SPOTTED
October 24, 2008, by Ozias
Segura Segura Osías
costaricense Theologian, has taught at the seminar
ESEPA
. He is currently completing his doctorate at Fuller Theological Seminary in California.
Today we talk a lot about the family and the need to base our families and family relationships on biblical principles. If we look at the books of Luke and Acts we see that the home plays a central role in the ministry of the early Christians.
According to Luke, Jesus not only practiced in word and deed to the home mission, but also taught his 72 disciples to evangelize sent home by saying "bless the house, drink and eat whatever they serve them "(Luke 10). Jesus told the messengers that come into the houses, bring salvation to those, and stay there to develop a fellowship around the table. In Acts we find a parallel to Luke when we find Cornelius (10:1-11:18), Lydia (16:11-15), the Roman jailer (16:25-34), and Crispus (18:1-11 ) who are four converts, householders, and converted with all his house as an example of church planting. The missionary strategy helped the growth of the early church, and presents the conversion and discipleship happening at home.
In Acts, the Roman soldier Cornelius was the first God-fearing Gentile convert. Lydia, a wealthy Roman merchant and gentle woman, becomes the second God-fearing and first converted into European soil. The Roman jailer becomes the first convert the heathen in Acts and the first pagan to whom Paul and Silas eat. Finally converted Crispus, who was president of the synagogue in Corinth -. This shows examples of how the house or home replaced the synagogue as a place of worship for early Christians, and thus the Mediterranean hospitality cultural open door to salvation. The literary model homes turn becomes a vehicle for theological vision of universal salvation Luke. Thus, the object of conversion is not the individual but the entire home-home.
This shows a development of a strategic network of church-home Throughout the Roman Empire. Another interesting observation is the inclusiveness of the gospel not only brings fellowship around a table to fearful and afraid of God but also to pagans. Through a ritual of initiation (baptism) salvation came to all at home, showing in Luke-Acts that the stories of conversion appear to be about beginnings, not just instant conversions.
In Acts (10:48, 16:15 a, 18:8), baptism marks the acceptance of salvation in the home. The conversion in Luke-Acts becomes a way of sacramentalize the atmosphere for the whole family and community where the conversion seems to be a matter of individualistic concern, but a communal experience. The conversion takes place sharing and dialogue first, and then participating and belonging. This is illustrated in the Lucas principle of salvation: salvation of Jew and Gentile via a fellowship around the table.
Thus for Luke, the house or home becomes an intimate space for hospitality and faith dialogue. Lucas takes this missiological strategy of Jesus himself. Thus, Jesus appears as the exemplary missionary home. And in the intimacy of private homes, the home becomes a place to heal, to teach, and eat, and also a place for conflict and division. He sends his messengers to the homes (Luke 9:1-6, 10:1-16), thus anticipating the role that the home would have for the first Christian communities in the book of Acts. In certain passages Lucas even has a special interest in the home and the symbolic sphere of salvation and healing, rather than restoration (15:6, 8, 25) justification (18:9-14), and holism (8:39). However, the family often appears in Luke as an obstacle to evangelization (9:59-62, 14:20,26, 18:28-29), not objects of evangelization and in the Acts. Indeed this tension presents the gospel with a mixed reception at home, perhaps similar to that of the synagogue (Luke 4:16-30, Acts 13:44 s52, 14:1-2, 17:4-5, 19:9, 28:24).
As we can see Lucas does not focus on isolated conversion stories, but presents the conversion and salvation, which reaches a communal context of hospitality and fellowship. So when we talk about a strategy of evangelism and discipleship of the New Testament, read well the biblical text. We must recognize that it is time to strengthen families, not just lectures, conferences, and retreats, but also giving back the responsibility of studying the Scriptures, fellowship, hospitality, evangelism, and discipleship.
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