The Growth of the Kingdom
Part 2
By Carlos M. Aguilar

Matt 13:33---Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

I am sure we can assume that Jesus had seen women making bread. Everybody knew about it. So he said that the kingdom was like leaven placed in three measure of meal. There is nothing especially significant about the three measures Probably Jesus mentioned three measures because this was the ordinary amount of meal used in a single baking. Some commentators of the past, however, have allegorized the parable and have made the three measure stand for the three sons of Noah, or the body, the mind, and the spirit of man. Some suggestions typify how far astray some interpretations of the parables have gone. They clearly illustrate how a parable can be greatly misunderstood by attempting to find a parallel for every point in the story.

In ancient times leaven as a separate ingredient was not available as it is today. In the leavening of bread, dough was kept over from a previous baking and inserted in the new mixture to ferment it. In the New Testament leaven is used as a symbol of both good and evil. The Jews identified fermentation with rottenness, and thus they to refer to an evil influence often used leaven. Thus Jesus warned his disciples of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod (Mk 8:15); and Paul said on several occasions, "A little leaven leavens the whole lump" (1Cor 5:6; Gal 5:9). But leaven was likewise used by the Jews to represent a good influence. Standing either for good or bad, leaven was a figure for any strong and pervasive influence. In this parable Jesus speaks of leaven in the good sense, as a woman uses it for a good purpose to make light and wholesome bread. So understood, the kingdom is like leaven in several respects.

The Inner Influence:

Leaven does it work from within. It can do nothing to the dough until it is put inside. The religion of Christ works that way. The true influence that changes men works within a man's heart. Mankind cannot be lifted up by mere external improvements. A poverty-stricken nation may receive food and clothing and better housing, but the nation will not really be changed until it is given something within. Likewise, a man is not converted unless he is converted within---until his heart is changed. Christianity is like leaven. It is not on the outside trying to get in, but it is on the inside trying to get out.

When leaven is put in the baking meal, it changes the ingredients. When Christ and his kingdom are introduced to mankind, great changes take place. Christianity is a disturbing thing. It upsets people. At Philippi, it was said of Paul and his friends, in Acts 16:20, "...These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city.” At Thessalonica, against the same men, the cry was "...These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” (Acts 17:6). So it has always been. When Christ comes into a man's heart, he becomes a new man. He does new deeds (Col 3:5-17): “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry…in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them…But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,…Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,…Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. He has new thoughts (Col 3:1-4); “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” He has new ambitions of work and service (Matt 20:26-28). In short, he is a new creature (2 Cor 5:17). The leaven of Christ has transformed his life.

Leaven works contagiously "until the whole is leavened." Leaven is aggressive. It does not stop until it has spread through the whole mixture. The kingdom of God, likewise, spreads by contagion. For example, some of Jesus' first disciples were brought to Him by others. Andrew found Peter, Philip found Nathanael, and so on (John 1:40-45). The early church multiplied by leaps and bound because the word of God spread. The church is in the soul-winning business and the only way it can do its business is for every member to be a soul winner.

CHURCH HISTORY: A BIBLICAL VIEW
Part VI - No. 38 Compiled and written by Gary Eubanks

By the beginning of the Eighteenth Century Rationalism had left the English religious scene dull and dry with sterile intellectualism. The gospel of Christ in the minds of many people was nothing more than a divinely sanctioned system of morality - an attitude reflected in the vitiated, colorless lectures of pulpiteer preachers. As always, there were those who wanted more than this out of religion, and it is not surprising that a reaction developed to this religious sterility (Jn. 4:24; I Cor. 14:15). This reaction came in the form of private "religious societies' devoted to prayer, Scripture reading, mutual encouragement, benevolent aid, revitalized preaching, and a generally warmer spiritual life. From such societies Methodism sprang.

John Wesley, the father of Methodism, was born on June 17, 1703, and his brother Charles, also to be a prominent figure in the movement, on December 18, 1707. After receiving his education John was ordained a deacon in the Church of England in 1725, though his conversion did not occur until 1738. In 1728 he was ordained a priest. In 1729 he became a leader of a religious club formed at Oxford by Charles and other students. It was characterized by higher religious ideals than generally prevailed and thus received the derision of those who dubbed it the "Holy Club" and "Methodists" (presumably from their insistence upon methodical prayer and Bible reading). The latter name stuck.

