How shall it end?

We have come to the last day of Year A and it is appropriate that we read the last chapter of Revelation, the last chapter of the Bible.
Through the middle of the Holy City flows the river of living water. On both sides of the river banks grow the legendary tree of life which produces 12 different kinds of fruit, one kind per month. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2). On the foreheads of the servants of the Lamb shall be his name --- Jesus. They will worship him who is seated on the throne of God (Revelation 22:3-4). There will be no night. There will be no need for light or lamp because the Lord God is their light and they will reign forever (Revelation 22:5).
The angel who showed all these events to John told him the following:
And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.
Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy." (Revelation 22:10-11)
Yes, as it was in the days of Noah.
As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man.
They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all (Luke 17:26-27).
For the time being, everybody will continue to do the things they are currently doing. The evildoers will continue to heap up evils on their own heads. The righteous will continue to accumulate their righteousness until they come to their full share of goodness and evil. And how shall it end?
From what John has seen, through his own interpretation of what he has seen, he wrote it down. Now, it is our turn to read and interpret. It seems that John is optimistic despite the persecutions and oppressions confronting him everyday. Yes, there will be natural disasters. There will be betrayals. There will be many more bloodsheds and battles etc. Yet, they will not be the end. In the end, God will be our bridegroom and we will be His bride. John could find no happier, more joyful images to describe this encounter, this communion. The wedding banquet of the Lamb is the best descriptor he could figure out.
Today, I was honoured to be sent by the Principal to accompany the Vicar General to our school to celebrate our Golden Jubilee. We had a good chat on the way. Fr. Dominic Chan is in charge of the formation of perpetual deacons in the diocese. We touched upon the topic because recently, one of the perpetual deacons passed away and another one sought retirement. The Vicar General has been very decisive and supportive whereas I have been very very hesitant. The birth of Symphorian changed my mind. I thought God had other arrangements for me. Probably He wanted me to be good father instead of serving the church. The Vicar General has a different view. He saw no conflict between being a good father and serving the needy. He encouraged me to seek higher sanctification in this married state. In fact, both my wife and myself are Catholics. We should seek higher sanctification together, through prayers, through service.
While we were at the junction going to Tuen Mun or Yuen Long, we did not take the VG's advice. We went the Tuen Mun direction and got stuck in a traffic accident and were late for more than 20 minutes!! What an omen! A split-second "inferior" decision and we had to spend 40 minutes more in the car. Alex, you have spent 7 years more before you make up your mind. Do not need more signs?

My dear Lord, You have the tree of life to heal me of my illness. All my life, I have not been confident enough to make decisions, until Your hand forced me. I am a sinner. Have mercy on me. Amen.

First Resurrection and Second Death

An angel came down from heaven, bound Satan with a great chain, threw it into the bottomless pit and locked it up for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3). We should feel safe because among angels, some are able to defeat Satan. God has enough ammunition to dominate Satan.
In these 1000 years, the souls of those beheaded for Jesus and for the Word of God came back to life and reigned with Christ (Revelation 20:4). This coming back to life to reign with Christ is called the First Resurrection (Revelation 20:5). However, the author was not clear where they shall reign with Christ. In heaven? In the church? On earth or in the hearts of men? The author described them as blessed and holy. They shall be priests of God and of Christ. The Second Death has no power over them (Revelation 20:6).
After these 1000 years, Satan regained its freedom. He travelled around the four corners of the earth to gather an army, called Gog and Magog, to wedge battle against the saints. They surrounded them and Jerusalem. From heaven, God sends down fire to consume them. Then Satan, together with the beast and the false prophet, were thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur (Revelation 20:9-10). This lake of fire is the Second Death (Revelation 20:14). A throne came down from heaven. From the presence of the one sitting on the throne, even the earth and the sky fled (Revelation 20:11) All the dead now stand judgment before the throne. Those whose names are not found in the Book of Life, will be thrown into the lake of fire, to suffer the Second Death (Revelation 20:15).
The author then saw a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1). He also saw Jerusalem coming down from heaven (Revelation 21:2). An angel explained that Jerusalem would be Christ's wife.
and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:3-4)
Behold, I make all things new (Revelation 21:5).
And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the fountain of the water of life without payment.
He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son.
But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:6-8)
The Holy City has four very high walls. Each has three gates. The names of the 12 tribes of Israel are inscribed on them. The walls have 12 foundations. The names of the 12 apostles are inscribed on the foundation (Revelation 21:14). The City is very splendid. The 12 foundations are 12 different jewels:  jasper, sapphire, agate, emerald, onyx, carnelian, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth and amethyst (Revelation 21:19-20).
And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb (Revelation 21:22-23).
The gates of the new City would never be shut, whether it be day or night (Revelation 21:25).

Dear Master, it is a consoling as well as a warning scene. I look forward to entering this New Jerusalem. Amen.

Some horrible scenes in heaven!

I really cannot believe what I have read in Revelation. It is offensive.
Now, an angel whose splendour brightens up the earth came down from heaven. He announced the fall of Babylon. Of course, Babylon means Rome. The author predicted the fall of the Roman Empire (Revelation 18:1-2).
Then the author heard another voice coming from heaven to urge God' people to leave Babylon lest they would perish with her (Revelation 18:4-5). Rome would be burned.
The kings who used to committing fornication with the Roman Empire, stood far off and wept for the fate of Rome (Revelation 18:9).
they will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, "Alas! alas! thou great city, thou mighty city, Babylon!
In one hour has thy judgment come." (Revelation 18:10)
If one day is equivalent to 1000 years, one hour would be 41 years and 8 months.
The merchants who had grown rich from Rome also cried for her from afar, saying
In one hour all this wealth has been laid waste (Revelation 18:17).
The shipmasters, seafarers and sailors also stood far off and mourned.
And they threw dust on their heads, as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great city
where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! In one hour she has been laid waste." (Revelation 18:19)
At last, a mighty angel took a millstone and threw it into the sea and cursed Rome, saying:
"So shall Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and shall be found no more;
and the sound of harpers and minstrels, of flute players and trumpeters, shall be heard in thee no more;
and a craftsman of any craft shall be found in thee no more;
and the sound of the millstone shall be heard in thee no more;
and the light of a lamp shall shine in thee no more;
and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall be heard in thee no more;
for thy merchants were the great men of the earth, and all nations were deceived by thy sorcery.
And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth." (Revelation 18:21-24)
The voice of a great multitude from heaven sings Hallelujah to God.
The 24 elders and 4 living creatures fell down to worship God, saying "Amen, Hallelujah"
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;
it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure" -- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints (Revelation 19:6-8).
Then heaven opens. A white horse appears. On this white horse, seats Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war" (Revelation 29:11).  Who is this rider of the white horse? The author gave the answer:
He is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God (Revelation 19:13).
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly in midheaven, "Come, gather for the great supper of God,
to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great." (Revelation 19:17-18)
Then a battle was fought. On one side, there were the beast and the kings on earth. On the other side was the Word of God. The Word of God defeated them. The birds would feed on these corpses.

Dear Lord, teach us to be focussed, not to be greedy. May we put down our fragile argument and humbly invite You into our hearts, Amen.

