Eugene Peterson on axios and calling

Thanks to TC...excerpts from the

latest EP classic, 'Practice Resurrection’:

“The items balanced in the Ephesians scales are God’s calling and human living. … The balancing scales, the axios, centers the Ephesian letter. Everything in Paul’s letter is designed to keep God’s calling (chapters 1-3) and our walking (chapters 4-6) in equilibrium. We cannot measure ourselves by examining ourselves in terms of ourselves, by evaluating ourselves against a non-relational abstraction such as ‘human potential.’ Nor can abstract God into an impersonal ‘truth’ apart from our hearing and responding to the words he uses to call us into life, into holiness, into relationship. We can understand neither God nor ourselves in any living, adequate, and mature way that is an impersonal, non-relational way. When god’s calling and our walking fit, we are growing up in Christ.” (p. 32)

“Calling. God calls us. He doesn’t hand out information to us. He doesn’t explain. He neither condemns nor excuses. He calls.” (p. 32)

"The Bible in Hebrew basically meant, 'Call.' Hebrew Miqra is noun formed from verb 'to call,' qara. Our word, Bible, is book. But not just a book to read, look at and discuss. It is a call to follow, a voice to hear" (p. 33).

“The balancing scales do not provide a picture of something rigidly static, an achievement that once achieved is welded into place.” (p. 34)

“This company of called fellow-travelers, all different and all one, is the church.” (p. 35)

“If we are going to grow up into Christ we have to do it in the company of everyone who is responding to the call of God.” (p. 36)

-link