B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #18

B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #18
October 5, 2003

I. Cor. 16:9  For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

PRAYER ALERT – Our friend in Pakistan is trying to come to visit in Chennai, India before I leave for Africa on Oct. 16th.  Let us pray that Sardar Masih can overcome the difficulties with God’s help.

PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETATION
Don’t Carry Your Meaning Into Scripture – #9
We are to be discoverers and not inventors.  We are not to practice the deductive method, but the inductive, that is investigating what Scripture says and not taking our ideas into Scripture to prove what we think.  Through the inductive method we gather facts and let Scripture supply the conclusion.  We do not go to Scripture to prove our already arrived at deduction.  We remain objective and as much as possible remove preconceived notions to explore the Word.

PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETATION
There Is A Christian Use of Scripture – #10
In 2 Tim. 3:15-17 we see the proper use: for instruction in salvation, for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. Scripture calls us to repentance with its Law and restores us to newness of life with its Gospel. Today the Gospel has been replaced by some with the ‘social gospel’.  They teach that the  most important duty of man to man is to alleviate his earthly woes with hospitals, schools, food supplies, etc.  The most important need for man is rather a spiritual one.  He is a sinner in need of salvation from sin, death and hell.  Man is wicked and faces punishment. Jesus came to bear that punishment and release us to life eternal. Yet others have adopted the so-called ‘liberation theology’ of Marxists.  This theology makes of the church a social unit for land reform.  The economic philosophy of this ‘theology’ is pure Marxism which fails to take into account the sinful heart of man. All should be warned that those who twist Scripture to suit their whims and philosophies twist Scripture to their own destruction.  2 Peter 3:15-16

THE VERY GREAT TREASURE
I believe it was in 1706 that the first Protestant and Lutheran missionaries came to India. They were Henry Pluetschau and Bartholomew Ziegenbalg. When Ziegenbalg’s mother lay on her death-bed, she called her children to her bedside and informed them that she had laid up a treasure, –a very great treasure for them.  When they asked where they might find it, the mother answered, “Dear children, search for it in my Bible.  There you will find it.  There is not a page that I have not moistened with my tears.” Bartholomew found the treasure and in his twelve years in India he shared His Master’s love.  His mother’s treasure was passed on.

CATECHISM – In India from last year to this year, we have either printed or purchased over 11,000 catechisms in Telegu, Tamil, Hindi and English.  We hope to continue to assist our brethren in Africa to also get more of what is called the ‘small Bible’ into the hands  of our brethren there.

In Christ,
Pastor Koenig in India