Church sent into the world

David Bosch writes, “The involvement in the world should lead to a deepening of our relationship with and dependence on God, and the deepening of this relationship should lead to an increasing involvement in the world.” Tod Hiestand writes: " the individual church must see itself as sent into the world, it must also see itself as sent into the world along with the church catholic."

The mission of the church is derived from Jesus' call to gather together. also the apostle Paul called us not to neglect our own congregational meetings which form the church, (Hebrews 10:25)
The church’s call to be a “sign, witness and foretaste” of the coming Kingdom may not be overlooked.

God has sent the church so that in His mission His “love and attention are directed primarily at the world". God has given His son as the foundation of the Church.

We are all part of the world but God and His son Jesus have given us the task to distantiate from the worldly matters. The church that “goes” is the church that finds its primary identity detached from the world and set apart as holy.  The separate and untainted church rightfully understands that it needs to be a witness for the gospel.
Missiologist David Bosch writes: “Spirituality or devotional life seems to mean withdrawal from the world, charging my batteries, and then going out into the world. The image is of an automobile that runs on batteries only.”
Jesus light of Israel, but also for all people, states the need for us to remain set apart in their sentness, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”(John 17:18) We can hope to reap which shall only be possible if we properly reflect the teachings of Christ Jesus. Christ means ‘Messiah’, the  anointed one. He was anointed in order " to preach the Gospel" (Luke 4:18); and we too have been anointed insofar as we are in Christ, the anointed one (2 Corinthians 1:21). Therefore as He was ordained a preacher of the Gospel to the world, we too share that honour (as we do all His honours, to some extent). He was anointed (‘oiled’) by God in order to give the oil of joy to His people; He shared His experience of anointing with us, and we must go out and do likewise (Isaiah 61:1,2) (cp. Luke 4:18).

Isaiah’s description of the beauty of Christ’s preaching in (Isaiah 52:7) is quoted by Paul concerning every preacher of the Gospel (Romans 10:15); the “he” of (Isaiah 52) is changed to “them” in Romans 10. And Paul is quoting this Old Testament prophecy about Jesus to prove that we are all “sent” to preach the Gospel. The validity of our commission to preach is quite simply that Jesus Himself preached; in this way we are all personally “sent” to preach, simply because He was sent to preach. As the Father sent Him, so He sends us.  We should be ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20) and we should show the world that we are united in that one Body of Christ. Jesus prays that they would remain unified, “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” With Jesus’ prayer as a foundation for understanding the nature of the church we see that the Church finds itself in the world, yet set apart and unified.

We as brothers and sisters in Christ do have to be unified if we desire to have an effective witness in the world and to build a true church of Christ. We can not be monads or private disciples going our own way, out of love for our fellow believers we do have to share the love of Christ and our own love with the whole community.

We need to speak out against the suburban value of extreme individualism and call Christians back to community. We should prepare the ground, fertilise the field, and plant Bible based structures.

We need to deconstruct the value of consumerism in a way that leads instead to sacrificial living and we need to understand how our individualism and consumerism lead us to neglect the hurting and needy people in our neighborhoods and cities. We cannot stay together in a closed or isolated cocoon. It can help everybody if we can move from an individualized witness to a more robust and powerful communal witness.

Jesus was not about sending his disciples out by themselves into their individualized world to “share the gospel” so that people could “go to heaven when they die.” Rather, he was sending them out to be a communal, public witness to the Kingdom that he was announcing and inaugurating. We need a Church that rejects the lone ranger mentality and lives in sacrificial and compassionate community.

