Unashamed with the Robertson Family
Ep 1017 | Jase Shuts Down Twisted Attempts to Weaponize the Bible Against God
Fri, 03 Jan 2025
Jase makes it crystal clear that any claim that God condones the atrocity of slavery is a perversion of God's Word — God is the ultimate corrector of all injustices. Al and Jase connect the book of Philemon to the events and people of Colossians, and Al is impressed with the masterful way Paul uses his letter to Philemon to ask for a pretty huge favor. Plus, get a behind-the-scenes peek at The Lair, the rustic studio where “Unashamed” is filmed! In this episode: Colossians 4, verses 2-9; Ephesians 2, verses 14-16; Philemon 1, verses 4-25 — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What does it mean to be unashamed?
I am unashamed.
What about you?
Welcome back to Unashamed. When we did the thousandth episode, we asked you guys to send us stuff and we've been reading them. They're still coming in. I still get them. And man, it's just so heart touching to me to hear you just open up and say what it's meant to you, your family, maybe someone in your family. So
Chapter 2: How does the legacy of family influence our faith?
We are very blessed that we've been able to do this and still excited about continuing on. We told you, you know, obviously things have changed with dad, you know, but he built in us this legacy to do what we're doing. And recently he told me, I said, well, dad, you know, we're just, we're still doing the podcast. We're still, you know, studying the Bible.
And I said, but it's all stuff you set in us in motion to continue to do it. He said, keep doing it, son. Keep doing it.
Well, and it's this, you know, being in Jesus is a growth process. And, uh, if you're not growing, you're dying or you're dead.
Yeah.
And, uh, there's so much in here about spiritual growth. And so there's, we had a, a mutual brother who put us all in a group text. He said, I really appreciate the podcast. Cause he knew we were fixed to this transition. And, uh, I forgot exactly how he phrased it. He said, I said it, but I don't even remember saying it. Shocker. Shocker.
But he said, there's a place where you need to cast your nets in deeper water.
Yeah.
And I like that because as a fisherman- That was one of the things that led me to Jesus. And when he started off, I believe it's in Mark chapter one. And he's like, come follow me. I'll make you fishers of men. Yeah. And, you know, you just think going back to this, what I said, we're going to kind of end today, the book of Colossians into a little bit in Philemon.
There's a partnership that we all share. And I'm using that word. knowing that I did a little Greek study on that word in Philemon verse six, where there's a partnership in the gospel that we all share. And that word is translated different ways in the Bible, like fellowship, intimacy, benefactor, jointly contributing. Well, that's what we share in getting the message of Jesus out. And as we grow,
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Chapter 3: What is the Joseph Principle and its significance?
So this, the idea, I was thinking about a backdrop of an Old Testament, you know, story like that is really sets up what we're going to be talking about today.
Yeah. So he, you know, and just to review the book, He focused on Jesus. He talked about this incredible fullness of the deity living in bodily form, which is Jesus. And then in chapter two, he's like, you've been given fullness in Christ as being members of the body. And then he moves on to this old self, new self, putting on the new self. And what's this look like in your homes? Of course,
We've spent a few podcasts saying what this is not talking about and what it is under the Roman culture. They had this servant system set up where it was basically like they were employees. Not to say there probably wasn't a ton of abuses and just like any other... Always. Yeah. And I think people feel uncomfortable about this because they're like, well, why didn't Paul just say...
Slavery is wrong. You shouldn't own people. I mean, Jesus himself, he said, you love your neighbor. You don't own your neighbor. I mean, that's just crazy. But it was about authority and power, and it was totally different. Obviously, he squelched any idea of what happened in America.
By saying in Christ in Colossians 3, there's no nationality, Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all. And so then you have this really cool story. Because you can tell, I think the reason he talked about this, the servants and the masters and You're coming to Christ, and he's addressing both people.
And the way I'm looking at it is more like today in our modern culture, I would put this under the heading of employee versus employer, which they have both a responsibility to do what's right.
Right.
And even in that light, I think Christian people should be the greatest employees and they also should be the greatest employers wherever you find yourself.
And there's always a constant tension there that we all realize, you know, go for a company or a boss or ourselves and our own family. But at the same time, we're challenged to be that no matter which side of that equation we're on. So when a woman experiences an unplanned pregnancy, she often feels alone and afraid. And so many times her first response is to seek out an abortion.
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Chapter 4: How does Paul address slavery in the Bible?
Chapter 5: What is the partnership in the gospel?
But you need to show the grace of God and the character of God. If you're in a subservient role in the workplace or whatever, I mean, I don't see a lot of difference in that and the way the Roman society worked here.
Right.
But it's very tough to be that way.
Yeah. I think when you try to interpret the Bible outside of the framework that, well, Paul gives a lot of help in this. But think about that when we did Ephesians. And in Ephesians 2, 14 through 16, it says this. And I think this is a great context to read the Scripture through. that for he himself, talking about Jesus, is our peace.
That's the same language he uses in Colossians, the centrality or the reality, however, is found in Christ. For he himself is our peace. Who has made, you say, well, we need peace. Well, here's why, because there's division. Who has made the two groups one. and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility by setting aside in his flesh the law with his commands and regulations.
His purpose, here's the purpose of Christ right here, was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, out of the Jew and the Gentile, thus making peace. And in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross by which he put to death their hostility.
I read that and I don't even I mean, this would be the argument that I would have made if I was living in the times of the abolishment of slavery or the civil rights movement. This would have been the best argument right here. But it also is the best argument against like the critical theories that have emerged over the years that seek to take people and put them into two separate groups.
The gospel has a way of erasing all of that and bringing different ethnic groups, different genders, different all types of backgrounds into one. kingdom into one people group, which according to Paul is, was the purpose that he created us, was to create one new humanity.
And in the context of families.
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Chapter 6: How does Jesus unite different groups?
Chapter 7: What are the implications of interpreting scripture in context?
By the way, this is a little side thought, but that letter to Laodicea was just as much important as the letter to the Colossians and Philippians and all the stuff we got. So this thing, sometimes you get worried we don't have all the stuff. There were a lot of letters written by Paul.
Yeah, I think all this is interesting. He said, see to it that you complete the work that you have received in the Lord, which is a very profound statement. And he ends this saying, I write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains.
Yeah.
He's chained up while he's writing this as a prisoner for the Lord, which kind of brings more weight to when he says, whatever you do, work at it with all your heart is working for the Lord, not for men. Verse 17, he says, whatever you do, whether word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. I mean, he's literally in prison while this is going on.
And so the thought is, I just think when we think the Lord is blessing me, we usually think money or he got me this job. And here's a guy writing all this while he's chained because of his faith and seemingly quite positive about everything, our letter. What a beautiful letter. And then he says, grace be with you, which he had already said before, let your conversation be always full of grace.
And I think when you do get in these situations with people, especially those that are outside of Jesus, You know, you always lean toward the side of grace. That's what changes people's lives, the grace of Jesus Christ.
So let me give a quick overview because we only have a few minutes left on this podcast and we want to wrap the book, which we've read the book. But this idea of Philemon comes in because that's another short letter, 25 verses.
And we're bringing it in because he mentioned that Onesimus is coming in verse 9. That's the connection.
So Philemon is a fellow worker, and he's mentioned, obviously, at the very beginning, to Philemon, our dear friend and fellow worker. And it's the same word that's synergized. Onesimus is the runaway slave who has wound up in Rome and been converted to Christ by Paul and his group there. And he's become a vital part of their ministry. So that's who he is, but he's from Colossae and he escaped.
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