The Baptist recruited men sharing his commitment to righteousness under Law. Jesus recruited men who could only become like him when he empowered them on Pentecost John 14:15-18, 23, 25-26, Acts 2:1ff, as examples.
The difference between the leaders: the mortal John could find other mortals, especially in that religion-focused land, dedicated to strong Mosaic lives. The God-in-the-flesh-Jesus would find no one like him. As the writer’s 4-volume study Their Own Best Defense repeatedly proves, the disciples as men of their age couldn’t have produced the Jesus who LIVED by his own genius. Consider just three examples for this blog. He amazed the disciples when he said it was hard for rich people to be saved—reflecting Prosperity Theology of the day Matthew 19:23-25. They were astonished that Jesus would no longer allow husbands quick divorces Matthew 19:10. They feared the Pharisees’ view that ceremonial washing remained in place even after Jesus rescinded it Matthew 15:10-12. The men-of-their-age mentality met its end in Pentecost’s Fire. Which kindled Christ’s mind alive in them as it extinguished their old natures. Then, and ever-after, the apostles served Jesus with all the spiritual ferocity of all the wild beasts in creation. The Holy Spirit turned their energies into the single focus of spiritual work in Christ’s name. So empowered, bold and unafraid, courageous and fearless, they counted no cost to serve their Lord and any cost paid recompensed beyond calculation. Their faithfulness to Jesus, under incredible toil common to all, I Corinthians 4:9-13, found their fullest expression in Paul’s life, II Corinthians 11:16-29. Even a God-given respite by a beatific vision, glorious as it was, meant an added hardship II Corinthians 12:7-10. It almost seems that the unconscionable hatred Saul of Tarsus expressed for Christ had its counterpart in the sufferings Jesus imposed on Paul the Apostle Acts 9:15-16. End Part XI
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