@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'

The Master's Mandate

Time to share

One of the central aspects of Jesus' leadership was His mandate to the disciples to take the good news to all nations (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15). A commission confers authority to act. This commission was not merely a directive; it was a transformative engagement that empowered the disciples to witness and evangelise. Jesus assured them of His eventual return, which imbued their mission with a sense of urgency and purpose (Acts 1:9-11). Jesus is still sending His disciples out today. The commission still stands and will remain in place until His return. Let us ask ourselves, “Who could I share my faith with today?” If there is ever a time or place where self-disclosure has value, it is in the sharing of the Gospel. Yes, we should be wise in how we share, following the guidance and prompting of the Holy Spirit, but share we must, for we have been commissioned by the King. How could we share the Good News today? People are waiting for our words.