Frank Talk by Dr Frank Hultgren

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Chris Field

frank hultgren.jpg I was recently asked about my early days.
A younger pastor was looking for the secret to my long life of ministry and the peculiar anointings I have enjoyed.
That prompted me to reflect on sixty years of ministry, as a Pentecostal pastor, a Charismatic leader, a sought after speaker, an internationally recognised prophetic voice and more recently a chaplain and teacher at Oral Roberts University.

Yes, it is true that God has used me in wonderful ways. And on top of all that there are dealings of God and spiritual challenges I have had to face that were outside the public view. And in it all God has been faithful and God has given me amazing opportunities beyond my expectation.

So, what is the secret to all of that? How did an insecure, lanky Aussie lad end up on the global stage? How did I, with all my limitations, get to speak powerfully into the lives of some of the world’s best known names in Christian ministry? How is it that doors of ministry and the doors of hard to get into homes and places opened up to me?

Let me tell you, it wasn’t through education. I’m no dummy, but I never sought academic merit. My approach was much simpler than that.

And it wasn’t through mentoring. If there is one pain I carry after all these years and all the wonderful things I have been privileged to do it is that I never had anyone to train me and guide me through those difficult pioneering years. If I have a word for today’s upcoming leaders, take advantage of the abundant input that is readily available to you. Listen to the voices of those willing to speak into your life. You have no idea how precious that is and how much I longed for it through decades of my life.

It wasn’t through perfect theology. As I think back on those early sermons I preached to those small AOG congregations that us early Pentecostal preachers cared for in the first half of last century I know there are things I’d never preach again. In fact, Jesus personally visited me on at least one occasion, just to make sure I didn’t preach what I had been preaching.

And it wasn’t through my denomination. In those early days there was only one Pentecostal denomination, Assemblies of God. It was the light to my nation for all who would open to the Holy Spirit. Yet the day came when God instructed June and me to pull out of the AOG. We cried for days. We had so little to rely on, and Jesus took even that away from us.

So, what was it that made all the difference? How did God get through to a young buck who had so little to get him through?

What I had, and I had it in good measure, was Desperation!

God gripped my heart with a sense of the sheer futility of what I was trying to do, preaching a message people didn’t care for, in a land that was so needy, with so little to give and so little power to change anything. I became desperate.

I became desperate for the church. I love the church and I hurt for those believers who so needed the power of God and so needed the touch of God, but who seemed to come up empty so often.

I longed to see the power of God. I longed to see the church grow. I longed to see a smile on the face of Jesus as His bride was made ready for Him.

But all I had in those early days were the simple messages we had been taught, and a handful of people, standing up for a truth the mainstream churches rejected, and having to go alone in just about everything we did.

Then Jesus heard my cry.

I can’t say that everything changed overnight. It didn’t. Many changes took years to take shape. And many of the changes came at a price.

I mentioned having to give up the AOG. How bitter the pain of that breach! I knew it was God’s leading, but I could not understand it. I had to die to my own understanding and be humble and simple enough to do what He wanted, when it tore me apart.

Yet in just a few short years I ended up pastoring a Congregational church, and was in the perfect position to make a major deposit into the emerging Charismatic revival of the 1960’s. How wise God is! The Charismatics rejected the Pentecostals but they looked to me for input, because of my Congregational label.

Unexpectedly I found myself invited to places I had never dreamed of, including monasteries, speaking powerfully into the lives of Catholic priests, nuns, mothers superior and hungry souls from all manner of churches. What a privilege! What a wonder!

But the desperation did not lift even with all of that. Instead it has remained with me.

A life verse for me is found in Jeremiah 29:12: “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.”

That verse was my call to prayer. I am recognised by some as a man of prayer, but I don’t try to be. I simply respond to the desperation to know God and to see His hand at work. He has called me to call on Him. He has promised me that when I call out to Him He hears. Hallelujah!

And He has listened! He heard the longing of a long-legged preacher from the backside of Australia and He opened the world to me.

And let me assure you that the dealings of God are far from over in my life. Just in this past week God gave me powerful revelation about significant spiritual things in my life. That’s what He often does before opening up amazing new doors for me.

Before I was invited to be on staff at ORU God did a deep work in my heart. When Richard Roberts called me personally and urged me to be part of what God is doing there I was already prepared by the dealings of God.

God hasn’t finished with me yet and I’m keen to keep flowing with His will, because the church isn’t ready yet. There are needs to be met. There are churches to plant and lives to see transformed.

I am privileged to be part of God’s work in this past century. And I am pleased to be able to say that I am totally unqualified for all that God did in and through me. It is HIM! And I say that with delight, knowing there is a whole army of men and women waiting to serve the Lord who need to know that if God can use me so wonderfully as He has, then God can use them too.

Let me be Frank with you (excuse the pun), but I don’t have a lot of time for today’s church programs. I miss the Bible songs and I don’t like lightweight messages. I urge you not to be a product of your generation, but to be desperate for more. Be desperate for more of God, more revelation, more miracles, more power, more of God’s Kingdom on earth.

I can’t tell you that it will lead to an easy road. It certainly didn’t for June and me. But I wouldn’t exchange the past sixty years for anything. And I am in anticipation about what God is yet to do through me before my use-by date comes up.

Be Desperate for God. He’s watching your heart right now to see if you’ll be desperate for Him.

Dr Frank has permitted me to post this article for him.
For those who do not yet know this wonderful man of God he is based in Perth, Western Australia, where he has spent most of his ministry life.
Frank not only pastored AOG churches and became a significant Charismatic leader in the past century, but in recent years he was based at ORU in the USA, where he was a profound and prophetic voice into the lives of significant Christian ministries. Much of what he was privileged to input is not for public knowledge, but suffice it to say that Dr Frank has had significant impact in those lives.
I hope to present further contributions by Dr Frank if and when they become available.
Dr Frank authored several books which you may care to check out, including Breaking Eve’s Curse and Prophetic Insights into Spiritual Warfare.