(Based on ideas from Todd Hiestand and Duncan Heaster)

Belief of the things that God has promised

Faith

"The first step along the way of life, ... , is belief of the things that God has promised. This is enjoined by Jesus when he gave his last commission to the apostles: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be condemned " (Mark 16:15, 16). "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:18-20). When men are so "taught" by the word of God, they manifest faith in the things He has promised. Without this faith men are not well pleasing to God (Heb. 11:6). In support of their teaching the Apostles turn to the Old Testament to find in Abraham an outstanding illustration of the way to secure God's approval. "Abraham believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness" (Gen. 15:6). The whole of the fourth chapter of Romans is devoted to unfolding the implication of this statement; and at the end of the chapter Paul declares that it was "not written for Abraham's sake alone, but for us also, to whom righteousness shall be imputed, if we believe on God" (Rom. 4:23, 24). "The gospel is the power of God unto salvation", but it is ineffective unless it is believed; so Paul adds "to everyone that believeth" (Rom. 1:16)

In Acts, Chapter 10, we read of a centurion, Cornelius, described as a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, devoted to almsgiving and to prayer, who was told by the angel of God to send men to Joppa for Peter: "he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do" (Acts 10:6). As we think of the exemplary character of the man, judged by human standards, we might wonder what he lacked to be approved of God. His devoutness and goodness in themselves were evidently not sufficient. The phrase, "What thou oughtest to do", has the authoritative ring of a divine imperative. With the angel's assurance that he "shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved" (11:14). Cornelius accordingly sent for Peter. When Peter arrived, Cornelius informed him: "We are all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God" (10:33). Peter then recounted the work of Jesus, showed that it was witnessed by the writings of the goodness and declared that "whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins" (verse 43).

When a person "believes" or has "faith" in the Bible sense, he is fully persuaded of the truth of those things which are taught in the Scriptures. Belief is based on knowledge -- in the absence of knowledge there is no true faith: and Paul makes the emphatic declaration, truly reasonable when all the facts are considered, that without faith it is impossible to please God; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Heb. 11:6). To believe He is "a rewarder" presupposes an understanding of those "exceeding great and precious promises by which we might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:4). "Ye are saved by grace through faith" (Eph. 2:8); for, in the words of both Old and New Testaments, "the just shall live by faith"."

- John Carter
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God's Way
Chapter 10
The Way of Life
Part I - God's Conditions

Dutch translation / Nederlandse vertaling > Overtuiging voor de dingen die God beloofde

Gospelmaand

Decembermaand: gospelmaand

In de maand december staat het themakanaal Spirit 24 volop in het teken van gospelmuziek. Het kanaal zendt niet alleen het Gospelfestival Amsterdam 2009 uit, maar ook Gospel Challenge; een soort idols waarin gezocht wordt naar goede gospelartiesten voor het festival.

Van maandag 28 tot en met woensdag 30 december zijn de voorrondes en de finale van Gospel Challenge te zien. Hierin strijden gospelartiesten (koren, maar ook bands en solo-artiesten) om een felbegeerd optreden op het festival. Spirit 24 zendt het festival zelf uit op 31 december.

Terwijl het bij idols vaak om live-uitzendingen gaat, vindt het Gospelfestival Amsterdam 2009 al vandaag op 2 december plaats in Paradiso. Het festival wordt op 5 januari ook op Nederland 2 uitgezonden.

Het themakanaal Spirit 24 is dé levensbeschouwelijke themazender van Nederland. Het is een samenwerking van 12 levensbeschouwelijke omroepen (KRO RKK, EO, IKON, Joodse Omroep, ZvK, NMO, NIO, OHM, BOS, HUMAN en de NCRV).

Bron: IKON

Do Christians need to read the Old Testament

This  month's survey question:
Do Christians need to read the Old Testament?

Is information about Jesus Christ not confined to the New Testament?

Possible  answers:

• - Christians don't need to read anything!
• Can they then just take any book from the Bible to choose to read, and then form an understanding?
• - The Old Testament is irrelevant to Christianity.
• In many denominations they find it essentially mainly to read the New Testament, where the emphasis is put on the Gospels.
• - It is impossible to understand the New Testament apart from the Old Testament.
• - The Old Testament is useful but not necessary.
• Some behold the Old Testament as a full book that could be read but which is not really necessary to understand Jesus and to see how we can enter the Kingdom of God.
• - Don't know.

