Queen's Road Cell

 For Thought and Discussion:  a. Why was it necessary for God to open Lydia’s heart to respond to Paul’s message (see 16:14)?  Beause it is not the wisdom or persusasiveness of the preacher or witness that moves people to saving faith - it is the gift of God. We took time off to consider the necessity of God's work in causing people to respond savingly to the gospel message. As with the Gentiles of Cornelius' household (Ac 11:18, cf. 2 Tim 2:25), it is God who enables saving faith (Eph 2:8-9), not our own efforts.   Ruth mentioned John 6:44-45, 65, which also speaks of man's inability to come to God unless God draws him. In my view, then, Scripture speaks of God's monergistic work in salvation, not a synergistic effort where He takes 99 steps and we take 1 step. We are not merely helpless, needing only to open our mouths  to receive life-giving medicine. We are dead, completely unable to respond without the work of the Spirit  (Eph 2:1, 5; Co...

 1. The Lystrians reacted to the healing of the lame man like typical rural pagans of that time (see 14:8-13). What do you learn from this incident about the religious beliefs of those people—people—the assumptions that Paul and Barnabas had to overcome? (List as many observations as you can.) They believed their gods could do miracles.  They believed that gods could disguise themselves as men. They believed in the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes They believed in sacrificing to their gods The apostles showed their grief and rejection of human worship As with our unbelieving friends, the Lystrans had a framework of belief they were committed to that could not be immediately overcome.   2. Acts 14:15-17 gives us our first example of what Paul and Barnabas preached to purely Gentile audiences, as opposed to Jews, proselytes, and God-fearers. In addition to proclaiming Jesus, what did the apostles have to explain to pagans that they didn’t have to say to Jews and God-fearers? They...

Edmund Chan says that modern-day discipleship must be re-grounded in Christ-centredness. Christ is not merely to be a figurehead monarch or symbol, but truly the Lord - the one who makes the decisions. Christ must have authority and give Him full ownership over our individual lives. Paul's Christocentricity is seen in Colossians: Christ is the prototokos (firstborn, 1:15). Not a created being, but the One through whom all things are created (1:16), who has all the privileges and rights of a firstborn son ("I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth" Ps 89:27). Christ is also the eikon (image, 1:15) of the Father, just as we are called to be in His image (1 Co 15:49, 2 Co 3:18, Col 3:10). All things were created by Him (1:16), through Him, and for Him (1:16). He existed before all things, and he sustains the universe 'by the word of His power' the pleroma (fullness/completeness, 1:19). He is the One in whom all the fullness of Deity dw...