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www.LutheranMissions.org ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER # 92
I Cor. 16:9
"For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many
adversaries."
March 15, 2007
A New Evangelist School
In the BELC(India) this February a
two year program of training was started for young men to then finish
as evangelists. This was started at Nagalapuram. While we had hoped to start
another one at Nellore, it had to wait due to funding. The approach to the
support of these men is the same as at the other three schools overseas that
the CLC supports. It is through USA sponsors giving money each month
to the support of the men in training. While we had planned on fifteen,
there may be nineteen. Four men are finishing their school examinations and
may soon enroll. Our Lord has told us that the field is white for harvest
and there are a shortage of workers. With this school we seek to work toward
more workers. The school has classes for four days a week with practical
work on weekends in congregations. We ask that all our brothers pray for the
success of the Word in the hearts of these young men.
A Study of the Apostle's (Part 5)
Thomas
There are eight references to Thomas in the New Testament. Four of these are in the lists of the apostles. He is also called in Jn. 11:16 ‘Didymus’ which means twin. Who his twin was we do not know. When Jesus is going to go to Lazarus’s tomb with the attendant dangers involved from enemies, Thomas speaks up “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” Jn. 11:16. This can be a voice of courage or of pessimism. There is no question that Thomas expressed his weakness of faith in the Lord when he said in Jn. 14:5, “Lord, we do not know where you are gong, and how can we know the way?” Thomas loved His Lord, but how can we know and go? In the first appearance of Jesus to the apostles in the upper room Thomas was not present. Jn. 20:24 We do not know why. But we do know that this definitely led to both faithless and faithful statements from Thomas later. Upon returning and hearing the news he says he won’t believe unless he sees the nail prints in His hands and puts his finger in the nail prints and spear mark. Jesus appears the week later and challenges Thomas. It is then that Thomas repents and makes that statement of absolute personal faith, “My Lord and my God!” Jn. 20:28 Tradition has Thomas doing mission work to the east of Syria. For Thomas there are fuller accounts of him and his work than for most of the apostles after the Scripture record. He evidently went to the Parthian(Persian) Empire and from there into modern India. There are very good indications from a variety of sources that Thomas worked on the west coast of India and then on the east. It was outside of modern Madras that he was speared to death and buried in Mylapore Andrew Andrew with his brother Peter belonged to a family of fishermen. Jn. 1:14 They worked together fishing from the sea. Mt. 4:18, Mk. 1:16 Furthermore they worked in the business with James and John. Jesus beckoned them to be fishers of men. Mt. 4:18-22 Andrew was the first of the apostles to be called. Jn. 1:35-40 Andrew was a disciple of John the baptizer before that. It was at the feeding of the five thousand that Andrew offers the information that “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish” Jn. 6:9 His weakness shows though in that he wonders then “what are they among so many.” He would see. Philip told Andrew about the Greeks who sought to see Jesus. It appears then that it is Andrew who takes charge. The Bible does not record what happened to Andrew after Pentecost. Tradition says he went north to Scythia and Georgia in Russia working in the Black Sea area. The church at Constantinople (Istanbul) claims him as its founder. It seems that he returned south to Greece then. One account says he led the wife of a provincial governor to Christ. This angered her husband who demanded his wife recant. She wouldn’t and so Andrew was crucified. Tradition says the governor prolonged his agony and that it was on an x shaped cross. Even in his death he spoke of Christ and many people heard and asked for him to be cut down. It is thought he died in late 69.
Hermeneutics - Figures of Speech
Synechdoche
This is when a part is used to
represent the whole or the whole for a part. The Psalmist in 16:9 is not
just saying his “heart rejoices”, but his whole being rejoices. The
heart stands as the inner base of the whole self rejoicing.
Metonomy
This is when a word or words stand for
another. In the parable in Luke 16:29 it is not just that the brothers on
earth have “Moses and the prophets” but the Word of God, which these
words stand for. Metonomy and synechdoche are very similar. For instance in
the following passages which is which: “I have meat to eat that you know
not,” John 4:32, “I must preach the good tidings of the kingdom of God
to the other cities also,” (that is to their inhabitants also) Luke 4:43.
Irony
This figure of speech says what is not
basically true to present what is true. It is a matter of censure or
ridicule. When Job says, “wisdom will die with you,” Job 12:2, it will
not end with those men of course. But he is censuring them that they act as
if they have the wisdom that no one else has. When Jesus says in Mark
7:9 “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God,”
He is not complementing them. He is ridiculing them in what they think is so
fine, using man-made laws to overrule the Word of God and supplant it.
Allusion
How the Jewish authorities
misunderstood Jesus’ statement in John 2:19, “Destroy this temple and in
three days I will raise it up.” Jesus meant His body and was transferring
the idea of temple from the Temple in Jerusalem to the temple of His body.
This is a good example of how we should listen carefully to what our Lord
says and see it in its context to understand.
Pastor Koenig
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B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER # 93
I Cor. 16:9
"For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many
adversaries."
March 30, 2007
Easter Season
It is interesting to note that in
early church history Good Friday was celebrated more than Easter. Now for us
Easter is one of the main festivals of the Church Year. If Christ be not
raised, our faith is vain and we are yet in our sins. But He has abolished
death and brought life and immortality to light through the Good News.
