The conversion of Cornelius's household was easily the climax of Peter's ministry in the Plain of Sharon. He returned to Jerusalem and immediately confronts a firestorm. Here is the birth of something we call today "the Judaizers." A certain slice of the Jewish converts remained consciously and militantly racist, as it were, regarding the adoption of Judaism as foundation for following Christ. It wasn't so much about being a Son of Abraham, since there was nothing anyone could do to change that, but being a Son of the Law (bar-mitzvah). This assumption plagued the Early Church up through the time John wrote Revelation.
Having already heard the news Peter entered a Gentile home, ate there and even stayed there, those infected with the Judaizer tendency were ready to pounce as soon as Peter returned. The accusation carries a threat to the assumption held by most Jews of being God's own special people. In essence, Peter was denying this, by acting as if the separation between Jew and Gentile didn't matter. It was tantamount in the eyes of some to blasphemy.
Peter recounts his experiences leading up to the decision to stay with Cornelius. He was in Joppa, saw the tarp filled with unclean animals, and was told to kill and eat. His protest about kosher was met with the stern warning not to call "unclean" what God had cleansed. It happened thrice, and right before he was called down to meet the messengers from Cornelius. Further, it was the Spirit Himself who directed Peter to go. Apparently the half-dozen companions who came along were standing there as Peter's witnesses. They were there when Cornelius told of the angelic vision and the precise instructions regarding Peter and his whereabouts. As soon as Peter got past the introduction of his message, the Spirit fell on Cornelius's household with exactly the same manifestation as the disciples first experienced on Pentecost in the Upper Room. It is here Peter remarks this was a direct fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy comparing the baptism of John with that of the Holy Spirit. How could Peter argue with God? While this silenced the Judaizers on this occasion, it did not end the controversy, as we shall see later.
Luke backtracks enough to pick up the thread of those driven from Jerusalem by Saul's persecution. Some of the places they took the gospel included modern Lebanon, the island of Cyprus, and the coastal region of Syria. The ancient city of Antioch was third largest in the Roman Empire, and the regional headquarters. At first these scattered Hellenized Jewish Christians preached only to fellow Jews. Eventually, those who had been raised in Cyprus and Cyrene (nearby Libyan coast) began evangelizing the local Gentiles. Luke refers to them as Grecian in the sense the region had embraced Alexander's mission to Hellenize the world three centuries before. Antioch sported temples to Apollo and Artemis, and the city was known as a great stop for sex tourism because of the temple prostitutes there. It proved fertile ground for Gentile conversions.
Having by now swallowed Peter's explanation in the case of Cornelius, the church leaders in Jerusalem decided to send someone to ensure things went in the right direction. They chose Barnabas, the wealthy Cypriot, since there were so many in Antioch from Cyprus. Seeing this was clearly a work of God, Barnabas did what he was famous for, encouraging the church members there to become eternally loyal to their Savior. His presence also encouraged a new wave of conversions. This was getting to be a big task, in need of more expert help. Barnabas headed north to find Saul in Tarsus, and brought him back for a year's mission work there. Luke notes the term "Christian" first arose here, marking them as partisans or followers of Christ.
Of course, many in Jerusalem adopted this first Gentile church in Antioch. Among them were prophets, such as Agabus. This man explained how God had warned there would be a famine in the Empire soon. Luke associates that for us with the famine of 46 AD during the reign of Emperor Claudius. We note, for the most part, a famine in those days was the result of a drought. As it turned out, the church at Antioch was all for supporting their brethren in Jerusalem. Since the latter were particularly vulnerable to famine, due to their general lack of financial prosperity as a church driven underground, the generally wealthy crowd in Antioch raised funds to send back to the mother church. This aid was carried by Barnabas and Saul.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
A Eulogy
Lovella Marie (Buffington) Warren
There is no one, holy and righteous way to do this. If we were down in what's left of New Orleans, we would be marching in a parade and dancing in the streets. If we were somewhere in the Middle East, we would tear our clothes, throw dirt on our heads, and hire lots of women to scream and cry regardless how they felt, or even whether they knew the deceased.
Instead, we gather in a quiet room, rather plain, and rather plainly dressed at her son's request, so that Marie gets all the attention in this, her final glory. This tension between proper and casual existed from the start. Dennis tells me as a young boy, when his mother stood to sing a hymn in church one Sunday, he tugged at her skirt and told her to sit down and don't sing. She was proper and he was casual.
