"IT IS TRUE, GOD SENT HIS WORD TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, AND IT WAS TO THEM THAT THE GOOD NEWS OF PEACE WAS BROUGHT BY JESUS CHRIST - BUT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF ALL MEN. 

YOU MUST HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE RECENT HAPPENINGS IN JUDAEA; ABOUT JESUS OF NAZARETH AND HOW HE BEGAN IN GALILEE, AFTER JOHN THE BAPTIST HAD BEEN PREACHING BAPTISM. GOD HAD ANOINTED HIM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WITH POWER, AND BECAUSE GOD WAS WITH HIM, JESUS WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD AND CURING ALL WHO HAD FALLEN INTO THE POWER OF THE DEVIL.

NOW I, ( SIMON PETER / PETER ) AND THOSE WITH ME, CAN WITNESS TO EVERYTHING JESUS DID THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRYSIDE OF JUDAEA AND IN JERUSALEM ITSELF; AND ALSO TO THE FACT THAT THEY KILLED HIM BY HANGING HIM ON A TREE, YET THREE DAYS AFTERWARDS GOD RAISED HIM TO LIFE AND ALLOWED HIM TO BE SEEN, NOT BY THE WHOLE PEOPLE BUT ONLY BY CERTAIN WITNESSES GOD HAD CHOSEN BEFOREHAND.

NOW WE ARE THOSE WITNESSES - WE HAVE EATEN AND DRUNK WITH HIM AFTER HIS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD - AND JESUS CHRIST HAS ORDERED US TO PROCLAIM THIS TO HIS PEOPLE AND TO TELL THEM THAT GOD HAS APPOINTED HIM TO JUDGE EVERYONE, ALIVE AND DEAD.

IT IS TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST THAT ALL THE PROPHETS BEAR THIS WITNESS: THAT ALL WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS WILL HAVE THEIR SINS FORGIVEN THROUGH HIS NAME." - ACTS 10:36-43 -

WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE/WORD OF GOD/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!

HOW? AND IN WHAT WAY, WHEN IT COME TO UNDERSTANDING MATTERS: WHAT I WAS ALWAYS BEING TOLD IS: THERE ARE WAYS AND PREFERENCES TO COMPREHEND ALL MATTERS, WHETHER IT IS OF SPIRITUALITY AND OF UNSPIRITUALITY.

FIRSTLY, IN A LITERALLY MANNER: THAT IS, USED FOR EMPHASIS OR TO EXPRESS STRONG FEELING WHILE NOT BEING LITERALLY TRUE.

SECONDLY, IN A HUMANLY MANNER: THAT IS, FROM A HUMAN POINT OF VIEW, IN A HUMANLY MANNER, BY HUMAN MEANS; WITHIN ABILITY; WITH HUMAN FEELING OR KINDNESS.

THIRDLY, IN A SPIRITUALLY MANNER: THAT IS, IN A WAY THAT RELATES TO OR AFFECTS THE HUMAN SPIRIT OR, SOUL AS OPPOSED TO MATERIAL OR PHYSICAL THINGS.

FINALLY, IN AN UNSPIRITUAL MANNER: THAT IS, NOT SPIRITUAL. BUT SECULAR AND WORLDLY.

The Jew take Paul to court

But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, [ An inscription from Delphi puts Gallio's proconsulate in 52. Paul's arraignment before Gallio must have been towards the end (v. 18) of his eighteen month stay (v. 11) in Corinth: probably the spring of 52.] the Jews made a concerted attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal. 'We accuse this man' they said 'of persuading people to worship God in a way that breaks the Law.' [ Ambiguous  term capable of meaning the Roman law, cf. 16:21; 17:7; or the Jewish Law which was itself guaranteed by Roman law. Gallio chooses to see the charge as a question of the interpretation of Jewish Law (v. 15) in which he claims no competence.]

Before Paul could open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, 'Listen, you Jews. If this were a misdemeanour or a crime, I would not hesitate to attend to you; but if it is only quibbles words and names, and about your own Law, then you must deal with it yourselves - I have no intention of making legal decisions about things like that.' Then he sent them out of the court, and at once they all turned on Sosthenes, [ Possibly the Sosthenes of 1 Cor. 1:1.] the synagogue president, and beat him in front of the court house. Gallio refused to take any notice at all. - Acts 18:12-17 -

Return to Antioch and departure for the third journey

After staying on for some time, Paul took leave of the brothers and sailed for Syria, [ Back to Antioch, his headquarters.] accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut off, because of a vow he had made. [ The Greek is obscure, but apparently it was Paul, not Aquila, who took the vow. To take a vow was to be nazir, cf. Num. 6:1+, for the period it covered, usually thirty days, and among other obligations it meant leaving the hair uncut during that time. It is not known whether the vow was taken by Paul at Cenchreae or whether it expired there. Cf. Acts 21:23-27 where Paul and four other Jews perform the rites for the fulfilment of a vow.]

