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Word in Life Reports (Acrobat PDF Format)
Government
-What should be the Christian's relationship to governmental authorities? How did Jesus deal with political authorities of His day? How did the early church not only survive but thrive in an increasingly hostile political climate? To find out the answers to these and related questions, study the articles below and the passages to which they relate.
Laity
-When we examine the New Testament's description of the early church, we find that pastors, teachers, and other leaders functioned for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12). That means ministry was primarily the job of people who lived and worked in the everyday world. Study the articles below to find out what the Bible has to say about the value, calling, and work of laypeople. Also study the lives of individual lay people by using the list of personality profiles elsewhere in this index section.
Leadership
-Throughout Scripture a fundamental principle of leadership is portrayed
through the lives of men and women and that is to lead others one must serve
others. This is as true in public life and the business world as it is in
the church. No number of corporate memos or rah-rah speeches exhorting
workers to commit themselves to an organization or its clients will has as
much powerful an impact as a person of authority modeling consistency and
the attitude of a servant: placing other’ needs before one’s own,
committing oneself to doing concrete things to meet those needs, and looking
for neither favors nor reciprocity from the people one serves.
Power
-Our society places a great deal of emphasis on power. What does the Bible teach on this issue? See the following articles and their related texts.
The Roman World Transformed
-The Roman Empire was one of the greatest superpowers the world has ever seen. Much of its greatness was fueled by the normal human drives of power and pleasure. One has only to look at the legacy of the emperors, such as Nero (see Acts 25:12), or the rulers that Rome installed, such as the Herods (see Acts 12:1-2) and Pontius Pilate, to realize that much of the empire's foundation ultimately rested on the self-interest of its leaders.
Yet an upstart movement with a radically different approach to leadership and fulfillment challenged and eventually overcame that pattern. Quietly at first, but with determination and mounting effectiveness, Jesus and His followers transformed their world, as the New Testament and other writings of that period show. Here is an overview of some of the revolutionary changes brought on by the burgeoning movement that came to be known as Christianity.
Work
-In today's world some people see their work as a long, dark tunnel between leisurely weekends, others as a passion bordering on addiction; some as a curse from God, others as a divine calling. What does the Bible say about this crucial area that so dominates day-to-day life? Find out by studying the articles listed below and their related passages.
Working Friends in the Bible
-The ancient Near East has often been called the “cradle of civilization.”
Highly developed cultures flourished in the region long before Abraham
(about 2100 B.C.). Many skills that eventually developed into occupations
and trades originated there.
Study notes from the Word In Life Study Bible, copyright 1993,1996, by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission. The study notes from the Word In Life Study Bible appearing at this web site are for personal use only.
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Word In Life Study Bible