Hey Class!
Here are some resources that I use and that I recommend for your study of the New Testament and Matthew:
General New Testament Introductions:
Introducing the New Testament
by Joel Green, Marianne Meye Thompson, Paul Achtemeier
An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods and Ministry Formation
by David DeSilva
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament
by Craig Keener
The World of the New Testament: Cultural, Social and Historical Context
by Joel Green
Matthew Commentaries
Matthew for Everyone (Basic)
by NT Wright
Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible: Matthew (Intermediate)
by Stanley Hauerwas
New Interpreter's Bible: Matthew (Intermediate)
New International Commentary on the New Testament: Matthew (Advanced)
by RT France
General New Testament Commentaries
New Testament for Everyone
by NT Wright
New Interpreter's Bible
New International Commentary on the New Testament
Monday, August 15, 2016
Monday, August 8, 2016
Matthew 28: the Great Commission
The last scene is Matthew's Gospel (28:16-20) is known as the "Great Commission", when Jesus sends His disciples to begin the global movement of disciples which became the church. It's interesting to note before anything else regarding this passage, that everything that has previously transpired between Jesus and the disciples was leading up to this moment. This is the end goal of the disciples: to be equipped to make more disciples! This is something the church cannot lose sight of: all our services, programs and the like should have a focus on growing disciples who are capable of discipling others.
This scene itself might remind us of several Old Testament commissioning passages, with the most similar one being the commissioning of Joshua by God to take Moses' place (Deut. 31:14-23). Jesus has done the work of redeeming God's people making a way for them out of "Egypt", and now the disciples are now in Joshua's shoes guiding them until they arrive in the "Promise Land" (the "end of the age").
28:17
One of the interesting details in this scene is that Matthew says some of Jesus' disciples "doubted" as they came to Him on the mountain. Many people assume that this must refer to a disbelief in Jesus' resurrection. However, this is the same word that is used in Matthew 14:31 when Peter walks on water and then begins to sink and Jesus asks him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" This sort of doubt isn't a general disbelief, but is more like the uncertainty or fear that is generated by being in a situation in which you are at a loss to know what to do. Some disciples therefore "get it" and realize that the correct response to the resurrected Jesus is worship, while others are simply at a loss and just trying to wrap their minds around what is happening.
28:18
Jesus makes a big claim that all authority "in heaven and on earth" has been given to Him. This affirms that He is the one like a "Son of Man" from Daniel 7 and will be the one to usher in the final Kingdom. Also note that in Matthew 4 Satan offers Jesus "all the kingdoms of the earth", which Jesus denies and now receives a far greater authority.
28:19-20
Jesus puts the onus on the disciples to "go" to the people and nations. They are not to just set up shop and have their own private worship services or to sit back and see if they can get the people to come to them. Not only are they to go to the nations, but they are to make disciples. A critical question faces us here: what does it mean to "make disciples"? What's the difference between a disciple and a "believer" or convert? In the context of Matthew it is clear that disciples are obedient (see v. 20) and that disciples are those who are active participants in Jesus' mission . . . they are the ones who preach, teach, heal, share, sacrifice and keep the movement going. This command raises hard questions for the church in the West, which has generally put its focus on creating "believers" and filling churches instead of making disciples.
How are these disciples made? First, by repentance and joining the community (baptism), and then by teaching (understanding and participatory learning as the Twelve received). Again, the key here is that they will do what Jesus had said- this is what faith hinges on in Matthew!
Finally, Jesus empowers His disciples by reassuring them of His presence, which takes us all the way back to the beginning of the story (1:23) when the angel tells Joseph that the baby will be called Emmanuel, "God with us". This presence will empower the movement Jesus began until its destination is reached and the Kingdom is established in power, which is the "end of the age". That Jesus ends His preaching on the hope of the Kingdom is not to be missed: the disciples are commissioned to live as a sign of the Kingdom (and bring along the nations) until the Kingdom itself is upon them.
This scene itself might remind us of several Old Testament commissioning passages, with the most similar one being the commissioning of Joshua by God to take Moses' place (Deut. 31:14-23). Jesus has done the work of redeeming God's people making a way for them out of "Egypt", and now the disciples are now in Joshua's shoes guiding them until they arrive in the "Promise Land" (the "end of the age").
28:17
One of the interesting details in this scene is that Matthew says some of Jesus' disciples "doubted" as they came to Him on the mountain. Many people assume that this must refer to a disbelief in Jesus' resurrection. However, this is the same word that is used in Matthew 14:31 when Peter walks on water and then begins to sink and Jesus asks him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" This sort of doubt isn't a general disbelief, but is more like the uncertainty or fear that is generated by being in a situation in which you are at a loss to know what to do. Some disciples therefore "get it" and realize that the correct response to the resurrected Jesus is worship, while others are simply at a loss and just trying to wrap their minds around what is happening.