Seven Angels with seven plagues

I have to admit that there is nothing more I can do than to summarize what is written. Hopefully, reading it repeatedly for several years, I may get a glimpse of what John intended to write. For the time being, I have to be patient and learn to be humble. So far, it is beyond my understanding.
Now, a big and wonderful sign appears in heaven. There are 7 angels with 7 plagues (ἀγγέλους ἑπτὰ ἔχοντας πληγὰς ἑπτὰ), in them the wrath of God (ὁ θυμὸς τοῦ θεοῦ) comes to a close (Revelation 15:1).
Then, there appears a sea of glass mingled with fire (Revelation 15:2). Standing next to this sea is an unknown number of souls which had defeated the beast and its images. These souls are holding harps of God to sing praises to God. Then the temple (of the tent of witness) in heaven is opened. The 7 angels with 7 plagues come out of the temple. Then one of the 4 living creatures gives the 7 angels 7 golden bowls of God's wrath (Revelation 15:7).
So the first angel went and poured his bowl on the earth, and foul and evil sores came upon the men who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. (Revelations 16:2).
The second angel poured his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a dead man, and every living thing died that was in the sea (Revelation 16:3).
The third angel poured his bowl into the rivers and the fountains of water, and they became blood (Revelation 16:4).
The fourth angel poured his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch men with fire;
men were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory (Revelation 16:8-9).
The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was in darkness; men gnawed their tongues in anguish
and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores, and did not repent of their deeds (Revelation 16:10-11).
The sixth angel poured his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east (Revelation 16:12).
From the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet (probably this is the beast from the land) come three foul spirits. They assemble the kings on earth for the final Armageddon (Revelation 16:16).
The seventh angel poured his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, "It is done!" (Revelation 16:17)
There are lightnings and thunders, a great earthquake (Revelation 16:18) and hailstones drop on men from heaven (Revelation 16:21).
Then came the picture of Judgment of the Harlot in chapter 17. Here, John employed a great number of symbols. It is highly likely that the author was trying to criticize the government. Yet, they came into contact everyday. He had no choice but to write in such an obscure manner.
There is a harlot who commits fornications with many nations. She is sitting on a scarlet beast which has 7 heads and 10 horns (Revelation 17:3).
And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus (Revelation 17:6). 
The scarlet beast was, and is not and will be. Seven heads could mean 7 mountains or 7 kings.
The following verse is puzzling:
they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes he must remain only a little while.
As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to perdition. (Revelation 17:10-17).

These 10 horns will raise war with Joyce (did I mean John?). Of course, Of course. She will send you a big bundle of Christmas gifts.

My John,
Enlighten us so that more people may know what you want to say. Amen.

A not so familiar scene in Revelation

Below Satan, there are 2 beasts. One emerged from the sea. There was a 666 as a code to represent the identity of this beast. The other beast came from the land. It served under the beast from the sea. It deceived the peoples, made many people on earth worship the first beast. It marked the number of the beast on their right hands or foreheads (Revelation 13:12-16).
Then the focus panned to Mount Zion where the Lamb stood with 144,000 pure souls who were chaste. They sang a new song before God, the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders (Revelation 14:1-4).
Then 3 angels appeared one after another. The first one had a gospel to proclaim. He called people to fear God and worship Him (Revelation 16:7).
The second angel announced the fall of Babylon which is believed to be the codename of Rome (Revelation 14:8).
The third angel announced judgment on those who had worshipped the beast. These people would suffer God's wrath. What is worse, they had no rest (Revelation 14:10-11). This little circumstantial evidence suggests that the author of Revelation might be a slave, working under the sun without rest.
Later, the author saw a white cloud and a son of man holding a sharp sickle. An angel came out from the Temple and called him to reap the earth (Revelation 14:14-16).
And another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle (Revelation 4:17).
Yet another angel came and called the earlier angel to reap the vine from the earth. The vine was thrown into the wine-press of God's wrath.
and the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the wine press, as high as a horse's bridle, for one thousand six hundred stadia (Revelation 14:20).
What is it that shows his determination to love?
Why were there 144000 saints singing a new song to God?
Why does the angel enjoy the same status like the son of man?
In short, what does this picture symbolize?

My Lord, I have not loved You enough. There is still too much arrogance in me, especially towards people in power. Make me a humble and generous heart to serve You. Amen.

Six hundred and sixty six

We return to the reading of the book of Revelation in this last week of Year A. Next Sunday marks the beginning of Year B, a new liturgical year to celebrate another cycle of redemptive work of Jesus. We have come to chapter 12 of Revelation. Here, I can do no more than summarizing what John wrote. Alas! This is not very satisfactory because the whole scene is symbolic. Perhaps some "minor" details are in fact very crucial clue to the understanding of the whole book and it is unwise/unfortunate if we miss them. However, I have no better alternative. Any suggestion?
Now the mother of Christ appears in heaven. John describes her as
a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars (Revelation 12:1b)
The Blessed Virgin Mary is about to give birth to Christ. Satan appears as
a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems upon his heads (Revelation 12:3).
He is so powerful that his tail sweeps down a third of stars from heaven. He is now standing in front of Mary, waiting for the delivery of the child and devours him (Revelation 12:4)
After giving birth to a male child, Mary fled into the wilderness where she was taken care of by God for 1260 days (Revelation 12:6).
Now, does this text refer to the fleeing of the Holy Family to Egypt to escape from the murderous intention of Herod the Great? Does it mean the Holy Family stayed in Egypt for three and a half year before returning to Bethlehem? All these are speculations, or may even be fancies only.
Then Michael appears, leads an army of angels and defeats Satan and his angels, which fall down on earth (Revelation 12:7-9).
The dragon is angry with the woman and tries to attack her. She is given a pair of wings and flies away into the wilderness. Then the dragon gives forth water to flood her. The earth opens her mouth and swallows all the water (Revelation 12:13-16).
Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea (Revelation 12:17).
Satan stood on the beach to raise a helper for him. John calls this Satan's helper a beast.
And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems upon its horns and a blasphemous name upon its heads (Revelation 13:1).
One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth followed the beast with wonder (Revelation 13:3).
The beast was given authority to rule for 42 months, roughly 1260 days (Revelation 13:5).
Many people would worship the beast. Then suddenly, the narrator dropped the readers some hints:
If any one is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes;
if any one slays with the sword, with the sword must he be slain.
Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. (Revelation 13:8-10)
Then, another beast appears. It rises out of the earth.
... it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon (Revelation 13:11).
This second beast works very hard for the first beast.
Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead,
so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name (Revelation 13:16-17).
John is not clear here. Which beast does it refer to, the first or the second? The first beast rose from the sea and the second one from the earth. The second one seems to be less powerful.
This calls for wisdom: let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six (Revelation 13:18).
So, which beast is 666? The beast which emerges from the sea or the beast from the earth?

Dear Lord, deliver us from evil. Amen.

Feast of Christ the King

When Jesus told the parable of Sheep and Goat in Matthew 25, he must have Ezekiel 34 in his mind.
In Ezekiel 34, God complains against the shepherds of Israel, the rulers who have done a poor job. They have not taken good care of the people. They even fed on them, devoured them to fatten themselves. Therefore, God takes it upon Himself the responsibility to shepherd the Chosen People Himself.
Firstly, God will rescue His sheep from the mouth of these shepherds (Ezekiel 34:11).
Then, God will seek out the scattered sheep (Ezekiel 34:12).
God will feed them (Ezekiel 34:13-14).
I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD.
I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice (Ezekiel 34:15-16).
Then God will turn to His flock and pass judgment on them because some do not do well.
As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, rams and he-goats (Ezekiel 34:17).
The Jews had lost their national independence ever since the Babylonian Captivity during which Ezekiel made the prophecy above. They had to wait until Jesus came to complete the judgment story.
In the afternoon, the parish invited Fr. Benedict Lam to celebrate the 35^th anniversary of Parish Feastday. Fr. Lam served us 11 years before he handed over the parish to Fr. John Baptist Kwan, the current parish priest. He was assigned the Spiritual Director and then the Vice-Rector of the Holy Spirit Seminary. This is also his Silver Jubilee of Ordination.
In the homily, he noted that if we read the story of Matthew alone, we would not obtain a full picture of the kingship of Christ and would be very scared. Christ the King is seen passing judgment on his people. This one has done what is required. He will inherit the Kingdom of God. That one has not done what is required. He will be condemned forever. This is a very scary image. Fr. Lam invited us to take into consideration the readings in Year B & C as well.
In Year B, we will read of Jesus before Pilate. Jesus made it clear that his kingdom does not belong to this world. It is a different kind of kingdom and we will not be measured by worldly standards: achievements, riches, authority etc. It will be a different standard by which we will be measured.
In Year C, we will read of Jesus crowned king on the cross. Jesus claimed his kingship through an unconditional love for God and for men. This is how we would be measured at the end. How much have we loved in this life?
Fr. Lam also touched upon the topic of "financial tsunami".  He brought our attention to the parable of talents we read last week. He asked us what if the first servant who got 5 talents worked hard and still incurred losses in his investment. Say he lost 3 out of 5 talents. What would the master tell him? Fr. Lam suggested that the master would still praise and reward the servant because he had worked hard. There are factors beyond our control and God understands. However, I beg to be different. Here, I may be over-optimistic. I think the Master would guarantee and help this servant make profit in his investment.
At the end of the ceremony, the parish presented 3 gifts to Fr. Lam.
First, the parish promised to send one young man to the Holy Spirit Seminary within one year.
Second, the parishioners would say 1000 Rosary for vocation.
Lastly, the parish bought Fr. Lam a few shirts for priests.

