Tune and Prepare!

The Culturally Diverse Leadership of the Antioch Church (Acts 13:1–3) I n this article, I examine how a monocultural community of believers can become a multicultural mission outpost. This is particularly important in an era when global conflicts are arising precisely because of the Church’s biased monoculturalism. This makes the religious form of Christianity exclusive and alienates it from precisely those whom it ought to reach through God’s grace. When the first church was established, God acted very quickly and practically compelled them to take to the world stage. In this context, it is necessary to examine the original apostolic way of thinking. Antioch: Cultural and Historical Profile Antioch in Syria was the third-largest city of the Roman Empire, after Rome and Alexandria. Situated on the Orontes River and on major trade routes, {located at the site of modern Antakya, Turkey} it was a cosmopolitan hub where Jews, Greeks, Syrians...

Peter and Paul. Two men from radically different backgrounds. Two people whom the Lord Jesus called to the same most noble and most difficult ministry. We know their sermons. We know their martyrdoms. We know their letters, copied and re-copied for two thousand years, sitting in the same Bible, side by side, world without end. But there is a small, easily-missed sentence buried in one of those letters — a sentence that tells us something almost nobody preaches on. Paul writes, almost in passing, that three years after his conversion, three years after the beginning of his devoted services he went up to Jerusalem, and he stayed with Peter for fifteen days. Fifteen days. Two men. One place, one house, in one city, for two full weeks. And Scripture tells us almost nothing about what happened in that time... ... After Pentecost, Peter becomes the recognized voice of the Jerusalem church — preaching to the crowds (Acts 2:1...

Part II Misinterpretation of the two judgments Two Events — One Misreading — Two Thousand Years of Confusion These chapters examine why two distinct divine judgments have so often been collapsed into one — with grave doctrinal consequences — and how the original Greek word bema , carved in stone on an Athenian hillside, unlocks Paul's precise and deliberate meaning. I The Core Confusion: Two Distinct Events Collapsed Into One The mixing of the Bema Seat (for believers) and the Great White Throne / Sheep & Goats judgment (for all nations / unbelievers) is not a minor hermeneutical slip. It has profound doctrinal consequences . When these two events are blended together, the result is almost always a corruption of the gospel itself. What Gets Lost The finished work of Christ is subtly undermined — salvation begins to feel conditional on performance. Assurance of salvation i...

Part I Jesus' Judgment Seats Judgement - for Whom? — A Study in Three Passages These three passages form a powerful trio on the theme of divine judgment. Together they affirm that every person — believer or unbeliever — will one day stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and give account of their life. They call us to live wisely, humbly, and compassionately in the light of eternity. 2 Cor 5:10 The Bema Seat of Christ "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil." — 2 Corinthians 5:10 What is the "Judgment Seat"? In the Greek, the word for "judgment seat" is “Bema” — a raised platform in the Greco-Roman world where a judge or official would sit to discuss decisions and form opinions on municipal and civil matters, or even re...

Tom Wright About Paul's conversions Q. Talking about Paul the Apostle and I was thinking Tom about his remarkable, supernatural, dramatic conversion. Why doesn't the Lord do that more often? A. It's a good question. But probably a third of the questions that people ask me are about : why did God do this or why does God do that? And my usual response is you better ask him... ...I think here it's quite clear that something dramatic had to happen because here is, if you like, God's sense of humor that when God wants to reach out to the great, unwashed, idolatrous Gentile world, who does he call to do that? A hardline, zealous, pharisaic Jew. Because if it had been a kind of anything goes sort of Jew who had always been a bit soft on Torah, etc. If such a person had gone off to say to Gentiles, by the way, "the God of Israel loves you too", then everyone would have said, "well, of course, you would say that because that was the way you ...

Simon Elliot — Everyday Church Wimbledon Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Ephesians Paul here refers to specific people who represent a specific ministry with a specific purpose. Paul is not talking about titles or professional positions; he is speaking about people with purpose, and that purpose is to equip and enable the believing community in intentional discipleship. Why can I say this? Because, as we shall see, the fruit of intentional discipleship is mature and fruitful believers. These ministries equip the saints, all the believers, for works of service – for activity which will bring maturity through intentionality. John Stott puts it like this: Paul sets out two purposes – one immediate and the other ultimate – for which Christ gave gifts to his church. His immediate purpose was to equip his people for w...

meditation: Partial knowledge. Humbleness, patience, salvation sympathy, brotherly love, Unity of mind, "each otherness" in the apostolic life-model Paul: According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 1Cor 3:10 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. .. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 1Cor 13:4-7.12. Peter ..according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to ...

The apostolic approach Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. 2 Cor 1:24.

Keeping the apostolic line - the timeless advice Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace.. Heb 13: 7-9 By grace God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Eph 2:4-8 ☆

..the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it , and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works — this person will be blessed in what he does. Jms 1:25

Apostolic Instructions + Booklets, ebooks + The Book of the Blog   Apostolic Instructions on Prayer, and the technical meaning of "Christ". First of all, then, I urge 1 that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone 2 , for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life 3 in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For 5 there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, Himself human, who gave Himself — a ransom for all 6 , a testimony at the proper time. ... I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument... 7 1Tim 2:1-6,8 (Holman C.S.B.) Notes 1 "I emphatically tell you.." It's not a command but a strong suggestion with apostolic authority. 2 "for...

brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, dwell in these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Phil 4:8

Joseph Marie Vien: Sarah Presenting Hagar to Abraham Based on the Galatians 4 you can read here an overview +teaching about the old and new status of the believers. According to the apostolic teaching the old, child like status describes Israel and the new status refers to the adoption we have got in Christ. Meanwhile, the symbolic image of the two women, the two mothers (Abraham's concubine and his wife), gives a detailed picture of the complex spiritual family relationship between the Jewish and the Christian believer. We will use the ESV Bible. Pre When the apostle Paul speaks of the life of Abraham and about the Law, we need to see two states. One is a blessing: based on the voluntary mercy and grace of God, the other is a system: which God has prepared for the deliverance of His people and the building up of the Jewish nation. We can see that the promise, Abraham's blessing came 430 years before the giving of the Law. Moreover we will see that th...