Our Zoom Group began a new Bible Study today called "Gospel on the Ground" by Kristi Mclelland. The sub-title is "The Grit & Glory of the early church in Acts". Kristi describes herself as a "Biblical Culturalist"who takes us back to Jesus' first-century world and shows us how to look at the Bible through mid-eastern lens instead of our midwestern, Americanised thinking.
Today's lesson brought out the fact that the center of the first-century synagogue was the Ark holding the scroll - the Word of God. The rabbi and the men sat in a circle surrounding the Ark. That is a word-picture, isn't it? Our lives should be centered on the Word, yes? Of course, this makes me think of one of my favorite passages of scripture: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." (John 1:1 & 14) As Kristi was teaching, I thought of this picture I snapped while we were visiting the synagogue at Magdala in the Galilee. Notice the ark - the rectangular shaped box-like stone in the center of the site? The scrolls rested there!
Today, mentors tell us to "center ourselves". Maybe we need to center the Word and gather around it (Him).
What a joy to begin our study today, the anniversary of the birth of the Church-Pentecost! When we visited Israel in 2018, we stood on the southern steps of the temple where the rabbis taught and Kristi said that is perhaps where Mary and Joseph found Jesus with the rabbis when they hurried back to Jerusalem after realizing they had headed home to Nazareth without the only begotten Son of God. Also, scholars are quite certain that Peter preached his Pentecost message while standing on those southern steps. As Kristi said, "The gospel started moving on the ground from that very place at Pentecost."
See how small the tourists look? It's huge! The gate has been closed (it is in the corner) but scholars are certain Yeshua Jesus would have entered the temple through this gate on the Southern steps.
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