1. The first preaching of the Gospel in the New Testament calls for a new view of life and the world. Matthew 3:2 – In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 4:17 – From that time… Read More Evangelism & Apologetics: Lesson 2: Being & Knowing
Jesus Christ gave his disciples the Great Commission of proclaiming the good news of redemption through his death, burial and resurrection to the whole world. This is evangelism. People are at odds with their Creator and they need to hear the great message that, through Jesus Christ, all their sins can be forgiven and that… Read More Evangelism & Apologetics – Lesson 1
Nehemiah begins about 450 years before Christ and covers the period 445-433 BC, the close of Old Testament history. It is a sequel to Ezra. Malachi covers the period around 420-397 BC and closes the Old Testament account. About 100 years earlier in 539 BC, the Persian king, Cyrus the Great, conquered the Babylonian Empire. Under Cyrus and his… Read More Nehemiah 1
In short: Given the seriousness of the pastoral office, those who are unqualified or lusting for glory should not enter it. To profane it leads to perdition. Jesus “fled from the offered glory of pre-eminence, but desired the pain of an ignominious death; that so His members might learn to fly from the favours of the… Read More The Book of Pastoral Rule (Care), Gregory the Great, Part I, Chapter III
In short: Ministers who have learned spiritual truths from drinking pure water must live out those truths and not leave the sheep to drink water polluted by their corrupt example. They must not, having a high rank, act perversely and become a stumbling block to the people, all the while being shielded by their high rank. One… Read More The Book of Pastoral Rule (Care), Gregory the Great, Part I, Chapter II
In short: Anyone seeking the pastoral office must learn and train for it before undertaking it. Spiritual health is more important than bodily health. Those who are ignorant of spiritual truths ought to be as uncomfortable acting as doctors in matters of the heart as they would be if asked to prescribe drugs for the body.… Read More The Book of Pastoral Rule (Care), Gregory the Great, Part I, Chapter I
Gregory the Great’s Book of Pastoral Rule or Care (Lat. Liber Regulae Pastoralis, Regula Pastoralisor Cura Pastoralis) is his treatise on the responsibilities of ministers. Gregory wrote it shortly after his inauguration as Bishop of Rome in A.D. 590. At the time, Rome was in a shambles due to invasions, famine, and plague. In AD 546 the Ostrogoths had plundered the… Read More The Book of Pastoral Rule (Care), Gregory the Great, Part I: Gregory to his … fellow-bishop, John (of Ravenna).
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