Author Archives: Anthony Baker

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About Anthony Baker

Husband, dad, pastor, artist, and musician. Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 2006 (no joke!). Loves coffee (big time), good movies, and sarcastic humor. Holds a Doctorate in Ministry. Most importantly, a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. All glory belongs to Him! Matthew 5:16
by | July 3, 2021 · 9:00 am

A Mini Commentary (Pt. 4)

Are we having fun, yet!

I am!

Let’s jump back into the deep water this morning and look at Ephesians 4:3. It’s all part of a short commentary on Ephesians 4:1-16 entitled,

“The Edification of the Body of Christ by the Gifts Given by Jesus to the Church.”

But hey! When you are finished reading today’s study, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Tomorrow is the 4th of July, so I’ll be sharing a post relating to that subject, not this. But check back on Monday to pick it up again as we look at Ephesians 4:4.

4:3 “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Endeavouring

            Here the Apostle Paul uses a word that adds urgency to the “vocation.” To endeavour (σπουδάζω, spoudazō) is to use make haste to do what you need to do. Even more, the sense of urgency implies that one should do everything he can as soon as he can and not waste time.

Or, as the Pulpit Commentary described, “Σπουδάζοντες is stronger than the A. V. ‘endeavouring,’ and denotes an object to be carefully and earnestly watched for and promoted.”[1] Consider how the same word is used in 2 Timothy 4:9 when Paul asked Timothy, “Do thy diligence (spoudazō) to come to me shortly.” And, again, in verse 21 of the same chapter, “Do thy diligence to come before winter…” We can sense the urgency. However, as much as the word could convey a sense of urgency, it can also point to great desire, like the heartfelt longing Paul expressed in 1 Thessalonians 2:17 where he said:

1 Thessalonians 2:17 KJV – But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured[G4704] the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

Considering how Paul used endeavoured in other places, it would be safe to conclude that the unity to which he is referring should not only be striven for with urgency, but with great desire.

To keep the unity of the Spirit

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            What does it mean to “keep” something? The word translated here can be used to describe keeping, watching over, or guarding something.[2] It could also be used with the meaning of keeping something in a particular state or condition. However, what needs to be stressed is that unity is not something that happens naturally, at least not in the spiritual body. When we seek our own devices, we cause disunity, strife, and internal conflict. Therefore, we must “endeavor” to watch over and guard our unity. The Enemy seeks to divide and conquer, but we are stronger when we are unified.

In the bond

            The word “bond” (σύνδεσμος sýndesmos, soon’-des-mos) is an important word to know, for used in the context of unity and the body, it refers to a joint or ligament that holds the individual members of the Body together. It is figurative language, yet it is fitting considering the Church is a living body, not simply a building. The joints are therefore flexible as well as strong, but like any other living tissue in a body, it must receive nourishment, and that must come from the life-giving Spirit.

Peace

            The unity of the Spirit is kept by the bond of “peace.” As with the human body, the spiritual body, both of local congregations and of the Church, are complicated structures with many members which act symbiotically to maintain a container for life. The Church contains the Spirit, and it must endeavor to maintain unity, an unbroken body, in order to keep it (like trying to keep a physical body in one piece in order to maintain the life of the body). And what is it that keeps the body together and working? It is the bonds, the ligaments. And what are the bonds, the ligaments, in this spiritual entity? They are peace. Peace is the bond, the ligament, that binds together the individual members for the work which the body was designed to do.

            Peace is the Greek word εἰρήνη (eirēnē) – Strongs G1515 – and can refer to either a “state of national tranquility” or “peace between individuals.” The effectual working of the Body of Christ (the Church) in the world desperately depends on healthy and strong bonds of peace, yet this unity is fragile and often neglected with most of the attention and energy directed members instead of what binds them.

“Unity is maintained by the Spirit. Unity is preserved as believers make peace with one another their major priority instead of acting selfishly for personal gain and honor. Our call is not to create spiritual unity but rather to manifest spiritual unity by relational unity. Paul calls for unity in the third verse and spends the next thirteen verses elaborating on it.”[3]

[1] H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Ephesians, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909), 147.

[2] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 1002.

[3] Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 149.

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by | July 2, 2021 · 9:00 am

A Mini Commentary (Pt. 3)

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Thank you for coming back!

This is Part 3, but today we are going to be looking at the second verse of Ephesians 4. My hope is that for some of you this develops a desire to go deeper in your own study of Scripture.

