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FOCUS April 2021 Vol. 9 (2)

Cover Photo by Canva: ‘Be the Gospel of Christ’, Cover Design by Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas

Contents
1. Be the Gospel of Christ: Editorial by Dr. Abraham Philip, Kottayam, Page 3

2. The Living Gospel: Dr. Cherian Samuel, Virginia, Page 6

3. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God: V. Georgekutty, Karunagapally, Page 10

4. Let us live the Gospel: Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph, Kottayam, Page 13

5. Good From Far, Far from Good: Dr. Rajiv G. Patel, Flower Mound, Texas, Page 14

6. From Glory to Glory: Mrs. Jeny Joy, Sinai Mar Thoma Church, North London, Page 15

7. Reflection for a Transformed Self and Society: Divya Athyal Mathew, Boston, Page 16

8. Living the Gospel and not Living on the Gospel: Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas, Page 18

9. Christmas – Confession of Faith and Reverence: Revd Shibu Kurian, Bangalore, Page 20

10. What Does it Mean to be the Gospel of Christ? Dr. Zac Varghese, London, Page 22

11. Missionary Disciples: Revd Dr. Joel Edwards CBE, Page 25

12. Denominations and Abominations: Chotebhai, Page 26

13. Why did the Good News of Jesus fail in the North and West? The Revd Dr. John T. Mathew, Page 29

14. Rainbow of Remembrances: Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph, Kottayam - Book Review by Revd Dr. Joseph Daniel,
Kottayam, Page 32

15. Mr. T. T. Verghese - One of the Endearing Pioneers of the Mar Thoma Community in the UK and Europe:
Dr. Zac Varghese, London, Page 33

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 at structured and well-defined religious concepts, but
EDITORIAL proclaims Jesus Christ in the new environment that
emerges as time changes. It emphasizes the great
commission to make disciples of all people. It
‘Be the Gospel of Christ’ emphasizes discipleship rather than bringing people to
the structures of certain Christian “denominations”. It
‘We have entered into a new phase of life globally after aims at even the transformation of many structures.
living with COVID-19 for over a year. This has enhanced
the use of online materials more than ever before. The In the contemporary pluralistic society, mission should be
use of various platforms like Google Meet, Zoom, WebEx carried out with respect to people of other faiths. The
and YouTube have increased tremendously. But we need structure of society and nations tend to increase the
to use them cautiously and appropriately. FOCUS difference between the haves and the have-nots and a
Movement and its online journal has been operating large number of people are being marginalized into
usefully for almost two decades and has a wide hardships and poverty. The political parties in their
readership. I hope that it will continue to be useful and attempt to increase their vote-banks create enmity among
well-read by many. I have great pleasure in writing the various religious people, castes, races, communities,
editorial for this issue and I thank all members of the peoples and even states and nations. Under such
editorial board. circumstances the mission of the church should be
carefully done in solidarity with the vast majority of the
The theme for this issue is: ‘Be the Gospel of Christ’. suffering people in any society and country. During His
Paul writes, “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the earthly ministry, Jesus Christ identified with the poor and
dead, descended from David. This is my gospel” (2 the marginalized in society. This mind of Christ should
Timothy 2:8). Living this gospel or sharing this gospel is reflect in our day to day lives if we want to be the gospel
our becoming the gospel of Christ. In other words, we call of Christ. If the church takes sides with the poor or opts
it as the mission which Jesus has entrusted the church. for the down-trodden and the reprobates of the society,
By becoming the gospel of Christ in history we have seen then there will be a transformation in the very identity of
the blossoming of humanity. It is through the blossoming the church.
of justice, equality and integrity, which lead us to the
kingdom of God. During the last two millenniums this At the same time, the church has to cater to the needs of
gospel has been preached in all continents and in almost the members of the church. Church should be able to
all parts of the world. Lots of people have been led to a create an atmosphere of prayer and commitment in the
new vision of life through Jesus Christ. Therefore, mission family scenario of the church members in this post
is the breathing of the church – the secret on which the COVID-19 age. The gospel should continue to burn in the
church continues on earth. Just like fire exists by burning, hearts of Christian believers. Then only church members
church exists through mission, which is nothing but the will be enabled to be and transformed to be the gospel of
church members being the gospel of Christ. Christ. When Christian believers and churches alienate
from one another, can we be the gospel of Christ? When
But when the churches became well-organized we see the number of divorces among us increasing, can
structures, mission became evangelization, which we be the gospel of Christ? When we neglect family
focused only on religious conversions for adding relationships and give importance to other sorts of
membership in the respective churches. Moreover, some relationships, can we be the gospel of Christ? In this
of the Christian churches seem to be only interested in digital age, when we forget our responsibility to our
increasing their membership. Mission as evangelization brothers and sisters in our own vicinity, can we be the
should be focusing on our living as the gospel of Christ. It gospel of Christ? When a lot of people among us become
is not a mere human act. It is the work of God. It is not addicted to drugs and alcohol and other social evils, can
mere propagation of the values of Christianity, but it is we be the gospel of Christ? The solution for all these
translating Jesus Christ into the socio-cultural space things will have to emerge from our own local and family
today. In other words, it is the re-incarnation of Jesus environment. Family should become Christ-centred and
Christ in the annals of history. It is the exploration of new children are to be brought up in the fear of the Lord. They
relationships and new Lordship in Jesus Christ. It is the should be nurtured in such a way that they learn to love
re-establishment of the lost dignity of humanity. It is the one another and also to love and care for the people
celebration of the messianic age inaugurated in and around them who suffer in various ways. We need a
through Jesus Christ and a call to be transformed into generation who can have the mind of Christ and the love
values of the kingdom of God. Evangelization thus marks that Christ has revealed to us – self-giving, self-sacrificing
a new discourse. It challenges us to enter into new and self-emptying love supremely manifested on the
depths of our faith, hope and love. It is the expression of cross.
our unfathomable love towards Jesus Christ. It is not
religion-centred, but it is Christ-centred. It does not aim

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As we have already noted, the theme for this issue is ‘Be God as revealed in the teachings of Jesus Christ during
the gospel of Christ’. As we go through this issue of the his earthly ministry. The author being a New Testament
magazine, we have several thought-provoking scholarly scholar could quote profusely from the New Testament
articles by eminent persons. Let me provide a bird’s eye drawing our attention to bear fruit so that we become
view of a few of them. One has to remember that these Christ’s disciples (John 15:8), we should not be
articles have been written by different people in different conformed to the world, but be transformed by the
continents with different backgrounds. But all of them try renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2), reject every kind of
to bring out the theme from various vantage points. evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22), train ourselves to be godly (1
Timothy 4:7) etc. The author has also tried to expound as
Dr. Cherian Samuel, a new contributor to this journal has to what it means to be living in conformity with the world
entitled his article as “The Living Gospel”. He is an and to be living with the renewal of the mind challenging
economist of distinction and just retired after 25 years of us to transcend the boundaries created by geography,
a distinguished career with the World Bank Group. We gender, race, caste etc. He concludes saying that
wish him a happy retirement and welcome him to the whatever we do to the least of our brothers or sisters here
FOCUS family. At the outset he deals with the origin of on earth we actually do them for Christ (Matthew 25:40).
the word “gospel” and explores its meaning. The good
news is that we can be saved of our sins. Sin points to Dr. Zac Varghese in his article expounds as to what it
our proclivity to live independently of God. Thus, it marks means to be the gospel of Christ. The importance of the
human rebellion against God and alienation from God. Jesus Christ dwelling in us and thereby our becoming the
The author emphasizes the New Testament teaching that gospel of Christ is lucidly brought out. Just as the vine
everyone who believes in Jesus will be saved. A holy God and the branches relationship, the Christian believers are
requires us also to be holy. God being just cannot tolerate to have a close clinging personal relationship with Christ
sin. But as He is merciful, through Jesus Christ He has in order to become the gospel of Christ. Paul’s Damascus
established a new covenant with the whole humanity. The Road experience whereby he gets the concept of “in
incarnation, life and ministry, death and resurrection of Christ” experience is well brought out. Church or the
Jesus Christ provide us the good news of salvation. The believers in Jesus Christ form part of the body of Jesus
author deals with the various Pauline synonyms for Christ. Church is Church only when the Spirit of Jesus
human salvation such as redemption, reconciliation, Christ indwells and controls and guides the Church.
justification and sanctification. He reminds us of Jesus’ Believers should be perennially seeking the guidance
proclamation of the gospel during his public ministry as from our Lord Jesus Christ and take the necessary steps
well as Jesus’ commissioning his disciples for the needed for becoming the gospel of Christ. Thereby the
proclamation of the gospel to all people. He also draws “in Christ” experience becomes shared and witnessed
our attention to be the doers of the word. Regular and and the believers blossom to be the gospel of Christ.
systematic study of the Bible, its meditation as well as our
communion with God in prayer are given as the pre- Attorney Lal Varghese has entitled his article as: Living for
requisites for our renewal of our minds and the Gospel and not Living on the Gospel. He draws our
transformation of our lives to be the gospel of Christ in attention to the Sermon of the Mount in Matthew 5-7 and
our daily life. particularly to 7:21-27 where our Lord wants us not to be
mere preachers of the gospel and calling Jesus “Lord,
Revd Dr. Joel Edwards CBE in his article entitled Lord”, but doers of the gospel or in other words
“Missionary Disciples” draws our attention to Jesus’ practitioners of the gospel. The phrases “living out the
mandate to us to make disciples of all ethnic people by gospel” and “being the gospel” find emphasis in the
ourselves becoming the gospel of Christ. He draws our article. Besides, he points out the Pauline ideas of
attention to the black man saying, “I can’t breathe” being adaptability and self-discipline needed for Christian
butchered by a white man in police uniform, and the believers as expressed by St Paul’s first epistle to the
world getting intoxicated with the cry of justice. He rightly Corinthians in chapter 9. He denounces the prosperity
points out the problem about making disciples across the gospel as proclaimed by some today and wants Christian
kaleidoscope of cultural distinctiveness without some believers to live the gospel of Christ. The texts from the
people dominating other people and running the risk of epistle of James (1:22; 2:17) are also brought out to
new forms of colonial or cultural control. Missionaries highlight the argument that we should be doers of the
have always been inclined to spread their own Christian gospel. Mercy, love and compassion should abound in
brands while spreading the good news about Jesus. So, the lives of Christian believers in order for them to be the
the author of this article wants us to be people who know living gospel.
Jesus and learn from him to be his gospel as well as
missionary disciples. Chottebhai in his article entitled “Denominations are
Abominations” calls for unity and co-operation among
Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph through his article exhorts us to be churches and points out that division is an abomination.
in the society witnessing the values of the kingdom of The author proposes that instead of the word

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“denominations”, the term “sister churches” be used to our walk, our eyes and other expressions were our
speak about other churches. The Christians today should preaching today. And it is no use, son, to go anywhere
be comfortable with the plurality of the churches rather and preach, unless we preach everywhere as we
than insisting on singularity or superiority of one’s own walk.” Do our lives become the gospel in our everyday
particular church. Chhottebhai, a member of the Roman living? The challenge for us is to be the gospel of Christ
Catholic Church, draws our attention to Jesus’ prayer for every moment in our lives.
unity: “that all of them may be one …so that the world
may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21). In order Revd Dr. Abraham Philip, Kottayam
for us to be the gospel of Christ, Christians should be For the Editorial Board
united and the churches should not be competing with
one another. The author wants us to prayerfully and http://www.issuu.com/diasporafocus
http://www.scribd.com/diasporafocus
humbly listen to what the Spirit is saying to churches
Web Site: www.facebook.com/groups/mtfocus
(Revelation 3:22), for denominations are an abomination E-Mail: [email protected]
for the disciples of Christ.
Published by Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas for and on behalf of
Revd Shibu Kurian in his article on the prologue of the Diaspora FOCUS
Fourth Gospel exhorts us to have reverence for life. The
incarnation challenges us for it. It calls us to engage in Disclaimer: Diaspora FOCUS is a non-profit organization
history promoting life, trying to destroy the culture of registered in United States, originally formed in late Nineties in
death in and around us. Above all, the author points out London for the Diaspora Marthomites. Now it is an independent
that the incarnated God is dwelling among us for the lay-movement of the Diaspora laity of the Syrian Christians; and
reverence of life. He draws our attention towards the as such FOCUS is not an official publication of any
marginalized that seems to have been denied any right to denominations. It is an ecumenical journal to focus attention
more sharply on issues to help churches and other faith
live in this world. In some countries like India, the poor
communities to examine their own commitment to loving their
farmers struggle for their right in their agriculture produce. neighbors and God, justice, and peace. Opinions expressed in
Religious fundamentalism is seen as a threat to harmony any article or statements are of the individuals and are not to be
and life in society. The politicization of religion has deemed as an endorsement of the view expressed therein by
become a danger of the hour. Society is stratified and Diaspora FOCUS. Thanks.
scorns life. In such a scenario how can a Christian be the
gospel of Christ? A Christian should become the aroma An Easter Hope
of Christ for the reverence of life. Human dignity has to be
upheld. Protection and promotion of life and harmony The 2021 April Issue of the FOCUS will be reaching you
with nature be strengthened. during the Passion Week. This year’s Passion Week is in
the midst of various difficulties and constraints of the
Let me conclude this write-up by giving an instance from COVID-19 Pandemic, as we experienced in the last year.
the life of St Francis of Assisi. I remember passing The death associated with the pandemic is over two and
through the town of Assisi a few decades back during an a half million worldwide. This loss of life has cut to the
evening in summer as I was travelling by train from Paris heart of humanity; we also have so many other issues to
to Rome. In that small town of Assisi there once lived a face such as the lockdowns, shielding, travel bans,
saintly man named Francis. He became a member of a unemployment, school and university closures, mental
monastery and lived an ascetic life. The noble life he lived disorders and son on and on. Let us find comfort and
was well-appreciated by all the people in that monastery. hope in the Passion Week liturgies and worship services.
Others looked at him with respect and he was well During this period, we have been able to see countless
recognized by all the members of that monastic acts of random kindness from health care workers and
community. Many inmates there already knew that one many others, the growth of true solidarity, and
day Francis would be canonized and proclaimed a saint determined service for the neediest, a deep appreciation
by the Roman Catholic Church. One day Francis invited a of the importance of family ties, social cohesion and so
young monk in the monastery to go with him to town and on. This we must nurture in the radiance of the radical
preach. The young man was very much delighted that this power of the Holy Spirit. Let us thank God for the green
great soul chose him to accompany him. Both walked blades of hope through vaccination and other measures.
through the various ways in that town for quite some time We need to grasp the meaning of the cross of Jesus
and also through most of the important places and Christ through every crisis in our lives, particularly during
junctions. Through another way as they were returning to the Easter. Jesus told his disciples: “In this world you
the main entrance of the monastery, the young monk will have trouble. But Take heart! I have overcome the
became very sad and told Francis, “Father, though we world” (Jn 16: 33). We wish all our readers hope, peace
went to town to preach, you have forgotten to preach”. and joy in Christ Jesus.
Then Francis replied, “Son, we have been preaching all
the time. Our look and attitude to others revealed through The Editorial Board
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The Living Gospel
Dr. Cherian Samuel, Virgina

