2. Jesus Christ Spirituality

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Note: It is strongly suggested that you  print off  a complete section for reading through at a  later date than trying to read the content of this website directly off the computer screen.

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So what is understood then by “A Spirituality from Jesus Christ”?

Index to this section:

  • A Biblical Spirituality

  • The Roman Empire

  • The Christian Church Sequence

  • Back to the Future

  • The Historical Influence of Jesus Christ

  • The Newly Emerging Church

A Biblical Spirituality: an Overview of a spirituality from Jesus Christ

A Christian Spirituality is based on what God has revealed through His son Jesus Christ and His Word the Bible. It is based on an everlasting covenant that God initiated when He created man in the beginning. This covenant exemplifies God’s unconditional love for us, His grace and His mercy towards us through the death and resurrection of His son Jesus Christ. He has made a way for us to be accepted for who we are and not what we have done. The essence of a Spirituality from Jesus Christ is God coming to us in the human form of Jesus Christ. It isn’t about making us so we can find God or Jesus Christ being another spiritual prophet leading us to God. God wants us to be with Him forever ….. He is passionate about us ….. He comes to us.

A Spirituality from Jesus Christ results from a Biblical Spirituality which begins with the Bible. There is a truth concerning God and the whole of life. It was a ‘True Truth’ communicated by God who sees the whole Cosmos as the large picture plus you and me as part of the detailed small picture. Seeing God is the Creator of all things, God knows the final truth. This truth was communicated by prophets and seers over many years and finally in person in Jesus of Nazareth who was God Himself in human form. These truths were collated in the Bible which consists of sixty six books written by people who didn’t often know each other over 1500 years ++, yet whose writing manifests an amazing unity. In this unity there is even a mathematical sequence which flows from beginning to the end.

The books of the Bible are divided into two sections: The Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is the story the nation of Israel which predicts the coming of the Messiah. The Messiah came in the person of Jesus of the New Testament as the New Israel. There are some striking parallels like an intricate Biblical clockwork within the bigger Biblical clockwork. This gives us even great confidence in the Word of God as the Word for the Old and New Testament.

The Covenant …..  a Biblical Overview: In the Old Covenant of the Old Testament is the New Concealed and in the New Covenant in the New Testament is the Old Revealed … Jeremiah 31: 31 “The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.

See the Blog Site on Christianity Spirituality which discusses this theme in more detail through words and photographs.

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THE FOCUS OF JESUS:

The focus of Jesus was on an internal, invisible change of heart and not on an external, visible keeping of certain standards and religious laws. The life He presented was an internal one which flowed out to have external, visible actions ….. especially on how we treated other people. Life is an ‘Inside – Out’ approach and not an ‘Outside – In’ approach. He wanted people to understand that external appearances do not define us as individuals but it is our character.

Jesus’s view of people was radically different to his religious counterparts. His religious counterparts had people graded into a hierarchy of those who within their religious framework of acceptability …. who kept close adherence to the teachings, standards and religious laws that they subscribed to. The organisation  was more  important than the individual.

Jesus didn’t start an organisation but developed relationships with a small core of people. These then multiplied around the then known world into small committed fellowships or house churches. In the New Testament Greek of the New Testament, ‘Church’ is translated from the word ‘ekklesia’ which is simply a gathering or community of relationships who gave value to one another.

Jesus had a very Hebrew view of life which was very wholistic whereby all aspects of life had value to God. There were two parts to the world:

  • An invisible Spiritual Realm

  • A very visible Created realm

It was a very unified worldview.

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SOME FACTS ABOUT JESUS CHRIST:

  • Jesus Christ came along 2000 years ago as a son of Galilean carpenter
  • Galilee was a very lowly backwater
  • He taught only 3 and ½ years as he didn’t start His ministry  till thirty years of age
  • He had twelve unlearned disciples, a very motley bunch …. Two of whom were called the son’s of thunder …. . in fact they were ALL at each others throats
  • One became the treasurer of Jesus’s group and used to thieve money for himself from the common purse and finally sold Jesus to the Jewish leaders for 30 pieces of silver
  • One was very brash and self confident who denied him three times at the end.  It wasn’t a very promising group of men to start a revolution with
  • Jesus never wrote anything down except for a moment of writing a short message in the sand when the woman caught in adultery was brought to him by the Pharisees …. the message was blown away by the next strong wind … not a very permanent record of His teachings
  • He came into a culture that was dominated by the Roman Empire …. a very oppressive regime
  • The culture largely consisted of unlearned peasants and  the Roman  conquerors
  • You either walked everywhere, rode a donkey or horseback or went by sailing ship across the sea if you wanted to get to another country
  • There were no telephones, newspapers, computers, internet, websites or e-mails
  • Jesus was totally concerned with the politics of the heart …. the inner person not the outer person and external issues. He was neither left or right in his politics but very much of the centre. He was seen as the Messiah Jesus. One of the followers of the Messiah Jesus wrote: “ …….. when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth (John’s Gospel Chapt. 4 vs. 23, 24).

