AN ADVENTURE IN FOLLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT'S LEADING: Research Into the Words in the New Testament Used to Identify and/or Address Those Who Are Saved

AN ADVENTURE IN FOLLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT’S LEADING

AN ADVENTURE IN FOLLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT’S LEADING

Research Into the Words in the New Testament Used to Identify and/or Address Those Who Are Saved

Dr. Elden Daniel

Elden Daniel

Copyright

Copyright © 2023 by Elden Daniel

All right reserved. No part if this book may be reproduced in any manner without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

First Printing, 2023

Contents

Copyright

Preface

1 Introduction

2 Problem Question

3 Method

4 Results and Discussion Part 1

5 Results and Discussion Part 2

6 Results and Discussion Part 3

7 Results and Discussion Part 4

8 Results and Discussion Part 5

9 Results and Discussion Part 5

10 Results and Discussion Part 7

11 Summary and Conclusion

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C

Appendix D

Appendix E

Appendix F

Appendix G

Appendix H

Appendix I

Appendix J

Appendix K

Appendix L

Appendix M

Appendix N

References

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Notes

Preface

Please join me in this adventure in discovery through research.

In this book, I have done something that I have not done in any of my other books. I have formatted the book using the style of a research paper. The reason for making this change comes from my research on the use of specific words in the New Testament. The curiosity had to do with the King James Version of the New Testament and a question I had. This initial curiosity led to more questions that increase my curiosity leading to expanded research.

Let me explain. 

First question: Why does the visible stereotypical church not align with the church as revealed in the New Testament?

I wondered if the language of the King James Version of the Bible played a role in how the visible stereotypical church developed. My hypothesis for research was born.

I Googled the term, church, to see what the Greek word was for church and discovered something I had already heard about but never had explored the implications. This is what I found.

The word Church is neither Hebrew nor Greek. In point of fact, when these languages were translated into English Bibles, the word Church was already in existence. The greek word used in the renewed covenant for Church is Ekklesia which basically means Called Out ones.

I wondered: How would the New Testament read if I would substitute Called Out Ones for the word church?

The logical step to find the answer was to locate all the verses with the word church beginning in Acts after the Lord Jesus' ascension and going through Jude and making the change.

This research generated further curiosity resulting in this question:

Using the King James Version of the New Testament beginning in Acts after the Lord Jesus' ascension and going through Jude, how were those who are saved identified or addressed?

The logical step to find the answer was to locate all the verses using these words beginning in Acts going through Jude and record the verses and tabulate their distribution on tables.

Therefore, the research paper expanded into gathering data, creating tables, reporting data, and analyzing the data.

In the usual research paper format, this research resulted in tables and appendices which present the data.

The book will report the data, provide analysis and discussion on the data, and will even explain what a research paper is and how it is formatted.

Presentation style.

Some authors very effectively insert phrases from Scripture to support their text. Other authors will list references to support their text assuming the diligent listener will pause and look up the references. I have chosen to quote the entire Scripture passage. My reasoning has been based upon the truth that the Holy Spirit indwelling the reader will apply the Word of God in the personal life of the reader in an appropriate manner that only the Holy Spirit knows. Every believer is on a personal individual journey in which the Holy Spirit is renewing their mind and transforming them into the image of Christ. 

The truth that impacts and changes lives is found in the Word of God. It is important to remember when we read Scripture it is the Lord speaking to you and me. The words we read from Scripture are meant to be taken personally.

 My comments may or may not be helpful but the Scriptures will be helpful. Many times, I have grouped several Scriptural passages around a specific topic, this way, the message from the whole of Scripture somehow seems clearer.

My personal experience has been and this may be true for you as well, sometimes, usually during a time of solitude and quiet, the Scriptural concepts, principles or benefits move from my head to my heart. It is not unusual for the move from head to heart to also generate a few tears of thankfulness and blessing.

The Word of God is God speaking to mankind. Think of it, Almighty God the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and everything in it is speaking to you and me. Jesus, God's Son, came to earth as a man and died for the world's sins, was buried, and rose again, is speaking to you and me. The Father and the Son who sent the Holy Spirit to teach and guide believers in Jesus are speaking to you and me. This reality is both humbling and wonderful. It is good to listen to hear and obey.

