To the end of the story?

NORSK

When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.... For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!
Acts 28:16,30-31

And ... here ends Luke's story, but not the Acts of the Apostles. My theory about why it stops here is simple:

I think Theophilus, the receiver of Luke’s gospel and Acts, was one of all the people whom Paul welcomed in the house where he was staying. I think Theophilus was given the opportunity to sit and listen to the unhindered preaching and teaching. I believe ha was touched by the Gospel, became a believer, but felt that he needed to get everything he had heard in writing.

If my theory is true, we are in 2016 more than 2 billion Christians who are grateful to God and to Theophilus for expressing such a desire, and to Luke for taking the challenge to write it all down in such an excellent way.

What happen after the two years in Rome?
Did Paul’s dream about going to Spain come true? (Rom 15:23-24)
 
Again if the theory about Theophilus is correct, he was likely to have been well informed about these events through the reports coming to the church in Rome - either in form of a letter, through the messages brought by travelling disciples, or from Paul himself when returning from his journey. Nevertheless, the likelihood is that it was in Rome that Paul finally should experience that which is better by far:

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.
Phil 1:21-23

'Manna' for today:

To live is Christ!

All the best with the mission in Acts 29!

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Spiritual authority is about being an example

NORSK
To get the crew and the passengers to eat to get strength to meet the challenges ahead of them, Paul took a tactical step: He led by example!

After he said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all, broke it, and began to eat.
Acts 27:35

For a group of terrified people, it must have been quite a sight to see this man take a “timeout” and eat in the middle of the storm. Spiritual authority is all about leading by example. Paul’s example  gave them courage. I imagine that they thought: "If he can do it, I can!" - And they took the food and ate it. 

As a leader I cannot choose – I am an example. The example may be good or bad, and what a leader does or fails to do may be of great importance for the kingdom of God. Paul was aware of this:

I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.
1 Cor. 9:26-27 (The Message)

 'Manna' for today:

The power in the example...

Spiritual authority focuses on the task

NORSK
Very often we listen to athletes answering a question about their expectations in an upcoming event: 

"I'm going out there focusing on the task that I should be doing!"  

The focus is not on winning the medal; it is not on the obstacles – but all on the task that has to be done. It is important in sports. It is important in business. It is important when building a church...

...and it was important when 276 people were to be rescued from the sea - as was the case with the ship caught in a storm on the Mediterranean Sea nearly 2000 years ago. 

Paul focused on the task, therefore he also saw that the people were exhausted after going without food for fourteen days and said:

"Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.”
Acts 27:34

Paul was preparing them for the task. It is interesting to observe how God's revelation and human reason go hand in hand here. If the task at hand needs that I am in optimal physical shape, I should prepare myself accordingly. This is logical for the Spirit as well as for human reason. 

'Manna' for today:

God has created me with heart and brain

-----------------------------

Spiritual authority is explicit

NORSK 
Pragmatism is considered a good quality when the end justifies the means. I believe that Paul had learned pragmatism from the Holy Spirit, because I believe what I wrote a couple of days ago that ‘an exceptional Spirit gives exceptional qualities’.

I have also mentioned that William Booth possessed a good portion of pragmatism (1). But it is very important to state that pragmatism is not the same as lack of clarity. A leader must be able to distinguish between what is of less importance and what is absolute.

Through Paul, God had said that everyone on the ship would be rescued. The passengers believed it, but the crew panicked. Secretly they planned to save themselves and escape on the lifeboat. Again Paul used his spiritual authority and said:

“Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”
Acts 27:31

Here is no vagueness. It is impossible to misunderstand the explicit message. Through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, Paul had taken on himself to lead the large group of drowning people to the safe shore. It is all about crossing the border to life. In such situations, you will never compromise.

When God has spoken and the "revelation" is tested, it is the leader's responsibility to stand firm on God's word. Paul comments on this in one of his letters: 

...do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”? But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No”.
2 Cor 1: 17-19

'Manna' for today:

..let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’.