In 1735 the Wesley brothers sailed to Georgia for what was to be a brief and disappointing ministry. John labored earnestly, but his tactlessness and high ideals soon resulted in resentment toward him. This reached a climax in the case of Sophy Hopkey, a woman deemed worthy of being his wife and evidently holder of his affections. Yet, John wavered between matrimony and clerical celibacy. Throughout his life he had a tendency toward resolution of his quandaries by superstitious methods such as usage of the first Scripture to which he happened to pen or the drawing of lots. When the lot fell against Miss Hopkey her resentment led her to hastily marry another suitor. Wesley refused her communion on the grounds that she was not making proper preparation (I Cor. 11:28). (For a long time Wesley also refused to allow unordained men to administer the sacraments.) To others this seemed the action of a disgruntled suitor. His influence in shambles, Wesley was forced to return to England. However, Wesley had come away with one memorable lesson from his experiences in America. En route to America he was much impressed by the pious conduct of Moravian passengers, particularly during a storm. Thereafter, Wesley was attracted to the Moravians and emulated some of their ways, though differences with them kept him from ever uniting permanently with them.

On the evening of May 24, 1738 John Wesley attended a religious meeting on Aldersgate Street in London and there experienced the conversion that was to be the greatest turning point of his life. It occurred during the reading of Luther's preface to the Commentary on Romans. He describes it in his own words thusly: "About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me, that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death".

Because of his views many pulpits of the establishment were closed to Wesley, so he resorted to preaching to the "societies" or wherever he could find an audience, especially among the lower classes. Emotions ran high under Wesley's preaching, and people sometimes gave way to crying, fainting, or convulsions. Such actions were viewed as workings of the Holy Spirit or the resistance of the Devil by Methodist preachers, but they only increased the suspicions of establishment clergymen (I Cor. 14:23,27-33,40).

Controversy between Wesley and other Methodists broke out primarily over two doctrines. Firstly, Wesley taught perfectionism, the doctrine that one may reach a state of absolute freedom from sin. Wesley and his followers believed this "sanctification" or "second blessing" was produced by a direct operation of the Holy Spirit and occurred sometime after justification. (Wesley's exact views on perfectionism are unclear, and he himself never claimed to have attained perfection. Modern Methodism has abandoned the doctrine., but offshoots from it, such as the Holiness sects, still place much emphasis upon it.) Wesley also engaged in controversy with Calvinistic Methodists over the doctrine of predestination. Wesley had strongly anti-Calvinistic views on this matter.

Wesley was also a great organizer. As Methodism rapidly acquired adherents, he saw the need for greater discipline and organization. He organized the first real Methodist "society" in 1739. He issued "society tickets" to those he considered worthy of full membership. Members were further divided into classes. Each class had a leader who was charged with collecting a penny from each member every week. Societies were formed into "circuits" with a superintendent in charge of each. Despite this organization it was never Wesley's intention to break away from the Church of England, and the Methodists were never formally separated from the Church of England until sometime after Wesley's death in 1791.

From 1726 until it was overshadowed by the American Revolution a vast religious fervor swept America. It has been called "the Great Awakening" and seems to have been the American version of the revivals that occurred in England (Methodism) and Germany (Pietism). It was characterized by fiery preaching and emotional displays. Emphasis was placed on sin and salvation while doctrinal differences among denominations were downplayed. "Conversion" took the form of an emotional experience which provided entrance to a transformed life characterized by strict morality and earnest piety. As usual, there were clashes between those who embraced the invigorating new religious style and those who preferred the old, more sedate style.

DOES IT MATTER WHAT OTHERS THINK OF YOU?
by Maxie Boren

Have you ever heard someone say something like this in defense of his stubborn and rebellious conduct: "I don't care what anybody thinks about me...I'm going to do what I want to do, regardless"? A lot of people feel that way, as they engage in all sorts of sinful pursuits and run "rough-shod" over the rights and feelings of others. Such as act that way earn reputations fitting the way they live.

But for those wanting to do what is right, the Bible teaches the importance of a "good name." Solomon, the wise man, wrote, "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches…” (Proverbs 22:1).

The reputation one has is generally a rather accurate reflection of his character and conduct. Thus, Christians are taught to be blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as lights in the world…” (Philippians 2:15). Note also such Scriptures as 1 Peter 2:11-12, Matthew 5:16, 7:12, etc.

Only in the sense of one's determination to do what is right could a Christian venture to say, "I'm going to do what the Bible teaches as best I can, and people will just have to think of me what they want." For an example, the early Christians to whom Peter wrote, who had ceased to do evil things and were intent on doing "the will of God," were being spoken against by their former worldly friends...read 1 Peter 4:1-4. In such a case as that, any one of them could have said, "I don't care what they think, I am going to do what I know the Lord would have me do." In fact, Jesus taught His disciples, "Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you..." (Luke 6:26)

We should seek to have a well-earned "good name" by a right "manner of life" (see Philippians 1:27, ASV) among caring people, but realize that those "of the world" will speak against us. Don't fret about the latter, but rather, expect it.

We hope you find this bulletin useful in your Bible study.

2 Sam 22:31
 As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. NKJV

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