Dr Clifford Wilson Passes Into Glory

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Chris Field

Dr Clifford Wilson, Australian Archaeologist, Author, Academic and committed Christian worker died on the evening of Wednesday April 4, 2012 just a few weeks short of his 90th birthday.

Clifford Wilson was well known and much loved internationally, having contributed widely in Christian apologetics, academia, psycholinguistics, archaeology, Christian broadcasting, publishing and public speaking.

At the same time Clifford was cherished as a father, grandfather and great-granddad, with the ability to engage in encouraging conversation with people of all ages and walks of life.
He was truly a remarkable man with tireless energy and unbounded vision. He contributed above and beyond the call of duty, boldly stepping into issues where others shrank away.
And his many wonderful achievements would not have been possible without the capable and devoted support of his first wife, Avis, and his second wife, Barbara, who both preceded him in death.

Clifford’s achievements were listed at the Thanksgiving Service as:
*    Naval Seaman during World War II
*    Missionary to India (see comment added below with detail of his work there)
*    First Regional Director of Emmaus Bible College (see comment below for a review of the early history of Emmaus and Clifford’s involvement)
*    Hansard Reporter for the Fijian Government
*    Pastoral service in Australia and USA
*    Passionate supporter of Essendon Football Club (Aussie Rules Football)
*    Lecturer at Emmaus Bible College, Melbourne Bible Institute (MBI), New Zealand Bible School, Collumbia Bible College, Pacific College of Graduate Studies, Toorak Teachers College and Monash University (among others)
*    Named in America as an outstanding Educator of the Year
*    Academic degrees in History, Education, Theology, Divinity and Psycholinguistics (B.A., M.A., B.D., M.R.Ed., Ph.D.)
*    Founder of the Word of Truth Ministries and Pacific Ministries
*    Radio Broadcaster in Australia, USA and internationally
*    Founding President of Pacific College of Graduate Studies and Pacific International University
*    Director of the Australian Institute of Archaeology
*    Author of approximately 100 books
*    Editor and Assistant Editor of New Life Christian Newspaper (Australia)
*    Husband to Avis for 54 years
*    Father to Bruce, Elaine, David and Lynnette and Father-in-law to Shirley, Alan, Debbie and Greg
*    Grandfather to Darren, Debbie, Phil, Michelle, Ray, Bruce, Benj, Dee Dee, Marney, Jabin, Ryan, Brianna and Geordie
*    Great grandfather to 23 children
*    Husband to Barbara for 12 years
*    Friend to ‘millions’

Dr Wilson, May 10 1923 – April 4 2012, was interred at a private burial on the morning of April 10, and a Thanksgiving Service followed at Canterbury Gardens Christian church that afternoon.

An article on the life of Barbara Wilson, who passed away in 2010, can be found at: http://chrisfieldblog.com/2010/06/03/barbara-wilson

Additional information about Clifford’s life can be found in the comments following this article.

June Sutton Died Sept 8 2009

Posted on September 10, 2009 by Chris Field

June Margaret Sutton, Veteran Missionary to Hong Kong and Pioneer of Wholeness Through Christ International, died in Melbourne on Tuesday September 8, 2009, at 11pm. She was in intensive care following chemotherapy treatment for bone-marrow cancer.

June Sutton

June is remembered as a tireless and dedicated woman of God with a forthright manner and unbounded commitment to build God’s Kingdom. In her young adult years June lived in Hong Kong and ministered among the Swatow speaking communities.

The Funeral Services for June Sutton were as follows:

10.30am – burial at Lilydale Memorial Park, on Tuesday 15th September.

A Thanksgiving Service followed at 1pm at New Hope Baptist Church, Blackburn North.

Brief Biographical Notes

Born November 14,1936, first child to Len and Iris Sutton. Siblings: Barrie, Julie and Colin.

14.11.1936 ~ 08.09.2009

June received theological training at Melbourne Bible Institute which later became Bible College of Victoria. In 1965 she began missionary service as an Australian Baptist Missionary with American Baptists in Hong Kong, where she trained hundreds of Chinese Christians in children and youth ministries, evangelism and discipleship.

After leaving Hong Kong in 1984 June founded Wholeness Through Christ Ministries Australia, through which hundreds have been equipped to minister Jesus’ healing to emotionally hurt and sick people.

At the same time she pioneered a ministry in China, visiting house churches and taking Hong Kong Christians with her to train house church leaders. Hong Kong Christians still continue this ministry, visiting China twice a year.

June was always an excellent student, being dux of her subjects in her final year at school. She pursued further studies over the years and was awarded an MA in the USA.

In 1995 June was led by God to visit Eastern Europe and here He showed her the need to equip Christians, now freed from behind the Iron Curtain. She established World to Christ International (WTCI), with a qualified Christian Board, to develop a ministry of training Christians in former communist countries in discipleship, evangelism, children ministry, Jesus Healing of the Whole Person and leadership development for the Church. In 2005 the Lord directed a change in focus nations towards Asia, and WTCI sent teams to Nagaland (NE India), India, Cambodia and Hong Kong, with many opportunities opening up in Asian countries. June served as International Field Director for WTCI and oversaw the ministry in each nation.

June created Jesus Healing of the Whole Person as a ministry to lead people into release from spiritual oppression and inner pain. She was privileged to train workers in the former Communist country of Slovakia and ultimately hand that work over to the locals.

For much of the past decade June attended Full Gospel Assembly Melbourne (directed there through prophetic encouragement), where she was actively engaged with the Chinese congregation led by Ps Shirley Ma.

June Sutton (1)

June also ran monthly training sessions for Jesus Healing of the Whole Person, and maintained overseas ministry trips. As recently as January 2009 June spent time in Hong Kong, as God was opening that mission field to her once more. She also met with and encouraged Christians in China as well.

In 2005, June was led by the Lord to write her autobiography ‘To God be the Glory: Forty Years in Missions Ministry’. Her book was launched in Hong Kong to the great delight of those she had blessed there.