Decide on your answer and post it at www.thisisyourbible.com

Read also : Christ in the Old Testament

Seeing the world through the lens of his own experience

"Everyone sees the world through the lens of his own experience. We perceive our world from a particular time and cultural background. It is easy to assume that Jesus and his disciples were much like ourselves. In our movies about Jesus he is often portrayed as a "hippie" with blond hair and blue eyes. It is not as easy to see Jesus as a homely, middle eastern Jewish rabbi who spoke Hebrew and went by the name "Yashua Ben Yoseph".

If we want to understand Jesus and his message in its original context we have to try to understand the world from his point of view. The most natural assumption in the world is that we put ourselves in the mindset of a first century Jew. If we read the Gospel from this perspective, does the message change? An intellectualized Gospel of the 20th century North American or a Social Justice Gospel which resonates so well in Third World today may miss the message found in a 1st century story of a Jewish Messiah.

Long ago, God chose a special people for himself. He promised Abraham and his descendants that through them would come a redeemer who would bless all nations. So it was that Israel looked forward to the coming Messiah (anointed one). Jesus was very clear in regard to the spiritual authority God had bestowed upon the Jews. We see this in his remark to the Samaritan woman in John 3:22. The Samaritans worshipped the God of Abraham too, but they worshipped him according to their own standards.

Jesus said:

"You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews." John 3:22

The Gospel has become many things in the name of "spirit and truth" (John 3:23) yet God chose to bring forth salvation from within a Jewish context. Jesus cannot be properly understood apart from Old Testament Judaism.

Despite this reality, the Christian world has generally abandoned the Jewish context in which the Gospel was born. Gentile believers, in a reaction against Jewish "traditionalism", commonly discard all things Jewish as obsolete. As a result, Christian traditions have replaced the old Jewish ones.

Over the centuries, the Church developed a version of faith which accommodated its own cultural expressions. This is most readily illustrated by noting the many pagan practices that have been "christianized" and assimilated into our faith experience. It is just as revealing to note how little Jewish tradition was adopted. These "new" traditions are now so embedded we can hardly imagine Christianity without them. Imagine trying to live without Christmas or Easter, both pagan in origin, now fundamental centerpieces of the Christian experience.

There has been a paradigm shift from a Middle Eastern Jewish Messiah to a Western Greco-Roman Christ. So much so, in fact, that Christianity today bears little resemblance to the religion Jesus participated in on the earth. In the minds of most Christians, Judaism may as well be a different religion altogether.

I will suggest that Judaism is not a "different" religion. Rather, Christianity and Judaism are two perspectives of One God. Christianity is no more complete without its Jewish heritage than Judaism is without the Messiah. We may not be comfortable with accepting that Jesus and his disciples were all proud Jews, but I firmly believe it is in our interest to do so.

It is good to remember that the foundation for "Jewish" culture was established directly by God himself. Judaism is the original backdrop of the Gospel story. The Jewish Torah is our own beloved Christian Old Testament. Our God is One, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Christians should take pride in the fact that this Jewish heritage as it is ours as well. Even we Gentiles have a just spiritual claim to all things promised to the Jew through Jesus our Messiah (Christ)."
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GB - The Agora

"This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem (tzit zit) of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'"
Zechariah 8:23

+ About looking throught the lens > If we view the whole world through a lens that is bright

The apostle's method worthy of imitation

From: Daily Heavenly Manna
Whom therefore, ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. Acts 17:23
THE apostle's method is worthy of imitation. All wise people distrust novelty, and incline to say that whatever is valuable has long been. We, like the apostle, should endeavor to show that the true gospel is not a new theology, but the old theology; not a new gospel, but the old gospel,--the one foretold to Abraham;...the one declared by the Lord Jesus Himself and by all His apostles. In proportion as we would show that errors prevail today, which had their origin in the "dark ages", we must show that we are not forging a new theory equally erroneous, but that we have discarded the errors of the dark ages, and have gone back to the first principles and precepts and instructions of the gospel, as announced by the Lord and His authorized representatives, the apostles. Z.'03-29 R3139:4

Related articles

• Will I have this courage when the time comes?
• The Apostles Wrote the Gospels as Eyewitness Accounts
• Eternal Security is Another Gospel
• Be the Gospel - Acts 26:27-29
• Steven 4/23
• Prove It

Misleading Pictures

"More modern ideas present Jesus in a different way. He is the champion of the vagrants, the leader of reactionaries. This too is misleading. Jesus did not come with a social gospel. He was not a superstar. He came to show people a better way.

