Are you ready to stand firm?

Greg Stevenson reviews ‘Watchmen or Wolves?’ by Chris and Michele Neal (2019, The Lockman Foundation)

The most important book you’ve never heard of…

The Didache (pronounced did-ah-kay) has been described as the most important book you’ve never heard of. So what exactly is it and does it deserve this accolade?

Its full title, ‘The Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles through the Twelve Apostles’, explains its purpose and content. It is an early Church manual: the teaching of the early Jewish followers of Jesus to the new Gentile believers.

The Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 agreed that God had indeed “opened the door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27). But after the Council’s ruling of four initial prohibitions (Acts 15:29), what else was required of Gentiles if they were to progress in the faith? If they were not expected to keep Torah as fully as their Jewish brethren, what did they need in order to walk in the same Way?

Here in the Didache we find compiled the necessary instruction to prepare them for immersion and membership in the Body of Christ. As such, this special document fulfilled a key role in the Great Commission to make disciples (not just converts) of all nations.

Walking in the Way

The Didache can be seen as a kind of apostolic Mishnah for new Gentile believers. Certainly there is a Jewish quality inherent in the text. The opening is particularly Jewish, and the language and prayers in later chapters have direct parallels and counterparts in the Judaism of the time. All the early believers in Messiah were still within the fold of Judaism, so this is hardly surprising.

Another similarity with the Mishnah is that the Didache is likely to have been passed on orally before being written down, as evidenced by certain mnemonic devices within the text. Most scholars believe its style places it in the mid-1^st Century, though some dispute this. If it is this early then it falls within the oral tradition of the time. The long title, quoted above, would have been added later when it was written down (incidentally, shorter versions of the title do exist, namely ‘The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles’, and just ‘The Teaching’, or ‘Didache’).

The Didache is an early Church instruction manual setting out teaching for helping new Gentile converts to become disciples.

The Didache is an anonymous document. Although the 12 apostles are mentioned in the title, they are not referred to in the text. Some see similarities with the Epistle of Barnabas and so suggest a link with him and hence with Paul. However, we cannot be sure if any of the apostles were directly involved in its production or transmission, although there is no doubt that the essential thrust of the Didache follows the same path and breathes the same spirit.

The Didache has been described as having an archaic simplicity (which fits its early dating). Its expressions are primitive. It contains no detailed creed, no exalted titles of Jesus, no lofty theology or doctrine. Rather it is a simple work of everyday living, reflecting the Jewish concept of ‘halakhah’, or walking with God. Its aim is to pass on the Way of Life as taught by Jesus (rather than provide a description of him and his works), directing Gentile converts in the step-by-step transformation necessary for full participation in their new faith.

Before the ‘Parting of the Ways’

The Didache clearly represents a time before Christianity became separated from Judaism. Nothing in it indicates the later ‘parting of the ways’. It has been described as one of the last voices of authentic apostolic faith: the final flowering of Judeo-Christianity before Greek influence and theology took charge. This alone makes it a fascinating and worthwhile document to study.

The Didache was popular among early believers and enjoyed wide circulation. Numerous early Church writers mentioned it and quoted from it frequently, for instance Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Eusebius and Athanasius. It is mentioned as being read in churches, but was not considered canonical or to be used to confirm doctrine. However, it could be seen as being “appointed by the Fathers to be read by those who newly join us and who wish for instruction in the word of godliness.”¹

This is recorded as continuing until the 4^th Century, but by the 5^th Century the Didache fell out of popularity and was referenced much less. It does get an occasional mention in later times, but for centuries it was assumed that copies no longer existed. Then came a surprise discovery in 1873.

The Didache has been described as one of the last voices of authentic apostolic faith.

An Astonishing Find

A Greek Orthodox Archbishop, Philotheos Bryennios, was browsing in the library of the Greek Convent of the Holy Sepulchre in Constantinople and found a text lodged between two longer works in a single bound volume of Christian manuscripts. Somehow it had escaped the notice of previous cataloguers. Was this find too good to be true? Might it be a modern forgery? After a few years it was judged authentic and dated as a copy from 1056. It was finally published in 1883. When the first English translation was released in 1884, it sold 5,000 copies on the first day.

Although older fragments have been found since, this remains the only complete manuscript. Known as Codex Hierosolymitanus 54, it now resides in the library of the Greek Orthodox patriarchate in Jerusalem. In 1922 two Greek fragments were found in Egypt which were textually very close to that found in Istanbul, thus verifying its accuracy. In addition, a Coptic fragment from Cairo, dating back to the 5^th Century, was published in 1924, and another nearly complete Gregorian version was found in Constantinople in 1923, though never published. The 1873 manuscript remains the most reliable and complete.

Inevitably, a find such as this created a lot of controversy - especially where its contents didn’t agree with then-current Church traditions! The Catholic Church appreciated some bits of the Didache but was dismayed that some of its liturgy wasn’t there. Similarly, Protestants, pleased to see these omissions, did not like the emphasis on what they saw as ‘works of righteousness’, such as fasting twice a week. Both sides inevitably attempted various interpretations to place it more comfortably within their own traditions.

Intended for Study

The Didache is a short work, approximately one third of the length of Mark’s Gospel. It is composed of 16 short chapters (some very short), containing just 2,190 words in total. The vocabulary and grammar reflect the popular koine Greek of the 1^st Century. Its style is simple and terse. It uses only 552 different words, of which 504 are found in the New Testament. All this again points to an early date.

The Didache is a short work, approximately one third of the length of Mark’s Gospel.

The material of the Didache was probably intended to be studied in pairs, in a one-to-one format, as the entire text uses the second person singular. This is similar to the rabbinic concept of chavruta, where the novice studies at times with a partner of the same level, but at other times with someone more mature in the faith acting as a mentor. Indeed ‘The Training’ is a better title than ‘The Teaching’, as the Didache represents a form of apprenticeship! Crucially, the mentor was not offering his thoughts on these matters, but passing on instructions that he had previously received and was also living out.

The Didache also seems to be for both male and female disciples. Specifically female issues are addressed, and the novice is addressed as ‘my child’, not ‘my son’.

Flow of Topics

Some believe the Didache was composed in stages, with the first section, called ‘The Two Ways’, existing in some form before being incorporated into the Didache. Nevertheless, as a whole it displays a unity across its structure, with a flow of topics which may indicate a comprehensive step-by-step programme for Gentile converts to become full disciples. The layout allows the recipient to progress slowly from introductory material to more complex rituals of daily living and community.

Though there are no separate headings, the content clearly divides into sections or tractates. Phrases or topic sentences are repeated to signal the beginning of new portions and summary statements are used to bring blocks of material to a close. These linguistic clues suggest the following four sections (though some split the third into two parts, making five in total):

Section 1 refers to two ‘ways’: the Way of Life and the Way of Death. These two paths would have already been well-known from Scripture (e.g. Psalm 1) and the teaching of Jesus. The Way of Life concerns one’s relationship with God as well as one’s relationships with other people.

Much of this reflects the Torah and the Decalogue, but the Didache contains a noticeable emphasis on how Gentile believers needed to live within the Roman world. In particular, it contains new prohibitions pertaining to what they would encounter in Roman society. Overall, the Didache represents an interesting adaptation of the Torah to take into account the circumstances that these converts would face.

The Didache represents an interesting adaptation of the Torah to take into account the circumstances that new Gentile converts would face in the Roman world.