-----------------------------------------
(1) See: Fanaticism and pragmatism

Spiritual authority will encourage and build courage

NORSK
The ship that was going to bring Paul from Crete to Rome was caught up in a terrible storm not long after they had left the shore. The hurricane winds were so strong and raging for so long that they ‘finally gave up all hope of being saved.’ (1). In this situation Paul executes authority. He has received it from the Holy Spirit, and it is strengthened by a revelation in form of a vision. His first task is to build up courage in the crew and the passengers:

So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.
Acts 27:25 

Paul’s words of ‘comfort’ become more credible because he does not try to hide the realities (v 26). Nothing is more devastating to courage than pessimism. The pessimists normally declare themselves as “realists” because they see all the barriers and challenges. Paul definitely saw the challenges, but was still an optimist because he saw a solution. ‘Salvation’ would not come without a price, but it was still a salvation. Solomon said:

Where there is no vision, the people perish…
Prov 29:18 (KJV)

Paul had a vision (or revelation) of a realistic solution and had sufficient faith to share it with the others.

‘Manna’ for today:

It takes courage to give people hope when they ‘have given up all hope’

-----------------------------
(1) Acts 27:20

Paul and spiritual authority

NORSK
When I now enter the last part of my journey through Acts with focus on the Holy Spirit, I want to look at Paul’s spiritual authority. Even though he was sent out by the church (1), he does not seem to have had a typical formal leadership position. Even though he was the founder of many churches and felt the daily concern for them (2), it is not primarily as a church leader I think of him. 
Even so, Paul possessed a spiritual authority that seems completely independent of the role he held at any given time. Many of these spiritual qualities became very evident when he as a prisoner was transported to Rome (3).

The strong spiritual authority was not influenced by his status as prisoner. Paul used this authority in a way that informally gave him the leadership in a crisis. When I use the word ‘informal’, it is because he did make any effort to change his status as prisoner or to revolt against the existing leadership hierarchy. His authority had some limitations, because Paul did foresee the disaster they would face on the last lag of their sea crossing, but he did not manage to persuade his “leaders” to postpone the crossing.

Paul possessed something that characterized several of the Biblical heroes, like e.g. Daniel:

Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
Dan 6:3

With regard to Paul – I will focus on several of these qualities in the days ahead.

‘Manna’ for today:

An exceptional Spirit gives exceptional qualities.

------------------------
(1) See: Confirmation of the call
(2) 2 Cor 11:28
(3) Acts 27-28

The ressurection is dynamite*

NORSK
Several times, I have heard the question:

“Does your faith have any absolutes?”
 
My answer is simple: “Many!”
But even among the absolutes I have a small hierarchy – it is relatively flat, but on the top the truths of Easter reign:

The atonement on the cross and the reality of the resurrection. One of the reasons why I regard them as absolutes is that they challenge, and for many they become a provocation. It is impossible for a person to remain indifferent the moment the content of the Easter-story is revealed to him. I have heard the statement: “Everyone likes Jesus” on many occasions, and it is hard to find anyone who will not concur that he was an OK human being, but the cross is difficult, and the resurrection even worse…it can stir up a lot of noise. 

The atonement and the resurrection had focus in the sermons recorded in Acts. It was the conclusion of the biblical kerygma, and such absolutes will always stir up noise:

“My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” When he said this, a dispute broke out…
Acts 23:6-7a

Today I rejoice in the assurance I have that Jesus rose from the grave. In the spiritual realm I already died with him and rose with him. That also gives me the hope and the assurance that when my time on earth is over, I will raise up to the eternal life, which indeed has already begun. They who do not believe, do not understand this, and things are stirred up.

‘Manna’ for today:

I want to stir up some noice: JESUS IS TRULY RISEN!

----------------------------------
* and dynamite has a tendency to make noise!

To settle with the will of the Lord

NORSK
Yesterday I wrote about Paul who in spite of warnings through prophecies still believed it was right to go to Jerusalem, whatever the cost would be. Those who stood closest to him, had also warned, but when they realized that the plans of Paul probably was the Lord's will they concluded:

When we did not manage to persuade him, we settled with it and said:
“The Lord’s will be done.”
Acts 21:14

I have chosen to translate the Norwegian version into English. To settle with something, is to come to peace with it; and it is only the person who has the worries, who can make that decision. All the same, I think that there is a partnership taking place when such a decision is made. Because the Lord answers with peace when I settle with his will, but it is important that his will also becomes my will.
 
I can on the other hand choose to doubt if it really is what God has said, if it really is his will. If that is my choice, it will indeed cause turbulence in me. To rest in his will is also a rest in his promises and trust that:

• he will be with every day
• I am created in Christ Jesus to do good works, prepared by God in advance.
• God is bigger than the world.
• no force can take me out of him.

