By Geoff McLean

Jesus was a teacher, and he often shared his lessons through stories. So it makes sense for us to learn about him through stories. But sometimes these stories don’t quite make sense, or we draw odd conclusions from them.

The purpose of studying Scripture is not to come up with the most unique interpretation. Is it not to get to know Jesus, who he was, and his message for us? An understanding of historical and literary context in the Scriptures illuminates our understanding of Jesus.

Ambassador College of Christian Ministry (ACCM) offers courses to help us do just that, most notably the class The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ. Taught with remarkable theological insight and fervor, these courses unwrap the greatest story of all, enriching our lifelong spiritual walk. Below is an introduction to the course.

A Google search on weekend intensives and workshops yields interesting results: everything from Yoga and the Chi-Ball method for harmony, to Coding HTML; from Lifestyle Financial Planning to Infection Control in Dentistry—and anything in between. Creative Beading anyone? Queen Bee Breeding on a Sunday? Whether for business or pleasure, these two-day classes demand top dollar.

The purpose of drawing attention to these intensives is not to discount them. To their targeted audience, each can be of tremendous value. A beekeeper may find the intensive class in queen bees a good investment of time and funds. Dentists may find it very helpful to get a concentrated course in infection control. A conscientious Christian may find it very helpful to take ACCM’s The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ.

John 14:9 says, "Anyone who has seen [Jesus] has seen the Father." Then whatever we can do to get a better view of Jesus is not a bad idea. Through Jesus we see what God is really like. After completing the Life and Teachings class, the view improves.

The Gospels are what formed and shaped the church, and they serve as the textbooks for the class. In a rare turn of events for students the world over, it is perhaps the first occasion where the text for a course had actually been read before the class begins. These four books provide a basis for the understanding of who Jesus was. Through our reading, we can form a basis for who Jesus IS.

The Life and Teachings course coaches people to get the most out of their reading by addressing the need to analyze and interpret it. In Fee and Stuart’s book, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, the role of the reader as an interpreter is discussed. For better or for worse, "we invariably bring to the text all that we are, all of our experiences, culture and prior understanding of words and ideas." Take the three-letter word "run" for example. You can have a run in a stocking, a computer can run well, you can run fast in a race, you can even run a weekend intensive. The word run has hundreds of meanings, so understanding its meaning in context is essential for interpreting its place in the text.

This process of examining the context of the text is part of exegesis. What did the author mean when he wrote this? What did his audience understand him to mean? What was the historical context at the time of writing? Taking into account the audience and historical and literary context are essential.

The course includes a brief history lesson on Roman times leading up to the birth of Jesus and first-century Palestine. Having a basic knowledge of the culture and times in which Jesus lived and taught proves very illuminating when gathering further meaning from perhaps otherwise familiar text.

In this case, the texts are a different kind of biography. Biographies are typically written posthumously. They describe with finality the achievements of their subject. The authors of the Gospels sat down with their quill many years after the events they describe, decades after Jesus walked amongst them. More importantly, long after he had died.

Uniquely, the authors of Jesus’ biography wrote with the conviction that their subject is still alive: that Jesus was resurrected. We’re not talking about a biography of George Clooney to supplement box-office sales. I’ve heard of celebrity careers being resurrected, but no examples of stars coming back to life. Jesus died and lives again.

This is the centrality that Christianity hinges on and the event through which the Gospels must be interpreted. Jesus is not just a teacher, not just a good prophet, not just a good philosopher. This is someone whose fundamental claim is to reveal God. His influence did not end with his life. To be sure, the great impact he was to have on all humanity merely began with his incarnation, continued on the cross, through to the resurrection and his ascension to heaven.

Learning about Jesus, and in turn getting to know the Father, is a lifelong process. Group learning experiences allow insights to be shared, especially when presented in such an insightful and committed way by the ACCM instructors. The resurrection of Christ as written in the Gospels opens up the confidence and comfort to share the good news, the best news, the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ.

Christ Community Church will be partnering again this year with Cincinnati Urban Ministry Outreach (C.U.M.O.), an urban church pastored by Pat Pugh, for a mission to the children of the Moosewood/Millvale communities of Cincinnati. In our mission, we will spend four days with the children, playing games, having fun, and worshipping with them using puppets, drama, object lessons, and music.

This year we are opening up missionary opportunities to 10-12 additional teens and young adults outside of our congregation. In addition to ministering to the children of Moosewood/Millvale, a new purpose of our mission is to train teens and young adults in an effective urban ministry experience that transforms lives, influences churches, and honors the Almighty God and his son Jesus Christ, and allows them to take this experience back to their community.

The cost of the mission is $300 per missionary. This includes lodging, meals, and transportation to and from the hotel to the mission site. A $50 deposit is due on April 15 (along with the application) for anyone who wants to participate as a missionary. We will provide a payment schedule to all applicants who pay the deposit by April 15.

If interested, please contact Wane or Julie Creager for an application. They can be reached at 513-779-9757, or by e-mail at creag12@yahoo.com.

The Italian church invites members and friends from all around the world to join them in this year's Summer Festival, which will be held on the world renowned island of Sardinia, in the town of Alghero.

The dates are August 25 through September 1. There will be worship services, seminars, prayer meetings, entertainment, youth activities, excursions and free time for visiting and enjoying the beautiful Sardinian beaches or other tourist attractions and to fellowship with the members. Simultaneous translations into English will be provided.

Cost per person per day, half board, in a four-star hotel (double occupancy, including breakfast and the evening meal) is 70 Euros (approximately $92). We also booked a good number of apartments close to the beach and with swimming pool starting at 520 Euro ($684) for the whole period. Alghero can be reached by plane or ferry. In order to get discounted rates and availability on specific dates, bookings would need to be done right away.

If interested, please request further information by writing to Worldwide Church of God, CP 67, 24030 Brembate di Sopra (BG), Italy. Or send email to wcgitaly@tin.it or phone +39 035 54 70 810.

If you want to enjoy a spiritually and physically profitable autumn festival, the Majorca site is a good place to go. In full sun, with the entire Mediterranean at your feet, Sun Club Eldorado Bungalows Resort offers you an unbeatable range of services where the pleasures of relaxing or playing sports in the open-air are unending. The site is a very special place for families with children and youngsters and for adults to enjoy a memorable spiritual retreat. The prices the Eldorado give us are unbeatable on the island at this time of year. The sermons will be in English and Dr. Ross F. Jutsum will be the worship director.

Copyright 2007 Worldwide Church of God