It is his strength of purpose more than his physique or his manner that we should admire. It is the fortitude with which he met scorn and ridicule. It is the way in which, unflinchingly, he faced the cross. The prophets had foretold his suffering. Yet his determination never wavered.

Even quite early in his ministry, Jesus had experienced rejection. He had visited Nazareth. At first he had received an enthusiastic reception. People had heard of his teaching and miracles. Men like to be associated with a hero. They welcomed him and pressed home the fact that he had grown up in their town.

As Jesus began to talk, they were pleasantly surprised by his words. When, however, he began to say that they would be unwilling to receive his teaching, they changed. They quickly became opposed. When he showed that God had turned to the Gentiles in the past, they became angry.

Jesus said that they would use a proverb against him. It was "Physician, heal yourself!". They led him out to the top of the hill on which Nazareth was built. They had intended to throw him over as they did with criminals. Jesus, however, escaped. His words were prophetic though. At the cross they threw those words back at him. "He saved others; himself he cannot save." In effect they were repeating the proverb, Saviour, save thyself.

Despite the experience of Nazareth, Jesus did not turn away from Jerusalem. Luke's gospel shows that he "steadfastly set his face" to go there. It is this courage and determination that makes the picture of a pale and sickly figure so unsuitable. It is his isolation from the crowd that makes the idea of a hero of the masses so untrue.

Yet there was much more to the Lord than strong resolution only. People came to him with different needs. Whatever their need was, it was met and answered in Jesus. No-one ever came to the Lord and found him too busy. None was ever asked to make an appointment or turned away."
--------------------------
Brother John S. Roberts
The Bible, the Lord Jesus and You

Let me keep to "first importance" things

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.

1 Corinthians 15:3-5, New International Version

---

    Some things are "first importance" things. They lie at the heart of the matter and are central to the issue at hand. For us as Christians, we don't have to doubt what those "first importance" things are. The Gospel of our salvation is built on one simple foundation: Jesus died, Jesus was buried, Jesus rose from the grave, and Jesus appeared to his disciples who were never the same after witnessing their resurrected Saviour. Let's not let anyone distract us from these core truths or crowd out their simplicity with other matters they may claim to be essential. Our salvation is rooted in our faith and our participation in this simple, yet powerful Gospel.

    Dear God, I confess my faith in your work for me in Jesus. I believe that your Son and my Saviour, Jesus, was crucified by wicked men just as you had said long ago in your Word. I believe his dead and lifeless body was placed in the tomb. I believe that on the third day, you brought him back to life, just as you promised. I believe that those most destroyed by his death, those who knew him best, saw him alive again. I believe their lives were never the same. I believe, dear Father, that as I have confessed my faith in Jesus and shared with him in his death, burial, and resurrection through baptism that my life is caught up with him in your salvation and victory over death. I praise you for this grace. I thank you for this assurance. I look forward to sharing in your glory when he returns for me. Thank you for my salvation, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Laat mij kiezen voor eerste-belang-dingen

+++

2013 update:

Related articles

• Can a Christian lose Salvation?
• He Chose You To Recieve His Gift
• What is the Gospel and Why Do We Need It?

The Most Reliable English Bible

This month, Christadelphian Waymark magazine has a special issue focussing on the topic of Bible Translations, and which is "The Most Reliable English Bible"

 

Introduction

The New Testament

Roman Catholic Involvement

The "Recieved" Text

The Gospel was Preached in All the World

Paraphrases and Translations

The Old Testament

What is the Basis for New Translations

References

A Living Faith #4 Effort

A LIVING FAITH IN ACTION

Effort

Prev. > A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action 

Faith and works are inseparable; salvation requires both elements to be present and neither of these elements will be achieved without making an effort to overcome the natural tendencies of human nature. It takes an effort to learn and put into practice the Commandments of Christ.