Introduction: The term “Gospel” comes from the old freedom to obey Him as well as make choices on
English word, “god-spell”—meaning “good story”— their own. The only rule that God gave Adam and Eve
derived from the Latin “evangelium” and the Greek was not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of
“euangelion” words, meaning “good news” or “good good and evil. In spite of knowing there was a penalty
telling.” In addition, the four New Testament (NT) for disobedience (Genesis 2:17), they ignored God’s
accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ by warning and ate from the forbidden tree. Through this
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are referred to as act of rebellion against God, Sin entered their hearts,
“Gospels”, given the articulation and elaboration of separating them from God (Isaiah 59:2), leading to
the “good news” rendered through them. This essay “The Fall”, and a life independent from God.
elaborates the “why” behind the good news, as well Attributes of God: In turn, the Sin problem is
as explores the “Living” aspect of the “Gospel”. The inextricably linked to the attributes of God,
essay draws on other books of the Bible, beyond the particularly Holiness. A Holy God requires perfection
four “Gospels”. from us, as God commanded the children of Israel
The Good News: The “good news” of the Bible is (Leviticus 19:2b), and as Jesus taught (Matthew 5:48).
that we can be saved from our sins—our proclivity to A Holy God cannot tolerate Sin, which therefore
live independently of God—which separate us from a requires punishment, since God is Just (Exodus 34:7,
Holy God, by trusting in Jesus as our LORD and Ezekiel 18:4). However, God is merciful (1 John 4:8)
Savior, as recorded in the Gospel according to John and therefore doesn't want to punish us. God’s
(John 3:16-17). John the Baptist, the forerunner to solution to the Sin problem was the shedding of
Christ, affirmed this about Jesus during his blood through the sacrificial system of the Old
discussion with his disciples and the Jews (John 3: Testament (OT), based on a covenant between God
36). The essence of the Gospel is also outlined in and Abraham first, followed by the covenant between
Peter’s epistle to the first-century diaspora Christians God and the nation of Israel. However, with the death
in the Roman empire, where the Apostle states that of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins and Jesus’s
salvation was obtained through the precious blood of victory over death through resurrection, God has
Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect (1 Peter established a new covenant with the whole humanity,
1:18-19). beyond Abraham and the Israel. As Apostle Paul
Apostle Paul outlines the salvation principle and wrote in the epistle to Ephesians, we are saved by
process in several of his epistles to the NT churches. grace through faith unto good works (Ephesians 2:8-
In particular, the epistle to Romans presents the 10).
“Roman Road to Salvation” consisting of the God in Human Flesh: An integral element of the
following principles: (i) All have sinned, “For all have Gospel is Christmas, which signifies the coming of
sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans God in human flesh, as Jesus the Christ, to fulfill
3:23); (ii) Sin leads to Eternal Death, a life separated God’s redemption plan for humanity, as Paul notes in
from God, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans the epistle to Colossians (Col. 1:19-20). Because God
6:23a); (iii) God has given us the gift of Eternal Life the Son was born as a baby, lived as a man, died on
through Jesus Christ, “but the gift of God is eternal the cross for our sins, was resurrected, and ascended
life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b); (iv) back to the Father in heaven, we have the hope of
Christ died for sinners because of God’s love, “But eternal life. As Jesus taught the disciples, “Very truly I
God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him
we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8); who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged
(v) We must call upon the LORD to be saved from our but has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).
sins, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Resurrection: Believing in the resurrection of Jesus
will be saved” (Romans 10:13); and (vi) We must Christ is an integral element of the salvation message,
confess and believe in Jesus and His resurrection, “If as Apostle Paul wrote in the epistle to Romans
you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and (Romans 10:9). The resurrection proves that Jesus is
believe in your heart that God raised him from the indeed the Son of God, who satisfied God the Father
dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). with his own death on the cross as the sacrifice for
The Sin Problem: When God created Adam and Eve, sin, but overcame death through resurrection.
they enjoyed perfect fellowship and harmony with Christ’s resurrection was indeed the focal point of the
God. God created Adam and Eve with the ability and gospel proclaimed by the disciples and the

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foundation for Christianity. As eyewitnesses to the 353, i.e., within five years of Christ’s death and
risen Christ (1 Corinthians 15: 3-8), the disciples were possibly within only two or three years. Scholars have
certain about the resurrection, ultimately laying down also concluded that the belief in Jesus as crucified
their own lives as martyrs all over the world, for Messiah and risen Lord was central to the united
proclaiming the gospel. Likewise, Apostle Paul made apostolic proclamation of the disciples. Following the
the resurrection the central aspect of his own Gospel credal formula, Paul also lists other resurrection
preaching as he traveled around the Roman world. A appearances, including Peter, James, and himself (1
powerful illustration of Paul’s approach is in his Corinthians 15:6-8). Scholars believe that Paul’s
epistle to Corinthians, “And if Christ has not been specific references to Peter, James, and himself as
raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. witnesses to the risen Christ stem from the fact they
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is met in Jerusalem to discuss faith-related matters,
futile; you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15: 14, staying together for fifteen days, three years after
17) Paul’s Damascus road experience (Galatians 1:18-
Christianity is anchored in the resurrection, with 19). The purpose of Paul’s visit to Jerusalem was to
Jesus as the only risen, Living Savior. Christianity is clarify the content of the Gospel they were preaching,
also unique among religions in its depiction of God since the Galatians had been embracing “a different
seeking out humanity to save them, in sharp contrast gospel” because some had been “distorting the
to humanity’s search for God in other religions. gospel” (Galatians 1:6-7). During his Jerusalem visit,
Christian historians have noted that if one were to Paul probably got to know the authoritative oral
take a chronological view of the NT books of the creed, with its list of witnesses from Peter and James,
Bible, Paul’s epistles to the various early churches if he had not already learned it from Christians in
around the Mediterranean bases predate the Gospels Damascus. Therefore, Paul’s reference in 1
of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Paul’s epistles Corinthians 15 to the risen Christ appearing to both
also provide compelling eyewitness testimonies to Peter and James must be based on Paul’s face-to-
the resurrection from early Christian believers who face discussions with Peter and Paul.
had seen the risen Christ personally. Paul Barnett1, a Blood of Christ: As Apostle Peter wrote in his epistle
pre-eminent scholar on Early Christianity, has shown to the first century persecuted Christians in the
from historical research that after the Romans Roman empire, we have been redeemed by the
crucified Jesus of Nazareth circa AD 33, His followers precious blood of Christ shed on the cross (1 Peter
met weekly to worship Jesus as Lord, reaffirming 1:18-19). When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden
Apostle Thomas’s proclamation of the risen Christ as of Eden, the LORD made garments of skin to clothe
his Lord and God (John 20:28). In his epistles to the them (Genesis 3:21). Through this, God demonstrated
Ephesians and Corinthians, Apostle Paul exhorts that the death of an animal and the shedding of its
Christians to sing and make melody in their hearts “to blood was the cost of atoning for sin. Further, the
the Lord” (Ephesians 5.19, 1 Corinthians 14.26). LORD taught the children of Israel that the life of the
Apostle Paul also records the “Maranatha” prayer, flesh is in the blood, and instructed them to offer
which mean, ‘Lord, come back’ in the epistle to the blood on the altar as atonement for sins (Leviticus
Corinthians (1 Corinthians 16.22), which is also found 17:11).
in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 22.20). The Old Testament sacrificial system pointed to the
Therefore, the evidence suggests that the early final sacrifice, the Lamb of God, Jesus the Christ,
Christians worshipped Jesus as Lord and prayed to who shed his blood on the cross for the forgiveness
him, pleading with Him to return. of sins, past, present, and future, once for all. Jesus
Based on the research of Early Christianity scholars, communicated this clearly to His disciples at the Last
Peter May2 has concluded that Apostle Paul’s credal Supper, which forms the foundation for the
statement in the epistle to Corinthians (1 Corinthians celebration of the Lord’s Supper in the Church (Mark
15:3-5) regarding the death, burial, resurrection, and 14:22-25, Luke 22:18-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-25).
the appearing of Jesus was passed on to Paul by AD As elaborated by Charles Stanley4, there are four
aspects related to the blood of Christ in God’s
salvation plan: (i) Redemption, the act of purchasing
1 back. We were redeemed with the precious blood of
https://www.bethinking.org/jesus/messiah-jesus-
Jesus Christ, the unblemished, spotless Lamb of God
the-evidence-of-history. Also, Paul Barnett, “The
Birth of Christianity: The First Twenty Years”,
Eerdmans, 2005. 3 C.H. Dodd, “The Founder of Christianity”, Fontana,
2 https://www.bethinking.org/did-jesus-rise-from-the- 1971.
dead/the-resurrection-of-jesus-and-the-witness-of- 4 https://www.intouch.org/watch/the-message-of-the-

paul) blood-of-jesus
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(John 1: 29b, 1 Peter 1:18-19). We were sold into inclusive, encompassing nature of the “good news”,
bondage to sin because of the fall of Adam and Eve, with Jesus as the savior for All humanity.
but bought back by Christ with His blood; (ii) At the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus gave the
Reconciliation, the act of bringing back together Great Commission mandate to His disciples and
alienated people. God the Father has reconciled us future Christian believers, to make disciples and
through Christ’s death on the cross, presenting us share the Good News (Matthew 28: 16-20, Mark
before Him holy, blameless, beyond reproach 16:14–18, Luke 24:44–49, Acts 1:4–8, John 20:19–
(Colossians 1:22). While Sin separates us from God, 23). As discussed earlier, Jesus Himself
when we trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are demonstrated the universal nature of the Gospel
reconciled with God the Father; (iii) Justification, the message with his outreach to the Samaritans early in
act of declaring one no longer guilty. Justification is His ministry. In response to the Great Commission
accomplished by God through the blood of Christ, clarion call, Jesus disciples travelled to all parts of the
applied to those who trust in Him. As Apostle Paul world to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples.
wrote in the epistle to Romans, Christ died for us Apostle Thomas, for instance, came to the Malabar
while we were still sinners, and therefore justified us Coast of India in AD 52, according to Church
by His blood (Romans 5:8-9).; and (iv) Sanctification, tradition, and established a Christian community—
the act of setting one apart for God. While we are called Syrian Christians/St. Thomas Christians—that
sanctified when we trust in Christ for salvation, the has flourished in the Indian state of Kerala for nearly
sanctification process is lifelong, as we are 2000 years. Jesus also linked the preaching of the
transformed into the likeness of Jesus. As the writer Gospel to His Second coming during the Olivet
of Hebrews says, Jesus suffered for us and made us discourse, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be
holy through His own blood (Hebrews 13:12). preached in the whole world as a testimony to all
Likewise, John notes in his epistle that the blood of nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
Jesus purifies us from all sin (1 John 1:7b). John also
emphasizes the continuing process of cleansing that It was Apostle Paul, more than the twelve disciples,
accompanies sanctification, “If we confess our sins, that God used to proclaim the Gospel and establish
he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and churches that laid the foundation for Christianity in
purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). the Roman Empire during the post-Jesus period.
Apostle Paul also authored thirteen epistles in the
New Testament—with some epistles preceding the
Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—that
establish important linkages between the OT and NT
books of the Bible. The transformation from Saul of
Tarsus—a zealous persecutor of Christians—to
Apostle Paul—a passionate follower of Christ—has
been foundational and compelling (Acts 9: 1-22).
Having experienced first-hand the power of the
Gospel to transform his own life, Apostle Paul wanted
others as well to be rescued from slavery to sin and
Proclaiming the Good News: Proclaiming the Good
experience God’s grace.
News was at the heart of Jesus’s public ministry. In
John’s Gospel for instance, the turning of water-into- Living Gospel: The Living Gospel is the Gospel that
wine miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee is is living and real, with the power to transform lives,
immediately followed by Jesus’s extensive discussion applicable and true, more broadly to the entire Word
with Nicodemus—a ruler of the Jews (John 3:1) and of God, the Bible. As the writer of Hebrews states,
the teacher of Israel (John 3:10)—on being born-again “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than
(John 3:3-21). The next chapter (John 4: 4-43) any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to
describes Jesus traveling through Samaria, meeting dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges
the woman at the well at Sychar who became a the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews
believer, leading to many Samaritans—a group of 4:12). Further, the Word of God endures forever, as
people despised by Jews—placing their trust in Jesus recorded by Prophet Isaiah, the Word of God endures
as the Christ (John 4: 39-42). It is also noteworthy forever (Isaiah 40:7-8). Prophet Isaiah also paints a
that it was to the Samaritan woman that Jesus beautiful picture of the Word of God, in terms of its
proclaimed himself as the Christ for the very first power to accomplish God’s purposes in the lives of
time, according to John’s Gospel (John 4: 25-26). His people, “As the rain and the snow come down
Based on Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus (John 3) from heaven, and do not return to it without watering
and His outreach to the Samaritans (John 4), the the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it
Gospel according to John enunciates well the yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so

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is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not faults (v.12); and a guard against willful sins and great
return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire transgressions (v.13). The Psalm ends with David’s
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah great petition, “May these words of my mouth and
55:10-11). this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight,
The Word of God is a mirror as well, as elucidated by Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).
Apostle James, who exhorts us to be doers of the Psalm 119 offers the most extensive meditation on
Word, rather than be more hearers (James 1:22-25). the Word of God, being the longest Psalm, and the
In his epistle to the Colossians, Apostle Paul instructs longest chapter in the Bible. Psalm 119 is made up of
believers to be filled with the Word of God, “Let the 176 verses, divided into 22 stanzas, one for each of
message of Christ dwell among you richly as you the 22 characters that make up the Hebrew alphabet
teach and admonish one another with all wisdom (alphabetic acrostic). Among the important blessings
through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, outlined in Psalm 119 from meditating on and walking
singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” by the Word of God are: (i) acts as a bulwark against
(Colossians 3:16). sin (v.11); (ii) provides comfort in suffering (v.50); (iii)
Communing with God regularly, through the Bible teaches the goodness of God in all things (v.68); (iv)
study and Prayer, are regarded as the fundamental reveals the value of the Word as more precious than
prerequisites for a victorious Christian life. Many silver and gold (v.72); (v) demonstrates the
biblical teachers refer to the Word of God as the faithfulness of God through generations (v.90); (vi)
Handbook for Life. Among the many approaches for provides insight and understanding (v.99-100); (vii)
biblical Study; the biblical teacher, David Jeremiah, serves as a guide, a lamp to the feet and a light to the
has provided some useful principles5, that has also path (v.105); (viii) creates understanding and
been deployed in the Jeremiah Study Bible (2004). discernment (v.130, v.133); (ix) giving delight in the
The three suggested principles are: (i) Observation, midst of trouble and distress (v.143); (x) learning that
What the Bible says—In this section, the Study the God has established His Word forever (v.152);
focuses on understanding what the Bible says in its and (xi) provides great peace (v.165).
original context. The purpose is to comprehend what Biblical scholars also point to the first Chapter of the
the authors were communicating to their audiences in Book of Joshua as providing a definitive treatise on
their settings; (ii) Interpretation, What the Bible the blessings of meditating on the Word of God. As
means—In this section, the Study focuses on Joshua takes over from Moses as the leader of the
interpreting the Bible. Since Bible is a self-interpreting children of Israel during their journey to the Promised
book, one passage is interpreted by other relevant Land, the Lord God strengthens Joshua in the first
passages and each verse is understood in its context; nine verses of the first chapter of the Book of Joshua,
(iii) Application, What the Bible means for us—In this culminating with the promise that the Lord God will
section, the Study focuses on application, i.e., what be with him always, everywhere (Joshua 1:9). The
the Bible means for us personally. As noted earlier blessings of the biblical mediation are outlined in
from Apostle James, the Word of God is a mirror verses seven and eight as, “you will be prosperous
(James 1:22), reflecting our inner thoughts, shining a and successful” (Joshua 1:8b). In these two verses
light into the labyrinths of our lives. Therefore, a (Joshua 1:7-8), God commands us to obey the Word
regular and systematic study of the Word of God, of God fully, and meditate on the Word continually. If
under the auspices of the Holy Spirit, can help us we are obedient doers of the Word, the LORD
learn what the Bible says, what it means, and what it promises that we will be successful and prosperous
means for us. In other words, biblical Study has the in what we do.
potential and power to change our lives as Christians, Conclusion: The Living Gospel is the good news that
and make us more like Jesus in our daily walk with we can be saved from our sins by trusting in Jesus as
Him. our Lord and Savior. We commune with the Lord
The Book of Psalms provides rich, sweet meditations Almighty through Prayer and the Word of God, which
on the Word of God. In Psalm 19 for instance, in has the power to renew our minds and transform our
verse seven through fourteen, King David renders a lives. For His glory. And our mercy.
comprehensive testimony of the Word of God. That * Dr. Cherian Samuel is an
the Word of God is: perfect (v.7a); trustworthy (v.7b); economist, who after
right (v.8a); radiant (v.8b); firm and righteous (v.9b); having had a
more precious than gold (v.10a); sweeter than honey distinguished career with
(v.10b); a warning mechanism (v.11a); a rewarder the World Bank Group
(v.11b); a gauge for discerning errors and hidden retired in February 2021.
He is a member of
5 https://davidjeremiah.blog/how-to-study-the-bible/
Immanuel Mar Thoma Church, Virginia (USA).

