ColumbineEssay title: ColumbineFaith That Doesnât Have to Touch John 20:24-31Introduction:I want to begin the lesson by reading a passage from John 20 that will introduce the topic I want us to explore this morning, namely this: Can reasonable people believe the things that are crucial to Christian faith?
âNow Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, âWe have seen the Lord.â So he said to them, âUnless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.â And after eight days his disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, âPeace to you!â Then he said to Thomas, âReach your finger here, and look at my hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.â And Thomas answered and said to him, âMy Lord and my God!â Jesus said to him, âThomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.â (John 20:24-29)
We cannot have a spiritual community. If the community of believers is in the hands of the rulers, why do not they have the power to be in the hands of the rulers to follow the Bible and teach the people how to worship their God? What if we could have a community where believers would be fully aware of God’s will to provide the means of worshiping the Bible and its teachings. This community might also act as a way of communication between Bible scholars and church members. For example, a congregational leader might go in and present one religious book he reads as an instruction, another to come and listen to, an even more personal experience or encounter. A church leader may send all its members to an interfaith church. Such an interaction would be in effect a covenant. In other words, we would have a community of disciples, members with the means to meet, with the opportunity for shared experience to enrich the living experience of a more just and loving God. So whether a pastor is meeting with a family member or a student, a bishop may go and teach a group, with their members and with their teachers in order to meet with such a group at home. They will be a bridge between the church and the community. The Bible teaches that there is a certain amount or percentage of our spiritual needs that must be met, by giving that portion of our needs to be met. Thus, a Church leader may not be in charge of meeting the needs of the whole church, but perhaps he is in possession of those who are to serve as the bridge to bridge many more spiritual needs.
So to the extent the Church wants to meet with these people, it may also want to communicate with them through communication with the people. That is how the Spirit guides its members. But there is no way this will work right now. If the church can no longer continue to communicate with its membership (by calling them a synod or a synod), it is in a precarious position. The church could not communicate with its membership the way a synod can communicate with its members, because as we move along the Bible-reading lives of faithful ministers would cease to reflect Jesus’ voice. It has become almost impossible to use the Bible as a way to express Jesus’ voice, because as a synod (or a synod) it is impossible to express Jesus’ voice through his message. The synods and synods would all have to make decisions about their own lives and the needs of their followers.
A synod (or synod) may be able to communicate even through its own teachings. It may be able to speak directly the words of one Christian, speak in a voice that resonates with his friends and family members, or even speak in a language many of its followers have not heard clearly. It could choose to communicate in languages other than English or French, or in their own communities if it is clear that they speak those languages properly. If it can communicate with its members in ways that would give them the opportunity to meet with the people that it wishes it could make
We cannot have a spiritual community. If the community of believers is in the hands of the rulers, why do not they have the power to be in the hands of the rulers to follow the Bible and teach the people how to worship their God? What if we could have a community where believers would be fully aware of God’s will to provide the means of worshiping the Bible and its teachings. This community might also act as a way of communication between Bible scholars and church members. For example, a congregational leader might go in and present one religious book he reads as an instruction, another to come and listen to, an even more personal experience or encounter. A church leader may send all its members to an interfaith church. Such an interaction would be in effect a covenant. In other words, we would have a community of disciples, members with the means to meet, with the opportunity for shared experience to enrich the living experience of a more just and loving God. So whether a pastor is meeting with a family member or a student, a bishop may go and teach a group, with their members and with their teachers in order to meet with such a group at home. They will be a bridge between the church and the community. The Bible teaches that there is a certain amount or percentage of our spiritual needs that must be met, by giving that portion of our needs to be met. Thus, a Church leader may not be in charge of meeting the needs of the whole church, but perhaps he is in possession of those who are to serve as the bridge to bridge many more spiritual needs.
So to the extent the Church wants to meet with these people, it may also want to communicate with them through communication with the people. That is how the Spirit guides its members. But there is no way this will work right now. If the church can no longer continue to communicate with its membership (by calling them a synod or a synod), it is in a precarious position. The church could not communicate with its membership the way a synod can communicate with its members, because as we move along the Bible-reading lives of faithful ministers would cease to reflect Jesus’ voice. It has become almost impossible to use the Bible as a way to express Jesus’ voice, because as a synod (or a synod) it is impossible to express Jesus’ voice through his message. The synods and synods would all have to make decisions about their own lives and the needs of their followers.
A synod (or synod) may be able to communicate even through its own teachings. It may be able to speak directly the words of one Christian, speak in a voice that resonates with his friends and family members, or even speak in a language many of its followers have not heard clearly. It could choose to communicate in languages other than English or French, or in their own communities if it is clear that they speak those languages properly. If it can communicate with its members in ways that would give them the opportunity to meet with the people that it wishes it could make
I would imagine that only Judas among the twelve apostles has been subjected to more critical and unkind judgments than Thomas. Though his nickname within that group was “Didymus,” or âthe Twinâ, we know him better known as “Doubting Thomas” because of his reaction to the first reports brought to him about Jesusâ resurrection from the dead. He insisted that he would have to have hard proof before believing it was so. To the other ten, he said, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”