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Tag: Church

Looking back at The Lord’s Day
The Lord’s Day in years just past

You have heard this day called Easter Sunday, Resurrection Sunday or perhaps Pascha. But today, on the 17th day of April in the year of our Lord, 2022, I would simply like to look back at celebrating ‘the Lord’s Day’ as followers of Christ Jesus have done since His resurrection.

HOLY Week (we once called it)
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CLICK the link above to read some of what I have said before about Holy and weeks and festivals. 

ALSO, Feel free to comment on anything from my fiery EDITORIAL which I have moved to Comments to get to my perspective about the Lord's Day of the first century Christ followers. - RH 
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LENT, we once set aside as preparation of repentance preceding the death of Christ for our sins.

Yet in this NOT so HOLY time, now universally referred to as, the “COMMON Era” (as opposed to years we once called, Before Christ, now known as Before the Common Era); HOW intolerant are we who insist that JESUS IS LORD (and no other), as the world continues in its most common and ordinary daily sin! HOW insensitive of followers of CHRIST to PROCLAIM: JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN TODAY!

In the Holy Week of our Lord, A.D. 2022

(In case you missed these posts which lead us to this Lord’s Day Sunday)

Blood on the night in which He was betrayed

Holy Week: Thursday, A.D. 2022

What’s good about Good Friday?

Holy Week: Good Friday, A.D. 2022

He was what? A Man of sorrows?

Palm Sunday thoughts of previous years

The Gospel of Resurrection Sunday +++ in context

Have YOU shared the Gospel of the Lord Christ Jesus?

The Lord’s Day witness to the everyday saints of the Church

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18 NASB – Verse of the Day via BibleGateway.com

This epistle was most likely written in the first half of A.D. 55 from Ephesus (16:8, 9, 19) while Paul was on his third missionary journey.
John MacArthur :: Bible Introductions – 1 Corinthians via BlueLetterBible.org

Easter: a narrowed narrative that missed the Church

Why do I start with a Scripture about the Cross, rather than a traditional narrative of Resurrection morning from the Gospels?

(Think about this, now…)

The Gospels were NOT written as an immediate message from the pulpit of A.D. 30.

Yes, that’s about when the Lord Jesus was crucified, buried and rose in body and spirit from the grave!

But the Apostles Matthew and John, and later disciples Mark and Luke recorded their GOOD NEWS of JESUS’s Resurrection for a much later following of the Church.

On this Lord’s Day, in the year of our Lord 2022, we glance at just a few events of THEIR Church life.

Why the Gospel was Good News on the Lord’s Day
- A.D. 32 – Stephen martyred & Saul persecutes Christ followers
- A.D. 37 – Caligula declares himself a god
- A.D. 44 – the Apostle James, brother of John, is martyred
- A.D. 46 – Julian calendar changes the year
- A.D. 49 – the jews expelled from Rome
- A.D. 50’s (~20 years after Jesus’ Resurrection)
  - + Mark writes his Gospel;
  - + Matthew writes his Gospel
- A.D. 54-68 – Nero is Emperor
  - A.D 64-68 Nero persecutes Christians after burning Rome
- A.D. 60 + Luke writes his Gospel
- A.D. 62 – James, brother of Jesus and head of the Jerusalem church martyred
- A.D. 66 – Jewish revolt against Rome
  - + Apostle Peter martyred in Rome
  - + Paul, Apostle to the gentiles, martyred in Rome
- A.D. 70 – Jerusalem falls to Rome and is burned
- A.D. 80’s + John wrote his gospel ca. A.D. 80–90, about 50 years after he witnessed Jesus’ earthly ministry. – J.M.
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Sources for above: Then and Now Bible Maps, Rose Publishing & BlueLetterBible.org commentaries
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Each Lord’s Day

The saints of the A.D. first century church gathered each Lord’s Day to worship the Lord God by the grace of Christ Jesus and though the power of the Holy Spirit.

Do YOU?

For many centuries the Lord’s Day was set apart as Holy to the Lord for morning and evening worship, as well as study of doctrine from the Bible, as the business of the world (reluctantly) remained CLOSED on Sunday.

They gathered frequently in each others homes to hear the Gospel and receive the letters of the Apostles.

These saints (small ‘s’) of the church, “Christians” (as Christ followers came to be known), delighted to serve one another in Christ-like love.

