What a Difference Fifteen Years Makes

Introducing a New Commentary on Scripture

Fifteen years ago, I was twentyseven, single, living in Maryland, and contemplating a life of celibacy for the sake of the kingdom of God. Today, I'm married, live in Florida, and have three children. Many things I expected to happen in my life did not happen, and a number of unexpected occurrences did happen-all resulting in the happiness I now know as a husband, father, and Catholic editor.

One aspect of my work as editor of The Word Among Us that I especially enjoy is the opportunity to spend much of my working day with Scripture. Since I am also editor of our devotional commentary series, I have the added privilege of immersing myself in one particular book or part of Scripture for an extended period of time. For the past six months, for example, I've been working on our latest commentary, Letters to the Early Church, which covers five New Testament letters. This volume-the eighth in our series-was especially rewarding for me. As I reflected on the fact that these five letters were written over a time span of fifteen years, I got to thinking, both about my life and about the first Christians.

If fifteen years could bring so much change in one person's life, imagine what it can do in the life of a whole group of people. Imagine how different a family, a company, a social club, or even a church might look fifteen years after it was first formed. And if that person or group is open to the surprises of the Holy Spirit, some of those changes might be unexpected indeed!

Well, that was one of the greatest benefits of working on a book like Letters to the Early Church. By looking at the letters collected in this commentary, I got a glimpse into the way the early church developed. Beginning with 1 Thessalonians, which Paul wrote around A.D. 50, and ending with Ephesians, which dates near the end of Paul's life in the mid~60s, I saw a church growing not only in numbers but, more importantly, in revelation and understanding of its role in the world.

A Changing Church. In the middle of the first century, many Christians hoped and thought that Jesus was coming back very soon. all eyes were on heaven, waiting for him to appear and take all who had been faithful to him into his eternal kingdom. Since they considered the second Coming to be imminent, the believers were mainly concerned with keeping themselves pure and blameless so that they could be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). Separation from the world was key, as they sought to live quietly and mind their own affairs. After all, they were waiting for judgment day, which would come "like a thief in the night" (4:10-12; 5:2). ''

But Jesus didn't come back, and time kept marching on. And as it did, the Christians faced new challenges. Not only were they called to keep themselves free from sin, they also had to hold fast to the gospel in a world filled with competing philosophies and religions (Colossians 2:8,20-23). They had to learn how to establish and maintain close relationships with one another-relationships not just based on a mutual eagerness for the second Coming but on a common mind and a shared desire to become like Christ (Philippians 2:1-5; 4:2-3). And finally, they learned that God didn't just want to bring them to heaven as soon as possible but to bind them together in a love and unity so strong it would be a visible revelation of his divine mind to the whole world (Ephesians 3:9-10).

There is more to this little lesson in early church development than a few points of history. In a way, each of us experiences in our own life a parallel kind of development as we grow in faith. When we first come to know the Lord in a personal way, a longing for heaven is sparked in us that makes us want nothing more than to be with him. Over time, however, as our relationship with Jesus deepens, we come to understand that God has called us to be his witnesses in this world. We still long for heaven, but we also know that we have already been raised with Christ and are already seated with him in heaven (Colossians 3:1). We are still very eager to enter into the fullness of heaven, but we also begin to seek to advance God's kingdom on earth by fulfilling the "good works" that he has in store for us (Ephesians 2:10). And so, with hearts fixed on Jesus, we embrace the role of God's ambassadors to the world, manifesting his love, power, and mercy to everyone around us.

Translating Enthusiasm into Commitment. These are the thoughts that came to my mind as I put together this commentary on the letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians. Each of the meditations in the book speaks in a different way about God's desire to help us mature in Christ and about how we can respond to his invitation to a deeper life with him. They all speak of the transformation that can happen over time as the Holy Spirit translates our initial enthusiasm into a permanent, life-giving commitment to the Lord.

Just as the church grew and matured, and developed over time, so can we. And for our part, we need to keep close to Jesus, immerse ourselves in Scripture, and try every day to stay in step with the Holy Spirit. If we do, who knows what our lives will look like in fifteen years?

Letters to the Early Church: A Devotional Commentary on Ephesians through Thessalonians (paperback, 176 pp.) is available from The Word Among Us at 1-800-775-9673 or online at www.wau.org.

Leo Zanchettin is editor of The Word Among Us magazine.

Copyright Word Among Us Jul 2004
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