Kindness is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Followers of Jesus live a life of kindness.

Kindness among strangers and those in our communities is no better illustrated than in this short and remarkable film. Enjoy!

One of the remarkable things about the Bible, especially prophecy, is its SURPRISING nature. Things come to eventuate exactly as scripture foretells, and we find ourselves (or those at the time it occurs) as absolutely surprised and not really expecting it!

For example, even though there was a great deal of Messianic expectation when Jesus was born, and the ancients understood the prophecies given, in Isaiah for example, where “a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and his name shall be called Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14) – that is “God with us”, when Jesus did come to this earth and was born as a baby boy in Bethlehem, it really came as a surprise.

When you read the gospel accounts, you soon pick up on that sense of surprise from Mary’s visitation by the angel Gabriel, from Joseph’s experience, from the shepherd’s in the field to the arrival of the wise men.

When Jesus came it was a surprise.

It also happened in the discourse when Jesus repeatedly told his disciples that he would be handed over to the Gentiles, he would suffer, be killed and that he would be raised three days and three nights later. I don’t think that the disciples, as the scriptures attest to, really understood or fully comprehended what Jesus was foretelling.

Thus when you read the gospel accounts when early on that Sunday morning, long after Jesus had been resurrected, the people immediately involved were nothing less than surprised! The angel at the tomb spoke to the women were surprised. The disciples were surprised. They only understood what actually happened some time after those events occurred.

I think Jesus understands that “sense of surprise” we experience. When Jesus was telling his disciples about the upcoming resurrections, as cited in John 5:28-29, he said, “Don’t be amazed; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice – and come out, those who have lived righteously to a resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to a resurrection of judgment.”

And here Jesus prefaced his words by saying, “Don’t marvel“ or “Don’t be amazed!” So, one day in the future, when we find ourselves participating in either of those resurrections, we’ll probably find it “surprising” – more surprising and amazing than we can ever imagine today.

The last book of the Bible is part letter, part prophecy and part apocalypse. The Book of Revelation is prefaced by telling us of “things that must soon take place”, and so over the years theologians and scholars alike have disagreed and debated whether these mysterious things and events in Revelation happened completely in the past or whether they exist yet in the future. But, the bottom line is, that even though we know that Jesus Christ is coming as “King of kings, and Lord of lords”, in might and in power and in glory, his coming is probably going to happen in a way that we really don’t fully comprehend or imagine today. We’ll probably be more surprised than anything else.

So when the day comes and the words of God become fulfilled, may we all be more than pleasantly surprised!

For the MessageWeek team, I’m John Klassek.

1. The Lordship of Christ
2. Resurrection
3. Justification
4. Grace
5. Faith

1. The Lordship of Christ is the underlying premise for the entirety of Paul’s ministry, and is evident throughout his letters, perhaps no better summarised than when Paul said, “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed.” (I Corinthians 16:22) In fact, the term “Lord” is cited almost some 300 times throughout Paul’s writings.

Paul anchored every part of his teaching on the Lord Jesus Christ, emphasised, for example in his averting of personal focus when he said, “For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.” (2 Corinthians 4:5)

A study of the frequency and placing of the term “Lord” throughout Paul’s epistles leaves no question what occupied Paul’s thinking. If we go back to the Gospel accounts, we hear the resurrected Jesus confirming his Lordship when he said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18)

2. Paul’s training as a Pharisee gave him the added advantage of believing in the Resurrection, identically as Jesus taught and demonstrated. Paul’s insight into the resurrection is remarkable, and possibly attributed to no other source than the revelations apparently given to him. (2 Corinthians 12:7) Jesus said that, “all who are in their graves would hear his voice and come out, those who lived righteously to a resurrection of life and those who have done evil to a resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28-29)

Paul further develops Jesus’ resurrection teaching, hinging his entire preaching ministry on the Resurrection of Jesus, saying in effect that if Jesus’ wasn’t resurrected, we’re all believing a myth. (1 Corinthians 12:15-23) In verse 20 Paul asserts what the gospel accounts tell, that: “But now Christ is risen from the dead…” Paul does not, however, retell what Mark, Matthew, John and Luke record on this, nor does he quote Jesus’ verbatim. This conspicuous absence nonetheless doesn’t detract from Paul’s intensity – Paul is hesitant, even evasive, in detailing the “revelations” he apparently experienced that apparently gave him insight into the resurrection.

