1Peter. 2Peter - Two of these 'universal' letters are attributed to Peter. 1Peter introduces the name of the apostle in the opening verse - 1:1 - 1Peter has from the earliest times been accepted as written by the apostle though it may not have been first composed as a single letter. It is addressed to Christian Church, largely made up of converts from paganism and is in quite good Greek, perhaps, through the help of the disciple Silvanus mentioned in it as secretary . The letter reflects a time of trail through which the churches were passing and contains much practical teaching under the dominating theme of fortitude in persecution.

The purpose of the letter is to help its readers' faith in a time of trail. Some critics think this may refer to a persecution under Domitian or Trajan which would date the letter much later than Peter; but the allusions in the letter are not strong enough to make this conclusion inevitable since it seems that this 'time of trail' could refer rather to the personal malice and spiteful calumnies caused by the strictly moral life led by converts among those whose sins they no longer shared. Though a very practical letter, it is also a valuable summary of apostolic theology. The dominating theme is fortitude in trail, for which Christ himself is the model.

The Second Letter of Peter claims to have been written by the apostle himself. He is named in the opening address and the prediction of Peter's death is made by Jesus to the author himself who also claims to have witnessed the transfiguration, and who alludes to a former letter that is obviously meant to be 1Peter.

The purpose of the letter is twofold: to warn against false teachers, false prophets and to allay anxiety due to the delay of the Parousia. The letter has been accepted by the Church as canonical and Christians accept it as an authoritative document from the apostolic age. The doctrine it teaches supports this: note especially the vocation of all Christians to the 'share in the divine nature', the way scriptural inspiration is defined, the assurance that eventually the Parousia will come though no one can know when; the prediction of a new world free of all injustice after the old world has been destroyed by fire.

1PETER - (1) Address and greetings - Introduction. The salvation of Christians - The hope of the prophets - A call to sanctity and watchfulness - Love - Integrity - The new priesthood - The obligation of Christians: towards pagan - Towards civil authority - Towards masters - In marriage - Towards the brothers - In persecution - The resurrection and 'the descent into hell' - The revelation of Christ is close - Recapitulation - Instructions: to the elders - To the faithful - Last words. Greetings - Chapter 1 to 5 - In summary : Encouragement and comfort from Peter to suffering Christians.

2PETER - (1) Greetings - A call to Christian living and its reward - The apostolic witness - The value of prophecy - False teachers - The punishment to come - The Day of the Lord; the prophets and the apostles - Conclusion and doxology - Chapter 1 to 3 -

In summary : Peter's warning against false teachers and false prophets.

                                                              Page 44

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTERS TO ALL CHRISTIANS

Seven letters not written by Paul are included in the New Testament and these, because they were addressed to the Church at large, have been known as 'the Catholic epistles'. The three of them attributed to John and have been briefly introduced in the introductory note to John's Gospel. Two to Peter and the other two to James and Jude.

The traditional attribution of this letter to James, the brother of the Lord', is supported by internal evidence. Though it was written in Greek, the letter is full of Hebraisms and its style of argument is characteristically Semitic and it was clearly intended for Jewish converts to familiar with the Old Testament that they would understand allusions to it without direct quotation. It is more a sermon than a letter and consists largely of moral exhortations, laying particular stress on the practical 'good works' expected of Christians and representing much of the Jewish Wisdom tradition. It takes a different point of view from Paul's on the problem of relating faith to works and may either be earlier than Galatians-Romans and written as early as A.D. 49 or it may be a rejoinder to what Paul had written and be placed at A.D. 57 or 58.

JAMES - (1) Address and greetings - Trials a privilege - Temptation - True religion - Respect for the poor - Faith and good works - Uncontrolled language - Real wisdom and its opposite - Disunity among Christians - A warning for the rich and the self-confident - A final exhortation - Chapter 1 to 5 -

In summary : Unlike Paul and the author of the Hebrews, James hardly ever makes use of direct quotations but argues from the imprecise and rather general allusions that underlie the whole text. Practical instructions for applied Christianity.
                                                                                   Page 43

Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

                                                                   

Hebrews is a letter written by an unknown Jewish Christian to show how Jesus Christ had replaced Judaism as God's perfect revelation of Himself. Hebrews begins with a marvelous tribute to the person of Christ and throughout the epistle the author weaves warning with doctrine to encourage them to hold fast to Jesus as the great High Priest of God, Mediator between God and man.