June never married and was single-hearted in her desire to serve the Lord. She encouraged, trained, ministered to people, exhorted and prayed, drawing others into her various strategies for building God’s Kingdom.

In May 2009, June was diagnosed with blood and bone marrow cancer. During the short period of illness, June was never in despair; she was full of hope and believing for a miracle. Her prayers were filled with thanksgiving for the love and peace of the Lord. Those around her were lifted up by her great faith and devotion to our Lord.

She was visited by several of the Slovakian pastors whom she had taught and encouraged over the past decade, since they were visiting Melbourne. June took a short holiday to Queensland before undergoing chemo therapy for her cancer. It seems that the first dose of chemo so impacted her physically that her kidneys, lungs and heart were compromised and she was quickly in intensive care. She never recovered.

June died peacefully surrounded by loving family members and close friends on September 8, 2009. June was 72 years old.

June is sadly missed by people who she blessed around the world. Ps Shirley Ma expressed on Tuesday morning, the day of June’s death, that the Chinese congregation were grieving, wishing to have opportunity to show their love to June who had been a wonderful spiritual mother to the work. Sadly that chance did not come.

June at grave of Robert Morrison (1)

I knew June from many years ago. I can’t even remember how we met. About eight years ago, very shortly after I began attending Full Gospel Assembly Melbourne, June turned up. She was sitting right in front of me and was delighted to see me there. She told me how the Lord had impressed her that she was to attend a Chinese congregation not very far north of her home. She did not know such a church existed and was surprised and delighted to find out about FGAM. She attended there faithfully, joining the Mission Committee, introducing the church to her Slovakian contacts (which led to several ministry trips there by leaders from FGAM, including my ministry there a year ago – Sept 2008), blessing many of the members through the Jesus Healer of the Whole Person training program, and finding great blessing through her connection with the Chinese congregation of the church.

June was a very forthright and determined lady. She took everything seriously and displayed great persistence and wisdom. She got things done and gave of herself as far as she was able.

Karen and Ed Seymour assisted her wonderfully at WTCI and took on much more responsibility in the inner healing training program this year. June’s brother Barrie was Chairman of the Board for WTCI for a time, before retiring.

The World To Christ International (WTCI) ministry will continue to build upon the work that June has established in obedience to God’s leading, in Australia, Slovakia and Hong Kong. WTCI is the provider of Jesus’ Healing of the Whole Person (JHWP) training course. Many of those personally trained by Sis June are well equipped to bless others and so they will continue to minister faithfully, as June has prepared them to do.
WTCI Contact: Karen Seymour, JHWP Training Director www.wtciaus@gmail.com

We praise God for June’s ministry and example. Our prayer is that this “seed” that has fallen into the ground will cause a whole new generation of selfless servants of the Lord to be raised up in the spirit and commitment of June Sutton. We also pray that the monthly prayer initiative which June set in place for outreach into China will bring forth new churches and increased fruitfulness in that land.

A further note – from Sophia Hunter….

I am privileged to have shared many precious moments with Sister June.

June’s passion was Missions to the Nations, and to the last days, her thoughts and plans were for the lost and hurting – in need of Jesus and healing.

Sister June, your total dependence on God and obedience to His plans, is an inspiration and role model for me and co-workers in the Kingdom of God. You are greatly missed.

- Sophia

june sutton and sophia hunter

Ignatius – Bishop of Antioch

Posted on May 16, 2009 by Chris Field

Antioch in Syria is the first place where believers were called “Christians” and it was the home church for Paul and Barnabas, from which Paul launched his missionary journeys. Other early church writers identify Peter as the first bishop of Antioch, even though the New Testament bases him in Jerusalem.

Following Peter, the next bishop was Euodius, of whom we know next to nothing, and then Ignatius.

His Life

Dates for Ignatius’ life suggest he was born in 35AD and died as a martyr in Rome in 107AD. Some historians believe that the Apostle John survived until as late as 110AD and so Ignatius most likely met John. It is also possible that he met Paul, even though there is no account of it.

Some historians believe that Ignatius was martyred as late as 115AD.

Ignatius was not highly educated but he was a much loved bishop. While little is known of his early life and even of his work as a bishop, we have a richer resource from the time of his death. En route to Rome, where he was to be executed, Ignatius wrote seven letters, mostly to churches. These letters, along with records of his death from others, provide our understanding of this man of God.

Ignatius is revealed as a man who communicates simply and directly and who draws much on Biblical language and idioms. He displays a passionate devotion to His Lord, calling himself ‘Theophorus’, meaning the God Carrier. He is regarded as “one of the most attractive of the early church fathers”.

Martyrdom

Roman Emperor Trajan was not particularly aggressive in his persecution of Christians, but if one was brought to trial the only possibility was a death sentence. When Ignatius was arrested by the Imperial authorities it was decided that he should be executed in Rome, as a warning to the growing number of Christians, since he was a high profile Christian leader.

Guarded by ten Roman soldiers, Ignatius was first taken to Smyrna, where he would most certainly have met with Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna. While there he wrote letters to the Christians at Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles and Rome.

When he reached Troas, Ignatius wrote a further three letters, to the Christians at Smyrna and Philadelphia and also to Polycarp. It is understood that the local churches welcomed Ignatius as he made his long overland journey to Rome. They held him in great honour.

Ignatius was finally fed to the beasts in the Colosseum “for the gratification of the people” (as Trajan put it).

Theophorus

In his letter to the Ephesians, Ignatius refers to himself as theophorus, the God bearer. He also uses this term to identify himself before Emperor Trajan.

Ignatius explained that Theophorus referred to one who “has Christ within his breast”. Trajan asked, “Do you mean Him who was crucified under Pontius Pilate?” “Do you then carry within you Him that was crucified?” Ignatius answered, “Truly so”.

We see in these comments a very real grasp of Paul’s repeated theme of Christ in us (2Corinthians 13:5, Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 3:17, Colossians 1:27). How wonderful if all Christians could live with this reality as a daily awareness.

