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I count it a privilege to have taught with Dr. Robert Tuttle for ten years on the Orlando campus of Asbury Seminary. He was the E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism. Bob retired from full-time teaching this academic year or as he puts it “I retired from attending faculty meetings.”

In his honor, the Asbury Alumni E-link has included a student’s list of some of Tuttle’s more memorable actions and quotations.

Here is sample of the quotations:
# “I really don’t need anything, I just want to look at you.”
# “It’s a mistake to fear the enemies of God.” (from Joshua’s, Caleb’s and the others spying of the promised land who returned with a bad report)
# “God is a stickler for details in times of transition.” (from the fella who steadied the Ark when it was about to fall of the cart, and he died)
# “Serves you right!” (what Tuttle always says whenever something good happens to you)
# “How’s your soul?” or “Do you love the Lord?” (when abruptly stopping people in the hallways)
# “Is everyone in here saved?” (what he asks after entering a room)
# “God has a lot more invested in you than you do.”
# “Lord, give me eyes to see and love others as though they were my own children.”
# “I don’t know what I’m talking about.”
# “Make sure no one gets saved ’til I get there!”
# “You’re a sinner son, probably the worst of all! As sweet as you are.” (and the whole time, he’d be holding the hand of that person.)

Check out the rest

Tags: Wesleyan, Wesleyan theology, asbury theological seminary, calling, church, evangelism, seminary by brian
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I am teaching a Doctor of Ministry seminar on hermeneutics titled “Biblical Interpretation for Church and World” for a group of international pastors through Asbury Seminary’s Beeson International Pastors program.

If you are interested in seeing the syllabus, you can download it here: missional hermeneutics. I am eager to meet the students who are all leaders from churches around the world. I am expecting to learn as much from these leaders as they will from me.

I’ll use this blog to post updates and key insights.

I will be teaching this course on the Orlando FL campus of Asbury again in July. If you are interested in Asbury’s Doctor of Ministry programs, follow these links: Asbury’s DMin.

Here are the textbooks that I am using this week:

Bauckham, Richard. Bible and Mission: Christian Witness in a Postmodern World. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004. 128 pp.

Davis, Ellen F., and Richard B. Hays, eds. The Art of Reading Scripture. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003.

Flemming, Dean. Contextualization of theology: An evangelical assessment. Downer’s Grove: IVP, 2005.

Goldingay, John. Models for Interpretation of Scripture. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.

Green, Joel. Seized by Truth: Reading the Bible As Scripture. Nashville: Abingdon, 2007.

Oswalt, John. Called to Be Holy. Evangel, 1999.

Wright, Christopher. The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative. Downers Grove: IVP, 2006.

Tags: Biblical Studies, D.Min., Doctor of Ministry, Hermeneutics, Mission, New Testament, Old Testament, Wesleyan, Wesleyan theology, asbury theological seminary, biblical theology, learning, missional church, missional hermeneutic, missional hermeneutics, missional leadership, missional reading, missionary, seminary, theological education, world mission, world religion by brian
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This is a draft of an essay that will appear in an upcoming edition of Asbury’s Alumni Link:

I love the Scriptures. In offering my Top Ten Bible passages, I am sharing texts that continue to shape and transform me as I seek to follow the Risen Christ into the world for the sake of God’s mission. I have included a question or two that I find myself pondering as I read these passages.

Gen 1:26-31
God created humanity as the pinnacle of his creative work. Such a statement was audacious in its original Ancient Near Eastern setting and it remains compelling today. God crafted humanity for profound purposes. Women and men exist to serve as God’s visible representatives before Creation by reflecting God’s character through their communal lives together. People exist for mission, community, and holiness. The rest of the biblical story narrates the loss of this reality and God’s redemptive work to restore our true humanity.

Am I living as the person whom God created me to be? Am I part of a missional community that reflects God’s character before a watching world?

Gen 3:1-9
Gen 3:1-9 is a disarming reminder of the tragedy of human existence and of the root cause of our lostness apart from God’s grace. It narrates humanity’s substitution of self-rule for a moment-by-moment relationship of faithful obedience with the Creator. The issue is trust. The dialogue between Eve and the serpent moves God from the subject of Adam and Eve’s life in the garden to the mere object of a theological conversation in which the serpent sows seeds of doubt in the heart of Eve and invites her to rely on her own judgment rather than a relationship with God built on trust. Both Adam and Eve chose self-rule over trust.

Do I trust that God has my best interests at heart as well as those of whom I love?

Exodus 19:3-6
These are God’s initial words to Israel at Sinai. They interpret the meaning of Israel’s redemption from Egyptian bondage. The salvation of God is more than liberation from Egypt; it is liberation for the mission of God. The redeemed people of God exist to serve as a missional community that reflects and embodies the character of God in/for/to the nations (cf. 1 Pet 2:9). We must grapple with this text as we seek to inculcate a biblical DNA in our communities.

How do I embody God’s call to mission, holiness, and community? How well does my community of faith reflect the vision of this passage?