The question of who wrote this letter to Jewish Christians has been a subject of debate from the earliest times. It is ranked with Paul's letters in importance, its doctrine has Pauline overtones and it was written from Italy, perhaps from Rome; but while there may be a strong presumption that his author had come under the influence of Paul, the letter can hardly be attributed to Paul himself.

It is a sustained argument from Old Testament texts to keep Jewish Christians firm under persecution. The title 'to the Hebrews' dates from the 2nd century and is well chosen. The letter clearly assumes not only that its reader are throughout familiar with the Old Covenant but that they are Jewish Christians, perhaps even Jewish priests to judge by the emphasis on public worship and ceremonial.

Having become Christians, they seem to have left Jerusalem and gone for shelter to some coastal town like Caesarea or Antioch. They are tired of exile and think longingly of the splendour of Temple worship and of the part they played in it; their new faith is not very strong and they have not yet properly understood it; persecution discourages them and they are tempted to go back.

This letter was written to them to try to prevent this happening - 10:19-39 -

HEBREWS - (1) Prologue - The greatness of the incarnate Son of God - The Son is Greater than the Angels - Proof from the scriptures - An exhortation - Redemption brought by Christ, not by angels - Chapter 1 to 2 - (2) Jesus the Faithful and Merciful High Priest - Christ higher than Moses - How to reach God's land of rest - The word of God and Christ the priest - Jesus the compassionate high priest - Chapter 3 to 4 - (3) The Authentic Priesthood of Jesus Christ - Christian life and theology - The author explains his intention - Words of hope and encouragement - Chapter 5 to 6 - (4) Christ's Priesthood Higher than Levitical Priesthood - Melchizedek - Melchizedek accepted tithes from Abraham - From levitical priesthood to the priesthood of Melchizedek - The abrogation of the old Law - Christ's priesthood is unchanging - The perfection of the heavenly high priest - Chapter 7 -

(5) The Superiority of the Worship, The Sanctuary and the Mediation provided by Christ the Priest - The new priesthood and the new sanctuary - Christ is the mediator of a greater covenant - Christ enters the heavenly sanctuary - Christ seals the new covenant with his blood - Chapter 8 to 9 - (6) Summary: Christ's Sacrifice Superior to the Sacrifices of the Mosaic Law - The old sacrifices ineffective - The efficacy of Christ's sacrifice - Chapter 10 - (7) Persevering Faith - The Christian opportunity - The danger of apostasy - Motives for perseverance - The exemplary faith of our ancestors - The example of Jesus Christ - God's fatherly instruction - Unfaithfulness is punished - The two covenants - Chapter 10 to 12 - (8) Appendix - Final recommendations - Faithfulness - Obedience to religious leaders - Epilogue - News, good wishes and greetings - Chapter 13 -

In summary : About the way the earliest Christians conceived the harmony of the Old and New Testaments and about the way of understanding the redemptive work of Jesus in terms of God's whole plan of salvation.
                                                          Page 42

Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
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Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon. A.D. 61-63. All three letters are closely related and were written while Paul was under arrest in Rome. It appears that the relation between Ephesians and Colossians is like that between Romans and Galatians. The news of a crisis at Colossae led Paul to write a letter to the Christians there against the growing belief and trust in celestial and cosmic powers.

Paul accepts these powers as the angels of Jewish tradition but he shows that in the great scheme of salvation they have only a preparatory and subordinate part and now there is a new order in which Christ is all. About the same time he wrote a fuller and more systematic treatment of the same ideas and this is the letter that we know as 'Ephesians' though it was probably written for circulation through all the Church.

Some critics have questioned the authorship of both these letters and particularly of Ephesians, since it seems to borrow ideas from Colossians and not always to digest them smoothly. But we know nothing of any person capable of writing them; in parts of them, Paul is at his most personal and characteristic, and they represent a further reconsideration of themes which he had already explored in his earlier letters.

