Wednesday, January 4, 2006

Good Morning!

Some quick background notes:

-- While it is commonly called "Revelations" or the "Book of Revelations", it is actually "Revelation" -- singular.  This is just one revelation. 

-- the author of Revelation is given as the apostle John, who also wrote the gospel of John, based on, among other things, the fact that the author identifies himself in the text.  Biblical scholars have some issue with that -- noting a number of differences between the Gospel of John and Revelation -- particularly the quality of the language used in each.  Other scholars assign the difference to different scribes that John may have used to help him take down his thoughts.

-- John wrote this while in exile on the island of Patmos, where the Roman authorities had sent him during their persecution of Christians.  Note that this was written in 95 A.D., and many scholars think that John was the last living apostle at this time.  There is something about that fact that makes Revelation make more sense to me -- it seems like the book that the last living apostle would write in his last years.

-- The seven churches to whom the book is written were all located in what is today Turkey.

Today's Scripture

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinithians 13:6-7

Today's prayer request:      The West Virginia mining families

What are terrible, terrible roller coaster of emotions these people have gone through in the last 48 hours.  We need to pray for their emotional and spiritual recovery from this tragedy.

Today's class member prayer:

Jodi Findlay

Have a great day.

Jay