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The Gospel of the Kingdom of God
V. Georgekutty, Karunagappally

"The Kingdom of God is not a matter of getting individuals to heaven,

but of transforming the life on earth into the harmony of heaven."
(Walter Rauschenbusch)

The word gospel means ‘good news’ or ‘glad tidings’. woman (Matthew 15:21-28) and the Roman Centurion
What was the ‘good news’ Jesus had preached? Somof (Matthew 8:1-13; Luke 7:1-10). Jesus seems to have
the answers this question might evoke would be, ‘the agreed to provide succour in these cases entirely
gospel of love’, ‘the gospel of grace’, ‘the gospel of because of their great personal faith in him.
redemption’, ‘the gospel of salvation’ etc. Also, the
gospel is often described as the ‘Gospel of Christ’ and People mostly assume that the disciples ministered to
the ‘Gospel of God’. These are all valid answers in the Gentiles as well as Jews in the light of the so-called
light of the ministry of Jesus. Nevertheless, the Gospel “Great Commission”, (“Therefore go and make disciples
according to Mark, apparently, provides the most fitting of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
answer. Mark says, “After John was put in prison, Jesus and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19)).
went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. But biblical evidence suggests that the disciples of Jesus
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has continued to address only the Jews. They recognized the
come near. Repent and believe the good news!”” (Mark Jewish priority in the scheme of God’s kingdom
1:14-15). So, what Jesus had preached was essentially proclaimed by the Old Testament prophets. Their
the ‘Gospel of the Kingdom of God’. understanding was that the Gentiles were to be blessed
through Israel since God had promised Abraham, "In your
We can find matching definitions in other gospels too. seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because
For instance, Matthew says, “Jesus went throughout you have obeyed my voice" (Genesis 22:18).
Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the
good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease All through his earthly ministry, Jesus had ministered
and sickness among the people”, (Matthew 4:23). This is under the Law of Moses (Matthew 5:17-18). He
not to say that the other definitions of the gospel are constantly referred to the Mosaic Law as the foundation
invalid. For instance, Apostle Paul says, "Now I make of His ministry. Gentiles had nothing to do with the
known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to Mosaic Law. Consequently, non-Jews had no share in
you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by the Kingdom of God. God gave His Law to the Jews, not
which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I Gentiles (Ephesians 2.11-13). Thus, orthodox Christianity
preached to you, unless you believed in vain", (1 in the beginning was an exclusive faith of the Jews, by
Corinthians 15:1-2). Paul here points to the gospel ‘by the Jews and for the Jews.
which you are saved’ or ‘the gospel of salvation’. Paul
makes this explicit in his Epistle to the Ephesians: “And in But the situation changed substantially with the entry of
Him you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, Apostle Paul. The commission of Paul was as “the
having heard and believed the word of truth, the gospel apostle of the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13). He became the
of your salvation” (Ephesians 1:13). Paul also describes “Jewish agent” to bless the Gentiles. He typified a born-
the gospel as the ‘gospel of peace’ (Ephesians 6:15) and again Israel. This was why he referred to himself as one
the ‘Gospel of the Grace of God’ (Romans 20:24). “untimely born” (1 Corinthians 15.8). Paul was born
under the Mosaic Law. He was a Pharisee, who knew
Some scholars argue that Jesus and Paul were not the Law well and enforced it rigorously and even
preaching the same idea of Gospel. While Jesus ruthlessly (Philippians 3:5-6). But after his conversion,
preached the gospel of the ‘Kingdom of God’, Paul Paul taught that those who believed his gospel were not
preached the ‘Gospel of the Grace of God’. Paul writes under the Law of Moses. He taught that believers were
to the Romans, “… I tell you that Christ has become a under the administration of grace rather than under the
servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, so that the bondage of the Mosaic Law. His view was that the Law
promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed” had no claim upon the believers due to their identification
(Romans 15:8). The indication here is that Jesus had with Christ in his crucifixion and resurrection. Paul
come as the Messiah of Israel, to fulfil the promises given apparently believed that only by becoming dead to the
to Jewish Patriarchs. Jesus himself admitted that his Law could one live in Christ.
ministry was focused exclusively on Jews (Matthew 10:5-
7). The two exceptions we find in the Gospels are those The reality of the situation seems to be that God had a
of Jesus acceding to the pleas of the Canaanite program for Israel that He revealed to the prophets of the
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Hebrew Scripture. And God had a new program for the administered by Roman ‘governor’ Pontius Pilate. The
Church, the body of Christ, which He revealed to Apostle Jews were groaning under the heavy burden of taxes
Paul. Jesus and the Twelve ministered to Jews under imposed by the Romans. The Jewish tax collectors,
the Mosaic Law and preached the gospel of the kingdom working for the Roman regime, were fleecing their
of God to fulfil the Old Testament prophesies of Israel’s compatriots. Even the Jewish priestly party, the
earthly kingdom with the Messiah as its Monarch Sadducees, were in cohorts with the alien exploiters.
(Romans 15:8). The Gospel of the Grace of God
apparently argues that Christians are members of the The Jews who had been suffering under the Roman yoke
body of Christ with Christ as its Head. The arguments were looking forward to a Messiah, who would redeem
over the gospels preached by Jesus and Paul them from alien subjugation and establish a sovereign
notwithstanding, the ultimate goal of gospel remains the Jewish monarchy. So, the Jews assumed that the Gospel
Kingdom of God. of the Kingdom of God preached by Jesus had fitted with
the Messianic expectations of the Jews. They envisioned
Since all the Gospels were authored by Jews, there is the ‘Kingdom of God’ as a political program to challenge
nothing surprising that the Gospels maintain a bias the authority of the Roman hegemony over the Jewish
towards the Jews in suggesting that the Jews alone were nation. The subjugation and victimization that the
the rightful heirs to the Kingdom of God to be established Israelites suffered under the Romans were incompatible
by the Messiah. This was a serious cause of dispute in with the tenets of the Kingdom of God. No wonder, the
the early days of Christianity. When the Jesus movement Jews had construed the concept of the Kingdom as a call
commenced in the first century, Gentiles had to convert to fight the political system that was subverting the ideals
to Judaism first, in order to be admitted into the Christian of the ‘Kingdom of God’. But when Jesus made it clear
fold. This involved the circumcision of male Gentile that the kingdom he preached was not of this world, the
converts. Even after conversion, orthodox Jews kept Jews were confused. And when they realized that the
themselves away from community meals in which Gentile Kingdom of God was not necessarily an exclusive domain
converts were present. of the Israelites, the Jews were offended.

Paul saw that the situation was turning out to be a The idea of the ‘Kingdom of God’ also had a religious
roadblock to the conversion of Gentiles to Christianity. angle. The Gospels reveal that Jesus had tried to clarify
While, Peter stuck to the orthodox view, Paul strongly the idea of the Kingdom of God through several parables.
opposed it. This led to the first major ideological clash in Prominent among these was the ‘Parable of the Mustard
the early Church. This was resolved in the Jerusalem Seed’. This parable, as appearing in the Gospel of
Council - a conference of the Christian Apostles, led by Matthew, says, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of
St. Peter the Apostle and St. James, “the Lord’s brother”, mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field;
in Jerusalem in about 50 CE. This council decreed that which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is
Gentile converts to Christianity did not have to observe grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree,
the Mosaic Law of the Jews (Acts 15:2–35). so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its
branches" (Matthew 13:31–32). This Parable also appears
While the terms, ‘Kingdom of God’ and ‘Kingdom of in Mark (4:30–32), and Luke (13:18–19).
Heaven’ are used over a hundred times in the Bible, the
predominant term is the Kingdom of God. Both terms The plant Jesus mentions in the parable is generally
apparently convey the same meaning. Now, what exactly believed to be Black Mustard, although it grows only to a
is the ‘Kingdom of God’ that was apparently the ultimate height of less than three meters. But once sown, it is
object of the Gospel preached by Jesus? The term extremely difficult to get rid of the plant since the fallen
‘Kingdom of God’ holds within it grace, faith, redemption, seeds germinate forthwith. Jews did not grow this plant in
justification, glorification etc. It is the grand plan of God their gardens. So, Matthew says that the seed was sown
for the human race. It is the ultimate goal that God had in the field. (Incidentally, the version of the parable in
set for man. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God is the Luke says that the seed was planted in the garden. Luke
action plan to help humans realize this grandest purpose was probably writing for the audience outside the Levant.)
of life. The nature of the Mustard plant could be interpreted in
both positive and negative ways. One view could be that
The idea of the ‘Kingdom of God’ involved both politics the kingdom of God spreads overcoming all efforts of the
and religion. In the early part of the first century when forces inimical to it. However, some commentators have
Jesus was preaching in Galilee and Judea, it was identified a "subversive and scandalous" element to this
impossible to separate these two dimensions of the parable, in that the fast-growing nature of the mustard
Kingdom of God. The ‘Promised Land’ of Israel was plant makes it a "malignant weed" with "dangerous
under Roman occupation. The province of Judea in takeover properties".
which the Holy Jerusalem Temple was located was

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The straightforward meaning of this parable could be that drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the
the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’, (the ‘Kingdom of God’), has a Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17 NLT).
small beginning like a mustard seed. But it grows to
become a giant tree. The same theme is shared in the The call given by Jesus was, “The kingdom of God has come
Parable of the Leaven (yeast) that immediately follows this near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15). He
parable in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Matthew had invited everyone to search for the Kingdom of God and
says, “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman live according to its ways of life. Jesus said, “Truly, I say to
took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a
worked all through the dough” (Matthew 13:33). Both child shall not enter it” (Mark 10:15). G K Chesterton (1874-
parables convey the idea of a quick growth of huge 1936), English writer says, “What we are to have inside is a
proportions from small beginnings. However, the Parable of childlike spirit … The most childlike thing about a child is his
the Mustard Seed could be interpreted to give several other, curiosity and his appetite and his power of wonder at the
much deeper and even controversial, meanings. world…” (What I Saw in America). It is also the child’s
innocence, pure faith and the purity of heart.
In his description of the tree in the parable, Jesus was
probably echoing the words of King Nebuchadnezzar, in the Receiving the Kingdom of God like a child means to be freed
Book of Daniel. The king tells Daniel, “These are the visions I from the bondage of our old sinful nature through
saw while lying in bed: I looked, and there before me stood a repentance. The things we once loved pass away – self-love,
tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. The self-righteousness, self-promotion, and self-justification. The
tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was things we once loved, we now detest. We “put off the old
visible to the ends of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its man with his deeds” (Colossians 3:9), and put on the “new
fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild self, created to be like God in true righteousness and
animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches; holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). We start to see the world
from it every creature was fed.” (Daniel 4:10-12 NIV). differently. Our purposes, feelings, desires, and
understandings change. We feel a new love for all and a
Some commentators suggest that the giant tree sprouting new compassion for enemies. So, Paul writes, “Therefore, if
out of the tiny seed might represent the nation of Israel. The anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone,
birds living in the branches of the tree might be non-Jews the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is repentance
finding their refuge in mighty Israel. The birds might also be that makes people become a new creation (‘born again’) as a
sinners and tax collectors with whom Jesus had associated guileless baby.
during his ministry. Thus, it might be interpreted that the
Kingdom of God, while representing the nation of Israel, Jesus said, “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for,
would also be a refuge for the sinners within the Jewish faith behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21 KJV).
and the gentiles who repose faith in the Kingdom. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God equips those who accept
and follow its guidance to live in the Kingdom of God in this
The Christian faith is founded on the idea that sin of Adam life in “…the peace of God, which passeth all understanding”
and Eve had separated humans from God. The Bible says, (Philippians 4:7). And the spirit of the Kingdom of God grows
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your and spreads quickly covering everyone around and
sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear”, eventually the whole world. The kingdom of God is the
(Isaiah 59:2). Revenge, war, atrocities, famine, plague, experience of unity with God. It is a spiritual realm of “…love,
ignorance and superstitions enslaved the world. The sinful joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
world kept drifting away from the divine. Thus, the world gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22).
that was once the kingdom of God, the paradise, became
hell, the realm of the Devil. And Jesus, the Son of God came Carl Frederick Buechner, American writer, novelist, poet,
to bridge the huge chasm between God and man. His essayist, preacher, and theologian says, “If we only had eyes
Gospel is the means by which man can re-establish the to see and ears to hear and wits to understand, we would
Kingdom of God. know that the Kingdom of God in the sense of holiness,
goodness, beauty is as close as breathing and is crying out
Now, where do we look for the Kingdom of God? Are we to be born both within ourselves and within the world; we
going to be transported to the Kingdom of God after we die? would know that the Kingdom of God is what we all of us
It is, perhaps, silly to believe that people have to die to hunger for above all other things even when we don't know
receive the Kingdom of God. It also seems unlikely that its name or realize that it's what we're starving to death for.
people are destined to live in ‘hell’ in this world and hope for The Kingdom of God is where our best dreams come from
the Kingdom of Heaven only in the afterlife. The Gospel and our truest prayers… The Kingdom of God is where we
preached by Jesus was primarily aimed at equipping the belong. It is home, and whether we realize it or not, I think
living with the tools to help them enter the Kingdom of God. we are all of us homesick for it” (The Clown in the Belfry
The Kingdom of God is the transformation of our lives in this (1992).
world into the life of God and the transformation of our
actions in this world into the actions of God. So, Paul writes,
“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or

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Let us Live the Gospel
Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph, Kottayam
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
The April issue of the FOCUS is on the theme, “Be the renewal of your mind…” as the ethical note to the
Gospel of Christ”. This is indeed the call of the Spirit in theological affirmation of St. Paul in Romans 1-8. The
each age for the sake of the Kingdom of God in our Greek proposition, oun (therefore) is significant in the
midst. The vertical and the horizontal dimension of overall theological affirmation of God’s act of grace in
Christian faith is summed up in this value statement. The Jesus Christ. Living in conformity with God’s will is to be
Sermon on the Mount which Jesus preached is an realized on earth as a faith response and doing God’s will
enactment of the Kingdom of God as we read in St. on earth makes one different. In Is.1:17, the Word of God
Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that is quite affirmative. “… Learn to do good; seek justice,
they may see your good works and give glory to your correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the
Father who is in heaven.” In 2Cor. 2:15-16, St. Paul widow” and thereby manifest the meaning of courage as
speaks of the vertical and horizontal dimensions of faith in a Christina virtue. Dare to be like a Daniel is a phrase that
a figurative way: “For we are the aroma (fragrance) of would sum up the meaning of Christian witness. Let The
Christ to God among those who are being saved and oft-quoted words of Thomas A Kempis are worth
among those who are perishing…” In Christian recalling: “We are transformed by love and transformed in
understanding of faith, theology and ethics are two sides proposition to the purity of our love for God and for other
of the same coin. people.”

The Post– COVID-19 Pandemic Landscape of Faith (the 1. Living in conformity to the world
New Normal) creates a thrust on us to live with more of i) Uncritical acceptance of the immediate
the ethical dimensions of faith for the glory of God in the
given situation. Walk the talk should be a reality in In 1 Thess. 5:21-22 St. Paul asks us to test everything;
concrete human situations. The call to transform the living hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil”.
rooms into sanctuaries is one of the signs of the times. In the Market culture, having is placed over being and
The creation of Zoom platforms is a new technological humans are very often judged by their appearance
gift of God for authentic communication across the globe. whereas “the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam.16:7). We
This has brought to our mind that humans are not like the forget to do the will of another rather than of our own. We
sands of the sea shore, but like branches on a tree. Yes, choose very often to have more rather than less.
the physical /social distance does not keep the hearts
away from the other person. Kindness is the language How do we hold the flag of diversity and simplicity in life?
which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. The There are 7 deadly sins in the Bible. They are pride (being
search for the other irrespective of caste and creed is pleased and satisfied with oneself), anger (the feeling that
taking place around us as an expression of secular makes people to quarrel or fight), envy (feeling of
spirituality for which the gospel stands for. This is what resentment at another’s better fortune), impurity (state of
we read in St. John 15:8: “By this my Father is glorified, being impure), gluttony (habit of eating too much),
that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my slothfulness (laziness- Sloth-a American mammal which
disciples.” The disciplining of the nations should happen lives in the branches of trees and moves very slowly) and
as a mission mandate (cf. St. Matt. 28:19). The Pauline avarice (greed for money and possessions). In recent
affirmation in Eph.2:10 adds luster to the theme under times, environmental sins such as air pollution, water
investigation: The verse 10: “For we are the workmanship pollution, sound pollution, light pollution etc. have been
(Poiema) created in Christ Jesus for good works…” has added to the list as they have social resonance. Someone
been rendered into various English translations. The has listed the deadly sins of today such as false formality,
Greek word, poiema, could be translated as “handiwork”, fibbing, procrastination, plagiarizing, keeping with the
“work of art” “or even “poems” etc., which simply means Joneses, double standards, giving secretly and
that “to live as the gospel of Christ” is a divine imperative broadcasting publically!
laid upon us and that it is God himself who has made us
what we are and given us new lives from Jesus Christ”. A Christian maturity should be understood as the
discipleship of transformation is the resultant state in the connectivity in God’s one world through a vision rooted in
mission mandate including the whole of creation. In the the law of love. The task before us is to entertain a vision
eco- book, The Green God of the Bible, Dr. Mathew beyond the barriers of caste, creed and religion in a
Koshy gives us several tapestry of ecological values for a borderless world of today. We should also list the
sustainable living on this planet earth. following values which bind people as members of God’s
larger family on earth. They are: i) A deep caring for all
In Rom.12: 1-2: we read “I appeal to you, therefore, … to forms of life. ii) A responsible attitude to the planet earth.
present your bodies as a living sacrifice… Do not be iii) Adherence to values such as non-violence,
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compassion, justice, love, humility, generosity, sharing, like Mary, fight like David, build like Noah, love like Jesus,
integrity, honesty and contentment. These are the visible and above all follow the mission strategy of Paul: “All
expressions of the fruits of the Spirit. things to all people” (1Cor. 9:22). In Christian life style, we
need to “strive always to do what is good for each other
ii) Moving with the currents of the times and for everyone else”(1 Thess.5:15).

