Central Asian Update 4
May 22, 2010
A slight drizzle was on the ground this morning in I. After the typical breakfast that we have grown accustomed to, we set out on an hour long bus ride toward E. This was surely to be a time to remember. A and M were our tour guide and van driver, respectively. A proved to know a great deal about the ancient ruins of E and the influences of the various empires that conquered Asia Minor. The pictures speak for themselves. One interesting note worth mentioning here is our visit to the ruins of the church in Ephesus. This is the place where three ecumenical councils took place in the 400s. The first council (431 AD) and the most significant one, met here and condemned Nestorianism (the belief in the disunity between Jesus’ human and divine natures). The council also condemned pelagianism (the belief that original sin did not taint human nature and that man can choose good without the help of G). This should highlight the importance of our early church history and the shaping of doctrine that we hold dear today.
Also at the site of the Council at E sits a ch, and in that ch is a baptistry that anyone can walk around in – that means it was several feet deep. You guessed it; the early church immersed believers! This has long been a parting point for many C’ian denominations in terms of ecclesiology and practice. However, it appears as though there is physical evidence of such events taking place. Believer’s baptism is another important part of Baptist doctrine as it tries to retain the highest level of biblical integrity.
Even above the councils and the baptism debates, the true honor of the day was getting to give our van driver a “gift.” We had a good conversation, through our translator, about his Muslim background and what it means to be Muslim. The tour guide, also a professing Muslim, claimed to be a “modern” Muslim. He told us that Muslims must let past rituals go and embrace a new type of Islam – one that is fashioned by technology and western influences. Interesting…another post-modern Islam? I would say this would be great if C’ians were not falling in the same trap. We must hold to the doctrines of the Bible if we want to see C’s kingdom advanced.
J has been so good to us during these last few days together, and we look forward to more wonderful things to happen as we head to another locale in Central Asia. We also look forward to worshipping with our brothers and sisters on Sunday. This will be a sweet time of fellowship amongst believers.