Section 2 provides regulations for eating, baptising, fasting and praying. The chapter on food is very short and simple, and covers meat offered to idols. The next chapter, on baptism, shows a preference for baptising in flowing water, although exceptions are allowed if this is not available. Baptism is to be done in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and was to mark a clear turning-point in life, including the breaking of previous social bonds (even those within a family if necessary), as through baptism the convert was now joining a new family.

Fasting was to be undertaken before baptism and the next chapter indicates that in general a fast should be made twice a week, as within the Jewish tradition, though on different days from the Jews! This chapter also contains short injunctions on prayer, including use of the Lord’s Prayer.

The next two chapters contain the blessings to be made before and after a meal, especially the eucharist which was a full meal within the context of a family. Again, Jewish traditions are preserved here.

Warnings and Hope

Section three contains regulations for hospitality and for testing various kinds of visitors, especially itinerant prophets. They are to be welcomed and even honoured, but their time spent in any one community must be limited. Warnings are given against those who seek money or extended hospitality, and of course their words had to be tested and match their conduct, which must have already made a favourable impression upon the community before their words are heard.

The Didache contains a lot of cautionary advice regarding prophets - something still needed today. It seems the new Christian communities had much to fear from abusive and wayward prophets. However, ample provision is also made for welcoming true prophets, who could even be rewarded – provided they didn’t ask (interestingly, there is no mention of the communities creating and sending out their own prophets to other places. However, they were to appoint their own local overseer, or episkopos, which at that time was an entirely secular word meaning someone charged with oversight. These men were not themselves teachers or prophets, but also had to be of good conduct and then similarly honoured)!

The Didache contains a lot of cautionary advice regarding prophets - something still needed today.

The final section is on the end times! What a refreshing change from the complexities and confusion we find today. Here is a short synopsis of apocalyptic warnings and a message of hope. The emphasis is upon the ‘not yet’ aspect of the Kingdom, the need for holiness in preparation for Jesus’ return, and warnings of false prophets and deceivers.

Finally, three signs of truth are mentioned that will appear at the end: the unfurling or opening of the sky, the sound of the trumpet and the resurrection of the just. Then the world will see the Lord coming upon the clouds. Perhaps this is all we need to know in advance!

Now you’ve heard of this important book, click here to read our reviews of three editions currently available to purchase.

Paul Luckraft reviews three different translations of the ancient text.

If you wish to purchase a copy of the Didache for yourself then here are three very different options that I have come across and can recommend.

I have used all three in my article on the Didache, and readily acknowledge their help in compiling it. Which you would prefer will depend upon the level of analysis and commentary you require, and how much you want to spend!

Owles’ Translation

The simplest option is a translation by R Joseph Owles (2014, 33 pages). Be warned: all you get is an English translation. There is no Greek text to go alongside it or commentary to explain it, though there is a single page of notes at the end.

However, it is well-formatted in a way that makes it easy to read and understand. If that is all you require, then this will suffice and may be the cheapest version you can find.

Owles’s translation is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle forms.

Milavec’s Translation and Commentary

The next alternative is by seminary and university professor Aaron Milavec (2003, 114 pages), which starts with a very informative introduction. After this comes the Greek text with a side-by-side English translation (the Greek being on the left-hand page and the English on the right).

The remaining pages are mainly taken up with what is described as a brief commentary. Apparently, elsewhere, Milavec spent 15 years compiling a 1,000-page commentary, so he apologises that this one is neither exhaustive nor definitive! However, this briefer version (65 pages) will be more than sufficient for most readers.

The book also contains a bibliography and recommended electronic aids for further study of the Didache. Milavec provides several flowcharts showing the progression of various events, such as the key aspects of the Didache training, which might be of interest to some. The final few pages offer some considerations on the dating of the Didache and its dependence upon Matthew’s Gospel.

All in all, this is the edition that will be most suitable for those who want a bit more than just a basic translation, but don’t want to spend hours in further study.

The Milavec edition is available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle forms.

Janicki’s ‘The Way of Life’ Version

If you want a book that will take you much deeper into all that the Didache offers, then The Way of Life by Toby Janicki is worth considering. Published in 2017 by the Vine of David, a publishing arm of Messianic ministry First Fruits of Zion, this is a hardback which will cost you more to obtain, especially as you may need to get it from the US.

This near 600-page volume contains a new translation (again, side-by-side with the Greek) and a very extensive commentary from a Messianic Jewish perspective. Indeed, it is described as the first commentary of this kind. Most Didache studies have been influenced by denominational church interpretations which did not value its Jewish context, so this book is a very worthwhile contribution to the whole Jewish roots movement.

One significant bonus is an appendix containing the Epistle of Barnabas which makes for a fascinating comparison with the Didache. Another appendix features the Oxyrhynchus Papyrus fragments. There is also a very full bibliography for the even-more-serious student!

Janicki’s ‘The Way of Life’ version is available in hardback form from FFOZ or from Amazon.com (both international shipping).

God’s warning to humanity.

“I looked at the earth and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone. I looked at the mountains and they were quaking; all the hills were swaying. I looked, and there were no people; every bird in the sky had flown away. I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert; all its towns lay in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger. This is what the LORD says: ‘The whole land will be ruined, though I will not destroy it completely. Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above grow dark, because I have spoken and will not relent, I have decided and will not turn back.’” (Jeremiah 4:23-28)

This is not an easy passage to understand but it has a message of immense significance for us today. It is essential to recognise that in the Hebrew this is poetry and it is not intended to be read as literal prophecy. It is a prophetic vision given to Jeremiah to enable him to perceive the eschatological truth embedded into God’s act of creation and his purposes for humanity.

“O Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved”

The poem has to be seen in the context of the warnings given in this chapter of the impending destruction that will befall the whole land of Judah and Jerusalem unless the people heed the trumpet call and repent of their evil ways. Jeremiah expresses this previously in verse 14: “O Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved”. In the next verse he spells out the physical danger facing the nation from the advance of the Babylonian army.

An Urgent Message for Jerusalem

Jeremiah describes the northernmost tribe of Dan seeing the advance of the Babylonians and sending an urgent message to Jerusalem from the hills of Ephraim, warning them that a cruel enemy is on the war-path who will overwhelm all the small nations around Judah before eventually attacking Jerusalem itself: “Tell this to the nations, proclaim concerning Jerusalem: ‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land, raising a war cry against the cities of Judah’” (Jer 4:16). Jeremiah is given a specific warning from God: “‘They surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against me,’ declares the LORD” (Jer 4:17).

At the end of chapter 4, in verses 29 to 31, Jeremiah returns to the theme of warning about a physical attack coming from an army on horseback as well as infantry and archers. He says the attack is coming upon every town, and he sees people taking flight into the countryside, hiding among the rocks, and leaving the towns deserted. But the people of Jerusalem ignore the warning signs and behave like a prostitute would; looking at herself in the mirror, admiring her beauty, putting on her scarlet dress, adorning herself with heavy make-up and jewels, unaware of the danger about to descend upon her. Then it happens! She is brutally raped. She is in great pain. She cries out, gasping for breath, but it is too late – “‘Alas! I am fainting; my life is given over to murderers’” (Jer 4:31).

In the midst of these dire warnings of an actual attack from the Babylonians, Jeremiah is given this apocalyptic poem that should not be read as predictive prophecy, but rather as divine revelation of the ultimate purposes of God the Creator of the Universe.

The Creational Purposes of God

In the biblical account of the creation of human beings, God gave them freedom of will and the ability to exercise dominion, or power, over the whole order of creation, both animal and material. In due time God revealed his teaching (Torah) through Moses to the people of Israel whom he called into a covenant relationship of servanthood and through whom he would reveal his nature and purposes to humankind. The poem we are studying today from Jeremiah 4:23-28, is prefaced by a single statement in verse 22. It is in the first person singular and comes from God himself to his covenant people: “‘My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.’”

