Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Catching The Fire
Catching The Fire
DON FLEMING
BRIDGEWAY
Printed in Australia
CONTENTS
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Preface
Catching the fire
Evangelists, pastors and teachers
A simple message
Mission in the 1960s
Types and shadows
Imitators
The free thinkers
Faith, hardship and growth
Alexandria, city of the learned
A king-priest
To fear . . . and to deny
Living among Buddhists
Understanding Gods kingdom
What did Job learn?
Caleb the leader
Worldwide opportunity
Who are Gods true people?
Religious freedom
Sheep, shepherds and wolves
Guidelines from the Hebrew law-code
Debtors and creditors
Coping with materialism
Full-bodied mission
Television culture
Too easily satisfied
Generosity that upsets
Come and get it
The priesthood of believers
One call, many directions
Some thoughts about heaven
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9
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32
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37
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61
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Preface
The initial urge to publish these articles came from talks I
gave at a convention aimed at challenging Western Christians to
catch the fire of the vibrant Christianity found in many nonWestern countries. The convenors of the conference, held in
New Zealand, then published an amalgam of my opening and
closing talks in a booklet they circulated around their country.
The contents of that booklet are now made available to a wider
audience by becoming the opening chapter in this book.
After this lengthy opening chapter are many shorter chapters,
for the book is a collection of articles, much in the style of my
earlier collection, Making Sense. That book brought together
fifty articles written for magazines, journals and other
publications in over thirty years, but because of restrictions on
the size of the book, many articles had to be left out. Some of
those are now included in this current book, along with articles
published in more recent years.
In general, this book does not repeat material found in my
Bridgeway Bible Commentary, Bridgeway Bible Dictionary and
other published books. The articles collected here vary in their
subject matter as much as in their style and length, depending on
the kind of publication they were written for. But all articles
have had some updating from the originals, and those from
Thailand, which were first written in Thai, have been rewritten
here in English. Whatever their origins, these articles are
presented with the prayer that, in a world of increasing confusion
and darkness, Christians might catch the fire that awakens
enthusiasm and gives confidence to face life positively.
Don Fleming
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he had got to October and had only just planted his second
church for the year. He, like a number of his colleagues, had set
himself the goal to plant a number of churches each year (in his
case, three) and he was feeling a touch of failure.
1. Convenience
Perhaps the greatest obstacle that our Western way of life
puts in the way of Christian discipleship is convenience. Our
way of life gives us a secure and comfortable existence, with all
sorts of benefits and plenty of money to maintain them. But
unconsciously, most Christians have now drifted into a mindset
where if a thing is not convenient, that is sufficient reason not to
do it. They have become used to the notion of choice in just
about everything, but in the process have forgotten that Jesus did
not give his followers a range of choices. He called people to
self-denial, not self-pleasing; to self-sacrifice, not self-fulfilment.
That was the way he lived, and true followers should expect
nothing different.
Christians have no right to convenience. We sometimes
speak of our Western standard of living as if it is our Christian
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2. Prayer
Across the Western world, prayer is in decline, collectively
and privately. Church activities seem to give less time to prayer,
and for many Christians private prayer has disappeared as a
natural yet disciplined part of daily life. There is little, if any,
passion for prayer.
In many non-Western countries, by contrast, prayer seems to
be at the heart of everything they do. Whereas we often relegate
prayer to private devotions or opening and closing procedures at
Christian meetings, they make it their main priority. A man in
one African country put it well when he said to me, If you
people in the West plan a conference, you maybe spend fifty
minutes planning and ten minutes praying. We spend ten minutes
planning and fifty minutes praying. At times their lack of
planning and our lack of praying are seen in the results much
blessing out of chaos in one case; sterility out of good planning
in the other.
Christians throughout the countries of my travels seem to
practise fasting along with praying not always, but often
enough for it to be a fairly common practice. In two countries,
one where I was teaching at a Bible school and the other at the
headquarters of a local mission, I was told that because the next
day was to be their day of prayer and fasting, they had made
arrangements for someone to bring my meals. They did not want
to impose their obligation on the visitor. They were very
gracious about this, but the thing that impressed was this regular
practice, in one case weekly and the other monthly, to a day of
prayer and fasting. (The outcome of their offer was that while I
was grateful for their thoughtfulness, I insisted that I be part of
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5. Walking by faith
Our well organised society means that, on the whole, life is
fairly easy for us. Only a handful of the worlds two hundred or
more countries enjoy the sorts of benefits we enjoy. But the
things that help us in daily living do not always help us
spiritually. This does not mean we should resist improvements in
living standards, but it does mean we should not allow our
improved living standards to squeeze God out. Our welfare
system, for example, has so many safety nets that no matter what
our circumstances sickness, age, unemployment, disability
we have a welfare provision to help us through. That is fine, but
in the process we too easily trust in the system and too easily
forget God.
In countries of Africa, I hear Christians say things like,
Prayer is the only way we get through. If we have a conference,
we have to pray that the electricity will stay on. If we post a
letter, we have to pray that it will reach its destination. If we
want to travel to another town, we have to pray for the money to
pay the bus fare. When we get on the bus, we have to pray that it
will arrive at the other end without being held up by robbers.
We should not need conditions like those to make us pray,
but the reality is that for most of us we rarely pray those prayers,
because we do not feel the need. When we pray the prayer, Give
us this day our daily bread, we rarely mean it literally, because
we already have our daily bread in the fridge and if it is not in
the fridge, we have the money to go and buy it at the nearest
shop. For perhaps the majority of Christians in the world today,
that prayer is one they mean literally.
For many Christians in the West, if hypothetically God
ceased to exist, it would make little difference to the way they
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7. Giving
One feature of the growing church in the non-Western world
is the giving of Christians. Everyone seems to tithe. This is not
necessarily the case in some areas where traditional missionary
practices are still dominant. A submissive church is less inclined
to take the initiative; a dependent church is less likely to see the
need for sacrificial giving. But among the new generation of
churches, Christians have a much greater awareness of personal
responsibility to give, and to give sacrificially.
Examples of sacrificial giving are so numerous that I dare
not digress here to recount them. But one thing I have observed
is that the more money people have, the less likely they are to
tithe. I use tithe not as a figure that is locked in as a fixed
percentage for everyone regardless of financial status, though it
is a proportionate calculation nevertheless. One would expect
that the higher the income, the higher the percentage, but in
practice the opposite seems to be the case. Those in poor
countries have meagre incomes but seem to give a generous
percentage, whereas those in rich countries have generous
incomes but seem to give a meagre percentage.
The outstanding exception among the wealthy
Singapore. In an index I saw recently that listed
countries according to per capita Christian giving,
figure was almost twice that of the next country
countries is
the top ten
Singapores
on the list.
