October 11


And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine… Acts 2:42


The apostles were uneducated fishermen, and that is what makes this statement breathtaking, as it reveals God’s daring plan to commit the future of His Church into the hands of such men. These men didn’t suddenly start writing theological books, and they certainly didn’t suddenly produce a systematic theology! Thousands of books have been written about the apostles’ teaching, but none of those books can equal or replace it. Our minds thirst for order and explanations, but these cannot satisfy the thirst of our hearts. The apostles’ doctrine is all to do with the communication of God’s heartbeat. Hearing God’s heartbeat will never make us feel clever, smug or superior – it will melt our hearts to tears of love and compassion. It will heal our wounded character from deep scars. Apostles are close friends of Jesus, who have been taken into His confidence. They know His thoughts and His feelings. This is why apostles are so rare. There are no natural strengths or gifts that can qualify them. Their chief characteristic is a deep and raw thirst for God Himself. The voice of Jesus awakens a thirst for God in men and women, educated and uneducated, rich and poor. This thirst carries them out of their natural limitations and makes them extraordinary people.