T30 - well it’s been a month

15/10/2009 by paul.

I’m not sure what is most impressive, that I have managed to write something on here about everyday of my visit, or that I have found very little food that is uncomfortable for my stomach in a month! But it has been a month since I arrived. Today I marked the month with a trip. On my first day, you may be remember, I went to the water purification plant with the senior citizens group. Well today was their AGM which was held at some hot springs. Driving for about an hour north of Taipei into the hills, on some very suspect roads, we made it to our destination. It seemed just like a restuarant/hotel and we were shepherded into a room for our meeting. The meeting lasted about two hours which included about an hour of worship, with Hsinte giving a thirty minute sermon on 1 John 5; and, then, about an hours worth of business which included voting in the president for next year. The ballot was all very serious, and I was quite relieved I didn’t get any votes.

After the meeting there was opportunity to use the hot springs. These were quite different from the ones I visited previously. This time we each got our own little cubicle, which, on reflection look a bit like a prison cell…

Thankfully the water was nice and warm, I shut my eyes, put the ipod on and could have been anywhere!
After a 30 min soak we headed back to the restaurant for lunch, another huge ten course banquet…

After an hour driving through the foggy countryside we headed back to Taipei. I had a few moments to sort out my notes for the English Bible study in the evening on 1 Peter.

Six of us met together for the study. Hopefully with meeting each week between now and when I leave we will be able to study the whole of 1 Peter. The study tried to achieve two things - helping people understand English -vocab and grammar, and also give space to discuss the passage. The passage for today was 1 Peter 1:1-12.

We split the passage into three. Verses 1-2 gave us the opportunity to think about who recieved the letter, who wrote it, when did they write it, what was happening at the time, and how it got to us from the mouth of Peter. I favour the thought that Peter wrote the letter, since thats what it says, probably with help of Silas (or Silvanus, see ch.5). It was written to churches in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. Since I favour Peter as the author, I also favour an early date around 62-63AD while Peter was in Rome and Nero was the Emporer. Nero had begun persecuting the Christians at this point but not quite to the extent that he would after blaming them for the fire in Rome in the next couple of years. However it is clear that Peter is writing to Christians who are under the pressure of persecution. At this point I was wary, because my thoughts about the persecution of Christians may well be quite different from the of the Taiwanese peopel in the group. However we moved onto think about verses 3-5 which show us the blessings that Gos has given to us - mercy, new birth, a living hope, an inheritance, faith, being shielded by God’s power and salvation. These things are blessing despite persecution - perhaps Peter is reminding the church members that despite their suffering God has blessed. Perhaps sometimes we too need to be reminded of just what God has done for us, and not just to take it for granted. In verses 6-9 Peter relates this to the particular situation. In verse 6 he mentions their suffering, and whilst not dimishing it in anyway, he goes on to encourage them. He says that their faith is amazing, and that the goal of their faith is the salvation that Jesus bought for them on the cross. What else could anyone say that is more encouraging, regardless of context? Finally in verses 10-12, Peter tells them that God has been working for so long to help these Chritians see the gospel in its fullness. He says that the work of all the Old Testament Prophets was for the Christians - so that they could see what Jesus had done for them. And he finishes by saying that even the angels long to look into the things which the Christians know by faith. Another great encouragement for us is to consider all that God has done for us to help us see the gospel. He has worked through the whole of time to make sure that little me, Paul Robinson, in Taiwan, would know of Jesus. Creation, calling Abram, Moses, Joshua, the kings and Old Testament prophets and priest, sending Jesus to earth to live and die for our sins, raising him to life again, nurturing the disciples, founding the church, working through our corrupt ideas of church over the centuries, working in my grandparents and parents lives - it was all so that I could know him today. Everything he has done was so that I can know him - and, he has done the same for you too - will you too be a Jesus-follower?

Well I think that is just about enough for one day - tomorrow should be slightly more relaxing

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