Again, I’d love your feedback. Leave a comment and I really would appreciate it.

4:2 “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;”

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering

            Before anything else, it is important to note the prepositional phrases which include the words lowliness, meekness, and longsuffering. In actuality, the second prepositional phrase (“with longsuffering”) modifies the first (“with all lowliness and meekness”), both being prerequisites for “forbearing one another in love.” Matthew Henry commented: “The first step towards unity is humility; without this there will be no meekness, no patience, or forbearance; and without these no unity.”[1] It is with humility (lowliness) that we withhold or set aside our rights or desires for vindication, thereby creating the ability to be patient and “longsuffering” with those who may abuse or misuse us, as even our own brothers and sisters often do.

  • Lowliness

            Lowliness can also be translated as humility. It is “the quality of humility— ‘humble attitude, humility, without arrogance.’”[2] Humility is the fertile soil in which meekness and longsuffering can grow.

  • Meekness

            Meekness is not weakness; it’s mildness and gentleness.[3] In Matthew 11:29 we read that Jesus was “meek and lowly.” Therefore, having the attribute of meekness should in no way imply weakness or impotence. For the Christian, meekness models Christ in that He could have claimed His rights, yet He endured with patience for the sake of others.

  • Longsuffering,

            The Greek word translated as “longsuffering” (μακροθυμία, makrothymia G3116) is found fourteen times in the King James Version of the Bible, and of those fourteen times it is only translated as “patience” twice. However, nearly every other translation of the Bible besides the NKJV and the ASV renders makrothymia as “patience” in this verse. To be fair, patience is the major meaning of this word, but it is also more.

If we look at this old word of “longsuffering,” we may notice that it is made up of two English words: long and suffering. Patience may be equal to suffering, but how long should one be patient? The prefix makro answers that question: a long time. Therefore, longsuffering should be understood to convey a sense of endurance of pain or suffering for a longer period. The same word is used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4 when, describing charity (love), he says it “suffereth long.”

forbearing one another in love;

            It might seem that longsuffering and forbearing are words so similar that using them both is almost redundant. However, Matthew Henry aptly distinguishes the two:

“Long-suffering implies a patient bearing of injuries, without seeking revenge. Forbearing one another in love signifies bearing their infirmities out of a principle of love, and so as not to cease to love them on the account of these.” [4]

To forbear is to endure the undeserved pain and suffering inflicted by the actions or consequences of others’ actions with intent, and in this case the intent being love. The important difference between forbearing with or without love (agape) is how it can affect the one forbearing. One could forbear, patiently bear the burden, the load caused by another, with bitterness, guilt, or resignation and add suffering to suffering. On the other hand, as Paul beseeches the reader, we could forbear one another’s inflictions with a love that demands nothing in return. What joy is had by the latter in contrast to the former!

[1] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 2312.

[2] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 747.

[3] Henry George Liddell et al., A Greek-English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996), 1459.

[4] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 2312.

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by | July 1, 2021 · 9:00 am

A Mini Commentary (Pt. 2)

Welcome back to part 2 in this series of posts focusing on a particular section of the book of Ephesians, Paul’s letter to the Church at Ephesus.

Yesterday I shared with you the Introduction. Now, let’s jump right into it with the very first verse, Ephesians 4:1

4:1 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,”

I therefore,

The first thing to consider in this verse are the words “I therefore.” As an old saying goes, whenever we see the word therefore, we need to ask what it is there for? Here, therefore is referring us back to the previous chapter, arguably to the very beginning of the letter.

the prisoner

Paul referred to himself as a “prisoner” (δέσμιος) five different times in his letters (Eph. 3:1; 4:1; Phm. 1:1 and 1:9; 2 Tim. 1:8). Interestingly, maybe even ironically, the idea of the word desmios is that of one who has actually committed a crime and is a “person who is under custody in prison—‘prisoner.’”[1] In any other situation, to be a guilty prisoner should expect judgment and condemnation, except the Lord (κύριος) to whom he is a prisoner is Jesus Christ, as seen in 3:1. Because of this, Paul doesn’t recoil from the idea of being a prisoner – he revels in the fact, for it is only THIS Lord who has paid Paul’s debt and imputed His own righteousness. Though a prisoner, he is free.

of the Lord,

The difference between using “Jesus Christ” and “Lord” in 3:1 and 4:1 can be seen in the differing contexts; one being the context of a Messiah for all, the other being the context of those answering to the Master for the task we have been given. Both aspects will contribute to the foundation of Paul’s later argument for unity. Jesus is not only the Messiah for the Jews, but also the Savior of the Gentiles. Yet, as implied in 4:1, Jesus is also our Master. The implication is that what Paul is about to address will be something for which we will be held accountable.