PHILEMON - (1) Address - Thanksgiving and prayer - The request about Onesimus - A personal request. Good wishes -

In summary : An appeal for Christians unity and forgiveness for a runaway slave.

                                                                   Page 41

Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

1Timothy, Titus, 2Timothy, 65A.D. - Paul's two letters to Timothy and his letter to Titus are all three of them closely related in substance, form and historical background. 1Timothy and Titus both seem to have been written from Macedonia, Timothy being at that time in Ephesus where Paul hoped to join him in the near future while Titus was in Crete where he had been left by Paul who planned to winter at Nicopolis in Epirus where Titus was to join him. By the time he wrote 2Timothy, Paul was a prisoner in Rome.

Paul wrote these letters in order to instruct two of his most loyal followers, how to organise and govern the communities he had confided to their care; since the 18th century they have generally been grouped as the 'pastoral letters'. Some critics suggest that they presuppose a stage in the evolution of the Church's hierarchy that only occurred after Paul's death: others think that the situation they suppose would not have been at all unlikely towards the end of Paul's lifetime. The titles 'episcopos' and 'presbyter' are still practically synonymous as they had been in the earliest communities governed by a college of elders.

Timothy and Titus are empowered to act as delegates of Paul; they are responsible for several communities though they are not attached to any of them, they are living in an interim period when apostolic authority was in the process of being transmitted, since the apostles themselves were dying. Not long after the death of Paul this authority became vested in the head of the college of presbyters, the 'bishop'.

To invent the interim period represented in the pastoral letters would seem to be so pointless that its presence is a valuable indication of their authenticity. It should also be noticed that these episcopoi-presbyteroi are not just administrative officials; they are that but they are also primarily responsible for teaching and governing, and as such they are the ancestors of our 'bishops' and 'priests'.

1TIMOTHY - (1) Address - Suppress the false teachers - The purpose of the Law - Paul on his own calling - Timothy's responsibility - Liturgical prayer - Women in the assembly - The elder-in-charge - Deacons - The Church and the mystery of the spiritual life - False teachers - Pastoral practice - Widows - The elders - Slaves - The true teacher and the false teacher - Timothy's vocation recalled - Rich Christians - Final warning and conclusion - Chapter 1 to 6 - In summary : Instructions to leads, and how to organise and govern the communities he had confided to their care. Manuals of leadership at Ephesus.

2TIMOTHY - (1) Greeting and thanksgiving - The gifts that Timothy has received - How Timothy should face hardships - The struggle against the immediate danger from false teachers - The dangers of the last days - A solemn charge - Paul in the evening of his life - Final advice - Farewells and final wishes - Chapter 1 to 4 - In summary : Instructions to leads, and how to organise and govern the communities he had confided to their care. Manuals of leadership at Ephesus.

TITUS - (1) Address and the appointment of elders - Opposing the false teachers - Some specific moral instruction - The basis of the Christian moral life - General instruction for believers - Personal advice to Titus - Practical recommendations, farewell and good wishes - Chapter 1 to 3 -

In summary : Instructions to leads, and how to organise and govern the communities he had confided to their care. Manual of Christian conduct at Crete.

                                                                     Page 40

If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-25 -

1 and 2Thessalonians. A.D. 50-51 - 1Thessalonians was written from Corinth when Paul's companion Timothy had come back from a second visit to Thessalonika and reported to Paul on the state of the church there. Besides a series of practical recommendations, it includes Paul's teaching on death and the 'Second Coming' of Christ, expressed in the terms of contemporary apocalyptic writing.

2Thessalonians was written about a year later, shows that Paul's thought on the same subject had deepened. Parts of the two letters show some close correspondences and some critics have doubted the authenticity of 2Thessalonians. The two are not contradictory but complementary and the earliest authorities believed that they were both written by Paul. The two letters are particularly important because of their eschatological teaching but they also introduce many points elaborated in subsequent letters.

