Tag Archives: Edward Fudge

May 30 2009

Power from on High, Pentecost.


“Almost 2,000 years ago, following the atoning sacrifice made by Jesus Christ and his exaltation in heaven, God poured out his Spirit on Jesus’ followers on the earth. Those events marked the beginning of the Last Days — a time of salvation and messianic blessings to believers in all nations. This era, foretold by the prophets, will continue until Jesus returns to judge the world and to bring about the consummation of God’s everlasting Kingdom. During the interim, Jesus is present with his people through the Holy Spirit – and he immerses them in his personal Presence and power.”

These are the words of my friend Edward Fudge. There are many, many questions about the work of the Holy Spirit in today’s world and about what really happend on that first Pentecost after the birth of Jesus and the story of Acts 2 in the Bible.

Brother Fudge has written an excellent, outlined, study of this subject and you can read it here on his website. “

POWER FROM ON HIGH

The baptism of the Holy Spirit

I have long held these exact views and have written extensively about them but not nearly as well as Edward Fudge. Our people need to know these great Bible truths today.

Please leave a comment after reading.

For truth,
Royce

 

Mar 29 2009

Extra Time in Tulsa, Snow Day…


As we were enjoying the last day of the Tulsa Workshop a layer of global warming up to several inches blanket the greater Tulsa area making highway travel treacherous and eventually canceling flights. Since one of our group from Monroe/West Monroe is in a motor home and I and my traveling pal are in a pickup truck pulling a U-Haul with the display material for World Radio and Celebrate Recovery we thought it might be wise to wait until today to begin our trip home. 

I awoke this morning feeling rested and refreshed and ready to get going. I made coffee and decided to check my email once more before leaving and then realized it was 1:15 a.m. The coffee couldn’t just sit in the pot for five hours, so I am drinking the coffee and watching Fox News. Perhaps I’ll get a few more hours sleep before day breaks. 

The Workshop, “Evangelistic Revolution”, was a grand success in my view. This was my first time for this annual event but Lord willing will not be my last. Here are some highlights for me. 

  • I met several bloggers whose names I will not list because I don’t want to forget one which I’m positive I will do if I try to name them all. It was a joy to put faces with names and meet these fine young men, (every one many years my junior). These bloggers are very bright, gifted, serious followers of Jesus. I feel honored to know them and have them read my blog.
  • I was blessed and humbled by perhaps two dozen people who told me they read Grace Digest and enjoy it and have been helped in some way and blessed by reading. It is refreshing to know that in my tiny place in the kingdom the Lord can use me to encourage someone else, help someone understand God’s revelation better, and in some way build up a fellow follower of Jesus.
  • Patrick Mead. This funny man with a funny accent was both entertaining and challenging. His ministry at Rochester Hills church in Michigan is a marvel. Patrick is one to be imitated, at a minimum in principal and theory of ministry. Love them as they are, where they are, expecting nothing in return, and love them until they ask “Why?” Patrick is comfortable in his own skin, stepping outside the boundaries of church of Christ traditions for the sake of Christ. Much of what Patrick says and does must make some in our denomination nuts. But, he and his people are doing what most of the rest of us are not doing, fleshing out the life of Jesus right in the middle of Satan’s stronghold. It is my joy to have met Patrick and now cherish him as a friend and brother.
  • Edward Fudge. For several years I have learned from and admired this good man from afar. I have communicated with him a few times, asking his opinion about something I had discovered in my study of the Word, or complimenting him on something he had written. There is no person in churches of Christ that I respect more than this humble servant. Not only was I blessed to hear him speak three times but also had the opportunity to visit with him at the Workshop and over dinner. The experience was one I will always cherish and hold dear. Edward, like Leroy Garrett and others, who dared to put truth over church tradition, have paid a price. He has endured the scorn and slander of men who put human effort on a level with God’s grace. You should get a copy of Edward’s latest book, a commentary on the book of Hebrews. You can preorder it here. I hope God gives brother Fudge many more years of fruitful ministry. God bless you Edward Fudge.
  • I heard a common theme, the grace of God and the need to make His gracious offer given in the gospel known out where the people live, work, and play. Many of our people are awakened to the stark reality that the methods, and even perhaps the message, of the churches of Christ of a few decades ago just aren’t going to get the job of reconciliation done. There is no biblical precedent for expecting the lost to come to our churches, attend “gospel meetings”, or be drawn to a rigid set of rules and doing, doing, doing to try to get God to like us more. Please God let the trend toward grace and forgiveness continue at the expense of legalism and condemnation. May we as a movement be able to truly say “We preach Christ”.
  • Spending time with John Grigson has been wonderful. I have known John for about 9 years. His story is one of the love and the grace of God written on a human tapestry. John’s enthusiasm for ministry, his devotion to Christ, his hunger for the Word of God, and his contagious smile make this dear brother on of my favorite people on the planet. What a wonderful treat to be able to travel several hours with John and to enjoy his fellowship, something I will not soon forget.
  • Getting to know Mike Eppinette. We go to the same church each Sunday and Wednesday, I have heard him teach, and I have spoken to him, but this few days in Tulsa I have been able to get to know him a bit and it has been wonderful. Mike is a great speaker and fund raiser for World Radio and is always smiling and making everyone around him smile as well. He is a good man and I’m glad to call him friend.