28:18
Jesus makes a big claim that all authority "in heaven and on earth" has been given to Him. This affirms that He is the one like a "Son of Man" from Daniel 7 and will be the one to usher in the final Kingdom. Also note that in Matthew 4 Satan offers Jesus "all the kingdoms of the earth", which Jesus denies and now receives a far greater authority.
28:19-20
Jesus puts the onus on the disciples to "go" to the people and nations. They are not to just set up shop and have their own private worship services or to sit back and see if they can get the people to come to them. Not only are they to go to the nations, but they are to make disciples. A critical question faces us here: what does it mean to "make disciples"? What's the difference between a disciple and a "believer" or convert? In the context of Matthew it is clear that disciples are obedient (see v. 20) and that disciples are those who are active participants in Jesus' mission . . . they are the ones who preach, teach, heal, share, sacrifice and keep the movement going. This command raises hard questions for the church in the West, which has generally put its focus on creating "believers" and filling churches instead of making disciples.
How are these disciples made? First, by repentance and joining the community (baptism), and then by teaching (understanding and participatory learning as the Twelve received). Again, the key here is that they will do what Jesus had said- this is what faith hinges on in Matthew!
Finally, Jesus empowers His disciples by reassuring them of His presence, which takes us all the way back to the beginning of the story (1:23) when the angel tells Joseph that the baby will be called Emmanuel, "God with us". This presence will empower the movement Jesus began until its destination is reached and the Kingdom is established in power, which is the "end of the age". That Jesus ends His preaching on the hope of the Kingdom is not to be missed: the disciples are commissioned to live as a sign of the Kingdom (and bring along the nations) until the Kingdom itself is upon them.
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Matthew 27: Thoughts on the death of Judas, and Trial and Execution of Jesus
27:3-7:
Matthew provides a great illustration of the chief priests as bad shepherds in their interaction with Judas. Here is a man who is despondent and crushed by guilt, and how do they respond? They say it's none of their business! And these are the guys who are supposed to be mediators between the people and God. If their was ever a time for some counsel and mediation, it was right then. But the truth is, they just didn't care; they had no love for Judas. This is an illustration of "tying up heavy burdens" on people but "refusing to raise a finger" (Mt. 23:4). Perhaps if they had done their job he wouldn't have committed suicide.
27:15-24
For the record: Pilate is not a good guy! Sometimes you hear stories of the trial of Jesus and people feel sorry for Pilate because he wants to let Jesus go, but Pilate is a coward. He, who has all the power in this situation, just doesn't want to do the unpopular thing for whatever reason. He takes the easy road and caves in to the crowd's wishes. But his washing of his hands is a sham; he shares in the blame for Jesus' death.
27:25
This verse has been used innumerable times by anti-Semites. But this trial is taking place in Pilate's headquarters (the praetorium), so this would not be a huge crowd who takes the "blood-guilt" for Jesus' death on themselves. It would be high ranking leaders in Jerusalem. Furthermore, their "blood-guilt" has already been named by Jesus in 23:35-36, "Upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth . . . all this will come upon this generation." The point is that it is the leaders of Israel, in Jerusalem (and indeed the city itself will be judged), who are implicated here, not the Jewish people at large.
27:37-38
The title nailed on Jesus' cross points to the fact that Jesus was executed for being a political threat. He wasn't killed because he was a religious teacher with new ideas; he was killed because his message was a threat to those in power. This is a reminder that faith is not just about interior things or "spiritual" things, but about dealing with the concrete realities of life. In verse 38, we see more political issues, as Jesus was crucified between "bandits": these aren't petty thieves, they are insurrectionists; they are political prisoners.
27:40
When the crowd taunts Jesus they say to him "If you are the Son of God . . .". When have we heard that before? That's right- that's exactly what the Devil says to Jesus in 4:1-6! This is of course not a surprise or a coincidence, but a statement that Matthew intends to make about who the crowd is serving at this point. Satan claimed to have the power to hand over the kingdoms of the earth, and it appears he is in control of the kingdom of Judah at this point.
27:50-54
As Jesus dies we see all sorts of crazy things happen! Let's look at them one by one . .
