for when one has enough power, one can gain whatever else one desires. But what kind of power is most valuable? In today’s reading, Paul gives the answer. It is the power of the kingdom. He writes, “For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power” (OSB vs. 20). Today we learn what the power of the kingdom is. In our reading of 1 Corinthians 4:17-5:5, Paul warns his congregation in Corinth that he intends to visit them to deal with their disobedience. Some of them are puffed up with pride. They are boasting that Paul will not come to confront them.…
The word of the day is “under.” At the end of our first reading (Galatians 4:8-21), Paul asks the pivotal question, “Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?” (Gal 4:21). Today, we consider Paul’s teaching of what it means  to be under the Law or under freedom. In Paul’s day, the “Judaizers” had insisted that the Gentiles had to be circumcised to become “real” Christians. The great Jewish teacher Gamaliel had trained Paul, and the apostle knew that circumcision was the rite of binding one to the Law of Moses. So if the Gentiles were circumcised, they would be bound to keep the entire Jewish Law, its rituals, dietary restrictions, and division of clean and unclean, as…
Blessed Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross! The word of the day is “tutor.” When we are new to the faith, we might suppose that we must put ourselves under some strict external disciplines to regulate our life in Christ. For example, Paul’s opponents demanded that the believing Gentiles still keep the constraints of the Law of Moses. But in today’s reading of Galatians 3:23-4:5, the apostle compares the Mosaic law to a “schoolmaster,” “guardian,” or “tutor”[1] who forces an undisciplined child to comply with his directives. The Law as a Tutor The apostle writes, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  But after faith has come, we are no longer…
Just published for the seasons of the Nativity Fast (Advent), Christmas , and Theophany (Epiphany): Behold a Great Light, a book of daily meditations to deepen your insights into the mystery of the Incarnation. A unique resource that fills the need for a series of daily devotions to help you prepare to behold the coming of Christ as the Light of Life amid the darkness of the world. Reflections on the Scriptures and hymns of the church seasons by Ancient Faith authors, podcasters, and bloggers including Fr. Basil. Available at the Ancient Faith store and other booksellers.
The word of the day is “promise.” Since the Reformation, many think in opposites: Law/Gospel; Faith/Works; grace/merit. In terms of today’s reading of Galatians 3:15-22, they juxtapose the promise given to Abraham with the directives given to Moses. But the problem is that then these believers pit one category against the other as if each canceled out the other. But when Paul argues that righteousness is by faith, he states, “Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not!” (vs. 21).  The Almighty is One with one will and purpose.  And He did not establish one order of salvation only to contradict Himself with another. Today we learn that we need to put the categories that describe God’s work of salvation…