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
The Shema marks the foundation for life as God intended. Our relationship with God is first order in importance. This text reminds us of the vital necessity of a fully committed life. Note that this commandment is lived out and nurtured within community. E. Stanley Jones once wrote, “Christianity that doesn’t begin with the individual doesn’t being; Christianity that ends with the individual ends.”

Is my life marked by a moment-by-moment relationship with God rooted in faithful obedience manifested in a whole being love for God? Am I “all in” for God? How well am I nurturing others in this first-order commitment?

Josh 1:1-9
Courage is the key that opens the door to the life of God’s dreams. Courage is determination to live out our faith commitments to accomplish God’s will. Joshua is God’s choice to take the mantle of leadership for God’s people. God appears to Joshua and casts a large vision for the future of God’s people. Joshua’s role is to live courageously by leading Israel into the Promised Land. The courage described in this passage is rooted in a journey shaped and formed by the Scriptures.

Do I live courageously to advance God’s Kingdom, or am I content to live in the “safety” of the status quo?

Psalm 73
Psalm 73 is a poignant psalm that narrates the psalmist’s struggle with life in the world. It captures a period of despair in which the psalmist’s perceived experience of God does not match his theological expectations. Yet it the midst of this dark time the psalmist enters God’s sanctuary and recognizes the ever present reality of God and God’s goodness. The psalmist moves from a faith rooted in external circumstances to one centered on the psalmist’s relationship with God.

What keeps me grounded when my faith experience does not match my theological understanding?

Jonah
Jonah sits among the Prophets as a nagging reminder to God’s people of God’s radical love for the nations. God is at work in the nations – even in those places that ostensibly stand the most opposed to God’s work in the world. God’s holy love extends far beyond the boundaries that we may be tempted to establish for it.

Do I love the lost as much as God does? In particular, what is my attitude toward those whom I consider my enemies?

Matt 4:17-22
Jesus begins his public ministry with a comprehensive call to (re)align continually with the ethos of God’s Kingdom that he is announcing has come near in him. Don’t miss the initial response to Jesus’ announcement: the creation of a missional community to serve as the vanguard for God’s age of salvation. The call to the kingdom is an invitation to mission and community.
In what ways have I separated following Jesus from following Jesus into the world on mission?

Philippians 3:7-16
This has been my favorite passage in the Scriptures since my teenage years. Paul recognizes that the ultimate value involves knowing Messiah Jesus as LORD. In response to this, Paul reorders his understanding of gain and privilege. Paul had boasted of his credentials in 3:1-6. He now advocates a radical reorientation of his past in light of Jesus. All that he once considered reasons for boasting are now reassessed as loss. This is not merely a pious display self-deprecation, but a deep rooted understanding that our gifts and talents become idols if we glory in them apart from a life centered on knowing Christ Jesus.

Have I surrendered to God my main thing so that it can become God’s thing?

There are countless other passages that I may well have chosen, but these are the one’s that have impacted me deeply in recent years as I seek to be continually realigned with and recast in the story that God is writing in the 21st century.

© 2009 Brian D. Russell

Tags: Biblical Studies, Community, Matthew, Mission, New Testament, Online discussions, Philippians, Psalms, Wesleyan, Wesleyan theology, asbury theological seminary, humanity, imago dei, learning, metanarrative, missional church, missional leadership, missional reading, theological education, writing by brian
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I’ll be teaching on the book of Philippians at First United Methodist Church - Winter Park for the next four Monday evenings (6/15, 6/22, 6/29, and 7/6). The study begins at 7:00 PM each night. An optional dinner is available at 6 PM with reservation. The study is free and open to all interested.

Here are notes on the initial eight verses of Philippians:

1:1 Paul refers to himself as “servant of Christ Jesus” without further qualification only in the salutation of Philippians. Cf Rom 1:1 and Titus 1:1 where Paul is “servant of God” or “servant of Jesus” but also “apostle”. Paul’s use of “servant” (Greek doulos) elsewhere is thus balanced by the title/function “apostle.” In Philippians, Paul and Timothy are simply “servants of Messiah Jesus.” This is important. The only other use of doulos in Philippians occurs at 2:7 “but emptied himself taking the form of a slave, being born in in human likeness.” 2:7 records Jesus’ action/demonstration of not considering equality with God something to be clung to or exploited. As we will see, the service of others over self is one of the fundamental issues of ethos to which Paul will return multiple times in this letter.

The genitive of possession “of Christ Jesus” modifies “slaves.” Paul/Timothy are slaves belonging to Christ Jesus. The status that they possess comes only in their relationship with Messiah Jesus.

Perhaps this choice of language is chosen intentionally to contrast with “citizenship” in 1:27 (verb) “Live as citizens worthy of the Gospel” and 3:20 (noun) “For our citizenship resides in heaven.” A block of the Philippian Christ followers were likely Roman citizens. This gave them important status and privilege in the 1st century Greco-Roman context. Slaves stood at the opposite end of the social ladder. They were considered property. Any status that they possessed came only as a result of the identity of their master/owner. Unlike a citizen, a slave did not have any special rights and privileges.