1. The Temple curtain is torn. When I was growing up people made a big deal of this saying that it meant that the way was open to God's presence. While that may be true, the Temple had two curtains: one separated the courtyard from the "Holy Place", and the other from the "Holy of Holies". Only the priests would have seen the curtain in front of the Holy of Holies (which more likely would be the curtain that indicated the way to God's presence was open), but the torn curtain was probably the exterior one, which people would have seen. Probably the best interpretation of this is a sign of judgment- a sign that Jesus' words, "your house is left to you desolate" has come true.
2. Other people are resurrected! This one is strange in that Matthew has them waking up in their tombs on Friday but not appearing until Sunday. Probably the underlying point is that the created order is being overturned by Jesus' death . . . death itself is being undone.
3. Rocks split . . . this must be another sign of the overturning of the created order (the earthquake). The issue of darkness in 27:45 can also be chalked up to a sign of the same thing. The prophet Amos spoke of (symbolically) darkness and earthquakes the day of Israel's destruction at the hands of the Assyrians (Amos 8:8-9) as a physical image of what was happening spiritually.
4. Finally, the centurion, the BAD GUY, the Roman/Gentile oppressor declares Jesus to be God's Son! This is the ultimate inversion of how things ought to be: the torturer and executioner recognizes the Messiah (in the end) but the leaders and people of Jerusalem don't.
Matthew provides a great illustration of the chief priests as bad shepherds in their interaction with Judas. Here is a man who is despondent and crushed by guilt, and how do they respond? They say it's none of their business! And these are the guys who are supposed to be mediators between the people and God. If their was ever a time for some counsel and mediation, it was right then. But the truth is, they just didn't care; they had no love for Judas. This is an illustration of "tying up heavy burdens" on people but "refusing to raise a finger" (Mt. 23:4). Perhaps if they had done their job he wouldn't have committed suicide.
27:15-24
For the record: Pilate is not a good guy! Sometimes you hear stories of the trial of Jesus and people feel sorry for Pilate because he wants to let Jesus go, but Pilate is a coward. He, who has all the power in this situation, just doesn't want to do the unpopular thing for whatever reason. He takes the easy road and caves in to the crowd's wishes. But his washing of his hands is a sham; he shares in the blame for Jesus' death.
27:25
This verse has been used innumerable times by anti-Semites. But this trial is taking place in Pilate's headquarters (the praetorium), so this would not be a huge crowd who takes the "blood-guilt" for Jesus' death on themselves. It would be high ranking leaders in Jerusalem. Furthermore, their "blood-guilt" has already been named by Jesus in 23:35-36, "Upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth . . . all this will come upon this generation." The point is that it is the leaders of Israel, in Jerusalem (and indeed the city itself will be judged), who are implicated here, not the Jewish people at large.
27:37-38
The title nailed on Jesus' cross points to the fact that Jesus was executed for being a political threat. He wasn't killed because he was a religious teacher with new ideas; he was killed because his message was a threat to those in power. This is a reminder that faith is not just about interior things or "spiritual" things, but about dealing with the concrete realities of life. In verse 38, we see more political issues, as Jesus was crucified between "bandits": these aren't petty thieves, they are insurrectionists; they are political prisoners.
27:40
When the crowd taunts Jesus they say to him "If you are the Son of God . . .". When have we heard that before? That's right- that's exactly what the Devil says to Jesus in 4:1-6! This is of course not a surprise or a coincidence, but a statement that Matthew intends to make about who the crowd is serving at this point. Satan claimed to have the power to hand over the kingdoms of the earth, and it appears he is in control of the kingdom of Judah at this point.
27:50-54
As Jesus dies we see all sorts of crazy things happen! Let's look at them one by one . .
1. The Temple curtain is torn. When I was growing up people made a big deal of this saying that it meant that the way was open to God's presence. While that may be true, the Temple had two curtains: one separated the courtyard from the "Holy Place", and the other from the "Holy of Holies". Only the priests would have seen the curtain in front of the Holy of Holies (which more likely would be the curtain that indicated the way to God's presence was open), but the torn curtain was probably the exterior one, which people would have seen. Probably the best interpretation of this is a sign of judgment- a sign that Jesus' words, "your house is left to you desolate" has come true.
2. Other people are resurrected! This one is strange in that Matthew has them waking up in their tombs on Friday but not appearing until Sunday. Probably the underlying point is that the created order is being overturned by Jesus' death . . . death itself is being undone.
3. Rocks split . . . this must be another sign of the overturning of the created order (the earthquake). The issue of darkness in 27:45 can also be chalked up to a sign of the same thing. The prophet Amos spoke of (symbolically) darkness and earthquakes the day of Israel's destruction at the hands of the Assyrians (Amos 8:8-9) as a physical image of what was happening spiritually.
