Initial Reflections on Joseph of Arimathea

It’s not a sin to be religious.  Here is a man, like Paul, who is a Pharisee and yet a believer.  The problem Jesus called out in the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin was hypocrisy — claiming to follow God and displaying piety while holding onto unrepentant pride and worldliness.  In the case of Joseph, we are reading about a man who is concerned with cleaning both the outside and the inside of the cup!

It’s not a sin to be powerful.  This was a man of true religious conviction who also held authority.  He was a member of the Sanhedrin and a prominent one at that.  He even used his influence to dissent and not condone the death of Jesus.  It may be that Joseph’s position is what swayed Pilate to turn over Jesus’s body.  Just as the Scripture calls on elders to rule “well,” God allows men authority that requires righteous execution.  He was concerned with the kingdom of God, not building his own fiefdom. 

It’s not a sin to be wealthy.  If Joseph had not made his family tomb available, then it’s possible that there would not have been a grave available for Jesus.  If money is not an idol in one’s life to be served and worshipped, it can be used for the glory of God, as it in the burial of Christ.

Popular posts from this blog

Controversy about Alistair Begg and Gay Weddings?

Image
Last week, Alistair Begg got himself into hot water.  His ministry, Truth for Life, posted a video which included his advice to a grandmother concerned for a grandchild trapped in the transgender lifestyle.  Moreover, this grandchild is getting married and has hopefully invited the grandmother to the wedding. Begg the grandmother two questions.   He asked her if she had expressed her disapproval of the lifestyle, and he asked if she had expressed disapproval about the wedding.   The grandmother said she had on both accounts.   His advice, therefore, stunned the grandmother: He told her to attend the wedding with a gift in hand! We can all sympathize with the drive to be as loving as possible, but let’s back up and consider a few points.   Christians look at Scripture and see biblical prohibitions against practically every expression on the current LGBTQ+ spectrum.   From both the Old Testament and the New, passages condemn such behaviors as deviations from normal creation.   Moreov
Read more

How Was the Trauma Training Today?

Image
Because we are including so many more foster children and children from broken homes into our fellowship, our church participated in a trauma training session today.  Our main purpose was to gain practical insights into how to handle situations where children who have experienced trouble act out their emotions.  To that end, we can be thankful for our time together.  However, there were many errant teachings included which we must reject.  ERRANT TEACHING ON THE BRAIN The presentation alleged that the brain is physically transformed through traumatic events, creating “holes” in it and in its ability to process information.   This is possible, but there is a lot of debate on this subject.   The subject is relatively new, based on the largely anecdotal research of Dutch psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, published in his book The Body Keeps the Score .   Secular psychologists and even some Christian counselors (who are not always biblical in their approach) have found value in this un
Read more

What should we think about the upcoming solar eclipse?

Image
As celestial phenomena unfold, many individuals rightly turn to Scripture, seeking insights into their significance.  Eclipses, comets, supernovas, and meteor showers spark fascination and questions as to whether these events carry divine messages.  However, discerning between natural occurrences and supernatural signs requires careful consideration among Christians, particularly in the context of hermeneutics (the science of interpreting the Bible) and eschatological (end-times) beliefs. The Balance of Natural Order and Divine Intervention I am a supernaturalist, meaning that I believe God made this world and can intervene in events in miraculous ways to accomplish His purposes.   God made the cosmos, and on the fourth day of creation, the Lord made the sun, moon, and stars, establishing these luminaries to be “for signs and for seasons and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14).   The word “signs” carries a special fascination for us, but we also see that God had a broader intent f
Read more