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8. Hospitality
As we in the West have become more affluent we have
become more self-sufficient, and as we become more selfsufficient we become less hospitable. Our Western individualism
militates against concern for others, one result of which is that
hospitality has become a dying grace in the West. It may seem
strange to some that I list hospitality among the blockages to
blessing in the Western church, but a lack of hospitality is
usually one symptom of a sick church. Christians who show
hospitality within the church are thereby practising the sort of
love and care that members of the church are to have for each
other. Christians who show hospitality to those outside the
church are thereby practising love to their neighbours and
opening the way to evangelise them.
I could spend much time recounting examples of hospitality
I have received from poor people in poor countries. But these
Christians are also hospitable to their non-Christian neighbours
and that is how many have been brought to Christ. The poor look
after each other that is the only way they survive. The rich do
not need to look after anyone, because they are already selfsufficient and their survival is not at risk.
These examples show why Christians in the West find it hard
to understand the sort of self-sacrificing discipleship Jesus
taught. Our society has blinded us to our deficiencies. The lives
of believers in poor countries should challenge us to take strong
action to change our lifestyle. Everything within our culture
directs us to more and more self-sufficiency and in the process
takes us further from the sort of life Jesus requires of us.
9. Personal ambition
The drive for achievement is so intense in our society that
most Christians no longer take seriously the demands Jesus
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Time to change
The church in the West is in crisis and clearly we have to do
something. That may be hard, but somehow each of us has to
make the effort to change the way we think and act. This will not
happen by itself. We never drift into good habits and no one can
make the tough decisions for us. But before we can make the
tough decisions we have to acknowledge our need. We have to
admit that the Western church is spiritually sick, and all of us
who are part of that church are to a greater or lesser degree
affected by the sickness.
In many ways the Western church is like the church that the
risen Jesus addressed in Laodicea. Like the Laodiceans, we are
neither hot nor cold. We are good, respectable, middle class
citizens, but we have not caught the fire. Some of us even think
that we in the West are Gods favourites; because, after all, we
are rich, we are prosperous and, physically speaking, we have
need of nothing. These are the things that impress us and we
think they are the things that impress God. When Jesus begins to
speak, we are in for a shock.
Jesus says, in effect, You make me sick. You make me want
to throw up. You think you are great and prosperous, but I think
you are wretched and to be pitied. You think you are
sophisticated in all your fancy finery, but from my point of view
youre in the nude. Disgusting! Youll have to repent, and that is
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not going to be easy. But if you want to be rich and really well
dressed, youll have to get everything from me. Youll have to
be like the Jews in Philadelphia, who were forced to admit that
they were no longer Gods favourites and had to come and fall at
the feet of the Philadelphians and learn that I have loved them
thats right, Turks, of all people; or Nigerians, Ethiopians,
Indians, Chinese or Brazilians, if you wish.
If you can learn from them and get the right things from
me, Jesus goes on to say, there is hope for you. I am standing at
the door, waiting. Is anyone among you going to invite me in?
Be assured, those who make the radical change I demand will
not be disappointed. On the contrary, they will be conquerors,
and because they choose to share my kind of life in the present
world, they will share my kind of victory in the world to come. If
you have an ear, take heed before its too late.
From Catching the Fire (New Zealand, 2006)
Evangelists
The words evangelist and gospel come from the same
Greek word. An evangelist is one who announces the gospel, or
good news. The noun evangelist occurs only three times in the
New Testament, but the verb forms occur frequently. They are
translated by expressions such as preaching the gospel or
announcing the gospel.
Although every Christian has a responsibility to make known
the good news of Jesus Christ to others, certain Christians have
been specially equipped by God to carry out this task more
effectively and over a wider area. The chief concern of the early
evangelists was to proclaim the good news to those who had not
heard it and to establish churches that would then carry on the
work. Yet Pauls instruction to Timothy to do the work of an
evangelist shows that established churches also could benefit
from having an evangelist. In every place it is necessary to keep
making known the gospel. Where this is lacking, the church can
too easily become complacent, ingrown and weak.
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A wider ministry
Because the Bible speaks of a variety of spiritual gifts and
uses a variety of words to refer to people and positions in the
church, we should not to be too rigid in classifying people and
their functions. If we seek the Bibles guidance, we must accept
the Bibles flexibility. Although the Bible speaks of apostles,
prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, it also recognises
considerable overlapping between their functions. Some people
combined within themselves several gifts; for example, Paul
(Rom 15:20; 1 Tim 2:7), Silas (Acts 15:32; 17:10-11) and
Timothy (1 Tim 4:13-16; 2 Tim 4:5).
Likewise preaching the gospel and teaching the Scriptures
are so closely related that at times there seems to be little
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A simple message
Chapters 28-32 of Isaiah deal with the era of Hezekiah, king
of Judea, which was the southern part of the divided Israelite
kingdom. The northern part, still called Israel, had recently been
conquered by Assyria and its people taken captive to distant
lands. Assyria, in demonstration of its growing power, then
began demanding money from Judah as a kind of tax or tribute.
For a time Judah submitted, but when Hezekiah decided to resist
Assyria by refusing to pay any more taxes, Assyria launched a
military attack against Judah.
Hezekiah was a godly man and brought about many social
and religious reforms in Judah. His weakness was that he
became so anti-Assyrian that was tempted to join an alliance
with any nation that was also anti-Assyrian. The prophet Isaiah,
a close adviser to Hezekiah, opposed any alliance with foreign
nations. He preached Gods straightforward and uncomplicated
message that if the people of Judah, king and ordinary citizens
alike, remained true to God and trusted in him, they would have
victory. There was no need to trust in foreign alliances.
The citizens of Judah became annoyed at Isaiahs persistent
preaching about trusting in God instead of in political schemes,
and indignantly asked him if he thought he was teaching
children. Who does he think he is teaching babies? (Isa 28:9).
For years Isaiah had been issuing them with blunt one-line
statements: Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean. Cease to
do evil; learn to do good. Correct oppression; defend the
fatherless. If you dont believe, you wont be secure. By faith
youll be saved. In trust youll have strength (Isa 1:16-17; 7:9;
30:15). They were tired of hearing this same message over and
over (Isa 28:10).
Isaiah responded that if they refused to listen to these clear
and simple words, God would speak to them in a different
language, one whose words they would not understand. He was
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A simple message
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Missionaries
When Gae and I arrived in Thailand, we were only the
seventh missionary couple from Christian Assemblies around
the world. The seven couples (or families) were scattered around
different regions. We were the only ones in Bangkok, and the
other six couples were spread over four provinces of southern
Thailand. As a group, we inherited no mission structure and no
property such as might be found in some former British colonies.
Each of us just rented a house and got on with our work of local
evangelism, discipling and church planting.
Some of the missionaries ran Bible correspondence courses
and others addressed the literacy needs of unreached tribal
groups. Whatever the ministry, all of us spent our energies in
grass-roots ministries, without the distractions that come with
mission property and administration.
The missionaries in our small group came from six countries
and provided plenty of variety in age and outlook. There were
different viewpoints, interpretations and practices in matters that
elsewhere have been known to cause problems, but among us
was a wonderful spirit of love and tolerance. A cynical view
might be that the reason we got on well was that we lived in
different places and saw each other only occasionally, but the
friendships were genuine and have proved to be lasting.