At this earlier stage, Paul's ideas were structured around the question of how the resurrection and parousia of Christ can bring salvation to his followers whether alive or dead. Paul described this parousia in the traditional terms of Jewish and the earliest Christian apocalyptic literature (i.e. the 'eschatological discourse' of the Synoptics and particularly of Matthew) Like Jesus himself he sometimes so emphasised, the unpredictable imminence of the Coming and the necessity for vigilance.

1THESSALONIANS - (1) Address - Thanksgiving and congratulations - Paul's example in Thessalonika - The faith and the patience of the Thessalonians - Paul's anxiety - Timothy's mission to Thessalonika - Paul thanks God for good reports of the Thessalonians - Live in holiness and charity - The dead and the living at the time of the Lord's coming - Some demands made by life in community - Closing prayer and farewell - Chapter 1 to 5 - In summary : Paul instructions to the church at Thessalonica about the Lord's coming.

2Thessalonians - (1) Address - Thanksgiving and encouragement. The Last Judgement - The coming of the Lord and the prelude to it - Encouragement to persevere - Against idleness and disunity - Prayer and farewell wishes - Chapter 1 to 3 -

In summary : Paul instructions to the church at Thessalonica about the Lord's coming.

                                                                       Page 39

If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-25 -

Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon. A.D. 61-63. All three letters are closely related and were written while Paul was under arrest in Rome. It appears that the relation between Ephesians and Colossians is like that between Romans and Galatians. The news of a crisis at Colossae led Paul to write a letter to the Christians there against the growing belief and trust in celestial and cosmic powers.

Paul accepts these powers as the angels of Jewish tradition but he shows that in the great scheme of salvation they have only a preparatory and subordinate part and now there is a new order in which Christ is all. About the same time he wrote a fuller and more systematic treatment of the same ideas and this is the letter that we know as 'Ephesians' though it was probably written for circulation through all the Church.

Some critics have questioned the authorship of both these letters and particularly of Ephesians, since it seems to borrow ideas from Colossians and not always to digest them smoothly. But we know nothing of any person capable of writing them; in parts of them, Paul is at his most personal and characteristic, and they represent a further reconsideration of themes which he had already explored in his earlier letters.

COLOSSIANS - (1) Address - Thanksgiving and prayer - Formal Instruction - Christ is the head of all creation - The Colossians have their share in salvation - Paul's labours in the service of the pagans - Paul's concern for the Colossians' faith - Chapter 1 to 2 - (2) A Warning Against Some Errors - Live according to the true faith in Christ, not according to false teaching - Christ alone is the true of men and angels - Against the false asceticism based on the 'principles of this world' - Life giving union with the glorified Christ - Chapter 2 to 3 - (3) Exhortation - General rules of Christian behaviour - The morals of the home and household - The apostolic spirit - Personal news - Greetings and final wishes - Chapter 3 to 4 -

In summary : An account of the supremacy of Christ, written to the church of Colossae.

                                                                      Page 38

If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-25 -

Philippians, A.D. 56-57 - This is a letter without a lot of doctrinal exposition in it, giving some news to his converts at Philippi and warning them of some enemies who had worked against Paul elsewhere and might turn to them next. At the time of writing, Paul was under arrest but it is unlikely that this letter was written from Rome during his imprisonment there in 61-63 and it may have been written from Ephesus.

The style and content of the letter are quite consistent and it is not particularly doctrinal, it is just a friendly letter giving some news to his converts at Philippi, warning them against the 'bad workmen' who are ruining his work in other places and might turn on them next and above all, appealing for the unity of corporate humility of the Messiah. As part of this appeal Paul gives us, - 2:6-11 - the poem on the humility of the Messiah; and whether he wrote it or quote it, this poem is our chief proof that the early Church believed in the divine pre-existence of Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS - (1) Address - Thanksgiving and prayer - Paul's own circumstances - Fight for the faith - Preserve unity in humility - Work for salvation - The mission of Timothy and Epaphroditus - The true way of Christian salvation - Last advice - Thanks for help received - Greeting and final wish - Chapter 1 to 4 -

In summary : A joyful letter to the church at Philippi telling of Paul's conquering faith. Preserving unity in humility and the true way of Christian salvation during imprisonment.

                                                                      Page 37
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I earnestly pray that God will fulfill all your needs, in Christ Jesus, as lavishly as only God can.

Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon. A.D. 61-63. All three letters are closely related and were written while Paul was under arrest in Rome. It appears that the relation between Ephesians and Colossians is like that between Romans and Galatians. The news of a crisis at Colossae led Paul to write a letter to the Christians there against the growing belief and trust in celestial and cosmic powers.

Paul accepts these powers as the angels of Jewish tradition but he shows that in the great scheme of salvation they have only a preparatory and subordinate part and now there is a new order in which Christ is all. About the same time he wrote a fuller and more systematic treatment of the same ideas and this is the letter that we know as 'Ephesians' though it was probably written for circulation through all the Church.

Some critics have questioned the authorship of both these letters and particularly of Ephesians, since it seems to borrow ideas from Colossians and not always to digest them smoothly. But we know nothing of any person capable of writing them; in parts of them, Paul is at his most personal and characteristic, and they represent a further reconsideration of themes which he had already explored in his earlier letters.

EPHESIANS - (1) Address and Greetings - The Mystery of Salvation and of the Church - God's plan of salvation - The triumph and the supremacy of Christ - Salvation in Christ a free gift - Reconciliation of the Jews and the pagans with each other and with God - Paul, a servant of the mystery - Paul's prayer - Chapter 1 to 3 - (2) Exhortation - A call to unity - The new life in Christ - The moral of the home - The spiritual war - Personal news and final salutation - Chapter 4 to 6 -

In summary : A letter to the church at Ephesus explaining the believer's position in Christ and God' plan of salvation.

                                                                      Page 36

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By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-25 -

Galatians, Romans, A.D. 57-58. This two letters analyse the same problem but while Galatians is Paul's immediate response to a particular situation, Romans is more like a systematic treatise and gives a methodical arrangement to all the new ideas that had emerged from the argument.

Paul had not himself founded the church at Rome. It was a mixed community in which there was a danger that Jewish and non-Jewish converts might look down on each other and Paul, before visiting the church, sent this considered examination of how Judaism and Christianity were related to one another, using the ideas which he had developed in the Galatians crisis and further refining them. In both these letters we can see Paul correcting the unbalance of the Greek outlook which relied too exclusively on human reasons just as in earlier letters he had corrected the unbalance of the Jewish outlook which relied too heavily on the Law.

GALATIANS - (1) Address and A warning - Paul Apologia - God's call - The meeting at Jerusalem - Peter and Paul at Antioch - The Good News as proclaimed by Paul - Chapter 1 to 2 - (2) Doctrinal Matters - Justification by faith - The cure brought by the Law - The Law did not cancel the promise - The purpose of the Law - The coming of faith - Sons of God - A personal appeal - The two covenants: Hagar and Sarah - Chapter 3 to 4 - (3) Exhortation - Christian liberty - Liberty and charity - On kindness and perseverance - Epilogue - Chapter 5 to 6 -

In summary : It provides valuable information about Paul's life between his conversion and missionary journey. An account of the necessity of salvation by 'Divine Grace' rather than the Law.

                                                                       Page 35

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By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

Corinth, a great and populous port, was a magnet to every sort of philosophy, religion and was also a notorious centre of immorality. Paul's converts in the city were particularly in need of instruction and guidance, both about the Good News itself and about the Christians life which it implied. Paul appears to have written four letters to the church of Corinth of which we now have only two.

His first letter to Corinth has not survived and the earliest we have was to had to pay a brief visit to Corinth in which he had to take painful disciplinary measures and when later he sent a representative to Corinth instead of going himself, the Corinthians did not accept his authority and Paul wrote a third letter which was very severe. In Macedonia, towards the end of 57, Paul heard from Titus that the 'severe letter' had the desired effect and then he wrote the letter which we know as 2Corinthians.

However, 2Corinthians is not a single consistent letter; it has been suggested that it includes part of the lost first letter and part of the 'severe letter' - 2Cor. 6:14, 7:1, 10-13 - The two letters to the Corinthians contain much information about urgent problems that faced the church and the important decisions which were made to meet them: questions of morality, about the liturgy and the holding of assemblies, the recognition of spiritual gifts and the avoidance of contamination from pagan religions. It was Paul's religious genius to turn what might have remained textbook cases of conscience into the means of exploring the profound doctrines of Christian liberty, the sanctification of the body, the supremacy of love, and union with Christ.