Dear Master, if it be Your will, may more young men of our parish generously respond to Your call. The financial tsunami may be a good opportunity for us to re-prioritize our values. We pray that more young men will be able to see the value of devoting themselves to the preaching of the good news. Amen.

Feast of St. Cecilia

The legend of St. Cecilia is beautiful and romantic. She is the patron saint of music and I have been a choir member even before I was baptized. Therefore, St. Cecilia has been very dear to my heart. However, her feastday is very close to the Feast of Christ the King. We seldom celebrate her feast.
Let's return to the heavenly court scene. The Lamb has already opened 6 seals. It is now time to open the seventh.
When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour (Revelation 8:1).
We have to be careful with numbers. Half an hour in heaven may mean any length of time. In the Torah, a day may be equivalent to a year (Numbers 14:34). In Psalms, a day may be equivalent to a thousand year (Psalms 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8). Accordingly, this half an hour may mean 12 months divided by 24 hours divided by 2. It will be roughly seven days. That is, half an hour may be equivalent to one week. If one day is equivalent to one thousand years, half an hour would be roughly twenty years and ten months. It is truly a lengthy silence.
Then seven angels with seven trumpets appear. Another angel holds a golden censer stands at the altar. He fills the censer with fire from the altar and throws it on the earth (Revelation 8:5). Then the seven angels begin to blow their trumpets one by one.
The first angel blows the trumpet. Hail and fire mixed with blood fall on the earth, a third of which is burnt up (Revelation 8:7).
The second angel blows the trumpet. A burning mountain is thrown into the sea, a third of which becomes blood (Revelation 8:8-9).
The third angel blows the trumpet. A great star called Wormwood falls from heaven, turning a third of the water into wormwood (Revelation 8:11).
The fourth angel blows the trumpet. One third of the heavenly luminaries (sun, moon and stars) are turned off. An eagle flies in heaven and cries of the woes to come (Revelation 8:12-13).
The fifth angel blows the trumpet.  A star falls from heaven and opens the shaft of the bottomless pit. Smoke rises up from the pit. Locusts which are able to hurt men for five months emerge. The angel of the bottomless pit is king over these locusts. The name of the angel is Abaddon in Hebrew; and Apollyon in Greek (Revelation 9:11).
The sixth angel blows the trumpet. A voice from the altar tells him to release 4 angels bound at the great river Euphrates to kill one third of mankind (Revelation 9:13-15).
Then a mighty angel descended from heaven. He holds a little scroll. He set his right foot on the sea and the left on land. He calls up heaven and swears.
and swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there should be no more delay,
but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God, as he announced to his servants the prophets, should be fulfilled. (Revelation 10:6-7)
John was told to get the small scroll from the mighty angel who told him that the scroll tastes sweet as honey in mouth and bitter in his stomach (Revelation 10:9). This experience is the same as those experienced by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:1-3). But what does it mean?
John was given a measuring rod to measure the temple. Again, this is the same experience experienced by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 40-42). The outside of the temple was not measured. The Holy City would be trampled by the nations for 42 months (Revelation 11:2). 42 months is roughly 1277 days. Using the conversion scale above, this verse suggests that Jerusalem would be trampled by the nations for roughly 1277 years. Any idea?
The Muslims occupied Jerusalem and the Dome of the Rock was completed in 691. Israel started the Six-Day War in 1967 to capture Eastern Jerusalem. Does it make any sense? It is pure speculation.
Back to John. Two prophets were granted power to prophesy for 1260 days (Revelation 11:3). Is there any coincidence?
These two prophets will be killed by the beast which rose from the bottomless pit. They would die for three and a half days and their corpses are exposed for three and a half day. Then they will come back to life (Revelation 11:7-11).
At long last, the long-awaited seventh angel blows the trumpet. The 24 elders sing praises to God.
Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail (Revelation 11:19).
So, after all tribulations and trials, a perfect ending comes.

My Lord, grant us wisdom and understanding to know John's vision. Amen.

Decipher the heavenly court scene (II)

We continue to decipher the heavenly court scene in chapters 6 and 7 of Revelation.
The Lamb began to open the seals one by one. When each of the first four seals was opened, one of the four living creatures would say "Come!". Then a horse of different colours would emerge.
And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and its rider had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer (Revelation 6:2).
And out came another horse, bright red; its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that men should slay one another; and he was given a great sword (Revelation 6:4).
And I saw, and behold, a black horse, and its rider had a balance in his hand (Revelation 6:5b)
And I saw, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him; and they were given power over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth (Revelation 6:8).
In summary, opening a seal would invite the appearance of one of these horsemen. Opening a seal starts a series of "End of the World" sequence. A white horse symbolizes conquering; a red horse, war; a black horse; exploitation (??) and a pale horse, death. These are all preludes to the End.
When the fifth seal was opened, souls of martyrs came out from under the altar. They were given white robes and were sent back to sleep until the total number of martyrs is complete (Revelation 6:11).
When the sixth seal was opened, our familiar "End of the World" scene appears: earthquakes, chaos, stars of the sky fall, the sky vanishes like a scroll that is rolled up etc. This agrees with what the gospels tell us. So, all Christians believe that disasters and chaos will be rampant before the End comes.
Then, 4 angels appear at the 4 corners of the earth and still her four winds. The fifth angel appears in the East. He will leave on the foreheads of 144000 children of Israel a seal. This is the mark of salvation but each tribe only carries 12000. Is it fair? Big tribes and small tribes are given the same quota. Can this be a good quota system?
This particular passage was read in the blog entry on November 1. So, let's proceed without further ado.
Then an even greater number of people, from different walks of life, come before God. Therefore, at the end of the world, the number of people saved must be greater than 144000. This number is the quota for the Israelites only. For us Gentiles,  we have an unspecific number of people saved.
Therefore are they before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night within his temple;
and he who sits upon the throne will shelter them with his
presence.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more;
the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water;
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes (Revelation 7:15-17).
What a dreamland for slaves! No hunger, no thirst, no scorching sun, no cruel foremen but the Lamb! There will be no more sadness for God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

My Lord, deliver us from evil. Amen.

