It sometimes happens that small parts of the Bible seem to become dated, especially when they echo particular periods of time. When these small portions are brought up later, they seem out of touch with the modern world. The lesson today might serve as an example of this phenomenon.

When we read the lesson it sounds almost as if it should be a part of the '60s. Early on, there is a comment about not conforming, then something about transforming by renewing your minds, and finally, the ending about everybody working together. It all sounds as if it would fit right in if we were watching a nostalgic television special about the good old days of the 1960s. While it is uncanny that something written almost 1,900 years before the time the words seem to suit can evoke memories of a period only …