“ Before He left us, He prayed for you and I in: John 17:20 ‘Neither, pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe, on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

‘I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them’

In Jesus’s prayer there are only two kinds of people: those for Him and those against Him. A few points in Jesus’s prayer:

  • That they all may be one: There is only one group …. His followers called from the world ….. not many different followers of all different churches or spiritualities ….. followers of Him alone as the Lord Jesus Christ
  • As thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: the degree of togetherness was to be the same degree that Jesus was with His Father = the standard
  • That the world may believe that thou hast sent me: Our degree of unity would result in the world believing in Jesus Christ.

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JESUS’S BASIC TEACHING: The Kingdom of God as a Third Alternative:

Jesus Christ came along 2000 years ago into a very Jewish culture. The Jewish Church in Jesus’s day had everything in a very tight theological and ritualistic box as what was acceptable belief and practice. Anyone in this box was in the Family of God. Anyone not in this box was not in the Family of God. These people had precise beliefs and rituals as to what was acceptable and what was unacceptable. The Christian Church today as a whole is very similar. Jesus Christ came along and preached something that was very different. He preached on a third alternative …. The Kingdom of God.

…. The Teaching of the Kingdom of God was an absurd notion against all the might of the Roman Empire ….

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Jesus set out a basic ground of verbal teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:17- 42), for His new Kingdom Order where he taught His disciples principles like: Message Bible: Luke 6:17- 42:

You’re Blessed 17 -21 Coming down off the mountain with them, he stood on a plain surrounded by disciples, and was soon joined by a huge congregation from all over Judea and Jerusalem, even from the seaside towns of Tyre and Sidon. They had come both to hear him and to be cured of their ailments. Those disturbed by evil spirits were healed. Everyone was trying to touch him—so much energy surging from him, so many people healed! Then he spoke:

  • You’re blessed when you’ve lost it all.
  • God’s kingdom is there for the finding.
  • You’re blessed when you’re ravenously hungry.
  • Then you’re ready for the Messianic meal.
  • You’re blessed when the tears flow freely.
  • Joy comes with the morning.

22 -23 “Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me.

What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like! … for even though they don’t like it, I do and all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this.

Give Away Your Life

24 But it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made. What you have is all you’ll ever get.

25 And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself. Your self will not satisfy you for long. And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games. There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it.

26 “There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.

27 – 30 “To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

31 – 34 “Here is a simple rule of thumb for behaviour: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.

35 -36 “I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.

37 – 38 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”

39 – 40 He quoted a proverb: “‘Can a blind man guide a blind man?’ Wouldn’t they both end up in the ditch? An apprentice doesn’t lecture the master. The point is to be careful who you follow as your teacher.

41 – 42 “It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbour’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you, ‘ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this I-know-better-than-you mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your own part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbour.

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SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS:

  • The focus of Jesus was on an internal, invisible change of heart and not on an external, visible keeping of certain standards and religious laws.
  • The life He presented was an internal one which flowed out to have external, visible actions ….. especially on how we treated other people. Life is an ‘Inside – Out’ approach and not an ‘Outside – In’ approach …. It starts with us being better people on the inside.
  • His whole primary focus was people as one humanity (not by race or gender), not ideas or religious teachings as with the Jewish Religious people of His day.
  • Jesus’s view of people was radically different to his religious contemporaries. His religious counterparts had people graded into a hierarchy of those who within their religious framework of acceptability who kept close adherence to the teachings, standards and religious laws that they subscribed to. This went way beyond the teaching of the Old Testament.
  • He was calling for a new order of living that was countercultural to the prevailing culture of the day. There was a separation between the cultural concern for prosperity, position and power
  • Jesus’s new order was countercultural as to how to treat people:

Count yourself blessed every time:

1. someone cuts you down or throws you out

2. when the tears flow freely

3. when you’re ravenously hungry ie. starving for food

Give Away Your Life. Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. Give without expecting a return. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.