4. Finally, the centurion, the BAD GUY, the Roman/Gentile oppressor declares Jesus to be God's Son! This is the ultimate inversion of how things ought to be: the torturer and executioner recognizes the Messiah (in the end) but the leaders and people of Jerusalem don't.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Matthew 26: Judas' Betrayal and Jesus before the High Priest
Judas’ Betrayal
One question that often arises concerning Judas’ betrayal of Jesus is: why does Judas need to lead the crowd all the way to Jesus and kiss him so they know who He is (26:47-50)? Couldn’t Judas simply tell those who are arresting Jesus that he’s going to the Mount of Olives, and even specifically that he’d be in the Garden of Gethsemane? Why does he have to betray Jesus face to face?
This problem is compounded by Christian art and movies which portrays the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane as empty and quiet while Jesus is there with his disciples. In reality, the Mount of Olives and Garden would have been packed with other pilgrims, who were essentially camping out for the duration of the Passover festival. This is what made arresting Jesus so difficult; the crowds were so large he could simply melt away in them unless one knew exactly what his followers looked like and where they’d likely be. Because of the overcrowding Judas must perform a face to face betrayal.
Trial before the High Priest
Matthew 26:57-68 details Jesus’ trial before the High Priest Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin. In the trial Jesus is accused of much, but only makes one reply when Caiaphas puts him under oath concerning his identity in 26:62-65:
The high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” 63 But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you,
From now on you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of Power
and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy.
The question for us then is: what makes Jesus’ statement blasphemous?
Jesus is combining and paraphrasing two Old Testament messianic scriptures: Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13-14, which is a vision describing God’s servant (one like a son of man) being taken up to God to receive the Kingdom of God:
Psalm 110:1
The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
Daniel 7:13-14
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Jesus’ words then mean that he is going to be received at God’s right hand (as King of Israel), and that he will be the one whom the Kingdom of God is handed over to as the everlasting King and the one who will ultimately judge the High Priest and Sanhedrin themselves. That Jesus (a poor Galilean preacher) would equate himself so directly with God’s power and rule is essentially cultural blasphemy and gives the court the evidence they desired to hand him over to Pilate.
One question that often arises concerning Judas’ betrayal of Jesus is: why does Judas need to lead the crowd all the way to Jesus and kiss him so they know who He is (26:47-50)? Couldn’t Judas simply tell those who are arresting Jesus that he’s going to the Mount of Olives, and even specifically that he’d be in the Garden of Gethsemane? Why does he have to betray Jesus face to face?
This problem is compounded by Christian art and movies which portrays the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane as empty and quiet while Jesus is there with his disciples. In reality, the Mount of Olives and Garden would have been packed with other pilgrims, who were essentially camping out for the duration of the Passover festival. This is what made arresting Jesus so difficult; the crowds were so large he could simply melt away in them unless one knew exactly what his followers looked like and where they’d likely be. Because of the overcrowding Judas must perform a face to face betrayal.
Trial before the High Priest
Matthew 26:57-68 details Jesus’ trial before the High Priest Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin. In the trial Jesus is accused of much, but only makes one reply when Caiaphas puts him under oath concerning his identity in 26:62-65:
The high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” 63 But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you,
From now on you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of Power
and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy.
The question for us then is: what makes Jesus’ statement blasphemous?
Jesus is combining and paraphrasing two Old Testament messianic scriptures: Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13-14, which is a vision describing God’s servant (one like a son of man) being taken up to God to receive the Kingdom of God:
Psalm 110:1
The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
Daniel 7:13-14
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Jesus’ words then mean that he is going to be received at God’s right hand (as King of Israel), and that he will be the one whom the Kingdom of God is handed over to as the everlasting King and the one who will ultimately judge the High Priest and Sanhedrin themselves. That Jesus (a poor Galilean preacher) would equate himself so directly with God’s power and rule is essentially cultural blasphemy and gives the court the evidence they desired to hand him over to Pilate.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Matthew 24-25: Fall of Jerusalem and the "End of the Age"
Matthew 24-25 is one of the most difficult sections of Matthew to interpret, as Jesus uses a great deal of imagery and apocalyptic language to describe the destruction of Jerusalem and “the end of the age”. What I’m going to do is lay out a few simple boundaries for interpretation that will help us make sense of this section.
Boundary 1:
The whole discussion begins with Jesus’ prophecy that Jerusalem will be destroyed. It is critical to recognize that this is not “the end of the world”, but a historical event that Jesus is saying will happen in the lifetime of his disciples. The MOST important piece of this discussion for the disciples is Jerusalem’s fate.
