5:56pm Ahhhh! The material is so seriously out of context I want to scream! Barnabas went to Tarsus and brought Saul with him (Acts 11:25-26). Together they stayed for a year, during which Saul learned from Barnabas? Where in the world did this guy got this information from?! Ahhhhhh!!!
7:07pm I am going to see if I can do a simple exegesis study on the other 2 passages in the book: Matt 28:18-20 and 1 Pet 2:2-3. Lord, please help me.
11.32pm It actually went well. Maybe because since most of them are away in South Korea, only three of us turned up, well ... if you also count my son who was busy reading his Sure-to-Win Science Fair Projects!
During the study, I was asked how can discipling be done. I think it is quite clear in Matthew 28:19-20:
Having gone
First, one must go and it is the duty of every believer to go. It is not only a coming to church, but also a going out to bring precious tidings to others - to all nations.
Make disciples
This constitute the main verb. It does not indicate how but designates an activity that will result in disciples. The how's I believe are in the two following present tense partiples, i.e. the continuing tasks of the church: baptising and teaching.
Baptising them
The action of baptising I believe, even though carried by the pastor or priest, does not involve the pastor or priest and the new believer alone. It involves the whole church as a body of Christ. While it is the public declaration of a person's commitment to Christ and to his corporate body and it is also the duty, responsibility and love of the church to embrace the person within, so that the body of Christ as a church lives as one and encourages one another in the Spirit. Discipling is everybody's work.
Teaching them
Even though the English translation includes a connecting participle "and" between baptising and teaching, there is none in the Greek, which means that teaching is strictly not coordinated with baptising. It is carried out as long as a person becomes a disciple. It is the teaching to obey everything that God has commanded. Therefore, in order to do so, one would first need to be grounded in the word of God to teach, though it is a sad thing that in these days, these "teachers" are the ones that needs to be taught. We first need to be discipled before we can disciple.
pearlie
How'd it go?
ReplyDeleteHey Missy, thanks for asking :)
ReplyDeleteAs I have updated the post, it went quite well actually.
Hahaha. :-D
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun post. Thanks for finishing the story for us.
You could have used these verses to show how the scripture can be torn from its moorings to suit a man's agenda. Or you could have taught how imbibing milk is an important part of baptism and not being allowed into the local apostles' club. Or what about teaching all men everywhere to go forth and beg for milk, even if you used to persecute the dairy farmers?
Yours is probably better. ;-)
hi pearlie,
ReplyDeletein your exergesis of Matt.28:18-20 on how discipling is done, how about
-all authority
-obey everything
-I am with you
when you leave this three points out, discipling is a human effort.
Hi Pearlie,
ReplyDeleteHaha...if you "complain" a bit more, you might end up having to produce the materials...that's what been hapenning to me!! I am supposed to do something on Romans. Me and my big mouth...argghh....
Codepoke,
ReplyDeleteLOL ... I can't even begin to work those possibilities out ;)
Ah yes Alex,
ReplyDeleteI have not included v.18 and the last portion of v.20 which of course is the basis of what's in between. Thanks for reminding me.
Hi Ryan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by. Will visit you shortly!
Err Kar Yong,
ReplyDeleteOf course you are right, I feel it coming already ... but when we feel that it is so important, we have to do it ... and we'd just do it.
Thanks for the update, Pearlie - and it does seem it went well. I love your points and agree whole-heartedly.
ReplyDeleteThanks Missy :)
ReplyDelete