Are the Ten Commandments, Mitzvot (law) or Dabar (summerization)?

Have you ever studied the way words are used in the Bible? I do, it’s a hobby of mine. This morning a friend, that I respect told me that the 10 Commandments are just commandments, but that they aren’t the law.

So I came  home from church, and I have been studying the way the word “Commandment” is used. Mitzvah (מִצְוָה) literally means “commandment.”  In fact, Jewish tradition understands exactly 613 mitzvot (plural of mitzvah) to be derived from the Hebrew Bible. The 613 are listed in Maimonides‘ Sefer Hamitzvot (Book of the Commandments), divided into “positive” and “negative” commandments.

The second way that “Commandment” is used in the Hebrew Scriptures is the word Dabar (דָּבָר ). This is “after EVERY THING I have commanded.” Basically it’s a summarization of previous commands; so now, let’s look at EXACTLY what the “10 Commandments” are…

The ten commandments, or "the ten words" or "the ten sayings" (עשרת הדברים transliterated Asereth ha-D'bharîm) are the basis on which the Mosaic Law (law of Moses) were based on. They contain ten divine principles that Jehovah asks all people, believer and non-believer alike, to observe because these are His divine qualities and in following them we reflect His glory.

Before I start, I will tell you that aspects of the law were present in the garden of Eden. However, they were formalized at Mount Sinai with Moses. The 10 Commandments (or Aseret Hadibrot, “The Ten Statements,” in Hebrew) were communicated by God to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai, 40 days after the Exodus from Egypt. The event is known as the Giving of the Torah. God then carved the Ten Commandments onto two tablets of stone, which he gave to Moses. Moses smashed the tablets, and God carved the Ten Commandments onto a second set of tablets, which were subsequently placed in the Ark of the Covenant.

In English these “Commandments/Statements” are:
 am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, nor any manner of likeness of anything that is in heaven above, that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them, nor serve them. For I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children of the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My commandments.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.
Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any manner of work—you, your son, your daughter, your man-servant, your maid-servant, your cattle, and your stranger that is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath Day, and hallowed it.
Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, his manservant, his maid-servant, his ox, his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

According to Chabad, you can read the commandments down each tablet, or we can read them from side to side. This Midrash provides the connection:
Commandments 1 and 6: Every human is created in the image of G‑d, so murder is an affront to the Creator.
Commandments 2 and 7: When one worships a deity other than G‑d, it is as akin to adultery. G‑d is our loving spouse (and much more).
Commandments 3 and 8: A person may feel that stealing is only between him and the victim, but it is also a crime against G‑d, whose name will ultimately be taken falsely.
Commandments 4 and 9: Through keeping Shabbat, we testify that G‑d created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. When one disregards Shabbat, he testifies falsely about the Divine origin of the universe.
Commandments 5 and 10: The juxtaposition of jealousy and honoring parents tell us that one who lusts after that which is not his, will ultimately give birth to a child who curses his parents and honors others instead.

The Mosaic Law goes into more detail (613 laws—which includes the 10 Commandments) about the day-to-day life of the Israelites... behaving neighborly, dietary concerns, health and welfare. A perfect system for an imperfect people. However, each of the laws may be traced back to one of the ten commandments as its basis for existence.

The Ten Commandments were also given with a few small changes to the Children of Israel about 38 years later. This is recorded in the book of Deuteronomy in Chapter 5. All of The 613 Mitzvot are actually contained within these Ten Mitzvot. This does not mean that the 613 Mitzvot are easy to find there, or that they are performed just by observing these Ten. This is meant mostly in a spiritual sense, and because 5 of them have to do with our relationship with God, and 5 of them have to do with our relationships with each other. However, one does good to remember that the laws of the Sabbath Day are not binding on everyone, however they are binding on only the Jewish people.

In Romans 3:20 Paul said, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”Without the standard provided by the Law there’s no way to tell what is sin and what is not, just like without a posted speed limit there’s no way to tell what is speeding and what is not.

When Jesus clarified the requirements of the law in Matt. 5-6, He showed that God’s standards are so high that even the Pharisees, who were obsessive about keeping the law, could not hope to achieve the righteousness God requires (Matt. 5:20). His purpose was to demonstrate man’s inescapable need for a Savior.

In summary the Law was given to quantify God’s requirements for righteousness, so we would know what He expects, and to convince us that without a Savior we can never meet His requirements.

Essential vs. Non Essentials of Christian Faith

Earlier this weekend I wrote about legalism and license. Today, I want to take some time to talk about Essential Christian beliefs.

Theologians (such as myself), other scholars, pastors and christians typically distinguish   between the doctrine of the church that are absolutely essential to the Christian faith as well as those that, while important to the Christian faith, are not essential unto salvation.

Dr. Jason Hiles of Grand Canyon University’s College of Theology states “Essential doctrines are those core teachings that distinguish Christians from non-Christians and must be believed in order for one to be a genuine follower of the Lord Jesus. These teachings include the doctrine that Jesus is fully God and fully human, that He died on a cross in the place of sinners to secure salvation for all who believe and that He was raised again to life.” He continues to say “the church has insisted that all who know God in truth affirm the doctrine of the Trinity and regard salvation to be a matter of grace that is granted through faith in Christ. Denial of essential doctrine represents a denial of the Christian worldview.”

Christians around the world will tell you that the Bible contains all the essential beliefs one must have to be a Christian. They are:

The deity of Christ. Quite simply, Jesus is God. While Jesus never directly says, “I am God” in the Scriptures, He makes it very clear to those around Him, especially the Pharisees and Sadducees, that He is God. John 10:30 says, “I and the Father are one.” Jesus was claiming deity, and, interestingly enough, He did not deny that He was God. Another example is John 20:28, when Thomas says, “My Lord and my God!” Again, Jesus does not correct Him by saying that He is not God. There are many other examples one can find in the Scriptures regarding Jesus’ rightful place in heaven.

