Ancient History Group

Who were the God-Fearers in the time of Peter and Paul?

 

(image: Paul Hart at http://www.flickr.com/photos/hartville/28647592/sizes/m/in/photostream/) 

Our next meeting will take place a week from this Wednesday, on 21 September at 7.30pm in Monkstown Meeting House. The topic, is "Who were the God-Fearers in the time of Peter and Paul? " Accordingly, I attach a few primary source excerpts below and also direct you to the following website to read an article about them.
A.T. Kraabel, “The Disappearance of the God-Fearers,” Numen 28 (1981) 113-26 at
http://www.religion.ucsb.edu/faculty/thomas/classes/rgst116c/Kraabel.pdf


Primary Sources:

1. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, 14.110
But no one need wonder that there was so much wealth in our temple, for all the Jews throughout the habitable world, and fearers of God, even those from Asia and Europe, had been contributing to it for a very long time.

2. NT: Acts
a. 10:1-2 and 21-22:
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God. (Cornelius has a vision which commands him to send men to Joppa to fetch Peter) ... And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your coming?” And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.”

b. 13:16-26:
(Paul has travelled to Antioch at Pisidia (Asia Minor) where he addresses the congregation in a synagogue as follows): “Men of Israel and you that fear god, listen... Of this man’s (David’s) posterity God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised..... Brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation.”

Meeting for Worship 11.09.11

Today's reading:
11th: James ch 3 v 13-18
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

A Few Notes:
Monthly Meeting will be held on Wednesday 14th September in Rathfarnham

Eustace Street Meeting House in Temple Bar will be open to visitors on 23rd September 5.0 – 11.0 pm - with two performances of the play The Chocolate Paradox, as part of Dublin Culture Night.

Our Collection this Month:
Was presented by Hilary, and was in aid of the Zimbabwe Pensioners Support Fund. (Click on link for more details).

This is organised by Zimbabweans and their friends who are currently living  in South Africa. Six or seven times a year they set off with trucks across the border into Zimbabwe to deliver food to about 28 homes and soup kitchens. In doing so they reach about 1650 individuals who would otherwise be at risk of starvation.
The food and goods are bought in South Africa and are also donated by South African companies. All contributions made will be spent directly on food, €10 is the equivalent of about R100 South African Rand and this can provide food and supplies for 3 people for 3 days.

Next week's reading:
Celtic Spirituality

The recent re-awakening of interest in Celtic spirituality (with its appealing inclusive essence), among many Irish Friends and others, links in with the concern for Ireland’s natural heritage. Celtic Ireland had an ancient literature which shows a spiritual respect for creation which Christianity embraced and absorbed.
The universe is the great Sacrament, designed by the Creator to bless and succour human beings. The following extract from “The Deer’s Cry” attributed to St. Patrick, gives a sense of this all-pervading divine presence:


I arise today
Through the strength of heaven
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendour of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

Meeting for Worship 4.09.11

Reading: The 8th Query
 Are you concerned with the Preparative, Monthly, Quarterly and Yearly Meetings during which the business of our Society is conducted? Are these meetings held in a spirit of worship and dependence upon the guidance of God? Do you take your right share in the service of these meetings, realising they are essential for the support and development of our corporate concerns? Do you carry out discipline, when advisable, in a sensitive and Christian manner?

Notes from today's Preparative meeting:

• Last month's collection for Irish Quaker Faith in Action (IQFA) raised €520. There's a new page over on the Quakers in Ireland site which lists and gives details about the concerns which this group have supported during the last year. Click HERE to take a look.

• Monkstown is taking part in a Tri-Lateral Conversation Group, an initiative launched by canon Patrick Lawrence of Monkstown Church of Ireland. The group encourages dialogue and shared activities between the Catholic, Church of Ireland and Quaker traditions represented in Monkstown. Eleanor, Padraic and Neville are our representatives in this new venture. The group has launched a Wednesday hour of shared silent reflection  - I'll post more details about this when I have them - and are planning an open evening which will be co-hosted between all three locations.
•  On September 25th there will be a hymn celebration in the Church of Ireland, for which Monkstown Meeting have suggested "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind", by the American Quaker and anti-slavery campaigner John Greenleaf-Whittier, (pictured below), which includes the verses:

Dear Lord and Father of mankind,

Forgive our foolish ways;

Reclothe us in our rightful mind,

In purer lives Thy service find,

In deeper reverence, praise.

...

Drop Thy still dews of quietness,

Till all our strivings cease;

Take from our souls the strain and stress,

And let our ordered lives confess

The beauty of Thy peace.

Breathe through the heats of our desire

Thy coolness and Thy balm;

Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;

Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,

O still, small voice of calm.

• Our annual after-meeting produce sale is now up and running and will continue throughout September and into early October, (by which time I might have achieved at least one fully ripened tomato). Monies raised will be donated to the St Vincent de Paul - if you are bringing items, please add a price to them as this will be a great  help to Sue and Ray who are organising this.
• Congratulations to Philip Jacob who has celebrated his 80th birthday, a copy of his recently published  memoirs has now been donated to our library.

Next Week's Reading:
11th: James ch 3 v 13-18
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.