However, although effort is required on our part, non-the-less faith and its works will not be achieved by personal strength. Trust and faith in the Lord Jesus comes first. It is only by remaining firmly rooted and grounded in him that faith will grow and produce works. Paul writes:

“For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” Colossians 2:5-8

Firstly Paul speaks of remaining steadfast in faith. Life will throw many temptations, trials and difficulties in the path of all who truly seek to follow the Lord Jesus.  There will be times when these temptations and trials may feel overwhelming and maybe even insurmountable. Possibly there will be even times when the thought comes, ‘why me’? Nobody is unique in having this experience, for it will be something that all who diligently seek the Lord Jesus and strive to follow him will maybe feel. What really counts is how we respond to these trials and moments of weakness.

Now one option is to think that the path and effort needed is too much. Faith wavers, trust decreases which then leads to an attitude of ‘live for today, for tomorrow we die’.  Another option is giving way to despair; a longing for salvation may remain, but a deep abiding feeling of personal sin and unworthiness, hangs like a black cloud overhead. This may lead to an attitude of ‘I have done so much wrong, sin feels overwhelming, and therefore I must have failed’.  However, there is a third option, the one that fights despondency and puts faith into action. 

So, how can we put faith into action? Well in the quote from Colossians Ch.2 Paul continues by exhorting believers to walk in Christ, being rooted in him and established in faith. If we ‘walk in Christ’ then in effect we will obey and follow His Commandments. Faith does not give up, rather faith acknowledges personal failure and inabilities, it perseveres and remains in Christ.  Faith does not surrender to despair, but continues to be active:

Ø  A living faith trusts and has hope.

Ø  A living faith confesses sin, repents and endures.

Ø  A living faith realises that Yahweh has in Jesus provided the means of reconciliation and paved the way for mercy and forgiveness.

Apart from Christ we are and can do nothing. But through him all things are possible for as Jesus said “all things are possible to him who believes." Remember the allegory that Jesus used when he described himself in these words:  ‘I am the true vine’. Jesus is the root stock that nourishes the whole vine, thus he continued:

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5

Without Christ we are powerless and without hope. However, if we remain in him then despite our weaknesses, despite our failures and despite our personal sense of sin, we will ultimately bear fruit. We will produce the works of faith.

Therefore with this in mind, we must take to heart the third point from the quote in Colossians Ch. 2 where Paul warns against being led astray by what he terms ‘empty deceit’ and the ‘traditions of men’. There is only one Truth, only one path, only one Lord. Did not Jesus say: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

Salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to the one true Gospel message. Paul warned the early disciples saying “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another” Gal 1:6. The same message applies equally as much in this age:

F There is no other gospel, no other path to salvation than that clearly shown in scripture.

F We know, believe and obey the one gospel message or we do not. There is no middle ground, no alternative way.

F Only if we walk according to the Word can we have fellowship

F We must avoid those things and people that could lead us astray

Thus again Paul writes:

“I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you” 1Cor 15:1-2

Only if we receive the Word of Truth and stand firm by making the effort to “hold fast the pattern of sound words … in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (2Tim1:13) will faith be something living and active in our lives.

Without daily exercise and the correct diet the body soon becomes flabby and out of condition.  Likewise without exercising faith and having a well balanced scriptural diet, we become spiritually flabby and spiritually out of condition. In its extreme lack of physical exercise and poor diet leads to obesity and premature death.  In a similar way, unless we make the effort to feed on the Word and grow spiritually, faith will die! Now Paul exhorts:

“…exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” 1 Tim 4:7-8

So once again we see that it is a matter of character development and having the right attitude of mind. Effort and exercise in spiritual matters is the beginning of exhibiting the works of a living faith.  Paul sums up some of these works saying:

“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;  not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;  rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.” Romans 12:10-12

Note those active words, denoting effort and describing some attributes of a living faith:

Ø  Diligence

Ø  Fervent

Ø  Patient

Ø  Steadfast

Ø  and the implied humility and selflessness.