 

My Tulsa experience has been absolutely wonderful and I am already looking forward to coming again in 2010. It is 3:28 a.m. and time for a nap.

 

Royce

Mar 23 2009

HEBREWS: ANCIENT ENCOURAGEMENT FOR BELIEVERS TODAY, by Edward William Fudge, a review


coverpicheb2In church of Christ circles Edward Fudge is both despised and loved but one thing everyone, including those outside of churches of Christ, can agree on is Edward’s consistant, life long habit of putting the focus of his message and ministry on Jesus Christ our Lord.

I became acquanted with Edward Fudge upon the recommendation of a friend who disagreed with some of my teaching but did so in a loving way. He thought I would enjoy Bro’ Fudge’s gracEmail and he was right about that. Over the past few years I have solicited his opinion, asked him to critique some of my study and conclusions, and have found in him a kindred spirit who is full of grace and love for all who love Jesus.

When Edward asked me to review his latest book, HEBREWS, Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today I was delighted to do so. This great work comes highly recommended and rightly so. It is a verse by verse commentary on the book of Hebrews.

Edward Fudge, always a scholar, has obviously done his work well documenting back ground work, original languages, several translations of Scripture, and acknowledging other authors ideas. But the finished product is as readable as the morning paper. Every pastor/teacher and every person in the pew or behind a podium will want this wonderful resource at arms length when the book of Hebrews is explored and studied.

I especially appreciate the frankness and fairness exhibited throughout the book. In dealing with those passages in Hebrews which have been historically the most controversial and in some cases the most difficult to understand, Fudge has given not only his conclusions but also a very balanced and fair presentation of the most prominent conclusions as well. Unlike many of his peers, Fudge trusts his readers to read and make their own conclusions. This almost unique treatment I really appreciate.

The whole of the volume is rich and encouraging and well worth reading and sharing, but one thing stands out clearly. Jesus is better! He is better than the angels, better than the Levitical Priesthood, better than the animal sacrifices, and His once for all people, once for all time offering of His own body for sinners is quite enough to satisfy completely our Holy Father.

There is no reconciliation without representation. Just as Adam was our representative head and we died when he died, Jesus is now our representative and we died when He died, and rose when He rose, and live because He lives. And, as Edward Fudge beautifully writes, we now have a man (God/man) in heaven who continues to represent us until He comes again to complete our salvation.

Many thanks brother Fudge for the gift of your love and labor. May it bring glory to Christ our Lord.

The book is published by Leafwood Publishers, Abilene, Texas and will soon be available in your favorite book store or you can contact the author at Edward@EdwardFudge.com

Royce Ogle

Mar 23 2009

Edward Fudges talks about his latest book


coverpichebHEBREWS:  ANCIENT  ENCOURAGEMENT FOR  BELIEVERS TODAY, by Edward William Fudge (Leafwood Publishers, 2009, softcover, 262 pages, $19.95. Delivery on or before May 19, 2009 ). 

The following is an interview with Edward William Fudge, author of HEBREWS: ANCIENT  ENCOURAGEMENT FOR  BELIEVERS TODAY (Leafwood Publishers, 2009, softcover, 262 pages, $19.95). Delivery on or before May 19, 2009).  

A neglected book 

Q: Hebrews is not a book we hear discussed very often. Why do you suppose that is the case? 

EWF: You are right about that. This neglect is very unfortunate, in my view, because Hebrews is one of the most Jesus-focused, gospel-packed books in the New Testament. You will see the evidence for that on almost every page of Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today. 

Q: Why do most people miss this focus? 

EWF: It comes from a lack of real study of Hebrews. Folks go away from it without ever seeing and appreciating the book’s real message. They assume it is just an old book about even older Jewish rituals, sacrifices and priests, with no meaning or value for them.   