All the three temptations of Jesus are indeed warnings for Conclusion:
us to lead a life worthy of praise (Lk.4:1-13; Matt.4:1-11)
These are: (i)Stones to become loaves of bread (ii)- Living by the gospel in our own life is a call from above to
jumping from the pinnacle of the temple and (iii) falling take up the cross daily. A true disciple is asked to
down and worshiping the devil. The whole body is remember and repeat the prayer of Jabez recorded in 1
involved in the sinning against God’s will. The message is Chron. 4:10: “And Jabez called on the God of Israel
this: Do not try to match your life with all the fashions of saying and God granted him what he requested” (NKJV).
this world, and conformity to the world is the sign of
spiritual decay. Jesus has warned us to resist them. “OH, that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
2. Living with the renewal of mind that your hand would be with me,
and that you would keep me from evil,
The Greek verb: anakaineo means “having newness in that I may not cause pain!”
character and nature”. To get trained in godliness-(I
Tim.4:7b-8) is the divine calling of a Christian. Boldness in God opens His arms wide open to extend love to
Christian life implies stripping off the old self and everyone in a borderless world. May we do the same in
transcending the boundaries created by geography, His power for His glory.
gender, race, caste etc. This happens through the
enlargement of love, enrichment of love and employment
of love. In offering life as a sacrifice to God, we fulfill
Good From Far, Far from Good
mission in Christ’s way. The value system of the followers
Dr. Rajiv G. Patel, Flower Mound, Texas
of Jesus varies in accordance with their perception of
Jesus. Those who followed him for the sake of miracles to
get their needs satisfied (St. John 6:2, 26) and others who Living in the age of an invisible threat,
expected of him to be their political leader to achieve Going away with just one breath.
political goals (Lk.19:37-38) have had a low profile of
spiritual values in their discipleship. A life pleasing to God Affected by an entity which doesn’t discriminate,
will be a commitment to seek in doing good to one No guns, no swords can eliminate
another and to all. It has been well stated in the following
way in the daily pursuits of life: In home-kindness; in Coming together, by staying apart
business-honesty and integrity; in society-accountability; Are we sheltering in and doing our part?
in work- thoroughness and excellence; in play-fairness
and co-operation; in life-thankfulness and gratitude. This Time to keep the faith,
is well stated in the message of John the Baptist in Lk.3:8: Stronger soon, be patient and wait.
“Bearing fruits worthy of repentance.” The words of Pope
Francis are worth recalling when we sum up the divine Listen to nature’s reboot.
challenge. To quote: “Rivers do not drink their own water; Resistance is futile, your efforts moot.
trees do not eat their own fruit; the Sun does not shine on
itself and flowers do not spread their fragrance for Appreciate the unsung heroes,
themselves.” Living for others is the rule of Nature. We Look around, find them in multiples of zeroes.
are born to help each other. No matter how difficult it
is…Life is good when you are happy; but much better Wake up, spare time to smell the roses;
when others are happy because of you. One’s care for Life offers plenty in small doses.
others is the visible manifestation of his/her spirituality at
work as we read in St. Matt. 25:40. The Bible characters Live life like there’s no tomorrow;
give us the portraits of their character to lead a life worthy Have no regrets or sorrow.
of their calling. Someone has rightly qualified and given
us a brief sketch of them to imitate in the pilgrimage of Hope is not just an illusion,
our life. Let me narrate them: Pray like Nehemiah, obey Getting there without any delusion.
like Daniel, lead like Moses, serve like Thomas, believe

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From Glory to Glory
Mrs. Jeny Joy, Sinai Mar Thoma Church, North London

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a and see His agape love for you, His forgiveness, His
mirror the glory of the Lord, are being abundant grace and His gift of righteousness purchased
for you with His own blood, you will be transformed
transformed into the same image from glory to supernaturally. Holiness is a by-product of seeing Jesus
glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 in His grace.
Corinthians 3:18, NKJV).
When you see Jesus and receive His love and grace
If you go to any good bookstore, you will find a section every day, your heart is transformed inwardly. This is real
called “self-improvement”. Here, you’ll find all kinds of change that is sustained by a heart touched by His grace
books describing various principles and methods you can and by an emancipated conscience that is forever freed
follow to improve yourself. In all these books, the focus is from guilt. This is when that fear begins to dissolve in His
on you using your will power and self-discipline to apply perfect love, and that condemnation arising from past
the principles to improve yourself. mistakes is cleansed by His precious blood. This is when
that addiction begins to drop from your life.
But God does not want you focusing on yourself. That’s
self-occupation, which can only take you so far, with Good things happen to you when you look to Jesus and
results that last only as long as your willpower lasts. God behold His glory. The woman who had a bleeding
has a higher way. He wants you to be Christ-occupied. condition for 12 years received her healing when she
looked to Jesus. Even blind Bartimaeus received his sight
Look at what happened to a fisherman called Peter, who when he ‘looked’ to Jesus by crying out to Him.
was one of Jesus’ disciples, in Mathew 14:22-33. The
greatest miracle that Peter experienced happened one What does it mean to “behold Jesus” today?
night when he stepped out of his boat in the middle of the
storm at Jesus’ word. That night, the winds were My friend, the way you behold Jesus’ glory today is to
boisterous, but as long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, see Him in the scriptures. He is there in the stories, in the
he did the impossible- he walked on water! When you prophecies, in the parables, in the laws, in the rituals and
keep your focus on Jesus, you are transformed into His even in the temple design. When you find Him, the
image from glory to glory. You are transformed by scriptures come alive. When you see Him, you see His
beholding, not by working. When you see that Jesus is glory. When you read the Bible, see His beauty, His
above the storms of your life, you will effortlessly rise majesty, His compassion and His grace. The living Word,
above those storms. No amount of self-effort could have Jesus, is unveiled in the written word, the Bible. As you
helped Peter walk on water. Now, observe what keep beholding and meditating on His glory, the Holy
happened the moment Peter turned his eyes away from spirit inside you goes to work in you. He will transform
Jesus, and started to look at the wind and the waves you into the very same image of Christ. You will be
around him. In that instance, Peter became natural and changed from glory to glory, experiencing true and lasting
he began to sink. Now, let’s imagine that there was no inward transformation!
storm, no howling winds, and no crashing waves that
night. Let’s imagine that it was a perfectly calm evening Mrs. Jeny Joy is bron
and the Sea of Galilee was as still as a mirror without a and borught up in
single ripple on its surface. Could Peter have walked on Bahrain. She has a
water then? Of course not! Walking on water is not Bachelor’s degree in
something anyone can do whether or not the water is physiotherapy. She
calm. The wind and waves made no difference to Peter’s and her family now live
ability to walk on the water. The best thing Peter could in London; she is a
have done was to keep his eyes on Jesus and not look at member of the Sinai
the distractions. In the same way, instead of looking at
MTC church, where
how insurmountable your circumstances and challenges
she is the head teacher
are, turn away from them and keep your eyes on Jesus. It
is the most powerful thing you can do, and Jesus will of the Sunday school
cause you to reign over every storm in your life! and the South Zone
Sunday school
Many think they must do more to be holy, accepted and Coordinator. She is very active in all aspects of the parish
loved by God. The truth is, when you behold Jesus more life, including preaching.

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Reflections for a Transformed Self and Society
Ms. Divya Athyal Mathew, Boston

When asked to reflect on her journey through the everlasting joy of Christ, as evidenced in numerous
tumultuous year of 2020, Natalie Manuel Lee, host of parables in the Gospel of Luke. Luke’s Sermon on the
“Now with Natalie” on the Hillsong Channel says with a Plain is parallel to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount,
heavy breath, “This has been the most challenging year suggesting that the topic of inequity, disparity and
of my life. I don’t understand how people have survived systemic oppression was a topic preached numerous
2020 without faith, because I’m barely surviving with times during Jesus’ ministry. Interestingly, he includes
faith.” Many people across the globe empathize with women in the narrative of Jesus’ ministry in a way the
this sentiment, as for almost all of 2020, the world has other Gospel writer fail to do.
been filled with hardship, pain, suffering, loneliness and
overwhelming discomfort. Many of us have experienced Luke 6:20-26 says, ‘And he lifted up his eyes on his
a season of confronting; confronting our beliefs that disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for
aren’t comfortable relating to racial justice and yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are
discrimination. One of the most painful moments of hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you
2020 was witnessing the senseless murders of Breonna who weep now, for you shall laugh. “Blessed are you
Taylor, Ahmad Arbury and George Floyd, which when people hate you and when they exclude you and
captured our nation’s attention, specifically putting a revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of
lens on how society and the justice system treats Black the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for
Americans. It is more apparent than ever that our behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their
country is wrestling with our nation’s troubling and fathers did to the prophets. “But woe to you who are
painful history, and the social and economic inequities rich, for you have received your consolation. “Woe to
heavily ingrained in our society. you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to
you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
Unfortunately, racial statistic reports exemplify that “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so
many people in the United States live in very different their fathers did to the false prophets.”
worlds. In 2018, the average Black worker earned just
62% of what the average white worker made (Gal). Jesus discusses two contrasting populations. In the
Minority women die three times more often giving birth former section of the text, He speaks of the poor,
than their white counterparts. Minority poverty rates hungry, grieving, hated, and marginalized people who
more than double white poverty rates. People of color are on the lower end of society. Their unfortunate
consist of a slim minority, however they condition is not based on their wickedness or
disproportionately account for 60% of those indulgence; however, it is derived from the systems and
imprisoned. The war on drugs has taken a heavy toll in structures of their society that disproportionately benefit
communities of color and they are more likely to receive one group over the other. However, in Jesus’ Kingdom,
higher offenses (Kerby). Tragically, people of color are they will be embraced with open arms and can
incarcerated, policed and reprimanded at a significantly experience overwhelming joy, happiness, and
higher rate than their white counterparts. contentment. Jesus is not saying all marginalized
communities are going to inherit the Kingdom because
What are we to do with all this despair and of their situation, however He is saying there is a grace
disappointment? What is the Christian response to for those who are poor and desire following and living
discrimination and injustice? Is there reason to be for Jesus (Grace Chapel).
hopeful in the midst of all the injustices in our society
today? In the latter portion of the text, He speaks of the second
group of people- the rich, the well fed, proud, people
The Gospel of Luke is a fitting place to look for answers who are well educated, and those who experience the
because out of all the four Gospel writers, Luke was the abundance of this world. Although the text does not
only Gentile. Because of this, many scholars speculate explicitly state this, we can infer that some of these
that Luke was addressing a wider audience to help people may be enjoying these blessings at the expense
them understand that Jesus is the Savior for all of other people. In contrast to the poor, these are the
humanity. Throughout Luke’s Gospel, he masterfully callous rich. In our world today, many of us are driven
demonstrates how Jesus provides hope and comfort to by education, wealth, prestige and affection of others.
those who are persecuted and who are marginalized. Although one should pursue this in moderation, we
Within the pain of one’s current condition, the Book must reflect on if we are allowing Christ to be the giver
of Luke conveys that they can experience the

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of wisdom and lead us, so we can pursue this out of joy loving, intentional and Christ-honoring place of healing
and exist for Christ. (Grace Chapel) within the community of believers. Let us place our
hope in Christ to do far more than what we can see and
Jesus is addressing people in power, more specifically, imagine.
people who experience privilege. People who
experience material abundance, approval from society, We are called to be proactive and do everything in our
leisure and safety. Evidently, He is talking about people power to expunge sin from the institutions of our
a lot like many of us. We forget at many times that we society. As Christians, we recognize the justice God
have more in common with the callus rich, than the demands from us and recognize that the Gospel of
pious poor. Here, Jesus is reminding and warning us Christ can produce discernment and a renewed heart.
that although the system may be benefiting you, it may Our Christian commitment to Christ calls us to speak
not be working well for everyone. We are all entrusted to out on the justices surrounding us. Racial disparities
take action and be mindful of the inequities surrounding have deprived people of color in every sector of society,
us, because Jesus actively championed for the calling for radical reform in our criminal justice system.
marginalized and lowly. Furthermore, Christ is At this juncture, I am reminded of the great minister and
interested in the holistic rejuvenation that He offers, civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., who states,
spiritually and materially, thereby transforming us to His “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
likeness. Eliminating socioeconomic and racial inequities in our
current system must be at the core of a renewed,
As Christians, it is imperative for us to have a biblical recalibrated, and Christ-like society. Willard poignantly
understanding of sin, thereby highlighting the origin of captures our pursuit in this world by saying, “The most
systemic racism and discrimination. By being born of important thing in your life is not what you do; it’s who
Adam’s line, we entered this life as sinners. When we you become. That’s what you will take into eternity”
sin, we often engage in corporate sin. Structural sin (Willard).
affirms the corporate reality of human sin and the truth
that sin invades every aspect of human life and society Sources:
(Mohler). Sin infiltrates every system set in place
because of our sinful human condition. Therefore, our 1. Gal, Shayanne, et al. “26 Simple Charts to Show Friends
and Family Who Aren't Convinced Racism Is Still a Problem in
policies, laws, institutions, systems are tainted and
America.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 8 July 2020,
corrupted by sin. The American philosopher, Dallas web.archive.org/web/20210223183924/www.businessinsider.
Willard, says: “We live from our heart. The part of us com/us-systemic-racism-in-charts-graphs-data-2020-6.
that drives and organizes our life is not the physical. 2. Kerby, Sophia. “The Top 10 Most Startling Facts About
This remains true even if we deny it. You have a spirit People of Color and Criminal Justice in the United States.”
within you and it has been formed. It has taken on a Center for American Progress, 29 May 2015,
specific character. I have a spirit and it has been 3.www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2012/03/13/1
formed. This is true of everyone. The human spirit is an 1351/the-top-10-most-startling-facts-about-people-of-color-
inescapable, fundamental aspect of every human being; and-criminal-justice-in-the-united-states/.
4. Grace Chapel. “Hope in the Face of Injustice: an Honest,
and it takes on whichever character it has from
Open Conversation.” YouTube, commentary by Bryan
experiences and the choices that we have lived through
Wilkerson and Jua Robinson, 24 Jan 2021,
or made in our past” (Willard). Although the Bible https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgS4NLE-cWQ
discusses the depth of our depravity, there is also 5. Mohler, R. Albert, et al. “Systemic Racism, God's Grace,
reason for hope and redemption. The Good News of the and the Human Heart: What the Bible Teaches About
Gospel proclaims that God has won over evil and has Structural Sin.” Public Discourse, 15 July 2020,
accomplished the salvation of sinners. www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2020/06/65536/.
6. Willard, Dallas. Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the
Honest conversations surrounding racial inequities are Character of Christ. Colorado Springs, Colo: NavPress, 2002.
long overdue, however recently, people have Print.
vehemently spoken out on social media and
communities have taken to streets to protest. Many of Editor’s Note: Divya Athyal
us get defensive and uncomfortable when we confront Mathew is a member of
our own beliefs, however it is important for us to step Carmel Mar Thoma Church
into our discomfort to deconstruct our implicit biases, in Boston. She has a degree
notions about race, and educate ourselves on the steps in Public Health and Political
we can take to advocate against racial injustice. Science from the University
Systemic change is imperative for cultivating a more of Massachusetts Amherst.
equitable world for all and prayerfully participating in She will be attending Law
educated conversations is the first step towards making School in the Fall of 2021.
a meaningful impact. Conversations produce a more

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Living for the Gospel and not Living on the Gospel
Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas

The entire Bible centers on a single, surprisingly simple theme: financial support. His point is for believers to pursue godliness,
God loves you so much that He made a way to be forgiven for and the good of others, with that kind of commitment. This is
every sin, so you can spend eternity with Him. That’s the called a gospel-centered life for faithful believers, living the
essence of the gospel, and the central subject of the Scriptures. gospel and not living on the gospel.
The written Word of God is intended to help us understand this
“good news.” By studying the Bible, we learn that each person What is living on the gospel and instead living for the gospel?
needs to be saved (Romans 3:23), each person can be saved Prosperity theologians preach and practice that those who
(Romans 1:16), and God wants each person to be saved (2 preach the gospel have the right to be paid from the tithes and
Peter 3:9). offerings. They amaze millions of dollars at the expense of the
faithful believers. This is happening in many denominations
What separates us from God is sin. No matter how good we including in India also. The leaders amaze wealth and spend for
think we are every person is guilty of sin (1 John 1:10). Since luxurious items like cars, bungalow and luxurious living styles,
God is absolutely perfect, no one deserves to spend eternity in but they forget the less fortunate on the street in front of his
heaven. Instead, we deserve to be separated from Him forever mansion. Gospel is for emptying ourselves and not for amazing
(Romans 5:16). No amount of effort, no good deeds, no money, what we lack. Gospel is to give and not to take. Gospel is to live
no talent, no achievements are enough to take away this guilt and not to live on.
(Isaiah 64:6). Fortunately, God doesn’t want us to be separated
from Him, so He made a way to fix what’s broken (John 3:16- Living for the gospel differentiates a faithful believer from that of
17). one living on the gospel. Gospel is the Word of God and it
should be practiced and preached. The faithful should tread the
That one and only way is through faith in Jesus Christ (John less traveled roads and visit less frequented Samaritan wells
14:6). God Himself came to earth, as a human, living a perfect with the gospel. The one who lives for the gospel, like Paul
and sinless life (Hebrews 4:15). He willingly died as a sacrifice to willingly give up their ''rights'' for the good of those who are
pay the debt for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). According to the weak in their faith. But the one who lives on the gospel,
Scriptures, anyone can be “saved”—forgiven by God and prospers from it at the expense of the faithful believers and at
guaranteed heaven—through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans the same have a blind eye to the needy and the poor at his
10:13). This isn’t a call for blind, ignorant belief (Acts 17:11; 1 door.
John 4:1). It’s an invitation from the Holy Spirit to submission
and trust (James 4:7). It’s a choice to let go of everything else in The process of bringing people into the family of God is the
order to rely entirely on God. The only way a person can find work of all three persons of the Trinity—the Father, the Son, and
salvation is by accepting Jesus Christ as their savior. the Holy Spirit. Luke 6:17–49 echoes the Sermon on the Mount
(Matthew 5–7), but it’s actually a separate discourse Jesus gave
The term “living the gospel” has become a popular one in the “on a level place” (Luke 6:17). Luke 6:46–49 mirrors Matthew
past few years, being used by people such as Tim Keller, J.D. 7:21–27, and—similar to that passage—it contains a dire
Greear, David Platt, and many others. Many variations on the warning: “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what
term exist: “living out the gospel,” “living in light of the gospel,” I say?” (Luke 6:46). The Matthew passage is even stronger: “Not
“being the gospel,” and so on. While most people probably hear everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of
the terms and skip right past them without a second thought, heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Christ’s message is clear: If we profess
there are others who have repeatedly and loudly declared to love Him, we’ll listen to and follow His commands. A quick
opposition to all such uses of these terms. (Is “Living the overview of His commands is found in Luke 6:27–36: love those
Gospel” an Acceptable Term? How does Scripture itself use the who hate you; be merciful; do not judge; forgive lavishly; give
word “Gospel”, Joel S. | Thursday, October 11, 2012) generously. The one who does these things is building a
foundation on rock (v. 48).
“The gospel is the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ; it is
the declaration of how God has made it possible for men to Pope Francis recently said while talking about the spiritual
obtain the forgiveness of their sins and the assurance of eternal sickness affected the American society: “We believe that the
life. The gospel is also a new and higher standard of conduct for Gospel of Jesus Christ is a "Gospel of life." It invites all persons
Christians that we are commanded to live up to.” (Christian and societies to a new life lived abundantly in respect for human
Citizenship: Living Out the Gospel, Robert L. (Bob) Deffinbaugh, dignity. We believe that this Gospel is not only a complement to
formerly Pastor at Community Bible Chapel, Richardson, Texas) American political principles, but also the cure for the spiritual
sickness now infecting our society. As Scripture says, no house
First Corinthians 9:1–18 describes Paul's case for why he, as an can stand divided against itself (Lk 11:17). We cannot
Apostle of Jesus Christ, has the right to ask for financial support simultaneously commit ourselves to human rights and progress
from the people he serves, including the Corinthian Christians. while eliminating or marginalizing the weakest among us. Nor
Though he could demand, Paul refuses to insist on his right. He can we practice the Gospel of life only as a private piety.
doesn't want anything to get in the way of someone hearing the “American Catholics must live it vigorously and publicly, as a
gospel. He understands that he must preach the gospel and he matter of national leadership and witness, or we will not live it at
has no choice. But Paul wants to be able to boast about offering all” (Pope John Paul II, Ad Limina Remarks to the Bishops of
the gospel free of charge even though he has the right to ask for

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Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas (June 27, 1998); 28 Origins, p. As people made in God’s image and called to follow His
282 (October 1, 1998). example (Genesis 1:27; Ephesians 5:1–2), this is profound.
Achievement is good, titles have their place, but what really
Scripture calls us to "be doers of the word and not hearers only matters is how compassionate, gracious, and loving we’re
. . . [for] faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (Jas 1:22, becoming. This idea of being compassionate, gracious and
2:17). Jesus Himself directs us to "Go therefore and make loving is being repeated again by Jesus Christ as mentioned in
disciples of all nations . . . teaching them to observe all that I the gospels. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to
have commanded you . . ." (Mt 28:19-20). Life in Christ is a life eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a
of active witness. It demands moral leadership. Each and stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you
every person baptized in the truth of the Christina faith is a clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison
member of the "people of life" sent by God to evangelize the and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him,
world. ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and
give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger
and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did
we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will
reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of
these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Mathew 25:
35-40)

God wants our lives to overflow with mercy, love, and

compassion — the marks of His kingdom. As followers of Jesus,
we have a choice: respond to unsettling realities in fear and
withdraw, or follow Him in responding to the greatest needs of
our day with love and hope. We know salvation doesn’t depend
on works, but we also know that caring for those in need is
evidence of a faith that changes lives. We should be doers of
Let us be careful shepherds watching over Christ's flock. Let us what God has instructed us. Pope Francis said: “Gospel calls us
preach the whole of God's plan to the powerful and the humble, to feed all the hungry, clothe all the naked and visit all the sick
to rich and to poor, to men of every rank and age, as far as God and oppressed. In fact, doing that is living the Gospel.
gives us the strength, in season and out of season, as St.
Gregory writes in his book of Pastoral Instruction (Boniface, Ep. In a materialistic world, the chances of being neglecting the
78: MGH, Epistolae, 3, 352, 354; from Liturgy of the Hours above words of Lord is very frequent in our lives. Simple,
According to the Roman Rite, New York: Catholic Book apostolic mission to do justice to others does not require large
Publishing Co. 1975). sanctuaries or halls and lengthy pulpit preaching. It is much
simpler than that just open your heart to do justice to others
Let me quote Dr. Zac Varghese, London, from his exposition of who are being ignored by the world around them. It means
theme for April 2021 issue: “When St. Paul met the risen Christ finding the living thread from one person to another, from house
on the road to Damascus, he became a different man ‘in Christ’; to house, from one town to the next. It means discovering the
he was transformed and became the Gospel of Christ. He footsteps of Jesus Christ to see which way He went, so that we
preached the Gospel and identified with the Gospel; he said to can go to the very place where He has been. Jesus didn’t make
Athenians. “For in him we live, move and have our being” (Acts the Pharisees or other people in authority in position as His
17:28). He wrote to the Corinthians: “For we are to God the disciples, but He went and gathered those who were in the
aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those lowest strata of the society to be with Him and to do His justice
who are perishing” (2Cor 2:15). The Gospel of Jesus Christ is in the world. He entrusted the twelve disciples to continue to
the good news to heal this fractured world and we need to spread the Good News, the Gospel, so that social justice will be
become the Gospel of Christ to overcome the uncertainties served to those marginalized people.
surrounding us, particularly in the post-COVID-19 landscape.
The WCC in their exploration of the role of the laity in the Jesus told the people to sell everything and then follow Him. He
Church in 1998 stated, we Christian people, wherever we are, never said, just set apart only a tithe of what they have. Our
are a letter from Christ to the world.” churches have become market places where you see
sacraments, festivals, pulpit calls for tithe offerings; collection
So, let us be different people by living for the gospel and not boxes are placed for pledge drive for building multimillion Dollar
living on the gospel like Paul who transformed himself as a structures. They also offer privileges to the wealthy such as
different man ‘in Christ’. For in him we live, move and have our plaques with their names or beloved one’s names placed at the
being (Act 17:28). Yes, we are a letter from Christ to the world entrance of rooms or buildings. David Platt in his book, “Taking
and the letter should be read by others and not to be thrown in Back Your Faith from American Dream Radical” wrote: “We
the trash. This is what means living the gospel and not living for were settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to
the gospel. Let us be the aroma of Christ and enable us to heal ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually
the fractured world and to overcome the uncertainties about abandoning ourselves.” When we do not live for the
surrounding the world in a post COVID-19 landscape. May the gospel and living on the gospel, we are settling around catering
Lord, enable each one of us to live for the gospel and not live on ourselves, while the central message of Christianity is actually
the gospel by being the letters of transmission of the good news about abandoning ourselves.
to the whole world.

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Christmas: Confession of Faith and Reverence of Life (John 1:1-14)
Revd Shibu Kurian, Bangalore*

Existence produces essences and the essences decide becoming flesh is a decisive event in the human history.
the quality of the existence. The Johannine community This historical event changes God’s relationship to
affirms the essence of their faith through the humanity and humanity’s relationship to God. Through
proclamation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God the incarnation human beings can see, hear, and know
and that by believing, one may have life in His name. God in ways never before possible. Becoming flesh
This faith proclamation, Jesus is the incarnate Word of means en-fleshment. Flesh in the Bible refers to the
God is emphasized in the prologue (St. John 1:1-18), is whole human personality in its frailty and vulnerability.
in the form of a poem. It is a faith creedal hymn, which The Greek word egeneto means that a person or things
is the foundation of the Johannine gospel and the changes its property and enter into a new creation,
community. This faith credal hymn challenges the becomes something that was not before. The Greek
cosmic pre-existence of the Word and Word’s aorist tense egeneto indicates that the becoming was a
relationship to the world. single decisive event in history. Hence history is
important for a faith community. Engaging in the history
is the need of the hour. The Hebrew word for Word is
dabar, it is not a static word, but always active and
dynamic. Incarnation, the light of the world, which is
active, and dynamic, which is engaging in the history to
remove its darkness. The incarnation challenges us to
engage in the history with the incarnated One for
annihilating the culture of death in and around us.

The pre-existent Word became human and challenged 3. Incarnated God is indwelling among us for the
us for the reverence of life. This faith affirmation reverence of life. The word “dwelling” is a verb rich in
expelled the early Christian community from the Jewish the Hebrew Scripture. In Exodus 25:8, “and let them
Synagogue, because for a Jew God to become human make a sanctuary that I may dwell in their midst.” It
is a negation of the Jewish faith. The community recalls God’s promise to dwell with God’s people. God
believed in Jesus the Christ in the midst of the Jewish choose to live with humanity in the midst of human
and Roman persecution proclaimed and affirmed that weakness, confusion, and pain. His self-revelation is not
Word in the creation is the Word in the incarnation. They outside human experience but belongs to human
confessed their faith that Jesus Christ is the God experience. The incarnation is the source of life and light
Himself. for all people. The transcendent, metaphysical, and
invisible became immanent, practical, and visible for His
1. The incarnated God is the God Himself. The eternal creation. His incarnation is for the reverence of human
Word entered into the time bound world (Gal. 4:4). That life. In the time of the birth of Jesus the Christ, the
means the Word is what God is and the Word does society was under a third- military dictatorship. It was a
what God does. It affirms the oneness of the Word and society where everyone was coerced. The socio-
the God. The infancy narrative is the story of God political-religious elite has the right to enjoy life. They
Himself. It provokes the wonder of creation, the gift of churned the non-elites, especially the women and the
life, the power of the Word and celebrates the mystery children. As an agriculture society, the farmers had no
of revelation that transcends covenantal limits of time right in their crops. The life of the common people was
and space. It means, He is the eschaton, the Alpha and in miserable condition because of the brutal nature of
the Omega. the socio-political-religious authorities. The vast majority
of the community lived between the fine line of hunger
Christmas is the message of the eschaton and through and assurance of subsistence. They were stratified,
this celebration, the Church is looking into the based on their economic and purity pollution mapping
eschatology, the coming of Christ. Therefore, of the religious life. The incarnated One – Jesus the
Christianity is not an ideology, but it is a faith Christ- through His ministry challenged the aristocratic
community which affirms Jesus Christ is “God Himself.” community both in political and religious circle. He gave
He is the only One in this world to be born without sin. His life for the reverence of the life of “others.”
One who is perfect and complete in the humanity. His
incarnation challenges us for the reverence of life. The existence of the Johannine community produced
good essence in their living spaces. They affirmed
2. The incarnated God is the God of History. Jesus Christ is the God Himself, He is the history and
Incarnation is a glorious historical event. The Word
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He indwelled among us for the reverence of life. Graham Theme for July 2021 FOCUS Vol.9 (Part 3)
Kendrick, a prolific English Christian singer, songwriter,
living in Tunbridge Wells, England wrote a poem with
title “Meekness and Majesty.” In his poem, he wrote
Reconciliation and Unity
“Meekness and majesty manhood and deity, in perfect
harmony the Man who is God. Lord of eternity dwells in
humanity. Kneels in humility and washes our feet. O
what a mystery meekness and majesty. Bow down and
worship for this is your God. This is your God . . .” He is
explaining the incarnation, His humility, and the
meekness and majesty of our God. His incarnation is for
the redemption of life from the death. Today we lack
Christian discipline and Christian ethics. We are
celebrating Christmas without remembering the Christ
event, the death, resurrection, ascension and His
coming. Christmas is not a mere festival among other
seasonal festivals. It is remembering and retelling the
great event that happened in the history, the birth of the
Messiah, the Saviour. Therefore, Christmas is the time
of confessing the faith in Jesus the Christ and to
celebrate the reverence of life. We are living in a world,
which neglects the co-existence and praising of
asymmetrical relationship.

The arrogant bureaucratic nature of the political leaders

and their method of using the religious life of the people
to enhance the conflict in the society where the
marginalized have no right to live in this world. The gap
between the rich and poor is widening. The poor
farmers have no right in their agricultural products. The
religious fundamentalism destroying the harmony, Reconciliation is a major theme in St. Paul’s writings to
meaning and the life of the society. The politicisation of the early churches and his letter to Philemon. The early
religion is the danger of the hour. The women are churches in the Mediterranean basin had many
picturized as a commodity for pleasure. The theological, ethnic and sociological problems to
socioeconomic disparity is increasing. We are living in overcome. Therefore, Paul emphasized the need for
the absence of the presence of the world. The world we reconciliation and unity in Christ and the unconditional
are living is not responding ethically good in manner. love of God. The power for the reconciliation comes
The harmony of the society is stratified and scorned the from God’s abundant love. ‘Christ’s love moves the
life. In this ridiculous condition, the role of the Christian world to reconciliation and unity’ is the suggested
believer is to live as an aroma of Christ for the reverence theme for the next general assembly of the World
of life. We are called to proclaim the human dignity in Council of Churches. Reconciliation is the first step in
the midst of annihilation of the life. The confession of the relationships between God and man. Paul Says, “All
the faith will lead to protection and promotion of life. this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through
Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2Cor
Our responsibility is a harmonious connectedness with 5:18). This reconciliation has come to us from God
nature and with the fellow human beings in the world. through Christ and we will have forgiveness of sin,
Respecting and preserving the nature for the future, the salvation and peace. The whole message of
taste of the coherence of the life and the co-existence reconciliation and unity is centred around the love of
are our pressing priorities. The God Almighty will God and the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. “. . .
strengthen us to confess the faith in Jesus the Christ but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus
and reverence of life for the Glory of God and the Christ, through whom we have now received
extension of His Kingdom. reconciliation” (Rom 5:11). Because of the reconciliation
between Jacob and Esau, Jacob was blessed and was
*Revd Shibu Kurian is a D.Th. Student, New Testament, able to say to Esau, “For to see your face is like seeing
United Theological College, Bangalore. This paper was the face of God, now that you have received me
previously published in the NCC Review, December favourably” (Gen 33:10). Here we see the blessedness
2020, Vol. CXL No,11, p 638-640. of reconciliation and unity under the amazing grace of
God.
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What does it mean to be the Gospel of Christ?
Dr. Zac Varghese, London*

St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians of his compulsion to an opportunity to feel that we are all in this together
preach the Gospel of Christ: “. . . for I am compelled to instead of relying entirely on political, economic or
preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 scientific strength to come out of this. This idea of
Cor 9:16) Where did this compulsion come from? The togetherness is very important for our progress as the
mandate of the risen Christ was, “Go into all the world children of God with a God-given purpose to live this life
and preach the good news to all creation” (Mk 16:15). as desired by our creator, provider and protector.
Jesus’ disciples did just that: “Then the disciples went
out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked In the fifties, the war-torn and ‘shell-shocked’ Europe
with them and confirmed his word by the signs that challenged religious, political and social systems upon
accompanied it” (Mk 16:20). It is this compulsion, which which people relied. It was a fertile time to challenge the
brought St. Thomas to Kerala in AD52 and other authenticity of all belief systems. It was under these
apostles to other parts of the world. circumstances existentialist philosophers thrived in
France. ‘Atheistic existentialist’ such as Jean-Paul
The gospel, the good news, is Christ himself; Christ is Sartre believed and propagated the idea that ‘existence
indeed the message and the messenger. The message is prior to essence’6. This challenged the foundational
is the promise of forgiveness of sin, redemption, Christian principle that St. Paul lived and preached for.
justification, faith, hope, love and eternal life. It is in He told the Athenian’s in his Areopagus address: “. . .
Christ that we find the fullness and flourishment of this for in him we live and move and have our being. As
message. Paul’s total identification with Christ made some of your own poets have said, 'We are his
him say: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no offspring” (Acts 17:28). ‘Being’ is a major theme of the
longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the studies in ontology, religion, metaphysics and
body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me philosophy.
and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). Paul’s faith was
born of an encounter with the living God on the road to
Damascus, which led him to accept faith as a gift for a
total commitment of his life to Christ. This gift of faith
calls us to become one with Christ and have an
indwelling experience; it is this experience which gives
us the joy of being and becoming the gospel of Christ.

