Millsom on Paul on 1st Century slavery

When you use a metaphor, you're not meant to apply all aspects of the object being used as the metaphor to the subject. Ie, Rodney is a machine! Rodney's not actually a mechanical device, but there are aspects of a machine which are very similar to Rodney. So when we read about Paul as

So when Jesus died and rose, we were bought with a price. So we are owned by God as slaves. And yet, Paul also describes us in Romans 8 as no longer operating under a spirit of fear as slaves would, but in a Spirit of Sonship. The dynamic is not identical to a typical 1st Century slave-owner fear and domination relationship. So not all aspects of the metaphor apply.

And yet, we are owned by God. His slaves.

This is as true as our intimacy with God.

Why does my bum hurt so much?

Having played soccer this afternoon, and drawing 2-2, my bum hurts. Particularly, somewhere in the joint behind my right gluteal muscles. I don't really know why. I'm not sure if it's in the hip joint itself, is the bum muscles or the side muscles or what. It just hurts. And I'd like to know why.

Now my knees hurt, but I know why that is. I'm pretty sure that's just wear and tear. Or perhaps it's simply (as described by my friend Laura) 'dicky knees' that I've inherited from my mother. I definitely blame my mother.

Perhaps I'll ask my brother about mybum tomorrow. He's done exercise science or something like that

And no, I did not score a goal today, although I did give the last pass for both of our two goals. It could well be argued that each of those passes didn't make a significant contribution to the goalscorers in their goalscoring duties, however.

As a pastor...

When is it right to have a chat with a member of church about their amount of time spent at work and suggest that their immediate and church families could use some more of their energies?

Discuss. There should be plenty of tangents to take this one on. Don't settle for just one!

A message. 10:25pm, Saturday.

To my dear brothers and sisters,

The Holy Spirit lives in you.

In Him,

Peter.

That is all.