If the effort is made to acquire these attributes then we will indeed rejoice in hope, for our eyes will be focussed upon the Lord Jesus Christ. The wisdom of Solomon gives the final word:

“diligence is man’s precious possession”… ..“A wise son heeds his father’s instruction” Proverbs 12:27; 13:1

Are you wise? Are you heeding Yahweh and obeying His instruction?  Are you making the effort to develop a living faith?

To be continued …….A Living Faith #5 Perseverance

Andy Peel

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In this series:
A Living Faith #1 Substance of things hoped for
A living faith #2 State of your faith
A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
A Living Faith #4 Effort
A Living Faith #5 Perseverance
A Living Faith #6 Sacrifice
A Living faith #7 Prayer
A Living Faith #8 Change
A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life
A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2
A Living Faith #11 My place in the body of Christ and my ecclesia
A Living Faith #12 The Love for Jesus


+++
2016 January update

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• 12-14-2015 No Bible Myths
• Scripture of the Day, 12/16
• The War on Christ
• The Messiah in the Manger
• Christ as Burnt Offering
• The Reason to Rejoice: The Mercy of God
• A Song and a Prayer
• The Thing About Spiritual Gifts Pt. 2
• Your Word for This Day: Jesus is ...Truth
• (Usus Antiquior) Fourth Sunday of Advent (I Classis) - Sunday, 20 December 2015 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

"What is the Gospel?" in the Rai / Dhanwar language

We've just received the translation of "What is the Gospel?" in the Rai / Dhanwar language from our new brother in the mountains of Eastern Nepal whose baptism we recorded in a recent Carelink. It's online at http://www.carelinks.net/doc/gospel-dh . There is hardly any Christian literature of any sort in this language! According to one website, "Rai have neither the Bible nor the Jesus film in their language. Currently, there are no missions agencies targeting them. There are only 22 known believers among them"- from http://www.prayway.com/unreached/peoplegroups1/2040.html  . So the true Gospel is now spreading here... all so exciting!

Fellowship

"FELLOWSHIP is an important Bible word. It is particularly prominent in the New Testament. Fellowship means sharing, partaking and having in common. The word is translated in all of those ways as the following, fully representative selection of passages will indicate:

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized ... and they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:41-42)

"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:3)

"God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:9)

"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? for we being many are one bread and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread." (1 Corinthians 10:16-17)

"If there is any ... participation in the Spirit ... complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind." (Philippians 2:1, R.S.V.)

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14)

"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth but if we walk in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:6-7)

"That I may know him (Christ) and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:10, 11, R.S.V.)

"And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased ..." (Hebrews 13:16, N.I.V.)

"Command those who are rich ... to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." (1 Timothy 6:17, 18, N.I.V.)

"Our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation." (2 Corinthians 1:7)

"I (Peter) ... am ... a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed ..." (1 Peter 5:1)

"He has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4, R.S.V.)

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14, R.V.)

From the foregoing it will be seen that fellowship has many elements. Some parts seem to be the foundation for the others. Let us set out these different parts under the headings of foundations and life:

Foundations

The apostles and their teaching
The promises of God
The forgiveness of sins and the blood of Jesus Christ

Life

The Body of Believers
The Breaking of Bread (Communion)
The Unity of believers in love, purpose and mind
The life of the individual believer in association with Christ
Living close to the Father and the Son

In addition to these two parts, there is the promise of ultimately sharing the divine nature by being blessed with immortality.

Fellowship becomes a very practical and living thing when based on these principles. It embraces all that it means to be a disciple
Discipleship is fellowship.

Let us suppose that someone outside this fellowship came alone and asked how he might share it. What would the answer be? We could at once assure him that such fellowship is possible for anyone, because the way has been made known for us in the Bible.
We could say also that it is not a mysterious process by which we wait for God to impart something to us from heaven. Some people have burdened themselves with this latter notion, and have waited for God to act directly upon them. This is not the process described in any of the verses we have quoted. Fellowship is made possible through the Word of God.