Notice the presence of two titles for some of the recipients: overseers/bishops and deacons. These are sometimes linked with Paul’s co-workers mentioned in 4:2. It appears that there are conflicts within the church of Philippi among leaders (3:15-16, 4:2-3). Thus, Paul’s choice of words for his own ministry is important. He considers himself to be a “slave of Christ.” Jesus Christ himself willingly took on “the form of a slave” (2:7). This points to a road for the resolution of conflict.

What would a community look like whose members embodied the title “slaves of Christ Jesus”? How would our community of faith be different than it is today? What would it mean for leadership to willingly embrace this mantle and model it for the community as a whole?

1:3 - 8 Paul’s thanksgiving

In vv. 3-4a, Paul overflows with genuine thankfulness for the Philippians. Every memory of Philippi leads to a prayer of thanksgiving for the Christ followers there.

How much of our prayers are rooted in thanksgiving? For what are we thankful? For whom in our lives are we constantly giving thanks?

Paul expands on his expression of gratitude in two ways:

First, he offers his prayer of thanksgiving with joy. Joy is a key theme in Philippians (1:4, 25; 2:2, 29; 4:1). It is rooted in knowing Jesus and serving faithfully in mission.

What is the basis for Paul’s joyful prayer? V. 5 gives us the answer. The Philippians have been partners with him (a fellowship or sharing) for or in the Gospel. The partnership has existed from the beginning of Paul’s relationship with the Philippians and it continues into the present. Note the significance of this statement: Paul and the Philippians are bound together for the Gospel. They have a common cause. Their bond is God’s mission. It is the Philippians steadfast commitment to the Gospel that brings Paul joy. Philippi served as a gateway city to Europe for Paul. The Philippians supported Paul’s mission and helped him to take the Gospel to the next city.

Am I joyful? What is the basis for the joy that I have in my life? Do I have a joy rooted in something bigger than myself that can transcend the circumstances of life? Have I been part of a mission whose work brings me joy beyond my circumstances? How much of my life is rooted in participation in God’s mission?

v. 6 offers a second modification of “I give thanks (continually) to my God in every memory of you always in every prayer of mine on behalf of you…” If the first phrase celebrated the joy that Paul feels because of their partnership for the gospel, the second roots Paul’s thanksgiving in an affirmation of his steadfast confidence that God will continue to work in the lives of the Philippians Christians and bring to full consummation the work begun in the Philippians. Paul knows that his labor has not been in vain because God is at work in their lives.

Vv. 7-8 describe Paul’s own internal attitude toward the Philippians. Paul’s prayers of joy and confidence of the Philippians full perfection is rooted in the reality that the Philippians are in Paul’s heart. They have been sharers/partakers of grace.

© 2009 Brian D. Russell

Tags: Biblical Studies, Community, Mission, New Testament, Paul, Philippians, Prayer, Wesleyan, church, commentary, early church, ecclesiology, emerging church, ethos, missional church, missional leadership, missional reading, missionary, world mission by brian
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I have added a couple of new teaching/speaking engagements:

June 9 Philippians 2:1-11 “Becoming the Persons God Needs Today” University of Central Florida Wesley Foundation (7:30 PM)

June 15, 22, 29, and July 6 “Philippians: Ancient Wisdom for Today’s Church” First United Methodist of Winter Park 7:00-8:30 on Monday evenings.

Tags: Biblical Studies, New Testament, Paul, Philippians, Wesleyan, Wesleyan theology by brian
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My colleague Joe Dongell, Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary has authored one of the best essays that I have ever read on Christian Holiness. President Elect Tim Tennent offers a response to Joe’s essay.

Here is an excerpt:

For many Christians, the Bible feels like the federal tax code: complicated, contradictory, and awkwardly cobbled together over many years. Small wonder that our libraries are filled with commentaries promising to decode the puzzles we stumble over as we read. But if we press on, we will discover that the trail sometimes rises up to a high point, to a lookout with a panoramic view of everything below. Standing above it all, we can now see that the maze of twisting trails actually makes sense. A meaningful, unified landscape emerges.

A well-educated man once asked Jesus to identify the most important of all God’s instructions. Quite a challenge, given that 613 specific commands had been tagged and categorized by the scholars of the day! How would Jesus answer? You could say that Jesus “took the man on a hike” to the highest overlook of them all, to a view that simplifies everything: “You shall love the Lord your God”, and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus not only declared that no commandments were greater than these, but that the whole of Scripture (the law and the prophets) depends on just these two commandments (Matt. 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 10:25-28).

The apostle Paul presses exactly the same point: “…he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments…are summed up in this one sentence, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Romans 12:8-10; Gal. 5:14; see Deuteronomy 6:4; Leviticus 19:18)

John Wesley, the fountainhead of the Methodist revival, had obviously hiked to this very overlook and gazed out across the same landscape. He never tired of reducing everything (the gospel, his ministry, Christianity) to this exquisite simplicity: Love. To wander from this not only leads us away from Wesley, but surrenders away the heart of Scriptural Christianity.

Read the rest.

What do you think?

Tags: Biblical Studies, Community, Holiness, The Wesleyan Church, Wesleyan, Wesleyan theology, asbury theological seminary, biblical theology, church, ethos, humanity, theological education by brian
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