When they reached Ephesus, he left them, but first he went alone to the synagogue to debate with the Jews. They asked him to stay longer but he declined, though when he left he said, 'I will come back another time, God willing', Then he sailed from Ephesus.

He landed at Caesarea and went up to greet the church. [ Perhaps the church in Jerusalem.] Then he came down to Antioch where he spent a short time before continuing his journey through the Galatian country and then through Phrygia, encouraging all the followers. - Acts 18:18-23 -

Apollos

An Alexandrian Jew named Apollos [ Fir further information, cf. 1 Cor: when he went to Corinth his enormous popularity soon developed into partisanship, cf. 1 Cor. 1:12; 3:4-11, 22; see also Titus 3:13. These remarks about Apollos have something in common with the description of John the Baptist's admirers at Ephesus in the following passage: combining these two descriptions of an imperfectly informed Christianity, we may possibly get some idea of Christianity in the church of Alexandria at this time.] now arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, with a sound knowledge of the sacred scriptures, and yet, though he had been given instruction in the Way of the Lord and preached with great spiritual earnestness and was accurate in all the details he taught about Jesus, he had only experienced the baptism of John.

When Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak boldly in the synagogue, they took an interest in him and gave him further instruction about the Way. [ Add. 'of God'.]

When Apollos thought of crossing over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote asking the disciples to welcome him. [ On the use of letters of reference in the early Christian communities, cf. Rom. 16:1; 2 Cor. 3:1f; Col. 4:10; 3 John 9-10, 12.] When he arrived there he was able by God's grace to help the believers considerably by the energetic way he refuted the Jews in public and demonstrated from the sacred scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. - Acts 18:24-28 -

The disciples of John at Ephesus

While Apollos was in Corinth, [ An editorial link joining two items of information which are inserted in the account of the journey. The Western Text has 'When Paul, pursuing his own plan, go back to Asia. Consequently, he made his way...'] Paul made his way overland as far as Ephesus [ Ephesus at this time was regarded, with Alexandria, as one of the finest cities in the empire; it was a religious, political and commercial centre of mixed population.] where he found a number of disciples. When he asked, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?' they answered, 'No, we were never even told there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit'. [ They were unaware, not that the Spirit existed (evident from the O.T. to the most casual reader) but that the messianic promises had been fulfilled and the Spirit given in abundance, cf. 2:17-18, 33.]

'Then how were you baptised?' he asked. 'With John's baptism' they replied. 'John's baptism' said Paul 'was a baptism of repentance; but he insisted that the people should believe in the one who was to come after him - in other words Jesus.' When they heard this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the moment Paul had laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on them, and they began to speak with tongues and to prophesy. There were about twelve of these men. - Acts 19:1-7 -

Foundation of the church of Ephesus [ Resumption of the narrative interrupted by the remarks about Apollos and the followers of John the Baptist: 19:8 follows on 18:23 and 19:1.]

He began by going to the synagogue, where he spoke out boldly and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God. He did this for three months, till the attitude of some of the congregation hardened into unbelief. As soon as they began attacking the Way in front of the others, he broke with them and took his disciples apart to hold daily discussions in the lecture room of Tyrannus. [ Western Text adds 'from the fifth to the tenth hours' (11a.m. to 4p.m.)]

This went on for two years, [ 20:31 says three years. During this stay, Paul wrote the first Letter to the Corinthians, the Letter to the Galatians and, probably, the Letter to the Philippians.] with the result that people from all over Asia, [ Not the whole of proconsular Asia (the W. half of Asia Minor) but the region centred on Ephesus and including the seven towns of Rev. 1:11, Epaphras of Colossae had been appointed by Paul to evangelise his own city, and his mission had spread to Laodicea and Hierapolis, Col. 1:7; 4:12-13. Paul was also assisted by Timothy and Erastus, Acts never mentions, and others, cf. 2 Cor. 12:18. Luke credits Paul with the achievements of his subordinates.] both Jews and Greeks, were able to hear the word of the Lord. - Acts 19:8-10 -

The Jewish exorcists

So remarkable were the miracles worked by God at Paul's hands that handkerchiefs or aprons which had touched him were taken to the sick, and they were cured of their illness, and the evil spirits came out of them.