Decipher the heavenly court scene (I)

Laura got married today. We were invited to a buffet dinner to celebrate with her. We haven't seen Bosco, her younger brother for a long time. He looked thin tonight.
The young couple is adorable. We wish them good luck, good health and abundant blessings from God and Our Lady.
A new scene appears in the heavenly court. In His right hand, God holds a scroll sealed with 7 seals (Revelation 5:1). An angel asks who is worthy to open the scroll (Revelation 5:2). John has long been an onlooker. But now, he is involved. He weeps much because no one in heaven, or on earth or under the earth is found worthy to open it (Revelation 5:3-4). Then one of the elders introduces the "Lion of Judah", the "Root of David" who can open it (Revelation 5:5). The readers should know that these titles refer to the Messiah.
The Root of David clearly refers to the Messiah. Isaiah tells us that the Messiah is an offspring of Jesse who was the father of David (Isaiah 11:1). Therefore, this Root of David is another way to say Messiah.
Now, let's turn to the Lion of Judah.
When Jacob (Israel) was old, he blessed his sons one by one. When it was Judah's turn, Israel described him as a young lion (Exodus 49:9). The Lion of Judah refers to a descendant of Judah, the Messiah.
However, Hosea the prophet makes an interesting prophecy. It says,
For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will rend and go away, I will carry off, and none shall rescue (Hosea 5:14).
Obviously, this lion refers to God. Therefore, the Lion of Judah can also mean God. The Messiah is not simply a human descendant of David, but God himself. There should be no doubt about the divinity of the Messiah.
Now this Messiah turns out to be a Lamb!
John the Baptist refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29, 36).
This Lamb doesn't look natural. It has seven horns and seven eyes (Revelation 5:6)! What a monster! John explains to the readers that the 7 eyes are the seven spirits of God. So, what can these seven spirits be?
Isaiah has the answer, but the answer is incomplete.
And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD (Isaiah 11:2-3a).
There are only six and the "fear of the Lord" repeats. This is a translation from the Masoretic Text. The Septuagint and the Vulgate has translated the first "fear of the Lord" into "piety". The story is long and interested readers may refer to this link.
So far, we have deciphered some obvious symbols. But what about the scroll, the seals? What do they mean? And what about the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders? Who do they represent?
When the Lamb took the scroll, the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders fall down before the Lamb, taking a golden harp and start singing the following song to praise the Lamb.
Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth (Revelation 5:9b-10)
Then uncountable number of angels echo in return.
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing! (Revelation 5:12b)
Then every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and in the sea and all therein say:
To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever! (Revelation 5:13b)
Then the 4 living creatures concluded with an Amen.
What do these choruses symbolize? What earthly events does this chorus scene refer to?
These are some of the questions we need to explore in the reading of Revelation.

The Lamb of God, You are worthy of our praises forever. We owe our life to You. I am grateful to You because You make our life worth redeeming. I pray that we may one day join this heavenly chorus to praise You. Amen.

How to adapt ancient sacred texts to modern needs?

This is the week leading to the last Sunday of the liturgical year, Christ the King. Therefore, it is appropriate to meditate on topics like the end of the world, the Last Judgment, heaven and hell etc. While the other books in the Bible spend one or two chapters on these topics, the whole book of Revelation talk about just these.
After passing judgment on seven churches, the heavenly scene switches to a royal court. God's throne takes the centre stage. He was described as:
And he who sat there appeared like jasper and carnelian (Revelation 4:3a).
Jasper and carnelian were precious stones found in the decoration/covering of the King of Tyre in Eden (Ezekiel 28:13). But why did John describe God with these symbols? Did he want to load the sentence to remind the readers of the Garden of Eden.
Around the throne were 24 thrones. They were occupied by 24 presbyters. The question is who were these presbyters? Some scholars suggested that they were the 12 patriarchs of Israel and the 12 apostles. At first, this suggestion looks good. However, the identities of the 12 tribes of Israel were not fixed. The 12 apostles were no better. According to the Acts, Matthias was chosen to replace Judas. Later, Jesus called Saul (Paul) to be his apostle. Does it mean there should be 13 apostles? Or the 11 apostles had made a mistake in choosing Matthias and therefore Jesus handpicked another one.
Revelation was written in time of persecution. The author was not able to write explicitly. He needed to encode the identities of some crucial individuals. Therefore, as readers, we need to decode his intentions and understand the text symbolically.
This morning while I was reading my prayer book in the LRT, the lady sitting opposite me took the courage to ask me about the languages of my book. It was all Greek to her. She was right. It was Greek and Hebrew. Half way into our conversation, she revealed to me that she was a Muslim. It was courageous of her to strike up this conversation with a total stranger. It was all because she was very concerned about how to impart Islamic precepts to her children. Islam was founded about fourteen hundred years ago. She found it hard to adapt Islamic teachings to this modern world. As a Bible teacher, I also encounter similar problems as hers. However, I think we are in a better position.
First of all, the Bible is a huge encyclopaedia. It is all-encompassing. You can find texts to support drinking and texts to object drinking. Indeed, this is probably the right way to describe truth. Truth should not be one-sided. You need to attack it, to describe it from both sides.
Secondly, since not all texts are of equal force, of equal importance, it is totally legitimate to study them selectively. I am sure we are able to find texts suitable for and relevant to today. It is admirable for people who are able to finish reading the Bible in one year. But I think it is more fruitful to select some books and study them in greater depth and leave some difficult books for a latter time. When I grow more knowledgeable, I will study them.
Lastly, like Revelation, some books are not meant to be read literally, but symbolically. These are golden opportunities to adapt these sacred texts to the needs of the modern world.

Dear God, bless us troubled parents and teachers. Help us speak to the needs of young people and apply these ancient teachings to this modern world. Amen.

How to prepare for the Last Judgment? (II)

Today, we continue to read the book of Revelation, and study how Jesus passes judgments on the remaining three churches.
To the church of Sardis, Jesus was described as
him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars (Revelation 3:1b).
Though this church was alive in name, she was dead (Revelation 3:1c). Jesus did not find her work perfect in the sight of God (Revelation 3:2).
Jesus advised her to remember what she heard at the beginning, keep it and repent (Revelation 3:3a).
Jesus' judgment: He who conquers shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels (Revelation 3:5).
To the church of Philadelphia, Jesus was described as
the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens (Revelation 3:7b).
This title does not appear in the earlier chapters. It came out suddenly. This text actually comes from Isaiah.
And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open (Isaiah 22:22).
It refers to Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah.
When Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter, he said similar things to him.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19).
Later, Jesus said similar things to all disciples.
Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 18:18).
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus had already passed on the key to Peter. Why did the author of Revelation pass the key back to Jesus? Or are there more than one key to the kingdom of heaven? Is Christianity only one of the many gateways to heaven?
Jesus did not criticize this church. He only praised her.
I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut; I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name (Revelation 3:8).
Jesus' judgment: He who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name (Revelation 3:12).
To the church of Laodicea, Jesus was described as:
the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation (Revelation 3:14b).
The problem of this church was that she was neither cold nor fervent. She was only lukewarm (Revelation 3:16). She was unaware of her own needs (Revelations 3:17).
Jesus' advice: Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent (Revelation 3:19).
Jesus' judgment: He who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne (Revelation 3:21).
Which church do you want to find yourself in? Remember, the church is what her members made of. If you are unable to find satisfaction (knowing God, opportunities to practise your faith etc.), sooner or later you will leave. Therefore, the judgments Jesus passes on these churches are also judgments passed on us. Keep this in mind.

My Lord, without Your support, we are but nothing. You are the way. Guide us home. We are weak. Strengthen our legs and arms. Amen.

