www.LutheranMissions.org
   
B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER # 88
  
I Cor. 16:9  "For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries."   
 
January 15, 2007
 
 
A Study of the Apostles (Part 2)
Philip
He is named this in all the four listings of apostles. (Mt. 10:3, Mk.
3:18,
Lk. 6:14, Acts 1:13) It is John alone who gives us information on this
apostle who should not be confused with one of the seven who served in
Jerusalem by the same name.

In  Jn. 1:44-51 we see here that Jesus called Philip to “Follow Me.”
Philip in turn went to Nathanael and told him that they had found the Messiah.
Philip was from Bethsaida, the same city that Andrew and Peter were
from. So there was prior acquaintance likely among these men.

Philip’s name was Greek which might indicate why Greeks would come to
him to see Jesus. In John 12:20-23 we see Philip contact Andrew and they both
go to Jesus to say that there were Greeks seeking Him.

In Jn. 6:5-7 it is to Philip that Jesus puts the question of how they
were to feed so many at the feeding of the 5000. This was a test that the
Lord put to Philip. His answer shows that he was like the rest of the
apostles, just not understanding yet all that the Master could do.

In the upper room Philip is reaching out to Jesus, but needs to be
shown. In Jn. 14:8 Philip says, “Lord, show us the Father and we will be
satisfied.” Belief does not revolve around seeing, but trusting in the unseen.

Beyond what Scripture says we have traditions that cannot be relied
upon too much as to where this apostle worked. Some think that he went to
Carthage in North Africa. Another tradition has him going to Phrygia in Asia
Minor(modern day Turkey) and working with Bartholomew and his own
sister Mariamne.

As to his death one tradition says he died of natural causes. Another
that he rebuked the people for their idolatry and was killed for this.
Another tradition says that he converted the wife of a Roman proconsul. In
retaliation for this the proconsul had him arrested and cruelly
executed. His death was likely around 87.
 
 
The Person of Christ
Jesus is unique in His person. He is the only one in history who could be defined as true God and true Man. The Scriptures show clearly that Jesus has the attributes of God. God has certain features that no one else possesses. He is eternal (John 1:1). He is holy (2 Cor. 5:21). He is all powerful (Luke 8:25), all knowing (John 21:17), and present everywhere at once (Matt. 28:20). He does not change (Heb. 13:8). Every human being has a beginning. Humans are sinners. We have limitations in strength and knowledge and location. We as humans age every day. Jesus also showed His divinity in His involvement in the creation of world (John 1:3) and the many miracles that He did while He walked this earth.
At the same time Jesus showed all the attributes of human beings - except for sin. Jesus was born (Luke 2:12), He had a human body (Luke 24:39), He grew up (Luke 2:52), He was thirsty (John 19:29), He cried (John 11:35), and He died (Matt. 27:50).
We then have to say that Jesus was both God and Man. However, we will not say that He was part God and part Man like some gods in false religions. That is human thinking. We are used to doing that when we talk about races. A child might be half Indian and half English. But the Person of Christ is special. It is accurate to say that He is 100% God and 100% Man. This is God’s math, not our own. We call the fact that Jesus is true God and true Man in one person the personal union of Christ.
In this personal union, whatever Jesus did, He did as both God and Man. This is called the communication of attributes. This means that it would be accurate to say that - in the case of Jesus - God was born, God wept, God was thirsty, and God died. It had to be this way if we are to be saved. Jesus had to have both natures fully to solve our problem of sin.
Sinners have two problems that need to be solved. The first one involved having a debt of sin removed. We have disobeyed our holy God’s commands. Those sins need to be taken away and removed from our record. Think of a fine that needed to be paid. There is a penalty for sin (Rom. 6:23).
On the other hand, God requires us to do what is right. Besides avoiding the wrong and piling up negatives, there is a positive column that needs to be filled. For example in the Fifth Commandment we not only required to not murder and hurt and hate, but we are also supposed to love our neighbor and help and be a friend to him in every bodily need. If somehow we would be able to avoid hating, we still would have to actively love in order to keep that commandment.
As true God and true Man Jesus was able to solve both problems. As God, He is above the Law. He then became Man in order to put Himself under the Law (Gal. 4:4-5). As God and Man He was able to keep the entire Law perfectly in our place, doing all the right, positive things that we could never do. This is His "active obedience." He was fulfilling all righteousness in our place, and so He gave us what was lacking.
He became Man in order that He might have a body to be sacrificed. We know that God cannot die. Yet with the attributes of God and Man it is accurate to say that God died, and thus Jesus was the perfect sacrifice able to pay for sin. This is called His "passive obedience." He was receiving the punishment for sin that we deserved, and removing what would cause our eternal death.
Without Jesus being true God and true Man it would be impossible for us to be saved. We guard this teaching very carefully as well as everything that surrounds it such as the virgin birth.
 