There is an ocean of peace in a surrender to God’s will, even in a storm, a shipwreck or finally in martyrdom, as for Paul. But I believe that even they who settled with the Lord’s will for Paul gained the same experience - and that they in the middle of it all received peace that is not of this world. It is also my personal experience (1).
‘Manna’ for today:

To settle in the will of the Lord is my choice and desire.

----------------------------
(1) Fred midt i terroren

He knew and yet he went!

NORSK
This autumn it is one year since I finished my big tour of John's Gospel. The journey lasted for approximately 2,5 years. One of the things I discovered during the study was how important it was for John to reveal that Jesus the whole time knew exactly the purpose of his life. This implies that he also knew what laid ahead of him - and yet he went! (1)

I do not know if Paul had Jesus in mind when he chose a similar strategy. Paul certainly did not know everything, but sufficient to know that going up to Jerusalem would involve suffering. And yet he went:

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”
Acts 20:22-24 

The quotation is from Paul’s farewell speech to the Ephesian elders on the beach at Miletus. It was a tearful farewell, and only one of many stops on the way to Jerusalem. At the places he stopped, the disciples “urged by the Spirit” warned him not to go up to the city (2). Yes, he knew, and yet he went. It is a little mystery that Paul was compelled by the Spirit to go, and that disciples urged by the same Spirit begged him to stop. It is likely that I will write more about this later.
 
Today 'manna':

Obedience can also involve sacrifice!

---------------------------------
(1) John 13:1
(2) Acts 21:4

Have you checked the battery?

NORSK
In Scandinavia we are in the middle of a “summer-cottage-season”, and in such seasons Health and Safety (HS) advertisements will remind us with a simple question: 
Have you checked the battery?

40 years ago I probably had a vague idea of ​​what risk-management was, but the concept has through the years consolidated its position as natural part of the vocabulary. 

Everything needs to be safeguarded these days, and if horse meat should turn up in the lasagna I bought at supermarket, an investigation will be performed to check if there are flaws in the producer's quality system, or if the incident is caused by human error. 

HS-concerns can cause a lot of bureaucracy, but a check from time to time can prove to be useful - also in the spiritual realm. Often, a simple question will suffice. Spiritual HS was an important part of Paul’s ministry. Among other things, he traveled around and "checked the batteries":

“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
Acts 19:2

The twelve disciples in Ephesus had not even heard of the Holy Spirit, so the question was both justified and important. But, it is important that the Spiritual HS check is not only words. Action must follow words, and that was one of Paul’s strengths. He explained the twelve what it was all about and then they were baptized both in water and in Spirit. Only when the check is followed by action, it is a real quality-check!
 
'Manna' for today:

I want to ask the important question 

- NB The smoke-detector illustration must not be taken too far: The “smoke detectors” in the my faith context are not there to remind me to extinguish the fire, but to alert me to bring more wood for the fire! ;-)
--------------------

The Spirit and the word

NORSK

In prepatation for a conferrence on church growth in 1989, I read John Larsson’s book: “How Your Corps can Grow”. 

In this excellent book on an important theme on how to adapt the principles in the context of The Salvation Army, Larsson uses a quote that I have repeated many times, and I just love it:

The word without the Spirit – you dry up
The Spirit without the word – you blow up
The word and the Spirit – you grow up! (1)

When I in this tour of the Acts have a focus on the Holy Spirit, it is interesting to observe what happened when Apollos turned up in Ephesus with a desire to continue to Achaia. I believe it was the Spirit who lead him that way so that the people there could be prepared to receive the Spirit. Before they could do that, they needed the ballast of the word, and Apollos was more than prepared to give them that:

When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.
Acts 18:27-28

It is always important to help those who by grace have come to faith to see that their experience is rooted in the Scriptures. It was like that in the beginning and equally important that we who have “walked the road for a while” today, are ready to support the newborn believers and give them the ballast of the word.

‘Manna’ for today:

I will grow up in the life of the Spirit and with the ballast of the word.

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(1) John Larsson: ”How your corps can grow” London 1988 p. 105

"A Gospel according to Hairfair?"

NORSK
One of the first stories from the age of the Vikings I can remember hearing, was the story of Harald Hairfair (1). He made the vow that he would not cut his hair until he had conquered the whole of Norway and made it one kingdom. This took of course more than a couple of weeks and according to the storytellers resulting in a remarkable mane of hair, which left him with the nickname “Hairfair”. The story left me, still a preschool boy, with vivid imaginations of how the famous Viking-king looked.