Paul preached the Gospel and identified totally with

Christ; he said to the Athenians. “For in him we live,
move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). He wrote to
the Corinthians: “For we are to God the aroma of
Christ among those who are being saved and those
who are perishing” (2Cor 2:15). The Gospel of Jesus The concept that we are thrown into the world and
Christ is the good news to heal this fractured world; we slowly and steadily build ourselves our essence, being
need to become the Gospel of Christ to overcome and identity is not in accordance with the Christian
various uncertainties surrounding us, particularly in the thinking and the salvation through Christ. The existential
COVID-19 landscape. The theme for the April issue is thinking is that “man first of all exists, encounters
for seeking the guidance and steps needed to become himself, surges up into the world––and defines
the Gospel of Christ. The WCC in their exploration of himself afterwards . . . Man is nothing else but that
the role of the laity in the Church circa 1998 stated, “We which he makes of himself.”7 I am what I am because
Christian people, wherever we are, are a letter from of me, the idea of a self-made man, is an arrogant
Christ to the world.” To be in Christ, ‘En Christo’, attitude. This attitude also was expressed much earlier
experience is not only to live within a faith community by an 18th century English poet, “I am the master of my
that was shaped by the story of Jesus the Christ, but fate; I am the captain of my soul.”8 This is not our day-
also to share that story with others by living out that
experience authentically in day today encounters with
6 Jean-Paul Sartre, ‘Existentialism and Humanism’,
others.
Methuen Publishing Ltd., 1971, page 26.
7 Ibid, page 28.
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the whole world
8 The Oxford Book of English verse, H. Gardner, OUP, 1972,
into confusion and chaos; this is a global incident with
page 792.
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to-day experience in the real world. Children are born be what others want us to be can cause many
under the loving care of parents; the child’s existence is psychological, emotional and health problems that
not in a vacuum but has a mystical link to the creator threaten our wellbeing and peace. Taking care of our
God. A child has a God-centred past, a God-given being – respecting it and nurturing it – is very important
present, future and purpose; the life is purpose-driven because no one else can do it except our dependence
from the moment of gestation; it is in the loving and on God’s amazing grace and the indwelling experience
caring hands of the mother, the child learns his or her of Christ within us, as St. Paul indicated. Being makes
vocabulary, grammar and rhythms of life and living. The us think of the present, the now moment; it is a sacred
essence of the child is nucleated and grown within the time, the Kairos time as opposed to chronological time,
dimensions of the motherhood. This is indeed the the God-given time, to do what God wants us to be and
essence and hence ‘essence is prior to existence’ and do. It is indeed the time to remove all traces of ‘I’ and
not the other way around. Existence is determined by remove the ‘otherness’ of others and live in an ‘I- Thou’
essence. The essence of a person is the kind of person moment of relationship. This is the mutual indwelling,
that he or she is; it is their identity. Psalmist reminds us: perichoresis, in other words the reality of the Trinity. It is
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the important to realise who we are and our state of being;
strength of my heart and my portion for ever” (Psalm it is essential to have the realisation that we are the
73: 26). children of God and are made in his image; we are
God’s image bearers. This is indeed a very heavy
responsibility and honour; we need help to realise this
and act on it. The choices that we make influence
others. Therefore, when choosing for oneself one is also
choosing for others too; it is a collective responsibility
for the common good of the community. This realisation
is the transformation needed for becoming.

We see this ‘being and becoming as a sign’ in the story

describing the events on the ‘Mount of Transfiguration’
with Jesus, Peter, John and James (Mt. 17: 1-9; Mk. 9:
2-8; Lk. 9: 28-36). It was a critical moment in the
ministry of Jesus, and it was a continuous process for
Being is often described with words such as living, Jesus and his disciples of being and becoming.
nature, existing and essence. It is also described as a Transformation is a process of transfiguration for God’s
state of the inner life, which gives a sort of stillness, mission for healing this fractured world. This
contemplation, sufficiency, inner peace, and suspension transfiguration implies a revelation of the purpose and
of physical activities. Being is a state or stage; it is not a nature of Jesus’ journey. The link between Moses and
future expectation or hope or dream because it is a Elijah is important for us to appreciate the significance
condition of the present; it is already here; it is in the of the exile and liberation, going away and returning; it
now of our life. ‘Being’ is about being true to ourselves, is about the oppression under the burden of sin and the
about our identity, our nature and our essence; it is our freedom that Jesus is offering through his salvific action
unique identity and distinctiveness, which we could on the cross. There is an unbroken continuity in this
bring to others as a part of our relationship- story of God’s rescue operation for the fallen world from
development in building a family and the wider the beginning. What happens here is that Jesus stands
community. What does it mean ‘to be or not to be’? It revealed, and the disciples are granted a vision of God’s
means that we find reflective time for our self-discovery glory and who Jesus really is. Jesus’ internal glory and
to think and act for the benefit of others. As a humanist, magnificence got externalised in his transfiguration. This
Sartre also said: “And, when we say that man is visibility is expected in our spiritual journey also of being
responsible for himself, we do not mean that he is and becoming. It is the point of revelation of our true
responsible only for his own individuality, but he is being, and we are becoming Jesus’ letter to the world,
responsible for all men.”9 and we are the letter that the world sees and reads.
Paul’s silent years in Arabia and Tarsus after the
People often get confused with problems of life and get Damascus road encounter was his formative period.
baffled and ask questions such as: ‘who they are? Who This period transformed and transfigured him for God’s
am I?’ We are often pressurised in wanting to become mission. To the Christians in Rome Paul wrote: “Don’t
what others want us to be. The children are often conform any longer to the patterns of the world but
expected to live the dreams of their parents. Trying to be transformed by renewing your mind. Then you
will be able to test and approve what God’s will is –

9 Ibid, page 29.

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his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Rom. 12: 2). He From the Orthodoxy Cognate Page
urged them to give themselves fully to God (v.1).
The disciples who remained in the valley of the (OCP) News Service
transfiguration mount asked Jesus why they could not
heal the demon-possessed boy (Mt. 17: 19, 20). Jesus OCP Secretary Mr. George Alexander Received by
said to them, “Because you have so little faith.” People the Travancore Royal Family
do so many things in parishes and communities as busy
bodies without having the real being and becoming
experience of doing. Being and becoming is a prelude
to mission and ministry. This is also what Jesus told
Mary of Bethany. Martha was doing all the right things
in the kitchen as a perfect hostess, but Mary was sitting
with Jesus for having the experience of being and
becoming; Jesus said: “Martha, Martha, you are worried
and upset about many things, but only one thing is
needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not
be taken away from her” (Lk 10: 41). This does not
mean that Martha’s detailed work and attention to
hospitality should be ignored or left undone, but there
should be a balance between physical and spiritual
needs. Faith is a gift from God, but faith formation and
preparation for mission is a slow and steady process for
being and becoming in order to do God’s work as his
image bearers. The long years of preparation for
priesthood and ministry reflect this; Jesuits have eight
to seventeen years of preparation for their work. OCP Secretary Handing over a copy of the book
‘Malankara Nasrani Research Papers’ to Her Highness
In a self-centred, greedy, and grasping world, Paul Aswathi Thirunal Lakshmi Bayi. From (L) George
nurtured and mentored early Christians on how to live a Alexander, Her Highness Princess Pooyam Tirunal Gouri
Christ-centred life. It is in this being and becoming that Parvathi Bayi, Her Highness Princess Aswathi Thirunal
we shall be able to do God’s mission of establishing the Lakshmi Bayi, Lijo George, and His Highness Prince
kingdom values of spiritualty, justice, relationship, Avittam Thirunnal Adithya Varma.
hospitality and truth. Our living should be centred on the
process of being and becoming in Christ, with Christ George Alexander (Secretary of Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE,
and for Christ. It is the ‘in Christ’ matrix, which will lead Pan-Orthodox Christian Society) was cordially received by
us to become the image of Christ. This demands a Her Highness Princess Pooyam Tirunal Gouri Parvathi
complete re-evaluation of oneself and others in relation Bayi, Her Highness Princess Aswathi Thirunal Lakshmi
to Christ, resulting in various acts of self-giving love. Bayi, and His Highness Prince Avittam Thirunnal Adithya
Chiara Lubich, the founder of Focolare Family, wrote: Varma, the venerable members of the Travancore Royal
“The world is in need of a cure, a cure of the family at the Kowdiar Palace during the last week of
Gospel. Because only the Good News can give it December 2020. The Travancore Royal Family was the
back the life it lacks. This is why we live the Word of ruling house of the Kingdom of Travancore till1949. His
Life, allowing it to take flesh in us to the point that Highness Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Moolam Thirunal
Rama Varma is the present titular Maharaja of Travancore.
we become living Word." It is a way of being and
becoming that is shaped by the gospel of Christ. This is
indeed the meaning of ‘be the gospel of Christ.’ Let us The Royal Family has historic relations with the Malankara
in absolute humility pray for this privilege. Church and the Malankara Nasranis. Malankara
Metropolitan is the ecclesiastical and legal title granted to
the head of the Malankara Church, by the Government of
* Dr. Zac Varghese was the director of Renal and
Travancore and Cochin. After a lively discussion of 30
Transplantation Immunology Research at the Royal Free
minutes (on various topics), OCP Secretary presented
Hospital and Medical School in London and now he is an
bilingual copies of the book ‘Malankara Nasrani Research
Emeritus Professor. He is also a prolific writer on religious
Papers‘ to the members of the royal family. George also
and ecumenical issues; he continues to work relentlessly
provided a brief overview of the book and responded to
for common good of the worldwide Mar Thoma Diaspora
the specific questions put forward by the members of the
communities.
Royal family. The Secretary was accompanied by OCP
Associates Lijo George and Ajin V C.

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Missionary Disciples
Revd Dr. Joel Edwards CBE*
grapple with unfair treatment of its Hellenistic widows, a
[From the Churches Together in England (CTE) Roman centurion, and Gentile Christians from the new
Newsletter. This article first appeared in CTE-Newsletter power base of Antioch in Syria.
December 2020and January 2021, published by
Churches Together in England.] Similarly, 2020 has been an important setting for our
mission because, in the popular mindset it has been
More than any other year I can recall, 2020 has been a supremely about how crushed people experience
global year. We all sat in a global pandemic-induced justice.
isolation to watch a black man saying, “I can’t breathe”,
being murdered by a white man in a police uniform. Diversity and injustice were big issues for disciples from
And the world became intoxicated with the idea of a small town who were learning to be global witnesses.
justice. When you think about it, the disciples were learners
helping other people to learn about Jesus.
So, of all the virtual meetings this year, meeting with the
CTE family to explore the idea of being missionary So thirdly, discipleship was a kind of ‘learnership’. They
disciples in a Covid climate was one of my most had to come to terms with the fact that God was
meaningful events. teaching them through people who had a very different
cultural and theological backgrounds. Samaritans, a
To be sure, lockdown has presented Christians with Roman soldier called Cornelius, and a group of gifted
challenges and opportunities for vibrant witness and we people in Antioch where disciples were first called
have seen more news items of churches doing good Christians.
than I can recall in a long while. Learning to Zoom will
be important for years to come, but I am fascinated by a I suspect that what kept them on course was that their
bigger picture. discipleship was shaped by the fact that they had been
close to Jesus. That’s what the people said about
There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, whatever them. Which leaves me asking, how do we discipleship
you make of ‘mission’ and its association with people in such a way that they feel they really know
‘discipleship’, you simply cannot ignore the fact that all Jesus?
Christians, everywhere have a global mandate to
witness to Jesus across all the imaginable ethnic and But equally, they had learned about dealing with
cultural communities. Jesus did say that we are to go otherness from Jesus. Jesus was always at the centre
everywhere making disciples of all ethnic peoples. of their global enterprise. So, when they started calling
disciples ‘Christians’, I suspect it was another way of
Secondly, missionary discipleship presents us with a saying, ‘Anyone can be a disciple, but only the people
tricky task: how do we do missionary discipling across who know him and learn from him can be Christians’.
the kaleidoscope of cultural distinctives without some ** Revd Edwards is a freelance broadcaster with the
people dominating other people and running the risk of BBC, a writer and international speaker on a wide range
new forms of colonial or cultural control? This has of areas including bible teaching, issues of justice,
always been the challenge of the global task. And we leadership, faith and society. He is a Visiting Fellow at St
have not always done it well. John’s College, Durham and is also involved in a small
number of consultancies and personal mentoring.
Much of our witness has been tarnished by a kind of
ecclesial discipling, which means we have been inclined Revd Joel ’Edwards’ wide
to spread our own Christian brands while spreading the range of experiences
good news about Jesus. But as the theologian Dallas includes 11 years as
Willard said, what Jesus meant was, ‘Go therefore into General Director of the
every ethnic group and help them become my Evangelical Alliance UK
students.’ and 10 years leadership in
Micah Challenge
In the heat of stifling injustices where Romans International - a global
oppressed the Jewish people and the Jewish authorities faith-based response to
were often indifferent to the common people, the search extreme poverty. Watch Rev Edwards' keynote message
for justice was all around them. And as they talked at the CTE Learning to be Missionary Disciples
about Jesus beyond Judaism, the early disciples had to conference in November 2020.

