I am the GOOD shepherd

A few days ago I was listening to some preaching on Premier Christian Radio. In the few moments of listening to the preacher, he drew attention to the meaning attached to just one word. But that word opens up glorious depths of meaning.

Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd." (John 10)

The word "good" here is the word "kalos".

Strongs expresses the semantic field (range of meaning) of "kalos" in the following terms: ""beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable". Like the wine at Cana, or the precious stones adorning the Jerusalem temple, or the Fair Haven of Acts 27.

There is a Christian text called the Philokalia, which is a compendium of commendable things, beloved of those who read them.

When we say Christ is the good shepherd, he is more that just the "not evil" shepherd; he is the excellent, appealing, choice, fitting shepherd.

Comments

The history of the Christian Church in twenty places

α. Jerusalem (30 or 33 AD) The place where Christ, the Son-of-God-become-man, died on the Cross, was raised from the dead on the third day, and from where he ascended back to heaven. This is also where the Holy Spirit was poured out on the first disciples. Sometime after AD 44 (Acts 12), Peter, John and other Apostles dispersed across the world to bear testimony to the risen Christ. 1. Ephesus (approx. 100 AD) The place where the Apostles, Paul and John, handed over to the next generation of Christian leaders, which included the “Apostolic Fathers”. One such “Apostolic Father”, Ignatius of Antioch, passed through Ephesus on his way to martyrdom at Rome, and addressed a letter to the church at Ephesus. 2. Athens (second century) The centre of Greek thought, which Justin Martyr and other Second Century Apologists addressed in their presentations of the Christian faith, proclaiming Christ as the Logos (the Word or principle underlying the universe). 3. Lyon (from 177) The church in

Bury, Greater Manchester - Timeline of churches

979? First Church on the site of the present Parish Church (the picture below is an artist's impression of Bury parish church in 1485) 1585 Parish church (re)built in the gothic style . 1662+ Chapel on Bass Lane for Henry Pendlebury of Holcombe , supported by Richard Kay , and others ejected from the C of E (replaced in 1712 by Dundee Chapel, Holcombe) 1669 The vicar of the parish reported to the Bishop of Chester that he heard that several conventicles were 'constantly kept at private houses of Independents, Presbyterians, Dippers and other such like jointly, of the bset rank of the yeomanry and other inferiors.' 1689 The passing of the Toleration Act and services held openly by a congregation at Bast House, Walmersley, the home of Richard Kay, 1712 Edward Rothwell , became minister of what would become Bank Street Presbyterian Church, Bury. He ministered at Bury, Holcombe and surrounding district. (D. 1731) 1719 Presbyterian Chapel ("

Bible translations

God has given us his written word in Hebrew and Greek (plus a little bit of Aramaic in the book of Daniel). In order for God's word to be accessible to those who speak other languages, since Biblical times God's word has been translated into other languages. At the time of Nehemiah, the Levites "gave the meaning" of the Scriptures. This would probably have involved oral translation (interpreting) into the Aramaic language people used for everyday speech. Jesus himself, when quoted in the gospels, spoke Aramaic and quotes the Scripture in that language. Likewise, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the believers and enabled them to declare the wonders of God in the languages of those present. There is also a longstanding history of written translation (as opposed to oral translation). The best-known translation of the Old Testament is called the Septuagint, a translation into Greek commissioned by Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–247 BCE). There were als

Crumbs from the Table

Search This Blog