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THE RADICAL NATURE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD:

The teaching of the Kingdom of God did not possess strong qualities to take over the world …… but when applied by Jesus followers, actually worked and turned the world upside down when outworked with the preaching of the Good News of His new Kingdom.

The Kingdom of God focus applies in the here and now!! and not when we die or Jesus comes again. That teaching was an absurd notion against all the might of the Roman Empire. The meaning of this Kingdom of God was summarised finally in the Roman cross on which Jesus was crucified at the age of 33 and ½ years ….. for someone who only lived this very short life. The cross had two members: a strong vertical member symbolised the link between God and us and a horizontal member which symbolised us with everyone else linked together.

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JESUS CHRIST’S RESURRECTION

The culmination of Jesus’s life was His final death through crucifixion on a Roman Cross and His Resurrection after three days. Tom Wright is one who writes and speaks very clearly on these themes at: http://www.ntwrightpage.com In one of his many articles, he writes one called: ‘The Church must stop trivialising Easter:

Christians must keep their nerve: the Resurrection isn’t a metaphor, it’s a physical fact’

Private Eye ran a cartoon some years ago of St. Peter standing in front of Jesus’s Cross and saying to the other Disciples: “It’s time to put this behind us now and move on.” It was a satire not on Christian belief, but on politicians and counsellors, and their trivialising mantras. It depended on Jesus’s death being not just an odd, forgettable event – and that it was His Resurrection, rather than a shoulder- shrugging desire to “move on”, that got the early Christians going.

Easter was the pilot project. What God did for Jesus that explosive morning is what He intends to do for the whole creation. We who live in the interval between Jesus’s Resurrection and the final rescue and transformation of the whole world are called to be new-creation people here and now. That is the hidden meaning of the greatest festival Christians have.

This true meaning has remained hidden because the Church has trivialised it and the world has rubbished it. The Church has turned Jesus’s Resurrection into a “happy ending” after the dark and messy story of Good Friday, often scaling it down so that “resurrection” becomes a fancy way of saying “He went to Heaven”. Easter then means: “There really is life after death”. The world shrugs its shoulders. We may or may not believe in life after death, but we reach that conclusion independently of Jesus, of odd stories about risen bodies and empty tombs.

But “resurrection” to 1st-century Jews wasn’t about “going to Heaven”: it was about the physically dead being physically alive again. Some Jews (not all) believed that God would do this for all people in the end. Nobody, including Jesus’s followers, was expecting one person to be bodily raised from the dead in the middle of history. The stories of the Resurrection are certainly not “wish-fulfilments” or the result of what dodgy social science calls “cognitive dissonance”. First-century Jews who followed would-be messiahs knew that if your leader got killed by the authorities, it meant you had backed the wrong man. You then had a choice: give up the revolution or get yourself a new leader. Going around saying that he’d been raised from the dead wasn’t an option.

Unless he had been. Jesus of Nazareth was certainly dead by the Friday evening; Roman soldiers were professional killers and wouldn’t have allowed a not-quite-dead rebel leader to stay that way for long. When the first Christians told the story of what happened next, they were not saying: “I think he’s still with us in a spiritual sense” or “I think he’s gone to heaven”. All these have been suggested by people who have lost their historical and theological nerve.

The historian must explain why Christianity got going in the first place, why it hailed Jesus as Messiah despite His execution (He hadn’t defeated the pagans, or rebuilt the Temple, or brought justice and peace to the world, all of which a Messiah should have done), and why the early Christian movement took the shape that it did. The only explanation that will fit the evidence is the one the early Christians insisted upon – He really had been raised from the dead. His body was not just reanimated. It was transformed, so that it was no longer subject to sickness and death.

Let’s be clear: the stories are not about someone coming back into the present mode of life. They are about someone going on into a new sort of existence, still emphatically bodily, if anything, more so. When St. Paul speaks of a “spiritual” resurrection body, he doesn’t mean “non-material”, like a ghost. “Spiritual” is the sort of Greek word that tells you, not what something is made of, but what is animating it. The risen Jesus had a physical body animated by God’s life-giving Spirit. Yes, says St. Paul, that same Spirit is at work in us, and will have the same effect – and in the whole world.