The Pre-eminence of Bishops

One of the controversial issues springing from Ignatius’ letters is his emphasis on a single bishop who must be obeyed by the church. The notions of apostolic succession and church hierarchy find strength in the early development of leading Bishops.

Ignatius refers to a single bishop and a presbytery, suggesting a pastoral group under the direction of a single leader, with an office superior to them. Note these quotes from his letters….

“You should all follow the bishop as Jesus Christ did the Father. Follow, too, the presbytery as you would the apostles; and respect the deacons as you would God’s law. Nobody must do anything that has to do with the Church without the bishop’s approval.”

“For there is one flesh of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and one cup of his blood that makes us one, and one altar just as there is one bishop along with the presbytery and the deacons”

Raising Doubts

Back in the fifteen and sixteenth centuries scholars raised doubts about the authenticity of the letters which promoted the role of the bishop. Their authenticity has been supported by scholarship since then, but as recently as the 1980′s it has been suggested by Rius-Camps that a forger concocted some of the letters, using genuine material mixed with additions, to promote the concepts of church unity and the absolute authority of the bishop.

Main Themes

The main themes which spring from his letters are: Christian unity; authority of the clergy; and the glorious privilege of Christian martyrdom. He warns against the development of factions and against the heresy of Docetism, which denied the material existence of Christ.

Of his own sentencing to martyrdom he said, “I am God’s wheat, ground fine by the lion’s teeth to be made purest bread for Christ.” “I thank You, O Lord, that You have chosen to honour me with a perfect love towards You, and have made me to be bound with iron chains, like Your Apostle Paul.”

Epistle of Barnabas Part 2

Posted on May 14, 2009 by Chris Field

A letter has passed down through two millennia which bears the name of Barnabas. The letter is confidently attributed to the man who worked with the Apostle Paul, since people close to that time were confident in his authorship.

In the first part of this investigation of the epistle we saw many of the weaknesses which are evident in the text. It was not considered worthy of being included in the Canon of New Testament books, and there is good reason for that. One obvious reason is the scientific inaccuracy of some statements, such as that hyenas change sex regularly. This notion came directly from Greek mythology. No text with such inaccuracies and drawing from so unworthy a source could be considered inspired.

However, all is not bad news for this epistle. We can gain much from it.

Contribution

The epistle shows how much early Christianity was polluted by Hellenistic influences. Greek mythology and allegory invaded the preaching of a man who worked alongside the Apostle Paul. Thus we see how valuable the canon of scripture is and how vulnerable the church is to invasive thought.

We see the heavy reliance on Old Testament scripture as a vital source book for the early church. That fact is clear in the New Testament writings, and is confirmed here as well.

We see a topical preaching style, as opposed to an exegetical stye which is prescribed by some churches today. The apostolic writers were perfectly comfortable with addressing issues and drawing from the breadth of scripture to bring their case together.

We see reference to “sons and daughters” in the opening verse. This is a new form of address. While Paul addressed his letters to the “church” or “saints” he spoke in his letters to the “brethren”, not to the brothers and sisters.

The letter quotes Jesus and refers to the quote as “scripture”. This shows how the early church saw the teachings of Christ as of the same authority as the Old Testament scriptures which they knew to be the Word of God.

Early Christians

The letter gives us some insight into the experiences and attitudes of early Christians.

It confirms the on-going outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as Paul encountered it through his ministry. In the opening remarks Barnabas, who was with Paul and would have participated in laying on hands on people to receive the Holy Spirit, declared that he saw the Spirit on these people. “I truly see the Spirit poured out among you from the riches of the fount of the Lord.” The outpouring of the Holy Spirit continued after the early apostles were passed on.

We also see that some Christians in that day, as we see today, expected that they could continue in a life of sin and still be saved. He warns his readers “not to liken yourselves to certain persons who pile up sin upon sin, saying that our covenant remains to them also“. This is the same idea addressed by Paul, who challenged the idea that we could continue in sin, since God’s grace covered it all.

Barnabas also confesses a sense that it is up to the Christian to maintain their own salvation. This, I perceive, is a wrong teaching which he had embraced, through fear. He warns that, “if we relax as men that are called, we should slumber over our sins, and the prince of evil receive power against us and thrust us out from the kingdom of the Lord.”

This suggestion is that if we are not diligent the devil will automatically have power to destroy our salvation. This flies in the face of Jude’s assertion that God is able to keep us from falling. Jude trusted the Lord, while Barnabas put trust in his own diligence.

Toward Codification

In the centuries which followed, the church moved increasingly toward prescribed practices, creeds, liturgy and catechism. The Letter of Barnabas, chapter 19, reveals an inclination in that direction. Barnabas lists about 50 “thou shalt” instructions, covering a wide ranger of practical and attitudinal issues.

“Thou shall not hesitate to give, neither shalt thou murmur when giving, but thou shalt know who is the good paymaster of thy reward. Thou shalt keep those things which thou hast received, neither adding to them nor taking away from them. Thou shalt utterly hate the Evil One. Thou shalt judge righteously.” (Note that the translator has put this in King James English – but it was originally in the common man’s Greek)

Paul and Barnabas Compared

Paul and Barnabas are linked together for several reasons. It was Barnabas who sought Paul to enlist him into ministry to the church at Antioch. Barnabas and Paul were both prophets in that church and were named together by the Holy Spirit when they were called to go on Paul’s first missionary journey. The pair then ministered together very effectively.

Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem together to represent the interests of the gentile converts throughout Asia Minor.

We also know that the pair separated prior to Paul’s second missionary journey, due to disagreement over Barnabas’ plans to take John Mark with them. Paul opposed the idea and the disagreement was so sharp that they went separate ways.

From that time Barnabas slips from the New Testament record. Paul continued to grow in significance within the New Testament churches, while Barnabas appears to have much smaller impact. Barnabas was held in honour among the churches but does not appear to have become a bishop, or to have any other lasting significance.

Barnabas Lacked Authority

The Epistle of Barnabas reveals a man who lacks authority, both within himself and within the ecclesiastical realm. He does not write with the commanding force of Paul, nor from a position of authority. Rather, he writes and commends his letter, based on his heart for his audience. He speaks several times of his great love for them.