What about the preposition in relation to the prisoner? The KJV renders ἐν as “of,” but according to the Pulpit Commentary, Paul’s prisonership is more than one of association, but partnership: “Not merely “of the Lord,” but ἐν Κυρίῳ, the usual formula for vital communion with Christ, indicating that his captivity was the captivity of a part or member of the Lord.”[2] Here with this preposition we see a foundational stone in the building of Paul’s argument for unity in the Body of Christ, for we are all part of that Body.

beseech you

Speaking to all the Christians who would hear or read this letter, Paul showed concern and passion as he “beseech”-ed the Church to “walk worthy.” The word παρακαλέω (Strong’s G3870) was used by Paul fifty times in his letters and epistles. Sometimes the word was translated as “comforted” (1 Corinthians 14:31) or “exhort” (2 Corinthians 9:5). Yet, more often parakaleo was used with the meaning of “to ask for something earnestly and with propriety.”[3] However, it would be too simple to conclude that Paul’s beseeching was simply “begging” people to do something. The depth of parakaleo implies that Paul was speaking as a friend, a companion on the same journey, to those he called to his side to impart wisdom. One could almost sense that the Apostle couldn’t tell them everything he wanted to, but could only simply say “…please, I beg of you, for your own good…”

that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

            The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ…” [4] Here in Ephesians 4:1 as also in Philippians 1:27, Paul uses the word ἀξίως (axios), which is an adverb modifying the verb “walk.” With the idea of one’s walk being his way of living and choice of conversation, his “walk” should be one that reflects positively on both the calling and the Christ who issued it. Paul goes on in the next verses to give examples of what a “worthy” walk would include.

  • Vocation

 The first thing that probably comes to mind when we see this word is one’s career or job. Some may be familiar with “vocational schools,” places where students learn skills which they will apply in their career, their vocation. When it comes to the Christian, all work should be considered sacred, and every “vocation” should be understood as a calling.

 Translated as “vocation,” κλῆσις (klēseōs Strong’s G2821) means more than one’s career choice, “but invitation to experience of special privilege and responsibility, call, calling, invitation.”[5] Used nine times by the Apostle Paul (Rom. 11:29; 1 Cor. 1:26, 7:20; Eph. 1:18, 4:1, 4:4; Phil. 3:14; 2 Thess. 1:11; 2 Tim. 1:9), once by the writer of Hebrews (Heb. 3:1), and once by the Apostle Peter (2 Pet. 1:10), it’s only in 4:1 that we see κλῆσις translated as “vocation”; every other time it is translated as “calling.” However, if we were to replace calling with vocation in several of these other verses, it might help shed light on the sanctity of work.

Romans 11:29 KJV – For the gifts and [vocation] of God are without repentance.

1 Corinthians 7:20 KJV – Let every man abide in the same [vocation] wherein he was called.

Philippians 3:14 KJV – I press toward the mark for the prize of the high [vocation] of God in Christ Jesus.

Those in ministry often refer to their vocation as a “calling,” i.e., they were “called” into the ministry of the Gospel. When we consider that vocation is another word for calling, every vocation is a calling from God to be a witness where He places us. However, in the context of this passage, part our job description is to “forebear one another” and “endeavor” to keep unity in the Body of Christ.”

[1] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 485.

[2] H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Ephesians, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909), 146.

[3] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 407.

[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Php 1:27.

[5] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 549.

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by | June 30, 2021 · 2:01 pm

A Mini Commentary (Pt. 1)

Hello… Again!

A month or two ago I was happy to announce that I would be returning to the blogging community with new content and would be reading your stuff again. Well, it’s taken longer than I planned.

Have you ever noticed how life can get a little busy?

Anyway, today I want to start a short (maybe) series of posts based on some study I did in the 4th chapter of Ephesians. It was a short (mini) commentary that was, among other things, required for me to complete my Doctorate of Ministry (D. Min.).

So, without further ado, let’s begin with the beginning: the title and a short introduction.

“The Edification of the Body of Christ by the Gifts Given by Jesus to the Church”

(An exposition of Ephesians 4:1-16)

Introduction

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The following exposition focuses only on one small section of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus. This section uses the metaphor of a human body to explain the truth that the Church is the Body of Christ. But even more, he delineates between the corporate truth and the individual truth: that the Body is being built up and matured, but that God is also concerned about the individual member’s development.