Now, suddenly, the real meaning of Easter comes into view, as well as the real reason why it has been trivialised and sidelined. Easter is about a new creation that has already begun. God is remaking His world, challenging all the other powers that think that is their job. The rich, wise order of creation and its glorious, abundant beauty are reaffirmed on the other side of the thing that always threatens justice and beauty – death. Christianity’s critics have always sneered that nothing has changed. But everything has. The world is a different place.

Easter has been sidelined because this message doesn’t fit our prevailing world view. For at least 200 years the West has lived on the dream that we can bring justice and beauty to the world all by ourselves.

The split between God and the “real” world has produced a public life that lurches between anarchy and tyranny, and an aesthetic that swings dramatically between sentimentalism and brutalism. But we still want to do things our own way, even though we laugh at politicians who claim to be saving the world, and artists who claim “inspiration” when they put cows in formaldehyde.

The world wants to hush up the real meaning of Easter. Death is the final weapon of the tyrant or, for that matter, the anarchist, and resurrection indicates that this weapon doesn’t have the last word. When the Church begins to work with Easter energy on the twin tasks of justice and beauty, we may find that it can face down the sneers of sceptics, and speak once more of Jesus in a way that will be heard.

The Apostle Paul his writings as in 1 Cor 15: 12 – 58 elaborates on the fact of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ being foundational to their whole experience of spirituality.

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EVIDENCES OF JESUS CHRIST’S RESURRECTION

