First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers

Resources for Application

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areas can be fruitful for believers, but in the rest of this appendix we will focus on meditation and Scripture.

Meditation in the Letter of Barnabas First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers has introduced us to a number of church leaders who took their calling to be spiritually minded seriously (Rom 8:6). They recognized that God dwells within believers and the Holy Spirit has been poured out on all who follow Christ (Ezek 36:26–27; 37:14; Joel 2:28–29; John 14:17; Acts 2:1–4; 8:17; 10:44–45; 19:6; Rom 8:9, 11; Eph 5:18). Take for example the author of the Letter of Barnabas, who writes: “Let us be spiritually minded. Let us be a perfect temple to God” for “the dwelling of our heart is a holy temple to the Lord” (4, 6). The Holy Spirit dwells specifically in our hearts, in our innermost selves. The author continues: Before we believed in God, the dwelling of our heart was corrupt and weak as being indeed like a temple made with hands. For it was full of idolatry and was a home to demons since we did such things as were opposed to God. However, pay attention, a temple will be built in the name of the Lord in order that the temple of the Lord may be built in glory. How? Learn! (Barnabas 16) Before God dwelt in our hearts, the author says our hearts were “full of idolatry” and “a home to demons” (Barnabas 16). But now, God has reformed our hearts and made us into new creatures (Barnabas 16; Ezek 36:26–27; 2 Cor 5:17). Now that our hearts are made new and house the Holy Spirit, how are we furnishing our hearts? The Holy Spirit