Pursuing a Worthy Life

Jewish unity is possible - really! It begins with acting decently toward one another; it follows with tolerating others as they pursue lives of goodness; it culminates with many different Jews, but just one heart.
From Lev Echad

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. -Ephesians 4:1-6

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. -Ephesians 4:29-32

If the Apostle Paul was a Messianic Jewish blogger and his letter to the congregation in Galatia had been posted on his personal blog, how would it be received by those who read his post? Well, what follows are the comments from readers in response to Paul’s inspired post, ahem “epistle”.
Gene Shlomovich in his blog post:
If the Apostle Paul was a Messianic Jewish Blogger
on Daily Minyan

Paul seems to have a difference of presentation between what he said in Galatians and the advice he offers to the Gentile Messianic disciples in Ephesians. Paul said some pretty rough things to the churches in Galatia including admitting that he accused Peter of hypocrisy publicly (Galatians 2:11-13), calling the Galatians foolish (Galatians 3:1), and wishing the "Judaizers" would cut off their own genitals (Galatians 5:12). So what's all this business about not letting any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths? Is this a case of "do as I say and not as I do?"

It's almost as if Paul had received a personality transplant between these two letters, or could this be an example of what some New Testament scholars have found to be inconsistencies in the New Testament text?

Of course other scholars have suggested that the inconsistencies in the different Gospel accounts represent different theological points the Gospel writers were trying to make to different audiences, so I suppose we could consider Paul's change in attitudes between Galatians and Ephesians in that light. Paul may have been trying to make a point to the Galatians by using "rough talk" knowing they'd be more likely to respond to that language, while approaching the Ephesians using a different method, knowing that would work better with them.

But what about us and how we talk?

The Messianic blogosphere tends to justify its "rough talk" with each other based on Paul in Galatians, but is Paul's example in Ephesians ever used? I'd like to think that some of bloggers in our little corner of the web do so by example.

For instance, Michael Schiffman's blog is pretty much a very friendly place to visit. Even when he has a strong point to make, he doesn't do so by denigrating other people or allowing an abundance of such talk to inhabit the comments section of his blog. There are a number of others who behave similarly in the Messianic blogosphere...and a number of others who do not.

I try to maintain a kind of peace on my blog without succumbing to a sort of "Pollyanna" environment where only a peanut butter and jelly on Wonder Bread type of interaction is entertained. However, it's hard to strike a balance between encouragement and brotherly (and sisterly) support, and dealing with the hard questions of faith. I certainly am not going to hold myself up as an example of being completely humble and gentle; being patient, bearing with others in love (Ephesians 4:2), but I'd like to think I'm trying to head in that direction.

This is yet another "can't we get along" blog post in my long list of similar missives, but I was studying ahead to next Shabbat's readings, and what Paul was trying to say to the Ephesians sort of jumped out at me. I know, based on last Friday's blog post that there's no shame in focusing on my own spiritual and educational needs, but I can't easily separate my personal experiences from those of the community of faith. I'm not only a part of my immediate fellowship group, but of the larger Christian and Messianic community (since both Jews and Gentiles in those communities share a Messiah in common).

The light of the Messiah shines on the path of faith before us, but our own shadows obscure that path. I have experienced plenty of darkness as I've tried to proceed, and while I take responsibility for the shadow I cast, I urge anyone reading this to stop for a moment and check on the nature of your own lamp. How much of a light or a shadow are you?

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. -Revelation 20:12

It matters what we do or fail to do in the here and now. Please don't think it doesn't.

The road is long and often, we travel in the dark. But there's always a light showing us the way. The Jewish Messiah called his disciples "a light to the world." Are we?