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DENOMINATIONS ARE ABOMINATIONS*
Chhotebhai

I find the word “denominations” abominable. In an era who, being baptised, are honoured with the name of
of competition between different churches, the term Christian” (LG No 15). This is the official dogmatic
was used to distinguish between them. In today’s teaching of the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, there is
ecumenical era, the term becomes redundant. I would a yawning gap between precept and practice.
rather call them “Sister Churches”. Did not St Paul write
to the churches in Corinth, Thessalonica, and Ephesus There are many Catholic priests and bishops in India
etc.? Does not the Book of Revelation talk of the Spirit who are uncomfortable with the relativism and
speaking to the churches (in plural) not in the singular. inclusiveness of Vatican II ecclesiology. They are more
So, shouldn’t we too be comfortable with the plurality of at ease with the fundamentalist, absolute, binary pre-
churches, rather than insisting on the singularity or Vatican ecclesiology of Me or You; not Us. That black or
superiority of one’s own particular church? white binary refuses to recognize the various shades of
grey.
History is replete with instances of churches being
critical, hostile to and in open competition with each Jesus’ last prayer included an impassioned one for
other. If in 1302 the 189th pope, Boniface VIII, summarily unity. “May they all be one, just as, Father, you are in
declared that there was no salvation outside the me and I am in you, so that they also may be in us, so
Catholic Church; there are even today, several that the world may believe it was you who sent me” (Jn
churches, mostly from the Evangelical stream, that are 17:21). Jesus is linking unity with witness value.
merrily sending all unbaptised “pagans” to hell. I do not Conversely, Christian disunity or division is the greatest
believe in a God that is hell-bent on packing “sinners” stumbling block to Christian witness and evangelization.
off to hell. This is evident in colonial India, where each western
church came with its own theological baggage,
As a Catholic myself, I will restrict myself to the current confusing those who had never heard of Jesus. In
teachings of the Catholic Church, especially in the post- contrast, the apostle Thomas in Kerala and St Francis
Vatican II era. It was a watershed moment in the life of Xavier in Goa were successful, partly because of a
the Church. With its changed self-understanding, it also unified message. There was no counter witness. We will
brought about a tectonic change in its relationship with revert to the Indian church later.
other churches, religions, the natural and behavioural
sciences and the world at large. For now, let us return to apostolic times. Those who
oppose organized religion, derogatorily referred to as
This change is most evident in the events of 1054 and churchianity, point to the early Christian community.
1965. The first was the “Great Schism of the East”, “The whole group of believers was united, heart and
when the western churches based in Rome and the soul; no one claimed private ownership of any
eastern ones based in Constantinople (Istanbul today) possessions, as everything they owned was held in
ex-communicated each other. It took 911 long years for common” (Acts 4:32). This was too good to last. Shortly
those ex-communications to be lifted by Pope Paul VI after, there was a division among Hebrew speaking
and Patriarch Athenagorus, when they met, warmly Christians and the Greek speaking ones (cf Acts 6:1).
embraced and lifted the sanctions in 1965. The second dispute arose between circumcised Jews
and proselytes (circumcised Gentile converts to
The Catholic Church, in the post Vatican II era has come Judaism) and non-circumcised converts on the other. St
a long way from the sad events of 1054 and 1302. Peter had to step in to breach the divide (cf Acts 11:1-
Before that the Catholic Church was like the cat’s 18). There are several other instances of both Sts Peter
whiskers, steeped in its own pride and exclusivity, a and Paul admonishing the neo-converts for their ethnic
head and shoulders above other “lesser” mortals. Now divisions and personal loyalties.
it very humbly calls itself “an initial budding forth of
God’s kingdom” (LG No 5), not a full bloom basking in If in the first flush of apostolic times, when the Holy
the sun. She “embraces sinners in her bosom” (LG No Spirit was powerfully manifest, unity was at a premium,
8), not a rarefied puritan, and admits that it is still “a then how much more difficult is it for us today;
pilgrim”, not one that has arrived at its destination. From bombarded as we are by multiple messages and factors
absolutism it has moved to relativity. This is a crucial in both history and the present all-pervasive media? It
change reflected in its attitude to others, including the requires both prayer and humility.
Sister Churches. Of them it says, ”The church
recognizes that in many ways she is linked to those

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The history of Christianity in India is different from that Good Samaritan, a detested “other”. Jesus upholds him
of the west that suffered persecution for 300 years till as a paragon of virtue (cf Lk 10:25 ff).
Emperor Constantine’s Edict of Milan in 312 CE,
effectively making it a State religion. It was also spared This doesn’t mean that Christian churches may do as
the ignominy of being subjected to Roman, Byzantine, they please, often pulling in opposite directions. St Paul
French, German and Spanish emperors, as also the gave us two beautiful analogies of the church as a body
scars of the Crusades. The infamous Inquisition was and as a bride (cf I Cor 12:12-30, Eph 5:23). Both
limited to a section of Goa. indicate some kind of organic unity and bonding, if not
exactly organizational. Interestingly, Jesus himself never
However, with colonialization came missionary used the word “church”; though some English
expansion and various white missionaries toeing the line translations use it (cf Mat 16:18 & 18:17). The actual
of the churches of their native lands. It was this conflict Hebrew word used by Jesus was “qahal” that meant a
that greatly contributed to the failure of Christianity to community or assembly of believers. The Greek word
make its presence felt in India. When I was in “ekklesia” from which the English word “church” is
Jyotiniketan Ashram, Bareilly, we had an ecumenical derived, also has the same meaning.
meeting. I recall the words of Rev Kenneth Sharp of the
Brotherhood of the Ascended Christ, an Anglican order. However, there is an evolution discernible in the New
He said that we may be divided in thought or belief, but Testament itself. In the Acts of the Apostles the word
we can always be united in service where there is no “church” is used 23 times, and in the Pauline letters 65
room for dispute. Some years later when I had times! So obviously, as the community grew, it needed
organized an ecumenical meeting under the aegis of the to be better identified. For those critics of churchianity
Kanpur Catholic Association, the main speaker, Dr. that say that Jesus never founded a church and
A.B.K. Sebastian of Christ Church College, said that in personal discipleship would suffice, I give the example
India there was no need to perpetuate the divisions of of a human embryo. It is just a few cells, with no head,
European Christianity. Words of wisdom. hands or feet. Yet it bears all the intrinsic qualities of a
baby and later an adult. So too with the church. It grows
and evolves and sometimes mutates because of
external influences. This should not detract from the
reality that Jesus wanted his disciples to have some
form of spiritual, organic and organizational unity.

This can never be fully achieved. If the apostles failed

with small numbers and no excess baggage, then we
have a slim chance of getting there. This should not
deter us from moving forward as pilgrims seeking to
convert the bud into a full bloom, while embracing
sinners in its bosom.

Management gurus teach us about areas of concern

and areas of control. I may be concerned about the
world economy, over which I have little control. But I do
It is for this reason that Pope Francis refuses to get have control over my own domestic budget. Instead of
sucked into theological hair splitting. He prefers to bemoaning my inability to transform the world, let me
directly reach out to people, saying that we should leave first address what is within my control. Many Christians
the debates to the theologians. In a joint gathering of may feel that they are facing insurmountable odds in
Catholics and Lutherans somebody asked him a tricky climbing the treacherous mountain of Christian unity.
question – “Whom do you prefer – Catholics or They then despair. Let alone the Evil One, even
Lutherans?” Pat came the reply, “I equally dislike sociologists, psychologists and political pundits tell us
lukewarm Catholics and Lutherans”. It reminds one of that despair is the easiest way to accept the inevitable
how the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus by asking him if it (like a Trump or Modi) and be resigned to one’s fate.
was proper to pay taxes to Caesar? (cf Mat 22:21). However, the Holy Spirit spurs us to action. That is why
I reiterate that humility and prayer are pre-requisites for
Pope Francis has repeatedly adopted a pastoral, rather Christian unity.
than a dogmatic approach to complex issues. He gave
the telling example of the field hospital in battle. You Like Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagorus let us
don’t stop to check the injured soldier’s cholesterol or begin by warmly embracing each other and stop seeing
sugar levels. You first bandage his wounds. In his latest each other as antagonists. There are two steps that we
encyclical “Fratelli Tutti” he talks at length about the can adopt immediately. The first is to stop criticising

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each other. The second is stop “sheep stealing”, to adapt to the times. Many of us fossilised Christians
grabbing disgruntled or dissatisfied members from are in urgent need of perestroika, glasnost and
sister churches, especially from what are described as aggiornamento (opening up and updating to change).
the “mainline” churches like Catholics, CNI/CSI and
Methodist. They are soft targets for preying evangelical In this season of Advent let us prayerfully and humbly
churches. Not that they are the only culprits. Catholics listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches (Rev
do the same with their superior organisation and 3:22), for denominations are an abomination for the
financial resources. This has been widespread in the disciples of Christ today.
Punjab, Uttarakhand and North East regions. It must
stop. If at all some of us are determined to increase the * Much of this information is contained in the writer’s
number of Christians through conversions, then let them forthcoming book “The Jerusalem Code”.
go out and share the message with those who have not
heard it, rather than sheep stealing. A Meditation by Patriarch Ignatius IV
I became starkly aware of the divisions among of the Greek Orthodox Church of
Christians when I visited the Holy Land in 1980. Not Antioch and all the East (1920-2012)
only were there divisions among Christians, Jews and
Muslims; there were scores of them among Christians
Church and the Holy Spirit
themselves. The worst example of this was the Holy
Sepulchre. The six feet slab has three altars; one
belonging to the Catholics and the other two to different Source: The Uppsala Report: Official Report of the
Orthodox churches, possibly Greek and Armenian. Fourth Assembly of the World Council of Churches, July
When celebrating the Holy Eucharist at these altars the 4-20, 1968
respective priests must ensure that their hands do not
extend beyond their allotted two feet. It is scandalous. Bishop Ignatius
became
Nevertheless, I would like to end on a positive note, Patriarch of
again from Jerusalem. I had been invited there by the Antioch in 1979
Anglican archbishop, at the behest of Rev Murray and served
Rogers, the founder of our ashram in Bareilly, who had until 2012.
since relocated to Jerusalem. It was during Holy Week
itself. On Holy Thursday we attended a Catholic service. Church
It was presided over by a bishop of the Melchite (Greek) Without the
Rite. The choir was led by French speaking Vietnamese
Holy Spirit:
nuns. Rev Rogers was an Englishman, a pastor of the
Anglican Church, who wore ochre robes and lived like
an Indian. He was vegetarian and regularly used Hindu God is far away,
Christ stays in
texts in his own liturgy. And there I was, an English-
the past, the
speaking Indian of the Latin Rite! Could that
Gospel is a
congregation have been more catholic (universal)?
dead letter, the
For the Easter vigil we again attended a Catholic service Church is simply
presided over by an African cardinal. Later during coffee an organization,
there was a blackboard on which people from different authority a
countries wrote Easter greetings in their native matter of
languages, mostly in the Roman script. I wrote in domination, mission a matter of propaganda, liturgy is
Devanagari script in Hindi at the top of the board “Jai no more than an evocation and Christian living a slave
Sri Yesu”. It caught the eye of the cardinal. He morality.
immediately asked me where I was from and was
thrilled to know that I was Indian. Church with the Holy Spirit:

After coffee we proceeded to the Russian Orthodox The cosmos is resurrected and groans with the birth-
Church presided over by the Patriarch himself. At that pangs of the Kingdom, the risen Christ is there, the
time Christianity was still banned in the communist Gospel is the power of life, the Church shows forth the
Soviet Union. A ninety-year-old retired army general life of the Trinity, authority is a liberating service,
was playing the organ. It was about 3.00 a.m. but the mission is a Pentecost, the liturgy is both memorial and
service was still warming up for the few elderly people anticipation, and human action is deified.
there. I could not but wonder at some churches’ inability

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Why did the Good News of Jesus fail in the North and West?
The Rev. Dr. John T. Mathew (The United Church of Canada)

The Christian faith brought into being on the day of There is bad news all around us. Thankfully, we have
Pentecost by a gathering of over three thousand good news within us. In the midst of this day in, day out
frightened believers from communities in and around dreadful encounter that sucks the life of everything we
Palestine two millennia and two decades ago is the established, our duty is to remember, retrieve, reclaim
world’s largest faith community with over two billion that small shred of resolve, tenacity which sustained us
followers. The 18th century dawn of the age of hitherto. In that inexorable struggle, we must transcend
enlightenment turned out to be the end of the
the bad news and hold on to the good news within us.
triumphalist European Christendom.
Is this COVID19 battered days are not a god-send
Ever since the outbreak of the deadly virus over a year opportunity for us to do some soul-searching?
ago, life on our fragile planet has stomached seismic
ups and downs at home, at work and in the global
community; the season of Lent, began in the last week
of February and with no Easter in sight to celebrate.
During Lent most theologians were running crazy
racking their brains for a rational response. Time
magazine approached an unsuspecting Anglican bishop
- New Testament scholar Tom Wright, to find a magic
bullet. Wright replied: “Christianity offers no answers
about coronavirus; it’s not supposed to.” Why didn’t
editors of the magazine, who misguidedly prefigured
that Christians probably had a loftier response,
The European church history infers that Flavius
approach a Hindu or Buddhist or Muslim scholar for
Constantine, the first Roman emperor to credibly
their feedback?
confess to the new Palestinian spiritual configuration,
was the prime promoter of the Good News of Jesus. His
It could well be either our hubris or stuck-up claim as if
baptism on his deathbed by Eusebius of Nicomedia
God trusts us to solve this conundrum more than our
probably was the formal beginning of European
neighbors who might belong to other faith traditions. No
Christianity. All the major religions emerged in Asia;
one religion is in charge; no one person speaks for God therefore, the newly instituted faith flourished in the
or temple or church or mosque! Fly-by-night European spiritual vacuum. Perhaps that is why western
theologians are no different from Chicken Little: The sky churches insist that they have uncovered and snatched
is falling! a whole new deeper perception of Christianity!

It might be a warning? God is angry! Insurance The emperor demanded his people to accept this
business calls it ‘an act of God’? Then, is COVID19 a freshly marketed faith in the declaration of the Edict of
sign of end of this world? It is not nice or prudent to Milan in 313. He also built the Church of the Holy
mess with Mother Nature. As Pope Francis prophetically Sepulchre at the claimed site of Jesus’ tomb in
said in his “urbi et orbi” (to the city and to the world) Jerusalem and the convoked the First Council of Nicaea
address during the Holy Week: “We ignored a world that in 325. Therefore, Christianity which emerged in the
had gotten sick, thinking we would never get sick forlorn Palestinian forts out of the blue became a
ourselves.” He also repeated an old Spanish proverb — European religion! Originally ‘evangelical’ – mid 16th
“God always forgives, man sometimes forgives, but century Latin evangelium, from ancient Greek for ‘good
nature never forgives”. news’ or gospel was similar to television updates or
amber alert – an imperial ‘breaking news’, which has
It might be fun for some to thrash bucolic landscapes nothing to do with Jesus, his teachings or the Bible.
and forests, which are natural habitats of animals and However, this spanking new faith turned out to be
plants and unknown species of organisms. Cut down another spoil like the whopping Kohinoor from India, or
the trees; carnage or cage the animals; rub eco-systems oil from the Gulf region, or spices and tea from
the wrong way and chase viruses from their natural Darjeeling, Kerala and Sri Lanka.
hosts – you guessed it – they need a new host.
Predictably, we are it. When I was a teenager my mother, gazing at the land
she brought in from her family, redrafted King Philip’s
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words to Alexander, “my son, look out; Macedonia is whatever Knox regurgitated from his learnings in
too little for thee”. So, I walked off outside the Apostle tumultuous Geneva. Therefore, they never heard of my
Thomas birthright of Malabar with my tamed first Century (52 CE) St. Thomas apostolic full-blood
Bucephalus and strolled by the statue of John Knox in Nasarani pedigree and heritage of Malabar!
Edinburgh for three years. Yes, a reformed breath of Characteristically nostalgic and a bit naïve being there, I
fresh air of European Christianity looked tantalizing said to myself: “There is no European Christianity.”
then.
However, this ignited a fire inside me to investigate at
Now, fast forward to 1969 – the year when the first least five fundamentally theodemic events in the
humans - American astronauts Neil Armstrong and younger European Christianity. In Jeremy Bentham’s
Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin landed on the Moon on Sunday, phrase, the five demons or monstruous crashes of
July 20th. A few weeks later that year in the refreshing Chicane in and around the church punctured the so-
autumn temperatures the progeny of colonial called triumphalist Christian Europe are the unholy
trailblazers of affluence and power returned to the Crusades, Colonialism, Holocaust, Apartheid and
Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society residence. An Slavery – all made in Europe! In fact, the former
unknown tropical tyro from an ancient Nasarani heritage missionary denominations are flattened before our eyes.
joined them at breakfast. Our matron Eleanor Thompson What a dismal spectacle of a cataclysmic collapse of
graciously asks: “Would you like some more English 20th century of Western Christianity! Whatever
tea, Mr. Mathew?” My response was: “Where on earth happened to the church that sang, “Onward Christian
is tea grown in England?”. Viscerally unimpressed, soldiers!” and fired the fabricated flow of personnel to
Eleanor dashed off to the kitchen cupboard and convert the heathens? As Martin Luther King Jr. put it: “I
returned with a tea box. She read the label on it: “Oh, came to the conclusion that there is an existential
Indian Tea packaged in Birmingham!” And she cackles: moment in your life when you must decide to speak for
“Goodness, gracious; there is no such thing as English yourself; nobody else can speak for you”.
tea.”
Crusades

This appalling word ‘crusade’ ought to be erased

forever from the ecclesial wordlist as it had absolutely
little to do with the imperial cross of Jesus. Perspectives
of historic experiences differ from the victor who
records them and those of the vanquished left
speechless on the sidelines.! The authors of the Bible
and the Quran outrageously exculpate atrocities
imposed on women and minorities relegated the
margins. Most students probably never questioned why
the Middles Ages in Europe were the Dark Ages! The
affluent landlords who promoted a fatuous theocratic
rule, which did not originate from the Holy, that inflicted
hideous brutalities and terrorism including the Crusades
in the name of faith.
Later that day after my classes, I heard an earful on the
European reformers, predominantly Luther’s defiant act Colonialism
of posting his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the
Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, No nation on earth gained anything from colonialism
1517 and of course more on the Disruption of 1843 except the colonial powers who destroyed the
when 450 ministers left the established Church of economic future most nations in Africa, Asia and South
Scotland to form the Free Church of Scotland. Phew! America. The so-called ‘third world’ of poverty was
Both my professors and my classmates suffered from a created by 450-year-long colonialism. In spite of the
myopic theological worldview because of their lack of fact that the older Asian cultures never surrendered to
diversity with the global community. The reformers such the fabricated European superiority, the missionaries as
as John Knox and Thomas Chalmers were like eagle conceited agents of hard-line expansionism, except a
parents who carried narrow doses of ‘prey’ to their nest few exceptional servants of God’s people such as C. F
to feed their chicks. They fed the people who were Andrews and Stanley Jones, brought with them a
rescued from the Roman hegemony by tearing off mindset of a moral condescension which Mahatma
pieces of food and holding them to the beaks of the Gandhi staggeringly crushed soon after the second
newly morphed Presbyterian eaglets. Like the little World War. Over the years many in Europe tried to tell
chicks, they breathed, moved and had their being in me how generous the colonizers were in improving the