  • “I claim to be an historian. My approach to Classics is historical. And I tell you that the evidence for the life, the death, and the resurrection of Christ is better authenticated than most of the facts of ancient history …” E. M. Blaiklock – Professor of Classics, Auckland University
  • The Resurrection of Christ is the most powerful event in history. It has affected the last 2000 years of history and politics, from peasants to kings to nations. Christianity has spread across the entire world, into every country and into a vast number of ethnic groups and languages. Billions of people have experienced the life-giving, healing, forgiveness and freedom offered by God because Jesus Christ conquered death and rose again from the grave.
  • The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Cor 15:12-22 that without the resurrection of Christ, the Christian faith is useless. “And if Christ be not raised,” Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
  • There are many skeptics who disregard the resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth as a fable. However, the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection is extremely strong, even to the point of converting some who sought to disprove it:
  • The Empty Tomb: Though well-trained Roman soldiers guarded the tomb of Jesus Christ, it was empty 3 days after Jesus’ death as Jesus had repeatedly foretold (Matt 12:40, Mark 8:31). The guards had fled (a death penalty offense). The massive stone had been rolled away, and the body was gone – and was never produced by the enemies of the Christians. The linen grave clothes in which the Jews bury their dead were still in the tomb, undisturbed. From the Jewish historian Josephus to a compilation of 5th-century Jewish writings called the “Toledoth Jeshu”, even Jewish sources and traditions admit that the tomb was empty. The body was never found.
  • Living Witnesses: There were a multitude of witnesses who saw Jesus Christ alive after his death. The disciples, the travellers on the road to Emmaus and a number of women all spoke to Jesus alive. Thomas doubted until he was able to put his fingers into Jesus’ wounds (John 20:26-27). He later spread the Gospel all the way to India. The apostle Paul tells of 500 people to whom Jesus appeared at one time, most of whom were still alive and available for questioning when Paul wrote his letter (1 Cor 15:6). When several people testify in a courtroom that they witnessed an event, and their accounts are found consistent with each other, their testimony is considered factual information. Jesus Christ was seen alive many times by hundreds of different people over the course of forty days after his death (John 20-21, Acts 1:3).
  • The Disciples: Christ’s followers, who had been fearful and who had run away when Jesus was arrested, were completely changed after the Resurrection and became courageous witnesses. Peter, who had denied knowing Christ when recognized by a simple servant girl, became the powerfully bold leader of those who had seen Christ alive, speaking to the thousands gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Shavuot – Pentecost. A person may die for a lie if they do not know it is a lie. But people do not give their lives up and face severe persecution to spread a lie they themselves invented. The fact that the disciples willingly suffered beatings and persecution and death is strong evidence that they had actually witnessed the resurrection they refused to stop telling people about.
  • Saul of Tarsus: A devoutly religious Pharisee, who persecuted the Church and had Christ’s followers thrown in prison, Paul had his life absolutely changed by his encounter with Christ. He became a devoted follower of Christ himself, spreading the Gospel throughout Turkey and Greece in the face of beatings and shipwrecks and imprisonment and, finally, execution.
  • “If the New Testament were a collection of secular writings, their authenticity would generally be regarded as beyond all doubt.” – F. F. Bruce, Manchester University
  • Skeptics Arguments Against the Resurrection:
  • The Hallucination Theory claims that the witnesses who met the resurrected Jesus were all “seeing things” – they were hallucinating. However, this goes against common sense as well as psychological principles. Five hundred people do not all hallucinate the same thing. Jesus appeared to many people at many different times. Also, the body was never produced.
  • The Swoon Theory argues that Jesus did not die – that he simply fainted from loss of blood and exhaustion. However, this also goes against common sense. The Romans were professionals who severely whipped Jesus, hung him on a cross, and then stabbed him in the side with a spear to make sure he was dead. He was in the grave for three days, wrapped head to foot in a burial cloth, without food or water or medical treatment. When he appeared to his disciples he was completely whole and healthy and his appearance inspired awe and worship that lasted throughout the rest of the disciples lives.
  • The Disciples Faked the Resurrection: Discouraged, fearful fishermen and former tax collectors, whose teacher had been viciously murdered, were in little position to take on a detachment of trained Roman soldiers guarding the tomb. They would have had to create a fantastic plan in order to fight off or bribe the professional soldiers, raid the tomb, unbind the grave clothes from Christ’s body, take the body away, and hide it where nobody would ever find it. The Roman soldiers faced death if they failed in their guard duty, and the disciples had little money for bribing anybody. Many people would have had to be involved in the conspiracy, and all those involved would not only have known the truth, but would know that they were risking meeting the same fate as their recently crucified leader. And what purpose could it possibly serve, if Jesus were dead? They would have had nothing to gain. Their leader was gone and they would have only faced persecution and death for their invented resurrection story.
  • And again, the disciples’ attitudes completely changed after the Resurrection and especially after Pentecost. They became bold and courageous in spreading their message, fearless of beatings or imprisonment. They never sought to fight Rome or to establish any position or kingdom or authority for themselves. They had nothing to gain, physically speaking. They simply went about the known world, telling their story in spite of persecution and suffering, poverty and ridicule. Their message quickly spread across the Middle East and Europe and even into Asia without any military conquest or political support involved – and in spite of strong opposition. Only belief and hope based in the reality of their experiences would have produced such dedication in the lives of Christ’s followers.
  • Perhaps the greatest evidence today of Christ’s resurrection is the work that he is still doing in the lives of every day people. In the name of Jesus, people are still being healed emotionally and physically and spiritually by the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Sinners are being freed from the burden and pain and shame of sin – sometimes immediately, sometimes after long years of steady work by the Holy Spirit in their lives. Hearts are being mended and lives are being turned around. The best evidence today is the faithful follower of Christ who can say, “He saved me, and I am not the person I used to be” just as the apostles testified 2000 years ago.

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JESUS AND ORGANISATION:

Jesus didn’t start an organisation but developed relationships with a small core of people. These then multiplied around the then known world into small committed fellowships or house churches. In the New Testament Greek of the New Testament, ‘Church’ is translated from the word ‘ekklesia’ which is simply a gathering or community of relationships. It had no religious connotations at all ….. it could even mean a political gathering. Jesus  himself said in Matthew 18:20 –“ For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

When you look at the nature of this community, it was not hierarchal but like a body with many varying members. Each member was there for the common good of the whole body. This idea is really developed by the Apostle Paul in later years as he set up communities who followed Jesus around the Mediterranean countries in his era. See his writings as in 1 Cor 12: 12 -31 as one example. Paul talks about each of having spiritual gifts which he likens to various members. Also see Eph 4: 16 where he talks further about the Body of Christ.