Salvation by grace. We are all sinners separated from God and deserving of eternal punishment for our sin. Jesus’ death on the cross paid for the sins of mankind, giving us access to heaven and an eternal relationship with God. God did not have to do this for us, but He loves us so much that He sacrificed His only Son. This is grace, and it is most definitely undeserved favor. Scripture tells us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). There is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor or gain access to heaven apart from His grace.

Salvation through Jesus Christ alone. A truly provocative question to ask someone might be “Do all roads lead to God?” The truth is that all roads do lead to God. Eventually, we are all going to stand before God when we die, no matter what faith we are. It is there that we will be judged for what we have or have not done while we were alive and whether Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives. For the majority of people, this will be a terrible occasion, as most will not know Him or be known by Him. For these people, hell will be the final destination. But God in His mercy has provided all of us the only means for salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 tells us that “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” This passage speaks of the name of Jesus and His saving power. Another example is found in the book of John. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). No one gets into heaven except by faith in the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ on his or her behalf.

The resurrection of Christ. Perhaps no other event in the Bible, aside from Jesus’ appearance here on earth and subsequent death on the cross, is as significant to the Christian faith as that of the resurrection. Why is this event significant? The answer lies in the fact that Jesus died and then after three days came back to life and rose again to reappear to His followers in bodily form. Jesus had already demonstrated His ability to resurrect others such as His friend Lazarus. But now God the Father had resurrected Him to display His awesome power and glory. This amazing fact is what separates the Christian faith from all others. All other religions are based on works or a powerless deity or person. The leaders of all other religions die and remain dead. The Christian faith is based on Christ crucified and resurrected to life. “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14). Lastly, to deny Christ’s bodily resurrection (John 2:19-21) is to deny that Jesus’ work here on earth was a satisfactory offering to God for the sins of mankind.

The gospel. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Paul spells out what the gospel is and how important it is to embrace it and share it with others. He reminds the Corinthians of the gospel he preached among them: “That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” This is the essence of the gospel. Paul also warns us to be wary of the many “false gospels” that are being offered to the unsuspecting: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9). The pure gospel of Jesus Christ—His death on the cross for sinners and His resurrection to everlasting life—is central to the Christian faith.

Monotheism. Quite simply, there is only one God. Exodus 20:3 states very powerfully, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Monotheism is the belief that there is only one God to be worshipped and served. “‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the LORD, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me’” (Isaiah 43:10). Here we see that we are to “believe” and “understand” that God lives and is one. A Christian will know that there is only one God, the God of the Bible. All other “gods” are false and are no gods at all. “For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:5-6).

The Holy Trinity. While the concept of a “three-in-one God” is not represented by a single verse or passage, it is described frequently throughout Scripture. If we look at Matthew 28:19, we see the verse calling out the Trinity: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” While this verse mentions all three Persons of the triune God, it does not call them the Trinity. So to understand the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, we must look at the “totality” of Scripture and glean from it the definition. In 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, we see how this comes together: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” Again, we see all three Persons being represented but not titled the Holy Trinity.

Finally, the essentials of Christianity would not be complete without the ingredient that binds everything together—faith. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). As Christians we live by this verse with the understanding that we believe in a God we cannot see. But we see His work in our lives and all around us in His creation. We do all of this through faith because we know that faith pleases God. “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

I personally believe that the essentials of beliefs of the Christian faith can be summed up in the Apostles Creed.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic** church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

As a Methodist, I hold to the 25 articles of faith as proposed by John Wesley in 1784. The Articles of Religion are as follows:

1. Article I — Of Faith in the Holy Trinity There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body or parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the maker and preserver of all things, both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
2. Article II — Of the Word, or Son of God, Who Was Made Very Man The Son, who is the Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took man's nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin; so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and Manhood, were joined together in one person, never to be divided; whereof is one Christ, very God and very Man, who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual sins of men.
3. Article III — Of the Resurrection of Christ Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again his body, with all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature, wherewith he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until he return to judge all men at the last day.
4. Article IV — Of the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.
5. Article V — Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation The Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical books of the Old and New Testament of whose authority was never any doubt in the church. The names of the canonical books are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, The First Book of Samuel, The Second Book of Samuel, The First Book of Kings, The Second Book of Kings, The First Book of Chronicles, The Second Book of Chronicles, The Book of Ezra, The Book of Nehemiah, The Book of Esther, The Book of Job, The Psalms, The Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or the Preacher, Cantica or Songs of Solomon, Four Prophets the Greater, Twelve Prophets the Less. All the books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive and account canonical.
6. Article VI — Of the Old Testament The Old Testament is not contrary to the New; for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and Man. Wherefore they are not to be heard who feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although the law given from God by Moses as touching ceremonies and rites doth not bind Christians, nor ought the civil precepts thereof of necessity be received in any commonwealth; yet notwithstanding, no Christian whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called moral.
7. Article VII — Of Original or Birth Sin Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and of his own nature inclined to evil, and that continually.
8. Article VIII — Of Free Will The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and works, to faith, and calling upon God; wherefore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will.
9. Article IX — Of the Justification of Man We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by faith, only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort.
10. Article X — Of Good Works Although good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of God's judgment; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and spring out of a true and lively faith, insomuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently known as a tree is discerned by its fruit.
11. Article XI — Of Works of Supererogation Voluntary works—besides, over and above God's commandments—which they call works of supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety. For by them men do declare that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake than of bounden duty is required; whereas Christ saith plainly: When you have done all that is commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants.
12. Article XII — Of Sin After Justification Not every sin willingly committed after justification is the sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore, the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after justification. After we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and, by the grace of God, rise again and amend our lives. And therefore they are to be condemned who say they can no more sin as long as they live here; or deny the place of forgiveness to such as truly repent.
13. Article XIII — Of the Church The visible church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments duly administered according to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.
14. Article XIV — Of Purgatory The Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardon, worshiping, and adoration, as well of images as of relics, and also invocation of saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warrant of Scripture, but repugnant to the Word of God.
15. Article XV — Of Speaking in the Congregation in Such a Tongue as the People Understand It is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God, and the custom of the primitive church, to have public prayer in the church, or to minister the Sacraments, in a tongue not understood by the people. For the contemporary interpretation of this and similar articles, (i.e. Articles XIV, XV, XVI, XVIII, XIX, XX, and XXI) in consonance with our best ecumenical insights and judgment, see "Resolution of Intent: With a View to Unity," The Book of Resolutions, 2008, p.292).
16. Article XVI — Of the Sacraments Sacraments ordained of Christ are not only badges or tokens of Christian men's profession, but rather they are certain signs of grace, and God's good will toward us, by which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm, our faith in him. There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel; that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. Those five commonly called sacraments, that is to say, confirmation, penance, orders, matrimony, and extreme unction, are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel; being such as have partly grown out of the corrupt following of the apostles, and partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures, but yet have not the like nature of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, because they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God. The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about; but that we should duly use them. And in such only as worthily receive the same, they have a wholesome effect or operation; but they that receive them unworthily, purchase to themselves condemnation, as St. Paul saith.
17. Article XVII — Of Baptism Baptism is not only a sign of profession and mark of difference whereby Christians are distinguished from others that are not baptized; but it is also a sign of regeneration or the new birth. The Baptism of young children is to be retained in the Church.
18. Article XVIII — Of the Lord's Supper The Supper of the Lord is not only a sign of the love that Christians ought to have among themselves one to another, but rather is a sacrament of our redemption by Christ's death; insomuch that, to such as rightly, worthily, and with faith receive the same, the bread which we break is a partaking of the body of Christ; and likewise the cup of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christ. Transubstantiation, or the change of the substance of bread and wine in the Supper of our Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ, but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions. The body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten in the Supper, only after a heavenly and spiritual manner. And the mean whereby the body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper is faith. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshiped.
19. Article XIX — Of Both Kinds The cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the lay people; for both the parts of the Lord's Supper, by Christ's ordinance and commandment, ought to be administered to all Christians alike.
20. Article XX — Of the One Oblation of Christ, Finished upon the Cross The offering of Christ, once made, is that perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual; and there is none other satisfaction for sin but that alone. Wherefore the sacrifice of masses, in the which it is commonly said that the priest doth offer Christ for the quick and the dead, to have remission of pain or guilt, is a blasphemous fable and dangerous deceit.
21. Article XXI — Of the Marriage of Ministers
    The ministers of Christ are not commanded by God's law either to vow the estate of single life, or to abstain from marriage; therefore it is lawful for them, as for all other Christians, to marry at their own discretion, as they shall judge the same to serve best to godliness.
22. Article XXII — Of the Rites and Ceremonies of Churches It is not necessary that rites and ceremonies should in all places be the same, or exactly alike; for they have been always different, and may be changed according to the diversity of countries, times, and men's manners, so that nothing be ordained against God's Word. Whosoever, through his private judgment, willingly and purposely doth openly break the rites and ceremonies of the church to which he belongs, which are not repugnant to the Word of God, and are ordained and approved by common authority, ought to be rebuked openly, that others may fear to do the like, as one that offendeth against the common order of the church, and woundeth the consciences of weak brethren. Every particular church may ordain, change, or abolish rites and ceremonies, so that all things may be done to edification.
23. Article XXIII — Of the Rulers of the United States of America The President, the Congress, the general assemblies, the governors, and the councils of state, as the delegates of the people, are the rulers of the United States of America, according to the division of power made to them by the Constitution of the United States and by the constitutions of their respective states. And the said states are a sovereign and independent nation, and ought not to be subject to any foreign jurisdiction.
24. Article XXIV — Of Christian Men's Goods The riches and goods of Christians are not common as touching the right, title, and possession of the same, as some do falsely boast. Notwithstanding, every man ought, of such things as he possesseth, liberally to give alms to the poor, according to his ability.
25. Article XXV — Of a Christian Man's Oath As we confess that vain and rash swearing is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Jesus Christ and James his apostle, so we judge that the Christian religion doth not prohibit, but that a man may swear when the magistrate requireth, in a cause of faith and charity, so it be done according to the prophet's teaching, in justice, judgment, and truth.

If these are essential beliefs then what exactly are non essential beliefs? Let’s go back and visit with Dr. Jason Hiles, Nonessential teachings are significant because they safeguard the integrity and health of essential doctrines and because they derive either directly or indirectly from the teaching of Scripture. Examples include the form and meaning of baptism, the organization and governance of the church, qualifications for ministers, styles of worship music and the timing of Christ’s return in relation to other events of the last days.

Personally, I don’t care when you attend church. If you attend  a Saturday sabbath keeping church, great! If you attend a church that meets at 11am on Sunday morning, great! If you pray using prayer beads to keep focus wonderful, if not that’s fine too.  When I was figuring out my faith journey, I became involved in a Messianic Jewish community. I celebrated Hanukkah, Passover, and all the feasts of Israel. Never once was I questioned or told “You must celebrate Easter and Christmas to be a Christian.” Matter of fact, the person who helped me find my way back to the church told me “Rachel, that is a non essential belief. It doesn’t make you unsaved!”

Dr. Hiles, states “Christians frequently disagree about various nonessential teachings, but disagreement about these doctrines does not amount to a denial of the faith. In other words, those who disagree on matters that are not absolutely essential to the faith, while affirming core doctrines, have in no way ceased to be genuine brothers and sisters in Christ.”


** catholic in this context means Universal

Legalism vs. License

As I sit here tonight in Selma, North Carolina, I am thinking about some comments people have made over what I teach as my faith. So I have decided to discussion legalism vs. license tonight and what it means to have the grace of God working in your life. This will be a two part series as I want to also discuss Essential Christian Beliefs vs. Non-Essential Christian Beliefs. 