The teachings which he conveys come across as the thoughts of a man, rather than revelations from God. He does not speak clearly from the Old Testament scriptures, but moulds them to his liking. He does not speak of things revealed to him, but instead concocts notions which prove to be unrealistic and based on false information (such as his hyena reference).

He was not caught up into heaven, as Paul was, nor shown divine secrets, as Paul. He did not command his audience to copy him, as Paul did, nor could he authenticate his directives with spiritual insights which resonate with a person’s spirit.

The epistle comes up empty, suggesting a man who was lacking in personal authority.

If this observation is correct, the basis seems to be his poor handling of the Word of God, coupled with his willingness to give value to earthly and unworthy sources. The role of the Word of God in Barnabas’ ministry has been diminished, by lack of diligent commitment, sloppy translation and application, and mixture with human sources.

The Influence of Barnabas

The teachings of Barnabas could not have the fruitful impact which we readily see in Paul. Barnabas would lead his hearers to a weaker hold of the Word of God and to a predisposition to allegorical interpretation, with forced meanings.

Such fanciful teaching might appeal to those with “itching ears” but it would not feed a man’s spirit and build him strong in faith. The followers would end up standing on the thoughts of man, rather than the powerful and life-giving truth from God.

The Epistle of Barnabas reveals that not all New Testament characters were of the calibre of Paul. The privilege of being close to the life of Christ and the early apostles did not guarantee a special spiritual outcome. Men of that day were as likely to be seduced and distracted to other things as anyone is today.

Epistle of Barnabas Part 1

Posted on May 12, 2009 by Chris Field

One of the many non-Biblical texts surviving from Apostolic times is a theological tract which is credited to Barnabas, the man who travelled with the Apostle Paul on Paul’s first missionary journey.

Barnabas is well known from the New Testament, as a Levite from Cyprus who is known as a ‘son of consolation’. His original name was Joses, but he was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles, probably in reference to his character as an encourager (Acts 4:36). It was he who sought out Paul to engage him in helping the Christians at Antioch in Syria.

Barnabas the Apostle

There appears to be several uses of the term ‘apostle’ in the Apostolic age. The term is mostly used to refer to the original disciples of Jesus who became apostles. The term apostle means ‘sent one’ and so it could also be used to refer to what we would now call a missionary. The term is used of other people than the original disciples, but it could be in the sense of missionary or sent ones, rather than as an equivalent term as applied to the twelve.

Paul refers to apostles as a functional appointment within church life, suggesting in Ephesians 4:11,12 that there is an on-going role for apostles in the church.

Barnabas is referred to by Dr Luke as an apostle, along with Paul (see Acts 14:4,14).

The Epistle

The early writers who make mention of the Epistle of Barnabas unanimously recognise Barnabas as the author. This stands in contrast to today’s scholars who hold that question in doubt. Clement affirms Barnabas as the author and so too does Origen, who treats it as equal to scriptural texts.

The original letter was written in Greek and is seen as Alexandrian in its style. The author is not named, nor is the intended recipients.

The opening verses suggest that the writer has a specific and limited audience in mind. “So greatly did the much-desired sight of you astonish me respecting you.”

The text is presented in 21 chapters, though many are very short. Rather than being a letter in the sense of Paul’s letters, it is more like a tract, presenting a set of religious teachings. The very purpose is explained to be “to perfect the knowledge” of his readers.

Date

The letter was written after the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD, but before the rebuilding of the city in 135AD. We know this because the fall is mentioned and yet Barnabas expects the Romans to rebuild the Temple, which expectation would have been nullified by the rebuilding of Jerusalem by Hadrian following the revolt of 132-135AD.

It is commonly thought that the letter was written before the end of the first century, before the Gospels were widely circulated.

Main Emphasis

While claiming to be a gift to the reader, assisting their understanding, the letter effectively spiritualises and allegorises the Old Testament law and other Biblical elements, to support the merits of Christ. However, Barnabas fails to deliver so rousing and glorious a celebration of Christ as we find in Paul’s writings, though he was Paul’s companion.

It seems that the determination to force Christological interpretations out of Old Testament and extra-biblical sources is energised by a desire to denigrate Judaism and separate it from Christianity. The repeated import is that the Jews focused on the tangible expression of their laws, sacrifices and temple, while those things were mere empty types of Christian truth.

Weaknesses

While there are a number of interesting thoughts proposed by Barnabas (or the author) the letter falls well short of a divinely inspired work.

One weakness is in an overwhelming inclination to apply allegorical interpretation. One could wonder if the author took anything to be literal, since the insistence on prescribing allegorical meaning as the superior interpretation is abundant.

Another problem, following that inclination, is the very forced nature of some allegorical interpretation. There is almost a sense of the delusional about the rampant impetus to make a spiritual sounding application of something which may well only be worthy of literal interpretation.

While there is an abundance of Biblical quotation the author is loose with his translations and does not take care to give clear credit to his sources. Several of his quotes are quite free and creative, imposing content into the text which is not there in the Old Testament source.

Spurious sources are also used freely. Some quotations which are presented alongside his Biblical quotes are completely unfamiliar to the Bible student. They may be based on Old Testament passages which were so thoroughly paraphrased as to lose touch with their original source. Or they may be pseudo scriptural content which he has drawn from sources which we do not readily identify.

Much is made of a Jewish tradition related to the scapegoat. That tradition is extra-Biblical, not being prescribed in the Mosaic instructions. So it is unworthy of the place which Barnabas gives it.

Unscientific ideas based on Greek mythology also find place in the letter. Of particular note is the assertion that hyenas change sexuality each year, from male to female and back again. This ridiculous idea can be traced back to Aesop’s fables and were also quoted by Pliny the Elder in his first century AD ‘Natural History’.

In the Epistle of Barnabas we see a preacher of the gospel drawing from cultural notions, rather than divinely revealed truth. In so doing he has compromised his authority and shown that his work was not inspired but simply concocted from popular cultural thought.

