Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear Him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. - Matthew 10:28 -
To you my friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear: fear Him who after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell. - Luke 12:4-5 -
I shall not call you servants anymore,
because a servant does not know
his/her master's business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father. - John 15:15 -
We are all aware who it was that said: Vengeance is mine; I will repay. And again: The Lord will judge his people. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. - Hebrews 10:31 -
'Fear God and praise Him because the time has come for Him to sit in judgement; worship the maker of heaven and earth and sea and every water-spring.' - Revelation 14:7 -
"EACH ONE OF US, HOWEVER, HAS BEEN GIVEN HIS OWN SHARE OF GRACE, GIVEN AS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST ALLOTTED IT. IT WAS SAID THAT HE WOULD:
WHEN HE ASCENDED TO THE HEIGHT, HE CAPTURED PRISONERS,
HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.
WHEN IT SAYS, 'HE ASCENDED,' WHAT CAN IT MEAN IF NOT THAT HE DESCENDED RIGHT DOWN TO THE LOWER REGIONS OF THE EARTH? THE ONE WHO ROSE HIGHER THAN ALL THE HEAVENS TO FILL ALL THINGS IS NONE OTHER THAN THE ONE WHO DESCENDED.
AND TO SOME, HIS GIFT WAS THAT THEY SHOULD BE APOSTLES; TO SOME, PROPHETS; TO SOME, EVANGELISTS; TO SOME, PASTORS AND TEACHERS; SO THAT THE SAINTS TOGETHER MAKE A UNITY IN THE WORK OF SERVICE, BUILDING UP THE BODY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
IN THIS WAY WE ARE ALL TO COME TO UNITY IN OUR FAITH AND IN OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD, UNTIL WE BECOME THE PERFECT MAN, FULLY MATURE WITH THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST HIMSELF.
THEN WE SHALL NOT BE CHILDREN ANY LONGER, OR TOSSED ONE WAY AND ANOTHER AND CARRIED ALONG BY EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE, AT THE MERCY OF ALL THE TRICKS MEN PLAY AND THEY CLEVERNESS IN PRACTISING DECEIT.
WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE/HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY. - Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, and the fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!
Healing of a cripple
A man sat there [ All the MSS have 'in Lystra' but this is evidently an addition, cf. v. 20b.] who had never walk in his life because his feet were crippled from birth; and as he listened to Paul preaching, he managed to catch his eye. Seeing that the man had faith to be cured, [ Others translate 'to be saved'. The condition for the miracle is faith, cf. Matt. 8:10+.] Paul said in a loud voice, 'Get to your feet - stand up', and the cripple jumped up and began to walk.
When the crowd saw what Paul had done they shouted in the language of Lycaonia, 'These people are gods who have come down to us disguised as men'. They addressed Barnabas as Zeus, and since Paul was the principal speaker they called him Hermes. [ Hermes (the Latin 'Mercury') was the gods' mouthpiece.] The priests of Zeus-outside-the-Gate, [ His temple was outside the walls.] proposing that all the people should offer sacrifice with them, brought garlanded oxen to the gates. When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening they tore their clothes [ Sign of displeasure, cf. Matt. 26:65.] and rushed into the crowd, shouting,
'Friends, what do you think you are doing? We are only human beings like you. We have come with good news to make you turn from these empty idols to the living God [ In preaching against polytheism it was customary to contrast the true God with the false, the living God with helpless idols, and to make an appeal for conversion. For a summary of Paul's preaching to the pagans see 1 Thess. 1:9-10 and Gal. 4:9; cf. Acts 15:19: 26:18,20.] who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that these hold. [ That God creates the universe shows that he is a living God: this proposition is found in Jewish creeds. Cf. Ex. 20:11; Neh. 9:6; Psalms 146:6; Acts 4:24; Rev. 10:6; 14:7.]
In the past he allowed each nation to go its own way; but even then he did not leave you without evidence of himself in the good things he does for you: he sends you rain from heaven, he makes your crops grow when they should, he gives you food and makes you happy.' Even this speech, however, was scarcely enough to stop the crowd offering them sacrifice. - Acts 14:8-18 -
The mission is disrupted
Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and turned the people against the apostles. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the town, thinking he was dead. The disciples came crowding round him but, as they did so, he stood up and went back to the town. The next day he and Barnabas went off to Derbe.