In Protestant, Evangelical, Christian theology, especially in popular versions of the same, the charge of legalism is an accusation of overzealous adherence to the word of the Bible (as law) in all things said, established or accomplished in a believer's life (cf. bibliolatry). In that context, to apply the criticism of legalism to a theological position or religious attitude implies that the accused has overturned the Gospel of salvation through faith and new life in Jesus Christ and has instead substituted some principle of personal works of strict adherence to the word, through action, thought, or speech for the unearned grace of God. Maybe you’ve not seen these arguments; they are namely people who think because I use prayer beads to keep myself focused on prayer. I’ve been accused of being misled by “Catholic” teachings. But honestly, I don’t feel that I’ve been misled, in fact, I believe my prayer life has been enriched by using the beads. 

But what is legalism really? According to Ligonier Ministries, there are 3 types of legalism.  Basically, legalism involves abstracting the law of God from its original context. Some people seem to be preoccupied in the Christian life with obeying rules and regulations, and they conceive of Christianity as being a series of do’s and don’ts, cold and deadly set of moral principles.

This second type of legalism can be illustrated by the Pharisees who confronted Jesus over healing on the Sabbath day (Matt. 12:9–14). They were concerned only with the letter of the law and avoiding anything that might look like work to them. These teachers missed the spirit of the law, which was directed against ordinary labor that is not required to maintain life and not against efforts to heal the sick.

The third type of legalism adds our own rules to God’s law and treats them as divine. It is the most common and deadly form of legalism. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees at this very point, saying, “You teach human traditions as if they were the word of God.” We have no right to heap up restrictions on people where He has no stated restriction.

So is legalism in the Bible? Yes and no. The word “legalism” does not occur in the Bible. It is a term Christians use to describe a doctrinal position emphasizing a system of rules and regulations for achieving both salvation and spiritual growth. Legalists believe in and demand a strict literal adherence to rules and regulations. Doctrinally, it is a position essentially opposed to grace. Those who hold a legalistic position often fail to see the real purpose for law, especially the purpose of the Old Testament law of Moses, which is to be our “schoolmaster” or “tutor” to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24).

Even true believers can be legalistic. We are instructed, rather, to be gracious to one another: “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters” (Romans 14:1). Sadly, there are those who feel so strongly about non-essential doctrines that they will run others out of their fellowship, not even allowing the expression of another viewpoint. That, too, is legalism. Many legalistic believers today make the error of demanding unqualified adherence to their own biblical interpretations and even to their own traditions. For example, there are those who feel that to be spiritual one must simply avoid tobacco, alcoholic beverages, dancing, movies, etc. The truth is that avoiding these things is no guarantee of spirituality. For my friends, the fact that I use prayer beads; is being legalistic about a non-essential doctrine/belief. I have to wonder would these friends say anything if I wear a tallit? 

The apostle Paul warns us of legalism in Colossians 2:20-23: “Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” Legalists may appear to be righteous and spiritual, but legalism ultimately fails to accomplish God’s purposes because it is an outward performance instead of an inward change.

To avoid falling into the trap of legalism, we can start by holding fast to the words of the apostle John, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17) and remembering to be gracious, especially to our brothers and sisters in Christ. “Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand” (Romans 14:4). “You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat” (Romans 14:10).

A word of caution is necessary here. While we need to be gracious to one another and tolerant of disagreement over disputable matters, we cannot accept heresy. We are exhorted to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints (Jude 3). If we remember these guidelines and apply them in love and mercy, we will be safe from both legalism and heresy. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

The opposite side of the coin is the fact of license. License means Faith without works. License is nothing more than saying “Becase all is forgiven, I can sin.”  It is literally saying “When Jesus stamped my debt to God, “PAID IN FULL”  he was giving me a license to keep sinning.  Most people who believe this way, have never truly seen their need. They don’t realize they are truly sinners.  They know nothing of real repentance or conversion. Legalism and license are heresy. Legalism is blindness to the grace of God. License, however, is more of an abuse of it. Few people would ever get legalism and grace mixed up. But many people do mix up license and the grace of God. It is here that most of the confusion arises. Just because we experience God’s grace, it doesn’t mean that we have the “license” to continue sinning. In fact, it means the opposite. 

Even as I write tonight, I realize that I am human just like my readers and I am susceptible to legalism and license, just as everyone else is. Avoiding the extremes of legalism and license means asking God to search our hearts and extending grace to others. Did you know that there are some standards that God wants for some people but not for others? Paul addressed this in the early church. He encouraged the mature Christians not to use their freedom in Christ in a way that might violate the consciences of young Christians (see 1 Corinthians 8).

True freedom is only found on that narrow stretch of truth that straddles both legalism and license. The only way to consistently walk this narrow road is to pray as David did, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23–24).This humble prayer invites the Holy Spirit to teach, encourage, and convict.

Part 1 of 2 What is killing the church? Legalism vs. License.

Part 2 of 2: What are the Essentials? Essential Beliefs vs. Non-Essential Beliefs in the Christian church. 

Israel, the Church and the Middle East

Recently I finished a book called Israel, The Church and the Middle East edited by Darrell L. Bock and Mitch Glaser. Like a previous book, Messiah in the Passover, that I reviewed this one was written by Chosen People Ministries. However, unlike the last book, this one is about the on-going conflict in the middle east and challenges our understanding of Replacement Theology or supercessionist themes that is prevalent in our churches today. 

Many folks that I have met in my ministry, both in person and online believe that God no longer has a plan for the Jewish people. Most recently, my heart was broken to hear someone who stated they loved Jesus would “rather talk with a muslim terrorist than a God-forsaken Jew.” This book, this book addresses those thoughts. 

In order to give a review for this book, I had to take more than my average thirty days in reading it because there is a lot to digest in this book and honestly, not everyone is going to love this book—matter of fact, the dispensational views contained in this book will not set well with many in the modern church. 

