Forum Summary: The Best of Friends

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Author: Sabrielle McNair | Student Leader, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

Estimated Reading Time: 4 min.

In his recent lecture for Living Education–Charlotte, Mr. John Strain spent his time focusing on the phenomenon of friendships.  Describing the different kinds of relationships we all develop throughout our lifetimes, he explained how to regulate who we spend our time with, how that time affects us, and why it should be a thoughtful process even at a young age.

We Change; So Should They

Mr. Strain made the point that our associations should change as our relationship with God develops over our lifetime. We should continually ensure that those around us are on a similar path or of a similar moral compass, so their effect on us will be a help as we grow to be more like God. Having quality friends is far more valuable than having a large quantity of friends. 

Mr. Strain pointed out that one way to attain this is by respecting the friendships and relationships of our parents, and he read Proverbs 27:10. We should learn from people of quality that our father or mother might have gained over their lifetime.

Tips to Keep ’Em

Mr. Strain gave us various keys on how to best maintain and keep friendships:

Be kind. “It is possible to take liberties because you’re friends.” Here, Mr. Strain used the analogy of an emotional bank account. When we have positive interactions with friends, there are deposits into the account, but with negative interactions that currency is withdrawn. This imagery can be applied to any relationship in our lives.

Be a good listener. Everyone wants to feel understood and have their thoughts heard. We need to develop the ability to process what has been shared with us and then ask any questions that can make us better understand their thoughts and feelings.

Open up. We must be willing to disclose personal feelings to other people. This shows that we care about them and want them to know more about how we think and feel on various topics and issues. However, this should not be done without thought. As the next point shows, we should prove ourselves trustworthy before opening up.

Show trustworthiness. We have to follow through when we make plans with others, and not go around gossiping about others behind their backs. This applies to friendships and even to businesses and Church congregations; this is an all-around good practice.

Be available. We should put effort in our interactions with those around us, making commitments to spend time, even if it isn’t convenient. Just giving of ourselves will show them we are willing to put work into having them around in our lives. And if we maintain that contact, we will build friendships that last a lifetime.

The Bible Gives the Good Stuff

Mr. Strain proceeded to emphasize that we are to be friendly, as we are directly told in Proverbs 18:24. For example, Christ and His disciples were close, but He still interacted with all the people who came to Him for help. And when the question of the “best friend” arises, we can also take our cues from Him: He had twelve disciples who were all close to Him, and three even closer friends—Peter, John, and James—who stayed with Him in some of the most difficult times of His life. But none were singled out as the only friend of Christ. So why should we do that? 

If we have the mind of Christ and not a mind of competition, we will be helping all those around us overcome and prevail into the Kingdom, in whatever ways we can. And if we know that we will have the opportunity to live eternally with our brothers and sisters in Christ, why don’t we start building those relationships now (John 15:13)?

Value of a Friend

To conclude his presentation, Mr. Strain stated that to have two or three really good friends that last throughout your life is an amazing, unusual thing. He told the students that we should use these principles to build strong, quality friendships now that may even last a lifetime. While many of the principles of building friendships are simply standard practices every Christian should perform, we can get so much value from good friendships that we develop by being friendly and investing our time and attention in other people.

Sabrielle McNair is currently one of the student leaders at Living Education. For the majority of her life, Sabrielle lived in Albany, New York. Having grown up in the church, she has been involved in church programs since she was a young girl. Presently, she works as the women’s Resident Assistant, assists in LivingEd event preparations, works in the finance department, and writes for the website.

Josephus on the Pharisees

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The Jewish historian Josephus commented on the plethora of additional traditions that were added to God’s Law by the Jewish religious leaders. Click below to learn what he had to say, and to take a look at a resource compiling his many writings!

Course Spotlight from Life and Teachings: (Unit 3) The Judean Ministry
Learn More!

Digging Deeper: The Furtherance of the Gospel

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Author: Mr. Kenneth Frank | Faculty in Theology, Living Education

Estimated reading time: 5 min.

Did you know the apostle Paul declared that his unjust trials from the Jewish Sanhedrin in Jerusalem and his subsequent imprisonment in Rome resulted in “the furtherance of the gospel”?

Other people experiencing the same persecutions and slander Paul faced might think that this would hinder the spread of the gospel. Paul understood otherwise. This Digging Deeper explores what he wrote and why he was convinced that God was working mightily through these circumstances, nonetheless.

Our focus verses are: “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear” (Philippians 1:12-14 KJV throughout).