But some itinerant Jewish exorcists [ On Jewish exorcisms, cf. Matt. 12:27. Jesus himself, and his apostles after him, cf. Acts 5:16; 16:18, frequently exorcised, cf. Matt. 8:29+.] tried pronouncing the name of the Lord Jesus over people who were possessed by evil spirits; they used to say, 'I command you by the Jesus whose spokesman is Paul'. Among those who did this were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest. The evil spirit replied, 'Jesus I recognise, and I know who Paul is, but who are you?' and the man with the evil spirit hurled himself at them and overpowered first one and then another, [ Or 'both' (two of the number).] and handled them so violently that they fled from that house naked and badly mauled. Everybody in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, heard about this episode; they were all greatly impressed, and the name of the Lord Jesus came to be held in great honour.

Some believers, too, came forward to admit in detail how they had used spell [ Occult practices for which Ephesus was well known.] and a number of them who had practised magic collected their books and made a bonfire of them in public. The value of these was calculated to be fifty thousand silver pieces.

In this impressive way the word of the Lord spread more and more widely and successfully. [ Alex. Text 'Thus, through the power of the Lord, the word spread even more widely and impressively'.] - Acts 19:11-20 -

                                       V.  A  PRISONER  FOR  CHRIST
Paul's plans
                                                 Page 55

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 -

'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 -

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 -

WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE/WORD OF GOD/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!

THEOLOGY? ISN'T THAT THE STUDY OF RELIGION? SO, WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH ME? ISN'T IT CONCERN PRIESTS, THEOLOGIANS AND THE VATICAN?

THEOLOGY HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH ME, HASN'T IT?

Most of us think that theology is the concern of specialists, an academic subject that has little to do with lay person. Yet, the Christian theology that we accept today has its roots in the faith experiences of the Hebrews' search for God, their reflection on those experiences and their response to Him.

As Rev. Fr. Michael Amaladoss SJ, the Assistant to Father General Peter-Hans Kolvenbach SJ, responsible for Dialogue and Ecumenism (May 1992-...) puts it, "Faith looks, not only backward to God's saving and powerful presence in history, but also to the future that God invites us to create in the power of the Word and of the Spirit. Theology is therefore not an abstract philosophical elaboration of eternal verities reserved to a few expert professionals. It is a discerning search for God in the here and now of history that is the concern of everyone".

In this sense, theology must be the concern of every Christian and more so of every Christian in Malaysia.

It is the recognition of the Malaysian situation, specifically that of Saint Francis Xavier's Church (Petaling Jaya, Selangor.), that has prompted the central argument in Theology of Shoes-off, an initial effort on the part of Rev. Fr. Joseph (Jojo) Fung SJ to identify the elements that could form our very own Malaysian Theology.

Rev. Fr. Amaladoss SJ has this to say about Theology of Shoes-off. The flowering of local theology is a sign of the rootedness and maturity of a particular Church. So I am glad to welcome and introduce this pioneering effort by Rev. Fr. Joseph (Jojo) Fung SJ to develop a Malaysian theology of "Shoes-off".

BY REV. FR. JOSEPH  MATTHEW  FUNG  JEE  VUI  ( JOJO ) SJ, was the Parish Priest of SFX Church (Petaling Jaya, Selangor.) from 1988 to 1992.

The Lord Jesus Christ, promised to us that our mission on this earth is really and utmost important for our own salvation.

"I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, wife, brothers, parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not be given repayment many times over in this present time, in the world to come, Eternal Life." - Luke 18:28-30 -

'Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord" and not do what I say?'

"Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and acts on them - I will show you what he/she is like. He is like a man who when he built his house dug, and dug deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built.

But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man who built his house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!" - Luke 6:46-49 -

Paul in Athens

Paul waited for them in Athens and there his whole soul was revolted at the sight of a city given over to idolatry. [ Athens was the intellectual metropolis of pagan hellenism and to Luke was a symbol. This is evident from the fact that Paul's sermon there, the only sample of his preaching to the pagans, is the only one in which he argues philosophically.] In the synagogue he held debates with the Jews and the God-fearing, but in the market place he had debates everyday with anyone who would face him. [ The one explicit mention in Acts of this kind of preaching (though cf. 14:7f).] Even a few Epicurean and Stoic philosophers [ The two prevailing philosophical systems.] argued with him. Some said, 'Does this parrot know what he's talking about?' [ Lit. 'What does this seed-picker want to say?' The local Athenian word spermologos was used of birds that peck, crows etc. It came to mean 'beggar', one who picks up food wherever he can find it, and also a garrulous man who speaks in cliches, parrot-wise.] And, because he was preaching about Jesus and the resurrection, [ Cf. v. 32. They assume Anastasis ('Resurrection') is the name of a goddess, consort of Jesus.] others said, 'He sounds like a propagandist for some outlandish gods'. [ Socrates was accused of the same thing.]

