Monthly Archives: July 2013

God Inside You

Bible Study, ,

GOD INSIDE YOU

“Now it happened that while Apollos was away in Corinth, Paul made his way through the mountains, came to Ephesus and happened on some disciples there. The first thing he said was, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace Him with your heart? Did He get inside you?'” Acts 19:1-2 (The Message).

First of all, it’s possible that these disciples were not part of the mainstream church in Ephesus. Paul had spent time there and would no doubt have thoroughly taught the believers the practicalities of their faith, including the person and work of the Holy Spirit. These people might have been the fruit of Apollos’ ministry or an isolated group who had been influenced by other believers in Ephesus but had not yet heard the whole story.

When Paul encountered them, the first question he asked was very significant. If they were unaware of the Holy Spirit’s existence and work in them, they would have lacked an awareness of God’s presence, which was basic to their experience of being “in Christ” and “Christ in them”. As recent converts from paganism, the idea of “God inside them” would have been completely foreign.

Paul did not want them to have the wrong idea that they had simply changed religions. This was not about mental assent to a new belief system. This was about something as radical as relocation into a new dimension of living in which Jesus ruled in the core of their beings through His personal representative, the Holy Spirit.

It was vital that they understood that they were “under new management”, and that they acknowledged and became increasingly aware of His presence in them so that they would recognise and respond to His voice. What was the point of a new religion? That would simply be exchanging one lie for another. To believe that Jesus is who He said He is meant a change of master, a transformation of character and disposition, and a new destiny and destination.

Why is it, then, that the Holy Spirit has become such a contentious and divisive issue in the church? Is this another one of Satan’s ploys to divide the church, and to cloud the truth with such irrelevancies that the most important thing is forgotten? Without the Holy Spirit’s inward, intimate work in us, we can only give mental assent to Jesus, and He becomes just another religious figure among many.

The Holy Spirit, according to Jesus, is the key to knowing Him. “‘…I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth'” John 14:16 (NIV).

“‘All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.'” John 14:25-26 (NIV).

“‘I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking what is mine and making it known to you.'” John 16:12-14 (NIV).

Could Jesus have said it more plainly? Is the church not full of immature believers because Christian leaders have failed to do what Paul did — introduce them to the Holy Spirit? Instead of quarrelling about the “doctrine” of the Holy Spirit, how much better it would be for us to get to know Him personally and, by so doing, get to know Jesus!

The Holy Spirit is not some “thing” that we can divide up and choose what we like about Him and ignore or reject what we don’t like. He is God, the third Person of the Trinity who indwells us in the fullness of His person. When we acknowledge Him, it is His divine right to choose what He does with us, and He will always do good because He is God.

Stop The Rot

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STOP THE ROT

“When Apollos decided to go on to the Achaia province, his Ephesian friends gave their blessing and wrote a letter of recommendation for him, urging the disciples there to welcome him with open arms. The welcome paid off: Apollos turned out to be a great help to those who had become believers through God’s immense generosity. He was particularly effective in public debate with the Jews as he brought out proof after convincing proof from the Scriptures that Jesus was in fact God’s Messiah.” Acts 18:27-28 (The Message).

What did Paul think of Apollos? It seems that they crossed paths between Ephesus and Corinth. Apollos was not a pioneer like Paul. He was a back-up to Paul’s ministry, using his profound knowledge of the Scriptures and his gift of oratory and debate to put the case to the Jews skilfully that Jesus was the fulfilment of the prophetic fingerprint of Messiah. He was also a gift to the churches, strengthening the believers in their knowledge of the Scriptures.

There are little hints that Apollos’ understanding of the gospel was not as in depth and complete as Paul’s was. It was Priscilla and Aquila who had to enlighten him regarding the meaning of John’s baptism and believer’s baptism. Apollos was an Alexandrian Jew, not in the thick of the events that had happened in Jerusalem and Judea. He would have been out of range of the teaching and influence of the apostles and the church in Jerusalem.

As a diligent student of the Scriptures, he must have greatly enhanced his understanding of Jesus as Messiah by probing the prophecies for himself but the more intimate details of Jesus’ life and teaching had not yet been recorded by the gospel writers for the benefit of the leaders of the church. Unlike Paul, he had not spent three years in the desert “Bible School” of the Holy Spirit, receiving revelation that would be taught, circulated and preserved for succeeding generations.

Some Bible scholars believe that Apollos was the anonymous author of the book of Hebrews. It bears the stamp of one who thoroughly understood the Jewish religious system, the current Jewish beliefs and the life and ministry of Jesus as the perfect fulfilment of all the types and shadows of the Old Testament. The writer also realised and warned of the danger of going back into Judaism as a way of escaping persecution from the Roman government.