So what is this book? It’s compilation of 13 essays written by scholars covering topics that can easily be summed up as:

1. Biblical Foundations

2. Theology and The Conflict

3. Yeshua (Jesus) in the Midst of Crisis

4. Current Challenges to Peace in Israel

Each one of these essays are written in a way that will help you understand why it’s imperative that as Christians we support Israel and can’t see ourselves as the replacement of the People of God—the Jews. 

Even if you disagree with this book, you will definitely be able to state that this was written in a way that definitely makes you think about Israel from God’s stand point. As Dr. Darrell Bock states in the conclusion ”Anyone reading the chapters in this book immediately senses the web of complexities the region presents. Multiple millennia of conflicts and proposed solutions will certainly not be reversed overnight. With so many faiths present, establishing productive and irenic dialogue, as well as trust, is a significant challenge. Because violence is so often an act of first resort peaceful solutions have proven to be elusive. Nevertheless, it is the conviction of the authors of these chapters that there is a way forward--which begins with a deeper understanding of the role of Israel in God's plan" (loc 5994). 

I was provided this book for free by Kregel Publications for an honest and objective review. 

Sermon Now up on Youtube

I have finally gotten my sermon up online. Friends we are lucky that God has sent us a lifeboat. If you are not for reading the blog, I hope that you will at least take some time to watch this important word from God! You need to know your spiritual condition. God Bless!

Are you Orthodox in your Beliefs?

Tonight my heart is breaking. To tell you that we have Christians who are deceived would be an understatement; however, my heart is breaking because we have Pastors who are literally opening the doors of Hell and letting people feel the heat and telling them to come on in! I know this sounds really crass and more than likely to some critical and judgmental. One of my favorite books says it best “If the Devil appears as an angel and quotes Scripture, then he can use even “churches” to lead people away from the one true God and His plan of salvation.” However, as a Christian, who has had my heart and mind really opened to Christ and His teachings by sitting under a godly teacher/Pastor, I can tell you that many of our pastors are seriously delusional and unfortunately lost. So much so that this has left me heartbroken for the church, and the souls around us that are also lost and in need of a savior. 

Over the past year, my life has changed quite a bit; I’ve delved into the Bible harder than anyone I know, I’ve started really digging deep into the scriptures, looking for nuggets of the gospel that I have never thought of. I’ve called my pastor more times than I probably should just to share these “Can you believe this?” Posts from Facebook and also to talk about how broken hearted I am that we are ordaining left and right, men and women who are standing before an almighty God who are so far left that they wouldn’t know how to make a right turn. Gratefully, my pastor has allowed me to express the heartbrokenness and allowed me to come to terms that not everyone who says they are a Christian is and not every minister follows the Bible or even has Orthodox Christian beliefs. 

Tonight, however, I have decided to what it means to have Orthodox Christian beliefs. 

What is Orthodoxy?

Orthodoxy comes from the Greek ὀρθοδοξία orthodoxía "right opinion” and is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. In the Christian sense the term means "conforming to the Christian faith as represented in the creeds of the early Church.” The first seven ecumenical councils were held between the years of 325 and 787 with the aim of formalizing accepted doctrines.

Originally Orthodox Christianity referred to doctrines that were believed and taught by the early and original church and generally accepted by all Christians.  After 1054 in what was called the Great Schism, the church split into two camps; one was considered the universal or Catholic Church (the word catholic means “universal”) and the other was considered the Orthodox Church. However, when I am talking about “Orthodoxy” I am talking about the doctrines that were believed and taught by the early Church fathers. 

Much of what early Christianity believed was voted on by ecumenical councils:

An ecumenical council is a conference of ecclesiastical dignitaries and theological experts convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice in which those entitled to vote are convoked from the whole world (oikoumene) and which secures the approbation of the whole Church. 

The Ecumenical Councils: 

In the history of Christianity, the first seven ecumenical councils, include the following: the First Council of Nicaea in 325, the First Council of Constantinople in 381, the Council of Ephesus in 431, the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the Second Council of Constantinople in 553, the Third Council of Constantinople from 680–681 and finally, the Second Council of Nicaea in 787. You can read more about the councils here.

So what does it mean to be Orthodox in your beliefs? 

For me, if you can’t back it up 100% with scripture, then it’s not orthodox. However, that’s not exactly what it means, so let’s take a look at Orthodox Beliefs: 

First off it’s the doctrines which were believed by early Christians. Most of what Orthodox Christians and believe is summed up in the Nicene Creed (and The Apostles Creed). To read them side by side, you can check out this site. The word Creed comes from the Latin credo, "I believe." From the earliest days of the Church, creeds have been living confessions of what Christians believe and not simply formal, academic, Church pronouncements. Such confessions of faith appear as early as the New Testament, where, for example, Saint Paul quotes a creed to remind Timothy, "God was manifested in the flesh.. ." (1 Timothy 3:16). The creeds were approved by Church councils, usually to give a concise state­ment of the truth in the face of the invasion of heresy.

Some believe the most important creed in Christendom is the Nicene Creed, the product of two Ecumenical Coun­cils in the fourth century. Fashioned in the midst of a life-and-death controversy, it contains the essence of New Testament teaching about the Holy Trinity, guard­ing that life-giving truth against those who would change the very nature of God and reduce Jesus Christ to a created being rather than God in the flesh. The creeds give us a sure interpretation of the Scriptures against those who would distort them to support their own religious schemes. Called the "Symbol of Faith" and confessed in many of the services of the Church, the Nicene Creed constantly reminds the Orthodox Christian of what he personally believes, keeping his faith on track.

So what are Orthodox Beliefs? 

1. GOD THE FATHER is the Head of the Holy Trinity. The Scriptures reveal that the one God is Three Persons–Father, Son and Holy Spirit–eternally sharing the one divine nature. From the Father the Son is begotten before all ages and all time (Psalm 2:7; 2 Corinthians 11:31). It is also from the Father that the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds (John 15:26). Through Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit, we come to know the Father (Matthew 11:27). God the Father created all things through the Son, in the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1; 2; John 1:3; Job 33:4), and we are called to worship Him (John 4:23). The Father loves us and sent His Son to give us everlasting life (John 3:16).