I was about the same age when I heard the story of Samson. He also left his hair to grow due to a vow. But it took me some years before I knew that this was a Nazirite vow (2) that Samson, like several of the biblical personalities (e.g. Samuel and John the Baptist), had been committed to for a lifetime. It is likely that it was much more common that a temporary vow was made. For the purpose of seeking the Lord’s guidance, a person would dedicate himself and make a vow for a period of minimum of 30 days.

It is interesting to note that Paul kept this tradition also after he was converted. It indicates that he stayed a Messianic Jew:

… he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken.
Acts 18:18

Luke's narrative does not tell if Paul did this for his personal benefit, or if it was done out of pragmatism (3) to please the Jews. But there is much to suggest that Paul, for his own sake lived as a Jew (4), and that it was motivated by his desire to reach the hearts of all men with his message:

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
1 Cor 9:19-23

‘Manna’ for today:

I want the whole of my life to be motivated by the Gospel.

----------------------------------------------
(1) Wikipedia: Harald Hairfair
(2) Numbers 6:1-21
(3) See: “Fanaticism and pragmatism”
(4) Acts 21:24-26

Who are God’s people?

NORSK
The question comes as a reaction to one of Paul’s visions:

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”
Acts 18: 9-10

The city was Corinth. Although Paul also there met resistance, he received a clear message that made him stay in the town and teach for 18 months. God must therefore have had a number of people whom Paul did not know anything about. The verse is complicated, because it can be misused as a defense for keeping the faith invisible. But, if the verse is read in context of the whole word of God, it is like a small sparkling diamond.
 
The coming of Jesus Christ "in the fullness of time" (1) and the rise of the Christian movement is the most dramatic paradigm shift in the history of the world.
Another verse comes to mind as I reflect on the information: “I have many people in this city” – May be it was the number of “ready” people that made the time right:

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
2 Chronicles 16:9

I believe God saw this was the case long before Paul came to Corinth. How "visible" are those who worship "the Father in spirit and truth" (2)? Another danger with the concept of the "invisible faith" is that it can make me relax, trap thinking that they are already "saved because of their wholehearted pursuit". But, it is important to remember the second perspective: 

The eternal God sees more than the "present moment". I believe it is possible that he also sees that they who wholeheartedly seek and worship God are likely to open up for the message about Jesus when they are introduced to him! I think this is how this verse should be interpreted.

I believe God has numerous people in every city – also in Chisinau where I live right now. The time will come when they with hearts fully committed will turn to him in enthusiasm over Jesus!

Today 'manna':

I believe that God wants his "invisible people" to be visible

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(1) Gal 4:4
(2) John 4:23

Who? What? Where?

NORSK
I got my first volume of the annual issue of the Norwegian “Who? What? Where?” for Christmas when I was 16. Since then I have collected and bought second-hand and have a good collection in my library back home. The three interrogatives are important with regard to preaching – but may the fourth one “how” is even more important.

One of the many interesting stories in Acts is Luke’s record of Paul's speech in Athens. So we straight away know “where”. I believe that the Holy Spirit is culturally sensitive without compromising the core of what he wants to achieve . Whether Paul had learned cultural sensitivity from the Holy Spirit, figured it out all by himself or whether it was purely intuitive, is impossible to derive from the text. Sometimes it can be important to distinguish, while at other times it is very artificial to do it. When a believer is commissioned and takes part in the mission, he is a representative of Jesus with every part of himself, therefore we must think holistically. The Holy Spirit utilizes everything I leave at his disposal.

Paul knew “who” he had in front of him: “All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.” (1). It is possible that the description is stereotyped, but it says something about a philosophical attitude, and Paul decided to appeal to the thought. Paul was never in doubt "what" he wanted to communicate – the eternal perspective and salvation in Jesus.

In relation to "how", he had observed that there was a lot of idolatry in the city (2). He had also seen an altar with the inscription, 'To an Unknown God.' It must have attracted attention when he concluded and proclaimed:

So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.
Acts 17: 23b

I can learn a lot by observing Paul and his preaching. Perhaps the cultural differences are not so big? What if we behind religious beliefs, philosophical musings and political influences can find a general longing in all people to come in contact with "the unknown God". That is actually a longing for eternal life: Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent (3).