They invited him to accompany them to the Council of the Areopagus, [ A hill to the S. of the Agora. The word means also the Athenian supreme council which held its seasons there. The text may be inderstood in two ways: either the philosophers lead Paul 'on to (the hill of) the Areopagus', away from the city centre for easier listening or (preferably) they lead him 'before (the Council of) the Areopagus'.] where they said to him, 'How much of this new teaching you were speaking about are we allowed to know? Some of the things you said seemed startling to us and we would like to find out what they mean.' The one amusement the Athenians and the foreigners living there seem to have, apart from discussing the latest ideas, is listening to lectures about them.

So Paul stood before the whole Council of the Areopagus and made this speech: - Acts 17:16-22 -

Paul's speech before the Council of the Areopagus [ Paul preaches on the knowledge of God, a theme very popular in the propaganda of contemporary hellenistic Judaism. The pagans are accused of not knowing God, v. 23, the proof being that they worship idols v. 29. This ignorance is culpable, v. 30, since all men are capable of knowing God as creator and controller of the cosmos, vv. 24-29. Cf. the same line of argument in 14:15-17; Wisdom 13-14; Rom. 1:19-25; Eph. 4:17-19.]

'Men of Athens, I have seen for myself how extremely scrupulous you are in all religious matters, because I noticed, as I strolled round admiring your sacred monuments, that you had an altar inscribed: To An UNknown God. [ The pagans used to dedicate altars 'to the unknown gods' lest they provoke the vengeance of gods whose names they did not know. Paul turns the practice to his own purpose and thus parries the charge of preaching 'outlandish gods'.] Well, the God whom I proclaim: is in fact the one whom you already worship without knowing it.' - Acts 17:23 -

'Since the God who made the world and everything in it [ This idea was common in Greek thought and hellenistic Judaism; it is a form of the old scriptural/biblical theme in Amos 5:21f; 1 Chr. 29:10f; Psalms 50:9-13, etc.] is himself Lord of heaven and earth, he does not make his home in shrines made by human hands. Nor is he dependent on anything that human hands can do for him, since he can never be in need of anything; on the contrary, it is he who gives everything - including life and breath - to everyone. 

From one single stock [ Var. 'of one blood', 'of one nation', 'of one race'.] he not only created the whole human race so that they could occupy the entire earth, but he decreed how long each nation should flourish and what the boundaries of its territory should be. [ Alternative translations 'determining the division of times' or 'determining the order of the seasons (cf. 14:17) and the bounds of human habitation' (man was not to occupy the whole earth but only part of it). The general meaning is the same: the order of the cosmos is enough to lead to a knowledge of God.] And he did this so that all nations might seek the deity [ Var. 'God' or 'the Lord'.] and by feeling their way towards him, succeed in finding him. Yet in fact he is not far from any of us, since it is in him that we live, and move, and exist, [ Expression suggested by the poet Epimenides of Cnossos (6th c. B.C.)] as indeed some of your own writers [ Lit. 'of your people'. Var. 'of your poets' or 'of your sages'.] have said:

                                               "We are all his children". - Acts 17:24-28 -

'Since we are the children of God, we have no excuse for thinking that the deity looks like anything in gold, silver or stone that has been carved and designed by a man'. [ This form of attack on idolatry has ancient precedent, cf. Is. 40:20+.] 

'God overlooked that sort of things when men were ignorant, but now he is telling everyone everywhere that they must repent, because he has fixed a day when the whole world will be judged, and judged in righteousness, [ Cf. Psalms 9:8; 96:13; 98:9. The apostles set their appeal for repentance against the background of judgement, cf. especially 10:42-43; 1 Thess 1:10.] and he has appointed a man to be the judge. And God has publicly proved this by raising this man from the dead.' [ Christ's resurrection justifies belief in his coming as judge and saviour at the end of time, cf. Rom. 14:9; 2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5.]

At this mention of rising from the dead, some of them burst out laughing; others said, 'We would like to hear you talk about this again'. [ In the Greek world, even among Christians, the doctrine of the resurrection met stubborn resistance from preconceived ideas, cf. 1 Cor. 15:12f. The Jerusalem Sanhedrists condemned and attacked this Christian dogma: the Athenians of the Areopagus were content to mock. Paul's failure in Athens was all complete; from now on he refuses to use the devices of Greek philosophy, 1 Cor. 2:1-5.] 