Preaching from prison

Paul wrote this epistle when he was under house arrest in Rome following a series of hearings with the Jewish Sanhedrin and Roman governors, as narrated in the Book of Acts. He wrote to the Philippians, in modern Greece, to thank them for their generosity in supporting him financially after they finally located him incarcerated in Rome. Albert Barnes in his Notes on the Bible explains the context: “He had been falsely accused, and had been constrained to appeal to Caesar, and had been taken to Rome as a prisoner; Acts 25–28. This arrest and imprisonment would seem to have been against his success as a preacher; but he now says that the contrary had been the fact” (e-Sword 13.0.0).

Philippians 1:12 is the first time the word “furtherance” appears in the KJV Bible. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines it as “A helping forward; promotion; advancement” (e-Sword 13.0.0). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words explains the Greek word used here: “In Php 1:12, Php 1:25, KJV, prokope, ‘a striking forward’ (pro, ‘forward,’ kopto, ‘to cut’), is translated ‘furtherance’; ‘progress’ in RV, as in 1Ti 4:15. Originally the word was used of a pioneer cutting his way through brushwood” (e-Sword 13.0.0). Marvin Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament adds: “The metaphor is uncertain, but is supposed to be that of pioneers cutting (κόπτω) a way before (πρό) an army, and so furthering its march” (Ibid.). These hindrances served to clear the way for the march of the church in preaching the gospel. Unexpectedly, Paul’s unjust treatment spread the gospel in areas before unreached.

Positive results

The King James Study Bible explains how Paul’s mistreatment advanced the gospel: “The word rather [v. 12] suggests that the Philippians were anticipating the reception of bad news as a result of Paul’s captivity. He informs them rather to the contrary. In His wisdom and sovereignty God has deliberately designed His servant’s present circumstances, as undesirable as they may be, for the gospel’s benefit. Two positive results of Paul’s imprisonment are given in verses 13, 14: (1) Caesar’s palace learned the gospel from him (v. 13); and (2) many Roman Christians were stirred to preach the gospel during his bondage (v. 14)” (Tecarta Bible App).

Near the end of this epistle, Paul sends greetings from brethren in Caesar’s household (court): “All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Cæsar’s household” (Philippians 4:22). Paul’s preaching, even under house arrest, had spread to members of Caesar’s family or servants and led to their conversion. Paul had been chained to Roman guards on a rotational basis, with whom he likely had shared the gospel. They may have then shared the good news (gospel) with others of Caesar’s family, staff, and soldiers in their barracks when off duty. Word of mouth spread the gospel even while Paul was confined.

The gospel spreads

Philippians 1:13 reports that the gospel had been transmitted “in all other places.” A Popular Commentary on the New Testament, edited by Philip Schaff, tantalizes readers with this geographical prospect: “The expression ‘all other places,’ though seemingly hyperbolic, is not without its interest when we remember that one of the traditions concerning the first publication of the Gospel in Britain ascribes it to Roman soldiers who may have been the hearers of St. Paul in his prison” (e-Sword 13.0.0). This may have been one way the gospel spread as far as Britain even in the first century.

Philippians 1:14 says, “And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” This verse notes that Paul’s imprisonment prompted brethren to step out in faith in their own proclamation of the gospel, as explained by Bob Utley in his You Can Understand The Bible series: “…other Christian preachers in Rome were taking courage from Paul’s attitude and actions to proclaim the gospel while Paul himself was imprisoned” (e-Sword 13.0.0). This is the last time the word confident appears in the King James Version, stressing the boldness of God’s spokesmen in this critical period. Paul’s example of courage and sacrifice motivated them to proclaim the gospel courageously.

God uses our trials for good

Henry Morris’ Defender’s Study Bible provides us with a fitting lesson from this passage: “The Apostle Paul had the spiritual insight to realize that what seemed like great problems and difficulties such as being unjustly imprisoned, could—and would—be used by God to the ‘advancement’ of the gospel. Rather than complaining or even quitting when the Christian life gets hard, the Christian should remember that God can make even ‘the wrath of man’ to bring praise to Him (Psalm 76:10)” (e-Sword 13.0.0).

Kenneth Frank headshot

Kenneth Frank was born and raised in New Jersey, USA, and attended Ambassador College, graduating in 1973. He served in the Canadian ministry from 1973-1999, after which he returned to the USA to pastor churches in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina for 15 years. Having earned a BA degree from Ambassador College he later earned a MA degree from Grand Canyon University before being assigned to the Charlotte office to teach at Living University, now Living Education. Currently, he teaches the Survey of the Bible course to the on-campus students and writes the Digging Deeper column for our online Bible study program. He is married, has four children, and seven grandchildren.

Forum Summary: Traveling Internationally for the Feast

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Author: Kaleb Johnson | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

Estimated Reading Time: 5 min.

