new apostolic schools - Vision International College & University

CHAPTER FIVE
PRINCIPLE 5: THE CHURCH
THE PLACE OF TRAINING
In our modern era, the local community church
building is often the most underutilized space in the
community. It is perfectly designed architecturally for
multiple activities, including the teaching of theological
subjects. Of course, the luxury of the type of facilities we
enjoy today did not exist in Jesus’ day. However, similar
structures to local churches were used in the New
Testament era for the training of believers.
In the New Testament, the most comprehensive
picture of God’s plan for training was modeled through the
life of Christ. In John 3, Nicodemus made a very profound
statement when he said,
“He came to Jesus at night and said,
‘Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who
has come from God. For no one could
perform the miraculous signs you are
doing if God were not with him”
The primary focus of Christ’s ministry was that of
discipleship, or the transference of the Father’s plan and
purpose from His life into His disciples’ lives. When they
were finished with their educational program, the three and
a half years they spent with Jesus here on earth, God’s
vision was for them to take up the mantle and carry on the
traditions established by Christ. With this mantle they
would be able to fully communicate everything that they
had been taught and do everything that Jesus had done in
the same way and the same measure that Jesus Himself did.
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