1. JESUS CHRIST is the Second Person of the Trinity, eternally born of the Father. He became a man, and thus He is at once fully God and fully man. His coming to earth was foretold in the Old Testament by the Prophets. Because Jesus Christ is at the heart of Christianity, In reciting the Nicene Creed, Christians regularly affirm the historic faith concerning Jesus as they say, “I believe…in one Lord Jesus Christ, begotten of the Father before all ages, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made, who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again from the dead, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, whose Kingdom shall have no end.”

1. THE HOLY SPIRIT is one of the Persons of the Trinity and is one in essence with the Father. He is called the “Promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4), given by Christ as a gift to the Church, to empower the Church for service to God (Acts 1:8), to place God’s love in our hearts (Romans 5:5), and to impart spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7-13) and virtues (Galatians 5:22, 23) for Christian life and witness. We are to grow in our experience of the Holy Spirit for the rest of our lives.

1. INCARNATION refers to Jesus Christ coming “in the flesh.” The eternal Son of God the Father assumed to Himself a complete human nature from the Virgin Mary. He was (and is) one divine Person, fully possessing from God the Father the entirety of the divine nature, and in His coming in the flesh fully possessing a human nature from Mary. By His Incarnation, the Son forever possesses two natures in His one Person. The Son of God, limitless in His divine nature, voluntarily and willingly accepted limitation in His humanity, in which He experienced hunger, thirst, fatigue–and ultimately, death. The Incarnation is indispensable to Christianity–there is no Christianity without it. The Scriptures record, “Every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God” (1 John 4:3). By His Incarnation, the Son of God redeemed human nature, a redemption made accessible to all who are joined to Him in His glorified humanity.

1. SIN literally means “to miss the mark.” As Saint Paul writes, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We sin when we pervert what God has given us as good, falling short of His purposes for us. Our sins separate us from God (Isaiah 59:1,2), leaving us spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1). To save us, the Son of God assumed our humanity, and being without sin, “He condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3). In His mercy, God forgives our sins when we confess them and turn from them, giving us strength to overcome sin in our lives. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

1. SALVATION is the divine gift through which men and women are delivered from sin and death, united to Christ, and brought into His eternal Kingdom. Those who heard Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost asked what they must do to be saved. He answered, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Salvation begins with these three “steps”: 1) repent, 2) be baptized, and 3) receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. To repent means to change our mind about how we have been, turning from our sin and committing ourselves to Christ. To be baptized means to be born again by being joined into union with Christ. And to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit means to receive the Spirit who empowers us to enter a new life in Christ, be nurtured in the Church, and be conformed to God’s image.

1. JUSTIFICATION is a word used in the Scriptures to mean that in Christ we are forgiven and actually made righteous in our living. Justification is not a once-for-all, instantaneous pronouncement guaranteeing eternal salvation, no matter how wickedly a person may live from that point on. Neither is it merely a legal declaration that an unrighteous person is righteous. Rather, justification is a living, dynamic, day-to-day reality for the one who follows Christ. The Christian actively pursues a righteous life in the grace and power of God granted to all who are believing Him.

1. SANCTIFICATION is being set apart for God. It involves us in the process of being cleansed and made holy by Christ in the Holy Spirit. We are called to be saints and to grow into the likeness of God. Having been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, we actively participate in sanctification. We cooperate with God, we work together with Him, that we may know Him, becoming by grace what He is by nature.

1. THE BIBLE is the divinely inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), and is a crucial part of God’s self-revelation to the human race. The Old Testament tells the history of that revelation from Creation through the Age of the Prophets. The New Testament records the birth and life of Jesus as well as the writings of His Apostles. It also includes some of the history of the early Church and especially sets forth the Church’s apostolic doctrine. Though these writings were read in the churches from the time they first appeared, the earliest listing of all the New Testament books exactly as we know them today is found in the Thirty-third Canon of a local council held at Carthage in A.D. 318 and in a fragment of Saint Athanasius of Alexandria’s Festal Letter for the year 367. Both sources list all of the books of the New Testament without exception. A local council, probably held at Rome under Saint Damasus in 382, set forth a complete list of the canonical books of both the Old and New Testaments. The Scriptures are at the very heart of worship and devotion.

These are just a summation of the major beliefs that are Orthodox. I hope that if you are reading this blog, you will delve deeper in to the scriptures; and that you will truly seek out what it means to hold Orthodox beliefs. Friends, there comes a time when you can no longer hold to every wind of doctrine that comes your way. Don’t be fooled by the teachings that look good to you or sound good or tickle your fancy. Friends, do not be scared to call sin, sin. To point your brothers and sisters to the truth. You won’t be popular, matter of fact, you’ll be down right heart-broken when people won’t listen. Love them anyway; but remember that even Jesus teaches in Matthew 10:14 “And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.” Sometimes you are just there to plant the seeds; you may never see the results and that is okay, keep planting. 

May those who are lost, hear God calling them and may they answer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on me, a sinner.” 

An Anglican Rosary: Why Would You Use Prayer Beads?

My Anglican Prayer Beads; Czech Republic Glass Beads

Part two of a promised group of blogs that explore my religious practices and education. The first being the post from yesterday on why I read the Apocrypha. Today, I am exploring and explaining my usage of Anglican prayer beads--something that is new to protestants. 

Earlier in the week, I posted the following picture and was told by someone that I should write a study on the pagan usage of Prayer beads. 

A Bit More History of Rachel:

By the time I was in my early 30s I had fully left the church and was attending Synagogue and considering everything I had ever learned about God to be false and wanting to be a Jew—so much so that I was considering conversion. At 34, God brought a lady into my life, who loved Jesus so much that she would play Christian music out loud at work (in a public school). This teacher didn’t mind that I was considering a faith change, instead she loved me and was patient with me; inviting me to her home and showing me grace and mercy to the point that I started a paradigm change back to my Christian roots. However, by the time I was 36 this woman would also walk out of my life not caring what destruction she wrought on me.  