You may wonder why so many Scriptural references are quoted including at times rather lengthy passages. Although I cite the reference of the passage, if there are multiple verses, I include them continuously without dividing them into individual verses. I believe this supports the continuity of the passage.

Each separate topic is part of a whole. My goal is to separate some content from Scripture, focus on it, and indicate or imply its importance to the whole of Scripture. I also want to provide insight into the application of the Word in the life of the Jesus follower.

When presenting passages, I deliberately left out the numbering of verses. When you read a passage that involves several verses, it will be one continuous passage. That is the way it originally appeared. Noting chapter and verse is a wonderful tool for referencing. We often see numbering in legal documents. However, it is my view that often breaking up a passage with the numbering of verses can be a distraction that hinders grasping the full meaning. Think about it. If you write a letter to a friend, you do not number the sentences or the lines. You want your thoughts to flow together.

1

Introduction

Introduction

I have chosen to create a research paper as a tool for exploring and discussing the nature of the ways Christians were identified and addressed in the New Testament.

What is a research paper format?

In academic and scientific circles there are specific formats and protocols for presenting research that ensures consistency in how the research content is presented. This includes the use of American Psychological Association writing styles.

My background is a factor in the decision to use a research paper format. My academic journey included writing several research papers, including my doctoral dissertation. Besides this, I have taught education research courses many times for three different universities. In these courses, the students had to create a research paper and I had to guide them in meeting the required protocols and formats. It turned out to be a lot of work for the students and the professor. I will be loosely following a research paper format. My first violation of research paper protocols is to indulge in speaking in the first person. Also, I did not adhere to APA formatting.

Since the research paper is essentially an evidence and proof document, the papers often take on a defensive tone and include a lot of detail. Let me explain. The author must write assuming the reader has little or no background knowledge of the content of the paper. Ironically, potential readers usually have some background knowledge of the content and may have considerable background knowledge of the content.

Let us face it, if the reader has little background knowledge of the content, they probably would have little interest in reading the research paper. However, if the reader has background knowledge of the content of the research paper, they may have considerable curiosity and interest in the content of the research paper. But these readers would have a critical and discriminating perspective and would be testing the content of the research paper against their knowledge base on the content. As they are reading, they would be asking questions. What does the author know and how do they know it? Why is the author including some of the content? Is the author making their case? Does the author's evidence make sense? Is the author's conclusion valid? Is what the author presents relevant to the research?

Therefore, the presentation style in the research paper can seem tedious and oversimplifying. There may seem to be a lot of detail and extensive explanation. Be watching for it. This also is an explanation and defense for some of the content I am presenting.

As an example of assuming the reader has little or no background knowledge about research papers, I will go into more detail about the structure of research papers. Typically, research papers are divided into sections.

Introduction. After reading this section a person may decide if this is a subject they want to continue to pursue.

Setting. This section essentially sets the stage for the content that will follow.

The Problem Statement or Question. In this section, the author of the research paper will be stating the problem that the research will solve or the question that the research will answer.

Research and Literature Review. In this section, the researcher would present information from other researchers and relevant literature on the subject. This section will not be included in this research paper because it would not be relevant or appropriate.

Method. In this section, the researcher explains how they conducted their research.

Results and Discussion. In this section, the researcher would present the evidence their research revealed and provide an evaluation of that research.

Summary and Conclusion. In this section, the author reviews the content presented and explains the value of the research.

Appendices. These documents appear at the end of the paper and contain details gathered from the research.

By using this formatting academics and scientists have consistency in how research is presented. As readers look at a research paper, they can decide if the paper is relevant to their interests. Remember research papers can be very long and very detailed. Readers can quickly look at specific sections and decide if they want to pursue further. For example, they might read the introduction and skip to the results and discussion. Based on what they read they may decide to review other sections.

You may choose to do this as you peruse this research paper. I recommend that you do not miss the Summary and Conclusion.

2

Problem Question

Problem Question

Before I start on the question, I will start with some over-explaining. Have you ever experienced a question or idea coming to your mind that starts you off toward a path of asking further questions or having further ideas? Very often this happens to me. It usually leads to asking deeper questions or more clearly defined ideas. Sometimes it clarifies my focus. This is the genesis of the research paper. Please follow along.

I have had the initial thought for years and it presents itself as a question. The question: Why does the visible stereotypical church not align with the church as revealed