How to prepare for the Last Judgment? (I)

The book of Revelation is notoriously difficult to decipher. Therefore, I cannot do more than just summarize what is written. Hopefully, in the years to come, I may get older and wiser and will be able to understand this book better.
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12).
How did John describe God?
First of all, God the Father is eternal. He is, and was and will be, forever and ever. (Revelation 1:4a) He was also the ALPHA and the OMEGA, i.e. the beginning and the end.
Secondly, God is trinite, 3 in 1. After mentioning the Father, John told us there were 7 spirits before the throne of the Father (Revelation 1:4b).
Lastly, Jesus was described as the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth (Revelation 1:5b).
Here, Jesus doesn't seem to be on a par with God the Father. He is only "the faithful witness"; "the first-born of the dead" and the King of kings on earth. In short, Jesus doesn't seem to be God at the beginning of the book of Revelation.
Yet Jesus could come again with the clouds to judge the living and the dead. When he comes,
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen (Revelation 1:7).
It would be interesting to know who had pierced him. In the gospel of John, only one of the soldiers pierced him on the cross (John 19:34). But in Revelation, the verse seems to harbour the thought that all sinners are guilty of piercing Jesus on the cross.
How did John describe Jesus?
Firstly, he stood among the seven golden lampstands, which represent seven local churches.
Secondly, he dressed in a white robe and with a golden girdle.
As for his appearance, we have this description.
his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire,
his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters
in his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength (Revelation 1:14-16).
The gospels do not leave us with any description of the appearance of the earthly Jesus. Now, John revealed an idealized risen Jesus whose look reminds us of Transfiguration.
If you still have doubt over the divinity of Jesus, listen to how Jesus describes himself: Here, John equated Jesus with God in no uncertain terms.
Fear not, I am the first and the last,
and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades (Revelation 1:17b-18).
How does Jesus deal with all seven churches?
For the church in Ephesus: Jesus was described as
him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands (Revelation 2:1).
I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary (Revelation 2:3).
Jesus almost always began his criticism with praises. He is, and was and with humility in the future.
His judgment: To him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7)
For the church in Smyrna: Jesus was described as
the first and the last, who died and came to life. (Revelation 2:8)
Knowing their difficulties, Jesus consoled them and advised them to hold on to their faith.
His judgment: He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death. (Revelation 2:11b)
For the church in Pergamum: Jesus was described as
him who has the sharp two-edged sword (Revelation 2:12).
Jesus praised them for holding fast to his name,
But Jesus criticized them for believing in Balaam, Balak and they allowed their church members to worship idols.
His judgment: To him who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it (Revelation 2:17).
For the church in Thyatira: Jesus was described as
the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze (Revelation 2:18b).
Jesus praised them for he knows their works, their love and faith and service and patient endurance (Revelation 8:20).
But Jesus criticized them for adultery/idolatry.
His judgment: He who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received power from my Father; and I will give him the morning star (Revelation 2:26-28).

My dear Lord, let me know how I may proceed. I have made many mistakes and turned my back to You for many times. Have mercy and bid me off. Amen.

The Parable of Talents

Though not a trained economist, Fr. Lejeune believed that there had to be a difference between investment and speculation. He thought that investment was good because wealth would be created. For him, speculation was equivalent to gambling. No wealth would be created in the process. There would only be a redistribution of wealth, but a winner takes all situation. The financial tsunami was a financial matter, not an economic matter. We now have a financial crisis, not an economic crisis. Production and consumption would continue. Speculation and gambling would stop. Economic analysts may not agree with him. Yet, as a man of eighties, he had gone through the Great Depression. He had seen the worst. Therefore, he was not too concerned about the present financial calamities.
In the readings today, we read the last chapter of the book of Proverbs. It was a song in praise of an ideal and capable wife. In a patriarchal society, this idealized woman is what a man could ever dream of. When he returns home, he will only meet a less than perfect woman of flesh and blood. Moreover, the Bible does not supply us with an idealized husband because the Bible was written by men, not women. Rarely could we be able to hear a woman's voice. We have very little clue what women expect of their husbands. There is no equality of genders even in modern society.
One of the reasons I prefer teaching RS in English is clearly demonstrated in the parable today (Matthew 25:14-30). In New Testament time, τάλαντον (Greek), talentum (Latin), talent (English) and 塔冷通 was a Greek currency. Today, "talent" in English means "a natural ability to be good at something". The parable may be the origin of this English word.
The parable runs like this. God has given his servants different number of talents. At the end of time, each servant reports to God what he has done with the given talents etc. The moral is that we should make good use of the talents God has given us. Do not bury it, waste it. If you do this parable in Chinese, you will miss the pun, the word-play. You will have to introduce another term such as 才幹、才能 to explain 塔冷通. The parable will become less forceful, less impressive because the currency "talent" is the key of the moral.
In an earlier parable (Matthew 20:1-16), a Roman currency δηναρίου (Greek), denario (Latin), denarius (English) and 德納 was used instead. The moral of this parable is "the last will be first, and the first last." (Matthew 20:16) The currency is not the key of the moral.
In the financial world, experts like to justify capitalism, to justify the exploitation of the poor and the subsequent polarization of the rich and the poor with "Matthew Effect":
For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away (Matthew 25:29).
The rich will become richer, the poor poorer. The Bible says so. Therefore, it is not wrong to exploit the poor!
This is a blatant abuse of the Bible, quoting texts out of context.
What is the "financial philosophy" of Christians? To make use of your money to help the poor and the needy.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal,
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20).
And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations (Luke 16:9).
I don't see how people can justify the exploitation of the poor with the so called "Matthew Effect".

My Master, may we not be lazy in making use of the talents You have given us. May our work bear fruits, thirtyfold, sixtyfold and a hundredfold. Amen.

Who is this John?

John was, and is, a very popular name in the Christian world. It was commonly used at the time of Jesus and ever after because tradition has it that John was the "beloved disciple" of the Lord. Who doesn't want to be beloved by Jesus? Therefore, the authorship of the 3 epistles ascribed to John has never been convincingly settled. In the epistles, he called himself the presbyter/elder, not the apostle. Nor does he reveal any link with the apostles or Jesus. Furthermore, "the truth" seems to be a codename for Jesus in these epistles. The issue is notoriously difficult to crack. Therefore, we can only accept the tradition, unless more conclusive evidence surfaces.
In this third epistle of John, three names are mentioned. Gaius was the recipient of this epistle (3 John 1:1). Diotrephes was the enemy of the elder (3 John 1:9). He put himself before everything and did not accept the authority of John the elder. Therefore, most probably, this John was not the apostle. Lastly, there was Demetrius whom everybody supported, included the truth (3 John 1:12). Throughout the epistle, 'the Lord', 'the Son' etc are conspicuously missing whereas the truth appears six times. Sometimes it even acquires a personality like 1:3, 4 and 12. Therefore, it is very likely that the truth has become a codename for Jesus in this epistle.
3 John tells us something about the practice of early Christianity. There were travelling preachers. John, the elder advised that the believers should extend hospitality to them.
Beloved, it is a loyal thing you do when you render any service to the brethren, especially to strangers (3 John 1:5).
For they have set out for his sake and have accepted nothing from the heathen.
So we ought to support such men, that we may be fellow workers in the truth (3 John 1:7-8).
So, there is a division of labour. Most of the early believers had in time become missionaries. When more people were converted, some continued to be itinerary preachers. More would become sedentary Christians who had the obligation to support those itinerary ones.
3 John offers one more piece of advice.
Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. He who does good is of God; he who does evil has not seen God (3 John 1:11).
Unlike the two other Johannine epistles, this one does not mention love, or love one another. It does not contain the communion concept or the abiding in love formula. Of course, it is unrealistic to demand an epistle of 15 verses to carry every Johannine characteristic. Actually, her last 3 verses bear close resemblance to the last 2 verses of the second epistle of John. That probably explains why this epistle goes under the author John.

My dear Advocate, life is getting more difficult in Hong Kong. More people are laid off. More shops are closing down. Last time, with the onslaught of SARS, Hong Kongers learned to value life. What will they learn in this financial tsunami? Simplicity of life? I pray that we may go through this crisis. Amen.