Local Christians
In the 1960s we still had the mentality that saw expatriate
missionaries in a different light from the local Christians, even
though there was much less paternalism in Thailand than in some
other countries. About 700 foreign missionaries were resident in
Thailand in those days. But if ever a matter arose that produced a
difference of view between local Christians and missionaries,
whether our group or the wider missionary community, Gae and
I invariably found ourselves on the side of the locals.
Unlike people from other missions in Bangkok, Gae and I
did not join the missionary fellowships, but found our fellowship
with the local Thai Christians. We were told the expatriate
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A wise teacher
The Bible college was located in Sydney and lecturers were
mainly from Christian Assemblies in Sydney. The lecturer on the
Pentateuch was Tom Carson, who in later years became a good
friend and one with whom I shared many conferences. He was
a most careful Bible scholar and was regarded then as probably
the top Bible teacher in Australian assemblies. He was a gracious
man, so measured and sincere in his speech that most of his
hearers would nod their heads approvingly even when he said
outrageous things. Radical statements were understood to be
orthodox, simply because Tom Carson spoke them.
Sitting under Tom Carsons teaching back in 1959-60 was a
revelation for me, mainly in the attitudes he fostered within us
students. He was among those who taught me to think. He had a
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Some examples
A simple example of this fundamental meaning within the
tabernacle system is found in the high priests clothing. We
should not be trying to find typological significance in all the
details, but trying to find what the details might have meant to
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those for whom the system was designed. In the high priests
clothing, the names of the twelve tribes were inscribed on two
sets of precious stones one set on the breast-piece and the other
on the shoulder pieces. This helped the high priest to remain
constantly aware that when he entered the presence of God, he
was symbolically carrying the entire nation with him. He did not
enter Gods presence merely as one highly privileged individual,
but as the representative of all the people.
The high priests application of the blood was the best he
could do as a cleansing ritual, because that is all it was ritual.
People were saved by grace, through faith, which has always
been the case, whether in Old Testament times, New Testament
times, or today. The rituals did not enable anyone to receive
salvation. Without faith, they were pointless. The blood of an
animal could not take away sin (which should have been obvious
to anyone), but it showed that sin could not be atoned for without
cost. It showed what atonement involved. The point I make is
that we do not honour Christ by trying to embellish the flawed
system of Old Testament times. We honour Christ by
expounding his riches as portrayed in the New Testament. That
is what the book of Hebrews does.
Hebrews talks about the Old Testament system not by
showing how it enhances our view of Christ, but by showing
how ineffectual it was. It belonged to the shadows, not the light,
and something from the shadows cannot illumine something that
is in the full light. The glories of Christ, which shine brightly on
page after page of the New Testament, will not be enhanced by
something coming from the dark. The old system provided an
outline or shadow, and that was helpful so long as the reality had
not arrived, but now that the reality has arrived, nothing is to be
gained by going back to the outline or shadow.
Basic consideration
Whatever part of the Bible I am reading or expounding, Old
Testament or New, I have some basic considerations. At the risk
of over-simplifying, I could say that I am asking myself a few
questions about the part of the Bible being dealt with. Who is
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know, to say them in such a different way that they are startled
not knocked off their chairs, but at least made to see things they
had not thought of before.
Concerning the tabernacle and its associated religious
services, it may help our hearers understand things better if we
start not by spiritualising features but by painting word pictures
that help them see things in their original setting. We start with
the practicalities of the old era rather than leap into the theology
of the new era that has come through Jesus Christ. We see how
the ancient Israelites, following Gods instructions, erected a
structure and followed a system that was suited to pre-Christian
times.
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Imitators
New Christians often copy what they see in older Christians,
and whether they are helped or hindered in this will depend
largely on whether the example they see is good or bad. Paul was
confident enough about his way of life when in Thessalonica that
when he wrote to the new Christians there he said, You know
what kind of men we proved to be among you and You are
witnesses how holy and righteous and blameless was our
behaviour among you (1 Thess 1:5; 2:10). He had been an
example they could well follow.
Christians must be careful, however, not to become
followers of anyone unthinkingly. True, they may be helped by a
good example, but they must remember that not all examples are
good. The only true standard is God, demonstrated in human
form in Jesus Christ.
Paul was well aware of this and when he wrote to these new
Christians he made it clear that as Jesus had suffered at the hands
of his countrymen so would they. Also, they had seen with their
own eyes what Paul suffered in Thessalonica, so when they
accepted his message and believed in Jesus, they knew what to
expect. But no suffering could take away the joy that the living
Christ gave them through his indwelling Spirit. That is why Paul
could say to the Thessalonian believers, You became imitators
of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much
affliction, with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit (1 Thess 1:6).
Whatever encouragement or inspiration Pauls example may
have brought, he reminded these new believers that their
salvation depended not on him, but on God. When you received
the word of God from us, you accepted it not as the word of men
but as what it really is, the word of God which is at work in you
(1 Thess 2:13). If we are upheld in our Christian belief mainly by
the strong personality of some other Christian, our faith is not
firmly based. We could even be heading for trouble.
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Imitators
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does not seem to have made things right for me, Ill follow him.
Their faith is not conditional upon the removal of hardship; it
gives them the strength to bear hardship. A person in a welldeveloped country may have an under-developed faith, while a
person in an under-developed country may have a welldeveloped faith. A baby yells when it cannot get what it wants; a
mature person has learnt to deny self and exercise patience.
Hardship is no setback
In most countries where the church is growing, Christians
are suffering hardship. This may or may not be through the
hostility of religious fanatics or governments (for some countries
are decidedly pro-Christian), but through natural disasters, wars,
famine, poverty, mismanagement or corruption. Hardship can
come through poor health, inadequate housing, lack of good food
and water, or frequent deaths in the family. But, as the Bible
says, Christians in such circumstances often demonstrate that
suffering produces endurance, character and hope. Faith is
proved to be genuine and believers have a greater awareness of
Gods love.
The number of missionaries from these difficult countries is
increasing, but many seem to pick the toughest places to go to. A
Nigerian, speaking to other Nigerians through a local magazine,
wrote, Suffering for Christ and his kingdom is basic to the
Christian faith, especially as it relates to missionary enterprise.
We are in a violent world. If we are to make any headway in the
assignment given us by our Lord Jesus, we must be prepared to
endure suffering, hunger, rejection and even death. So long as we
remain in this world, suffering is helpful to our faith.
In typically robust Nigerian style, the writer concluded, We
should never allow suffering to deter us. Rather it should
stimulate us towards accomplishing great things for God. To a
large extent our attitude is what determines the role that suffering
will play in our walk with God. Should we embrace suffering or
avoid it; ignore it or endure it? The truth is that suffering for
Christ is part of our calling. Rather than dodge it, we should
anticipate situations that will require us boldly to identify
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Scholarly writers
Alexandrias population was a mixture of Egyptian, Greek,
Roman and Jewish people. In such a city it could be expected
that Greek philosophers would be prominent, but a school of
reputable Jewish writers also emerged. From these scholars came
many writings that spread widely among Jews of the preChristian period. But these writings, although highly regarded,
were never accepted into the Old Testament.