There comes a point in the history of the world when the wickedness of humankind becomes so intense that their evil deeds threaten the well-being of the whole of creation.

This is the tragic history of Israel. Apart from a remnant throughout the ages (Rom 11), they have never understood the creation purposes of God. They have never understood the reason why God called them into a covenant relationship with himself in order to carry out his missionary purpose of taking his salvation to all nations.

The Consequences of Rebellion

In this prophetic poem Jeremiah is shown the consequences of the rebellion of human beings and their rejection of the good purposes of God. There comes a point in the history of the world when the wickedness of humankind becomes so intense that their evil deeds threaten the well-being of the whole of creation. The poem envisions a time when the entire universe is affected; the earth returns to its original formless chaos at the beginning of Creation. The light of the sun and moon and stars are dim; the mountains are shaken, the hills sway and the birds of the air disappear. The fruitful land becomes a desert and the towns lie in ruins as God carries out his purposes of judging the nations that have grossly misused the power God gave them at the Creation.

Final Judgment

Jeremiah is the first to receive this prophetic revelation of the ultimate purposes of God. Some 70 years later, at the end of the Exile, the Prophet Haggai was given the revelation that the day would come when God would “shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land” and would “shake all nations” (Hag 2:6-7). Jesus speaks of the time coming when “there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now” (Matt 24:21). At that time Jesus says, he will return to earth and “all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matt 25:32).

The moral and spiritual pollution of humanity is the root cause of the damage done to the physical creation.

There are other passages in the New Testament that speak of the days when God will deal with the lawlessness and wickedness of human beings “who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” (2 Thess 2:12). And Peter describes, in apocalyptic terms, ‘The Day of the Lord’: He says that day “will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare” (2 Pet 3:10).

These words should give us insight as to how God looks with horror at the wickedness of our civilisation and the way we have misused and polluted the whole created order, and corrupted the human nature that he gave us.

The United Nations has issued a strong warning that a great many species are threatened with extinction due to human activity¹, but what they fail to notice is the moral and spiritual pollution of humanity that is the root cause of the damage done to the physical creation. Jeremiah’s poem is a revelation from God intended to bring a severe warning to humanity of the consequences of our wickedness – and that the day will undoubtedly come when God will judge the human beings he created in his own image – a message that is desperately needed to be heard today!

The day will undoubtedly come when God will judge the human beings he created in his own image.

References

1 Planet on 'path to catastrophe' as million species threatened, warns UN report. Sky News, 6 May 2019.

This article is part of a series. Click here to read other instalments.

Confronting the pseudo-biblical beliefs of the NAR.

I feel I must speak further about the Prayer Day in the Wembley Arena last month. We have had a storm of emails and phone calls coming into the office. None of them have been abusive, but they have all expressed concern about the presence on the platform of speakers whose ministries are linked with certain pseudo-biblical beliefs and practices.

On the one hand I am very encouraged that so many Bible-believing Christians in the Arena, and those who watched online, are aware of the dangers facing the Church today. On the other hand, I am concerned that I was one of the speakers sharing the platform with the individuals in question, with whom I would not normally be associated.

Public Dissociation

Many of the emails have been critical of David Hathaway, whose ministry sponsored the event. For many years David’s ministry has been in Russia, Eastern Europe and in Israel, so our paths had not crossed until recently when he felt the Lord calling him to do evangelism in his home country. He has a passion for the gospel and he knows that our nation is in trouble, but having been absent from the church scene in Britain for so long, he trusted others to invite speakers to the Wembley Arena meeting. They brought in people of whom he had no knowledge and had never met.

I had accepted the invitation to lead the opening prayers of confession. I was expecting half an hour would be allocated for such an important part of a prayer day, but I was only allowed ten minutes. I left the Arena soon after the lunch break and I did not watch the afternoon’s footage until the following day. I was shocked to see some of the things that happened.

We have received many expressions of concern about the presence on the Wembley platform of speakers linked with certain pseudo-biblical beliefs and practices.

I want to take this opportunity of publicly dissociating Issachar Ministries and Prophecy Today UK from events in the second half of the Wembley Arena meeting. I was pleased to be involved in the act of repentance for the divisions between the black and white churches in Britain in the first half of the day. I have laboured for many years in inner-city areas of London longing to see such unity and believing that the day would come when God would use the vitality in the African and Caribbean churches to bring a fresh spiritual dynamic into the evangelisation of Britain. But I cannot endorse many of the other things that were spoken and prayed from the platform later during the prayer day.¹

Of course, I should have been aware that the enemy would do everything possible to spoil the day, but the amazing thing is that God can turn any situation around for good. When Joseph’s brothers sold him to the Egyptians, what they intended for harm, God used to work out his purposes for good. I believe God can do the same with the Wembley Arena meeting.

Its mixture of spirits reminded me of the ‘Toronto Blessing’ and the days when the magazine Prophecy Today was at the forefront of the battle for biblical truth. But because of this mixture at Wembley, the issue of error in charismatic churches has been brought right back to the fore and there now seems to be fresh opportunity to challenge and expose it.

Battle for Truth

Today, the battle for truth has never been sharper, nor has there been a greater need for Bible-believing Christians to stand together and to exercise godly discernment. The teachings of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) must be exposed or they will destroy the charismatic Church at the most critical period of history since the Second World War.

NAR Dominionist (‘Kingdom Now’) teaching is bringing ‘strange fire’ into the Church. In its crudest form states that we are in the last days and God has raised up a new group of ‘apostles’ with greater power and authority than the original apostles. Not only that, but individual believers are also granted unlimited power and blessing. Together, this ‘army’ are to found the Kingdom of God on earth, taking dominion over the nations and, in due time, when they have subdued all opposition to the gospel, Jesus will return and they will present the Kingdom to him. Dr Frances Rabbitts, our Managing Editor, has a long-standing interest in this subject and has written an excellent overview article which we are pleased to publish alongside this editorial. Please make it essential reading.

Because of this mixture at Wembley, the issue of error in charismatic churches has been brought to the fore and there now seems to be fresh opportunity to expose it.

Dominionism was the teaching of the ‘Kansas City Prophets’ whom John Wimber brought to Britain in July 1990. Bob Jones called them ‘Omega Apostles’ with more power than the ‘Alpha’ (i.e. first) Apostles and Paul Cain convinced John Wimber that he was the super-apostle with the task of presenting the Kingdom to Jesus. I spent a whole day trying to convince John that this was all based upon false prophecy. Sadly, he was deceived, but later repented and dismissed the Kansas City Fellowship and the Toronto Airport Fellowship from the Vineyard group of churches.

This is a sample of Paul Cain’s teaching:

If you have intimacy with God, they can’t kill you, they just can’t. There is something about you; you are connected to that vine: you’re just so close to Him. Oh, my friend, they can’t kill you…If you’re really in the vine and you’re the branch, then the life sap from the Son of the Living God keeps you from cancer, keeps you from dying, keeps you from death…Not only will they not have diseases, they will also not die. They will have the kind of imperishable bodies that are talked about in the 15^th chapter of Corinthians…This army is invincible. If you have intimacy with God, they can’t kill you.²

There is not a shred of biblical evidence to support this teaching but it had great appeal to people who had little knowledge of the Bible. It also appealed to church leaders with dwindling congregations who were longing for a revival and who grasped at anything that had popular appeal.

