JUST AS GOD ORIGINALLY INSPIRED THE SACRED SCRIPTURE/HOLY BIBLE. GOD HAS USED THIS MEANS TO PRESERVE HIS 'WORD' FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. BUT BEHIND THE WRITING LAY PERIODS OF TIME WHEN THESE MESSAGES WERE CIRCULATED IN SPOKEN FORM. (ORAL TRADITION) THE STORIES OF THE PATRIARCHS WERE PASSED FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION BY WORD OF MOUTH BEFORE THEY WERE WRITTEN. (WRITTEN TRADITION)

THE MESSAGES OF THE PROPHETS WERE DELIVERED ORALLY BEFORE THEY WERE FIXED IN WRITING. NARRATIVES OF THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF CHRIST JESUS WERE REPEATED ORALLY FOR TWO OR THREE DECADES BEFORE THEY WERE FIXED IN WRITING.

THEREFORE, SACRED SCRIPTURE/HOLY BIBLE QUOTATION, THAT IS, HOW ANYONE AND I PUT WORD OF GOD INTO SENTENCES OR PUT WORDS INTO SENTENCES. REMEMBER ALWAYS! NO MATTER HOW THE "WORD OF GOD" AND WORDS PUT INTO SENTENCES, IN TRUTH, EVERYONE STARTED AND TOOK IT FROM THE MAIN SOURCE, THAT IS, FROM THE WITNESSES AND FROM THE SACRED SCRIPTURE/HOLY BIBLE; "WORD OF GOD."

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 -

When Sacred Scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord, Jesus Christ, who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But they will not ask for his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as Sacred Scripture say: The footsteps of those who bring good news is a welcome sound.

Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As prophet Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ Jesus. [ 'Word of God' ] - Romans 10:11-17 - 

"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 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 case before Felix

Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some of the elders and an advocate named Tertullus, and they laid information against Paul before the governor. Paul was called, and Tertullus opened for the prosecution, 'Your Excellency, Felix, the unbroken peace we enjoy and the reforms this nation owes to your foresight are matters we accept, always and everywhere, with all gratitude. I do not want to take up too much of your time, but I beg you to give us a brief hearing. The plain truth is that we find this man a perfect pest; he stirs up trouble among Jews the world over, and is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect. [ Christianity was, for its opponents, merely a 'sect', cf. 5:17, within Judaism, cf. v. 14; 28:22.]

He has even attempted to profane the Temple. We placed him under arrest, intending to judge him according to our Law, [ The Jews claim that this is their affair. Cf. 25:9; John 18:31+. Alex Text omits 'intending... before you'.] but the tribune Lysias intervened and took him out of our hands by force, ordering his accusers to appear before you; if you ask him ['him' is Lysias in the text adopted here (cf.v.22) Paul according to the shorter text.] you can find out yourself the truth of all our accusations against this man.' The Jews supported him, asserting that these were the facts.

When the governor motioned him to speak, Paul answered: [ Paul denies the charge of inciting to riot (cf.v.5), vv. 11-13. He then explains how being a 'Nazarene' (cf.v.5) in no way prevents him being a faithful Jew, vv. 14-16. He goes on to refute the charge of profaning the Temple, vv. 17-19. Finally, he reminds them that it had been found impossible to convict him when he appeared before the Sanhedrin, vv. 20-21.] - Acts 24:1-10 -

Paul's speech before the Roman governor

I know that you have administered justice over this nation for many years, and I can therefore speak with confidence in my defence. As you can verify for yourself, it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem on pilgrimage, [ Lit, 'to worship', cf. 8:27.] and it is no true that they ever found me arguing with anyone or stirring up the mob, either in the Temple, in the synagogues, or about the town; neither can they prove any of the accusations they are making against me now.

What I do admit to you is this; it is according to the Way which they describe as a sect that I worship the God of my ancestors, retaining my belief in all points of the Law and in what is written in the prophets; [ Christianity is not a different religion, it is Judaism with its ancient hope fulfilled. If the Jews reject Christ, they reject their own religious tradition. Cf. the discourse before Agrippa, chapter 26, the early Christian argument from prophecy, 2:23+; 3:24+, and Paul's own assertions, Rom. 1:2; 3:31; 10:4; 16:26; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Gal. 3, etc.] and I hold the same hope in God as they [ Pharisees, cf. 23:6+] do that there will be a resurrection of good men and bad men alike. In these things, I as much as they, do my best to keep a clear conscience at all times before God and man.

 'After several years [ The visit of 18:22 must have been at least four years earlier, and the 'council of Jerusalem' visit eight or nine years earlier.] I came to bring alms to my nation [ The only allusion in Acts to the real purpose of the journey, namely to deliver in Jerusalem the collection made among the churches in pagan territory, cf. Rom. 15:25+.] and to make offering; [ Sacrifices offered to God, cf. 21:24,26.] it was in connection with these that they found me in the Temple; I had been purified, and there was the ones who should have appeared before you and accused me of whatever they had against me. At least let those who are present say what crime they found me guilty of when I stood before the Sanhedrin, unless it were to do with this single outburst, when I stood up among them and called out: It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.' [ A doctrine of the Pharisees: Paul shrewdly implies that Christians and Pharisees have something in common.] - Acts 24:11-21 -

Paul's captivity at Caesarea

At this, Felix, who knew more about the Way than most people, adjourned the case, saying 'When Lysias the tribune has come down I will go into your case'. He then gave orders to the centurion that Paul should be kept under arrest but free from restriction, and that none of his own people should be prevented from seeing to his needs. [ The same conditions as for Paul's imprisonment in Rome.]

Some days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla who was a Jewess. [ Youngest daughter of Herod Agrippa (12:1+) He sent for Paul and gave him a hearing on the subject of faith in Christ Jesus. But when he began to treat of righteousness, self-control and the coming Judgement, Felix took fright [ Felix was avaricious, cruel and dissolute. Compare the attitude of John the Baptist before Herod Antipas.] and said, 'You may go for the present; I will send for you when I find it convenient'. At the same time he had hopes of receiving money from Paul, and for this reason he sent for him frequently and had talks with him.

When the two years [ Greek: dietia (=a period of two years). This term which recurs in 28:30, here seems to be used in its technical juridical sense: the maximum duration of preventive custody. This would mean that, since sentence had not meanwhile been pronounced. Paul must have been set free when the period expired. This is probably what happened in Rome, cf. 28:30. By detaining Paul. Felix was breaking the law.] came to an end, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus [ Appointed probably in 60, died in 62.] and , being anxious to gain favour with the Jews, Felix left Paul in custody. [ 'anxious to...'; Western Text: And he left Paul in prison on account of Drusilla'.] - Acts 24:22-27 -

Paul appeals to Caesar                                               
                                                        Page 60

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 -