I have the great pleasure of facilitating every week a Bible discussion group with several high school students. We've been discussing the Gospel of John this past year, and we finally finished tonight. We enjoyed the humorous scene John writes about in this last chapter. The great apostle John can't help himself when it comes to embarrassing his fellow inner circle apostle; the denial of Christ, his slowness in getting to the empty tomb, and this event in the last chapter. John 21:7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. What's the joke? Well John is the first to realize that Jesus is on the beach, #humblebrag, but then Peter puts ON his coat before jumping out of the boat? I've seen some academic ink spilled trying to explain this weird behavior on the part of this fisherman ( good one
Comments
Yeah, yeah, some people prefer the close community of house churches in the US, and OF COURSE it is necessary in other countries (China, Morocco, etc). Other people say, "We are all gonna be persecuted one day so we better get used to meeting in houses." Huh? Hunker down before we have to? Or get the big sign out there "Jesus Saves, find out more here" while we can. As a former house-churcher (So Cal 1979-1981, where the movement started), I say if you have to (China)okay, if you want to (USA, churches everywhere, but "we like crumbcake and coffee on the sofa on Sunday morning")okay also...but DO NOT say that the NT prescribes meeting in houses.
Case in point: Algeria (North Africa), Muslim Arab country. House churches amongst the Berbers...but the govt said "don't hide, we know you are out there and growing like a weed." So they didn't hide...they rented buildings and came up from the underground.....growing even faster now.
Praise the Lord.
8sofar
Yeah, yeah, some people prefer the close community of house churches in the US, and OF COURSE it is necessary in other countries (China, Morocco, etc). Other people say, "We are all gonna be persecuted one day so we better get used to meeting in houses." Huh? Hunker down before we have to? Or get the big sign out there "Jesus Saves, find out more here" while we can. As a former house-churcher (So Cal 1979-1981, where the movement started), I say if you have to (China)okay, if you want to (USA, churches everywhere, but "we like crumbcake and coffee on the sofa on Sunday morning")okay also...but DO NOT say that the NT prescribes meeting in houses.
Case in point: Algeria (North Africa), Muslim Arab country. House churches amongst the Berbers...but the govt said "don't hide, we know you are out there and growing like a weed." So they didn't hide...they rented buildings and came up from the underground.....growing even faster now.
Praise the Lord.
8sofar
11/28/2005 4:59 AM