The saints of THE WAY, knowing that as one of the Lord’s SAVED and REDEEMED ones, suffering in a world violently opposed to JESUS CHRIST and the LORD GOD, endured for these brief times because of HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION.

We have begun eternal life and need not suffer the WRATH of GOD’s punishment for our many, many sins against God and against man.

A.D. 90, The Lord’s Day

The aging Apostle, lone survivor of many trials for Christ among those who Jesus first chose some sixty years ago, concludes his Gospel; a fourth, following that which has already been proclaimed to tens of thousands throughout a world of Rome’s temporary ownership by Matthew and two faithful gentile servants of The Way.

The Apostle John writes of that glorious day:

Now when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were together due to fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Peace be to you.” And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side.
The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be to you; just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
Gospel of John 20:19-21 NASB

Talk of JESUS . com

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
April 17, 2022
Saul’s Unwelcome Return to Jerusalem
(to join the Church!)

When Sha’ul had come to Yerushalayim, he tried to join himself to the talmidim; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a talmid.
ACTS 9:26 Hebrew Names Version

Do you take this man .. ?

Have you ever wanted to JOIN a group of people who really knew nothing about you? Were you ever the one forced to move to a new town where you tried to join a new church? Did you, in that time of isolation from familiar friends, feel more unwelcome than wanted? Or worse, did those you wanted to join most REJECT you? Did THEY slam the door of hospitality in your face?

NO! No, I say. I CANNOT take this man to be part of ME for life or eternity.

How does it feel?

administration of a church in an empire divided by culture

Σαῦλος: an Unwelcome application to join the church of Jerusalem
- Why did you leave your last church?
  - I escaped some zealous brothers who were trying to kill me.
- Didn’t you try to kill some of them?
  - In fact, I once led these men in trying to kill disciples of Jesus. A brother heard they were in town and they lowered me down to escape. So now we come to join you.
- hmmm. I think we’ll have to pray about that and get back to you…
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Familiar? 
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Church Membership + Not so unlike a marriage vow

We understand that Saul was well-known in Jerusalem, as A JEW OF JEWS, zealous to destroy ALL disciples of the Apostles of the Messiah Jesus. But at first even the church in Jerusalem would have been suspicious of Saul’s motives, unaware of Saul’s calling by Christ on the road to Damascus.

They knew Saul of Tarsus, but not this man baptized in the Holy Spirit who had met the Lord Jesus in Person. And you know Paul’s words written later to the church at Ephesus, familiar to all concerning marriage.

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Ephesians 5:30 KJV

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Ephesians 5:32 KJV
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YOU MUST leave one to be JOINED to the other.

MEMBERSHIP mattered in the first century. 
(Joining a church should make a difference for you in the 21st c. as well. - RH)
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Has Saul of Tarsus, disciple of Gamaliel in Jerusalem, really left his former rabbi to JOIN us as disciples of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah?

ACTS 9:

26 And when he had come to Jerusalem he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles..

Saul: Encouragement in Christ from Cypress

Barnabas, disciple of the Apostles in Jerusalem, helped Saul escape Damascus and certain death.

Barnabas demonstrates his well-known encouragement in Christ to Saul.

Do you recall this man Joseph from before he fled to Damascus?

Earlier in ACTS of the disciples of the Apostles:

4:32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.

There was not a needy person among them..
Acts of the followers of the way 4:34A ESV

Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. – ACTS of the disciple Barnabas 4:36-37

5:12 Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high honor.

Stephen, Joseph (Barnabas) and many others joined the Apostles; while many jews (and they were ALL Jews) publicly showed the Apostles ‘high honor’ for their obvious works for the LORD, yet formally remained accepted worshipers of the Temple.

Many jews would have respected Stephen with such honor as he defended The Way of the Messiah Jesus before the court of the Temple.

Join us! (or not?)

Early followers of The Way of Jesus had to choose:
1. Join in following the Apostles of the Messiah Jesus?
2. OR remain joined to the designated leadership of Herod’s Temple?
As for the Apostles, rightfully fearful of Saul of Tarsus; they trusted Barnabas even to the point of allowing him to bring their nemesis to them.