These communities of the Lord Jesus Christ (or the Church in one city alone), met in peoples homes. Paul helped organise them in a careful way so that they could continue in a capable manner when he went on to other cities. Then he would then write letters back to those communities to be read by the leaders of those communities initially, then read out to the communities when they assembled l together. The gospel first reached Europe around AD 49. See his letters to these people:

  • Rome A.D. 56

  • Corinth A.D. 56

  • Galatia A.D. 55 – 56 (a region in Asia Minor)

  • Ephesus A.D. 60, 61

  • Philippi A.D. 61

  • Thessalonica A.D. 50

  • Timothy in about A.D. 64 (first letter) and A.D. 55 – 66/67 (second letter)

  • Colossae A.D. 61

The Emperor Nero in A.D. 64, began to implement persecutions against Christians in the Roman Empire. Paul was arrested then and taken to Rome. He was confined to a dungeon and friends could only see him with difficulty. He is probably executed before Nero’s death in A.D. 68.

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THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH:

I was saying above that Jesus didn’t start an organisation but developed relationships with a small core of people. These then multiplied around the then known world into small committed fellowships or house churches. In the New Testament Greek of the New Testament, ‘Church’ is translated from the word ‘ekklesia’ which is simply a gathering or community of relationships.

Our understanding of the nature of the Church is very important as it has very profound practical applications in the rest of our lives. Paul talks about the nature of the Church in Eph 2: 19 – 22 where Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Church. The Church is built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets. We ourselves are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with anyone else in this community of the Church. We are an extended Christian family around the world …. all united together in the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.

We are here for this plan for the common good of others and not for ourselves. God originally created the world with this in mind:

  • God initially created the physical world to serve the interest of living things including human beings. Even plants were designed to serve the interests of other plants.
  • At the Fall of Creation, the Creator implemented a plan to restore the creation at His initiative through a coming Messiah.
  • This plan was implemented through the calling of the Hebrew nation. This nation was given symbolic rituals which were meant to point them forward to the coming Messiah.
  • The coming Messiah was Jesus Christ. In His three and a half years of ministry He spoke all the time about our relationship with other people. He set out a basic ground of verbal teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:17- 42), for His new Kingdom Order. See the Blog Site here where His disciples were taught in very significant ways. Jesus Christian died a horrible death on a Roman Empire cross for the common good of us who have been added into His Church in later years.
  • The nature of the Church is built on these same principles He taught 2,000 years ago.

For these communities (the Church) to continue in a capable manner, the Apostle Paul is very concerned for the welfare of these communities. He initially sets them up in a particular way so that the gospel (the good news of Jesus Christ) is central in all things.

In his letter to the Ephesians, he unveils the “mystery” of the church as no other epistle does. God’s “secret” intention is revealed:

  1. To form a body to express Christ’s fullness on Earth (Eph 1: 15 – 23)

  2. To do this by uniting one people – both Jew and Gentile, among whom God Himself dwells (Eph 2: 11 – 3:7)

  3. To equip, empower and mature this people to end that they extend Christ’s victory over evil (Eph 3: 10 – 20, 6:12 – 20)

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THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

To equip, empower and mature this people, the first followers of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem were told the wait in the city by Jesus Christ Himself.

“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which, He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:4,5).

Jesus emphasized the importance of being baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Joel in the Old Testament prophesied on the coming of the Holy Spirit when he said:

“And is shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on my menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out my Spirit in those days” (Joel 2:28-29).

NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT OF THIS PROPHECY:

“But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on my menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out my Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy” (Acts 2:16-18).

NEW TESTAMENT PROPHESY:

“John answered them, saying “I baptize with water, but there stands one among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.” These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” This is He of whom I say ‘After me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water. And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God” (John 1:26-34).

Verse 29, John refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world for salvation.

Verse 33, John refers to Jesus as the one that would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but /he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11).

“And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:7,8).

“John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16).

Jesus gave us the purpose for being baptized in the Holy Spirit.

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not for the purpose of cleansing from sin, but for the purpose of empowering for service.

The 120 met in the upper room for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, men and women. “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.” (Acts 1:14)

“Then the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).

Receiving the Holy Spirit upon conversion and being baptized in the Holy Spirit are two separate and distinct experiences. The disciples received the Holy Spirit on the day of Christ’s resurrection for the New Testament experience of salvation. At this moment the disciples passed from Old Testament salvation to New Testament Salvation.

“So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:21,22)

Fifty days later they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the upper room. Jews then came to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost, heard the 120 speaking, declaring the wonders of God in their own national languages. Others could not understand them and said they were drunk.