Have You Traveled Internationally?

Mr. Wakefield, only a few short days after returning from keeping the Feast in Africa, gave a presentation to the LivingEd students. He began by asking, “How many of you have traveled internationally for the Feast?” Several of the students had; several had not. Mr. Wakefield, on the other hand, certainly has. For the last 21 years, he has gone wherever he was needed, which resulted in observing 20 Feasts at international sites and only one year in the United States. Mr. Wakefield chose to share with us a summary of his previous Feast, in Uganda and Kenya, to encourage us to travel to international sites in the future, and to give some practical tips for traveling. 

The Feast of Tabernacles—in Kenya and Uganda!

How did Mr. Wakefield end up going to Africa? He told us that he simply asked where he was needed, and that was that. He and his wife took the two-day trip to fly to Nairobi, Kenya, and spent the Day of Atonement with the brethren there. From there they traveled to Kendu Bay, Kenya, to begin the Feast with 128 brethren. The Wakefields then departed, with an intrepid and capable driver as a guide, to go to Tororo, Uganda. A vehicle inspection managed to extract a fine, though Mr. Wakefield’s driver informed the government agent that he was in error and reduced the fine considerably by what must have been an extensive knowledge of legislation and emissions. But all of this was nothing, interposed Mr. Wakefield, compared to the joy and warmth that came from seeing the 53 brethren keeping the Feast in Uganda. 

It’s a Whole New World 

As Mr. Wakefield explained, traveling halfway around the world can be difficult, but if you understand a few good principles, it can be more productive and enjoyable. First, jet lag is a thing that exists, especially the further away you travel from home. Mr. Wakefield recounted how he did not really take it seriously as a young man, and found it a rude awakening (quite literally). This trip, he made sure to give himself a few days to adjust to the local timezone. It can be easy to dismiss jet lag, but if you don’t get sleep, then you can’t think straight and can get sick. It really can ruin a whole trip. 

Next, Mr. Wakefield emphasized the importance of knowing the history and culture of the country that you’re visiting, particularly countries with which westerners are not as familiar. He then gave us a rundown of some critical history of Kenya and Uganda, discussing the cultures and summarizing the last few hundred years of political events. 

We should also, Mr. Wakefield informed, be prepared to adjust our expectations of countries. If we are going to a second- or third-world country, we should be prepared to have rooms without air-conditioning, a local currency with aggressive inflation (in Uganda a meal can cost 10,000 shillings, which is only $4), and fewer amenities. Of course, we can survive without such things, but it helps to know this in advance. 

He then added a few more general tips. Take photocopies of all IDs and important documents and have them accessible on your phone or an online cloud service. Taking two credit cards is wise and so is taking lots of cash (especially in second- and third-world countries where the US dollar may be popular). Knowing the local custom for tipping can help avoid some awkward situations. Also, use the colloquial advice: Take half the clothes and twice the money—meaning, it is smart to leave luggage space so you can bring gifts back!

Why Bother?

Looking at all the considerations you have to take in traveling internationally, it can be easy to think: Why bother? Well, Mr. Wakefield told a story to convey the value of going to foreign Feast sites.

It all began when Mr. Wakefield requested to go to the Philippines, so he could see the office there and have a better sense of their operations. Dr. Winnail approved it, but then called a few weeks later: “Have you bought your tickets yet?” They needed Mr. Wakefield in Malaysia for half the feast. Two international sites—not a big deal. 

A few weeks later, Dr. Winnail called again: “You haven’t gotten tickets yet, right? Can you be in New Zealand for Trumpets?” Mr. Wakefield was going to three places on this trip now.

“Have you bought tickets yet?” asked Dr. Winnail again a few days later. At this point, Mr. Wakefield was really wishing he had bought those tickets. They needed a speaker in Brisbane, Australia, for Atonement. Mr. Wakefield had accumulated quite the itinerary.  

Traveling for the fall Holy Day season, Mr. Wakefield went through Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Yet, as he said, in every country, with every group of people, when he walked into Church services, he could tell he was with God’s people. The same spirit was in each place. We are all the same body, the same spirit, and the same family. As Mr. Wakefield quoted from Paul, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). 

Visit Our Spiritual Family

To conclude, Mr. Wakefield highlighted that about 54 percent of the Church is outside of the United States, and that the Work internationally is growing more rapidly, too. He encouraged the LivingEd students to go to an international site—not necessarily a popular one, but one of the small and less amenable sites—to experience the amazing feeling of unity and God’s presence that you feel when visiting those sites. He advised the students to consider serving with their Feast site choice, to choose a place where many visitors don’t go. In doing so, we can visit our spiritual family around the world. 

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.