Barnabas Offers Much

Despite these and other negatives associated with this epistle, there is still much to gain from it. In particular, it gives us a view of the prevailing times, from outside the New Testament. We also gain insights into the themes and thinking of some New Testament believers.

In Part 2 of this topic I will take you though a review of the Contribution made to us by the Epistle of Barnabas.

The Scholastic Myth Makers

Posted on May 10, 2009 by Chris Field

Academic scholars researching the New Testament documents have created an intriguing mythology of their own, to assist them in the popular quest of turning Christianity into a mere human movement. This is not to say that all academics are atheists or that none of them has a living faith in Jesus Christ, but that the body of scholarly work is undergirded by a supposition that the New Testament events were not the supernatural happenings which Christianity celebrates.

Need For Invention

People who are antagonistic to Christianity and to the clear claims of Jesus Christ and His followers as provided to us in the canon of New Testament books, need to build a case for their doubts. The books of the New Testament have been put under intense scrutiny for centuries and keep rebounding as dynamic and living expressions of powerful truth that is able to impact the hearers far beyond any other works in human history.

The sheer potency and significance of the New Testament, including its historical track record and glowing endorsements, supported by the millions who live by its truths in each generation, boldly challenge all who would oppose those twenty-seven books.

Such a challenge does not deter the most determined, and one option open to them is “invention”. If something supportive of an antagonistic position could be created from what has passed to us from that time, then much might be made from it.

Spurious Documents

There is no shortage of doubtful material in New Testament times. Various, spurious claims were made in the first few centuries, and have passed to us in various documents. However, those documents were recognised as spurious from their own time. They are not reliable historically and lack sufficient authority to challenge the overwhelming body of evidence in support of the approved New Testament books.

That has not stopped people who are antagonistic to Christianity from pushing those documents and their spurious ideas into the headlines from time to time. But no on-going credibility has been attained, despite the most vigorous efforts of some.

The Invention Summarised

The breakthrough which antagonists sought ultimately required invention. In simplified form, what was lit upon was the idea that evidence could be ‘created’ to accuse early (nascent) Christianity of having ‘evolved’ into a religious belief system.

The key was to create the impression that at least two different streams of Christ-consciousness existed. The initial stream would be based on Jesus as a rabbi, who presented ‘wisdom teaching’ and gained a following. Later streams would deify Jesus, after his death, by interposing into his biography such things as miracles, a virgin birth and Christ’s resurrection from the dead.

If such a construct could be invented, even just hinted at with sufficient force, then Christianity would be reduced from the reverberations of a divine visitation, to a delusional man-made religion, based on fraudulent deification of a humble Galilean teacher.

Imagining and Inventing

Since the Gospels provide a compelling and cogent account of the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it was necessary for detractors to devalue those writings. Initially it was suggested that the Gospels were created quite late in the picture and did not include eye-witness accounts, but fanciful inventions of supernatural events.

However, continued research has proven the opposite. The texts are remarkably reliable, strong in eye-witness elements and dated very close to the events they describe.

To overcome this obstacle, scholars came up with the notion that these Gospels were created late in the picture, but based on earlier eye-witness material. By careful review of what was included and excluded from the various historical records of Christ’s life (gospels), guesses were made about what a common source document would contain. The hope was that such an imagined source document would be devoid of supernatural elements.

Two source documents have been proposed, the Passion Narrative and The Lost Sayings Gospel Q.

The Q Document

The imagined Q Document suggests a text which brought together much of the wisdom teaching of Jesus. The value of that notion is that it suggests Jesus was really only a teacher, not a miracle worker, nor Son of God who rose from the dead.

Once the hypothesis of a Q Document was developed, it could then be hypothesised that the document was used by an early branch of Christianity, those who followed Jesus because of the wisdom teachings.

CM Tuckett, author of ‘The Anchor Bible Dictionary’ communicates something of these implications when he said that, “Q may also alert us to the great variety within primitive Christianity. It shows us a version of the Christian faith which is perhaps less cross centered than, say, Paul or Mark”. (emphasis added)

The Imagined Evolution

The invention of a Q document prompts the hypothesis of a community based on “wisdom” sentiment, living to celebrate divine insights, brought to them by their teacher, Jesus. This is then contrasted with the Pauline emphasis on the death and resurrection of Jesus, and “Bingo”, they have constructed an evolutionary continuum in which the man, Jesus, is deified after his death, and a mythology about his resurrection is added. Other enhancements to the life story of Jesus, such as the miracles, are thought to have been invented by the promoters of the new religion, to give their leader special significance and sell their package ahead of the competition.

Mythology versus Myth

It is amusing to note that those who insist that Christianity is based on a Christ myth are forced to create a mythology of their own.

Those who receive the New Testament writings as accurate and divinely overseen records of supernatural events full of moral potency and divine significance, have no problem with the New Testament. We do not need to invent anything. Our very own, personal encounter with the living Jesus Christ of the New Testament, and the living truths unpacked by Paul and the others, confirms to us that there is no myth involved or needed.

Reality triumphs over the myth-makers.

New Testament Writings

Posted on May 8, 2009 by Chris Field

There are two general bodies of thought toward the writings which have remained from the New Testament, Apostolic times.

The standard Christian understanding is that certain writings were inspired by the Holy Spirit and should be respected as such, given place in the collection (canon) of texts which are regarded as Scripture. Other works, which are not canonised, are either helpful but not inspired, or are spurious, and to be ignored.

The standard secular understanding is that the writings of the New Testament era are simply human texts, reflecting the development of a religious belief system which is based on real people and real events, but which is ultimately an evolved human construct.

Scholarly Thought

As is the case in scientific circles today, scholarly, academic endeavour is meant to be devoid of faith elements which might bias the researcher. However, what prevails is a strong bias against the faith elements reflected in the scientific and scholarly work. God cannot be allowed in science, so the empty theory of evolution is promoted, with religious zeal, as if scientific. Such a state is foolish and contrary to true science, yet it is defended with evangelistic fervour by those who reject religious interpretation.

