Comment Highlights for Week of May 1, 2011
As I mentioned in the first post in this series, I want to highlight some of the comments that have been left on my blog posts during the past week. Hopefully, this will give more visibility to some of the reasons that I love blogging – dialog and interaction.
Each week it seems to get harder and harder to pick only a few from the many, many great comments that I get on my blog each week. This week is certainly no different.
Here’s a comment from Mark on my post “The Ascension of Jesus Christ“:
This week we were talking about the ascension. We concluded that the ascension is a severely underemphasized doctrine in the modern church (if early Christian creeds are any example then it was more valued in historic Christianity). In any case, we decided that the ascension is crucial because it paved the way for the Holy Spirit (as you so clearly explained), it places Jesus in his role as intercessor at the right hand of the Father, and it sets the stage for His glorious return.
Here’s another comment from Bobby on my post “What is Pentecost?“:
I love to speculate
one of the things I find marvelous about the timing of the passover and pentecost is the apparent foreshadowing of the traditions of Jews. After passover, the children would count down the days in anticipation for celebrating the giving of the law. On the day of pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the firstfruits and the law was written on their hearts.
while it may be speculation, the grand truth is this: we are Gods fruit bearing seed and we no longer have to follow a code of conduct because the conductor lives in us.
Here’s a comment we should all think about. It was left by Stephanie on my post “Is it lack of knowledge? Is it apathy? Is it something else?“:
Growing up in a small baptist church, I was told many things. I was told to go to church every Sunday because that was where I could worship God. I was told to memorize certain bible verses so I could repeat them to unbelievers during our summer missions trips. I was told that having a daily devotional book would make me a stronger better Christian. I was also told hundreds of things I should not do. I was never, not once, told to love people.
I’m rambling, but my point is that I’m not convinced people are totally apathetic. I think they are lost. They are always being told what to do, a lot of them have forgotten how to think for themselves. They don’t read their bibles because their bibles will be read to them on Sunday morning. And even if they were to pick it up themselves, other than being able to find the key verses they were told to memorize, I’m not sure they would know how to find anything. I’m not sure…just rambling.
Josh left this comment on my post “Thinking about itinerant servants and the church“:
Itinerant is a good word, but I usually prefer the term “worker.” It’s biblical, plus it lacks the misrepresentation and abuse that you’ve mentioned revolves around the word apostle.
Like you’ve already pointed out, Alan, first century workers moved about from place to place; none of them settled down to be the resident priest (or pastor) over a particular congregation. There is good reason for this.
The need for such workers is no less today than it ever has been. The church I gather with has recently been blessed to find one such brother, and the benefit of his ministry to our assembly has been substantial.