Part of the destruction this lady would bring to my life is the loss of my church. So deep would the rift become that I would again decide that “the church” was evil and a vile place to be. My friends at the church begged me to not think that way, “just because one person treats you bad doesn’t mean the whole orchard is bad.” But for me, in my black and white world, it’s all or nothing and for me at that point the church was bad! Within 6 months God had brought a young lady into my life, named MG. She would (thankfully) ask me to attend church with her one Sunday. Scared out of my mind, I drove the 20 +/- miles to the church and have been making that drive every weekend since.

The History of Prayer Beads: 

According to T.V. Anthony Raj, “In many major religions and cultures, the device most used to help devotees to pray and meditate is the strand of prayer beads. Nearly two-thirds of the world’s population meditate or pray with beads.

We need to remember that visual reminders were developed by God—in the form of telling to Israelites to create fringes on their garments. Numbers 15:37-41 states The Lord said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. 39 And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. 40 So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. 41 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the Lord your God.”

• Pre-Christianity

A fresco picture dating from 1600 B.C., recently discovered shows women fingering beads in prayer. As with everything, there are pagan religions, Islam, Hinduism, Ba’Hai, Skih that use prayer beads—T.V. Anthony Raj states “Many scholars admit that the use of prayer beads originated with the Hindus in ancient India, and the Hindu or Buddhist mala is the great mother of rosaries. From India and the Himalayan kingdoms, the prayer beads traveled east to China and Japan, and to the west to Africa and Europe, where it evolved into the Islamic Subha, the Christian rosary, the Eastern Orthodox prayer rope, and the secular worry beads used throughout Greece and the Middle East.” However, Buddhism and Islam weren’t founded until the 6th and 7th centuries respectively. So that would mean the usage of prayer beads would have been prior to these two “religions” using prayer beads. 

• Christianity

The Desert Fathers of the 3rd to 5th centuries, used pebbles or knotted ropes to count prayers, typically the Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner"). The invention is attributed to Anthony the Great or his associate Pachomius the Great in the 4th century.

The Catholic Encyclopedia mentions strings of beads, presumably for prayer, found in the tombs of Saint Gertrude of Nivelles (7th century) and Saint Norbert and Saint Rosalia (12th century). A more explicit reference is that in 1125 William of Malmesbury mentioned a string of gems that Lady Godiva used to count prayers.

These strings of beads were known as "paternosters" and were presumably used to count repetitions of the Lord's Prayer. Later, Roman Catholics and eventually Anglicans prayed the rosary with strings of 59 beads. The term rosary comes from the Latin rosarium "rose garden" and is an important and traditional devotion of the Catholic Church, combining prayer and meditation in sequences (called "decades") of the Lord's Prayer, 10 Hail Marys, and a Gloria Patri as well as a number of other prayers (such as the Apostles' Creed and the Salve Regina) at the beginning and end. The prayers are accompanied by meditation on the Mysteries, events in the life and ministry of Jesus. This traditional Catholic form of the rosary is attributed to Saint Dominic, though some Catholic writers have doubted this claim.

Catholic rosary beads are composed of crucifix and center which can be made of sterling silver and/or gold, and beads which are usually made of glass, amethyst, rose quartz stone, crystal, black onyx, lavender glass or pearl. Catholics also use prayer beads to pray chaplets.

The Eastern Orthodox Church uses prayer ropes that usually come with 33, 50 or 100 knots. The loops of knotted wool (or occasionally of beads), called chotki or komboskini to pray the Jesus Prayer. Although among the Orthodox, their use is mainly restricted to monks and bishops, being less common among laity or secular clergy. Among Russian Old Believers, a prayer rope made of leather, called 'lestovka', is more common, although this type is no longer commonly used now by the Russian Orthodox Church. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, "The rosary is conferred upon the Greek Orthodox monk as a part of his investiture with the mandyas or full monastic habit, as the second step in monastic life, and is called his 'spiritual sword’." Ethiopian and Coptic prayer rope (called mequetaria/mequteria) employ numbers such as 41, 64, and 100 as their length and is primarily used for reciting the Kyrie Eleison. In regards to the first two numbers, the former represent the number of wounds inflicted on Jesus from lashing, the nails, and the lance while the latter represents Mary's age upon her Assumption.

In the mid-1980s, Anglican prayer beads were developed in the Episcopal Church of the United States by Episcopalians participating in a study group dealing with methods of prayer. The set consists of 33 beads (representing the 33 years of the life of Christ) arranged in four groupings of symbolic significance. These "Anglican Rosaries" continue to be promoted via internet websites but it is not known whether they have been adopted by any Protestant group in any formal sense. Many Anglo-Catholics use the Catholic rosary and may also be using Anglican prayer beads.

The contemporary Wreath of Christ, invented by Martin Lönnebo, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Linköping of the Swedish Lutheran Church, is a set of 18 beads, some round and some elongated, arranged in an irregular pattern. Each one has its own significance as a stimulus and reminder for meditation, although they can also be used for repetitive prayer.

While there are liturgical churches using prayer beads in prayer, non-liturgical Christian churches do not use them.

Symbolism in Jewish Prayer Shawls and Rosaries: 

Anglican Rosary Diagram

By the way, these are not average knots, each set contains 5 knots made from eight strands of thread. There is an art—filled with ritual and meaning—to tying them. Just like my prayer beads there is great symbolism attached to the number of knots. The number paired with the Hebrew word for tzotzil is 600, when you add that to the 5 knots and 8 threads you get 613, the number of commandments in the Old Testament. The Anglican Rosary is designed using a cross and 33 beads to signify the traditional number of years of earthly life of Jesus. There is one ‘Invitatory’ bead followed by four sets of seven beads each called a ‘week.’ In the Judeo-Christian tradition the number seven is deemed to be spiritually perfect and complete. A single bead called the ‘Cruciform’ bead is positioned between each week. When the rosary is placed on a flat surface, the four Cruciform beads form a Cross.  