Similarly, scholars who investigate ancient Christian texts are bound to assume that they are nothing more than human writings. There is no place in the study for recognition of inspiration, revelation or divine qualities in the text or the writers.

Due to this blinkered approach the scholars are inclined to base their thinking on doubt and scepticism and to come up with conclusions which feed both as well. Hence the scholarly trail is decorated with constructs out of the imagination of the researcher – suggesting multiple authors, lost sources, deliberate embellishments, corrupted texts, evolving thought, suspect motives and so on. Further scholarship often mocks the scholarly constructs, but that does not heal the condition.

Expressions of Doubt

Scholarly discussion injects into the picture a range of thoughts which are counter to acceptance of the texts as divinely created resources for us.

One suggestion is that Jewish sources, which are now non-existent, were picked up by the early Christians and adopted for guiding their gatherings. These documents were then edited and ‘Christianised’ with insertions of references to Christ or quotes from Christ, to give the content a distinctly Christians flavour. This suggestion clearly exists around a notional “Two Way” document which is believed to have influenced such writings as the Epistle of Barnabas.

Non-canonical texts, with their various weaknesses and flaws, give scholars cause to smear the canonical writings with suspicion and to discredit the content as simply a refinement of poorer documents.

Terminology used by the scholars clearly expresses their academic contempt for the spiritual principles presented in the New Testament writings. Consider the implications of such terms as “the Christ myth”, “epic-apocalyptic mythology”, “narrative material that could easily be turned into a more eventful depiction of Jesus’ public appearance” (ie: fabricated additional content), “old Jesus-traditions” (meaning different notions of Jesus which were brought together to create the current religious myth we call Christianity), and “redaction” (the process by which various notions about Jesus were cooked together to create a cogent religious story.

Imaginary Texts

Further evidence of the inclination by scholars to doubt the canonical documents is their creation of imaginary texts. Lists of documents from the Apostolic age, also known as Apocryphal texts from the New Testament era, will most likely include such documents as the Passion Narrative and the Lost Sayings Gospel Q. These texts have never been referred to in the ancient literature and are purely imaginary.

Scholars, seeking to identify New Testament books such as the four Gospels as concocted works drawing on earlier material and editing it to suit their purposes, have suggested the existence of earlier texts from which the Gospel writers have drawn.

The purpose of these imagined documents is simply to suit scholastic scepticism about the divinity of Jesus, the miracles, supernatural phenomena and man’s moral accountability to a holy God, among other things.

Academic Study

Consideration of Biblical texts, therefore, either reflects a faith-based application of the texts as divine communication to us, or a scepticism-based academic analysis, intent on denigrating the text to expose human construction.

Many well-meaning Christians, intent on broadening their understanding of the Bible, try to take seriously the sceptical and antagonistic suggestions of the scholars, possibly to show that they are open minded and not blind believers. The two streams do not converge and confusion can result.

It is interesting, therefore, to take a look at the ground that is under question, and to approach the available source documents without feeling the need to cow-tow to academic constructions. This is my hope, and, given time, I am keen to rake over the ground and see what it yields.

Persecution in the Early Church

Posted on May 6, 2009 by Chris Field

A review of Church History cannot escape the word ‘martyr’, which springs up in every age and in every place. The fact that untold millions have been killed for their faith in Christ is a staggering phenomenon, which will only continue, until Christ returns. As we consider the history of the early church it is appropriate to put some of that persecution into perspective.

Jewish Opposition

The world into which Jesus Christ was born was under Jewish administration, with Roman oversight. Rome had conquered Palestine, but they relied on the existing local systems and structures to maintain the local order and peace. Roman soldiers intervened when the will of the Emperor needed to be enforced, or to maintain Roman authority if the local leaders could not handle it.

The New Testament history reveals that the Jewish religious authorities were unsettled by the emergence of the new religious characters of John the Baptist and Jesus. We have accounts of their interrogation of John and their persistent opposition to Jesus.

So it is no wonder that, following Christ’s resurrection, Pentecost and the birth of the church, the Jewish religious hierarchy was quick to engage in opposition to the early church.

Saul of Tarsus

A prominent young man (I was going to say ‘zealot’ but that has a specific meaning in New Testament times), named Saul, gave increased impetus to the Jewish opposition to early Christians. He was instrumental in the death of the church’s first martyr, Stephen. He was also involved in seeing other Christians killed, imprisoned, pressured to blaspheme and so on.

When Saul was converted to Christianity, by miraculous encounter with the Risen Christ, some of the impetus against the Christians was probably diminished for a time. But it wasn’t long before there were Jewish plans to kill Saul (who we remember best by his name Paul).

Throughout Paul’s ministry he consistently faced opposition from the Jews. Reading the book of Acts we are left with the impression that the church’s main antagonists were the Jews.

Jewish Persecution

Initially Christianity was seen by the Roman authorities as an off-shoot of Judaism. Jewish leaders were often told to deal with Christianity themselves, as it was a matter of their own religion. This accounts for the energy which the Jews put into persecuting those who followed ‘the way’.

Jewish persecution of Christians in Rome became so intense that in 51AD the Roman authorities expelled Jews from the city, since they were behaving as disruptive trouble makers.

The Romans

Initially the Roman authorities functioned as protectors of the Christians, especially in the case of Paul, who was a Roman citizen due to his birth at Tarsus. The Roman leaders refused at times to hear the Jewish claims against Christians, seeing it as simply a matter of semantics and competing religious claims in their own localised religion.

Christians, however, became an increasing presence and concern to Rome, since the faith was spreading quickly and widely, and Christians refused to acknowledge any other deity, including the Emperor.

Roman persecution of Christians was first unleashed by Nero, following the Fire of Rome in 64AD which destroyed about three quarters of the city. Nero faced suspicion for having part in the fire, and so it seems he chose the Christians as his scapegoat. There is no reason to suggest that Christians had any connection with the devastating fire at all.