A more important contribution from the Jewish scholars in
Alexandria came from a group of seventy men who prepared the
first Greek translation of the Old Testament. This is known as
the Septuagint, often abbreviated as LXX, the Roman letters for
seventy.
The reason for the production of a Greek version of the
Hebrew Old Testament was that the Greek language, through
Alexanders conquests, spread throughout Alexanders empire
and within a short time was its most commonly spoken language.
Although the Septuagint was originally prepared for orthodox
Jews of the pre-Christian era, those who possibly benefited most
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Eloquent speakers
While having a reputation for care in translation, the
Alexandrian school of Jewish Old Testament scholars also had a
reputation for extravagance in interpretation. Many of these men
enjoyed the philosophical atmosphere of Alexandria and, when
expounding the Scriptures, often got carried away with their own
imaginative expositions. Among the general public they were
seen as learned and eloquent speakers and they readily became
popular.
The New Testament mentions the activity of one of these
Alexandrian preachers, a man called Apollos, whose knowledge
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Good outcomes
Apollos apparently continued as a travelling Christian
preacher for many years. Towards the end of Pauls life, Apollos
visited Crete, where another of Pauls fellow-workers, Titus, had
to deal with serious difficulties in the churches. Paul urged Titus
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10
A king-priest
One Bible character who has puzzled and fascinated the
people of God down through the years is the man Melchizedek.
Little is said about him in the Bible, but the few references to
him indicate that he was a man of unusual importance.
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Psalm 110
Although the purpose of this psalm was to celebrate Davids
victory, those for whom he composed it were most likely the
temple singers. David had at last taken Jerusalem and now ruled
as successor to the great Melchizedek. As heir to Melchizedeks
magnificent titles, David was now Jerusalems king-priest (this
priesthood being distinct from the Aaronic priesthood). As ruler
of Salem and Gods representative to his people, David was now
king of peace and priest of the Most High God. It was as if God
had invited David to sit at his right hand, in the place of supreme
power; for if he could conquer Jerusalem, nothing could stop
him conquering all enemies and making them, as it were, his
footstool (v. l).
The singers assured David that God was with him to send
forth his mighty scepter, so that from the hill of Zion David
would rule his people and conquer his foes (v. 2). David was also
assured that his people would offer themselves to him willingly
for the task of spreading his rule throughout Israel and beyond.
An army of young men with the life-giving freshness of dew and
the strength of youth would present themselves to their king.
From the womb of the morning, like dew his youthful ones
would come to him (v. 3).
A king-priest
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To fear
People naturally fear things, events, individuals or power
groups that they see as threatening, as having power to control or
destroy them. In some cases this may be a cowardly fear, but in
others a very healthy fear, amounting to respect or reverence
(Rom 13:3-4). It is in this latter sense that people are to fear
those who have authority over them and, in particular, to fear
God (Lev 19:3; Ps 34:11; Rom 13:3,7; 1 Peter 2:17).
Although sinners have good reason to fear God because of
the punishment that will fall upon them, believers fear God in a
different sense. Their fear is mixed with love for him. Without
having seen Christ, they love him, yet in their hearts they
reverence him as Lord (Deut 6:2,5; 1 Peter 1:8; 3:15). Some
believers might obey God simply because they fear his
punishment, but such obedience displays an immature love. They
should obey God because they love him (1 John 4:17-18; 5:3).
Love for God is at the very heart of the relationship that
Christians have with God. This does not mean, however, that
they are excused from Gods judgment. God still requires
obedience and holiness. God is the almighty Judge as well as the
loving Father, and therefore Christians must have a healthy fear
of him as well as a warm love for him (1 Peter 1:16-17). Such an
attitude towards God guarantees Gods help in living a life that is
pleasing to him and beneficial to the believers themselves. The
Old Testament tells us that the Lord takes pleasure in those who
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fear him (Ps 147:11). The New Testament tells us that he carries
out his purposes in their lives according to his good pleasure
(Phil 2:12-13).
This awareness of Gods activity in the lives of believers
gives them confidence in a life that is full of dangers and
uncertainties. Those who fear the Lord, as well as enjoying his
Word, have confidence amid lifes uncertainties. They do not
fear, even though the earth should change and the mountains
shake in the heart of the seas (Ps 46:2; 112:1,7). If they
reverence Christ as Lord, they will have no fear of those who
attack them, whether physically or through slander and
accusations (1 Peter 3:14-15).
To deny
The New Testament has much to say about denial, both in
the bad sense and in the good. Denial in the bad sense has to do
with openly disowning or rejecting God. Some people deny God
publicly by declaring openly that they no longer belong to him,
or no longer want to be identified with Christ (Matt 10:33;
26:70-72; cf. Acts 3:12-14). This is a temptation to which
Christians are particularly vulnerable in times of persecution.
The risen and victorious Christ therefore gives special
commendation for those who, in times of stress, steadfastly
refuse to deny him (Rev 2:13; 3:8).
However, it is not only in times of stress that believers might
deny their Lord. Wrong behaviour, even without words, can be a
denial of their Christian faith. Those who are heartless towards
the needy are denying the faith. As Paul says, they profess to
know God, but deny him by their deeds (1 Tim 5:8; Titus 1:16).
But shameful denial of Christ and his teachings, no matter in
what form, is not irreversible. A person might deny Christ in a
moment of weakness and, after genuine repentance, be forgiven,
as in the case of Peter. But the person who totally rejects God
will be totally rejected by him. In such a case it is true that if we
deny him, he also will deny us (2 Tim 2:10-13).
Denial in the good sense has to do with self-denial, meaning
the rejection of self-centredness. People deny themselves for
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Religious practices
Ingrained social habits, which we lump together under the
word culture, are hard to crack, and even harder when they are
reinforced by religion. Religion and culture are so intertwined
that people do not know where one ends and the other begins.
Among the Thai people, to be Thai is to be Buddhist, and those
who turn from Buddhism to Christianity are considered to have
sold out their nation. The starting point in evangelising them is
not to attack their beliefs but to love them for the sake of Christ
and then find ways to explain what motivates that love.
In the days before TV travelogues accustomed us to strange
religious practices, my first sight of idols and their devotees
made a startling impression the colour and activity as much
as the apparent futility. An older missionary friend cautioned,
Youll find it fascinating at first and want to take photos, but
after a while it will get you down. He was right. What became
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Some examples
Many things that Christians take for granted are not present
in the Buddhist mind. Buddhism does not accept that there is a
God and that human beings have a soul or spirit that makes them
different from other creatures. Even when Buddhism uses words
that Christianity also uses, the ideas behind those words are
different. We use the word sin in a sense that includes moral
responsibility and accountability, but they hear it as a word that
denotes merely the transgression of a religious taboo. They are,
in a sense, similar to the Pharisees of Jesus day, who accused
him of sin in transgressing a Sabbath taboo but could not see
their own sin in trying to murder him.
