Manthano

manthano -  Greek for the word "to learn".

From the root 'math', to manthano, to the word mathetes.  Mathetes means 'a learner', and is used numerous times in the Bible where we now see the english word, disciple.  I believe all of you already knew what disciple meant, but I wanted just to show a little deeper, from in which words the Bible was actually written.  Not that it is important, but I wanted to do it anyway. 

Now, do you think I KNOW this stuff?  Nah, you all know me better than that....I can't remember much, so I use a lot of references when I study the Bible.  I DO particularly like a good Bible Dictionary, because it helps me understand words and phrases that otherwise I might have just glossed over.

Yes, I used one of those books this morning and decided to look up the word Disciple----hence the beginning of this email.

So, if we call ourselves 'mathetes', that is, learners, of Christ, just what have you learned from Him this week?  I just LOVED what Les said at Sunday service past, "No one hardly ever tells me what they are learning in the Bible Studies." (Paraphrased, and used completely without Les' permission!).  I feel the same way.  How about you?  Very, very rarely, does someone tell me what they learned from God.  We all talk (and email) some, but our conversations are never about what we learned from Christ in Bible studies.  It MAY be indicative of the depth (or lack) of our studies.  Or it may be that we just don't learn anything when we DO study.  I have been approached by two men who tell me they want to 'disciple' me, and I, them  (of course, the word Disciple is not a verb, but I understood what they meant, anyway).  So, if you two are listening, this is your first discipling lesson.  Read and study your Bible and discuss with me what you learned.  And if anyone else feels that they too want to be called disciples, and be worthy to be one, then maybe you too, need to read a little more, and learn. 

How many of you were self-taught in kindergarten, grade school, middle school, high school, or college?  Probably none of us.  We all had someone else teaching us.  We were given assignments and then we actually did our home work.  The fear of grades (and our parents' responses) were probably the impetus for us to learn.  We were examined on what we learned by the teacher giving quizzes, tests, and exams.  We definitely did not take the reference material home and learn everything by ourselves.  We had the teacher, teach.  We had our parents, grandparents, guardians, siblings, or others, help us to learn. 

Learning the Bible should be done in the same proven way of the public and private school systems which we attended.  We need a teacher.  Well, I guess we have Him.  Read what He says in the Bible.  We need our 'parents', those who are senior to us in knowledge and understanding of the Bible.  We need each other (siblings--brothers and sisters) to help us every day understand what we read. 

I hope this short email encourages you all to start studying a little more, but not only that, to share with me and others what you are learning (or trying to learn).  Pray to God for knowledge.  Be a mathetes.

Have to run---work beckons.  See you this evening.

Mac