3. Justification recurs throughout Paul’s writings, with “justified” and “justification” occurring some 24 times in his epistles. No better is this illustrated than when Paul said, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Romans 5:1) Paul showed that of and by ourselves we are as good as dead; only through Jesus’ sacrifice are we “justified” in the eyes of God. The penalty of sin has been paid our stead. John 3:16 states that no one who believes “shall perish“, because of what God did to demonstrate His love. Paul asserts that no one is justified by their works or law keeping. (Romans 3:20) John further supports justification by belief when, in writing of Jesus, said, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:20) This is echoed in Paul’s statement, when he wrote, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

4. Although Jesus never used the word “grace”, John did when he wrote of Jesus, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) Paul is renown for his “grace and peace” greetings from the Lord Jesus Christ that appear in practically all his salutations and some of his benedictions. In fact, the word “grace” appears some 90 times throughout Paul’s epistles.

Perhaps best known is Paul’s assertion that, “For by grace you have been saved through faith...” (Ephesians 2:8) Here, grace, salvation/justification and faith are interwoven. Another related passage in this sense is Paul’s assurance of, “being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24) The reader will note that many of Paul’s themes are interwoven and inter-related, and one cannot be isolated from the other.

5. Faith here comes to mind. Faith is believing God, and showing the evidence of that belief through action. If Paul is the author of Hebrews (as many scholars believe), then no where is this better demonstrated than in the words: “Without faith it is impossible to please Him…” (Hebrews 11:6) Hebrews 11 is known as the faith chapter, and like classic Paul (as in Romans), leans heavily on the Old Testament scriptures to make his point. Jesus often illustrated the need for faith (Luke 18:8), and spoke movingly favourably to those who demonstrated it. To the woman who was healed, Jesus said, “Your faith has made you well.” (Matthew 9:23)

The word “faith” occurs some 169 times in Paul’s writings, thrice in one verse: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” (Romans 1:17)

There is no discordance between Jesus and Paul. Some scholars have suggested that the Pauline influence and contribution to the New Testament canon undermines not only the other apostles, but also Jesus. Yet, in the above few examples, we see that Paul submitted entirely to the Lordship of Christ; his Christ theology must not be confused with the complexity and method of Paul’s writing and person.

Written by John Klassek
For LifeSpring BIS104

Thus Christians reading the Book of Acts today are given a good description of the beginnings of Christianity as lived through the emergence of the early church. We read of the issues surrounding the Gentiles being given the Holy Spirit in a climate of Jewish opposition. We read of Jewish insistence for new converts to be circumcised and the resulting Jerusalem apostolic conference that discussed the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles and their resulting edict. We read descriptions of various Roman rulers who encountered the gospel via Paul’s testimony. We wonder at the manifestation of the Holy Spirit through numerous amazing miracles, such as Paul and Silas, and well as Peter, being freed from prisons, of healings, and of accurate prophecies such as given by Agabus. We weigh in on the problems and issues of the church some 2000 years ago, and cannot help but ponder how the Acts narrative might edify the modern church today.

Do the times and circumstances of some 2000 years ago as recorded in Acts, the incidents that occurred and resulting judgment calls, as well events tied to an ancient calendar, help us navigate our theology today? If Acts is purely descriptive and belonging entirely to another age, then we can simply see the book purely in a more or less a historical focus. Viewing Acts through an exclusively historical lens would then help us understand that Luke’s recording of the remarkable miracles of healing, freeing from prison, visitation by angels, and visions from God only existed in the context of those times, and are not necessarily to be expected in the Christian experience today.

And yet, we’re also confronted by the issue of being edified by what the early Christians believed, and how they applied their understanding to everyday life. Do the overall experiences and outcomes of early Christian practise and theology as cited in Acts carry any prescriptive weight for us today – in the light of Paul’s prescriptive comment in 1 Corinthians 11:1 when he said, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”?

I believe that Acts is not only a descriptive historical narration containing elements that cannot be repeated in today’s Christian experience, such as witnessing Jesus’ ascension, or worshipping at the Jewish temple in Jerusalem (Elewell, Yarbrough Encountering the New Testament, Baker Academic, 2008, 212), but that it also speaks to us on a prescriptive level that mirrors core doctrinal teachings supported elsewhere in scripture. For example, Paul’s belief in the resurrection of Jesus and his actively preaching of the resurrection is supported elsewhere in the New Testament.