There seems to be little moral content in the Buddhism
practised in Thailand. When the owners of a business move into
new premises, they regard it as obligatory to have a religious
ceremony where a group of monks recite incantations, accept
offerings and anoint the premises with spots of white paint. Even
though the building may be a girlie bar (euphemism for brothel),
people see no anomaly in asking for the monks blessing. Worse
still, the monks see no anomaly.
During our period of residence in Thailand, a reasonably
benevolent bunch of army dictators ran the country. The army
strongman for most of this period had to be content with the
status of deputy prime minister rather than prime minister,
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No golden age
If the Israelites had a largely secular attitude towards the
establishment of Gods kingdom in Canaan, they were soon
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A new kingdom
Saul provided the transition between the old rustic leadership
of the judges and the centrally based monarchical system
developed by David. Under David, Israel expanded its borders
and grew strong and prosperous. To many, Gods promises to
Abraham seemed well fulfilled.
Moreover, the rule of God was now well expressed in the
rule of a king after Gods own heart, one who ruled as Gods
representative indeed, as Gods adopted son. Through Nathan
the prophet God had promised David a lasting dynasty, whose
kings would be to God as sons. I will raise up your offspring
after you . . . I will be his father and he shall be my son . . . Your
house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me
(2 Sam 7:12-16). Or, as the psalm for coronation day put it, You
are my son; today I have begotten you (Ps 2:7).
David made Jerusalem the religious as well as the political
centre of his prosperous kingdom. He installed the ark of the
covenant there and made extensive plans for the construction of
a temple and the operation of its religious services. The state
supported the religion and the religion supported the state. If
ever the kingdom of God was to be established on earth, surely
this was the perfect setting for it. A notion became firmly
embedded in the mind of the Israelite people that identified the
kingdom of God with the kingdom of Israel (or Judah). They
expected God to defend the nation, because there alone, in
contrast to the surrounding nations, Gods kingdom was to be
found.
To the people of Israel, the kingdom of God had become
primarily a matter of politics. They, like many in the so-called
Christian nations of the West today, were engaging in tragic selfdelusion. They had government that was hospitable to the
worship of God and gave its citizens a standard of justice,
contentment and material well-being that was far more desirable
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Not my people
In the centuries that followed, one prophet after another
warned the people that because of their disobedience, judgment
would fall upon the nation. The monarchy would be destroyed,
the temple smashed, and the people taken out of the land God
had given them to become slaves in a foreign country.
The people of Israel were so confident in the belief that they
were Gods people to the exclusion of all others, that they
actually desired the day of the Lord; for then God would
intervene in judgment to destroy all enemies and vindicate Israel.
Amos was just one of several prophets who shattered their
dreams. Israel was morally corrupt, even though it maintained its
religious institutions. When people claimed to belong to God but
violated his law, they were inviting his punishment. The day of
the Lord would, for them, be not a day of light but a day of
darkness (Amos 3:2; 5:18).
Believing they belonged to God, the people of Israel thought
they were safe. But they misunderstood the nature of the
covenant if they thought that it guaranteed national security
regardless of the way they lived. God required obedience and
righteousness, but the people were rebellious and immoral. They
were, as God said through his prophet Hosea, no longer his true
people. You are not my people and I am not your God (Hosea
1:9).
In Jeremiahs day the objection to such prophetic
condemnation centred on the sacredness of Jerusalem and its
temple. Surely, God would not allow the heathen to invade
Jerusalem and defile the temple. This is the temple of the Lord,
they said. You trust in deceptive words to no avail, replied
Jeremiah (Jer 7:4,8). He assured them that neither the city of
David nor the throne of David would save a rebellious nation
from judgment. Both would be destroyed (Jer 34:2-3).
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opened the way for oppression, greed, violence and intrigue that
left the nation in a worse state than it was in before. The Zealots
of New Testament times similarly tried to establish Gods
kingdom by force, and instead brought about the destruction of
the Jewish state by the Romans in AD 70. Church history gives
many examples of misguided enthusiasts who have tried to
establish Gods rule by the sword. All of them have learnt the
hard way that those who take the sword perish by the sword.
The violence of war and bloodshed is not Gods method of
establishing righteousness.
Nevertheless, the kingdom of God would be established on
earth, and it would come by a human being even though coming
from God. In a later vision Daniel saw one like a son of man
coming with the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days and
receiving from him an eternal and worldwide kingdom. All
people, nations and languages will serve him; his dominion is an
everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingdom
one that shall not be destroyed (Dan 7:13-14).
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his disciples how hard it was for a rich person to enter the
kingdom of heaven. He added that a camel could pass through
the eye of a needle easier than a rich man could enter the
kingdom of God. The disciples, astonished at this, asked who
could be saved, and received the reply that nobody could, apart
from the miracle of Gods grace (Matt 19:16-26).
The point to note here is that the expressions eternal life,
kingdom of heaven, kingdom of God and to be saved are
used interchangeably. As always, the kingdom of God is to be
understood spiritually, not politically. To enter the kingdom of
God is to have eternal life, to be saved. Eternal life is the life of
the kingdom of God.
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world. Jesus said to Pilate that his kingdom was not of this
world. He knew that the triumph of his kingdom could be
reached only through suffering and death. The Davidic Messiah
of the Psalmists, the heavenly and kingly son of man of Daniel,
was also the suffering servant of Isaiah. The triumph of the
kingdom is always by the path of suffering. This was shown to
be true not just in the life of Jesus but also in the experience of
the early church.
Jesus did not expect praise from his fellow citizens, and
neither should those who belong to his kingdom. They may have
been delivered from the present evil age and have tasted the
powers of the age to come but, like their king, their path is that
of the suffering servant. In the world they shall have troubles
but, says their king, Be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world (John 16:33). All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to me. Go therefore and spread the good news of this
kingdom; and remember, I am with you always, to the close of
the age (Matt 28:18-20).
Paper, CBRF Brisbane (Australia, 1987)
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Life in Canaan
After several years of battle, Canaan belonged to Israel and
was then divided between the twelve tribes. However, there were
still groups of unconquered Canaanites here and there throughout
the country, and each tribe had the task of overcoming the
enemies within its territory.
Caleb was now eighty-five years of age, but he was still
ready to show that his faith and courage were as strong now as
they had been forty-five years earlier. People often find it easy to
say they have faith, but to give practical proof of it is a different
matter. Caleb could say, with James, Show me your faith apart
from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works
(James 2:18). The people of Anak, before whom the Israelites
had once shrunk in fear, still occupied Hebron, the region that
had been allotted to Caleb within the tribal portion of Judah.
Caleb conquered them and took possession of their towns (Josh
14:6-15; 15:13-14).
