community once again looks at the life and activities of our brothers and sisters around the world: there is news on congregational life, reports on divine services conducted by the Chief Apostle, and an article on a doctrinal subject—something for everyone.
Devotional: INTERCESSION FOR THE DEPARTED
On Sunday, 28 May, Chief Apostle Schneider will conduct the Pentecost divine service from the Tafelsig church in South Africa. This is the largest New Apostolic church building worldwide, with a seating capacity of more than 4,000. The Chief Apostle is accompanied by the District Apostles and District Apostle Helpers who are active worldwide.
A concert will also be streamed on Saturday, 27 May.
Church life, doctrinal aspects, and a children’s corner… the latest issue of the community magazine is jam-packed with exciting topics. This edition of the magazine takes its readers to Brazil and South Africa, among other places, and it features the full-text version of the divine service in which the Chief Apostle explained our motto for 2023
The Bible is the foundation of our faith. That is why it is important that we know its content and realise that reading it is a fundamental component of our life of faith. But how do we use the Bible?
The scribes at the time of Jesus saw the Bible primarily as a collection of rules to be followed to please God. Jesus told them what really mattered: the fact that the Bible announces His coming and His work (John 5: 39). Even today the Scriptures are often read in a false light. Some see it as a book that explains heaven and earth and competes with science, forgetting that the texts of the Bible are also influenced by the knowledge of the time they were written in. Others make important decisions in their life on the basis of a Bible passage often taken out of context, but they could just as easily find a Bible passage that would justify doing exactly the opposite. If you put your mind to it, you can justify just about anything with a passage from the Bible.
But the Bible should not be read like a novel or a textbook. What was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit must also be read under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Read in the light of the Holy Spirit, it is a source of comfort, strength, and wisdom, and it leads us to Jesus Christ, to whom it bears witness. An old saying states: “The Bible does not tell us about heaven and earth, it rather tells us how to live on earth to get into heaven.”