@FirstChurchofJerusalem
Today's Early Church Wisdom
“I shall not hesitate also to put into ordered form for you, along with the interpretations, everything I learned carefully in the past from the elders and noted down carefully, for the truth of which I vouch. For unlike most people, I took no pleasure in those who told many different stories, but only in those who taught the truth. Nor did I take pleasure in those who reported their memory of someone else’s commandments, but only in those who reported their memory of the commandments given by the Lord to the faith and proceeding from the Truth itself. And if by chance anyone who had been in attendance on the elders arrived, I made enquiries about the words of the elders—what Andrew or Peter had said, or Philip or Thomas or James or John or Matthew or any other of the Lord’s disciples, and whatever Aristion and John the Elder, the Lord’s disciples, were saying. For I did not think that information from the books would profit me as much as information from a living and surviving voice.
~ Papias of Hierapolis (c. 60–130 AD) From the Preface to his lost ‘Expositions of the Sayings of the Lord’
This week's Psalm is Psalm 31 'My Rock, My Shield, My Song'

Discipleship, Grace & Outreach

The Greek text of Matthew 4:19 is especially powerful for what it reveals about discipleship, grace, and outreach. “Follow Me” (deute opisō mou) carries the force of continual discipleship and obedient attachment to Christ Himself. “I will make” (poiēsō hymas) reveals that evangelism is ultimately the work of divine grace shaping surrendered lives. “Fishers of men” (halieis anthrōpōn) evokes the image of gathering souls out of the darkness and chaos of a fallen world into the saving kingdom of God through love, truth, repentance, and proclamation. Let us not doubt that as we are faithful to daily walk and talk with Him, His grace will work through us, drawing men and women to Him.