The harm that has been done since the 1990s to thousands of churches in Britain, America, Australia and throughout Europe is immeasurable. But the KCF teaching was not new; it had been around since the 1940s. It originated in 1948 in the so-called ‘Latter Rain Revival’ beginning in the Sharon Bible school, North Battlefield Saskatchewan, Canada. 

Latter Rain, or ‘Manifest Sons of God’ teaching (Rom 8:19) has never gone away since. It has a subtle appeal with its message of power to the powerless. Ever since the events in Toronto in the 1990s, Dominionist teachings and spiritual practices have been spread worldwide through books, music, the internet and through big Christian gatherings such as New Wine and Soul Survivor. Today it is almost impossible to find a charismatic church in this country that has not in some way bought into the influence of such as Bill Johnson and Bethel Church in Redding, California. It is also being promoted by a great many false prophets who use so-called words of knowledge and other spiritual devices to deceive the unwary.

The teachings of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) must be exposed or they will destroy the charismatic Church at the most critical period of history since the Second World War.

The Centrality of the Word

We are in a battle for the truth that has been raging in the Church throughout the Western nations for the past half-century or more. No doubt it is because we are in such a critical period of history that the enemy is doing everything possible to frustrate the purposes of God. The only way that this battle can be won is through re-discovering the centrality of the word of God in the life of the Church.

At Prophecy Today UK we recognise the seriousness of the battle and intend producing a new series studying the biblical word of God as given to the Old Testament Prophets, beginning next week with the ministry of Jeremiah. He faced a similar battle for truth when the nation was facing a threat to its very existence – a message that has great relevance for us today.

References

1 With the exception of the contributions of Barry Segal on Israel and anti-Semitism.

2 Quoted in Blessing the Church? (Hill et al, 1995), p90.

David Noakes’s own visit to Toronto in 1994.

David Noakes continues his personal account of witnessing the Toronto ‘experience’.

This week’s re-printed excerpt includes a NEW additional note from the author on the practice of laying on hands.

My Toronto Experience

The phenomenon of Kansas City did recede, although it left behind a lot of confusion and unresolved issues, and I thought little about the beach picture (outlined last week) again for some years.

Then, in the early months of 1994, we began to hear of the amazing things which were being reported from Toronto. As the reports continued to flow in, I was being urged by many people to visit and experience what was happening there. Having no great desire to go and with a busy schedule, I resisted the idea for several months, but finally I was convinced that the Lord was requiring me to make the trip and I went to Toronto for a week's visit.

I arrived in Toronto on Friday 14 October, 1994 and attended meetings in the concluding days of the large 'Catch the Fire' conference which had been taking place during that week. These meetings took place in a large auditorium of a local hotel, which was capable of containing, I would guess, some two to three thousand people.

During the times of worship, I felt as if I were in a rock concert. The level of noise was deafening to the point of being physically painful and oppressive, and brought an increasing sense of unreality. This, together with the insistent rhythmic beat of the drums and of the bass guitar tends to induce a state bordering on hypnosis in susceptible people and creates a spiritual atmosphere in which I would say without hesitation that the demonic can thrive.

During these times of worship, many people began to exhibit jerking bodily movements which were unnatural. Some of these people appeared to be in a state of trance. From a number of years' experience of deliverance ministry, I would identify a good deal of what I saw as proceeding from demonic spirits associated with occult practices, particularly voodoo.

I was urged by many people to visit Toronto and resisted the idea for several months, but finally I was convinced that the Lord was requiring me to make the trip.

There were some women near to where I was standing whose bodily movements were unmistakably those of increasing sexual excitement, reaching a point at which they fell to the floor. All of this was perhaps hardly surprising in an atmosphere which was really not unlike that of a pop concert in which the fans get worked up to an increasing height of frenzy. What disturbed me most was not that satan was active - of course he always is - but the failure of leadership to distinguish between the spirits which were operating.

Particular Line of Teaching

The teaching which I encountered in Toronto was to the effect that because God is doing a work amongst his people, therefore everything which takes place is by definition an activity of the Holy Spirit and it is assumed that satan is inactive.

I have never encountered any form of teaching which is more dangerous or which could open the door so widely to deception and the undetected activity of a demonic spirit. To make such an assumption was a total abdication of one of the principal responsibilities of Christian leadership. The warnings in Scripture about deception were being completely ignored and such teaching flies in the face of scriptural commands that when any form of spiritual activity is seen to be taking place, it is to be weighed and tested and an assessment is to be made as to whether its origin is truly from God.

The teaching from Toronto, however, set aside the spiritual gift of distinguishing between spirits (1 Cor 12:10) and ignored the clear teaching of other scriptures. In 1 Corinthians 14:29 we are told that where prophecy is being spoken in the assembly of the church, we are to “weigh carefully what is said”. The words underlined are a translation of a Greek word which comes from exactly the same root as the word used in 1 Corinthians 12:10 for the discerning of, or distinguishing between, spirits.

The instruction of 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, again in the context of spiritual manifestations, is that we should “test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil”. Here the Greek word translated 'test' has the meaning of examining a thing, putting it to the test to determine whether or not it is genuine; and the identical word is found in 1 John 4:1: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (emphasis mine).

The word of God warns us consistently never to accept spiritual manifestations as being from the Holy Spirit unless their source has been put to the test by the body of believers and discerned to be genuine.

The word of God warns us consistently never to accept spiritual manifestations as being from the Holy Spirit unless their source has been put to the test by the body of believers and discerned to be genuine.

It is the height of folly and irresponsibility to ignore such scriptures in days when not only the activity of God but also the activity of satan is becoming greater and more widespread. If we are to accept that in some particular situation such as this, it is in order for discernment to be discarded, where will such a teaching end? How are we to know where, if at all, we should draw the line?

The warnings of Scripture in, for example, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 and Revelation 13:13-14, are now coming all too close for comfort, and a Church which had not learned to distinguish between good and evil (Heb 5:14) will be a target for any kind of deception which begins to take place. I am concerned about the demonic activity which I saw taking place in some people in Toronto, but I am far more alarmed at the potential results of this particular line of teaching.

Laying On of Hands (see also NEW Author’s Note, base of article)

On a number of occasions since my visit to Toronto, believers have requested prayer at the conclusion of a meeting at which I have spoken. They have done so because they had previously submitted to laying on of hands in order to receive the 'Toronto Blessing', and had since felt unaccountably troubled in spirit in a way which had previously been foreign to them.

Every such person to whom I have ministered has shown evidence of being under demonic oppression and has received specific deliverance in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is not of course to suggest that all those who have had contact with the Toronto Blessing have come into spiritual bondage; to jump to such a conclusion would be entirely unwarranted. What has seemed to me to be of considerable significance, however, is the repeated combination of two factors.

In every one of these cases, the person for whom I have been asked to pray had first received a spiritual impartation by means of the laying on of hands by another person who had themselves already received it; and secondly, had subsequently become disturbed in spirit in a way which they had not experienced before.

I believe these facts should draw our attention to an issue which is of greater importance than perhaps we have previously realised. A few days before I went to Toronto, I was waiting upon the Lord and was given a short word of encouragement and instruction. I wrote it down, and now quote a passage whose relevance has become increasingly apparent:

Do not accept the laying on of hands from anyone except those whom you know from experience to be trustworthy and to have my Spirit within them. To submit voluntarily to the laying on of hands is to submit to the spiritual power that is within a man. When this power is that of the Holy Spirit, then you will receive blessing through that which is good; but where it is not, evil can be transferred.

