Week of November 3, 2023
“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4, NKJV)
The apostle Paul understood the importance of the written word. Even though Paul had a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus and many other visions, he still depended on the written word for his daily guidance. By the 2nd century A.D. all 27 books of the New Testament had been canonized as Holy Scripture. Through the power of the Holy Spirit the early Christians understood how important scripture was for living the Christian faith. We today, should do the same.
Church history is full of important figures that stood up to extreme opposition for the sake of protecting the Bible and scripture. One such figure was William Tyndale. He was one of the first to translate the Bible into the English language during the 16th century. History records one occasion when he was told to stop preaching to the people. Tyndale responded with these famous words, "If God spare my life, before very long I shall cause a plough boy to know the scriptures better than you do!” He was speaking to the religious elites of that day. Tyndale would eventually be thrown into a dungeon for a year before being burned at the stake. He died for his belief that everyone should be afforded the opportunity to read the Bible.
On Monday, June 15th, Gateway will be kicking off our 120 day New Testament Bible reading challenge. I encourage you to attend the service on June Sunday, 14th to hear more about this life changing challenge and pick up your reading guide. This is a great opportunity for us to be united in a life-changing goal. Have a blessed week in the Lord!
God Bless, Pastor Rick