The Truth in John

In the trial of Jesus, Pontius Pilate had asked a question which has been immortalized in the Gospel of John.
Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" (John 18:38)
Jesus did not answer him and remained reticent. Actually, Jesus had talked about "the truth" before.
Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32)
In the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples that he would be leaving them behind for a while. Thomas asked him about the way.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me (John 14:6).
Later in the Last Supper, Jesus prayed for the disciples and asked the Father to sanctify them.
Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth (John 17:17).
And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth (John 17:19).
In summary, the Word of God is the truth. Therefore, the incarnated Word of God, Jesus was able to claim to be the truth. So, when Pilate asked Jesus the "immortalized" question, he was staring the truth in the eyes. Yet, he had no truth in his heart. He missed the chance to acquire the truth.
We are reading a very short piece of epistle, the Second Letter of John. However, don't be fooled by the sequence with which the New Testament books are arranged. The second letter might NOT be written after the first because the three letters of John are arranged in descending order of sizes. Similarly, the epistles by Paul are arranged from public (to Churches) to private (to individuals) and again in descending order of sizes.
This Second Letter of John was written to the elect lady and her children. However, to this day, the identity of this elect lady remains unknown. Some speculate that she was the Church! Then all of us are her children. Then, this letter of John was also written for us to read. John appealed to them to love each other, including him.
And now I beg you, lady, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning, that we love one another (2 John 1:5).
Then, John entered into a circular logic. He asked them to love. To love means to follow God's command. And God's command is to love.
And this is love, that we follow his commandments; this is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you follow love (2John 1:6).
This is easier done than understood. It is less easy to understand because the logic is circular. The logic tries to concretize love, to give this abstract concept some solid substances. To love is to follow God's commands. There are 613 such commands and Jesus summarized them into two basic laws of love.
This letter seems to suggest that there were conflicts in the community. Therefore, John appealed to them to love each other. The community was also plagued with "deceivers". Their theology seemed to deny Jesus' Second Coming in flesh. Probably, they thought that Jesus had transformed into a pure spirit after resurrection. Or they thought that the flesh was evil and the spirit was noble. So, only the spirit of Jesus would come to judge the living and the dead, not his flesh.

My dear Advocate, You are the Spirit of Truth. You proceed from the Father and the Son. I pray that You continue to enlighten us of the truth and grant us freedom. Amen.

Philemon & Onesimus

We do not know how the books in the New Testament were collected. Paul had written many epistles to churches and individuals. Some survived and were included in the New Testament canon. Some were lost forever. Probably there are more than 2 epistles to the Corinthians. Probably Peter wrote more than two epistles.
Philemon must have been a rich man, an important personality in the early church. His house might have been a regular meeting place, a house-church, for the local Christians. He had a runaway slave, Onesimus, whom Paul was sending back to. Sending a runaway slave back to his master spells death. Therefore, Paul wrote this letter, probably to accompany Onesimus, to ensure his safety. We have no more clues about Philemon, nor about Onesimus. We don't know why Onesimus ran away in the first place. Did Philemon ill-treat his slaves? Or had Onesimus stolen something from Philemon? All these details are out of our reach. Only Paul's letter survives. So, let's take a look at his rhetorics.
It began with the usual greeting.
Then, Paul praised Philemon for his love and faith in Jesus and fellow believers (Philemon 1:5)
Philemon must have been very generous, offering his house for the meetings of the believers. In Paul's words,
the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. (Philemon 1:7).
So, Philemon must have occupied an important role in the early church so that his generous actions refreshed the hearts of the believers.
After praising him, Paul ordered Philemon to accept Onesimus back. But his wordings had been so skilful that the recipient did not feel forced to carry out Paul's command. Rather, Philemon should thank Paul for giving a chance to practise his Christian charity. Paul could have commanded Philemon to accept this runaway slave. Yet, out of love's sake, he chose to appeal to the conscience of Philemon.
Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required,
yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you -- I, Paul, an ambassador and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus --
I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment.
(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)  (Philemon 1:8-11)
but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own free will (Philemon 1:14).
But in order to guarantee the safety of Onesimus, to ensure that Philemon would not refuse, Paul volunteered to shoulder all responsibility. Yet at the same time, he hinted at the great debt Philemon owed him.
So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.
If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.
I, Paul, write this with my own hand, I will repay it -- to say nothing of your owing me even your own self (Philemon 1:17-19).
How could Philemon decline this forced "offer"?
Charity alone is not enough. We need to build up rhetorical skills so as to get things done.

My dear Advocate, in time of need, You will speak through us to bear witness for You. I humbly pray You. When time comes, help me speak, to convince my boss to switch back using English for Ethics and Religious Studies. Amen.

Feast of St. Josaphat of Polotsk

St. Josaphat (1580-1623) of Polotsk was an Eastern Orthodox bishop. He was a martyr trying to bring a part of the Easter Orthodox Church into union with the Roman Catholic Church. In remembering his heroic acts, we also wonder how bloodthirsty man can be.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9).
Titus 3 continues to provide advice to those who oversee the local churches as bishops. Bishops are a public office in the sense that they have to deal with many different people. Therefore, it was and is necessary for bishops to be diplomatic and tactful in dealing with all walks of life.
But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels over the law, for they are unprofitable and futile.
As for a man who is factious, after admonishing him once or twice, have nothing more to do with him,
knowing that such a person is perverted and sinful; he is self-condemned (Titus 3:9-11).
Therefore, bishops should refrain from falling into unprofitable controversies. Controversies are unprofitable because you cannot win people over with controversies. Heated arguments will not win people over your side of the argument. Most of the time, they only hardened your opponents' position.
It is interesting to see that genealogies were popular in those days. People were eager to establish their links towards famous people in ancient time. Matthew and Luke did the same in establishing the link of Jesus with David, Abraham and Adam.
In dealing with heretics, Paul advised Titus to argue with them once or twice only. In Paul's eyes, these people were self-condemned. It is not within our capacity to bring them back into the fold. As a teacher, an aging teacher, I can feel this very vividly. When I was young, I was energetic and able to mix with my students well. They were eager to listen to you. Nowadays, the generation gap is huge and I am not as interesting as I was in my younger days. Not many students would heed my admonitions.
We ourselves should not be arrogant. Paul reminded us of our evil past. Everyone has a story. Some good, some bad. If we are lucky enough to receive eternal life, it is all because of God's grace, not our own merits.
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by men and hating one another (Titus 3:3)

My dear Advocate, despite the fact that my students do not listen, I will continue to admonish them. It is my duty as a teacher. Many prophets before me did the same even without any success.
My dear Jesus, help me continue even when nobody listens. Amen.

Feast of St. Martin of Tours

St. Martin (315-395) was famous for his humility and charity. The Church celebrates his feast today. Legend has it that while he was yet a catechumen, he met a half naked beggar in a cold winter day. Overcome with compassion, Martin took his own mantle which he slashed into two and gave one to the beggar. Who do you think this beggar was? Read Matthew 25 and you will know the answer.
Titus 2 is a treasure chest.
First of all, it lists the qualities of behaviour expected of each rank of people.
Older men should be temperate, serious, sensible, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness (Titus 2:2).
Older women should be reverent in behavior, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good (to young women) (Titus 2:3).
Young women should love their husbands and children, to be sensible, chaste, domestic, kind, and submissive to their husbands (Titus 2:4b-5a).
Younger men should control themselves (Titus 2:6).
Slaves should be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to be refractory, nor to pilfer, but to show entire and true fidelity, (Titus 2:9-10a)
Secondly, salvation is for all men, not just for a selected few (Titus 2:11). Therefore, it is difficult for me to understand how predestination is theologically arguable. As is a trademark of the theology of St. Paul, salvation comes from God's grace.
Thirdly, this grace helps train us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of Jesus Christ (Titus 2:12-13)
Fourthly, Jesus is our Saviour and our God (Titus 2:13).
The theology articulated in Titus is more mature. Previously, Paul seemed to be hesitant in positioning Jesus. The Damascus experience resulted in positioning Jesus as Lord, stopping short at calling Jesus God (Philippians 2). In Titus, Paul called Jesus, in no uncertain term, God. A lot of mileage had been covered before Paul was able to reach this stage. It was no easy job for a Pharisee to confess a carpenter God. The obstacle was huge.

St. Martin, I pray to you for my student Martin. He has not yet built up a good study habit and he is in S.5. His days in Shung Tak are numbered. But that is only secondary. I am concerned about his neglect of his spiritual well-being. Pray that he may return before it is too late. Amen.