Why Prayer Beads: 

Everyone seems to think that prayer is such a simple thing; whether we are kneeling, standing, sitting or dancing; whether we are praying out loud or silently, whether we read scripture (Lectio Divinia) use a book of prayers (Celtic Daily Prayer, Siddur, or Book of Common Prayer) or prayer in our own words, prayer is simple. Right? If only things were that easy—then everyone could “pray without ceasing.”

Personally I struggle with prayer. When I would hear of the struggles of others, I would immediately pray “God help _____________.” (Fill in the blank). I struggle with what to say, don’t believe me? Attend one of my services sometime—you’ll see what I mean. But seriously, I struggle with prayer. For me it’s such a sacred time to speak to an Almighty God that I don’t want to fill up all my time and space with emptiness. I want my prayers to have meaning or at least to flow in a coherent way. Believe it or not, I know I am not the only person who struggles with prayer. How do I know? I attend church. I attend two prayer meetings every week. We an recite The Lord’s Prayer or prayers from the Hymnal with ease. However, we are uncomfortable with prayer. 

Luckily, the Israelites struggled too. God tried to meet them in the midst of their rebellion and confusion. So in Numbers 15:37, He instructs Moses to “Make fringes on the corners of their garments.” Seriously? What would that help?!? Fringes wouldn’t have been odd in ancient times, in Egypt and Assyria fringe on clothing was commonplace. Yet these people did so and in doing so they began adding them to all their garments. Following directives in Deuteronomy 22:12 they tie the fringes into knots called Tzitzits. By wearing and fingering the knots the Jews stay closely connected to God. For Jews the fringe (Tzitzit) provides a tangible way to reach across the chasm and reconnecting with God. 

However, this isn’t the only reason why prayer beads…For centuries long before Christ, the faithful said prayers in a repetitive manner and found different methods of keeping count, often by using rocks or pebbles. By at least the ninth century, monks were reciting all 150 psalms, at first every day, but later every week as part of their prayers and devotions. One way they kept track was to count out 150 pebbles and then place one pebble in a container or pouch as they said each psalm. People living near the monks wanted to mimic this devotion, but due to lack of education couldn’t memorize all the psalms. Printed copies, even if individuals could read, were not available as the printing press was centuries away. So Christians began to pray 50 or 150 Our Fathers (or Paternosters) each week instead of the psalms. In order to keep count of the Our Fathers, they often used string with knots in it instead of counting on rocks. Later the knots gave way to small pieces of wood and eventually to the use of beads.

Since the beads are fingered in an automatic manner, they allow the user to keep track of how many prayers have been said with a minimal amount of conscious effort, which in turn allows greater attention to be paid to the prayers themselves.

The Right Tool for the Job:

Have you started to fix something and the project just didn’t go as planned?  Maybe that bolt wouldn’t turn, or the nail was having a hard time going in.  During this situation, whatever it was for you, did the thought ever occur that you might just have the wrong tool? Rev. Todd Vick states “The same can be said for prayer: the right tool can make all the difference.  There are many tools that are used in prayer such as scripture, journals, prayer lists and notebooks, clinging cross, etc.  One prayer tool that I have found very useful is prayer beads, specifically Protestant prayer beads or Anglican Rosaries.” Rev. Vick struggles with ADD and often lost focus when praying. Prayer beads provided him a tool to fidget with and he “was able to maintain focus” and in doing so his “prayer life reached a whole new level.”

Rev. Vick went on to say “This tool serves as a visual cue to remind me to spend time in prayer, then while using it I am able to remove distractions, focus on God and move my prayers beyond simple petitions to fostering my relationship with my creator.” In the book A Bead and a Prayer  Kristen E. Vincent states “Like the fringe on a Tallit (Jewish Prayer Shawl) beads serve as a visual cue on many levels. On one hand, they can remind us to pray.” She goes on to say “I have heard many people attest to this fact. in the middle of a busy day or at bed time they will look down and see their prayer beads, thus being reminded to pray.” 

For me, I have a tallit, and in those times when I need a “hug from God” I will don my prayer shawl and pray. However, I often times just need a chance to sit back and pray; and like many people I struggle and fidget, for me, the prayer beads, my anglican rosary allows me to sit there and focus in a way that I can reach across that chasm and enter into a deeper time of prayer with God. Yes, it may be the repetitive praying of “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on me a sinner.” Or it may go deeper; I never know where I am going to end up; but prayer tools have given me a greater understanding of prayer and deeper value to my relationship with God. 

In the end, the use of prayer beads almost universally is to allow the person to keep track of the number of prayers that have been said, while at the same time focusing on the deeper meaning of the prayers themselves and for me, this makes all the difference. 

Two Prayers I pray: 

Trisagion* and Jesus Prayer

The Cross

In the Name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Invitatory
O God make speed to save me (us),
O Lord make haste to help me (us),
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

The Cruciforms
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon me (us).

The Weeks
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
Have mercy on me, a sinner.

The Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

The Cross
I bless the Lord.
(Let us bless the Lord
Thanks be to God.)

*Trisagion means thrice--which means that you repeat this prayer three times to signify the Holy Trinity.

The Celtic Prayer: 

The Cross
In the Name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Invitatory
O God make speed to save me (us),
O Lord make haste to help me (us),
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

The Cruciforms
Be the eye of God dwelling with me,
The foot of Christ in guidance with me,
The shower of the Spirit pouring on me,
Richly and generously

The Weeks
Pray each phrase on a separate bead.
I bow before the Father who made me,
I bow before the Son who saved me,
I bow before the Spirit who guides me,
In love and adoration.
I praise the Name of the one on high.
I bow before thee Sacred Three,
The ever One, the Trinity.

On the Invitatory BeadThe Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

The Cross
I bless the Lord.
(Let us bless the Lord
Thanks be to God.)