κολλάω
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Click here for definition Strong's G2853 - kollaō 
Root Word (Etymology) From kolla ("glue")
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- And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples.. – NKJV
- .. he tried to meet with the believers.. – NLT
- .. he attempted to join the disciples… – ESV
- .. he tried repeatedly to associate with the disciples; and yet they were all afraid of him.. – NASB20
Do you get the context of their fear?
1. to glue, to glue together, cement, fasten together
2. to join or fasten firmly together
3. to join one’s self to, cleave to
THIS is the context of the CHURCH comprised of disciples, that is: followers of The Way of Christ Jesus!

The Encouragement of Barnabas

The Apostles did NOT flee Jerusalem. Neither did they deny Saul’s request to join them, though they feared him (but not more than the Lord).

But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.
ACTS of the Apostles 9:27 RSV + CLICK HERE FOR CONTEXT IN English & German

WE must bring the flesh and blood of the repentant soul before us in person on occasion so as to discern the authenticity of Christ’s impact on their reborn soul.
Roger@TalkofJESUS.com

Peter and the Apostles did this at the urging and encouragement of the disciple Barnabas.

28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.

This would not have happened had Christ and Ananias and Judas and Joseph and Peter and the Twelve had not intervened in the reborn life of the Apostle Saul of Tarsus.

And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists..
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Remember from earlier in Acts 6 several jewish sects opposed Stephen and other disciples of Jesus: Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.
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..but they were seeking to kill him.

30 And when the brethren knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him off to Tarsus.

Saul Joins the Church!

This foremost of sinners and persecutor of Christians now begins Christ’s most important mission to go into all the world and talk of JESUS.

Have you (even in fear) gone to YOUR LOCAL CHURCH & asked them to JOIN your fellow forgiven sinners as a member of their body of Christ?
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ACTS of the APOSTLES + To be continued...
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March 11, 2022
An Apostolic Model: Administration of a Growing Church
Now that we have defined some key terms of the church (including ‘church’ – ἐκκλησία), we can proceed to examine the administration of disciples following the Lord Jesus Christ (‘Christians).
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If you missed this defining first post about ACTS 6, you may want to visit some of the secure links included in Ministering to a Growing Church (BELOW).
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An Apostolic Model: Ministering to a Growing Church

Who would lead change after hearing their murmurings?

Last time we only got to one verse, Acts 6:1, then encountered a roadblock before I could address how the Twelve ran their administration of the multitudes.

..when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews,
Acts 6:1 excerpt KJV

Does that sound like YOUR Church?

Let’s address my next question from our previous post about ministering to the personalities in this initial Church of the Apostles.

How can WE help relieve so many PERSONAL problems for hundreds of families belonging to our growing church?
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Filling in a four-hundred year gap between the OLD and NEW TESTAMENTS:

(The Apostles, of course, understood their church family history better than we do.)
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Mapping out traditions of our pasts

I suppose you have wondered about my FIRST CENTURY CHURCH MOSAIC attached to this post. So let’s take a look at the diverse ethnic gathering of the lost sheep of Israel (along with some NON-JEWS as well).

First Jerusalem Church of the Apostles

Here’s an unspoken issue of ethnos underpinning their recent ‘murmurings.’
Israel did not exist!

In the time of the Apostles, a divided Greek-speaking Roman empire changed administrations frequently.

Before the Herod’s

JEWS exiled to the EAST to Babylon, some returning to Jerusalem AFTER Persia defeats Babylon.
Many JEWS remained in cities WEST of Jewish influence in cities of the Greek and Roman world.
BEFORE HEROD – Kingdom of Alexander the Great 336-323 B.C.
- 323 BC, Alexander died in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II, in Babylon
  - Alexander had conquered cities, kingdoms & empires from Greece to Asia and to Egypt, Babylon, Persia and beyond.
  - These ‘Hellenized‘ cultures then embraced or tolerated Greek customs and language as a universalist ethnos applied to trading and communication between cultures.
    (Compare to a contemporary founding culture three centuries ago in North America.)
- 200’s BC, The Ptolemy’s of Egypt (who had also been Hellenized by Alexander’s conquests) ruled Jerusalem and the eastern Mediterranean coast to Syria beyond Tyre and Sidon.
- 100’s BC, Seleucia (modern-day Bagdad) was the Hellenized capital of the Seleucid Empire which survived until 63 BC
  - As you can see on the top-left of my map mosaic, much of this massive empire lies east of Rome’s later reach.
  - 167-134 BC, Maccabean revolt and resistance against Seleucid rule in Judah
- 63 BC, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus or Pompey the Great, captured Jerusalem for Rome
- 37 BC, Herod the Great (of Edomite ancestry, born in Idumea) aligned himself with Rome.
Rome divides its client kingdom into:

