As a Matter of Faith
Our Sunday school class has been studying some of Paul’s letters. This last two have been from letters to Timothy. In one lesson, Paul states teachers must be held to a high standard. As a Sunday school teacher, this got my attention. But then it became clear he was not talking about today, but back in the dawn of Christianity when there was no Bible, no seminaries, no Christian institutions, other than the teachings of Jesus.
This new revelation of God was of such importance that the Holy Spirit was needed to help make it succeed. The Spirit gave the Apostles the message and the power to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. From the day of Pentecost onward, the Spirit led this small group from a dozen, to hundreds and on to thousands of believers. It was all verbal at first, and then letters. But it was so vulnerable to misinformation. That’s why these early teachers told the right story … the same story. We thank Paul and Peter for their diligence, but the glory belongs to the Holy Spirit.
Arnie Saaf is a member of Godfrey First United Methodist Church, 1100 Airport Road.