Who wrote Hebrews? 

Q: Do you know who wrote Hebrews? 

EWF: I know as much about it as anyone else, which is finally nothing for sure! J Origen told the truth about two centuries after Christ when he said that the author “is known to God alone.” It almost certainly was not Paul, for a variety of reasons. My personal vote among the candidates goes either to Barnabas or to Apollos. 

Q: Why do you favor Barnabas? 

EWF: The author of Hebrews calls his own work a “word of exhortation” (Heb. 13:22). The same Greek expression is found at Acts 13:15, where it is translated as “word of encouragement.” There, Paul and Barnabas are invited to address a Sabbath synagogue audience, which they do for the next 31 verses. Their remarks are called a “word of encouragement.” Not only is Barnabas involved in that, his name means “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36) – a comment on one of his chief characteristics. He is also a Levite, who would be very interested in the subjects of priesthoods, sacrifices, and their results. These themes  permeate Hebrews and can also encourage us today, as I show in Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today. 

Q: What can you say in favor of Apollos? 

EWF: Well, for starters he is called “mighty in the Scriptures” (Acts 18:24). This fits Hebrews very well since its author clearly was exceedingly familiar with his ‘Bible,’ which was the “Old Testament” as we call it. (Hebrews actually tells the Story of the Son of God — from heaven to earth and back to heaven again — based on four different Psalms.) Apollos was also “an eloquent man,” as was the author of Hebrews). And he was from Alexandria, Egypt – a city of learning noted for a particular type of Scripture interpretation. The author of Hebrews reads his Bible in a similar manner. 
 

Why was Hebrews written?

Q: Do we know why Hebrews was written? 

EWF: Yes we do, although we don’t know exactly to whom, when, where, or precisely what was going on. But we do know that, for a variety of reasons, the original recipients of Hebrews were worn out, disheartened, tempted, and seemingly about ready to walk away from their faith. The book hints at some possible causes, including persecution, passing of time, being misfits in their culture, the appeal of sin, and so forth. 

Q: That situation sounds very up-to-date! How does the author of Hebrews respond to it? 

EWF: I love it! To revive his readers’ spirits and to renew their commitment, the unknown author re-tells the Story – the story of the Son of God who became a man, to live and die as our representative, and who is now in heaven representing us as our High Priest. Hebrews is thoroughly focused on Jesus! Its message is always contemporary. We can never go wrong by focusing on the Savior himself. I am very pleased that several reviewers have described Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today in those same terms.  

A ‘bridge’ commentary 

Q: You call Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today a “bridge” commentary. What does that mean?  

EWF:  When it comes to Bible studies, there are two worlds out there which often never come together. One is the ivory-tower world of academic specialists with all their scholarly issues and technical jargon. The other world is where most believers live and work and worship. Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today attempts to bridge this gap. For example, I worked from the Greek text of Hebrews but Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today doesn’t have a single Greek word in it. Although the bibliography covers eight pages and includes 80+ scholarly articles from theological journals, this book uses everyday language. By linking scholarship with simplicity, I hope to give the reader the best of both worlds.  

A narrative-style book 

Q: You also describe Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today as a “narrative-style” commentary. Tell us about that. 

EWF: That refers to the fact that Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today is written as flowing narrative, although it discusses each verse of Hebrews in detail. It does this in 48 chapters, each covering a portion of the Scripture text. Each chapter begins with a very short section called “Why & Wherefore,” which relates that section to the big picture. That is followed by “Unpacking the Text,” which goes into detail, but in narrative style, with subheads to make it read more like a typical book. 

Endorsements 

Q: I see that Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today is already endorsed by a considerable variety of notable scholars and church leaders, even before its release. Isn’t that a bit unusual? 

EWF: What is somewhat uncommon in the case of Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today is the theological and international diversity of the endorsements. Hebrews contains a number of quite controversial passages, about which Christian “tribes” traditionally disagree. I am very pleased, therefore, that this book is recommended by knowledgeable reviewers across the spectrum. 

For example, the quotes on the back cover of Hebrews: Ancient Encouragement for Believers Today come from Methodist, Calvinist, Church of Christ, Baptist, mainline Protestant, Pentecostal and Emergent church scholars. The full text of these seven endorsements, plus 29 others, fills the first six pages of the book. You can read the endorsements online already, with photos, biographical comments and (where applicable) website links of the reviewers, by clicking here http://www.EdwardFudge.com/endorsements_Heb.html . 

Tomorrow I plan to post my review of this important book.

Royce