Feast of St. Leo the Great

For the first 400 years of Christianity, nearly all the popes, the Bishop of Rome, were saints. How could they not be? Being the bishop of Rome was equivalent to a death sentence. It was your turn to die, to be a martyr under the Roman Empire. After Constantine, life changed for the better. Therefore, the popes during and after the reign of Constantine would not die a violent death, to die a Christian martyr. Therefore, if they were saints, their contribution lay elsewhere.
Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Leo the Great who died in 461 A.D. He did not die a martyr. He is most remembered for his eloquence in dissuading the barbarians from plundering Rome. Actually, his major concern was the unity of the Catholic Church. He did what was necessary within his capacity as the pope and his contribution to the Church lay in his settling the issue of combining the humanity and divinity of Christ. His writings on the mystery of incarnation settled the controversy.
Jesus and Paul cannot be more different in their approaches. Jesus is the Son of God. He saw things from a higher perspective, from the point of view of God. Therefore, all men were lost sheep, were redeemable etc. Paul was a Pharisee. His earlier training was to be a teacher of the Law. Therefore, some people were irredeemable. They were trouble-makers in the house of God, disrupting the families from within.
For there are many insubordinate men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially the circumcision party;
they must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for base gain what they have no right to teach (Titus 1:10-11).
You will never find the following words spoken by Jesus against anybody, not even to those teachers of the Law. Jesus would not say this.
they are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good deed (Titus 1:16b).
Jesus would patiently suffer their abuses. He was ready to sacrifice himself on the cross for our good. As for Paul, the best way for a bishop to deal with these people was to rebuke them sharply (Titus 1:13).
Before he finished chapter one, Paul made the following observation:
To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are corrupted (Titus 1:15).
To the pure, all things are pure. It was a very idealistic situation. Subjectively speaking, it is possible for the pure to see things from their own point of view only. Everything they see is beautiful and pure. Jesus could do this. Paul probably could not. This is only a subjective judgment without supporting evidence. It would be rather awkward for me to criticize a great saint such as St. Paul! But if St. Paul were correct, he would only be able to see all things pure. The fact that he criticized indicates that St. Paul was not a pure man. Sorry Paul!

My pure Jesus, you taught us to keep our hearts pure so that we would be able to see God. Purify our hearts so that we may have a pure enough heart to see God. Amen.

Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica

Seldom do we have this Feast fall on Sunday. Rarer still do we celebrate it even it does fall on Sunday. This is the first time after my own baptism that we celebrate this Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica.
St. John Lateran Basilica is one of the 4 major cathedrals in Rome. It is the oldest cathedral of all. The palace belonged to the family of Laterani. Emperor Constantine donated it to the church. It used to be the residence of the Pope and the Cathedral of Rome until the days of the antipopes. When the Popes returned from Avignon, they chose Vatican to be their residence until today.
The Lateran Basilica has since become the Mother Cathedral of all cathedrals. She becomes the centre of communion among the universal Church, like the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, the Vicar of Jesus who is the centre of communion among the universal Church. Its symbolic significance is unparallel.
From the Bible, we know that God does not need a temple nor a church to dwell in. The last chapter of Isaiah has this saying from God. Stephen, the first Christian martyr quoted this before he died.
Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house which you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?
All these things my hand has made, and so all these things are mine, says the LORD (Isaiah 66:1-2a, Acts 7:49-50a).
In fact, since the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD, Judaism has evolved into a Torah-keeping faith rather than a cultic sacrificial religion.
In the gospel of John, Jesus cleansed the Temple early in his ministry rather than near its end. From the very beginning, he antagonized the Jewish authority and this explains why he incurred so much opposition from them. He loved the House of God so much so that he could not tolerate their blaspheming it. When challenged, he made a daring response.
The Jews then said to him, "What sign have you to show us for doing this?"
Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?"
But he spoke of the temple of his body.
When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken (John 2:18-22).
Jesus' body was the Temple. Naturally, Christians extend this idea to themselves. Our body is also a temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells. This was developed by St. Paul.
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?
If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
St. Peter has a similar teaching, but on a communal level. We are living stones that build up the holy church. Here, St. Peter was extending the Sinai covenant, in which the Israelites vowed to become a kingdom of priests, a holy nation (Exodus 19:6).
Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God's sight chosen and precious;
and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:4-5).
Therefore, both Judaism and Christianity do not stress the need of a magnificent temple. However, its symbolic and communal significance cannot be ignored. Our parish priest, Fr. John Baptist Kwan is anxious in making the crucifix conspicuous. In his previous parish in Hunghom, there is a big outdoor crucifix visible within the region. Fr. Kwan claimed that this crucifix has inspired a desperate man to give up the intention to commit suicide. He said that the church is symbolically important. But the parishioners are more important. An attractive church cannot be functional if the parishioners repel outsiders.

My dear Advocate, I confess my sins. I want to clean up my soul so that it may become a decent enough place for You to dwell. Amen.

Do what I teach or Do what I do?

Nowadays, teaching in a school is more like baby-sitting. Instead of describing our job as education, it is more appropriate to label it schooling. Society has advanced to such an extent that specialization is extensive. A Chemistry teacher knows only chemistry. Put it in another way, subject teachers are so specialized that they find it impossible to cross subject boundaries. Specialization narrows their vision of a teacher. Manners, discipline, morality and personality development are beyond their expertise. It is none of their business. Many teachers of the younger generation do not feel it their obligation to care about the building up of an appropriate value system for their students.
I am in a better position in the sense that I teach Ethics and Religious Studies. The character formation of my students is my concern and my teaching duties. I feel blessed as I am paid to read the Bible. And it works both ways. In telling my students not to gamble, I do not gamble, not even buying Mark Six. (But I have to confess that I did take part in 'joint-ventures' once or twice. I did not want to spoil their fun.) However, I cannot tell my students not to smoke because I myself smoke pipe. I picked up this habit all the way back to the good old days in the Psychology Department where all tutors, lecturers and professors smoked, except one --- the Rev. Kvan who made deep impressions on his students.
Once, Matthew criticised the Pharisees harshly.
The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat;
so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice (Matthew 23:2-3).
St. Paul was a Pharisee. He must have been the exception and consequently a good teacher. In this epistle to the Philippians, he demonstrated very well the quality of a good teacher.
Firstly, he showed his care of the church members.
I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.
And I ask you also, true yokefellow, help these women, for they have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life (Philippians 4:2-3).
He personally appealed to the two ladies. He sought the community to get involved in the reconciliation of the two women, giving them an opportunity to practise what they learned from Paul.
Secondly, Paul gave them sound advice: to rejoice, to think in a positive manner, to focus on the true, the honourable, the just, the pure, the lovely, the gracious, the excellent and the praise-worthy (Philippians 4:8)
Thirdly, he taught by sharing his experience.
Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content.
I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want.
I can do all things in him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:11-13).
Lastly, he did not forget to praise the Philippians often.
Paul was a great teacher because he could confidently tell his readers to do what he did, not just what he taught.
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:9).
One last remark before I leave the Philippians. Paul did not quote any Old Testament text in this epistle. He did not quote in the epistles to Philemon, Titus and the Thessalonians.

My dear Advocate, as a teacher, I pray for myself and my colleagues so that we may be able to tell our students to do what we do, not just what we teach. Amen.

Rise from old wounds

In the month of November, we remember the faithful departed. Death is a certainty for every mortal. Yet, we believe in eternal life. This belief helps us see beyond death. There is life out there after death. There is a flash of light, however dim, at the end of the tunnel. Life and death are the two faces of the same coin. When we contemplate one, we cannot ignore the other. When we stare death in the face, we see life behind it. When we wonder how good life is, death is lurking at the back. Therefore, we spend the whole month reflecting on life and death issues, remembering our ancestors and friends, praying for the souls in the purgatory etc.
Yesterday, I argued that Paul did not suffer from low self-esteem. The thesis expounded in The True Believer does not explain the case of Paul adequately. He was more like a merchant who had discovered a treasure.
Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:8)
He found in Jesus what he had never before experienced. Judaism did not give him such a conversion experience. In order to know this resurrection power, Paul was willing to suffer for Jesus.
that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:10-11).
Is the "if possible" an expression of humility, showing that Paul did not want to force the hand of God? Paul firmly believed that without God's intervention, we do not even know how to pray. On the other hand, was Paul's "doubt" on resurrection an evolution of the mind so as to know resurrection gradually?
When the S5 students leave, they like to exchange their memorial handbooks and write a phrase of blessing, encouragement etc. What is in a rose? Will it change if we call it a different name? etc. Trying to make life more manageable, I write the same phrase most of the time, for most of the students.
Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13).
Between the lines and changes was the sunny day. So, don't be burdened by the past. Make this an offense even punishable by school regulations! Our new boss always says / wants to start things anew. I admire her eagerness but I don't think life works like this. We carry old grudges in our memory. We have a history on our back, old wounds on our shoulder. It will be difficult to forgive and forget though we know we should.