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lifestyle of the people around the world. Previous to the locale. I felt being mugged twice when I had to pay to
four-century long British domination India, the world enter these fabulous estates where my family
leader in manufacturing producing most of the world’s inheritance was ensconced and elegantly built by the
industrial output, was the richest nation on the planet sweat and blood of slaves.
during the medieval times. However, they forgot how The Good News of Jesus encapsulated in the Song of
they wiped out the native peoples of North America and Mary and in Jesus’ first sermon recorded in Luke’s
Africa albeit ancient Asian cultures were impermeable. Gospel (4:14-30) offer both grace and judgement:
The British monarch, the head of her church, should comfort and contentment for the oppressed and caveat
consider returning the stolen crown jewels as well as and concern to the oppressors. Such an imperative
offer an apology for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh news of titanic daring against despair, energising
genocide. radiance against darkness, galvanising liberation against
captivity will never fail. However, the thing called
Holocaust (Shoa) Christianity, the church and its protagonists have been
fading.
A few Protestants openly opposed the Nazis.
Disgracefully, Pope Pius XII and his church preferred a The heart and soul of our faith keep moving from
policy of neutrality during World War II. Abraham Jerusalem and Nazareth to Alexandria and Malabar,
Heschel in his book, Israel: An Echo of Eternity states: from Antioch and Istanbul to Rome and Athens, from
“Our people’s faith in God at this moment in history did Geneva and London to New York and Toronto, from
not falter… We all died in Auschwitz, yet our faith Maramon and Singapore to Busan and Shanghai, from
survived. We knew that to repudiate God would be to Hamburg and Stockholm to Tokyo and Invercargill.
continue the holocaust.” Therefore, the 21st century church with its epicentre in
the south and east is alive and well. The northern and
Apartheid western ways of life of Greece and Rome are no more
required to prosper and preserve the old Palestinian
This 18th century racial segregation, enlarged on the
faith. No matter how the church prospers or plunges,
premise of baasskap or white supremacy, was cooked
the Good News of Jesus will always weather the high
up in the Dutch Empire to keep the minority Europeans
winds of time and place. No one faith tradition can
in South Africa and Namibia cloistered from Asians,
contain all of divinity. No one denomination displays the
Coloureds and the native black Africans. Abraham
humanity of Jesus in its fullness. Deeply enthralled by
Kuyper being one of the patriarchs of apartheid, the
the Upanishads and the Good News of Jesus, T. S. Eliot
model was ‘christened’ within the Dutch Reformed
reminds us:
Church to experiment in the distant colony! No one
described it better than Desmond Tutu, “When the “We shall not cease from exploration
missionaries came to Africa, they had the Bible and we And the end of all our exploring
had the land. They said 'Let us pray. ... Will be to arrive where we started
When we opened them, we had the Bible and they had And know the place for the first time.”
the land”.

Slavery
The Rev. Dr. John T.
Woefully the outbreak of slavery has been part of our Mathew is an ordained
human condition in all cultures and faith traditions. The minister in The United
Ottoman Middle Ages captured Christian slaves. From Church of Canada. Besides
the seventh to the twentieth century, Western and serving several urban and
Central Asia, North-eastern Africa, Europe and India had rural congregations in the
Arab slaves. The Christian Europe and several African province of Ontario,
kingdoms promoted the Atlantic slave trade for Canada since 1974, he also
centuries since 1600 CE. However, endorsed by the taught in the Department of
self-made apostle Paul the early church did not raise a Religious Studies,
red flag as it hailed the clampdown of slaves, especially Huntington/Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario. He
women, created in the image of the Holy One! Fifty also served at St. Machars’s Cathedral, Aberdeen
years ago, as a student at first it was interesting to visit (Church of Scotland) as Ecumenical Minister (2010) and
British castles or palaces in almost every hamlet. They as Interim Minister at St. Andrew's Parish, Gore,
were made of freighted hard wood from my backyard in Southern Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of
India and loaded with stolen trinkets and costly works of Aotearoa New Zealand (2015-2017).
art from far way colonies. The weirdest thing was that
there nothing English or Scottish about them except the

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A Book Review – Rainbow of Remembrances
RAINBOW OF REMEMBRANCES (ENGLISH AND on various occasions aimed to celebrate his friends’
MALAYALAM) pastoral, theological and ecumenical concerns that
Author: REV. DR. M. J. JOSEPH, PRINCIPAL (RETD), radically influenced the Church and society in India and
MAR THOMA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, abroad is the content of this book.
KOTTAYAM.
Selfdiscipline is the bridge between goals and
CSS BOOKS, TIRUVALLA, Pages 292, Price INR. 350/- accomplishments according to the American author Jim
USD $20 Available at: CSS Book Shop, Tiruvalla. John. “The Power of Ambition”, a notable work of Jim
John, which needs no further testimony than the life
story of the author Rev. M. J. Joseph – a New
Testament professor, writer, ecumenist and
environmentalist of international repute. His unique
calibre of keeping the files and letters is evident as he
handed over more than 300 hand-written personal
letters from eminent personalities, stretching a period of
more than five decades, to be kept at the Seminary
Archives in 2020. This book is also a testimony to his
brilliant research quality of invaluable documentation – a
key to delve deep into his friends’ biographical route-
maps, thought world and field of work. Fr. Dr. T. J.
“Rainbow of Remembrances”, containing fascinating Joshua’s foreword and Prof. Dr. Zac Varghese’s
memory lanes and inspiring biographical insights into appreciation to this book illustrate the thrust of this
eighty-one lives, will answer your questions about work.
famous and less known men and women, who radically
redirected their lives and contributed richly to the social, Rev. M. J. Joseph’s journey from ‘Seminary’ to the
intellectual, ecological, ecumenical and theological life ecumenical and ecological horizons, where he endeared
of the church and society in India and abroad. In an age his life-long friends was indeed a long one of more than
of failing memory, this amazing documentation of up-to- half a century. And it had necessarily to pass through
date, meticulously reserached and reasonably argued various social, economic and political interfaces. The
scholarly biographical sketches supersede author weaves the journey beautifully and it adds a third
autobiographical descriptions and shines bright like a strand in this tapestry. One is tempted to describe this
candle to guide generations. In his book, “RAINBOW book as ‘thriveni sangamam’: a man, his friends and a
OF REMEMBRANCES” Rev. Dr. M J. Joseph tries to concept, being brought under a single scanner without
explore brilliantly the prophetic, pastoral, theological loss of focus.
and social concerns of his friends, celeberate their
contributions and present them as icons of building Walking the first mile is not optional but mandatory;
every Jew under Roman rule had to, if called upon.
bridges in the church and society through their dazling
Walking the second mile is what we have been called
and erudite career. One feels that one is traveling on a
parallel track with a moving cine camera that captures to. Often we tend to see this second mile only in terms
the life and mission of Rev. Joseph’s friends, and of social, ecumenical and theological initiatives. I believe
that the theologians have to try to walk the second mile
various frames are clearly and well focused in this book.
intellectually. (Incidentally that is one of the many points
Rev. M. J. Joseph’s academic, literary and artistic which make me a fan of Rev. M. J. Joseph, my favourite
description, full of information, insight, prolific oratory benchmark, who has already commenced that journey.)
style, amazing writing skills and ecological expertise are From the second mile perspective, Rev. M. J. Joseph’s
evident in this book. This book also reveals authors’ attempt to chronicle analytically the life contributions of
brilliant research skills of comprehensive and his friends is an effort in the right direction.
interdiciplinary research method including the articles
about his friends that had already been published in the Review by: Rev. Dr. Joseph Daniel*
NCC Review, Sabha Tharaka, Diaspora Focus, People’s *Rev. Dr. Joseph Daniel, Professor, Mar Thoma Theological
Reporter, and ECC. Two types of articles can be Seminary, Kottayam; Research guide and Head of the
identified here: Smaranajali and Felicitations. The Department of History of Christianity, ‘Federated Faculty for
Smaranajali refers to the obituary tributes that Rev. Research in Religion and Culture’, (FFRRC), Kottayam; Dr.
Joseph offers in honour of his friends’ lives who Habil research scholar, University of Bern, Switzerland.
completed their life journey. Rev. Joseph’s felicitations
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Mr. T. T. Verghese: One of the Endearing Pioneers of the
Mar Thoma Community in the UK and Europe.
Dr. Zac Varghese, London

[The following is an atypical, occasional article, a story, us to half a dozen other families in London who used to
in honour of a pioneer of a Mar Thoma Diaspora meet once a month for a Mar Thoma worship service at the
community in the UK and Europe. I write with the hope Indian YMCA under the pastoral care of late Revd Dr. V. V.
that it will encourage others to appreciate contributions Alexander. Late Mr. O.V. Alexander of the Indian YMCA,
of people who helped to build communities, not for Dr. John Thomas MBA, Dr. Titus Mathew, Mr. Mathew
exclusion but for inclusion. Community isn't a private Joseph, Dr. Benjamin Pulimoodu, Dr. Mathen, Mr. John
club to be separated and defended against those who Thomas, Mr. Mathew Koshy and their families were part of
do not belong to it. Rather, it is an inclusive space, a this nuclear group. There was also an Indian orthodox
family of late Mr. I. John. Deacon K. G. George of the
space to enjoy the gift of the other.]
Orthodox Church, who was studying at Cowley Fathers of
St. John the Evangelist; he also conducted occasional
services from 1963 to 1972; he later became bishop
Geevarghese Mar Ivanios. Mar Ivanios was a saintly
person, his life was immersed in prayer and sadly passed
away in 2013. Fr. Allunkal who became a bishop of the
Jacobite Church was also very helpful to us during this
early period. Thus, this early group slowly evolved into an
ecumenical worshiping community of all Kerala Christians
and functioned as such until 1978.

Mr. T. T. Verghese arrived in the UK in 1948 and he and his

family were integral part of the Kerala Christian Community
until 1993. He had a very successful utilities store,
television repair service and rental business. He then
decided to return to Kerala and settle down in Cochin. His
wife, Ammini, and daughter, Roshini, remained in London.
Verghese continued to visit his family and friends in the UK
until 2009. Verghese hails from the Thoppil family of
Uthimoodu in Pathanamthitta. He was born on 11 October th

1925.

As the number of Kerala Christian families in London were

very small, we built an ecumenical fellowship with the
Indian Orthodox, the CSI church and other denominations
until we decided to express the Mar Thoma identity more
clearly by establishing an official parish in 1978. Verghese
was the treasurer of the Mar Thoma Congregation that was
established in 1957; he remained so, as he kept a bank
It is an unfortunate idiosyncrasy that we often only
account in the name of the Mar Thoma Church from that
acknowledge the contributions of people after their death.
We criticise and damage people’s reputations while people time onwards and until we became an official parish of the
are alive and then say all sorts of wonderful things about Mar Thoma Church in 1978. We moved from the Indian
the same people after their death. Realising this quirk in YMCA to St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Newington in 1978
through the kindness and hospitality of Revd Dominic
our nature, I thought it would be a good to appreciate and
thank Mr. T. T. Verghese, one of the pioneers of building a Walker OGS who later became the Bishop of Reading and
Mar Thoma Community in the UK from 1957. I am writing later the Bishop of Monmouth. It is good to remember the
this tribute to Mr. T. T. Verghese (known as TT) because I help of late Bishop Mervyn Stockwood, bishop of
Southwark, for allowing us to worship at St. Mary’s church.
just came to know that he is 96 years old and he is having
some age-related physical disabilities. Let us support him
through our prayers. Verghese gave effective leadership for the Silver Jubilee
celebrations in 1982 under the magnificent guidance of
One of the people from the Malayalee community that I Late Thomas Mar Athanasius Suffragan Metropolitan. This
event was very significant because of the presence of
first met when I came to London for postgraduate studies
in the early sixties was Mr. T. T. Verghese. He introduced fourteen Anglican bishops who had intimate knowledge

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and relationships with the Mar Thoma Church during the contributions of the pioneers who built their parish-
colonial times; many ecumenical leaders and members of community.
the political establishment were also present. Late
Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie was the chief There is an equally important story to tell about our young
guest who spoke very sincerely and warmly about our people and their contributions. The very first Mar Thoma
relationship with the Church of England. This event was family conference started as a youth conference in 1983
the most important event in establishing ourselves as a under the leadership of Revd Dr. Abraham Philip. This
recognisable worshipping community in the UK. It was eventually became the ‘Family Conference.’ We have seen
indeed the corner stone of our continued development. these conferences grow from 40 participants to well over
500. The continuity of the conference was broken in 2020
Verghese together with Dr. John Thomas MBA, Late because of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Some
Mathew Kallumpram and Late John Mathew played leading gifted young people gave very good leadership for the
roles in building prayer groups, congregations and parishes spiritual enlightenment and revival of our community and
in London and other part of the UK. Kallumprams travelled as a result many young people dedicated their lives to
from Manchester every month and spent the weekends in Christ under the spiritual guidance of Mr. Zachariah
London to attend Holy Communion Services; he was the Abraham (Prakash). Mr. Jaffey Chacko and Mr. Abraham
first secretary of the official Mar Thoma Parish and T. T. Mathews (Rennie), Noble Mathew, Anil Mathew, John
Verghese was its first treasurer. Thomas and many others were involved in building the
family conference and its continuity.
We were fortunate in having had the pastoral care of Revd
P.T. Joseph in 1966-67 when he was a student of the In the middle of writing this article I was informed that Mr.
Oxford University. He later became a bishop and a Noble Mathew has been appointed as the secretary of the
Metropolitan who passed away recently; this was our late COMPE and the Zone in succession of the very good work
Most Revd Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan. He loved done by Mr. P. M. Mathew over several years. This is an
us all very dearly. endearing news because Noble’s father and mother were
part of the pioneering group that I mentioned at the
We also fondly remember the blessings our community beginning. This continuity is very important to us as a living
received for a whole year, 1975-76, from late Rt. Revd faith community with a past, a present and a future.
Easow Mar Timotheos. This endearing bishop conducted
services for us on a regular basis when he was studying at One of the proudest moments in our history of this early
St. Augustine’s college at Canterbury. The arrival of Mr. period was the contribution of £30,000 (This was a huge
and Mrs. P.A. George from Zambia for spending a sum in 1978) that we were able to make towards Juhanon
sabbatical year in London in 1976 was also very helpful in Mar Thoma Study Centre at Trivandrum to perpetuate the
making us to understand the need for establishing a firm vision and message of Juhanon Metropolitan Thirumeni in
Mar Thoma identity. the areas of ecumenism and social justice. I very much
hope that the same vigour, enthusiasm and cooperation
The community took a momentous decision in April 1976 would emerge once again to build the proposed Zonal
at a general body meeting chaired by Mar Timotheos, that centre. We need to think beyond our prayer groups and
they should work towards becoming an official parish of parish boundaries to build on the Mar Thoma identity to
the Mar Thoma Church. He laid the foundations for their create an ecumenical space to work with other
spiritual growth through his simple lifestyle, total communities.
involvement and love for the community. We celebrated
our first twenty-one years in England on 30 July1978 withth
Verghese and his family provided hospitality and organised
late Most Revd Dr. Alexander Mar Thoma Metropolitan. travel arrangements for our visiting clergy and bishops. He
Our first vicar of the UK Mar Thoma Church was Revd also helped many new Malayalee immigrant families. This
Philip Varghese, Revd Dr. Abraham Philip followed him; he tribute to Verghese is also a tribute to all men and women
was also a student of the Oxford University, and late Revd who helped in building a Mar Thoma Community in the UK.
Dr. V. V. Alexander became the Emeritus Vicar. Let us thank God for them and their contributions. I hope
this short appreciation of Verghese’s contribution will be a
There were so many others who were so helpful in building stimulus to remember and acknowledge various
the community. In this respect we also should pay tribute contributions of others in building our parishes in towns
to Dr. K. John, late P. M. Oommen, late George John, late and cities of the UK.
T. C. George and V. M. Kattapuram. There are equally
important women who played significant roles; please Verghese was a weaver of the community and his
forgive me for not mentioning the names of others involved presence in the UK was a source of great comfort because
in building the early diaspora community in the UK in this he was always there when help was needed. Let us thank
short article. I only mentioned few names, but one could Verghese for his generosity of spirit and contributions, and
recollect so many things that these and others have done pray for his health and wellbeing. May God continue to
for us. Let us thank God for them. I very much hope that bless him.
every parish historian in the UK will record the

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