After that Paul left them, but there were some who attached themselves to him and became believers, among them Dionysius the Areopagite [ Luke's readers must have known him. He became the subject of legend, especially since the 5th c. when an author (the 'pseudo-Dionysius') published various mystical writings under his name. Later legend identifies him with Saint Denys, first Bishop of Paris (3rd c.)] and a woman called Damaris, and others besides. - Acts 17:29-34 -

Foundation of the church of Corinth

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, [ Corinth, rebuilt by Julius Caesar, became capital of the Roman province of Achaia. Its population was largely Roman and Latin-speaking, but brisk trade had attracted people of all nations. It had a considerable Jewish colony. The immorality of Corinth was proverbial.] where he met a Jew called Aquila whose family came from Pontus. He and his wife Priscilla [ Also called Prisca, Rom. 16:3; 1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Tim. 4:19.] had recently left Italy because an edict of Claudius had expelled all the Jews from Rome. [ This edict, mentioned by Suetonius, was issued in 49 or 50. It was effective for a very short time, cf. Rom. 16:3; Acts 28:17.] 

Paul went to visit them, and when he found they were tent-makers, of the same trade as himself, he lodged with them, and they worked together. [ Though Paul acknowledges the missionary's right to sustenance, 1 Cor. 9:6-14; Gal. 6:6; 2 Thess. 3:9; cf. Luke 10:7, he himself always practised a trade, 1 Cor. 4:12, not wishing to be a burden on anyone, 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8; 2 Cor. 12:13f, and in order to prove his singleness of purpose, Acts 20:33f: 1 Cor. 9:15-18; 2 Cor. 11:7-12. Only from the Philippians did he accept help, Phil. 4:10-18; 2 Cor. 11:8f. cf. Acts 16:15+. He recommended his followers to do the same to supply their own needs, 1 Thess. 4:11f; 2 Thess. 3:10-12, and those of the poor, Acts 20:35; Eph. 4:28.] Every Sabbath he used to hold debates in the synagogues, trying to convert Jews as well as Greeks. - Acts 18:1-4 -

After Silas and Timothy had arrived from Macedonia, [ It was after this that Paul wrote his two letters to the Thessalonians.] Paul devoted all his time to preaching, declaring to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. [ That Jesus was Messiah was the distinctive theme of the preaching to the Jews, cf. 2:36; 3:18-20; 5:42; 8:5,12; 9:22; 17:3; 18:28; 24:24; 26:23.] When they turned against him and started to insult him, he took his cloak and shook it out in front of them, [ Symbolically breaking off relations. The following sentence is scriptural/biblical, cf. Lev. 20:9-16, 2 Sam. 1:16, and means that the Jews must accept full responsibility for the consequences. Their 'blood' i.e. their punishment, is not Paul's affair; his conscience is clear (lit, 'I am clean').] 'Your blood be on your own heads; from now on I can go to the pagans with a clear conscience'. 

Then he left the synagogue and moved to the house next door that belonged to a worshipper of God called Justus. [ Var. 'Titus Justus' or 'Titius Justus'.] Crispus, presudent of the synagogue, and his whole household, all became believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. A great many Corinthians who had heard him becme believers and were baptised. [ Western Text add. 'believing in God through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ', cf. 8:36+. The converts had therefore been pagans.] One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, 'Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you. I have so many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you.' So Paul stayed there preaching the word of God among them for eighteen months. - Acts 18:5-11 -

The Jews take Paul to court
                                                         Page 54                                                  

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 -

Imprisonment of Paul and Silas

One day as we were going to prayer, we met a slave girl who was a soothsayer [ Lit. 'who had a Python-spirit', so called from the serpent Python of the ancient Delphic oracle.] and made a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. This girl started following Paul and the rest of us and shouting, 'Here are the servants of the Most High God; they have come to tell you how to be saved!' She did this everyday afterwards until Paul lost his temper one day and turned round and said to the spirit, 'I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to leave that woman'. The spirit went out of her then and there.

When her masters saw that there was no hope of making any more money out of her, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the law courts in the market place where they charged them before the magistrates and said, 'These people are causing a disturbance in our city. They are Jews and are advocating practices which it is unlawful for us as Romans to accept or follow.' [ The practices referred to are Jewish, cf. 6:14; 15:1; 21:21; 26:3; 28:17; John 19:40: the accusers make no distinction between Christian and Jew. The precise charge is proselytism: though the Jews were allowed to practise their religion, they had no right to proselytise Romans. Christian propaganda was therefore against the law.] 

The crowd joined in and showed its hostility to them, so the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be flogged. They were given many lashes and then thrown into prison, and the gaoler was told to keep a close watch on them. So, following his instructions, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. - Acts 16:16-24 -

The miraculous deliverance of Paul and Silas

Late that night Paul and Silas were praying and singing God's praises, while the other prisoners listened. Suddenly there was an earthquake that shook the prison to its foundations. All the doors flew open and the chains fell from all the prisoners. When the gaoler woke and saw the doors wide open he drew his sword and was about to commit suicide, presuming that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted at the top of his voice, 'Don't do yourself any harm; we are all here'. 