The challenge is: how far do we apply the prescriptive element contained in Acts in our faith and practise today? For example, many in our community of believers acknowledge Luke’s interesting inclusion of certain usually-relegated-as Jewish days of worship. The modern reader of Acts notes that the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost, which we believe was a Sunday morning. Why were the disciples gathered in a meeting place on that Sunday? Had the weekly day of worship and fellowship changed from Sabbath to Sunday? The disciples were indeed gathered in “holy convocation” on this Holyday known as Pentecost, as they had perhaps always done. Of note is that God chose to use the significance of this day, historically believed to be when God originally gave the ancient Israelites the Ten Commandments, to now abundantly pour out the Holy Spirit on all who believed.

Luke also mentions Paul’s insistence to keep a certain feast:

When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing. “And he sailed from Ephesus. (Acts 18:20-21)

Can we take any bearings from Paul’s insistence on keeping this feast, be it Unleavened Bread or Tabernacles? Is this simply descriptive, or is it prescriptive? Luke also mentions the Fast, a reference believed to be the Day of Atonement (Acts 27:9). Elsewhere, Luke also importantly mentioned that they sailed after the Days of Unleavened Bread (Acts20:6) and from this the reader can understand that there were presiding reasons not to sail until Unleavened Bread was completed. The next verse (7) refers to an assembly [correctly translated] “the first of the Sabbaths”. This was not a Sunday assembly, but an assembly on the first of the seven Sabbaths (or weeks) counted from Unleavened Bread to Pentecost. [New Testament Greek does not have a word for "week"; the word for week occurs in the Septuagint and in modern Greek].

Theologians acknowledge that the interpretive understanding gleaned from the above examples are often hotly debated, especially by those who disagree with the implications that these Holydays bear relevance to the Christian today, it nonetheless demonstrates the interpretive challenges that Acts presents. (Elewell, Yarbrough, Encountering the New Testament, Baker Academic, 2008, 213)

The Book of Acts is a necessary part of the Biblical canon. It details the early church as it tried to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ; it documents firstly the work of the Peter, John and James, and devotes the final two thirds to Paul’s journeys and experiences; it documents the entrance of Gentiles into the faith, and it also gives us a good insight into what our Christian forefathers believed and how they applied that understanding. In this Acts still speaks to us today, not only as a historical narrative, but also fleshing out the prescriptive element, instructions on how to live the new life in Christ.

John Klassek
Written for LifeSpring

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)

In a few days’ time many followers of Jesus will be celebrating an occasion when believers in our tradition (of the Churches of God) partake of a small piece of unleavened bread and take a sip of wine. The Lord’s Supper/Christian Passover is a powerful annual reminder of the love of God, and the sobering nature of the symbols of Christ’s broken body and spilled blood are not lost on those who participate. Somewhere in our revisiting of that original event, we read in Matthew, Mark and Luke alike a curious prophecy given by Jesus at this first commemorative event.

“For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” (Luke 22:18)

Jesus here anchored this inaugural event to a resumption of this commemorative imbibing when “the Kingdom of God comes.” Thus we might understand it, in this instance, that the Kingdom of God is apparently a future reality. Jesus made a promise that he would “not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God comes”. There is no ambiguity in Jesus’ words: the Kingdom of God as cited here is a (future) “coming” reality; it is not here yet.

Related to this future sense of the Kingdom of God are Jesus’ earlier words when he taught his followers to pray: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) Thus theologians have wrestled with the “coming” aspect of the Kingdom of God when placed besides other scriptures that seem to indicate otherwise.

The scriptures I’m referring to here are those that, from Jesus’ specific teachings, seem to imply an already present aspect of the Kingdom of God:

“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Matthew 12:28)

“Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21)

Jesus here explicitly taught that the present reality, the immanency of the Kingdom, as some translations put it, is, “in the midst of you”. And yet, elsewhere, Jesus implied a contrasting future tense, when the “Son of Man comes” scenario.

