The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic

I have not read a book by John Shelby Spong since my undergraduate days in theology some 20 years ago. But today I came across a book I could not resist buying, 30% of the usual price at BORDERS, Westgate, Jurong East. Since I was going to focus on John's Gospel in the next 6 weeks, I thought I read something recent (2013) and having read the first chapter, I already have many things which I would take issue with Spong and his analysis of the Gospel. But I will keep an open mind and read through to the last page.

John's Gospel: Politics of Place & Radical Discipleship

I have been in and out of the library whole morning. I have decided what I wanted to do for the next 6 or 7 weeks before bidding farewell to TTC's magnificent library. I should have been more bold and asked the Principal for life-long membership during last Monday's farewell or at least for the next 6 years, one for each year of my service here. I knew there is plenty for me to do but I need to get cracking and hone in to a topic of research. The Gospel of John it will be. I read this remarkably refreshing essay by Jeffrey Staley, "The Politics of Place and the Place of Politics in the Gospel of John", in Segovia (ed.), What is John? (SBL, 1998) where Staley shares his experience of moving from one place to another.

Set & Sealed

I had a final tweak to my exams paper for NT 2 this morning which I set two months ago. Now it is set and sealed and there will not be further changes. It is going to be a difficult exams, hence I have given the students the open book option - bring what you want, prepare what you can and write or type what you will and give me your answers in 3 hours, come 15th May. It will be my finale as lecturer in New Testament, a post or title that I am unsure whether I will ever hold again.

"Not Welcome in one Place, go to another Place"

I was reading the Gospel of Mark this afternoon and came upon Jesus' saying on how his disciples should react when they are not welcome in a particular place. Perhaps I have often assumed that if the city does not welcome you, you move on to another city according to Matthew's Gospel. Mark's Gospel has the word, topos which is a slightly different reading from the other gospels. Jesus' disciples just needed to move from one place to another, but not necessarily leave the city when they are rejected in one particular location. I think in big cities of the world today, one may find a section of the city unwelcoming but a move to another section of the city might bring a welcome change. As for me, for the past six years during which I have been a College lecturer, I have seldom ventured outside the College compounds except on Sundays when I travel to different parts of Singapore to preach. Until last week, I have never entered an HDB flat (yes, 6 years!!).

Eagle Festival & Farewell

I was given two farewell cards, one yesterday by my Faculty colleagues and one today by a former student. Both cards have eagles printed in front. When I left my pastorate in 2008, the SIB Chinese congregation in KK also gave me a book about eagles. The other card has the caption, "Eagle Festival" in Mongolia where hunters use eagles as their hunting guides.

Last Leg & Lifted on their Shoulders (Ezek 12:6-7 LXX)

This morning I read Ezekiel again for my devotions. I chanced upon the passage where Ezekiel was commanded to pack his bags and go into exile in the sight of his countrymen. The LXX has a different reading to the Hebrew MT: "And you, Son of Man, pack bags for yourself for exile by day, and you are to be taken captive from your place to another place in their sight...you are to carry out your bags, by day in their sight,..for I have made you a sign for the House of Israel,...you shall be lifted up on people's shoulders...I was lifted up on their shoulders in their sight" (Ezek 12:3-7 LXX). Interestingly, the LXX has Ezekiel being lifted up on the people's shoulders as if the people are carrying Ezekiel and his bags from one place to another. This reminds me of Aeneas who carried his father on his shoulders when they escaped from Troy. Was Ezekiel incapacitated so much so he could not walk on his own? Or is it a sign that Israelites as a whole would be devastated to the extent that they could not even walk on their own into exile but had to be carried away or dragged along by their captors?

"I saw Visions of God" (Ezekiel 1)

Ezekiel the prophet introduced his prophecies by claiming that he saw visions of God. Not just one vision but multiple visions when God first appeared to him at the river Kebar. He was 30 years, 4 months and 5 days old (Ezek 1:1). Ezekiel prophesied for more than a quarter of a century. From before the people of Judah were exiled, to the fall of Jerusalem, exile and even when they were settled in exile, Ezekiel prophesied to his countrymen without fail. Not that they liked him or took him as prophet for there must be considerable scepticism since the refrain in Ezekiel is that "whether they listen or not, they will know that there is a prophet in their midst." How they knew is not made explicit but perhaps their rebellious hearts told them that God's prophet was in their midst even when they chose to ignore the prophetic word. The prophet Ezekiel must have been sustained in his prophetic ministry by the visions of God; he had such intimate knowledge of the God who called him to be watchman, a sentinel to the house of Israel, to warn the people of God's impending judgement.

Cottret's Calvin

He will do no wrong if he selects Bernard Cottret's Calvin: A Biography to get an introduction to John Calvin's life. It is one of the best biographies I have read on Calvin in recent years, better than Bruce Gordon's Calvin which I read a couple of years ago. John Calvin's life more than anyone else has been my inspiration for many years. Not that I see myself anything like this great reformer, but his youth and training mirrored mine in some ways. Calvin was a lawyer and a self-taught theologian.

Abraham! Abraham!

Gellman's Abraham! Abraham! (2003) has been a constant guide in times like these. Kierkegaard's writings are a treasure troves which not many have ventured but for the few brave souls, it is food for the soul and meat for the mind. Abraham had to offer up his son, in obedience to God, his one and only beloved son. Gellman writes of Reb Nachman that, "no one really can serve God. The main thing is the desire to do so. The ultimate, true service of God is the desire to be close to God..." (p. 17). When I read this, I realized that all my desires to serve God are full of human limitations and constraints. "Do I serve Thee for nought, Lord?" as the devil would challenge Job. But whatever desire for God I have, Lord You have put it there in the first place for we love Him because He first loved us. How can I serve this holy God whom holy angels dare not pry nor see into His majesty, only those whom God has chosen - those whom You have drawn near to Thyself, Lord.

A Miraculous Life

I wrote to someone dear to my heart this morning and said, "Call upon Jesus and if your life is right with God, you will see miracles...." And I have more than 30 years of experience to prove this. I remember well when I was pursuing my first theological degree, my New Testament lecturer called me "the miracle man". He repeated that several times in the course of the Semester. I knew he was only half serious and betraying the wry sense of kiwi humour. Even though it was spoken almost in jest I knew that it was not me for there is nothing good in me but that I serve a miracle working God. The NT lecturer was surprised how I managed to convince the Dean to allow me into his Romans class a second year course without first completing introduction to the NT, a first year course. And also how I was exempted from introduction to the Old Testament and substituted that with Hebrew instead.

100 Days & Decision Time

I had a wonderful lunch meeting with a Baptist pastor on 19th January and he was probably the second person whom I told that come June, I will be moving on. When he mentioned to me several ministry opportunities, I told him that I would wait for 40 days before taking action but now after 100 days, I have yet to do anything but still waiting and praying. Anyhow, I know in the spirit that decision time is nigh (Bukit Timah at dawn).