Having preached the Good News in that town and made a considerable number of disciples, they went back through Lystra and Iconium to Antioch. They put fresh heart into the disciples, [ Cf. Romans 1:11; 1 Thess. 3:2,13; Luke 22:32.] encouraging them to persevere in the faith. 'We all have to experience many hardships' they said 'before we enter the kingdom of God.' In each of these churches they appointed elders, [ The elders, cf. 11:30+, are here chosen by the apostles, not by the community; so also Titus 1:5.] and with prayer and fasting they commented them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.
They passed through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. Then after proclaiming the word [ Add. 'of the Lord' or 'of God'.] at Perga they went down to Attalia and from there sailed for Antioch, where they had originally been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.
On the arrival they assembled the church and gave an account of all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith [ Paul uses a similar metaphor, 1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3.] to the pagans. They stayed there with the disciples for some time. - Acts 14:19-28 -
Controversy at Antioch
Page 50
Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless.
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.
A man sat there [ All the MSS have 'in Lystra' but this is evidently an addition, cf. v. 20b.] who had never walk in his life because his feet were crippled from birth; and as he listened to Paul preaching, he managed to catch his eye. Seeing that the man had faith to be cured, [ Others translate 'to be saved'. The condition for the miracle is faith, cf. Matt. 8:10+.] Paul said in a loud voice, 'Get to your feet - stand up', and the cripple jumped up and began to walk.
When the crowd saw what Paul had done they shouted in the language of Lycaonia, 'These people are gods who have come down to us disguised as men'. They addressed Barnabas as Zeus, and since Paul was the principal speaker they called him Hermes. [ Hermes (the Latin 'Mercury') was the gods' mouthpiece.] The priests of Zeus-outside-the-Gate, [ His temple was outside the walls.] proposing that all the people should offer sacrifice with them, brought garlanded oxen to the gates. When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening they tore their clothes [ Sign of displeasure, cf. Matt. 26:65.] and rushed into the crowd, shouting,
'Friends, what do you think you are doing? We are only human beings like you. We have come with good news to make you turn from these empty idols to the living God [ In preaching against polytheism it was customary to contrast the true God with the false, the living God with helpless idols, and to make an appeal for conversion. For a summary of Paul's preaching to the pagans see 1 Thess. 1:9-10 and Gal. 4:9; cf. Acts 15:19: 26:18,20.] who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that these hold. [ That God creates the universe shows that he is a living God: this proposition is found in Jewish creeds. Cf. Ex. 20:11; Neh. 9:6; Psalms 146:6; Acts 4:24; Rev. 10:6; 14:7.]
In the past he allowed each nation to go its own way; but even then he did not leave you without evidence of himself in the good things he does for you: he sends you rain from heaven, he makes your crops grow when they should, he gives you food and makes you happy.' Even this speech, however, was scarcely enough to stop the crowd offering them sacrifice. - Acts 14:8-18 -
The mission is disrupted
Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and turned the people against the apostles. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the town, thinking he was dead. The disciples came crowding round him but, as they did so, he stood up and went back to the town. The next day he and Barnabas went off to Derbe.
Having preached the Good News in that town and made a considerable number of disciples, they went back through Lystra and Iconium to Antioch. They put fresh heart into the disciples, [ Cf. Romans 1:11; 1 Thess. 3:2,13; Luke 22:32.] encouraging them to persevere in the faith. 'We all have to experience many hardships' they said 'before we enter the kingdom of God.' In each of these churches they appointed elders, [ The elders, cf. 11:30+, are here chosen by the apostles, not by the community; so also Titus 1:5.] and with prayer and fasting they commented them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.
They passed through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. Then after proclaiming the word [ Add. 'of the Lord' or 'of God'.] at Perga they went down to Attalia and from there sailed for Antioch, where they had originally been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.
On the arrival they assembled the church and gave an account of all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith [ Paul uses a similar metaphor, 1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3.] to the pagans. They stayed there with the disciples for some time. - Acts 14:19-28 -
Controversy at Antioch
Page 50
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
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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 -
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