Yet she certainly knew life could not be all seriousness. During an ice storm here some years back, she cooked up a meal and invited my wife's parents, Royce and Velma Packard, to share it with her. They lived only a couple of blocks away. Did she know it was all ice everywhere outside? Sure. "Just slide on down here," she said, "it's all downhill anyway." And while they liked to have never got back home that evening, they all felt it was worth it, just the same. There's got to be a certain joy in living.
I watched her almost giggle giving stuff away once. She said, "You can't take it with you." As Dennis can relate, we are painfully aware of how much stuff someone can accumulate without trying. We gathered one day recently to help move her belongings, and it took four of us most of the day. But it wasn't just a bunch of stuff she left behind -- she also left a quote to be read today: "Many are the plans of a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails" (Proverbs 19:21). You take what God has granted you, use it as best you can with a clear conscience, and leave the rest in His hands. Then you stand before Him, as it were, naked. A lot of stuff with Marie's name on it is sitting in Dennis's garage. What survives death is only eternal things, things with God's name on them.
Inside this very lovely box is just a shell. You'll recognize the form, but she's not there. I hardly knew Marie; our paths seldom crossed. Most of you here knew her far better than I. I'm told she called on the Lord's Name often enough, but He alone knows what was in her heart. We know only what she allowed us to see. So we have our memories of her, such as they may be, which now includes this place, this time, and this last moment together with those memories. It's only fitting we should share this one last song she chose in celebration of what really matters most.
We sing "Family of God."
There is no one, holy and righteous way to do this. If we were down in what's left of New Orleans, we would be marching in a parade and dancing in the streets. If we were somewhere in the Middle East, we would tear our clothes, throw dirt on our heads, and hire lots of women to scream and cry regardless how they felt, or even whether they knew the deceased.
Instead, we gather in a quiet room, rather plain, and rather plainly dressed at her son's request, so that Marie gets all the attention in this, her final glory. This tension between proper and casual existed from the start. Dennis tells me as a young boy, when his mother stood to sing a hymn in church one Sunday, he tugged at her skirt and told her to sit down and don't sing. She was proper and he was casual.
Yet she certainly knew life could not be all seriousness. During an ice storm here some years back, she cooked up a meal and invited my wife's parents, Royce and Velma Packard, to share it with her. They lived only a couple of blocks away. Did she know it was all ice everywhere outside? Sure. "Just slide on down here," she said, "it's all downhill anyway." And while they liked to have never got back home that evening, they all felt it was worth it, just the same. There's got to be a certain joy in living.
I watched her almost giggle giving stuff away once. She said, "You can't take it with you." As Dennis can relate, we are painfully aware of how much stuff someone can accumulate without trying. We gathered one day recently to help move her belongings, and it took four of us most of the day. But it wasn't just a bunch of stuff she left behind -- she also left a quote to be read today: "Many are the plans of a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails" (Proverbs 19:21). You take what God has granted you, use it as best you can with a clear conscience, and leave the rest in His hands. Then you stand before Him, as it were, naked. A lot of stuff with Marie's name on it is sitting in Dennis's garage. What survives death is only eternal things, things with God's name on them.
Inside this very lovely box is just a shell. You'll recognize the form, but she's not there. I hardly knew Marie; our paths seldom crossed. Most of you here knew her far better than I. I'm told she called on the Lord's Name often enough, but He alone knows what was in her heart. We know only what she allowed us to see. So we have our memories of her, such as they may be, which now includes this place, this time, and this last moment together with those memories. It's only fitting we should share this one last song she chose in celebration of what really matters most.
We sing "Family of God."
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Rejoice and Weep
I rejoice because in recent days I have been granted the rich opportunity to serve others in very specific ways. I weep because there is so very much sorrow out there needing a listening ear.
I rejoice because sometimes simple labor service leads to more substantive spiritual ministry. I weep because, in this case, it means doing a funeral service.
I rejoice because I was fully able to write a unique memorial, fitting the requests. I weep because I can't begin to talk about the misery associated with this event.
I rejoice because the hand of God is peeling back the layers of pretty lies hiding deep evil. I weep because the evil is so very deep and shocking.
I rejoice because the Lord is coming to visit His people here in the US. I weep because it would seem so very many of them aren't ready to face Him, and the vast majority of the nation seems to ignore Him altogether.
I rejoice because sometimes simple labor service leads to more substantive spiritual ministry. I weep because, in this case, it means doing a funeral service.
I rejoice because I was fully able to write a unique memorial, fitting the requests. I weep because I can't begin to talk about the misery associated with this event.
I rejoice because the hand of God is peeling back the layers of pretty lies hiding deep evil. I weep because the evil is so very deep and shocking.
I rejoice because the Lord is coming to visit His people here in the US. I weep because it would seem so very many of them aren't ready to face Him, and the vast majority of the nation seems to ignore Him altogether.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Isaiah 53
As usual, Isaiah offers us a paradox when discussing the Messiah. On the one hand, we all know He inherits the very being of God Almighty. For this cause, some of the most majestic prose in Scripture confronts us here. At the same time, the description is of a man for whom it seems everyone feels compelled to reject His claims. It is the nature of ultimate Truth that only God can write it on your heart. There is no place in the brain to hold such a thing, because Truth is a Person, not simple objective knowledge. What really matters in all the Universe in which we exist is something no man can reach out and claim on his own. It can only come as a gift of God's grace.
Thus, the only way to answer the question -- "Who would believe our report?" -- is to answer the question to whom the Lord has revealed His power on the earth. Lots of people see the works of God and attribute them to other causes. Knowing the mechanics is not the same as knowing the real cause. Those who tend to see past the mechanics to the ultimate purpose of things will be the folks who believe the prophecies. So when He is born and grows up unknown, in humble circumstances, exhibits no particular charisma or handsome face, we should not be surprised when His own nation tries to ignore Him. And when His message intrudes on that, He would certainly garner violent rejection. Because of this, He surely knows what we suffer. But in our carnal ways, we don't want His solution, so we turn away from His message.
Though He came to bear away all sins, in the main, His nation considered Him a sinner, and all His suffering was because of His own sin. You can't claim God doesn't love enough simply because He allows us to choose sin and suffering. He was more than willing to bear the full price of sin in His flesh. For every judgment against sin, He also declared forgiveness through His willingness to pay the price Himself. Everything He suffered was for us. Yet, humanity continues to look for some other way, as if God were subject to the intellectual standards we can raise by our pitiful imaginations.
So how would He react to this abuse? We stand on the far side of the story today and would be hard pressed to claim He complained at all. It should be obvious why: It's the reason He was born. Not just suffering in the broad human sense, but totally without justice. He was arrested, set before a judge without crime, and sentenced to death. Yet it was not for His own crimes, but ours. He died with criminals, but was buried among the rich and powerful who persecuted Him most, God's way of noting He would be sinless.
Sounds insane? That's because humans can never quite understand God. While it was God's desire to make His Son suffer, it was His decision that was the only path to paying the price for our sins. Once the price was paid, He could found an Eternal Empire of souls. How do you describe the sense of accomplishment this would bring Jesus, as He looks back on His ministry? To know His purity is more communicable than sin, to know His poverty pointed out the immeasurable wealth of Truth, His death was the greatest victory, all because there was no one else to plead the case of fallen man before God.
Thus, the only way to answer the question -- "Who would believe our report?" -- is to answer the question to whom the Lord has revealed His power on the earth. Lots of people see the works of God and attribute them to other causes. Knowing the mechanics is not the same as knowing the real cause. Those who tend to see past the mechanics to the ultimate purpose of things will be the folks who believe the prophecies. So when He is born and grows up unknown, in humble circumstances, exhibits no particular charisma or handsome face, we should not be surprised when His own nation tries to ignore Him. And when His message intrudes on that, He would certainly garner violent rejection. Because of this, He surely knows what we suffer. But in our carnal ways, we don't want His solution, so we turn away from His message.
Though He came to bear away all sins, in the main, His nation considered Him a sinner, and all His suffering was because of His own sin. You can't claim God doesn't love enough simply because He allows us to choose sin and suffering. He was more than willing to bear the full price of sin in His flesh. For every judgment against sin, He also declared forgiveness through His willingness to pay the price Himself. Everything He suffered was for us. Yet, humanity continues to look for some other way, as if God were subject to the intellectual standards we can raise by our pitiful imaginations.
So how would He react to this abuse? We stand on the far side of the story today and would be hard pressed to claim He complained at all. It should be obvious why: It's the reason He was born. Not just suffering in the broad human sense, but totally without justice. He was arrested, set before a judge without crime, and sentenced to death. Yet it was not for His own crimes, but ours. He died with criminals, but was buried among the rich and powerful who persecuted Him most, God's way of noting He would be sinless.
Sounds insane? That's because humans can never quite understand God. While it was God's desire to make His Son suffer, it was His decision that was the only path to paying the price for our sins. Once the price was paid, He could found an Eternal Empire of souls. How do you describe the sense of accomplishment this would bring Jesus, as He looks back on His ministry? To know His purity is more communicable than sin, to know His poverty pointed out the immeasurable wealth of Truth, His death was the greatest victory, all because there was no one else to plead the case of fallen man before God.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Cycles of Discernment
Over the past couple of years, I've done my best to research various ways to minimize the shocks from an economic collapse. With the more recent indicators seeming to point to the end of summer as a general time frame, I redoubled my efforts. So many options; too little money, of course. So what made the most sense?
I was so sure my mountain bike would play a major factor, for all the obvious reasons. It would allow me to travel as much as needed, albeit at a slower pace, without fretting over fuel costs, and with a far lower cost of maintenance. So I began upgrading and replacing worn parts. I prayed for guidance in using the limited resources wisely. How much did God want me to spend of His money on this? I felt I had good answers to such queries. I'm now just one step from completion -- I need one more new part.
As I sat yesterday admiring the new stuff, all working very much better than the old stuff, and thanking God for letting me have the skill to get it that way, I sensed in my Spirit He said, "Oh, by the way, it won't be that important in My future plans." It will still be useful, but not a significant element in what follows.
In the flesh, that sort of thing would drive you nuts. Why did I waste all that effort, prayer and concern? For a start, it was good faith training. Please note: I was seeking God's face, and that's always the right thing to do. He answered; He provided. I'm still going to finish the job, but the time, effort and money were not wasted in that sense. It's all His stuff. He can do as He wishes and it never has to make sense to me, as long as I can find some indication of what I have to do to please Him.
For now, I can't picture what comes next in this ministry. I feel led to prepare for some travel, some time on the road taking this ministry to those who extend an invitation. I'm doing my level best to make it as cheap as possible, to insure the burden on others can be light. Naturally, I'll accept more comfortable accommodations, but people should not feel compelled for any reason to shy away because of the costs. The message is the thing.
So the bike, the mobility equipment and supplies, the vehicle, and my very life and breath, not to mention how silly I feel at times, are all merely tools for the Realm. Walking in His Spirit is loaded with adventure.
I was so sure my mountain bike would play a major factor, for all the obvious reasons. It would allow me to travel as much as needed, albeit at a slower pace, without fretting over fuel costs, and with a far lower cost of maintenance. So I began upgrading and replacing worn parts. I prayed for guidance in using the limited resources wisely. How much did God want me to spend of His money on this? I felt I had good answers to such queries. I'm now just one step from completion -- I need one more new part.
As I sat yesterday admiring the new stuff, all working very much better than the old stuff, and thanking God for letting me have the skill to get it that way, I sensed in my Spirit He said, "Oh, by the way, it won't be that important in My future plans." It will still be useful, but not a significant element in what follows.
In the flesh, that sort of thing would drive you nuts. Why did I waste all that effort, prayer and concern? For a start, it was good faith training. Please note: I was seeking God's face, and that's always the right thing to do. He answered; He provided. I'm still going to finish the job, but the time, effort and money were not wasted in that sense. It's all His stuff. He can do as He wishes and it never has to make sense to me, as long as I can find some indication of what I have to do to please Him.
For now, I can't picture what comes next in this ministry. I feel led to prepare for some travel, some time on the road taking this ministry to those who extend an invitation. I'm doing my level best to make it as cheap as possible, to insure the burden on others can be light. Naturally, I'll accept more comfortable accommodations, but people should not feel compelled for any reason to shy away because of the costs. The message is the thing.
So the bike, the mobility equipment and supplies, the vehicle, and my very life and breath, not to mention how silly I feel at times, are all merely tools for the Realm. Walking in His Spirit is loaded with adventure.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Documented Folly
If you read much among Christian-oriented websites, you may run across terminology connected to a massive, on-going debate about the sources for our translations of the Bible. It matters. Jesus taught from the Bible of His day, what we now call the Old Testament. He quoted it often. So do the writers of the various books in the New Testament. In one place, Peter refers to some of Paul's writings as "Scripture" -- on a par with the Law and Prophets, as it were. Without that written record, we have no point of reference, and just about anything can be called "following Christ," since no one living today can, without that book, prove much of anything. Or they could as equally prove anything they like. We have enough of that silliness even with the Bible. So taking seriously the nature of and text of the Bible is simply natural. People debate most about things which matter most.
At the same time, we note Satan can quote Scripture and pervert it's meaning. In other words, to believe the words themselves have some sort of inherent power is a serious mistake, even heretical. Talk of "verbal inspiration" (word for word) make no sense if we don't have any autographs. The original documents from the hands of those who wrote the books of Bible don't exist. Out of all the mass of sound and fury, spilled ink on forests of dead trees, and uncountable electrons displaying text in your web browser, the one thing we can most certainly state without any debate at all is: We do not have any of the original manuscripts of the Bible. Jabber all you like about infallibility, but we don't have the thing which is supposed to be infallible, nor can anyone conclusively claim to have recovered any autographs by analysis.
There comes a point when you can go too far, when it becomes a silly parody of serious faith. Blustery denunciations of "Liberalism" against those who don't commit bibliolatry (idolatry of the Bible) is no more than modern Pharisaism. Not only do we not have any autographs, but we don't even have any really unquestionable copies, or even really good reconstructions. For example:
On and on it goes. Effusive praise of the people behind any of the various manuscripts, texts, translations, in use today is certainly misplaced, if not blasphemous. Marketing has just about destroyed any hope of honest representation. About the only thing which makes sense is to trust in God to witness to your spirit what He wants you to use. At the same time, you must never take yourself so seriously you insist your choice is the only one God has blessed. Dig into the controversies if you like; you will no doubt learn something useful. But in the end, you still have to pick up a Bible you can read, and obey from it the things God's Holy Spirit indicates He requires of you.
For myself, I prefer the New King James, along with Green's Modern King James, not because they are so wonderful, but the others are so bad. Among text groups, I give a slight lead to the Byzantine Text over the Alexandrian, and a healthy distrust of both the Septuagint and Masoretic texts. Make up your own mind, but I would call it a major error to attempt elevating any particular text or version to divine status. God did not see fit to settle the issue in any obvious manner, so it's best to place our loyalty in Him personally. Refer to the copy you have, remain aware of its flaws, and trust God to show you what you need to please Him.
At the same time, we note Satan can quote Scripture and pervert it's meaning. In other words, to believe the words themselves have some sort of inherent power is a serious mistake, even heretical. Talk of "verbal inspiration" (word for word) make no sense if we don't have any autographs. The original documents from the hands of those who wrote the books of Bible don't exist. Out of all the mass of sound and fury, spilled ink on forests of dead trees, and uncountable electrons displaying text in your web browser, the one thing we can most certainly state without any debate at all is: We do not have any of the original manuscripts of the Bible. Jabber all you like about infallibility, but we don't have the thing which is supposed to be infallible, nor can anyone conclusively claim to have recovered any autographs by analysis.
There comes a point when you can go too far, when it becomes a silly parody of serious faith. Blustery denunciations of "Liberalism" against those who don't commit bibliolatry (idolatry of the Bible) is no more than modern Pharisaism. Not only do we not have any autographs, but we don't even have any really unquestionable copies, or even really good reconstructions. For example:
- The Septuagint arises from the one place on earth most likely to produce heresies, in both Judaism and Christianity. Yet many New Testament writers quote from the Septuagint.
- The Masoretic Text was the result of, in essence, Pharisees working to support the Talmud. These men Jesus condemned as children of Satan, and their Talmud as a pack of man-made fables.
- Wescott and Hort are behind almost all modern English translations today, and they were obviously New Agers, and secretly worshiped Mary. They later admitted lying to Anglican examiners in order to get their ordinations.
- Their visceral hatred of the text behind the KJV does not serve to prove it was so much better than their corrupted text.
On and on it goes. Effusive praise of the people behind any of the various manuscripts, texts, translations, in use today is certainly misplaced, if not blasphemous. Marketing has just about destroyed any hope of honest representation. About the only thing which makes sense is to trust in God to witness to your spirit what He wants you to use. At the same time, you must never take yourself so seriously you insist your choice is the only one God has blessed. Dig into the controversies if you like; you will no doubt learn something useful. But in the end, you still have to pick up a Bible you can read, and obey from it the things God's Holy Spirit indicates He requires of you.
For myself, I prefer the New King James, along with Green's Modern King James, not because they are so wonderful, but the others are so bad. Among text groups, I give a slight lead to the Byzantine Text over the Alexandrian, and a healthy distrust of both the Septuagint and Masoretic texts. Make up your own mind, but I would call it a major error to attempt elevating any particular text or version to divine status. God did not see fit to settle the issue in any obvious manner, so it's best to place our loyalty in Him personally. Refer to the copy you have, remain aware of its flaws, and trust God to show you what you need to please Him.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Keys to the Realm
And I will give the keys of the kingdom of Heaven to you. And whatever you may bind on earth shall occur, having been bound in Heaven, and whatever you may loose on earth shall occur, having been loosed in Heaven. (Matthew 16:19; MKJV)
Sometimes, we allow words to become calcified in our minds to the point there is no freshness to our spirits when we use them. It's a feature of our modern Western culture, because we make words into entities themselves, rather than a tool for transmission of meaning. The ancient Hebrew-Aramaic languages arose from a culture where written words were a poor substitute for conversation, because without that facet-to-face presentation, an awful lot of flavor was missing. As always, an English translation from a Greek text which reports a conversation in Aramaic places us at some distance. We have to do our best to reconstruct the impact.
While traveling, Jesus asked the disciples to consider what human minds made of His ministry. There was no doubt Jesus had some unique power and authority, but there was no consensus among observers. When Jesus asked the disciples what they thought for themselves, Peter barged through the opening and declared Jesus was the Messiah, though Peter and the others clearly had a poor understanding of what that actually meant.
Still, it was the right answer. They were committed to whatever might come from following their Messiah, and it was the loyalty which made these men right with God, made them able to grasp some things of the Spiritual Realm. It was upon such loyalty Christ was going to build that Spiritual Realm in the hearts of men. Regardless of the precise terms used in whatever language, it should be plain to us there is hardly any reference to a literal political entity which might justify the more modern use of the term "kingdom." This was a spiritual realm, and the words we use should emphasize the power and authority, the divine right of rule, rather than some concrete reality. The disciples struggled with this, but it is hard to mistake what Jesus meant from where we stand today.
These keys could hardly be literal, either. Symbolic or parabolic language is the tongue of this realm. Peter was not asked to stand at some literal gate to decide which Joe or Jane got to come through. Rather, Peter took the lead in asserting his loyalty, and would take the lead in offering others the chance to embrace that same loyalty. Today we use the word "faith" in the same sense. It is the Spirit of God who reveals Himself, and awakens the dead spirits of people so they can operate in the Spirit Realm. Flesh and blood, and by extension the entire physical realm of existence, cannot embody such a thing, so it must come on that other level, requires an utterly different faculty than the senses or intellect. Peter didn't have to know all it meant to declare Jesus his Messiah. All he had to know was where his loyalty resided.
Before Jesus began His ministry, John the Baptist paved the way by calling for repentance, because the Realm of the Spirit was at hand. Jesus took up that same message, and it remained His message to the end. The messages of His Apostles after the Ascension were the same. "You are enmity with God. Repent from your sins and embrace His only true offering for your sins, His Son, Jesus Christ." That message first went to a people who had to be shaken from their complacency as "God's People" -- Children of Abraham. God could have made a better Children of Abraham from rocks, so it was necessary for them to see what God really demanded, and Jesus did a great job of summarizing the Law: Give your full loyalty to God, and treat your fellow humans with the respect you want for yourself.
That respect meant realizing a eunuch could be welcomed into the Spiritual Realm. Or a Samaritan, and widows, and people who performed work Jews found repulsive. Finally, Peter was forced to realize that respect included Gentiles. Whereas before, all these were not permitted to consider themselves fully "God's People," now Peter and his associates were telling them the symbolic gates to the Realm were wide open. If God moved in your soul, who could deny your citizenship? The good news to them was their inclusion.
The Keys to the Realm Peter held were spiritual in nature. Peter's brand of heedless loyalty was the foundation of Christ's Realm. No questions asked, we simply give ourselves to obedience -- we ask "how high?" on the way up. Anything less is not sufficient repentance from sins. We must embrace the Son as the only sufficient offering for those sins. When Paul said he would no longer bother to discuss, or even know, anything except Jesus and Him crucified, it was shorthand for that same thing (1 Corinthians 2:1-3). It matters not what you understand culturally or intellectually, you are born in sin, on the way to Hell. Repent. The only way you can do that is embrace the message of Jesus regarding what it means to sin and to turn away from sin, and only His personal Presence in your life can make that possible. Proclaiming Him your one Lord, your undivided commitment and loyalty, is your entrance into the Realm.
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