“And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 8:11)

The apostles too wrote of the future tense of the Kingdom of God, and yet also reflected on the presence of the Kingdom in the now, today sense. For example, Peter encouraged Jesus’ followers with a sense of glorious reward at the end:

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10-11)

And yet when Paul wrote to the believers in Colossae, he said that God has already given us entrance into the Kingdom: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” (Colossians 1:13) Thus, according to this passage, believers are already in the Kingdom.

To the faithful in Rome, Paul again conveyed a present reality of the Kingdom of God when he said that, “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17) All these attributes are experienced by those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells (since the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts chapter 2). Thus the Kingdom of God is also a present reality.

Renown Christian author G.E. Ladd wrestled with this dilemma in his article “What is the Kingdom of God”. (http://gospelpedlar.com/articles/Last%20Things/kogladd.html taken from The Gospel of the Kingdom. George Eldon Ladd, Eerdmans Pub Co, Grand Rapids MI, 1959, pages 13-23) G.E. Ladd writes that if we were to consecutively list all the scriptures pertaining to the Kingdom of God, and write their intended meaning alongside, we would begin to see what could be interpreted as apparent contradictions. If the Kingdom of God is something we can enter into now, then how do we apply and understand those scriptures that suggest a future fullness of the Kingdom? Thus Ladd addresses the issue of the Kingdom as being “already… not yet”.

Bible scholar N.T. Wright asked a similar question in his book titled “How God Became King” (Harper Collins, 2011) when he dealt with the question of “What exactly is the Kingdom of God?” Wright argued that orthodox Christianity has incorrectly interpreted the Kingdom of God as simply meaning “heaven” – a place we allegedly go to when we die, and earth conversely as this place where sinners are left behind to suffer whatever. Wright asserts that the Kingdom of God isn’t a far off reality, but that the Kingdom of God and earth are purposely intersecting. Wright further says that the Kingdom of God is already significantly present in the lives of the faithful, while its fullness is still coming to this earth! (See related videos as presented by NT Wright).

Both G.E. Ladd and N.T. Wright thus have highlighted the conundrum that exists among scholars as well as the wider Christian community as to what the Kingdom of God actually means, and how we might understand it as the Bible teaches it. Both authors are correct in their preparedness to lay aside traditional biases, view the scriptures for what they are, and then attempt to ask the right questions.

When we read the parables of Jesus that convey aspects of the Kingdom of God, we are confronted with quite a few different images. We see the Kingdom of heaven in Matthew chapter 13 as beginning small as mustard seed and growing into the biggest of trees. We learn that the Kingdom is like yeast placed in bread dough; the effect is that the dough almost imperceptibly at first becomes totally permeated and transformed by it. In both these examples, the Kingdom of God is portrayed as a process towards its ultimate fulfilment. And yet, elsewhere in this same chapter we read where Jesus said of the Kingdom, “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, [and] separate the wicked from the just…” Matthew 13:49) This matter-of-fact assertion of the future, as taught by Jesus, shows a definite future fulfilment.

Discussion of the Kingdom of God must never be relegated solely as the domain of theologians, because in Matthew 6:33 Jesus exhorted his followers, as of primary importance, to: “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness”.

If we’re to seek first the Kingdom of God, then we must have some understanding as to what it really is. We have seen that the Kingdom has a future sense of fullness and fulfilment. This is nowhere more evident than in Paul’s attestation when he wrote to the faithful in Corinth:

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. (1 Corinthians 15:22-24)

In this passage, Paul summed up the entire scriptural record, beginning with Adam, focussing on Christ, and then finally ending with the Kingdom being delivered to God the Father.

Then, there are those scriptures that attest to the early stages of Kingdom reality as a believer may experience it. Jesus spoke of people who “enter the Kingdom of God”:

Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.” (Matthew 21:31)

Other scriptures attest to the kinds of people who will be excluded from entrance into the Kingdom, such as the sexually immoral, covetous or the idolater. (Ephesians 5:5)

To Nicodemus, a Jewish ruler, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) Elsewhere, Jesus said that it was difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom. (Matthew 19:23)

The Kingdom of God can be defined as not just the realm of God, but more specifically the rule of God. This would imply a theocracy. When Jesus affirmed to Pilate that He was indeed King, coupled also with what he said after he was resurrected, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18), we understand both these statements to unequivocally place Jesus as King with an authority that encompasses heaven and earth. We also understand that the Kingdom of God is an emerging reality to be lived out every day by those who obey and submit to the sovereignty of Jesus – today and into the future when “every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord”. (Paraphrased from Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10-11).