My dear Advocate, help us focus on You and forget our old wounds. Cover our sins so that we may start anew. Amen.

The True Believer

In 1951, Eric Hoffer (1902-1983) published a book called The True Believer, applying social psychology to explain mass movements such as early Christianity, Communism, Fascism, Islam and Nazism etc. The book went through 23 editions! Hoffer focused on the role of self-esteem in creating fanatics who become core members in mass movements which almost always promise a better tomorrow. Peter denied Jesus three times and collapsed under the weight of guilt. Adolf Hitler, Mohammed and Stalin began as failures. In generating mass movements, they were able to enhance and compensate their lowly self-esteem. Furthermore, mass movements are interchangeable. Fanatics in one movement may switch side to the opposite camp as long as it provides a better and brighter future. From a secular point of view, Christianity is one of such mass movements which promise a bright future --- the Kingdom of God. Moreover, early Christianity was successful in attracting the poor and the marginal. Hoffer's hypothesis describes Christianity best. However, Hoffer was not a biblical scholar. We cannot expect him to be very accurate in applying his hypothesis to biblical personalities.
Paul switched from prosecuting Christians to becoming a zealous Christian missionary. If we apply Hoffer's hypothesis, Paul must have suffered from a very lowly self-esteem before his conversion. However, the reading of Philippians today shows that Paul was very proud of his earlier life.
Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:
circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law a Pharisee,
as to zeal a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness under the law blameless (Philippians 3:4-6).
From his own witness, (unless Paul was telling lies) we have no reason to think that the self-esteem of Paul was low. He was a Pharisee, most of whom thought that they were better than the rest of the Jews. Therefore, we need other hypotheses to explain this reversal of fortune, from a persecutor to the one being persecuted.
In his own words, Paul had found something more valuable than the totality of his earlier life. And this something must be Jesus for whom Paul was willing to invest all his life.
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:7-8)

My dear Advocate, it was Your grace that delivers. On our own, we usually abuse the freedom You have given us and apply our talents in the wrong way. I pray that we may continue steadily to follow Your path. St. Paul, pray for us. Amen.

Is the teaching of Paul outdated?

Civilization keeps evolving. New technology comes up nearly everyday. When the means of production changes, it changes our way of life as well. In ancient time, men invented writing to keep track of their daily transactions. Therefore, they inscribed on clay tablets, bones, shells, bamboo sticks etc. Later, they wrote on cattle hides and later on paper. With the invention of moving type printing, books could be mass-produced. The literacy and intelligence of the general public was raised. Once when the mass of people were illiterate, were ignorant, a tyrant would do whatever he wanted. His words were laws. Now, with the spread of literacy, democracy takes over tyranny. Nowadays, there are more types of medium to spread information, especially the electronic ones. It used to be the elders who could decide the allocation of resources. Nowadays, younger people have more say because they are better able to handle the newer types of information processing. There are newer and different ways for people to interact and to transact. The protocol of interactions has changed. The more traditional morality may not be appropriate to apply to newer sequences of encounters.
Whenever I touch upon Paul's advice on husband-wife relations in the epistle to the Ephesians for the HKCEE Religious Studies, I always ask my students whether Paul's teaching is obsolete nowadays. Read this and decide it for yourself.
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord.
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior (Ephesians 5:22-23).
In view of the greater autonomy and higher status of women nowadays,  Paul's advice can only remain marginal. These days, most couples need to work and sometimes, wives earn more than husbands. Wives devote more time in their careers and contribute to the greater prosperity of this city. In such a situation, how can husbands be the head of their wives?
In our workplaces, can we do what Paul taught?
Do all things without grumbling or questioning,
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:14-15)
Do all things without grumbling. Fine, no problem, especially in view of the global downturn of the economies of different countries all over the world. You would be lucky if you could keep your job. So, how could you complain? But ...
Do all things without questioning! Are you sure, Paul? Only soldiers follow commands and finish them without asking any question. But we are no soldiers in our daily life, though fighting battle was one of the favourite metaphors Paul used. Modern management talks about team spirit, delegation of authority etc. All these practices require two-way communications. People do not hold dear in their hearts being blameless and innocent. Rather, they talk more about accountability, transparency and willingness to assume responsibilities. It is unimaginable not to ask questions in modern workplaces. If you do not ask questions, nor do you raise objections, people will assume that you consent to the objective and the procedure. In the end when things go wrong, you cannot disclaim liability. You cannot be blameless and innocent. Sorry, Paul. This part of your ethics does not work in this modern setting.

My dear Advocate, Obama won the US presidential election and becomes the first black US president. USA has long since played an influential role in the modern world. She is affecting the lives of most of the people on this planet. I pray for Obama and may You guide him and support him all through his term and the next. Amen.

A Song to praise the humility of Jesus

What did Paul think about Jesus? During the Damascus' encounter, Paul confessed that Jesus was Lord. Did he mean God?
And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." (Acts 9:4-5)
Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles. In his writings, Lord refers both to Jesus and to God. In Corinth, Paul had another vision of the Lord who told him to stay.
And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent;
for I am with you, and no man shall attack you to harm you; for I have many people in this city."  (Acts 18:9-10).
So, Paul stayed in Corinth for more than one and a half year. Jesus knew a lot of things and was capable of protecting Paul from any perils. Naturally, Jesus must be the God of Paul. It was unimaginable for a Jew to have any God other than Yahweh. But Christians did. For Christians, Jesus is the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. Jesus is God. This is totally unacceptable for the Jews whose God is one. Therefore, there established a misunderstanding and being the majority, Jews before the Destruction of the Holy Temple would initiate crime cleaning campaigns, which were in fact, directed against Christians.
For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,
engaged in the same conflict which you saw and now hear to be mine (Philippians 1:29-30).
Therefore, Christians should always be prepared to suffer for the sake of Jesus; to engage in the same conflict which Jesus and Paul had suffered. Of course, God does not suffer. Here, Jesus was truly a man so as to be able to suffer.
Having thus established that for Paul, Jesus was his God. Then, how shall we understand the Humility Hymn recorded in Philippians 2:5-11? Even if Paul did not compose this hymn himself, at least he approved of the theology expressed in the lyrics.
The problem is between form and nature.
though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped (Philippians 2:6)
His rhetoric sometimes brings us into difficulties. What did Paul mean when he confessed that Jesus was in the form of God ... Was Jesus not God yet? Logically speaking, the sentence does not deny the possibility that Jesus and God are one in nature.
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:11).
It seems that Paul was still unable to elevate the status of Jesus in here. He (or his quotation from somewhere) made a distinction in the use of the word Lord and God (the Father). Nowadays, we are enjoying the fruits the Apostles planted. Generations of Christians have overcome some difficulties of the true identity, the divinity and humanity and nature of Jesus. When we receive the teaching handed down from the Apostles, we are actually standing on their shoulders to bypass a few steps in the development of the theology. Therefore, we shouldn't be too surprised to meet similar incomplete discourses.

My dear Advocate, thank You for giving us St. Paul to guide us on our way. They are wonderful companions on our way home. Bless us Lord and quickly finish us. Amen.