Is It True?
Political advertisements seem to be everywhere and the campaign season never seems to end. It seems that someone is always seeking some office; making bold statements and lofty promises. As access to the internet has become so readily available, everyone is eager to confirm which details might not be completely accurate. As the current Olympics are almost over, sports analogies are being used widely, but sometimes inaccurately. Similarly, the church is a place where lots of phrases and analogies are often repeated frequently and inaccurately.
In a list of commonly misquoted scriptures are “cleanliness is next to godliness” and “God helps those who help themselves.” These phrases have become so familiar they could be included in the category of an ‘old wives’ tale.’ Paul admonishes Timothy to avoid these kind of phrases and instead focus upon preparing himself for godliness. Continuing the usage of the sports metaphors, Paul instructs Timothy train himself. Paul highlights the differences between physical training and physical training—the benefits of physical training are not as extensive as the benefits of spiritual training.
Old wives’ tales are like misquoted scriptures, in spite of their good intentions, they don’t always result in the type of positive results or inspiration that was originally intended. The impact of the statement sometimes seems to increase each time it’s repeated. This is especially problematic when the phrase isn’t true. When an untrue statement is repeated, its impact may increase, but the fact that it is untrue remains.
The cultural conflict that Ray Vander Laan identifies in his book Cultures in Conflict, relates to the Gnostic heresies about the nature and identity of God. Because of the lingering influences of Greek mythology, the relationship between God and Jesus was very similar to the struggles and quests that characterized Greek mythological figures. We’ll explore more similarities and contrasts Sunday morning. We’re looking forward to seeing you.
In Christ,
Jon McCoy