·
Easter Sunday – Ap. 8th
– Ep.: 1 Cor. 5:6-8, Gos.: Mk. 16:1-8
·
1st Sunday
after Easter – Ap. 15th – Ep.: 1 Jn. 5:4-10, Gos.: Jn.
20:19-31
·
2nd Sunday
– Ap. 22nd – Ep.: 1 Pet. 2:21-25, Gos.: Jn. 10:11-16
·
3rd Sunday
– Ap. 29th – Ep.: 1 Pet. 2:11-20, Gos.: Jn. 16:16-23a
·
4th Sunday
– May 6th – Ep.: Jas. 1:16-31, Gos.: Jn. 16:5-15
·
5th Sunday
– May 13th – Ep.: Jas. 1:22-27, Gos.: Jn. 16:23-30
Ascension Day is 40 days after Easter.
We have a worship service on this day to remember that as He went so He will
come again to take us to be with Him.
·
Asc. Day – May 17th
– Ep.: Acts 1:1-11, Gos.: Mk. 16:14-20
·
Sunday after Ascension
– May 20th – Ep.: 1 Pet. 4:7-11, Gos.: Jn. 15:26-16:4
Pentecost is 50 days after Easter and
the birthday of the New Testament church when the Holy Spirit manifested
Himself as the one who would impart God’s gifts to us to be His witnesses
to all and in all of the world.
·
Ep.: Acts 2:1-13, Gos.:
Jn. 14:23-31
Baptisms
"Make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." These are familiar
words to us as we seek to carry them out. From some recent reports we read
with Joy:
And then we remember the Lord also said, "Teaching them to observe all
things..." We dare never just baptize and not teach. He commanded both.
Let us all remember how Paul did not hesitate to speak the whole counsel of
God. Acts 20:27 Our task as ministers of the Word and servants of The Lord
is to study to then impart the Word to others. The apostles after the
resurrection were 'new' men so to speak. They spoke with a boldness the
wonderful Word. May we gain new boldness from once again viewing the empty
tomb and the living Lord this Easter.
We dare not plant a new plant in the desert and then not water again. It
will live for a while but then die. We baptize and with that the implanted
Word comes to grant life. After that there must continue that life-giving
Word to sustain the new life, as water does a plant in a dry land.
Jesus’ Resurrection
Unless we read over all four
accounts carefully we can get confused as to what and when things happened
in connection with our Lord rising again.
How many women went to the
tomb?
a) Mt. says Mary Magdalene and the
other Mary 28:l.
b) Mk. says Mary M., Mary the mother
of James, and Salome 16:1.
c) Lk. says “the women” 24:1.
d) Jn. Says Mary M. 20:1.
Who was at the tomb?
a)
Mt. says an angel came down, opened the tomb, then
sat on the stone. His appearance was like lightning and he was dressed in
white clothes 28:2.
b)
Mk. says a young man dressed in a white robe was
sitting on the right 16:5.
c)
Lk. says two men in clothes that gleamed like
lightning stood beside them (the women) 24:4.
d)
Jn. says two angels were seen at the head and foot
of where Jesus had been laid.
This was after the earlier trip and
after Peter and John had visited 20:11-12
When we put this all together we
have a very good picture with no contradictions.
Women Come to the Tomb.
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James,
and Salome bought spices so that they might anoint the body of the Lord.
Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on
their way to the tomb, and they asked each other, “Who will roll the
stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”
But when they looked up, they saw
that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled away. Mt.
28:1, Mk. 16:1-4
Resurrection Announced.
As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe
sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. Mk.16:5
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said.
“You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has
risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell his
disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you
will see Him, just as he told you.” Mt. 28:5-7
Women Reminded
of Prophecy. While they were wondering about this,
suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.
In their fright the women bowed to them. “Why do you look for the living
among the dead?” the men questioned. “He is not here; He has risen!
Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: ‘The
Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified
and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered His
words. Lk. 24:4-8
Women Go Away Fearful.
Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb.
They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
Peter and John Told.
Mary of Magdala came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple,
the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the
tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him.!” Jn. 20:2
Peter and John View the
Tomb. So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.
Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the
tomb first. He looked into the tomb and saw the strips of linen lying
there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went into the
tomb. “He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial
cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by
itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had
reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still
did not understand from the Scriptures that Jesus had to rise from the
dead.) Then the disciples went back to their homes.” Jn. 20:3-10, Lk.
24:12
Jesus with Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week,
He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had driven seven
demons Mk. 16:9. Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent
over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where
Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
They asked her, “Woman, why are
you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,”
she said. “and I don’t know where they have put Him.” At this, she
turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that
it was Jesus.
“Woman,” He said, “why are you
crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking it was the gardener, she
said, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put
Him, and I will get Him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned
toward Him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the
Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to My
Father and your Father, to My God and your God.” Jn. 20:11-17
Jesus Appears to the
Women. So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet
filled with joy, and ran to tell His disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them.
“Greetings,” he said. They came to Him, clasped His feet and worshiped
Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers
to go to Galilee; there they will see Me.” Mt. 28:8-10
Pastor Koenig
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