1CORINTHIANS - (1) Address and greetings - Thanksgiving - Divisions and Scandals - Factions in the Corinthian Church - Dissensions among the faithful - The true wisdom and the false - The place of the Christian preacher - Conclusions - An appeal - Chapter 1 to 4 - (2) Incest in Corinth - Recourse to the Pagan Courts - Fornication - Chapter 5 to 6 - (3) Answers to Various Questions - Marriage and Virginity - Food Offered to Idols - General principles - The claims of love - Paul invokes his own example - A warning and the lessons of Israel's history - Sacrificial feasts. No compromise with idolatry - Food sacrificed to idols. Practical solutions - Conclusion - Chapter 7 to 11 -

(4) Decorum in Public Worship - Women behaviour at services - The Lord's Supper - Spiritual gifts - The variety and the unity of gifts - The analogy of the body - The order of importance in spiritual gifts. Love - Spiritual gifts: their respective importance in the community - Regulating spiritual gifts - Chapter 12 to 14 - (5) The Resurrection of the Dead - The fact of the resurrection - The manner of the resurrection - A hymn of triumph. Conclusion - Commendations. Greetings - Chapter 15 to 16 - In summary : Paul instructions to the church at Corinth dealing with problems among Christians. Paul reminded them that there is only one master, Christ, and only one message, the cross, and that there is no wisdom outside that message.

2CORINTHIANS - (1) Address and greetings. Thanksgiving - Some Recent Events Reviewed - Why Paul changed his plans - From Troas to Macedonia. The apostolate: its importance - The trials and hopes of the apostolate - The apostolate in action - Paul opens his heart. A warning - Paul in Macedonia; he is joined by Titus - Chapter 1 to 7 - (2) Organisation of the Collection - Why the Corinthians should be generous - The delegates recommended to the Corinthians - Blessings to be expected from the collection - Chapter 8 to 9 - (3) Paul's Apologia - Paul's reply to accusations of weakness - His reply to the accusation of ambition - Paul is driven to sound his own praises - Paul's fears and anxieties - Conclusion - Chapter 10 to 12 -

In summary : Paul's defense and explanation of his apostleship. Paul reminded them that there is only one master, Christ, and only one message, the cross, and that there is no wisdom outside that message.

                                                                        Page 34

If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-25 -

Galatians, Romans, A.D. 57-58. This two letters analyse the same problem but while Galatians is Paul's immediate response to a particular situation, Romans is more like a systematic treatise and gives a methodical arrangement to all the new ideas that had emerged from the argument.

Paul had not himself founded the church at Rome. It was a mixed community in which there was a danger that Jewish and non-Jewish converts might look down on each other and Paul, before visiting the church, sent this considered examination of how Judaism and Christianity were related to one another, using the ideas which he had developed in the Galatians crisis and further refining them. In both these letters we can see Paul correcting the unbalance of the Greek outlook which relied too exclusively on human reasons just as in earlier letters he had corrected the unbalance of the Jewish outlook which relied too heavily on the Law.

ROMANS - (1) Address - Thanksgiving and prayer - Salvation By Faith - Justification - The theme stated - God's anger against the pagans - The Jews are not exempt from God's anger - The Law will not save them - Circumcision will not save them - God's promises will not save them - All are guilty - Chapter 1 to 3 - (2) Faith and the Justice of God - The revelation of God's justice - What faith does - Chapter 3 - (3) The Example of Abraham - Abraham justified by faith - Justified before circumcision - Not justified by obedience to the Law - Abraham's faith, a model of Christian faith - Chapter 4 - (4) Salvation - Faith guarantees salvation - Chapter 5 - (5) Deliverance from sin and Death and Law - Adam and Jesus Christ - Baptism - Holiness, not sin, to be the master - The Christian is freed from the slavery of sin - The reward of sin and the reward of holiness - The Christian is not bound by the Law - The function of the Law - The inner struggle - Chapter 5 to 7 -