    This section is also where we find an explanation of the “grace” gifts to the Church Body and members in particular. These are the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers. As Paul explains, it is these gifts that are necessary for growth.

    Paul then details the progressive steps toward growing “up into Christ” as not only the supreme Example, but the very Framework and pre-determined Design for the Church and individual member alike.

    Ephesians 4:1-16 is the blueprint for a successful and healthy Church, where the rest of the chapter focuses on the individual member of the Body’s walk. Yet, these sixteen verses are full of encouragement and hope. No matter our station, no matter our abilities, we are all designed by God, equipped by God, placed by God, and are guaranteed to grow with the Body through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.

But key to our success is the faithful application of the gifts He has given us. They cannot be ignored, kept to ourselves, or prohibited. In whatever measure we are given these gifts, the ultimate goal is not self-edification, however important in its own right; the ultimate objective is the edification – the building up into Christ – of the Church, the Body of Christ. Only by seeking to edify the Body can individual gifts find their greatest fulfilment.

Come back tomorrow for Part 2 in this series.

If any of it is a blessing or an encouragement, I’d love to hear about it.

God bless!

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by | June 24, 2021 · 9:25 pm

If You Have Honest Questions, Why Not Ask?

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by | June 18, 2021 · 8:40 am

Thoughts On the 2021 SBC Convention

Sometimes a Video

Good Friday morning, everyone! It’s good to be back in the blogosphere for a little while.

So much has been going on, so I apologize for not writing as much as I’d like. Honestly, writing is a good thing for any preacher to do, for it helps us hone our thoughts – at least it does mine.

But for today, and I don’t plan for this to be a regular thing, I’m going to forward the video from a Facebook live post I did Wednesday night. There’s just no way I could take the time to write out all that I cover in this video.

My Thoughts, Only

This week the largest non-Catholic denomination of Christian believers (the Southern Baptist Convention) met in Nashville, TN, for an historic gathering. 16,000 +/- people (messengers) sent from local congregations all over the country got together for collective worship and critical votes. My wife and I were two of them.

The meeting was so important that nearly all the major news networks and papers covered it. Most, of course, had no intention of being flattering – not unless they were praising the election of the left-leaning Dr. Ed Litton as President.

So, the video to which I am linking contains my thoughts, and only my thoughts, about the results of the meeting and the future of the SBC.

What is MOST Important

But I want you to understand something, my friends. What is most important about all this is how we move forward in the love and grace of Jesus Christ. What’s most important is what we are here to be and to do, and that supersedes denominational wins and defeats.

Please, I would encourage you to watch this video post that I made, because even if you are not Southern Baptist, or any kind of Baptist at all, the world is watching, the world is hurting, and the world needs the good news of Jesus Christ.

We must not allow the results of our gatherings to tear us apart.

http://www.facebook.com/anthony.c.baker.16/videos/10220227491300574

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by | June 5, 2021 · 6:56 pm

Only a Few

I was thinking of something new to write for tomorrow, specifically in memory of D-Day. The only thing that keeps coming to mind is “only a few.”

Now, the first thing that sounds like is “The Few, the Proud, the Marines.” Maybe that’s why I hearing those words in my head, you think?

On the other hand, it could come from the idea that all it takes is “only a few.” You know, like those Marines, or a few initial protestors, or even the miniscule 200 in the upper room that became the Christian Church.

Sometimes all it takes is a few people to make a difference, even to change the world.

By the Numbers

But when I look back at June 6th, 1944, there were far more than “only a few” who stormed those beaches. Far more.

  • 156,000 troops or paratroopers came ashore that day alone.
  • 195,700 naval personnel were used.
  • By the end of June 11th (D+5), 326,527 military personnel had come ashore.

From Yahoo News: “The First U.S. Army, accounting for the first twenty-four hours in Normandy, tabulated 1,465 killed, 1,928 missing, and 6,603 wounded. The after-action report of U.S. VII Corps (ending 1 July) showed 22,119 casualties including 2,811 killed, 5,665 missing, 79 prisoners, and 13,564 wounded, including paratroopers.”

Also from Yahoo News: “German sources vary between four thousand and nine thousand D-Day casualties on 6 June—a range of 125 percent. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s report for all of June cited killed, wounded, and missing of some 250,000 men, including twenty-eight generals.