More recently my attention has been drawn to the lesson contained in Haggai 2:10-14. In it, two questions are posed. The first is whether if consecrated meat comes in contact with other food, the consecration is thereby transferred to the un-consecrated food; and the answer is that it is not. The second question is whether if a person who is ceremonially defiled through contact with a dead body touches food, that defilement is transferred to the food so that it also becomes defiled; the answer this time is affirmative.

It is the height of folly and irresponsibility to ignore such scriptures in days when not only the activity of God but also the activity of satan is becoming greater and more widespread.

The message is plain: spiritual consecration cannot be transferred by physical contact, as in the laying on of hands. If a man has received spiritual blessing, he cannot pass it on to another in this way (if he is spiritually undefiled and lays hands on another, the Holy Spirit may move directly upon that other person but where that is the case, there is no spiritual transference taking place between the persons themselves).

Spiritual defilement however, can be transferred from one to another through physical contact. It is well established, for example, that such a transference of spirits can take place through illicit sexual activity. If one man has come under the influence of an evil spirit, the influence can be transferred to another who submits voluntarily to the laying on of his hands.

We need to beware of careless practices and to exercise godly vigilance and caution. Paul warns: “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure” (1 Tim 5:22). It is imperative for our safety that we take heed to the instructions of Scripture; they are given for the protection and wellbeing of the whole Body.

Misuse of the Word of God

While I was at Toronto, and even more in the months which followed, I had an increasing concern - to the point of considerable alarm - at the ways in which the word of God was now being mishandled by many leaders in the charismatic churches.

The misuse and distortion of Scripture in order to try to justify bizarre spiritual manifestations with some sort of theological explanation has been appalling; it has been as if attempts were being made to underpin a collapsing building with any piece of rubble which comes to hand.

The difficulty has been that the 'building' in question does not have any foundation in Scripture, however desperate the attempts to find one. At the Airport Vineyard Fellowship in Toronto, I heard the Pastor give a message in which he declared that Isaiah 25:6 was a description of what God was currently doing - God was in 'feasting mode'. Yet that Scripture had no possible relevance to any present situation; it is lifted straight out of the context of an apocalyptic passage relating to the events of the Day of the Lord and what will happen at the Second Coming of Christ.

Again, in the course of the same message, he made reference to the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32, and declared that it teaches that God loves any opportunity to hold a party. Yet its emphasis is nothing of the sort, but rather the greatness of God's fatherly forgiveness and restoration of a repentant sinner.

The misuse and distortion of Scripture in order to try to justify bizarre spiritual manifestations with some sort of theological explanation has been appalling.

A further example of such extraordinary misuse of Scripture came when a prominent Anglican leader visited a church where I have a friend in leadership. His message consisted of encouragement to welcome unusual spiritual manifestations, including the making of animal noises, and it was based on one sentence taken out of Isaiah 28:21: “to do his work, his strange work”. These few words, again lifted out of context, were declared to justify the idea that the bizarre activities were a 'strange work' which God is doing in these days, and that they should therefore be accepted without further question.

But in the context, what is actually being described is a work of judgment and destruction by God against his own covenant people of Israel, and it is to him a 'strange work' and an 'alien task', because it is foreign and abhorrent to God's normal desire to bless his people and to act in mercy rather than in judgment. Theologically, therefore, the previous sort of teaching has no validity.

Drunk in the Spirit

The strange and un-coordinated behaviour of many who have been touched by the Toronto experience has frequently been described as being due to people being 'drunk in the Spirit'. I have myself for many years been familiar with the phenomenon of people who are receiving ministry from the Holy Spirit experiencing loss of bodily strength so as to be temporarily too weak to rise from their chair or from the floor; indeed, I also have had the same experience. Never before, however, have I seen the spectacle of people staggering about, slurring their speech and showing other characteristic signs normally associated with alcoholic intoxication.

The concept that a person can be 'drunk in the Spirit' is one of which Scripture knows nothing. Two passages have been used frequently to try to justify the idea, but they entirely fail to do so when subjected to proper interpretation.

In Acts 2:1-13, what is being described is the phenomenon, historically unprecedented and utterly amazing, of about 120 people suddenly beginning to declare the wonders of God in a host of different foreign languages. It was only those who mocked what was happening who suggested drunkenness as the cause, but the majority of the onlookers were simply described, understandably enough, as “amazed and perplexed”. There is no suggestion whatever of any behaviour which justified the description of physical drunkenness, and to try to read it into the text is to abuse the word of God. Is Peter's sermon that of a drunken man?

The second Scripture used in this context is Ephesians 5:18, but it says nothing whatever about being drunk in the Spirit. Indeed, coming at the end of a lengthy passage urging the believer to avoid ungodly behaviour, it would be astonishing if it did! The verse forbids being drunk (literally 'soaked') with wine, the evidence of which is debauched (literally 'unsaved') behaviour (v18). Instead, believers are to be filled with the Spirit.

Everywhere in Scripture, drunkenness is condemned as ungodly. How can we therefore accept that the Spirit of God would deliberately bring about in a believer the evidence of drunken behaviour?

The Greek verb used is pleroo, which had nothing to do with drunkenness, and the evidence of being in that condition is that they will produce psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (v19), thanksgiving to God (v20) and submission to one another out of reverence for Christ (v21), not slurred speech and drunken behaviour!

Everywhere in Scripture, drunkenness is condemned as ungodly. How can we therefore accept that the Spirit of God would deliberately bring about in a believer the evidence of drunken behaviour as if he were intoxicated with alcohol? The thing is utterly unthinkable, unless one discards the consistent teaching of the Word of God as irrelevant. Sadly, and most frightening of all, this is what some charismatic leaders are now beginning to do.

Extra-Biblical Experience

Animal noises, convulsions, bodily jerkings, loss of speech control and the like, are being described as 'extra-biblical' phenomena - which they certainly are. This feature of the activities should, however, put an immediate question mark over their authenticity; normally, unbiblical experience is found to emanate, not from the Holy Spirit, but from the realm of the demonic.

But among many leaders, no such questioning has taken place; but rather the reverse. It has even been suggested that the spiritual experiences and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit recorded in the pages of the New Testament were the experience of the Church in its infancy in those early days; but that now in our day the Church is being brought into maturity and we must therefore expect experiences from God which were unknown to the early Church and therefore not to be found in the Bible. We are consequently in uncharted waters, being led solely by the Spirit. This opens the Church to precisely the danger which Paul defines in Ephesians 4:14.

This sort of teaching, if pursued to its logical conclusion, is the height of dangerous folly. It is like saying that our maps are no longer of use to us because we have gone beyond their boundaries. We can no longer check our course, but must trust that any wind which happens to blow will take us in the right direction. We have discarded, however, all means of knowing either where the wind is coming from or the direction in which we are heading. In fact, we are drifting helplessly at the mercy of any force which may influence us.

A teaching which discards the Bible as the final authority for the validity of Christian experience is a teaching which emanates straight from the master of deception himself. It tears down the boundary walls which God has erected for the safety of his people, and it opens the door wide for the charismatic Church to join in an unwitting embrace with the New Age movement and all its occult activities.

A teaching which discards the Bible as the final authority for the validity of Christian experience is a teaching which emanates straight from the master of deception himself.

In the mid-90s, I even had reported to me instances of levitation occurring at Toronto-type meetings at a church in the north of England. Where will the line be drawn? On the basis of this sort of thinking and teaching, why should not telepathy or astral travel or any other occult practices be embraced under the deception that they are God's latest blessings to his maturing Church?

Unless there is repentance and a return to an acknowledgment of the supreme and ultimate authority of the word of God, the Church is being led into a place of great spiritual peril.

