In Philemon, Philippians, Titus and Ephesians, Paul is directly speaking against the norms of the societies in which the churches reside. Philemon is called to forgive and accept his runaway slave as a brother in a society built on a strict master/slave system. The Philippians are self-made people, hardened by battle and used to the notion of victory through power. Paul continually directs them towards living a life of humility and service. The Cretans are a people known for being crude and excessive in their search of pleasure. The theme found in Titus is living self-controlled, godly lives. The town of Ephesus was a religious disney land where one could find any ride to suit their spiritual fancy. Paul poetically describes the believers identity in Christ and instructs them to live by new standards.
It seems that this counter-cultural set of beliefs is crucial to understand as a follow of Christ. When Jesus beckoned his disciples to follow him, he required that they leave everything else behind and separate themselves from the society as a whole. This call is revolutionary and conflicts with our preconceived notions of what our lives should look like, but it is the only path to abundant life.
“The way of ruthless trust [in God] is not an abstraction but a concrete, visible, and formidable reality. It gives definition to our lives, reveals what is life-giving within us, shapes the decisions we make and the words we speak, prods our consciousness, nurtures our spirit, impacts our interaction with others, sustains our will-to-meaning in life, and gives flesh and bone to our way of being in the world.”
- Brennan Manning Ruthless Trust
It begins, and where it ends, no one can say.
"My brain hurts." - ESBS student
The first two weeks spent learning the inductive bible study method are over and with it comes the intensity, which will consume the next 9 months. The Bible is our world. Period. We eat, drink, breath, and dream Bible. On average 50+ hours per week are spent on personal observation, interpretation, and application of the content of one book after another. Just the student, Bible, Holy Spirit and a plethera of Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias. In addition, 8 hours per week are spent receiving insight from the gifted staff through lecture. All in all, our lives our dedicated to the pursuit of godly wisdom; we are so blessed.
The first two weeks spent learning the inductive bible study method are over and with it comes the intensity, which will consume the next 9 months. The Bible is our world. Period. We eat, drink, breath, and dream Bible. On average 50+ hours per week are spent on personal observation, interpretation, and application of the content of one book after another. Just the student, Bible, Holy Spirit and a plethera of Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias. In addition, 8 hours per week are spent receiving insight from the gifted staff through lecture. All in all, our lives our dedicated to the pursuit of godly wisdom; we are so blessed.
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