(6) The Christian's Spiritual Life - The life of the spirit - Children of God - Glory as our destiny - God has called us to share his glory - A hymn to God's love - Chapter 8 - (7) The Place of Israel - The privileges of Israel - God has kept his promise - God is not unjust - All has been foretold in the Old Testament - Israel fails to see that it is God who makes us holy - The testimony of Moses - Israel has no excuse - The remnant of Israel - The Jews to be restored in the future - The Jews are still the chosen people - The conversion of the Jews - A hymn to God's mercy and wisdom - Chapter 9 to 12 - (8) Exhortation - Spiritual worship - Humility and charity - Charity to everyone, including enemies - Submission to civil authority - Love and law - Children of the light - Charity towards the scrupulous - An appeal for unity - Chapter 13 to 15 - (9) Epilogue - Paul's ministry - Paul's plans - Greetings and good wishes - A warning and first postscript - Last greetings and second postscript - Doxology - Chapter 15 to 16 -

In summary : An explanation of the Christian faith, charity and humility for both the Jews and Gentiles, addressed to the church at Rome.

                                                                      Page 33

If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-25 -

INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTERS OF SAINT PAUL

Paul was born about A.D. 10, of a Jewish family living among 'the Greeks' at Tarsus, a Roman municipality in Cilicia. He was educated as a Pharisee in Jerusalem. He was converted to belief in Christ about A.D. 34 and many particulars of his life as an apostle can be found in his letters and in Acts. The letters may be dated A.D. 50-60. Paul was imprisonment in Rome, A.D. 61-63 and set free for want of evidence, a second imprisonment in Rome ended according to a very ancient tradition in martyrdom by execution, probably in the year 67.

Paul's letters show him as a man of sensitive temperament and warm emotions, completely dedicated to the spreading of the 'Good News' that Christ by his death and resurrection was proved to be the one universal saviour of Jew and 'Greek' alike. Crises and controversies led him to explain the message of the gospel in ways adapted to the needs of his readers and so to bring into play his remarkable powers of theological analysis and his grasp of profundities.

His letters, in a fluent Greek which was his second mother-tongue were generally a response to a particular situation in a particular church and although some passages in them were obviously written after long and careful thought, more often the style suggests spontaneity and urgency. The letters were usually dictated and then signed by Paul with a short personal greetings.

The order in which the letters are printed in this Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is the traditional one which arranges them in order of diminishing length. If they are read in the order in which they were written the development in Paul's theological thinking can be seen as he finds expression for further depths and implications in the gospel.

What Paul proclaimed was in all essentials the apostolic 'kerygma' i.e. that Christ had been crucified and had risen from the dead and that this had been foretold in the scriptures. What he calls 'his' Good News was identical with the faith commonly held but emphasised the conversion of pagans, in line with the missionary policy initiated at Antioch. Paul accepts and sometimes appeals to the apostolic tradition to which he was deeply indebted. Though he probably never met Jesus during his earthly life, Paul was familiar with his teaching and confidently claimed to have seen the risen Christ not only on the Damascus road but on several occasions subsequently. He also had revelations and ecstasies but everything he had received from apostolic tradition he could also attribute, and justly, to direct communication from the Lord Jesus Christ.

                                                                       Page 32

If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

INTRODUCTION TO THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

Saint Luke's Gospel and The Acts of the Apostles are the two volumes of a single work that today we should call 'a history of the rise of Christianity'. The two books are inseparably linked by their Prologues and by their style. From the text of Acts it is evident that the author was a Christian of the apostolic age either a thoroughly hellenised Jew or more probably a well educated 'Greek' with a thorough knowledge of the Septuagint and of Jewish culture and traditions. No other name has ever been suggested than that of Luke, the close friend of Paul, who according to an ancient tradition was a Syrian from Antioch, a doctor and a convert from paganism.

Acts is in the form of a single continuos narrative. It begins with the birth and growth of the primitive Christian community in Antioch by hellenist Jews and the conversion of Saint Paul; it goes on to show the spread of the Church outside Palestine through the missionary travels of Paul and ends with his captivity in Rome in A.D. 61-63. The narrative can be seen to be made up of separate episodes of varying lengths, all containing a great deal of circumstantial detail and commonly joined to each other by editorial formulate.