Next week: David concludes his chapter, looking at the need for repentance and discernment.

**NEW**

[Editor: Following some feedback that Blessing the Church? seems to advocate against the practice of laying on hands, we felt clarification was necessary and approached David for further comment. His response is below.]

Author’s Note

The issue which I was seeking to tackle [in Blessing the Church?] was the very important one of transference of spirits from one human being to another. 20 years ago this was a subject which hardly ever received any attention by bible teachers; but to those of us who had been brought into experience of deliverance ministry, it was realised to be an important factor in some cases where folk were being demonically troubled. Our brothers Edmund Heddle and John Fieldsend in particular highlighted its importance to me.

This significant issue was underlined in my own experience following my visit to Toronto in 1994; following that visit, I found myself being asked to pray after almost every meeting for believers who had sought to receive the ‘Toronto Blessing’ - and had subsequently found themselves in unexpected spiritual difficulties. In each such case, when I ministered to such people, they received specific deliverance from certain powerful demonic spirits which had not been troubling them previously.

It was a matter of some perplexity for a time, however, that I was also being told by some who had been to similar ‘Toronto’-type meetings that they had received a genuine fresh experience of the Holy Spirit. This perplexity was finally resolved when I began to find that those people had been seeking the Lord for himself - and in his faithfulness, he had met with them by the Holy Spirit.

Those who were troubled, however, had attended with a different motive - not to seek the Lord for who he is, but wanting to receive the ‘Toronto Blessing’ because it was new, exciting and carried with it spectacular manifestations. The former group had met with the Lord, with good results; while the latter had received what they had gone for, which was actually demonic and brought harm to their spiritual lives, and also to many churches.

What I also found was that without exception, in my experience, those who had been affected by ungodly spirits had received an impartation of the ‘Blessing’ through the laying on of hands by another person who had already received it.

This drew my attention to the vital matter of what can occur through the laying on of hands - impartation of spirits from one to another. The Holy Spirit is not imparted from one human being to another, but is given to individuals by the sovereign act of God (e.g. Num 11:17, 25). In John 19:22, Jesus breathed on the disciples and said "Receive Holy Spirit". In Acts 8:17 and 19:6, we are told of the apostles laying hands on new believers, and the Holy Spirit came upon them - but there is no suggestion that the Holy Spirit was transferred from them to the believers; He came upon them in response to the action of the apostles, which is very different, being a sovereign work of God.

These verses attest to the transfer of the Holy Spirit to a person in response to a believer's obedience in laying on of hands. However, experience in ministry has shown over and over again that other spirits can transfer through physical contact to a person who is open to receive them. Illicit sexual intercourse is one outstanding example; but voluntary submitting to the laying on of hands is another easy means of physical transference of demonic spirits (it is important to emphasise that the person has to be willing and receptive. It cannot just happen simply by being in the company of someone who is demonised; we must be willing to receive from them).

When we allow a person to lay hands on us, we open ourselves to receive from them. There is danger in this if we don’t know the person. They may be harbouring one or more unclean spirits, and when we allow them to lay hands on us, these can and often do transfer to us if we are open and unguarded. For this reason, we should certainly not allow unknown people to minister directly to us. Scripture urges us to "guard our hearts with all diligence" (Prov 4:23).

I do hope this brief attempt to explain will prove to be of some help.

David Noakes, 12 April 2018

Series Information

This article is part of a series, re-publishing the 1995 book ‘Blessing the Church?’, an analysis of the ‘Toronto Blessing’ and a wider critique of the charismatic movement in the late 20^th Century. Click here for previous instalments and to read the editorial background to the series.

Rosemary Bamber reviews the latest of Steve Maltz's Hebraic roots conferences, which took place earlier in December.

Foundations Conferences are a new and interesting phenomena! Until recently, they have been 5-day conferences held annually (more or less) in the spring, at The Quinta in Shropshire. However, founder Steve Maltz and his team are now branching out with smaller weekend regional conferences. This year, the second of these took place at the beginning of December, in the comfortable, pleasant surroundings of Brunel Manor, Devon.

A large percentage of delegates had never been to a Foundations Conference before (I had previously been to three out of the seven held in Shropshire and so was considered to be a bit of an 'old hand'!). Testimonies now featured on the Saltshakers website show the things that delegates most appreciated:

• "the friendliness. The Holy Spirit leading, the gathering together of like hearts and minds" (Cheryl)
• "dedication of the organisers and a sense of oneness of participants, freedom to express oneself with new and innovative ways to explore, genuine love for the Lord and a desire to please, worship and obey Him" (Anita)
• "relaxed atmosphere, genuine fellowship, opportunity to express gifts, free worship, excellent teaching" (Colin)

Putting Our Confidence Back in Scripture

The Foundations Conferences have grown out of Steve Maltz's books and ministry. The idea is not only to learn about his definition of Hebraic church, but also to have a taster of it. Each of the Conferences has accompanied the launch of his latest book and so their content has run parallel to his books as they have come out.

Steve has succeeded in his books to convey in an engaging manner important truths about the contrast between Greek and Hebraic thinking. Building on that understanding, he has shown where the Western Church has been influenced by Greek philosophy, leading to departures in certain areas from Hebraic thinking and biblical truth. Examples would be the adoption of Replacement Theology and liberal theologies, and the silencing of the 'laity'.

Foundations is putting out a call to return to a confident trust in the Bible as our ultimate source of authority and revelation and with that, a return to understanding the Hebraic or Jewish roots of the faith.

Foundations is putting out a call to return to a confident trust in the Bible as our ultimate source of authority and revelation.

Doing Hebraic Church

The Devon conference really drew on the supreme success of 'Foundations 7', the 'bravest' of Steve's conferences to date where he decided to include a day putting Hebraic church into practice. This meant that we had a worship session which wasn't led from the front but was led by all according to the direction of the Holy Spirit. The use of spiritual gifts was encouraged, so that the whole body could be released and built up.

We also had long free times when people could choose their own activities. They could preach, debate Scripture, read or listen to the Bible, go on a prayer walk, do creative activities, learn Israeli dance, sing in a choir, or pray alone or with others.

This formula from Foundations 7 was carried over into the Devon weekend conference. There were four teaching sessions, but there were also free times when people could participate in different activities designed to release us in our gifts - or simply allow us to try something new.

Hebraic Roots Teaching

The four teaching sessions on the Hebrew roots of the Bible and the need for a correct interpretation of Scripture based on its Jewish history and context were given by José de Silva. José has clearly studied this subject deeply and is very knowledgeable. He taught about the two olive trees (i.e. Jew and Gentile) in Zechariah 4, and about how the Jewish Rabbinic teaching on the logos (memra in Aramaic) is clearly outlined in John 1.

José showed how New Testament theology is based clearly on the Jewishness of the Old Testament. There was an emphasis on the errors of Replacement Theology and how the Church has been robbed of the understanding of God's everlasting covenants towards the Jews. José exhorted us to have an expectation that all Israel will be saved (Rom 11:26) and to understand that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable (Rom 11:29).

The Devon conference made plenty of time to put 'Hebraic church' into practice.

Where Next?

The interesting question raised at the conference is: where do we go from here? Studying these subjects and exploring our Hebraic roots is undoubtedly fantastic, but inevitably throws up questions which will have to be tackled as the movement grows; such as: how do we engage with the Church without becoming separatist or elitist? And how can we best engage with people who have different emphases and outlooks?