“But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy” (Acts 2:14-18).

“Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38,39).

So after repenting and receiving Christ as Saviour, you are eligible to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Peter denied Christ three times before receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, but on the day of Pentecost he had power and boldness to preach to the multitudes and 3000 were born again.  Philip, one of the early deacons, went down to Samaria and had a city-wide revival.  People were healed and demons were cast out. People received Christ as Saviour and were baptized in water.

“But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.

Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

When Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! “You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God” (Acts 8:12-21).

So here again, we see that receiving the Holy Spirit upon conversion and being baptized in the Holy Spirit are two separate and distinct experiences. The Speaking in tongues is inferred because Simon saw something and offered money.

We have Paul receiving Jesus on the road to Damascus. He often referred to the Damascus Road experience as his conversion experience. However, he did not receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit until three days later when Ananias laid hands on him.

“And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:17).

Nothing is mentioned about Paul speaking in tongues here, but in 1 Corinthians 14:18 Paul says “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all.”

Ten years after Pentecost, we find Cornelius, a Gentile military man, had an angelic visitation and was told to send servants to Peter so that he could come and share with him the plan of salvation. Jews were forbidden to associate with Gentiles; so God had to deal with Peter with visions from heaven.  After this, the servant came to his door. The Holy Spirit told Peter to go with them, because they had been sent by the Holy Spirit. Cornelius invited his relatives and friends to hear Peter preach on the plan of salvation.

“The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ He is Lord of all that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree.

Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.”  (Acts 10:36-48).

The household of Cornelius received Christ as Saviour and the baptism in the Holy Spirit immediately after being born again. We find in verse 46 that they spoke in tongues and magnified God. This got Peter in trouble. He was admonished by the Jews in Jerusalem, and Peter had to explain why he went.

“Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, ‘who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’  If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God? When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life” (Acts 11:12-18).

About 20 Years after Pentecost, Paul went to Ephesus.

“And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all” (Acts 19:1-7).

It would have been pointless for Paul to ask, “Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?”, if believers automatically receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit when they believe on Jesus as Saviour. When Paul laid hands on them, they spoke in tongues and prophesied. We see from scripture that every time someone was baptized in the Holy Spirit, they received their prayer language to praise God. It is entirely different from the gift of tongues in a church service that is to be interpreted.

Read more on the Holy Spirit at this website.

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SPIRITUAL GIFTS:

We are called to serve one and other through our different spiritual gifts. Paul talks about each of having spiritual gifts which he likens to various members of the body. Paul in Eph 4: 7- 16 talks about Jesus Christ about five gifts being given to the Church for the equipping of the members for the work of ministry and for the edifying of those members. Those gifts are: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.

In 1 Corinthians 12: 1 – 11 Paul talks to the church in Corinth about a unity in spiritual gifts. He says:

‘Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.’

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues ? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way. (Zondervan version)

The Spiritual Giftings God Builds into People ….. to read and reflect on a wonderful study on Spiritual Giftings, download these files by Pastor Rick Aitken, my brother. He lives at Culburra on the coast opposite Nowra in southern NSW, Australia. He is a doctor down there and a pastor of a small church (http://www.truehavenchurch.org.au/) of 80 ++ people in Culburra itself. This is through the Apostolic Church. See his writings at the Resources section of the website:

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These are some articles written by Pastor Rick Aitken.

Just click the link to open.

Becoming A Christian (pdf)

About The Apostolic Church (pdf)

A Man’s Life Consists Of (pdf)

Dealing With Anger & Unforgiveness

Healing The Wounded Spirit (pdf)

Spiritual Giftings (pdf)

Managing Prophetic Messages (pdf)

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Becoming  a  Follower  of the Lord Jesus Christ:

If you are reading this and are not a true Christian, you are in a very sad position of hopelessness. That can all be changed right now if you will surrender your life to the Lord Jesus. He will accept you and give you a heart that is true. You can have peace in the time of trouble and shelter in the time of spiritual storm. Call upon the Saviour now while there is still time!