People will certainly be strengthened personally when they
have the courage to act according to the faith they profess to
have. But there is an added benefit. Their boldness may help to
develop the faith and courage of others. And this is what
happened in the case of Caleb.
Having set an example by the way he had conquered
Hebron, Caleb offered his daughter as a wife to the man who
conquered the neighbouring town of Debir. The man who took
up the challenge and conquered Debir was Othniel, who himself
went on to become a great national leader. When Israel was
oppressed by powerful invaders from Mesopotamia, Othniel
was the man who roused the Israelites, took control of their
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Worldwide opportunity
The political balance of the world has changed dramatically
in recent years. Instead of two major powers there is now only
one (the United States), but there are many power blocs, and the
influences that dominate these blocs may be political, religious,
economic, regional or ethnic. The European Community may
produce one bloc, the Pacific Rim another, the Muslim countries
of the Gulf and the Middle East another; and no one knows
where China is headed. Wars increase, ethnic conflicts escalate,
and the growing number of refugees is now a global problem.
Worldwide opportunity
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Specific issues
Although well-tried missionary activities are still useful in
some countries, things are different in countries that have had
spectacular Christian growth. Many national Christians are so
fired-up about evangelism and church life that it is they, rather
than Western missionaries, who are seen in public activity such
as tracting and preaching. If missionaries are working with these
local believers, they are usually in behind-the-scenes jobs such
as Bible schools, radio work, linguistics, audio-visual ministries,
education, literacy programs, health care, computer technology,
rural development and a variety of other activities where they
can pass on valuable know-how.
An emphasis in present-day missionary enterprise is
reaching the unreached people groups. It is estimated that, in
spite of the churchs unprecedented growth over the past thirty
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Worldwide opportunity
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between people not on the basis of whether they have the name
Jew or Gentile (or Christian or heathen), but on the basis of how
they have lived. He will render to people according to their
works (v. 6). Our actions show the sorts of people we are. If we
say we are believers but our actions are unchristian, we may be
deceiving ourselves. The judgment will reveal the hidden truth.
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them. Perhaps in the judgment day, people who get the biggest
shock will be those from countries that are more privileged
through having received the Word and heard the gospel.
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Religious Freedom
Most Christians support freedom of religion, something that
is closely related to freedom of conscience. This is not to say that
all religions are equally valid or that all consciences are perfect
standards. Everything about human beings has been affected by
human sin, but at least these instincts are a reflection of the
higher experiences that humans are capable of. Christians believe
that the reason humans are capable of these experiences is that
they have been created in the image of God.
Religious freedom
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Christian expectations
Some countries have governments that are pro-Christian,
others that are decidedly anti-Christian. The early church
functioned and expanded in a society where many religions
existed side by side and one in particular was promoted as a state
religion. The church evangelised as vigorously as conditions
allowed, but it did not aim to make Christianity the vehicle of
civil government. When churches of a later period tried to, the
results were disastrous.
Here is something that Christians in the West need to
remember. We have become so accustomed to living under
governments hospitable to Christianity that we feel we have a
right to live under pro-Christian laws. Certainly, pro-Christian
laws are desirable and in a free society we have the right to
promote our view as much as others have the right to promote
theirs. But Christians in New Testament times, as in many
countries today, never expected to live under a government that
favoured them. They were not to be surprised at hostility from
the ruling authorities, but at the same time were to be obedient
to them unless the rulers claimed for themselves what rightly
belonged to God (1 Peter 2:13-16; 4:12-16; cf. Acts 5:29).
Hostile societies
History has shown that Christianity, Islam and Communism
have all at times used the power of the state to impose their own
beliefs and silence others. Citizens have thereby been denied the
fundamental human freedoms of being able to think for
themselves, respond to conscience and exercise religious belief.
When the controlling authorities use religious power to remove
religious freedom, they use it wrongly. Moreover, the
curtailment of religious freedom usually leads to the curtailment
of other freedoms.
This is well demonstrated in some Islamic countries of the
Middle East. According to one United Nations report, these
countries rate lowest in individual liberties, civil participation
and press freedom. Many of the countries are fiercely antiChristian, yet the response of the church is not negative. One
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Religious freedom
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Unpublished (2006)
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A leader
Throughout the Bible the shepherd is, above all, a leader. In
Old Testament times, the word shepherd was used commonly
for the leaders of Israel not necessarily spiritual leaders, but
civil leaders as well. Moses, along with Joshua who succeeded
him, were referred to as shepherds over the flock of Israel (Num
27:16-18; Isa 63:11).
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Worth following
Strangely, this necessity for courageous leadership, though
fundamental to the nature of shepherds, is often overlooked. It is
only one aspect of a very broad subject, but unfortunately the
abuse of power by some has caused others to be hesitant in
showing courage and giving a firm lead.
Some of the shepherd-leaders in Old Testament times ruled
with force and harshness, fed themselves but not the sheep,
and even trafficked in the sheep (Ezek 34:4,8; Zech 11:7).
Shepherd-leaders of Gods new people, the church, face similar
temptations. That is why Peter warns them not to use their
position for shameful gain and certainly not to be domineering
over those in their charge. Nevertheless, shepherds are to be
examples; they are to give a lead (1 Peter 5:2-3).
The shepherd, said Jesus, leads his sheep out. He goes
before them and the sheep follow him (John 10:3,5). One result
of good leadership is a good following.
From Links (Australia, 1983)
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master, since he owned the slave. But the slave was recognised
as a human being, not treated as a mere thing that somebody
owned. Therefore, the animal that killed the slave had to be
destroyed, the same as in the case of an animal that killed a free
person. The destruction or the animal was an acknowledgment of
the sanctity of human life (Exod 21:28-32).
Even-handed justice
When defending the downtrodden, some might have had a
tendency to be persuaded by their sympathy for the poor and
prejudice against the rich. The ruling classes could then become
victims of injustice, simply because of their wealth and status.
Hebrew law, though giving due attention to the exploitation of
the defenceless, also noted the possibility of overreaction.
Therefore, though it warned, You shall not pervert the justice
due to the poor, it also warned, You shall not be partial to the
poor (Exod 23:3,6).
This avoidance of partiality again showed itself in laws
relating to goods that had been damaged or had disappeared
while in the care of another. Those who had been asked to look
after goods on behalf of an owner were not required to pay for
the damage or loss of those goods, provided they could satisfy
the judges that they were not responsible. They did this either
through making a statement on oath or through producing
evidence to prove their innocence (Exod 22:7-8,10,13). If,
however, they had borrowed the goods, different laws applied.
Since the borrowers, not the owners, were the ones seeking the
favour, then the borrowers, not the owners, had to bear the cost
of any loss or damage (Exod 22:14).
In assessing responsibility for injury to animals, there was
again a noteworthy fairness to all concerned. If a farmer failed to
control a bull that he knew to be aggressive, and his bull attacked
and killed another farmers bull, the first man had to replace the
dead animal. However, he could keep the dead animal and so
gain some reimbursement by selling or using its hide or meat.
