B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER # 95

B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER # 95

I Cor. 16:9  “For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

April 30, 2007    

Prayer of Thanks Pastor Jeremiah’s (CLCEA-Tanzania) wife broke her leg early in the year.  We thank the Lord that it is healed up. And we pray now that all may go well with the pastor and wife.

NEWS – Progress in Translation Work An excellent booklet outlining the chief teachings of Christianity and our Lutheran church is “My Church and Others” by Mueller. Outlined below is the progress in translating it into languages for each of our sister churches with the men involved in the translation.

• CLCI/Telegu – Pastor Jyothi
• BELC/Tamil – Pastor D. Paul, Hindi – Pastor Deepak
• ELCC/French – Pastor Yumba leading a committe on it
• CLCEA/Swahili – Pastor Malyi is translating it now.
• ECLC/Kisii – Joshua has translated it and it is going to the printer.

This work is important so that other people as well as our own can study the teachings in a simple and yet organized way. The booklet in English is fifty-five pages and varies in pages depending on the translation. The French, Telegu and Tamil translations are on the website www.lutheranmissions.org and  the others will be posted there also as time passes.    

A Study of the Apostle’s (Part 7) (final part)   John the Son of Zebedee
It is of this apostle that we know the most due to his five writings in the New Testament. He was the younger son of Zebedee and Salome. At first he was a disciple of John the baptizer, referring to himself as the “other disciple” who was with Andrew. Jn. 1:35,40 The picture we have of him in the New Testament is in  four stages: 1. A convert and disciple of John the baptizer (  Jn. 1:35,40), 2. An attachment to Christ as he left the Baptist( Jn. 1:40). He was one of the first disciples to be called, 3. A discipleship under the Master’s training (Mt. 4:21-22), 4. An apostleship for well over seventy years(Lk. 6:13,14).  He very modestly refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Looking at his Gospel there are key words that are used over and over again that characterize his life and work.  ‘Truth’ is used 45 times pointing out his great work to give the truth about Jesus
that all might believe. ‘Love’ is used more than 80 times emphasizing what was at the heart of our Lord’s words and actions. ‘Witness’ is used nearly 70 times pointing up how what Jesus said and did had a purpose, that we might witness to Him.

While John’s brother James was the first to die, John was the last of the apostles to die. Shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 by the Romans John moved to Ephesus. While there, by order of the Roman Emperor Domitian, John was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he received the Revelation from the Lord. When he was released from exile, he returned to Ephesus and lived until the time of Emperor Trajan. It is said that John,
“Founded and built churches throughout all Asia(Minor), and worn out by old age, died in the 68th year after our Lord’s passion and was buried near the same city(Ephesus).”

A church tradition says that when John was evidently an old man, he had to be carried to the church. At these meetings, he was accustomed to say no more than, “Little children, love one another!” He was asked, “Master, why do you always say this?” “It is the Lord’s command,” was his reply,”…it is enough.”

Peter
In the four lists of the twelve the first name in each list is Peter. He was the leader of the apostles. He is Simon Bar Jona which means son of John. Jesus gave him the name Cephas which is Aramaic and means rock. Peter is the Greek translation of the name. We know for sure that Peter had a wife and that she accompanied him at times. As with several others as a fisher, Jesus would make him a fisher of men.

One modern commentator says, “The four gospels are full of Peter. After the name of our Lord Himself, no name comes up so often as Peter’s name. No disciple speaks so often and so much as Peter. Our Lord speaks oftener to Peter than to any other of His disciples; sometimes in praise, sometimes in blame. No disciple is so pointedly reproved by our Lord as Peter, and no disciple ever ventures to reprove his Master but Peter. No other disciple
ever so boldly confessed and outspokenly acknowledged and encouraged our Lord as Peter repeatedly did, and no one ever intruded, and interfered, and tempted Him as repeatedly as Peter did.” Think of some of Peter’s questions and the answers our Lord gave: the tribute money (Mt. 17:24), the meaning of His parables (Lk. 12:41), the number of times forgiveness should be shown (Mt. 18:21), the reward to be given those who follow Jesus (Mt. 19:27).

There is much written about Peter in the first 12 chapters of Acts. We think at the beginning of Acts of his sermon on Pentecost. And in his two epistles we also see who Peter was and how he was a changed man from those earlier years of learning. One who denied His Lord was used by the Lord as such a leader.

After being imprisoned several times in Jerusalem because of his faith, Peter left with his wife and possibly others. Some believe that he ministered in Babylon to the Jewish colonist converts there. Eventually he went to Rome and while there, it is believed that Mark served as his translator as he preached. It is also believed that as Peter told and retold
his experiences with Jesus that Mark transcribed this into the Gospel of Mark.
According to tradition the Roman Emperor Nero, who publicly announced himself the chief enemy of God(and the Christians) was led to kill the Christians. During this persecution Peter was crucified upside down in 67.     Hermeneutics – Figures of Speech

We have looked at only 14 different figures of speech. There are more. Now why not take the test again and see how many you get right.   Test The first list is of the figures of speech. The second list is the definition of each. See if you can match them. In the third list we have one passage illustrating each. See if you can match the passage to the figure of speech.

1. Metaphor
2. Allegory
3. Parable
4. Simile
5. Personification
6. Hyperbole
7. Euphemism
8. Epizeuxis
9. Irony
10. Synechdoche
11. Metononmy
12. Allusion
13. Symbol
14. Type

1. 1. Words stand for other words
   2. A picture that reminds us of something
   3. Softening of a statement
   4. Comparison with the use of ‘is’
   5. A part is put for the whole
   6. An extended simile
   7. Repeating a word
   8. Censure or ridicule
   9. An extended metaphor
   10. A thing stands for a person
   11. Comparison with ‘like’ or ‘as’
   12. An overstatement
   13. An indirect reference
   14. A picture or pattern of something in the future

Ps. 16:9 “my heart rejoices” Jn. 15:5 “I am the vine” Jn. 2:19 “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” Mt. 23:24 “You blind guides, that strain out a gnat, but swallow a camel.” Jn. 3:8 “The wind blows where it wills” Lk. 4:43 “I must preach the good tidings of the kingdom of God to the other cities also” Mt. 23:37 “How often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…” Job 12:2 “wisdom will die with you” Is. 40:1 “Comfort, comfort you My people” Acts 7:60 “fell asleep” Mt. 13:31 “the kingdom of heaven is like” Gal. 4:21-31 “Hagar is Mt. Sinai” Heb. 7 “Melchisedec”                   Gen. 9:12-16  “the rainbow”

Pastor Koenig