Nevertheless, these conferences always provide a really special time and come very highly recommended. The testimonies of delegates speak for themselves:

• "Thank you for a truly wonderful weekend. I was so excited on the Friday night that I texted back to my church leaders that 'I thought I had died and gone to heaven' with the worship!!!!! Whew." (Marion)
• "I was only there for the day but wanted more! Although active and fairly intense, I was energised and invigorated by the whole experience. This was Church!" (Betty)
• "For me it was akin to arriving at Elim with its 12 springs of water after a long and thirsty walk through the wilderness!...Having sampled Foundations for a second time I am now convinced that this is a move of God. May the Lord fulfil this vision in this nation and beyond for the sake of the house of the Lord our God!" (Barry)

Clifford Denton unpacks God's vision for knowledge, understanding and wisdom.

"Education, education, education", said Tony Blair as he entered 10 Downing Street for the first time. It sounded good at first. Now, our new Prime Minister Theresa May has raised education to a high priority once more, with a fresh focus on grammar schools. With standards under scrutiny as each year passes, whether it be through Ofsted reports, or exam results, our attention is never far from how our children are being taught in school.

But how close are we to a biblical pattern for education? It is not so much the efficiency and funding of our national programmes that should be our priority, but the foundations on which we are raising the next generation.

The Jesuits have been credited with the maxim, "Give me a child for his first seven years and I'll give you the man", reflecting what everyone who wants to order society according to a certain world-view knows. If an education system is designed to conform to a certain philosophy or religion, then society can be changed in a generation – for good or bad.

If an education system can be conformed to a certain philosophy or religion, then society can be changed in a generation – for good or bad.

Back to our Roots

So what does the Bible say? That must be the prime focus for Christians.

First, the word education is not to be found. The biblical word is Torah. Yet even before the establishing of Torah through Moses, God's prime purpose for his people was shown – right back in the Garden of Eden. God created mankind to be in fellowship with him. Adam and Eve were given simple instructions to maintain that fellowship. The principles of Torah were given to them in basic form - they were told what not to do in order to maintain a close relationship with the Lord.

The Bible, in other places, describes this relationship as a walk with God. Through human weakness and a little input from the enemy, Adam and Eve could not maintain this walk and so the Fall occurred, followed by God's programme of recovery through covenant that is still going on today. Principles of biblical education, Torah, were made known through Moses so that the chosen people of God could live an ordered and blessed life in fellowship with him.

Torah: Principles and Purpose

The Hebrew word Torah refers to the teaching of God's people. Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, summarised the way God's people should be taught: "stand before God for the people...teach them the statutes and the laws and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do" (Ex 18:19-20).

The walk with God, highlighted here, was recalled time and again throughout Israel's history. It was a walk that could (and did) falter through disobedience, and so its principles were reiterated at key moments. For example, Ezra affirmed the principles after his return to Jerusalem from Babylon:

Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Torah of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach the statutes and ordinances to Israel. (Ezra 7:10)

Micah also was inspired to champion the balance and purpose of Torah:

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? (Mic 6:8)

In considering what Christian education might look like, in contrast to what the world around us is establishing, we are wise to first look back to the Old Testament and consider how God intended his covenant people to walk safely with him.

Beware of dry legalism, however, in which Torah is reduced to a set of dos and don'ts, as if God desires only ritual observance. What he desires above all is relationship with us, as a father with a child, or a husband with a wife. The principles of Torah are for securing this walk, not replacing it.

Principles of biblical education, Torah, were made known through Moses so that the people of God could live a blessed life in fellowship with him.

Keeping on Track with God

The struggles of the Children of Israel to maintain a close walk with God demonstrate our need of principles to protect us along our way in life. As much as Adam and Eve were subject to the temptations of the evil one, so there are always ways in which evil is at work in the nations of the world to seduce God's people off track.

This principle is reflected in the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) and so is as valid for Christians as it was for Adam and Eve and for the Nation of Israel. The four injunctions of the letter written from the Council to new believers (Acts 15:28-29) were essential things to abstain from so that "if you keep yourselves from these things, you will do well."

So even though we live in days of the New Covenant where, according to the fulfilment of Jeremiah 31:33, Torah (God's educational programme) is put into the minds and written on the hearts of God's people, still there are warnings about being seduced away from a close walk with God.

Jesus Messiah the Goal

The ultimate goal of Torah (God's educational package) was to bring us to Messiah (Rom 10:4), like an escort taking a person to the place of his education (Gal 3:24). Jesus made it clear that he did not come to abolish Torah but to fulfil it (Matt 5:17-20), meaning that the goal of teaching within the Christian community is the interpretation of Torah by the Spirit of God, in the light of Jesus the Messiah, fulfilling the New Covenant announced first by Jeremiah (Jer 31).

This goal remains the same as in the days of the Old Covenant, though now it is enabled by the Spirit of God in the heart of every believer. Our teaching should encourage and establish this walk for all of Jesus' disciples. Matthew 28:18-20, the Great Commission, is Jesus' command that we do this - making disciples.

This walk is enabled through the Spirit of God and it is as much a spiritual battle today to gain and maintain it as it was for Adam and Eve and for the Children of Israel through the days of the Old Covenant. Our education programmes must have the objective of discipleship and growth to maturity in the Holy Spirit as their prime focus, to help others mature in their personal walk with God.

Summary So Far

In summary, from the time of Adam and Eve, God's plan has been to live in relationship with his own people. Since the time of Jesus, the invitation has gone out to the entire world for people to walk in this relationship. God desires this but also requires our complete commitment.

Torah is not to be reduced to a set of ritual dos and don'ts. Above all God desires relationship with us – the principles of Torah are for securing this, not replacing it.

Education God's Way: The Method

Whilst each disciple of Jesus has a personal walk and a promise of the Holy Spirit as our personal teacher, God has also appointed some to be teachers (Eph 4:11). We learn from Deuteronomy 6 that responsibility for Bible teaching is first through the example of parents. Biblical education is primarily to take place in the home – more so than in church!

Other Bible teaching is ordered around this, with the aim of raising up disciples of Jesus to personal responsibility and independence in their walk with God. The exhortation of God to the families of Israel (Deut 6:4-9) is still foundational to the teaching of our children today:

Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

The importance of diligence is emphasised here; the minute care that is to be taken to remember, and always be alert to opportunities to teach God's ways. This shows that it is easy to slip into the ways of the world around. We must always remember what God has done in the past, in order to have a straight path into the future.

The goal of Torah, God's educational package, was to bring us to Jesus Messiah.

Education God's Way: The Content

If discipleship is the goal, what then of the content of biblical education? The Book of Proverbs emphasises the three key elements of knowledge, understanding and wisdom. These are three distinct elements usually considered key in any education system.

However, James warned us about demonic counterfeits (James 3:15). There is a wisdom that does not come from God. This is the danger inherent in education systems that are not founded on the Bible and are motivated in other ways (which James would call earthly, sensual and demonic).

Knowledge: Only the Start

Much education in our schools today is knowledge-based and much of it ends there, leaving the application of this knowledge open and vulnerable to the spirit of the age. Our children can be trapped within a system perpetuated by unbiblical objectives that are self-serving and at times dangerous. Thus, knowledge of nuclear power can be put to good use providing heat and light to enhance or lives – or it can be used to make weapons to destroy the world. This is just one illustration.

Knowledge from a biblical perspective, however, is far deeper than factual knowledge. The Hebrew word for 'knowledge' is the same word that describes the relationship between a man and his wife. As we study this we discover that all three of the key elements of biblical education are spiritual in nature. A prayerful reading of the Book of Proverbs will confirm this. So, whether we are speaking of factual knowledge or relational knowledge of God, we are designed and intended to exercise our spiritual nature in its acquisition.