Bashan
Lower Galilee
Samaria
Mishor
Judea &
Idumea

In the time of Jesus and the Apostles into:

Samaria, Judea & Idumea
Perea & Galilee
Batania (Caesarea Philippi) & Auranitis
Syria, including Phoenicia & Ituraea
(with Antioch, Roman city of 500,000+ residents, residence of its Governor)

source
Apostolic ACTS of Administration

6:2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said,
“It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.
NIV

WHEN will we ever have time to minister to our church family?

NOT OUR PROBLEM? NO! That’s not what the Apostles leading the growing church are saying.

In fact, the Apostles lead other servants of God to solve the church’s own ministry ‘challenge.’

Waiting tables is just one of our many ministries

“Instead, brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.
Acts of the Apostles 6:3 NASB20
- Together this first church in Jerusalem, saints ministering to each other (though having common petty differences),
  - must address the administration of their own servant duties to the community
  - without intervention of the their masters (and teachers) the Apostles.
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry^G1248 of the word.

ACTS 6:5 This proposal pleased the whole group.
- Select seven (for administration of a church of 500+ saints now)
- These seven men must be μαρτυρέω [of good reputation]
  - (NOT as we might think, but i.e. ‘to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration.’
  - Seven men from the
- .. full of the [Holy] Spirit
- .. and of wisdom σοφία [sophia] who we should put in charge [administrators] of this task.
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These laymen disciples will choose those who will administer the daily tasks of the church.
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An Administration by More Servant Leaders

And they chose:
1. Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and
2. Philip,
3. Prochorus, [Greek, probably a Hellenist]
4. Nicanor, [a Greek name]
5. Timon,
6. Parmenas, [may have been from Asia minor] and
7. Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch [a pagan converted to Judaism from the city in Syria where he will soon to minister to the gentiles]
What must we do for each and every saint of our Lord Christ Jesus?

Administration of our designated authority

And they brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.
ACTS of BLESSING the seven men in Jerusalem given authority by the Apostles 6:6

Prayer (inquiring of the LORD) followed by Blessing

We see such acts as this throughout Scripture.

Moses chooses seventy to help. Israel blesses each of his grown sons before his death. (Isaac had blessed Jacob and not Esau.) Moses blesses Joshua. David blesses Solomon.

Conversation with the LORD followed by the Lord’s blessing of continued authority of administration of His work through another.
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They laid their hands … - Among the Jews it was customary to lay hands on the head of a person who was set apart to any particular office, Numbers 27:18; Compare Acts 8:19. This was done, not to impart any power or ability, but to "designate" that they received their authority or commission from those who thus laid their hands on them, as the act of laying hands on the sick by the Saviour was an act signifying that the power of healing came from him, Matthew 9:18; compare Mark 16:18. In such cases the laying on of the hands conveyed of itself no healing power, but was a sign or token that the power came from the Lord Jesus. Ordination has been uniformly performed in this way. See 1 Timothy 5:22. 
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Though the seven deacons had been chosen by the church to this work, yet they derived their immediate commission and authority from the apostles.
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible – Source of this & extended quote above: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/acts/6-6.htm

The Great Commission

(Mat 28:16–20; Luk 24:44–49; Act 1:6–8 )

Later he [Jesus] appeared to the Eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table. He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw him after he had risen. Then he said to them,

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
Gospel of Mark 16:15 CSB

.. but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”
ACTS of the risen Christ 1:8

Pentecost – a narrative of the fifty days fulfilled

And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, distributing themselves, and a tongue rested on each one of them.
Acts 2:3

The Day of Pentecost had been a laying on of hands by the Holy Spirit such as man had never seen!
Roger@TalkofJESUS.com

Recalling a caution of Gamaliel

But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”

Acts of the Apostles 5:39 NLT

So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Acts of the Apostles 6:7 NIV
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ACTS of the Apostles - To be continued...
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December 28, 2021