Written by John Klassek
LifeSpring School of Ministry

Thus Luke, an educated Gentile who practised as a doctor, set out to write an orderly account of what actually happened for the benefit of his benefactor, Theophilus.

Luke’s Gospel contains information that the other accounts do not. For example, Luke gives a lot of information about the events and circumstances leading up to the birth of Jesus, and we can only presume that Luke, as Paul’s travelling companion, took the time when in Judea to speak personally and listen to Mary’s personal testimony. (WA Elwell, RW Yarbrough, Encountering the New Testament, Page 102, Baker Academic, 2005). Thus the events of Jesus’ early life are carefully and well documented.

Like Matthew, Luke also gives a genealogy of Jesus Christ, but Luke goes further back before Abraham (where Matthew began) and links Jesus Christ to Adam, who was the son of God.

Speculation as to when Luke wrote his gospel account varies depending on different theological schools of thought on this. We must remember that Luke also wrote Acts and the timing of this second book affects when Luke wrote his original treatise – which would have to have been sometime and probably in the decade before the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD. Agreement on the place of writing is also speculative, as Luke does not principally identify this. Luke’s writing stands out above the gospels in its literary style, reflecting an educated and mature man well versed in the classical Greek language of his day.

Luke’s gospel is unique in perhaps more than one way. For example, Luke gives the reader special attention and appreciation for how Jesus honoured and respected women; the personal details of women in Jesus’ ministry are clearly remembered. For example, an incident is recorded where the disciples wondered why Jesus would speak to a Samaritan woman at the well. Another notable incident was when the woman who was healed simply because her faith led her to anonymously touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. Luke also mentions the women in Jesus’ ministry by name and their unique circumstances. For example, Luke tells us of Mary Magdalene and the curing in her life, as well Joanna’s unique disposition.

Luke pays special attention to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, right from the conception of Jesus, through the work of John the Baptist, what Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, and how he lived his life as encapsulated in the phrase “full of joy through the Holy Spirit…” (Luke 10:21) Thus the historical Jesus is also conveyed with an overt theological overlay.

We must remember that Luke’s account was not written from a born and bred Hebrew perspective, as the others authors were. Luke was a Gentile, a Greek as we might understand it, and his writing helps the reader understand that the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ isn’t restricted to ethnicity but is available to all people. Thus if Luke’s account had been destroyed by the sands of time, we would be so much the less wiser; the critical details of Mary and Elizabeth’s relationship and conversation, for example, would have been lost. Thus Luke’s work miraculously stands the test of time; he is a worthy historian and in doing so captures the spirit of the early, pioneering followers of Jesus.

By John Klassek
For LifeSpring School of Ministry

The Old Testament begins with Creation and follows with a covenant relationship theme between God and humans, albeit a select and pioneering group, beginning with Abraham and on through to the ancient Israelites. Woven throughout the Old Testament narrative of people, places and historical events is the divine and sovereign first cause of “ONE GOD” and His direct influence on the lives of his people in this world. This gives rise to those men of God, such as David, Isaiah and Ezekiel, having experienced a level of prophetic utterance that spoke not only to the ancient Israelites immediate life situation, but also of realities, events and things far into the future. Examples of this are the messianic prophecies beginning in the Garden of Eden account, in Moses’ writings and on through the prophets, such as Isaiah, predicting the Messiah.

Thus around 2000 years ago, in a climate of messianic expectation, the time was right for the beginning of the fulfilment of those prophecies. The narrative that begins in Matthew and concludes with Revelation focuses on the fulfilment of the arrival of Messiah, Jesus, and the fulfilment of the Kingdom of God over the kingdoms of men. Matthew, in particular, refers to specific Old Testament passages numerous times is his eye witness account with the intent showing how Jesus was the fulfilment of those prophecies.

John’s gospel account differs from the other gospels in that his treatise isn’t intended to be just an eyewitness account of the day to day activities of Jesus’ ministry, but a theological examination of who Jesus really is. To accomplish this John begins his gospel with the words that deepen our understanding today with, “In the beginning was the Word…” John, as does the book of Hebrews, clearly demonstrates that Jesus created everything, and that through Jesus, we (humans) may have Life.