Understanding: Releasing the Potential of Knowledge

But what of understanding? I have been a teacher and educationalist for many years, but it has taken me until recently to get a better grasp of what this is. Many of us use the words knowledge and understanding interchangeably, thinking we have grasped their meaning, but I would suggest there are hidden depths here that we did not realise existed.

Hebrew, the foundational language of the Bible, is verb-orientated: application is always paramount. Knowledge leads to action. One becomes intimate with information and with facts and the natural tendency is to do something as a consequence, to apply knowledge into some form of action or end result.

This is understanding in action, putting together diverse pieces of information to bring about a creative consequence. There is potential in knowledge - understanding releases that potential. How important, therefore, that understanding be properly directed, since the potential of knowledge can be released in so many different ways!

All three key elements of biblical education – knowledge, understanding and wisdom - are spiritual in nature.

Wisdom

Biblical education must develop a Godly mindset, so that our understanding (and therefore our doing) has the right motives. This can only be accomplished through a prayerful walk with God, who alone can lead us to apply what we learn rightly. That is why James says that we should ask God for wisdom in faith, in confidence that God will give it liberally.

The wisdom of God is not only concerned with abstract and spiritual matters. It is also concerned with practical outworking for the ordering of our society. In all ways, practical and spiritual, the goal of education is to fulfil the two Great Commandments: to love God with all our being and our neighbour as ourselves. It is no small thing to teach one another to walk with God in this way and it is clear that education in our nation's schools is likely, in the world as it is, to fall far short of this.

In Conclusion

Returning to the introduction to this article: "Education, education, education" rightly directed is an excellent maxim, but wrongly directed is worldly, blind and potentially dangerous. Surely we are at a period in history when we should consider carefully what God's plan for the education of his people should be, especially our children.

"Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body...here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecc 12:12-13)

Paul Luckraft meets up with Sally Richardson, founder and organiser of the 'Israel and Prophecy' group, London.

The 'Israel and Prophecy' group meets once or twice a month on Saturdays at All Souls Clubhouse, London. Paul arranged to meet up with Sally, its founder, to find out how they started and what God is doing through the meetings.

Pieces of the Jigsaw

It is often the case that when God wants to start something new he calls on those who have been serving him faithfully for many years and whose previous experience and background provide just what he needs at that time. For many years Sally Richardson had been involved in organising meetings and making contacts with speakers and teachers who had also become good friends. Her involvement with Christian Ministerial Fellowship International (CMFI) in particular meant that she had come across several speakers at conferences whom she would be able to call upon in the future – a future which God knew about long before she did!

Another piece in the jigsaw that the Divine hand was putting together was the venue. By chance Sally came across All Souls Clubhouse (ASC) when walking down Cleveland Street one day. Instead of just going past, she decided to go in and investigate what was there. Sometime later, when another venue for a meeting she was organising was inadvertently double-booked, Sally remembered ASC and was able to rearrange her meeting there. Although this was a one-off at the time, it is now clear that God was showing Sally the potential of the rooms there for what he would want in the future.

God knew Sally's future long before she did – and had all the pieces of the jigsaw in place ready.

The Seeds Germinate

For the next few years nothing different happened, but seeds had been sown. Then in 2012 Sally found that, quite spontaneously and independently, people were telling her with great concern and sadness about their churches espousing Replacement Theology and having no understanding of prophecy or the end times, much less any teaching on them. This very much resonated with Sally's own awareness of the lack of good teaching in churches on the vital subjects of Israel and prophecy. As she says, "I was very distressed in spirit about these matters, and began to earnestly pray and seek the Lord concerning them. He then began to remind me of certain things."

First, he showed her that she was in the fortunate position of knowing a number of brothers who could give sound and balanced teaching on these vital and neglected subjects. He also reminded her that she had organised meetings in the past, so why not do so again? Indeed, with both the necessary administrative skills and a list of personal contacts, surely she was the one God could most use to help people in this respect?

Further, the Lord laid on her heart that these meetings were to be in central London, and in a venue easily accessible for people. At this point he reminded her of ASC and of that previous occasion when she had needed to find a last-minute replacement venue.

As she continued to pray about the possibility of arranging meetings and what to call them, she sensed the Lord say they were to be held under the banner title of 'Israel and Prophecy'. Everything was coming together and in the spring of 2013 the first meeting took place, being led by two brothers from the Bible Prophecy Foundation.

Sally recalls that only a small number of people attended (about 15), but all very much appreciated the teaching that was brought, the warmth of the welcome they received and the fellowship they enjoyed with others of like mind. This encouraged her to continue, and three more meetings took place that year. Also encouraging was the way the Lord brought a small team of helpers around her to assist with recording, serving refreshments and the other essential tasks which make such a venture more successful and enable it to grow.

Often when God wants to start something new he calls on those who have been serving him faithfully for many years, whose background provides just what he needs at that time.

Gathering Momentum

In 2014, things really took off - such was the demand. There would be a meeting every month, sometimes twice a month, with more and more speakers being drafted in. News of the meetings spread by word of mouth. Sally testifies, "I don't need to advertise much now, new people are coming each month." Thankfully, there are larger rooms available at ASC when necessary – as God knew from the beginning! Sally is grateful that the Clubhouse is a very welcoming and supportive venue. "I have been told by the Manager and some of the volunteers that we are a favourite of theirs amongst the many other groups who use their facilities."

With such contentious subjects as Israel and prophecy, it might be wondered how this is handled. The answer is - diplomatically and with a stress on unity! Clearly, regarding Israel all the speakers are anti-Replacement Theology and pro-restoration. As for end time topics, a greater diversity of opinion is allowed for on the part of the speakers, which at least allows people a chance to think things through from a biblical perspective.

Without exception each brother's ministry has been warmly received and greatly appreciated. Those attending regularly tell Sally at the end of the meetings how very grateful they are for the teaching they've heard, some nearly in tears and others almost overcome with gratitude. "I get fed here!" more than one has declared. "Please...never stop these meetings! We need them!"

Such contentious subjects as Israel and prophecy are handled diplomatically and with a stress on unity.

A Bright Future!

The future of these meetings seems assured. The speakers are generally free to decide what they want to speak about, as long as it fits the general remit of Israel and prophecy. There will certainly be no lack of specific topics to keep the group going until...well, the Lord returns!

The style of the meetings may vary a little, sometimes with discussion, Q&As, and also some prayer and intercession. But the overall aim has been satisfied – people are now receiving the biblical teaching they were lacking previously.

As Sally concludes, "I want to give all the praise and glory to the Lord for the blessing these meetings have been, and indeed, continue to be."

Details of Future Meetings

The next four meetings are as follows:

• 1 October: Pastor Ian Huxham and Rod Boggia (Bible teachers from Evangel Sidmouth and PFI)
• 29 October: Prayer and Bible Day with Simon Wyatt (Bible teacher from Bethel Christian Assembly, Raising a Standard)
• 5 November: Chris Hill (Bible teacher and Israel Tours leader, CL Ministries)
• 19 November: Tony Pearce (Bible teacher, Bridge Lane Fellowship, Light for the Last Days)

All meetings will be from 10am-3pm unless advised otherwise, at All Souls Clubhouse, 141 Cleveland St, London W1T 6QG. Recordings are available to purchase after. A love offering is taken for the speaker. Please come prepared for the lunch break – either bring a packed lunch or eat at a nearby café.

For more details, contact Sally by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

All welcome!