Author: Emmanuel

Only one step ahead

Teaching in Brussels Bible Institute has been a new experience to me. I have enjoyed it thanks to a motivated and interested group of students. But I have hated the preparation work. As I am writing, I must teach a class on church history on Friday morning and one on Ecclesiology Saturday. I still feel I don’t master the subjects. But one of my friends reassured me today.

When his daughter was asked to teach history of art to college students, he told her she had never studied the subject. She replied that it was true but that she was only one step ahead of the students.

I feel better now.

For once it is not the French trains that are on strike

I am going to Brussels again next week but I am due to come back on Friday 9th October and the Belgium railway workers will be on strike. I need to go to the station in Chambéry tomorrow in order to change my tickets so that I come back on Saturday 10th.

I am due to preach on Sunday 11th in Bourgneuf so I would appreciate your prayers.

It is here

It is here. We went to pick it up on Monday afternoon. It is big. It is powerful. It will take a bit of time to get used to it. It is our new vehicle: a second-hand Renault Trafic. It is a 9 seater so there is plenty of space. Esther’s mum and dad are with us until Sunday so we’ve been on several test rides.

The timing is perfect. Esther had problems with the old, faithful Multipla. Our plan is to get it destroyed anyway so it will go earlier than we thought. Just as well.

I’ll post pictures later.

Lecturing in Church History

I am on my way back from the second session of lectures on Church History in Brussels Bible Institute. It has gone well so far. The first session was a fortnight ago. I gave an Introduction on why study church History and the New Testament World, followed by a Survey of the first church in Jerusalem in the Book of Acts. Today, we finished looking at the first church and talked about Persecution in the early church.

I had asked the students to read Ignatius of Antioch’s letter to the Romans and Polycarp’s Martyr. We had a lively discussion on Ignatius’ understanding of his martyrdom. It led to a lively discussion on self-denial and what Jesus meant when he said we should take up our cross. It was great and it seems that everyone enjoyed taking part and reflecting on Ignatius’s thoughts and understanding of his own martyrdom.

I wassn’t able to cover all the ground I wanted. I had planned to look at the Apologetes and the letter to Diognete but it will have to wait until next time, in a fortnight.