A thread that runs through the Old Testament is what is termed “The Law of Moses”, a set of God given commandments and laws given to the ancient Israelites that governed virtually every facet of daily life. The message of the New Testament continues to uphold the law of God, but in Jesus’ teachings the explicit nature of the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) are amplified. An example of this is in, “Thou shall not commit murder”; while the ancient Israelites could obey this law (in the letter) and then be right with the law as such, Jesus illustrated that to “hate” is to commit murder in one’s heart. Thus the Old Testament is incomplete without the New.

The Old Testament set the background stage, with its revelation of God, rich culture (such as its details of tabernacle construction), genealogy as recorded (involving parents and prophets conveying to the next generation God’s truths), and historicity (involving and naming peoples, nations, empires and kings), for the coming Messiah.

The New Testament also contains numerous epistles (letters) that help us the reader some 2000 years removed understand how the early Christians understood the identity of the Messiah, how they understood His message, and how they dealt with issues that concerned them such as circumcision, fellowship, generosity, charity, and faith. In many cases, such as when Paul wrote to the faithful in Rome (Romans) he cited directly from Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah, Deuteronomy, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs (as well as others). His heavy reliance on the Old Testament witness, the only scriptures that were available during the first century emergence of Christianity, helps us today appreciate that the entire 66 books of the Bible are really an interwoven whole, written by faithful men as inspired by the Holy Spirit – and yet written in the everyday language and culture of men.

The message of the Bible compels us to not only believe and live changed lives, but through the message of Jesus’ teachings, life, death and resurrection, also be about the work of sharing the gospel, in word and in charitable deeds.

By John Klassek

Thus to live a Christian life without a careful personal enquiry into who Jesus was, what happened to him, and how we might come to a fuller understanding and appreciation of God’s love and purpose for all people, would be to intentionally live a life of ignorance. Thus all followers of Jesus are compelled to varying degrees to personally explore those scriptures. Those who were illiterate in the first century benefitted from the weekly scripture readings at the Synagogue; the emerging Christian community is believed to have continued the tradition of Sabbath scripture readings, and we have reason to believe that the letters of Paul, for example, were also read to the churches. (Colossians 4:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:27)

Today the western world (at least) benefits from a high degree of literacy, and via the mechanism of mass printing as well as digital technology, we have the written Biblical text more available than ever before. Now while we could erroneously assume that a cursory view of the New Testament might be sufficient to adequately know the basics of God’s word, we would unfortunately then be highly susceptible to viewing and interpreting the New Testament through our own culture and personal experiences, or at worst, allow a mystical-flavoured perception and understanding to persist that assumes that the Holy Spirit as counsellor is sufficient without informed personal study.

This then leads to the question: how do we study the scriptures, especially the New Testament, and by which methods can we best benefit? Is a specific historical study sufficient?

Historical-Criticism approaches the Biblical text from a non-faith perspective, whereas Historical-Theological Criticism begins with the premise that the scriptures are indeed “God breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16), that men wrote from their eye-witness and personal experiences and understanding as inspired by the Holy Spirit. While Historical-Criticism may be valuable in understanding, for example, the Jewishness of Jesus in the times and culture where he lived, (Encountering the New Testament, WA Elwell, RW Yarbrough, Page 156), the method treats the Biblical text as it would any other book and in doing so negates the influence of God’s Holy Spirit.

In then attempting to interpret and understand the New Testament account for what it presents itself as: eyewitness accounts of Jesus as well as the documentation of the emergence of the early Christian community, we come across the term “hermeneutics” – which simply is the theory and practice of interpretation.  (Encountering the New Testament, WA Elwell, RW Yarbrough, Page 159).

The work of interpretation involves our personal underlying purpose for undertaking it. What are our aims – is it to discredit the text or to gain further understanding; am I studying for personal devotion or to prepare a sermon? What are the conditions we employ for engaging the text – does the reader believe in the aiding role of the Holy Spirit or is viewing the text purely from an historical perspective? How do we begin, that is, what method will we apply – do we randomly turn to any page and start reading, or is there a systematic approach, perhaps aided by a planned reading from cover to cover as well as utilising supplementary Bible commentaries and handbooks?