What’s the point?

Sometimes all we need are “a few good men.”

On the other hand, there are times when “only a few” good men (and/or women) just isn’t enough.

Today, June 5th, we live in a world with battles raging. Yes, there are physical conflicts in play in various places, but there are other battlegrounds, too.

  • The fight for religious liberty and freedom of speech
  • The fight over personal liberty without constant government overreach
  • The fight over personal conscience with regard to changing social norms
  • The fight for the right to defend oneself
  • The fight for our nation’s moral conscience, dignity, and very sovereignty

There is even the battle for the survival of the local rural church congregation due to COVID-induced “couch worship.”

People, we need more than “only a few,” we need all hands on deck.

When you storm beaches, numbers matter.

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by | June 3, 2021 · 8:19 am

Make it a Thankful Thursday!

We have so many things to be thankful to God for, but so often all we can think about are the things we think we need, the situations we want to change, or the pains we want to go away.

You do realize, don’t you, that if all you think about are the “prayer requests” and not the praises, then you may come to think that the One you pray to is failing you.

Flip the script on this beautiful Thursday and praise God for even the most mundane things!

Think about it, where would you be today if you didn’t have running water? Are you thankful for it, or do you simply take it for granted?

Air conditioning?

Shoes?

More than one meal, and leftovers to boot?

Friends, we are FAR more blessed than we even comprehend, yet so often we act like God doesn’t know we exist, or at least rarely hears our prayers.

God is good all the time! And, say it with me….

“All the time God is good!”

Seriously, if only today, with your voice say out loud “Thank you” to God for everything that comes to mind. Praise Him for even the simple things, like, “Lord, that is a beautiful tree…you did such a wonderful job on that one.”

Do this just today and then let me know if your mood stays the same.

God bless (even more than He already has)!

Anthony

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by | June 1, 2021 · 7:47 pm

Love Is Love?

What does it mean when you say “Love Is Love“?

Before you try to answer that, let’s change the words. Let’s see if the same way of defining love works with other stuff.

  • Rock is Rock.
  • Lamb is Lamb.
  • Bob is Bob.
  • Cola is Cola.
  • Dirt is Dirt.
  • Poison is Poison.
  • Hate is Hate.

As you can see, the words above are not as easy to define by stating that one is what it is. To say that a rock is a rock is to say a diamond is a piece of driveway gravel. To say that dirt is dirt is to equate what my flowers are growing in with stuff people dig up to smear politicians.

Is every Bob the same as every other Bob?

Is Coke really as nasty as the generic stuff?

Is a stuffed lamb in a toy store the same as the living, breathing, pooping animal capable of growing wool?

If “hate is hate,” then is it as equally immoral to hate the act of murder or cottage cheese that same as I hate my neighbor?

LOVE IS LOVE tells us nothing! all it does is confuse and belittle, elevate what is not the real thing, and degrade what is priceless.

LOVE IS LOVE tells us nothing! All it does is confuse and belittle, elevate what is not the real thing, and degrade what is priceless.

A.C. Baker

Then What IS Love?

Is there no standard for what love is supposed to be? Is self-love the same as sacrificial love? Stating that “love is love” doesn’t even clarify whether or not love is a verb or a noun?

That is why the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle John to write: “God is love” (1 John 4:8,16).

What love is supposed to be is directly related to the nature of God.

God is the standard. God is the Definer.

Love without God in the equation is a scary, vague, unstable, dangerous, self-serving, undefinable, always-changing emotional term that can be used to justify anything (which can be verified by doing a Google search of “Love Is Love” memes).

Poison isn’t just poison, but love without God is a poison that blinds the heart. – Ephesians 4:17-19

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by | May 29, 2021 · 9:20 pm

Have Brush, Will Paint

First things first, I’m cranking up the writing engine again! [Should there be an apostrophe before “again”?]

Anyway, yes, I’m knocking the rust off the old WordPress “publish” button. Time to get back in the fray with my fellow bloggers! I’ve missed you guys (and gals).

But this post is only going to be a quick commercial for my art. I would love for you to take a look. If you see anything that sparks your interest, let me know.

If you have something you’d like for me to paint, I’d be happy to consider it. I’ve already got a few houses and churches in the works, so jump now before the wait gets too long … now THAT would be a blessing!

Oh, and that white bucket truck is a painting, not a photo. 🙂

Last thing, try to go to church somewhere this Lord’s Day.

Have a blessed one!

Anthony

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