Boundary 2:
The disciples ask Jesus two questions in 24:3: “when will this be?” (when will Jerusalem fall?), and “what will be the sign of the end of the age?” (when is this final judgment?).
Based on those two boundaries, the key to interpreting the passage is in deciding when Jesus is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem and when he is talking about the “end of the age”.
Boundary 3:
In 24:34 Jesus claims that “this generation will not pass away until all these things (everything preceding in the scripture) have taken place”. Therefore, he cannot have been talking about the final judgment up through this point, unless we think Jesus was wrong (which is certainly possible, but might make us uncomfortable). All of this section then must be dealing with the disciples first question regarding the fall of Jerusalem.
Boundary 4:
Based on that assessment, it is only in 24:36 when Jesus changes his focus and deals with the question about the end of the age. This is signaled by his words, “But about that day and hour”. This interpretation is further strengthened by Jesus saying that he has no clue when it will happen, as opposed to his relative certainty about the fall of Jerusalem.
Boundary 5:
All of the following parables and stories from 24:36-25:46 then deal with the final judgment at the end of the age.
Boundary 1:
The whole discussion begins with Jesus’ prophecy that Jerusalem will be destroyed. It is critical to recognize that this is not “the end of the world”, but a historical event that Jesus is saying will happen in the lifetime of his disciples. The MOST important piece of this discussion for the disciples is Jerusalem’s fate.
Boundary 2:
The disciples ask Jesus two questions in 24:3: “when will this be?” (when will Jerusalem fall?), and “what will be the sign of the end of the age?” (when is this final judgment?).
Based on those two boundaries, the key to interpreting the passage is in deciding when Jesus is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem and when he is talking about the “end of the age”.
Boundary 3:
In 24:34 Jesus claims that “this generation will not pass away until all these things (everything preceding in the scripture) have taken place”. Therefore, he cannot have been talking about the final judgment up through this point, unless we think Jesus was wrong (which is certainly possible, but might make us uncomfortable). All of this section then must be dealing with the disciples first question regarding the fall of Jerusalem.
Boundary 4:
Based on that assessment, it is only in 24:36 when Jesus changes his focus and deals with the question about the end of the age. This is signaled by his words, “But about that day and hour”. This interpretation is further strengthened by Jesus saying that he has no clue when it will happen, as opposed to his relative certainty about the fall of Jerusalem.
Boundary 5:
All of the following parables and stories from 24:36-25:46 then deal with the final judgment at the end of the age.
Monday, August 1, 2016
Matthew 23: Authority and Responsibility
Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:8-12 have been conveniently lost in church history, much to our detriment. They would provide an excellent adjustment to two of our big issues: abuse of authority and lack of empowerment. Check it out:
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. 9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Authority:
Clearly, no disciple of Jesus is to be set aside as deserving veneration or to demand recognition for bearing an institutional title. While Jesus does make the Twelve leaders of His movement, their authority is primarily a moral authority. They are not to receive special acclamation by other disciples. Rather, the disciples are now brothers and sisters who strive to serve each other and do not seek power over each other. While functional hierarchies must exist in all organized communities, including the church, the problem is often that those with the titles are viewed (and view themselves) as more valuable (and thus deserving of service) than the others and are often viewed as the centerpieces of the community instead of God.
Empowerment:
The flip side of this same principle is that all disciples of Christ share a common standing in the Kingdom. We are ALL therefore capable of serving Christ in a way that is fruitful and meaningful, including: sharing the gospel, making disciples, serving those in need, etc. Jesus intended for all of His disciples to be empowered for service and not to simply look to special “Teachers” to do the work of the Kingdom.
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. 9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Authority:
Clearly, no disciple of Jesus is to be set aside as deserving veneration or to demand recognition for bearing an institutional title. While Jesus does make the Twelve leaders of His movement, their authority is primarily a moral authority. They are not to receive special acclamation by other disciples. Rather, the disciples are now brothers and sisters who strive to serve each other and do not seek power over each other. While functional hierarchies must exist in all organized communities, including the church, the problem is often that those with the titles are viewed (and view themselves) as more valuable (and thus deserving of service) than the others and are often viewed as the centerpieces of the community instead of God.
Empowerment:
The flip side of this same principle is that all disciples of Christ share a common standing in the Kingdom. We are ALL therefore capable of serving Christ in a way that is fruitful and meaningful, including: sharing the gospel, making disciples, serving those in need, etc. Jesus intended for all of His disciples to be empowered for service and not to simply look to special “Teachers” to do the work of the Kingdom.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)