Pastor Mike Schierenbeck, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
 
-----------------------------------
 
Three Well Spent Days
The CLC recently financed a three day mission trip of Pastors D. Paul and Deepak to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, possessions of India though they are way out in the Indian Ocean. We also sent them with a good supply of Bibles, catechisms and doctrinal printed materials. The following report is from Pastor D. Paul of the BELC.
 
"Nov. 24th At 6pm we visited the congregation at Kamaraj Nagar at Port Blair. Thirty-eight believers gathered in the house thirsty and eager to hear the Word, accepting us with great hospitality. I preached on Jn. 1:12 after which the people knelt for individual prayers.
At 8pm we visited a family of six and prayed for one who was brutally injured by an accident.
 
Nov. 25th At 8am we visited a family at Bambooplat, an island 30 minutes away. From 9-12 we visited another island and prayed for a family. At 6pm we had a service at Jungalighat in Port Blair where 29 believers gathered thirsty  for the Word and raising questions. I preached on Eph. 2:8-10.
 
Nov. 26th At 8am we preached the Word to a family of seven and I explained out BELC ministry. At 11 we visited another family and prayer for them. At 12 we visited nine families at Bathusbast at Port Blair. After 1pm we visited five families at Pratrapur and I preached, while we also blessed one newborn child and prayed. At Bathubast there is one small church building that Pastor Deepak previously with members had constructed. At 6pm we had 46 believers in attendance when I preached on I Cor. 3:11 'Jesus Christ is the Foundation and Cornerstone of our Faith and Confessional Life.' After worship an engineer's family cheerfully fed us and we prayed for them. At 9:pm we visited anther three families.
 
Conclusion Our heavenly Father has given us a good mission field here. We will be able to make many disciples for our Lord Jesus Christ. They here have many questions on the Trinity, Salvation, the Virgin Mary. We issued them "My Church and Others" in Hindi, the Catechism in Tamil and 24 Hindi Bibles. We thank God that He has showed us a great new mission field where they really need spiritual food, the Truth of God without any mix."
 
The BELC leaders will be meeting in council in February to make recommendations to the CLC Mission Board on how to work in the islands. Pastor D. Paul is the Acting Chairman of the BELC. Pastor Deepak had worked before in the islands  and is dong Hindi translation work for the BELC.
 
 
Pastor Koenig

 

B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER # 89
  
I Cor. 16:9  "For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries."   
 
January 31, 2007
 
 
The Office of Christ
 
There have been those who initially are confused with the name and office of our Savior. It might seem that "Jesus" is His first name and "Christ" is His last name. Jesus is the personal name of our Savior. It was the name chosen by God and given to both Mary and Joseph by an angel. It is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Joshua, meaning "God saves." The work of Jesus is explained by His name. He is our Savior. It is a name which is to be highly regarded for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12). The second commandment explains to us how we are to use and not use that precious name.
  
Jesus also holds an office. We speak of offices today such as pastor or governor or doctor, and the people who hold those offices are addressed by their titles. Jesus is the Christ. This Greek word is also found in the Old Testament Hebrew as Messiah. Christ/Messiah means "the anointed one." To be anointed is to be set aside by God for a particular purpose. God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. (Acts 10:38) Jesus assumed this office publicly at His baptism.
  
In the Old Testament men were anointed as oil was poured over them. This indicated that God had set them aside. The offices that were held in the Old Testament were prophet, priest, and king. No one person could be all three because the priests were from the tribe of Levi and kings were from the tribe of Judah. There is the exception in Abraham’s time of Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18) the king of Salem who was also a priest. He prefigured Christ and is spoken of in Hebrews 5-7. The office of Christ is three-fold. Jesus is thus our Prophet, Priest, and King, fulfilling all perfectly.
  
A prophet is one who speaks for God. While we often think of prophets as those who tell the future, anytime God sent a man with a message, he was doing the work of a prophet (for example Nathan speaking to King David). In Deuteronomy 18:15 Moses spoke of a prophet who was to come: The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.
  
Jesus fulfilled this office while He was on earth by speaking God’s Word in the synagogues and to the people on the hillsides. In Luke  4:16-21 Jesus confirmed that indeed He was the one anointed to preach the gospel to the poor as prophesied in Isaiah 61. He continues to carry out His office as Prophet by proclaiming God’s Word through His people. (Matt 28:18-20).
  