If Apollos was the author of Hebrews, it shows us just how important a figure he was, although he appeared only briefly on the pages of Acts, and gives us insight into the depth of his understanding of the Jewish religion and his skill in arguing for the fulfilment of Messianic prophecy in Jesus.

Perhaps Apollos’ ministry in Ephesus helped Paul to realise that he was not alone in his care of the churches. He had appointed overseers in each local body to shepherd the believers, but he still had overall responsibility to ensure that no error crept into their teaching and no remnants of behaviour that came from their old lives marred their witness and infected their fellowship.

To have a man like Apollos resident and working in the church in Ephesus was an extension of Paul’s own work, especially since the church leaders so warmly recommended him when he decided to move on to Corinth, and must have been of great encouragement to Paul. A lesser person might have seen Apollos as a threat or a rival but not Paul. He trusted his ministry and urged his young protégée, Titus, to support him in every way he could (Titus 3:13).

How great it is when spiritual leaders recognise others as partners, not rivals! It takes one secure in one’s own calling not to be threatened by the ministry of others. It is a sad day when Christian ministers want to reign supreme, as though the church and the ministry were theirs, and not Christ’s. Nothing destroys the unity of the Body of Christ more effectively than competition, and the rot starts at the top.

Dumbstruck

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DUMBSTRUCK

“Zachariah said to the angel, ‘Do you expect me to believe this? I am an old man and my wife is an old woman.’

“But the angel said, ‘I am Gabriel, the sentinel of God, sent especially to bring you this glad news. But because you won’t believe me, you’ll be unable to say a word until the day of your son’s birth. Every word I’ve spoken to you will come true on time — God’s time.'” Luke 1:18-20 (The Message).

Does old age dim one’s confidence in a good God, or had Zachariah become so sceptical that not even a high-ranking angel’s appearance could convince him that God was actually communicating with him?

Imagine speaking to an angel like that! Surely the presence of an angelic being so awesome that Zachariah was paralysed with fear, would have convinced him that this was no joke, especially after Gabriel had given him details about his son’s nature and upbringing

Gabriel was God’s messenger, particularly assigned to carry messages regarding the coming of Messiah. It was he who visited Mary six months later to announce that she was to be the earthly mother of the Messiah.

Why did Zachariah respond with such scepticism? There are probably many reasons. His longing, together with his wife, Elizabeth’s, had died as old age took away any hope of their having a child, and with it their confidence that God would finally answer their prayers, regardless of their physical impotence to bear a child.

The angel came so unexpectedly and pounced on him so suddenly that his elderly brain had no time to process this surprise. All he could think of was the state of his body and the body of his wife. He was so much like us. We tend to look at the impossibilities rather than God’s promises, and draw our conclusions from what we can see rather than what God said.

Israel reacted in the same way when they were confronted with the prospect of entering and conquering a land that was full of giants and had fortified cities to overcome. They did not reckon on God’s promise, made to Abraham centuries before, and the power of God to override natural difficulties with supernatural intervention.

Zachariah’s unbelief came with a price. God would not let him off for mistrusting His Word. Zachariah was not only emotionally dumbstruck by the angel’s appearance; he would also be literally dumbstruck for the nine months of his wife’s pregnancy. This would present him with some unusual difficulties including the neighbours’ idea that being dumb meant that he was also deaf! (Luke 1:62).

Fortunately Zachariah’s handicap only lasted until the birth of his son. Perhaps it was in the mercy of God that He shut his mouth so that he could utter no more words of unbelief until the promise of God was fulfilled.

How often do we not put God’s promises on hold, or even cancel them by our confession of unbelief because we are more impressed by what we can see and hear than what God has said in His Word. We might learn a lesson from this reluctant priest who robbed himself of speech until the Word of the Lord proved him a liar.

A Strategic Encounter

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A STRATEGIC ENCOUNTER

“After spending a considerable time with the Antioch Christians, Paul set off again for Galatia and Phrygia, retracing his old tracks, one town after another, putting fresh heart into the disciples.

“A man named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was a Jew, born in Alexandria, Egypt, and a terrific speaker, eloquent and powerful in his preaching of the Scriptures. He was well-educated in the way of the Master and fiery in his enthusiasm. Apollos was accurate in everything he taught about Jesus up to a point, but only went as far as the baptism of John. He preached with power in the meeting place. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and told him the rest of the story.” Acts 18:23-26 (The Message).

How clever of God to set Priscilla and Aquila up for their encounter with Apollos in Ephesus! They had accompanied Paul on his return journey from Corinth to Antioch but remained in Ephesus while he continued on his journey home. No explanation was given, but God knew that there was to be a meeting with Apollos in Ephesus.

What a treasure Apollos turned out to be! How he came to be a believer from Alexandria is not recorded either. No doubt believers moved about in the empire, taking the message of Messiah wherever they went. Apollos was well trained in the Old Testament Scriptures and a native of Alexandria, a port city in Egypt where he would have grown up in a cosmopolitan culture, meeting people from all over the empire as they brought their goods to trade.