Hermeneutics, if it is to be successful and enduring, must be based on the following premises: that the Bible is the inspired word of God as written by human agents. The Bible having been preserved down through the ages as an act of God’s divine will, presents itself today as the world’s most printed and published book ever, speaking to us of God, who He is, what He is doing, and what His plans are. A serious student of the Bible “enters into the text” by a careful reading, is dedicated to analysing its content and seeks to find authentic application for today’s living, and this also involves giving heed to its prophetic content and direction. Thus the New Testament in particular is “both history and theology simultaneously”. (Encountering the New Testament, WA Elwell, RW Yarbrough, Page 165, Summary).

If we are to benefit most from what the scriptures are, we’ll see that the New Testament is founded on the background and preparation that the Old Testament gives, that the gospels are genuine eyewitness and research accounts of Jesus the Messiah, that Acts documents the emergence of the Church age (beginning specifically on the Day of Pentecost that heralded the coming of the Holy Spirit), that the Epistles (letters written to various churches and individuals) further document the issues that affected and the circumstances of the first century church, and finally that the text concludes on a counselling and prophetic note as contained in Revelation.

A core part of Hermeneutics in our study of the Bible must involve prayer. Prayer is the intentional two-way and private communion between God the Father and the believer. The believer believes God exists and that He actively sustains the created order; that this world is God’s realm, and that our only hope in life is through Jesus Christ. Prayer can involve active and specific petition, asking God for guidance and understanding in our study of the scriptures – and then believing in faith that God will respond in His time and way. The act of prayer is then further validated when the believer (the student of the Bible) then takes time to carefully consider what he or she is reading, when and by whom it was penned, in the diverse and distant cultural milieu those events formed, and the original purpose the author had in mind. Helps such as different translations, Bible concordances and handbooks can be a valuable aid in this study.

By John Klassek

The past 70 years since World War 2 should have taught us that the price of freedom has been paid in blood. And yet since then we have seen more bloodshed with more lives lost – the statistics are simply overwhelming. We’ve watched the development of frightening nuclear armaments coupled with failed United Nations resolutions. Anyone who seriously considers where we are today cannot help but wonder where we’re headed!

Do far off economic uncertainties and radical Islamic threats to destroy other nations in a blazing fireball all seem a bit irrelevant? It’s all a matter of perspective. A million starving people in Sudan is less important than our favourite sporting team losing a game.

Is it possible, that despite the best of human intentions, we’re living dangerously on the precipice of a nuclear hell? Have you ever wondered about increasing economic upheaval, terrorism, ongoing uprisings, famines and earthquakes, disease epidemics, all overshadowed by the spectre of nuclear war? Can we afford to ignore these trends? Surely we in the prosperous West wouldn’t distract ourselves from those realities by more personal spending and superfluous living? Or reserve our attention for sporting heros and movie celebrities?

Ever since the dawn of recorded history, our world has been characterised by its epochs of bloodshed. Many thought the Roman conquests were the epitome of brutality and suffering, exceeding that of the Babylonians, Persians and Greeks before them. Entire populations were decimated. History clearly documents that. Then there were the Dark Ages, with disease and war affecting millions of people. In more recent times, two world wars destroyed over 60,000,000 lives. Somehow, humanity has survived until now.

Are we able to read the signposts of our times? While “God” matters little in the West today, Islam’s agenda is guided by its theology, and the news is deeply disturbing. Thankfully, there are clear pointers that should help us if we’re willing to listen.

Let’s go back some 2000 years ago when an itinerant visitor known as Jesus left us with warnings of approaching cataclysmic times. His claim was that he was the Son of God, and He told those around him who enquired of the future that unless divine intervention occurred, no human would survive. (Matthew 24:21-22) Either he was wrong about the past, or He was referring to a future we’re yet to see!

Our planet could easily become a charred, irradiated ember, and like the rest of the universe, be inhospitable to sustaining life.

But that’s not how the story ends. There is good news. Jesus said that he’s coming again. He is coming again because he has unfinished business – His timely arrival will save us from ourselves.

There’s a solitary bronze statue outside the United Nations building in New York. It was given to the UN by the Soviet Union in 1959, and it depicts a world beyond this time of trouble. The statue is modelled from the words that come from an ancient prophet through whom God spoke:

They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. (Isaiah 2:4)

Peaceful and safe times are ahead, but there is a rough road between now and then. The question is whether we’re awake as to what is really going on? Are we prepared to believe the words of Jesus?

By John T Klassek