Servings Per Verse: Unknown
ESV
"built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.
*ETS:
Who says the Jew and Gentile are now one? The special messengers (apostles) and the inspired expounders (prophets) who proclaim to you Jesus Christ. It is like the apostles and prophets are the foundation whereon you stand, but Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone -everything is set in order and comes together in Christ.
*DTFTD:
"God's Vital Word" is another title for my blog. You can read the label to get an overview of a passage, but hopefully you are also reading the Word of God. We must realize how vital the Word of God is to our growth as the body of Christ, and therefore how essential it is for those who have the responsibility of proclaiming the Word to give diligence to accurate proclamation. The Apostle Paul did not lay claim to a title that granted him exclusive privilege of proclamation of the Word of God. His mention of the prophets alludes to the list of gifts in Ephesians 4:11, and clearly implies the responsibility of all current evangelists, pastors and teachers to echo with accuracy the message originally given by the Apostles of Christ. The gifts Christ gave the church are individuals who have been given some particular responsibility in conveying the Word of God for the benefit of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16). I am honored to be pastor of a church with gifted teachers of the Word of God. I appreciate their diligent labor in conveying the message of Christ. However, I have one question: If we truly believe the apostles and prophets have given foundational teaching that brings into focus the cornerstone, Jesus Christ, why would we not faithfully attend gatherings where this teaching is echoed by gifted teachers? I encourage you to make use of the gifts God has given. Attend the teaching sessions of those gifted to convey the glorious truth of Christ. If your church offers Sunday School, join a class. If your children are not in Sunday School, enroll them this Sunday! If your church has home Bible study groups, become an active faithful member. Don't let yourself off the hook, don't make excuses, take this as a vital assignment. You are built on the apostles and prophets, and the more you get under those who are gifted to echo their teaching the more you will sense your unity in the body of Christ.
*EDS:
"Enduring Word, thy strength abides
Like mountains firm, and ocean tides;
Man's feeble works grow old with time,
But thou art ageless and sublime:
What lasting splendor crowns thy page
Wherein God writes our heritage!"
(Hymn,"Revealing Word, Thy Light Portrays" - Dimitri S. Bortniansky, 1752-1825)
INGREDIENTS: The importance of the ministry of the apostles and prophets in proclaiming Christ. Word Study: The word "prophets" in the Christian church refers to a person gifted for the exposition of divine truth (Mounce, Interlinear for the Rest of Us, pg. 885).
*ESV- English Standard Version; ETS- Essence of the Text in a Sentence; DTFTD- Devotional Thought For The Day; EDS- Essence of the Devotional in a Sentence.