The gaoler called for lights, then rushed in, threw himself trembling [ This new fear comes from his realising that he has treated as criminals men who are envoys of God.] at the feet of Paul and Silas, and escorted them out, saying, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' They told him, 'Become a believer in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, and your household too'. Then they preached the word of the Lord [ Var. 'the word of God'] to him and to all his family. Late as it was, he took them to wash their wounds, and was baptised then and there with all his household. Afterwards he took them home and gave them a meal, and the whole family celebrated their conversion to belief in God.

When it was daylight the magistrates sent the officers with the order: 'Release those men'. [ Var. When it was daylight the magistrates met in the market place: remembering the earthquake that had taken place they were afraid and sent the officers to say: 'Release the men you arrested yesterday.'] The gaoler reported the message to Paul, 'The magistrates have sent an order for your release; you can go now and be on your way'. [ Add. 'in peace'.] 'What!' Paul replied 'They flog Roman citizens [ The lex Porcia forbade (under heavy penalties) the scourging of a Roman citizen.] in public and without trial and throw us into prison, and then think they can push us out on the quiet! Oh no! They must come and escort us out themselves.'

The officers reported this to the magistrates, who were horrified to hear the men were Roman citizens. They came and begged them to leave the town. [ Alex. (and Antiochene) Text 'They came to apologise, and when they had taken them out they asked them to leave the town'. Western Text 'And going with a number of friends to the prison, they urged them to go out, saying: We had not realised what you wanted and that you were holy men. When they had taken them out, they begged them: Get out of this town in case those who shouted against you get another mob together.'] From the prison they went to Lydia's house where they saw all the brothers and gave them some encouragement; then they left. - Acts 16:25-40 - 

Thessalonika: difficulties with the Jews

Passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they eventually reached Thessalonika, where there was a Jewish synagogue. Paul as usual introduced himself and for three consecutive Sabbaths developed the arguments from scripture for them, explaining and proving how it was ordained that the Christ should suffer and rise from the dead. 'And the Christ' he said 'is this Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you.' Some of them [ Aristarchus, one of Paul's most faithful companions, cf. 20:4; Col. 4:10, was probably one of them.] were convinced and joined Paul and Silas, and so did a great many God-fearing people and Greeks, [ Var. 'Greek worshippers of God'. The reading here preferred distinguishes 'those who worship God', 10:2+, from 'Greeks' not previously influenced by Jewish proselytism. Most of the conversions in Thessalonika were made from paganism, cf. 1 Thess. 1:9-10, etc.] as well as a number of rich women.

The Jews, full of resentment, enlisted the help of a gang from the market place, stirrred up a crowd, and soon had the whole city in an uproar. They made for Jason's house, [ Possibly the Jason of Rom. 16:21.] hoping to find them there and drag them off to the People's Assembly; however, they only found Jason and some of the brothers, and these they dragged before  the city council, shouting, 'The people who have been turning the whole world upside down have come here now; they have been staying at Jason's house. They have broken every one of Caesar's edicts by claiming that there is another emperor, [ Actually, the Christians deliberately avoided calling Jesus by the emperor's title basilues ('king'); they preferred 'Christ' (Messiah) and 'Lord'.] Jesus.' This accusation alarmed the citizens and the city councillors and they made Jason and the rest give security before setting them free. - Acts 17:1-9 -

Fresh difficulties at Beroea

When it was dark the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away to Beroea, [ Despite their departure the persecution at Thessalonika went on, cf. 1 Thess. 2:14.] where they visited the Jewish synagogue as soon as they arrived. Here the Jews were more open minded than those in Thessalonika, and they welcomed the word very readily; everyday they studied the sacred scriptures to check whether it was true. Many Jews became believers and so did many Greek women from the upper classes and a number of the men.

When the Jews of Thessalonika heard that the word of God was being preached by Paul in Beroea as well, they went there to make trouble and stir up the people. So the brothers arranged for Paul to go immediately as far as the coast, leaving Silas and Timothy behind. Paul's escort took him as far as Athens, and went back with instructions for Silas and Timothy to rejoin Paul as soon as they could. [ Luke summarising and simplifying. Timothy must have gone with Paul because Paul later sends him from Athens to Thessalonika, 1 Thess. 3:1f.] - Acts 17:10-15 -

Paul in Athens

WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE/WORD OF GOD/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!

HOW? AND IN WHAT WAY, WHEN IT COME TO UNDERSTANDING MATTERS: WHAT I WAS ALWAYS BEING TOLD IS: THERE ARE WAYS AND PREFERENCES TO COMPREHEND ALL MATTERS, WHETHER IT IS OF SPIRITUALITY AND OF UNSPIRITUALITY.

