‘What if’ the apostles did ‘Go’. What could have happened if the apostles had; 1. Left Jerusalem soon after Pentecost. 2. Used the Family-model instead of the synagogue. Firstly, we start with one hundred and twenty disciples in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost. We can be sure that all were witnesses of...
Discipleship in the Family-model Church. In this Bible study, we consider the similarities between discipleship in the family-model church with raising children in a family; remembering that the purpose of a family is to raise mature adults who can take their rightful place in the world. Raising children in a natural family. Raising children is...
Who is my neighbour? When an expert in the law asked Jesus “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law?”, Jesus replied; “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind” and the second is just like it, “Love your neighbour as yourself”. Then the expert, seeking to justify himself, asked,...
Unity and Division in the Competing Models. In this Bible study, we will explore the differences between the Family and the Synagogue with respect to unity and division. Unity in the Family. I give you a new commandment; love one another as I have loved you. All people will know that you are my disciples,...
The competing model, the synagogue. The Family Model of the Church had a competing, organisational model, the synagogue. By adopting the synagogue model, the early church gave Satan a limited victory; opening the door to internal conflict and division that would cause church growth to grind to a crawl. By the end of the first...
Three Bulwarks of Truth in the Family-model Church. There are three bulwarks of truth that protect the Family Model from error and abuse. 1. Parental Love. Protecting the family from external threats. The parents, both mother and father, are the shepherds of their family; lovingly nurturing and protecting their children as they grow to maturity....
The Apostles’ BIG Mistake. They didn’t GO! Literally minutes before his ascension Jesus told the apostles to wait for the Holy Spirit. Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for what my Father promised, which you heard from me. John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit a few days from...
The Family Model in the Gospels and Acts. Jesus was raised in a Family. The first fact presented in the New Testament is that Jesus was born and raised in a humble, Jewish family. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king. (Matthew 2:1) He went to Nazareth with...
Israel’s BIG Mistake. Israel rejected God as King. When Samuel tried to appoint his dishonourable sons as judges, the tribal elders demanded a king to rule over them ‘like all the other nations’. This time God instructed Samuel to appoint a king but also made it clear that Israel was rejecting him as King. 1....
The Church has always been a Family. In this Bible study I aim to show that the Church has always been a Family; that Family has always been the basic ‘building block’ of God’s Church. It mustn’t surprise us that the family, both natural and spiritual, is the primary target of the spiritual forces of...