This also prevented the wronged party from exploiting the
situation for his own profit (Exod 21:36). In a case where one
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mans bull killed anothers and no one could say for certain who
was to blame, the live bull was sold and the two men divided the
money equally. The dead animal was also divided (Exod 21:35).
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Relevance to Christians
In all these laws, the emphasis was on helping fellowIsraelites in need, and the background to the laws was the simple
agrarian society of ancient Israel. What the Bible condemned
was the exploitation of the disadvantaged, not the investment of
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Full-bodied mission
Some of us were brought up to beware of any presentation of
Christianity that placed an emphasis on improving peoples
social well-being at the expense of preaching the gospel. In the
West many of our daily needs were covered anyway, because of
government-sponsored welfare systems. Our concern for people
in less developed countries often had more to do with saving
souls than with sending practical aid. Today the interest is often
the other way round. This is so particularly among younger
people, who do not cut themselves off from the world to the
extent their parents did, and who are more concerned about the
social impact Christianity should have.
Any reading of the Bible, Old Testament or New, will show
that Gods people have responsibilities in both areas. They are to
be concerned for both the spiritual and the physical well-being of
others. Concentration on one is no excuse for neglect of the
other. This is referred to today as holistic or integral ministry.
We deal with people in the totality of their being rather than
separate the spiritual from the physical.
Full-bodied mission
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Full-bodied mission
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Television culture
A much-quoted statement about the influence of television in
modern society is Marshall McLuhans the medium is the
message. The statement is perhaps too short to be entirely selfexplanatory and I often wondered about its meaning, till I read
Neil Postmans book Amusing Ourselves to Death. That book
not only helped me understand McLuhans cryptic statement but
also confirmed my misgivings and sharpened my perceptions of
what television is doing to us.
Television culture
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Television culture
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Television culture
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Advertising
Most of the features of television are seen more starkly in
television advertising. If television programs are a powerful
influence in shaping public attitudes, perceptions and opinions,
television advertising focuses that influence. By replacing words
with images, the appeal is no longer to peoples rationality but to
their emotions. With little concrete fact, decisions cannot be
based on whether a person or thing is good; only on whether it
appears to be good. Worse still, people can easily base their
decisions not even on what the objects appear to be, but only on
how they feel about themselves in relation to the objects. The
market emphasis is not on making products of worth, but on
making products that people feel good about buying. Market
research outweighs product research.
Advertisements for cars may tell us little about the quality of
the car but a lot about the sense of status that comes through
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Education
For the children of todays world, TV is part of life from the
time of their earliest memories. Before they start school, most
will watch television shows that claim to be a preparation for
school learning.
But these shows do not prepare for school learning. There
are no classroom essentials such as interaction with a teacher and
with other pupils, no requirements for behaviour, no disciplines
Television culture
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No sense of history
The fragmented nature of television presentations has
virtually eliminated any sense of history for most people. By a
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Television culture
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Unpublished (1993)
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In the case of the captive Jews, God will lead them out of
Babylon and back to their homeland. They will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace. It will be as if the mountains break
forth in singing and the fields clap their hands. Healthy trees
will replace useless thornbushes, and life in general will bring
fellowship with God and personal well-being such as they could
never have imagined (v. 12-13).
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not because the vineyard owner had done wrong, but because
they were jealous of others who received payment equally with
them (Matt 20:1-16).
The relevance of the story in the time of Jesus was that the
Jewish leaders were angry when they saw Jesus welcoming
disreputable Jews, such as tax collectors and prostitutes, solely
because of his mercy on the repentant. In the days of the early
church, other Jewish leaders were angry that Christians
welcomed converts from heathenism straight into the full
blessings of the kingdom. The Jews considered themselves
special in a way that excluded others. After all, they had for
generations worshipped God and studied his law, and they
resented his mercy being poured out on those who had not
worked as they had. Foreigners received equal blessing with
Jews, regardless of their background.
Two thousand years later, when the church is almost entirely
non-Jewish, we find that similar attitudes are still common. This
is so not just among those within the church but also among
those outside. When peoples chief concern is with what they
think they deserve, they lose sight of grace.
Among the ordinary citizens of wealthy countries, some
resent the arrival of those from poorer countries who receive
equal benefits with them. The respectable may be annoyed when
mercy is shown to those they despise. Among Christians, those
of long-standing may even think it unfair that death-bed
conversions lead to the same eternal bliss for which they have
waited a lifetime. If it was not for the grace of God, no person
would ever be saved, because all are guilty before God and do
not deserve his mercy. But, as Jesus story demonstrates, God is
generous in grace. And he is the model for his people.
From Light of Life (India, 2002)
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Church practices
If we look first of all at some of the distinctly Brethren
practices, it seems out of place to apply the notion of the
priesthood of all believers to the structures or operations of local
churches. The only New Testament writers who speak of
anything that might be interpreted as the priesthood of all
believers are Peter, in his First Letter (1 Peter 2:5,9), and John
the seer (Rev 1:6; 5:10; 20:6), and neither of these writers relates
the imagery in any way to the structures or operations of the
local church. As for Paul, the favoured source for Brethren
teaching on the local church, he says nothing at all about the
priesthood of all believers.
To develop a simile, metaphor, parable, picture, idiom or
symbol outside its context is always a hazardous procedure.
Invariably, it will lead to wrong practices or, at best, hopeless
inconsistencies and complications. For example, if all believers
are priests after the pattern of the Levitical priests, it follows that
all believers are teachers, for the Levitical priests were the
teachers in Israel (Deut 33:10). Perhaps that accounts for the
practice in some Brethren churches of allowing anyone to
minister the Word publicly, even though such a practice is
contrary to the New Testament assertion that only some are
teachers (1 Cor 12:29).
When the New Testament speaks about the structure and
operation of the local church, it never uses the priesthood as an
analogy. The most fully developed analogy is that of the human
body (1 Cor 12). Here all the members are functioning (the truth
that Brethren churches are justifiably keen to preserve), and
functioning as God intended them. They utilise different gifts,
yet all contribute to the unity and growth of the body.
The details of church leadership (one-man ministry or
otherwise) and conduct of church meetings (open participation or
a structured service) are to be worked out in the light of what the
New Testament says on such matters, not by drawing upon the
analogy of the priesthood. The imagery of believers as priests is
not specifically concerned with such things.
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A kingdom of priests
The more widely held view of the priesthood of all believers
(i.e. our unhindered access to God) seems also to be based on a
misunderstanding. This is because, wherever priesthood is
mentioned, most people immediately think of the Levitical
priesthood, which in turn leads them to Hebrews, where old and
new covenants are contrasted. However, in the two books that
speak of believers as priests, 1 Peter and Revelation, the
priesthood referred to is a royal priesthood, or a kingdom of
priests, not the Levitical priesthood.
