Good Friday to you.

I know many of you listen to the podcasting your way to school or work, commuting by car

or bus or bike or train or on foot.

Blessings to you on your day ahead or maybe you listen on your way home from work or school.

Either way, today's question hits on that intersection where the people of God live

out their faith in a faithless world.

The question is a good one and it's from a listener named Andrew.

Dear Pastor John, hello to you.

I am writing to ask you about a paradox I see in scripture.

Paul in for Timothy 3.7 says that an overseer, a church leader must be well thought of by

outsiders.

But Jesus told his own disciples four times that they would be hated by everyone.

It's Matthew 10.22, Matthew 24.9, Mark 13.13, Luke 21.17.

As if they have called the master of the house be eligible.

How much more will they malign those of his household?

Matthew 10.25.

Assuming it's valid to extend Jesus's words to his disciples to pastors today, how is

it that an overseer must be at the same time expected to be well regarded by outsiders

and yet also hated by everyone?

There are many apparent contradictions in the Bible.

And my experience over 60 years of loving the Bible, looking at the Bible, studying the

Bible, praying the Bible is that apparent contradictions resolve themselves if we are right

...