The Old Testament priest was placed between God and the people. He would pray for the people and make sacrifices for them. The High Priest had a significant role because he was the one permitted to enter the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement and sprinkle the blood of the lamb on the mercy seat.
  
While on earth Jesus served as our High Priest as He entered the Most Holy Place of heaven to make satisfaction for the sin of the world. He was not only the Priest, but also the sacrifice. It was a perfect, one-time sacrifice. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. (Heb. 7:26-27). More details are found in the letter to the Hebrews.
  
He continues to serve as our High Priest, not by repeating the sacrifice, because that is not necessary. He serves as our High Priest by speaking in our behalf to the Father. It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. (Rom. 8:34). And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1-2).
  
The job of a king is to rule. A king protects and defends his people from their enemies. In ancient times a king was also a judge who would determine innocence and guilt and deal out sentences. Jesus came as a King not of the earth, but of a far greater spiritual kingdom. He came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). He conquered His enemies (and ours) by His death and resurrection.
  
He continues to rule His Kingdom at the right hand of the Father protecting us from our enemies. He rules through His Word in the hearts of His people. On the Last Day He will come as Judge.
  
The office of the Christ is very unique. No one else could have fulfilled this three-fold office, nor could anyone continue to hold the office except for Jesus.
 
Pastor Michael Schierenbeck, Wisconsin, USA
 
 
 
A STUDY OF THE APOSTLES  (Part 3)
 
James the Son of Alpheus
There were several James involved with our Lord. This is not the one
who wrote the epistle, as that was a brother of the Lord through Mary and
Joseph. This James is distinguished from the other apostle by his
father’s name following. In Mk. 15:40 we learn that his mother’s name was Mary.
This may be the Mary the wife of Cleopas.  There is a possibility that he
was  a cousin of our Lord. In this verse we see him referred to as James the
Less which was likely an indication of his height. Interestingly, Matthew is
also called the son of Alpheus. It is possible that these two were brothers,
though we cannot say for sure.

The Lord does not tell us anymore about this apostle in Scripture. But
there are various traditions about him. It seems that he did minister in
Syria. One historian claims that he was the first bishop of the Syrian church. 
The Jewish historian Josephus reported that he was stoned and then clubbed
to death in Jerusalem for preaching Christ.

Some other ancient writers say that he did great work in Spain and
others say that he worked in Britain and Ireland.

Simon the Zealot
In Lk. 6:15 he is called the ‘Zealot’ while in Mt. 10:4 and Mk. 3:18 he
is called the ‘Cananite.’ This latter term does not mean he was from Cana,
but that he was zealous, for it comes from a Hebrew word that means that.
From his name then it appears that he was involved at one time with the
political party called the Zealots. This fiery zeal for political goals was
redirected to serving the Christ in His kingdom work.

Traditions have him going in opposite directions. One story has it that
he went to Persia and was killed for refusing to sacrifice to the sun god.
The historian Eusebius has it that he went north and preached in the
British Isles. After that he went to Egypt down as far as Mauritania in Africa.
One doubtful tradition has it that he went to Britain and died there around
61.Then another tradition has it that he joined Judas(Thaddaeus) in
Persia where both were martyred, Simon being sawed asunder.
 
 

Hermeneutics – Figures of Speech

Hermeneutics is the art or skill of interpreting. As we read and study the Holy Spirit develops this skill in us, so that we understand better what God is saying to us.
We will be reviewing some figures of speech used in the Bible to refresh us on how picturesque and versatile the Scriptures are in explaining itself to us. That is what the Word does – It explains or interprets itself. Normal figures of speech that are common to our everyday language we take for granted. As we study the Word, our understanding is increased when we take into account common forms of communicating in a figurative way.
 

Metaphor

A metaphor is a means of comparing one thing with another through the use of the verb “to be” between the two things compared. Jesus says, “I am the vine.” Jn. 15:5 By this He is not saying that He is made out of green plant material. That is obvious. His comparison is made that He is the one that supports us as a vine does the branches. Nourishment comes through the vine to the branches. Without the vine the branches would die. Sometimes the verb form of “to be” is left out. For instance when Jesus refers to Herod by saying, “Go tell that fox…” Luke 13:32, He is saying that Herod is sly and cunning. Herod is a human being and not a fox. But Herod shows characteristics that we associate with a fox.
 

Allegory

An allegory is a longer or extended metaphor. In Gal. 4:21-31 Paul says that “Hagar is Mt. Sinai.” The point of comparison is that the bondwoman is under the law while we are of the free woman and freed from law. It was on Mt. Sinai that Moses received the Law. The Jews of Jesus day rejected the Gospel of free grace and sought salvation through the law.
 
 
Pastor Koenig