‘Manna’ for today:

I want to identify the longing for God in the people I meet.

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(1) Acts 17:21
(2) Acts 17:15
(3) John 17:3 

The ideal and the reality

NORSK
After having experienced resistance from "their own" in every city, Paul and Silas arrived in Berea. Also in this town they followed the pattern and went to the Jews first, which of course meant to visit the synagogue and preach there, but the atmosphere was different:

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica
Acts 17: 11a

It's fun to look at the concept of "nobler character" which comes from the Greek root word: εὐγενής (Eugene - composed of "well/good" and "born/gene"). What was the attitude that got Luke to conclude that these Jews were "well born"?

Simply the fact that “they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true”. The ideal for a good Jew was just “openness to the Word” and examination of the Scriptures to determine whether a doctrine was from God.

It is highly likely that the Jews of the other places had the same ideal, but it is not always the reality matches the ideal. That was a struggle for the Jews, and that is a struggle for Jostein. However, it is extremely important that the ideals I have are rooted in Scripture. Therefore, I carry the dream that my life will endure the light of the Word so that I with the help of the Spirit can make the changes in the same. The Jews at Berea managed for a while, but eventually even they were influenced by their "own".

We feel safe together with our "own" because we have the same starting point; we are "well-born" (read: reborn); we have the same "genes" (read: spiritual genes) and should therefore also have the same mindset as Christ Jesus (1).

That is not always the reality neither for me nor for my "own". That can cause conflicts (2). The best cure is to accept the "word" and examine "the Scriptures".

Today 'manna':

I want to have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.

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(1) Phil 2:5
(2) Acts 17:13

Paradoxes II

NORSK
Yesterday, I wrote about the paradox that the Holy Spirit did not give the disciples permission to do what they considered to be the obvious next step in the mission.

Maybe this was just to prepare them for what they would meet at their next destination?

Not long after they arrived in Philippi, which was the place the Holy Spirit had led them to, they were confronted with a new paradox: A fortune-teller followed them, shouting out the truth:

“These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”
Acts 16:17

This “proclamation” of their mission went on for several days. Did Paul immediately discover that it was an impure spirit speaking, or did it dawn on him eventually?

It is hard to tell from the context, but from the ministry of Jesus, we know that the impure spirits knew who Jesus was: 

“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Mark 1:24

I do not think that this has changed the last 2000 years. The impure spirits still know when they encounter a person who is alive in Christ. That is why it is so important to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and have the wisdom to know what to do. What Paul did, brought him to prison - but once again, persecution brought honour to God - both through liberation from the prison and the jailer's salvation. 

Had this happened if Paul had not taken up the fight with the "spirit world"?

Today 'manna':

God, help me discern what’s pure and what’s impure.

Paradoxes?

NORSK
Even in Acts I run into events that at first glance seem like paradoxes. I have repeatedly concluded that the most visible impact of the Holy Spirit in the early church is that the gospel had to be preached. Being aware of this, it seems a little strange to read:

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.
Acts 16: 6-7  

To preach the Word in Asia cannot possibly have been something that was "completely wrong". As Asia is part of "the world" and with the authority of Jesus' great commission, I would have argued with Paul and his team that it was both logical and in line with our mission to preach there.

I am convinced that the team must have felt confused. Most believers come into periods of "leadership vacuum" - what or how on earth does God want now?

The answer to the Asian team came in the form of a vision. Paul “saw” a Macedonian who asked for help. Then they realized that it was there they should preach the gospel at that very moment of time. Had they allowed themselves to be ruled by the mission, they would have stayed in Asia, but they had now learned an important lesson:

Manna for today:

The Holy Spirit needs to be in control of the mission - not the opposite!

Fanaticism and pragmatism

NORSK
It is very interesting that Paul relatively shortly after the Church Council in Jerusalem shows that he was far from fanatical with regard to his position on certain issues.He verbalised his opinion clearly at the Council: Gentiles do not need not follow the Jewish law! 

But he chose a pragmatic solution when he decided to invite Timothy to be a part of the mission team:

Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
Acts 16: 3

Pragmatism in relation to questions of secondary importance, characterizes a number of the personalities who have influenced the history of the church. Paul led the way. It does not mean that he was unclear or that he compromised in matters of vital importance.