To be specific, the way to fellowship is through the apostles' doctrine or teaching. This teaching is the challenge to our existing fellowship outside Christ. When we learn of the great and precious promises of God made certain by the sacrifice of Christ, the moment of choice comes along sooner or later. Am I to remain walking in darkness in fellowship with the world? Am I to stay in the fellowship of death? Or, shall I step into the light in response to the call of the Gospel, and come to the new fellowship in Christ?
Fellowship comes by enlightenment and belief, by repentance and baptism, and by commitment to the new way of life. In this way the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin and we enter into the fellowship of God and His Son. We share the apostles' doctrine and the hope which they proclaimed.

The believer's fellowship is both inclusive and exclusive. He does not choose his companions in the fellowship; they are chosen by the very process which brought him into a relationship with God. There can be no artificial barriers of sex, colour, race, class or caste. All who hold the same faith in truth and submit to its discipline by baptism share a common heritage. They are members of the commonwealth of Israel and have a common hope.
The Lord makes believers one in him:

"There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female: for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28, R.V.)

"There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Ephesians 4:4-6)

From these declarations, it follows that there should be one united Christian community throughout the world. Throughout history this unity has suffered from the ravages of false doctrine and the human lust for power over one's fellow men. This evil was already at work or threatened in New Testament times:

"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers ... and all that believed were together, and had all things common ... and they, continuing daily with one accord ... did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God." (Acts 2:42-47)

"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement. For it hath been declared unto me ... that there are contentions among you." (1 Corinthians 1:10-11)

"But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?" (1 Corinthians 15:12, N.I.V.)

"Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character. 'Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God ­ I say this to your shame." (1 Corinthians 15:33-34, N.I.V.)

"For I (Paul) know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." (Acts 20:29-30)

"I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different gospel; which is not another gospel: only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-7, R.V.)

"For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ ..." (Philippians 3:18)

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (1 John 2:19)"

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Brother Harry Tennant
Fellowship
The Christadelphians - What they Believe and Preach

Walking in love by faith, not by sight

“whom having not seen, you love; in whom not yet seeing, but believing, you exult with unspeakable and having been glorified,” (1Pe 1:8 LIT)

 “(for we walk by faith, not by sight),” (2Co 5:7 LIT)

 “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1Jo 4:19 LIT)

 “And we have known and have believed the love which God has in us. God is love, and the one abiding in love abides in God, and God in him.” (1Jo 4:16 LIT)

 “in whom also you, hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also believing you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,” (Eph 1:13 LIT)

 “to whom God willed to make known what [are] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, who is Christ in you, the hope of glory;” (Col 1:27 LIT)

 “If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar. For the [one] not loving his brother whom he has seen, how is he able to love God whom he has not seen?” (1Jo 4:20 LIT)

 “Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, you have believed. Blessed [are] the ones not seeing and believing.” (Joh 20:29 LIT)

 “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish [from] the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Oh the blessings of all those who flee to Him for refuge!” (Ps 2:12 LIT)

Dutch version > Liefde door geloof zonder te zien

Gospel = Good tidings, good news, a good message

No one of intelligence will dispute the meaning of the word “Gospel;” it signifies “good tidings,” good news, — a good message. Nevertheless, often what many consider “a real gospel sermon” is understood to signify bad tidings — tidings of eternal misery to the great mass of our race — to all except the little flock of God’s faithful people who respond to a “gospel” of accepting Jesus or spending eternity in miserable suffering. As a consequence the preacher of a “gospel sermon” is expected to figuratively shake the congregation over an abyss of everlasting torture, making as strong an effort as possible to intimidate them thereby to a thorough reformation of life, in hope of thus escaping an awful eternity.

 - Restoration Light

Read more >The True Gospel

• The Roman Catholic faithgospel
• The Calvinistic Gospel (Calvinsists, Presbyterian, Congregationalists, Baptists, and many Lutherans and Episcopalians).
• The Arminian Gospel (Methodists, Free-Will Baptists)
• The true Gospel, Gospel of blessing to all the people (gospel of peace,gentleness, patience, meekness)

Quote: All that ever went before our Lord’s preaching was not the Gospel, but merely types and promises which foreshadowed it.