Roman Persecution

Nero attacked Christians with savagery, even using Christians doused in flammable liquids as torches to light up his gardens. While it cannot be confirmed it is understood that both Peter and Paul were killed in Rome at this time.

Roman persecution of Christians continued to varying degrees until the time of Constantine’s conversion. Toward the end of the first century Emperor Domitian came to power and persecuted both Jews and Christians. In 98AD Trajan became Emperor and instituted a policy of not hunting out the Christians, but putting them to death if they came to the attention of the authorities.

The symbols of early Christian persecution are usually those of the Colosseum, and the Roman catacombs. This is a worthy connection, since Roman Emperors delighted in making public sport of killing Christians.

New Testament Texts

Posted on May 4, 2009 by Chris Field

Christian probably don’t think about the significance of the Written Documents which they take for granted as part of their daily lives. Christianity has a rich ‘written’ tradition, following on from (and incorporating) the Jewish written tradition.

We are steeped in the experience of “it is written” – like no other people!

Global Phenomenon

If you take a quick skim around the continents and cultures of the world you will find that the Jewish and Christian heritage of possessing and interacting with a rich textual heritage stands unique. No other cultures have been endowed with such extensive and valuable texts or been so conscious and interactive with those texts.

The best selling book in the world, in all of history, is the Holy Bible. No other religion or culture has had such high uptake of his textual resources as the Christian community.

While the Hindu Vedas date back 1,000 years BC and underpin the faith of millions, yet they are not as widely read and relied upon as the Bible text is. It is said of them “For Hindus, the Veda is a symbol of unchallenged authority and tradition. Selections from the Vedas are still memorized and recited for religious merit today. Yet much of the religion presented in the Vedas is unknown today and plays little to no role in modern Hinduism.”

The Judeo-Christian literary tradition is unique.

Scribes

A tradition of scribes emerged in Israel in the centuries before Christ. During the exile to Babylon, without access to the Temple in Jerusalem, community preaching houses developed, ultimately becoming the synagogue tradition which we know today.

These synagogues required copies of the scriptures so that local rabbis (teachers) could instruct their devotees. However, whereas the Hindu gurus tended to develop a personal following, the Jewish mind understood the need to submit to the written tradition that was being passed down.

By the time of Christ we have the example of the community at Qumran, where it is believed a large number of scribes were specially trained up and devoted to the task of copying the holy texts.

Book and More Books

Due to this emphasis on the written word, all meticulously penned by hand, there developed several steams of textual material. Obviously the Holy Scriptures were copied and translated into various languages. However, we find at Qumran that fake holy writings also abounded. These are labelled as ‘Pseudoepigraphical writings’ because they often claimed to be the words of some ancient Bible character. Even though they are clearly bogus, they were stored and copied at Qumran, suggesting the high regard that was held at the time for written material.

A further category of literature was that of codes for living. The Qumran community had elaborate rules about initiation of new members, behaviour at the common meal, and managing order in the community. Included in this category, I also add those writings which were inspirational, rather than practical, but which were directed to the particular community. At Qumran the community gave attention to prophetic style books which extolled their significance and their prophetic role in their generation, as the “voice in the wilderness”.

Enter Jesus Christ

Such was the situation 2,000 years ago when Jesus began His ministry. So, as you might well expect, the followers of Jesus thought it perfectly reasonable to create documents of Christ’s teachings and biography, as well as the key teachings that they believed should be understood.

When the Gospel documents were written they were quickly translated and copied. When Paul wrote his letters to various churches the letters were copied and shared around. The texts were copied into multiple languages and made available in large numbers.

I dare say that such a rapid and wide distribution of textual material would never have occurred in any other culture. The Jewish culture, with its “it is written” heritage and its history of scribal tradition, was eminently poised to disseminate the written word.

The New Testament survives today as a rich textual resource, only equalled by the Old Testament in its amazing composition, historicity and significance.

Greeks Outdone

Today’s students are given the impression that Greek philosophy is something of great import and worthy of study. Yet for all the modern interest in Plato, Aristotle, and the like, history reveals that their textual value is insignificant when compared to the literary tradition supporting the New Testament.

Josh McDowell points out in his book ‘A Ready Defense’ that there are only seven copies of Plato’s Tetralogues, with the oldest text being 1,200 years after the original writing. Aristotle has only 49 copies of his most preserved work, with the oldest text being 1,400 years after the original writing.

The very best preserved Greek text is that of Homer’s Illiad, which boasts 643 copies, with the oldest text being 500 years after the original writing.

Compare that to the New Testament, with over 24,000 copies, with the oldest dating to 25 years after the original writing.

The Greeks are completely outdone. And this textual reality makes a clear statement about the relative value of the two sources. While academia has long extolled the virtues of Greek philosophy, it is clear that human experience has not given them much value, whereas the impact of the New Testament on people’s lives has prompted a much more vigorous dissemination and preservation of the textual material.

Mohammed Wanted a Book

Mohammed referred in his writings to the “People of the Book”, again signalling the uniqueness of the Judeo-Christian tradition of holding holy texts in high regard and promoting copies of those books. There are no other people on earth who would be so readily identified as the people of the book.

It seems that Mohammed had such high regard for the benefits of having a national holy book that he wanted the Arabic people to have such for themselves.

Spawning Books

Christianity and the interest it created, led to new books emerging in the first few centuries after Christ. Once again, as we saw at Qumran, a primary emphasis went to copying the Scriptural works. However Pseudoepigraphical works again emerged, some with ridiculous and obviously imaginary material. Also emerging were works that aimed to provide codified rules for communal life, drawing from the teachings of Christ and mixing that with various other elements.

The rich textual heritage of Judaism fed into the wide distribution of New Testament texts, but also played into the existing pattern of people creating their own written material.

Today, of course, everyone is an author. New books are appearing daily. And, with the web and electronic communication at our disposal the world is being drowned in text. In the midst of it all we need to keep our eyes fixed on holy writ, those texts which are God-given, not man made.

May God’s Word dwell in your hearts richly.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16

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