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THE CHANGE FROM CHURCH AS A  COMMUNITY TO THE CHURCH AS A CORPORATION:

The present Christian is caught between the historical legacy of two alternatives, that of the early Christian Church and the influence of later centuries. There is a tension between Church as relationships and Church as a rigid organisation. The first leads to a warm, open and communal approach but not necessarily with organisational direction. The second leads to a more corporate approach, more formal but not so communal. It is Christ-ianity as God’s Community with Spirituality versus Church-ianity as Religion or God’s Corporation. The initial Hebrew view of life was very wholistic whereby all aspects of life were unified and were very important to God. The Corporation view became very dualistic with a split between the spiritual dimension and the physical dimension.

Read more fully about this in the left-hand side website page under:  The Christian Church Sequence

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A Man Who Exemplifies The Above Description in Contemporary Culture

Read the awesome book: ‘Heavenly Man, The’ by Hattaway Paul, Brother Yun.

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Publisher Descriptions

The true story of how God took a young, half-starved boy from a poor village in Henan Province, China, and  used him to preach the gospel despite  intense persecution.

[Publisher]

The Heavenly Man is the intensely dramatic story of how  God took a young, half-starved boy from a poor village in  Henan Province and used him mightily to preach the gospel despite horrific opposition.  Brother Yun is  one of China’s house church leaders, a man who despite his relative youth has suffered prolonged torture and imprisonment for his faith. His account challenges any complacency about the situation in China, where international economic investment ignores the brutal fact that religious  persecution is still a daily reality for millions. Instead of focusing on the many  miracles or experiences of suffering, however, Yun prefers to emphasize the character and beauty of Jesus. This astonishing book will form a watershed in your spiritual life.

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The story of Brother Yun adds a very personal note to what Dr. Paul Jenkins says in CBN News:

“Then there is China. There are about 80 million Christians in China, according to former Time Magazine Correspondent David Aikman, who predicts China will be a Christianized nation in 20 to 30 years. He does not predict a Christian majority, but a China that is 25 to 30 percent Christian. Enough, he says, to change society and government. “If you have a Christianized China, the leadership of China would reflect a Christian worldview to some degree,” Aikman said. “A China that’s Christianized would not be a threat to the United States.”

And Aikman says the Chinese church leaders have a burden to take the gospel the rest of the way across the globe, to the Muslims. “It’s part of a sense that they call ‘back to Jerusalem,” Aikman said. “They believe that just as the gospel originally came out of Jerusalem and went to the West and to North America and Europe and came to China, now the Chinese need to bring it back to Jerusalem, not in the sense of evangelizing the Jewish, but in the sense of completing the circle so that the gospel message is available to everybody in the world.”

Imagine Chinese reaching the Muslims, Koreans evangelizing Indians, Africans taking the gospel back to a largely godless Europe. African Matthew Ashimolowo is the pastor of the fastest growing church in England. “God is sending people who used to receive missionaries to now be missionaries around the world,” Ashimolowo said. Kenyan Bishop Gilbert Dya has one of the largest churches in London. “I am in this country, believing that God sent me here in Great Britain to make a voice on His behalf to let them know that they need to repent and come back to God,” he said.

Also look at these websites on Brother Yun.

Brother Yun shares in his book ‘The Heavenly Man’ some of these  life experiences:

  • How he and his wife (Deling) became Christians and passionate followers of Jesus Christ in China in the mid 1970’s

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The Final Consummation of All Things:

In Rev 21:1 – 8 the Apostle John talks about a new heaven and new earth.

‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former thins are passed away.

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

He that overcometh shall inherit all thins; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.’

This restoration of the whole of Creation at the end of time would come about when Jesus Christ comes the second time. The promise of the restoration came about in the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the beginning. All His followers were meant to live on the Earth in the mean time as though that future world was already here …… beginning on the inside person to work outwards in practical applications.

This understanding inspired the Apostle Paul as he set up churches and wrote to those churches in his era. See 2 Cor 5:17: ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new’.

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BROCHURES:

Christianity, has the world’s first and best psychologist, sociologist, anthropologist and scientist, the Bible is a scientific study of social and political life using these scientific methods.

Christianity, has the best leader, teacher, counsellor, helper, healer and judge the world has ever seen.

Christianity, has answers and solutions to all social, political, economic, scientific, cultural, legal and personal problems, not only with guiding principles, tested by observation and scientific study (in the Bible) but with practical experience and proven examples throughout history.

Taken from Richard J Gibbs, BA, based on research by Dr Graham McLennan 08.07.05

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Read more on this theme at this Blog Site

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