The same can be said about William Booth. As for Paul, it was the salvation of men that was most important to him. To reach that goal, he gladly made compromises in relation to matters that were important to believers from other churches

Although there are good theological reasons for the Salvation Army’s position of non-observance of the sacraments as physical rituals, the decision was also pragmatic. Booth did not want to lose his "best men" (= women) as officers in his army because of a ritual. In the Victorian world it was a revolution that his women were accepted as preachers - to accept that they also could distribute communion, was still premature. When William Booth had to make a choice, he chose women.  He viewed all as ‘one in Christ’. In Christ there is not man and woman, Jew or Greek, slave or free (1).

For me this is an example of pragmatism for the sake of reaching the more important goals, of which the salvation of souls is the greatest!

'Manna' for today:

I need the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to know when to be pragmatic and when to be uncompromising.

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(1) See Gal 3:28

The guidance of the Holy Spirit in doctrinal questions

NORSK
Throughout the history of the church, doctrine has been at the core of the debate – and it still is. The Salvation Army is constantly trying to formulate our belief in a contemporary language, and I was fortunate to be part of the translation of our Handbook of Doctrine from English to Norwegian a few years back. 

The teaching of the apostles was important in the early church. It was highlighted when the Gentiles became part of the followers of "the way", the group of believers who had started to call themselves Christians. 

Questions like e.g.: “Is it necessary for the Gentiles who have been saved to be circumcised to be part of God’s people?” had to be addressed.

In Acts 15 I read the minutes from the Church Counsel in Jerusalem. As far as we know, this was the first formal Synod that led to a concrete and lasting doctrinal decision. It is generally agreed that this event took place about AD 50.

Apostles and elders attended the meeting. Many of them had solid knowledge of Scripture. This in combination with all they had learned of Jesus, and the experience they had gained from 20 years of mission and ministry, formed the basis for the decision. Plus of course the fact that they were completely dependent on the Holy Spirit guidance. This is even reflected in the conclusion of the letter that was sent to the new congregations:

It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
Acts 15: 28-29

Has this meeting anything to say to me almost 2000 years later? 
Yes - it tells me that the first Christian leaders:  

1. depended totally on the Holy Spirit in doctrinal matters and
2. had an enormous confidence that the Holy Spirit would give direction to Christians in relation to personal lifestyle.

Why should I have less confidence in our time?

The challenge is that there is too much “gut feeling”. Meaning that too many Christians no longer ask the Holy Spirit for guidance neither through the Bible nor by asking the important question: "WWJD" (1).

'Manna' for today:

I want the Holy Spirit to guide me in all matters - including those concerning faith.

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(1) What Would Jesus Do?

The guidance of the Holy Spirit in doctrinal questions

NORSK
Throughout the history of the church, doctrine has been at the core of the debate – and it still is. The Salvation Army is constantly trying to formulate our belief in a contemporary language, and I was fortunate to be part of the translation of our Handbook of Doctrine from English to Norwegian a few years back. 

The teaching of the apostles was important in the early church. It was highlighted when the Gentiles became part of the followers of "the way", the group of believers who had started to call themselves Christians. 

Questions like e.g.: “Is it necessary for the Gentiles who have received been saved to be circumcised to be part of God’s people?” had to be addressed.

In Acts 15 I read the minutes from the Church Counsel in Jerusalem. As far as we know, this was the first formal Synod that led to a concrete and lasting doctrinal decision. It is generally agreed that this event took place about AD 50.

Apostles and elders attended the meeting. Many of them had solid knowledge of Scripture. This in combination with all they had learned of Jesus, and the experience they had gained from 20 years of mission and ministry, formed the basis for the decision. Plus of course the fact that they were completely dependent on the Holy Spirit guidance. This is even reflected in the conclusion of the letter that was sent to the new congregations:

It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
Acts 15: 28-29

Has this meeting anything to say to me almost 2000 years later? 
Yes - it tells me that the first Christian leaders:  

1. depended totally on the Holy Spirit in doctrinal matters and
2. had an enormous confidence that the Holy Spirit would give direction to Christians in relation to personal lifestyle.

Why should I have less confidence in our time?

The challenge is that there is too much “gut feeling”. Meaning that too many Christians no longer ask the Holy Spirit for guidance neither through the Bible nor by asking the important question: "WWJD" (1).

'Manna' for today:

I want the Holy Spirit to guide me in all matters - including those concerning faith.

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(1) What Would Jesus Do?