Acts is a principal source for much of our knowledge of life in the earliest Christian communities of the first impact made by Christian faith on pagan nations, of the primitive beginnings of Church organisation of the early developments of Christology, of the personalities of the apostolic age. Luke is, however, not interested in presenting a formal history of the spread of Christianity. What he is interested in is: The spiritual energy inside Christianity that motivates its expansion and the spiritual doctrine that he can show by object lessons with the facts at his disposal.

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES - (1) Prologue - The ascension - THE JERUSALEM CHURCH - The group of apostles - The election of Matthias - Pentecost - Peter's address to the crowd - The first conversions - The early Christian community - The cure of a lame man - Peter's address to the people - Peter and John before the Sanhedrin - The apostles' prayer under persecution - The early Christian community - The generosity of Barnabas - The fraud of Ananias and Sapphira - The general situation - The apostles' arrest and miraculous deliverance - A summons to appear before the Sanhedrin - Gamaliel's intervention - Chapter 1 to 5 - (2) THE EARLIEST MISSIONS - The institution of the Seven - Stephen's arrest - Stephen's speech - The stoning of Stephen. Saul as persecutor - Philip in Samaria - Simon the magician - Philip baptises a eunuch - The conversion of Saul - Saul's preaching at Damascus - Saul's visit to Jerusalem - A lull - Peter cures a paralytic at Lydda - Peter raises a woman to life at Jaffa - Peter visits a Roman centurion - Peter's address in the house of Cornelius - Baptism of the first pagans - Jerusalem: Peter justifies his conduct - Foundation of the church of Antioch - Barnabas and Saul sent as deputies to Jerusalem - Peter's arrest and miraculous deliverance - The death of the persecutor - Barnabas and Saul return to Antioch - Chapter 6 to 12 -

(3) THE MISSION OF BARNABAS AND PAUL - THE COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM - The mission sent out - Cyprus: the magician Elymas - They arrive at Antioch in Pisidia - Paul's preaching before the Jews - Paul and Barnabas preach to the pagans - Iconium evangelised - Healing of the cripple - The mission is disrupted - Controversy at Antioch - Controversy at Jerusalem - Peter's speech - James' speech - The apostolic letter - The delegates at Antioch - Chapter 13 to 15 - (4) PAUL'S MISSIONS - Paul separates from Barnabas and recruits Silas - Lycaonia: Paul recruits Timothy - The crossing into Asia Minor - Arrival at Philippi - Imprisonment of Paul and Silas - The miraculous deliverance of Paul and Silas - Thessalonika: difficulties with the Jews - Fresh difficulties at Beroea - Paul in Athens - Paul's speech before the Council of the Areopagus - Foundation of the church of Corinth - The Jew take Paul to court - Return to Antioch and departure for the third journey - Apollos - The disciples of John at Ephesus - Foundation of the church of Ephesus - The Jewish exorcists - Chapter 15 to 19 -

(5) A PRISONER FOR CHRIST - Paul's plans - Ephesus: the silversmiths' riot - Paul leaves Ephesus - Troas: Paul raises a dead man to life - From Troas to Miletus - Farewell to the elders of Ephesus - The journey to Jerusalem - Paul's arrival in Jerusalem - Paul's arrest - Paul's address to the Jews of Jerusalem - Paul the Roman citizen - His appearance before the Sanhedrin - The conspiracy of the Jews against Paul - Paul transferred to Caesarea - The case before Felix - Paul's speech before the Roman governor - Paul's captivity at Caesarea - Paul appeals to Caesar - Paul appears before King Agrippa - Paul's speech before King Agrippa - His hearers' reactions - The departure for Rome - Storm and shipwreck - Waiting in Malta - From Malta to Rome - Paul makes contact with the Roman Jews - Paul's declaration to the Roman Jews - Epilogue - Chapter 19 to 28 -

In summary : A history of the expansion of the early Church and the beginnings of Christianity.

                                                                       Page 31

If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -