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Ministry News Biblical Training Centre for Pastors The nurse theologian was 1 of 18 missionaries this week who took part in a partnership orientation/teacher workshop with Biblical Training Centre for Pastors in Stone Mountain, Georgia. We are all together in this photo, along with the 3 men who facilitated the workshop. It was humbling to meet these missionaries and hear what God has called each of them to do in the name of Jesus Christ for the church.  For example: 1 group is working with the Hmong people in Thailand and will be translating the BTCP manuals into the heart language of the Hmong peoples. They are also working on a concordance for the Hmong Bible translation. There are 2 curriculum tracks: 1.The BTCP track is for qualified men per 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6 in pastoral leadership.  2.The BTCL track is for both men and women to be adequately trained for ministry and has 2 sub-tracks. a.BTCL International b.BTCL USA The BTCP track consist of 10 courses taught over 520 hou…
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The God-Man

Text: John 1:14-18 The God-Man By Mike Peek Context Greek philosophers thought of the Word as the perfect force by which the universe is structured. In Jewish writings personified wisdom, the Word and the Law were identified with one another and they believed that God created the world through His Wisdom•Word•Law. Greek philosophers saw the Word as invisible and eternal, which to them, was the ideal; therefore, they could not conceive that the Word might become flesh. Jewish teachers rightly taught that a man could not become a god; however, they never considered that God might become a man. My favorite passage in Scripture is Exodus 33-34, and for good reason: it is God’s revelation of His glory to Moses and it parallels the theme of our text. Let us take a look at how Exodus 33-34 and John 1:14-18 parallel.1 Exodus 33-34
John 1:14-18 God dwelt among his people in the tabernacle (33:10); Moses pleaded that God would continue to dwell with them (33:14-16)
The Word dwelt among His peopl…
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Faith and the True Light

Faith and the True Light Text: John 1:9-13 By Mike Peek Context The disciple whom Jesus loves begins this paragraph using Jewish imagery. Jewish tradition said that God offered the law to all seventy nations on Mount Sinai but only Israel excepted the Word of God; therefore, the Jewish people believed the Gentiles were unenlightened. Though many Israelites disobeyed the law of God, they believed that when the law came forth at the end of time all of Israel would accept the Word of God.[1] Isaiah 2:3 Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. The author breaks from Jewish tradition emphasizing that reception of the Word is not by ethnic birth but by spiritual rebirth. Jewish tradition applied the title “Children of God” to the nation of Israel alone but the disciple whom …
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The Witness John

The Witness John Text: John 1:6-8 By Mike Peek Context In the first century, “Witness” was a Greco-Roman legal concept and a legal concept among Jews.[1]The Greek word translated into English “Witness” denotes evidence given judicially: this could be a record, a report or a testimony.[2]This is the same word used in the Gospel of Mark regarding Jesus trial before the high priest, chief priests, elders and scribes when they were attempting to obtain testimony against Jesus. (cf.Mk.14:53-65) In the first few words of the Gospel According to John we have a legal metaphor taking shape. The reason being that many who would read this text during the time that it was written and shortly thereafter would find themselves in a trial setting giving “Witness” for the hope that is in them. Isaiah (v.44:8, NASB) prophesied of “Witness” taking place: ‘Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me…
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The Beginning Word (John 1:1-5)

The Beginning Word (John 1:1-5) Divine Yet Distinct from the Father (John 1:1-2) The Greek term translated into English “Word” was used by Greek philosophers to mean “reason.” There was a great deal of Greek influence in 1stcentury Judaism whether they wanted to admit it or not. For one, the Scriptures had been translated from Hebrew into Greek and there were many Hellenistic Jews who imitated the manner, customs and language of Greeks. Even though the term logos (Word) is Greek, the Jewish people would have understood it. The 1stcentury Jew identified Wisdom/Word/Law with God, for all three come from God. To the 1stcentury Jew, Wisdom/Word/Law are Divine; yet, distinct from God the Father; therefore, the Greek term logos (Word) was the best way for the disciple whom Jesus loved to describe Jesus as Divine, yet distinct from the Father, a being Who personifies Wisdom and Law from above.[1] The author begins the text echoing the words of Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning,” but before say…
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The Apologetic of the Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

It is well documented that early Christians suffered for their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. All of the apostles except for John were martyred and it is said that John was arrested at Ephesus and cast into a vessel filled with boiling oil in Rome; after this, banished by the Emperor Domitian to the island of Patmos.[1]Throughout church history John the apostle has been attributed with authoring the fourth canonical gospel. Theophilus of Antioch (A.D. 170) is the first writer known to call John the author. Polycarp, a second-generation Christian sat under the teaching of John the apostle. Irenaeus, a third-generation Christian sat under the teaching of Polycarp[2]who was martyred in Rome A.D. 155.[3]For unknown reasons Irenaeus migrated to Lyons where he died in A.D. 202. Irenaeus was likely martyred for his faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as well.[4]Irenaeus widely quoted the fourth canonical gospel in his writings and attributed authorship to John the apostle; therefore, from Irena…
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A Look Around the Room

As the teacher spoke, I looked around the room at those in attendance. In this rectangular room were 47 persons, male and female. The subject was something of significance in church governance but had been given little attention in the text of Scripture. Do we look beyond the text to church history for the answer? The subject is one that has become important in a modern western cultural context and had been previously addressed in church history but is not clearly addressed when looking at Scripture alone because the subject was not as important in the biblical cultural context in which the New Testament writers wrote. The subject of the class discussion is not the subject for which I am writing today. It is the significance of what I was seeing and hearing that is the subject. Not the theology that was being discussed, but the manner and persons whom discussed the theology. As I surveyed the room, I saw 47 persons, male and female. Of the 47, 5 had seminary graduate degrees, 4 male an…
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