FIRSTLY, IN A LITERALLY MANNER: THAT IS, USED FOR EMPHASIS OR TO EXPRESS STRONG FEELING WHILE NOT BEING LITERALLY TRUE.

SECONDLY, IN A HUMANLY MANNER: THAT IS, FROM A HUMAN POINT OF VIEW, IN A HUMANLY MANNER, BY HUMAN MEANS; WITHIN ABILITY; WITH HUMAN FEELING OR KINDNESS.

THIRDLY, IN A SPIRITUALLY MANNER: THAT IS, IN A WAY THAT RELATES TO OR AFFECTS THE HUMAN SPIRIT OR, SOUL AS OPPOSED TO MATERIAL OR PHYSICAL THINGS.

FINALLY, IN AN UNSPIRITUAL MANNER: THAT IS, NOT SPIRITUAL. BUT SECULAR AND WORLDLY.

"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.

IF WE LIVE BY THE TRUTH AND IN LOVE, WE SHALL GROW IN ALL WAYS INTO CHRIST JESUS, WHO IS THE HEAD BY WHOM THE WHOLE BODY IS FITTED AND JOINED TOGETHER, EVERY JOINT ADDING ITS OWN STRENGTH, FOR EACH SEPARATE PART TO WORK ACCORDING TO IT FUNCTION. SO THE BODY GROWS UNTIL IT HAS BUILT ITSELF UP, IN LOVE." - EPHESIANS 4:7-16 -

                                                          Page 53

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 -

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 -

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 -

'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 -

"I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, wife, brothers, parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not be given repayment many times over in this present time, in the world to come, Eternal Life." - Luke 18:28-30 -

"IT IS TRUE, GOD SENT HIS WORD TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, AND IT WAS TO THEM THAT THE GOOD NEWS OF PEACE WAS BROUGHT BY JESUS CHRIST - BUT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF ALL MEN. 

YOU MUST HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE RECENT HAPPENINGS IN JUDAEA; ABOUT JESUS OF NAZARETH AND HOW HE BEGAN IN GALILEE, AFTER JOHN THE BAPTIST HAD BEEN PREACHING BAPTISM. GOD HAD ANOINTED HIM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WITH POWER, AND BECAUSE GOD WAS WITH HIM, JESUS WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD AND CURING ALL WHO HAD FALLEN INTO THE POWER OF THE DEVIL.

NOW I, ( SIMON PETER / PETER ) AND THOSE WITH ME, CAN WITNESS TO EVERYTHING JESUS DID THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRYSIDE OF JUDAEA AND IN JERUSALEM ITSELF; AND ALSO TO THE FACT THAT THEY KILLED HIM BY HANGING HIM ON A TREE, YET THREE DAYS AFTERWARDS GOD RAISED HIM TO LIFE AND ALLOWED HIM TO BE SEEN, NOT BY THE WHOLE PEOPLE BUT ONLY BY CERTAIN WITNESSES GOD HAD CHOSEN BEFOREHAND.

NOW WE ARE THOSE WITNESSES - WE HAVE EATEN AND DRUNK WITH HIM AFTER HIS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD - AND JESUS CHRIST HAS ORDERED US TO PROCLAIM THIS TO HIS PEOPLE AND TO TELL THEM THAT GOD HAS APPOINTED HIM TO JUDGE EVERYONE, ALIVE AND DEAD.

IT IS TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST THAT ALL THE PROPHETS BEAR THIS WITNESS: THAT ALL WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS WILL HAVE THEIR SINS FORGIVEN THROUGH HIS NAME." - ACTS 10:36-43 -

The apostolic letter

Then the apostles and elders decided to choose delegates to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; the whole church concurred with this. They chose Judas known as Barsabbas [ Not mentioned elsewhere, cf. 1:23.] and Silas [ Silas, missionary companion of Paul, 15:40-18:5, is the same as the Silvanus mentioned in 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:19; 1 Peter 5:12.] both leading men in the brotherhood, and gave them this letter to take with them:

'The apostles and elders, your brothers, send greetings to the brothers of pagan birth in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. We hear that some of our members have disturbed you with their demands and have unsettled your minds. They acted without any authority from us, and we have decided unanimously to elect delegates and to send them to you with Barnabas and Paul, men we highly respect who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly we are sending you Judas and Silas, who will confirm by word of mouth what we have written in this letter.

It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves not to saddle you with any burden beyond these essentials: you are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from fornication. Avoid these, and you will do what is right. [ Western Text adds 'under the guidance of the Holy Spirit'.] Farewell.' - Acts 15:22-29 -

The delegates at Antioch

The party left and went down to Antioch, where they summoned the whole community and delivered the letter. The community read it and were delighted with the encouragement it gave them. Judas and Silas, being themselves prophets, spoke for a long time, encouraging and strengthening the brothers. These two spent some time there, and then the brothers wished them peace and they went back to those who had sent them. [ Western Text adds v. 34. 'But Silas decided to stay there.' Several MSS further and 'Judas set out by himself'.] Paul and Barnabas, however, stayed on in Antioch, and there with many others they taught and proclaimed the Good News, the word of the Lord. - Acts 15:30-35 -

                                                             IV.  PAUL'S  MISSIONS

                                         

Paul separates from Barnabas and recruits Silas

On a later occasion Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us go back and visit all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord, so that we can see how the brothers are doing'. Barnabas suggested taking John Mark, but Paul was not in favour of taking along the very man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had refused to share in their work.

After a violent quarrel they parted company, and Barnabas sailed off with Mark to Cyprus. Before Paul left, he chose Silas to accompany him and was commended by the brothers to the grace of God. [ Var. 'the grace of the Lord'.] - Acts 15:36-40 - 

Lycaonia: Paul recruits Timothy

He travelled through Syria and Cilicia, consolidating the churches. [ Western Text ads 'passing on to them the injunctions of the elders', cf. 16:4.] - Acts 15:41 -

From there he went to Derbe, and then on to Lystra. Here there was a disciple called Timothy, [ Timothy became Paul's constant companion, cf. 17:14f; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4; 1 Thess. 3:2,6; 1 Cor. 4:17; 16:10; 2 Cor. 1:19; Rom. 16:21, and one of his most faithful disciples to the very end (see 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy which are addressed to him).] whose mother was a Jewess who had become a believer; but his father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy, and Paul who wanted to have him as a travelling companion, had him circumcised. This was on account of the Jews in the locality [ Paul opposed circumcision for converts from paganism, Gal. 2:3; 5:1-12, but Timothy had a Jewish mother and so, by Jewish law, was an Israelite.] where everyone knew his father was a Greek.

As they visited one town after another, they passed on the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, with instructions to respect them. 

So the churches grew strong in the faith, as well as growing daily in numbers. - Acts 16:1-5 - 

The crossing into Asia Minor

They travelled through Phrygia and the Galatian country, [ Galatia strictly so called, cf. Introduction to the Letters of Saint/Apostle Paul. When he left Iconium therefore, Paul intended to travel westwards to Ephesus. But the Spirit intervened and he turned N. into Phrygia, then, in a north-westerly direction to 'Galatian country', where illness kept him for a time. Gal. 4:13-15, preached the gospel in these places and returned later to visit the disciples there, Acts 18:23.] having been told by the Holy Spirit not to preach the word in Asia. When they reached the frontier of Mysia they thought to cross it into Bithynia, but as the Spirit of Jesus [ Om. 'of Jesus'.] would not allow them, they went through [ Preferable to 'they skirted'.] Mysia and came down to Troas.

One night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian appeared and appealed to him in these words, 'Come across to Macedonian and help us'. Once he had seen this vision we [ Sudden transition to first person plural: the first 'We-section' of Acts, but see 11:27+. Cf. Introduction.] lost no time in arranging a passage to Macedonia, convinced that God had called us to bring them the Good News. - Acts 16:6-10 -

Arrival at Philippi

Sailing from Troas we made a straight run for Samothrace; the next day for Neapolis, and from there for Philippi, a Roman colony and the principal city of that particular district of Macedonia. [ Philippi, a town in the principal district of the province of Macedonia; it had become a Roman colony and was a completely Latin city, its administration modelled on that of Rome.] After a few days in this city we went along the river outside the gates as it was the Sabbath and this was a customary place for prayer. [ The Jews had no synagogue in Philippi; they met by the side of the river (for ritual ablutions).]

We sat down and preached to the women who had come to the meeting. One of these women was called Lydia, a devout woman from the town of Thyatira who was in the purple-dye trade. She listened to us, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptised [ Lydia's conversion brought her household to the faith; cf. 10:33; 16:31, 34; 18:8; 1 Cor. 1:16.] she sent us an invitation: 'If you really think me a true believer in the Lord,' she said 'come and stay with us'; and she would take no refusal. [ Unusual for Paul: cf. 20:33-35; 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8; 1 Cor. 9, though on a later occasion the Philippians persuaded him to accept help again, cf. Phil. 4:10-18. He would have accepted it from no one else; it is the greatest compliment to the charity of Lydia and of the other Philippian Christians.] - Acts 16:11-15 -

Imprisonment of Paul and Silas
                                                          Page 52                                                    

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 -