Letters of the Apostles 1 - Words with Weight ...

Monday, Dec 7, 2009. The letters of the apostles cover central topics of life, from “love” to “forgiveness”, from “struggle in challenges” to “peace of mind”. They have been written by central figures of early Christian faith, by the apostle Paul, who lived and worked between 30 and 60 AD, by James and John and Peter, who had been walking with Jesus.

The letters of the apostles are like big lights through the ages, sound like the sound of massive bells through the time. The apostles wrote words, which are breathtaking until today. They are practical and down-to-earth at the same time. They have been written by Christians to the early Christian churches in towns like Rome, Ephesus, Corinth or Thessaloniki. Others were sent to people, like Timothy or Philemon. Hebrews contains an outline of basic principles of faith written for the Jews.

When you look through the letters of the apostles, there are so many deep and exciting things to find. Some of them have become extremely popular, have been cited and used again and again. Others are much more hidden, like buried treasures, which need to be discovered by digging into the texts.

Have you ever explored the big bang of Romans, these basic words about forgiveness which Paul wrote to the church in Rome? “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8, 1+2). The words of Paul about salvation, about freedom, about a new life and the glory of the risen Jesus are truly world-changing. They dig deep into our human nature, into the processes taking place in our world and into the work of God and his salvation in and around us.

1st Corinthians 13 contains the famous “song of love”. Paul writes about what love is, how love changes us, what our future will be when we discover God's surpassing love! “If I would speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” … God wants us to be filled with faith and with love, to be filled with the truth of the eternal God by the Holy Spirit. Come and explore the letters of the apostles, this week and next week and for your whole life. Come to God and live in faith! [R.W.E.P., jesusnetwork.eu]

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