An introduction to the Messiah put a match to the Word, and Apollos was alight with the truth and comfortable in the company of Jew and Gentile alike. His passion and enthusiasm to spread the message took him to Ephesus where he “accidentally” ran into Priscilla and Aquila. They had been in Paul’s company long enough to have an accurate understanding of the gospel. Who better to take him under their wing and bring him up to speed with the things of the Lord?

Apollos was humble enough to be taught by these two “lay” people, sharpening his knowledge and skill as a preacher which he used to great effect in the synagogue in Ephesus, The fact that he was also, like Paul, a Jew who had recognised that Jesus was their Messiah, must have enhanced Paul’s credibility among the Ephesian Jews.

Why was it so important that Apollos be corrected regarding the baptism of John? After all, baptism is baptism, isn’t it? Does it matter into whose name it is done?

Yes, it matters a whole lot because baptism was an initiation into an office or movement, identifying the baptismal candidate with the leader of the movement and what he stood for and practised. John’s ministry was a preparation and introduction to Jesus as Messiah. His baptism was an initiation into and identification with him in what he was preaching. It was a baptism of repentance, preparing his hearers to receive the kingdom of God which Jesus had come to usher in.

The baptism of Jesus was an initiation into and identification with Him and His completed work of atonement for sin and reconciliation with the Father. To be baptised into Jesus meant being identified with the three-in-one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit in what they had done to restore God’s rule in the people’s hearts.

Once Apollos had got that right, he became a fully-equipped and powerful ally of the apostles and the church, using his gift to bring encouragement to the church and enlightenment to his fellow Jews who, in the main, had rejected the gospel and become enemies of God.

Round Two

Christian Life, , ,

ROUND TWO

“Paul stayed a while in Corinth, but then it was time to take leave of his friends. Saying his goodbyes, he sailed for Syria, Priscilla and Aquila with him. Before boarding the ship in the harbour town of Cenchrea, he had his head shaved as part of a vow he had taken.

“They landed at Ephesus, where Priscilla and Aquila got off and stayed. Paul left the ship briefly to go to the meeting place and preach to the Jews. They wanted him to stay longer but he said he couldn’t. But after saying good bye, he promised, ‘I’ll be back, God willing.’

“From Ephesus he sailed to Caesarea. He greeted the assembly of Christians there, and then went on to Antioch, completing the journey.” Acts 18:18-22 (The Message).

Round two completed, and what an eventful journey it had been! As usual, Paul returned to home base at Antioch to report back to his home church the results of his second journey.

During round one he had been dogged by Jewish persecution and round two had been no different. In fact, the opposition had intensified so much that there were times that he had to flee for his life…but he never gave up. He simply went on. He was beaten almost to death by Gentiles at Lystra on his first journey and miraculously raised up to continue his commission.

The second time around, he had pushed on into Europe and encountered bitter opposition at Philippi. This time it was Roman government officials who were influenced by a street gang, roused by angry Jews, who failed to give Paul and Silas a fair hearing, who had them beaten and thrown into jail. Another miracle rescued them and they continued on through Thessalonica, Berea and Athens to Corinth, the most notoriously wicked city in Europe.

It was time to go home, take a break and regain strength to push on again. Paul’s goal was Rome, the heart and pulse of the empire. What a joy it must have been for him, on his return journey to Antioch, to renew ties with groups of believers all along the route he had travelled years before where the gospel had not yet been heard. The whole of Asia Minor and Greece were peppered with churches he had started and left to influence the surrounding areas with the light of God’s kingdom.

It might have been a temptation to Paul to retire in Antioch where he was known and relatively safe, and settle down to a few years of pastoring the home church before he went to be with the Lord. Not Paul! He had been commissioned to go to the nations, and to the nations he would go until his Master instructed him otherwise.

By this time Paul was both seasoned believer and veteran missionary. Retirement was not on his agenda because he was at his most useful and fruitful. There lay ahead for him more suffering, more imprisonment, more experience of God’s love and grace to share with those who were far behind him on their journey. Without those years of experience, we would not have the rich treasures of wisdom he shared through his letters.

In today’s world too many times the elderly are brushed aside and pushed into the backwaters of society because they have outlived their usefulness. With the wealth of life lessons locked up inside them, they are often treated as ignorant and irrelevant. They may not have the technological skills of the younger generation, but many of them have the benefits of a long journey with Jesus.

Fortunately, God has another opinion and agenda for those in the category of “elderly”. Their retirement home is not an earthly one. As long as they have breath, they remain part of the army of souls who live to bear witness to Him.

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the Lord,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright;
He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him.'”
Psalm 92:12-15 (NIV)