Training and activity

Continuums are everywhere.

This particular continuum I sometimes see in a Christian's view on investing years to study the theology/doctrine at Bible college. On one side, there are those who feel they already know enough to begin their ministry, and years spent at Bible college are a grind. They feel they know about Jesus and have read the gospels a number of times, they've been in churches that faithfully teach the Bible for years and they just think, 'Let me go!'. On the other side, are those who never feel qualified enough. They study for years but still feel they don't know enough, and they feel right at home in a Bible college to point they don't want to leave.

Actually, as I write, these observations are probably true of the 'everyday' Christian too (like myself). The symptoms being a persistent perception of themselves as having a lack of ability to go out and tell the gospel, or, going out with no prep and being quickly found loose.

But I'm thinking particularly about the disciples being sent out by Jesus in chapter 10 of Matthew. Now, the disciples are men who get things wrong! In Matthew, they are regularly referred to 'as men of little faith'; in Mark, men without faith! These men, you would think, are not ready to be entrusted with the same message Jesus had been teaching, the message of the 'Kingdom at hand', and with the power to do his works among the Israelites. On the other hand, these men had been with Jesus for a while now (not exactly sure, but maybe a couple of years by now?), hearing his teaching, seeing his actions and miracles. So it's not as if they had no training at all.

So how can they- as men with some teaching in their back pocket, but little faith- go and be the first bearers (besides Jesus) of such great news? v20. Because "it is not they who speak, but the Spirit of the Father". That's why: the Spirit we have in us is also in them.