In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter combines two Old Testament passages,
Exodus 19:5-6 and Isaiah 43:20-21. In those passages Israel is
spoken of as Gods people, his own possession among the
nations, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation and a people whom
God formed to declare his praise. All the expressions are
corporate, not individual. They show what God intended his Old
Testament people to be, and Peter now uses them to show what
his New Testament people should be.
All Israel was a priesthood; or, to put it another way, Israel
was Gods priest among the nations Gods representative, his
chosen instrument to take his message to the nations and to bring
the nations to God. The corporate priesthood of the whole nation
is in no way in conflict with the Levitical priesthood. In fact, one
might say that the priesthood is spoken of in two distinctly
different ways. The national priesthood is a figure of speech, the
Levitical priesthood is literal. For a comparable example, think
of how we might speak of a family of nations, yet speak also of a
family get-together. The former is a figurative use of family,
the latter is literal. Once we recognise the difference, we see no
conflict in using the same word in different ways in different
contexts.
There is nothing wrong in referring to the priesthood of all
Christians, provided we allow that this is a word-picture taken
from the priesthood of all Israelites. The expression does not
mean that each individual is a literal priest in the Levitical sense,
but that corporately the people constitute a priesthood. Peters
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Practical implications
Certainly, the Bible applies the picture of the priesthood to
believers, but it also applies many other pictures. We should
learn the lessons that are taught us by these illustrations, but we
should not press them too far. In the case of the priesthood of all
believers, the problem is not just that the illustration has been
developed excessively, but that it has been developed in a way
that is inconsistent with its biblical meaning. Consequently, it
has produced faulty doctrine and wrong church practices.
Some may feel that with a more strictly defined priesthood
of believers they are losing something. In reality they are losing
nothing. In the matter of distinctively Brethren church practices,
the church that lives and operates as the body of Christ through
which the gifts of the Spirit function will be healthier than the
church that gets itself sidetracked through misunderstanding
references to Israels religion.
Because the priesthood of all believers has been made a basis
for Brethren worship meetings, much unprofitable public
speaking has been imposed upon congregations. Also, much
unnecessary tension has arisen within the hearts of those who are
godly and well-meaning. Because they have been told that there
is no such thing as a silent priest, they feel they must make solo
contributions to the corporate worship, even though they may not
be so gifted. An understanding of Pauls teaching on the gifts of
the Spirit and the life of the body should help remove such
tension.
Concerning the believers confidence in approaching God, as
set out in Hebrews, this is not diminished by the interpretation
suggested above, for access to God is not based on the believers
priesthood, but on Christs priesthood. The sacrifices that
believers offer do not depend upon their being priests, but spring
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from the grateful hearts of ordinary people who have tasted the
goodness of God.
Likewise a correct understanding of the corporate priesthood
of believers, as referred to in 1 Peter and Revelation, is a gain,
not a loss. As believers understand more clearly the purpose for
which God constituted his people a royal priesthood and a holy
nation, they should be challenged to fulfil that calling. The thrust
of 1 Peter 2:9 is distinctly evangelistic.
Emphasis on the corporate nature of this priesthood is no
reason for believers to feel any lack of personal involvement, for
a community operates properly only as the individuals who make
up that community operate properly. The reason the old
community (Israel) failed was that the people within it failed.
The new community (the church) is now called to do what the
old failed to do. It is to be a priesthood in which all Christians
are to be active in worshipping and serving God.
Paper, CBRF Brisbane (Australia, 1983)
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Thailand
When we went to Bangkok, we had the goal to learn the
language, make known the gospel to those who had not heard it
and plant a church in a place where there was none. This was
done mainly through person-to-person evangelism, whether with
individuals or in small groups, and in the course of doing this I
wrote notes and handouts that might help those we worked
among. Over the next fifteen years these writings grew into a
commentary on the whole Bible, a Bible dictionary and a
number of other books, some for non-Christians and some for
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Australia
Back in Brisbane, our ministry expanded in ways we never
imagined. After a few years Gae was rehabilitated enough for us
to begin an outreach in a locality where, again, our aim was to
reach the unevangelised with the gospel, disciple the converts
and build them into a church. Our children were going through
higher education, Gae was immersed in the local outreach work,
and my writing work expanded as international publishers asked
to publish my books in English. This was a development we
never expected. When we first went to Thailand, it was not with
the intention of writing books in Thai, and even then it had never
crossed my mind that these books might one day appear in
English.
Initially, the English-language books were published in the
Philippines, Hong Kong and India, but soon they spread around
the world. That resulted in the establishment of Bridgeway
Publications as a non-profit trust to publish the books and
distribute them to national workers and institutions in needy
countries. We then began receiving requests for translations into
other languages, and invitations came for me to go to various
countries in Bible teaching ministry.
The local church we had started in Brisbane was now selffunctioning, so we went back into full-time overseas ministry.
That was in 1995. Our plan was to spend several months during
the first half of each year in countries of, let us say, Africa, and
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then follow a similar pattern for the second half of the year in
Asia or the Pacific. This worked well for several years, till Gae
had crises that landed her in hospital in various countries,
sometimes for emergency surgery, and eventually put an end to
our overseas travel. Things had not worked out as we had
planned, but that was no cause for despair. We simply found
ways of getting around obstacles.
The world
By this time our ministry was extensive. My Englishlanguage books were in more than 130 countries and had been
published in more than forty languages. I still visited some
countries even if Gae could not, but the trips were shorter.
On one occasion we decided to use money we had saved on
Gaes fares to bring a Zambian woman to Australia, where we
could promote her ministry and raise funds to build her a school.
The good response from Australia awakened us to two things.
First, our help to needy countries should extend further than
biblical resource materials; second, people at home should have
their eyes opened to a world that is wider than just one project
in Zambia.
By this time I was sixty-five, which meant that I was
officially old and therefore entitled to write something that
looked back on a life of wide-ranging ministry around more than
fifty countries. I entitled the book A Different World, with the
aim of using money from sales to help Christians and churches
in an increasing number of needy countries. The number of aid
projects has now grown to seventy, the projects are spread over
twenty countries, and donations come in greater quantities and
from more sources.
The recipients of this practical aid may be individuals,
churches or ministries, and the projects may provide bicycles,
sewing machines, generators, computers, printers, photocopiers,
buildings, bookshops, electricity connections, water supply, food
production, income generation, vocational courses, childrens
education and the like. Both of us are deeply involved (as are
others), so that even though Gae can no longer travel overseas
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things will be ours as well; but if we seek the other things, not
only will they cheat us, but very likely we shall lose the kingdom
of God also. Lewis put it like this: I think earth, if chosen
instead of heaven, will turn out to have been, all along, only a
region of hell; and earth, if put second to heaven, to have been
from the beginning a part of heaven itself.
End note
The above is substantially what I wrote to my distant friend
in his grief. A short time later I happened to come across a quote
from C S Lewis in a daily reading devotional book compiled by
a well known writer. Listen, Peter, said the Lord Digory,
when Aslan said you could never go back to Narnia, he meant
the Narnia you were thinking of. But that was not the real
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