First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers

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First Christian Voices

is in our hearts, but what else fills it? At the time of writing, my cousin is living with my wife and I for a few months while she finishes her final round of clinicals at a nearby hospital. I had to rearrange the furniture in our spare bedroom in preparation for her moving in. Before my cousin came, her bedroom contained a small nightstand, a wingback chair, and a large bookshelf. While this was not a bad start for furnishing a bedroom, it was missing some key things. For example, she needed a bed. A lamp and dresser, too, might be useful. My cousin brought these things with her, but she brought other things too. She brought a small rug, a dog bed, and—you guessed it—a dog. Not only did she bring these extra things, but she also brought a nightstand that matched her dresser to replace the nightstand already there. To make space for the new furniture, I ended up moving out all the original furniture. Now that the Holy Spirit dwells within our hearts, how are our hearts furnished? Is it a comfortable abode for our Comforter, or is some of our “furniture” contradictory? Our old heart was “full of idolatry” and “a home to demons” (Barnabas 16). Now that the Holy Spirit has remodeled our hearts into his dwelling place, what else is filling our hearts? The Letter of Barnabas gives some suggestions. “As much as is in our control, let us meditate upon the fear of God and let us keep his commandments so that we may rejoice in his decrees” (Barnabas 4). We must fill our hearts with the fear of the Lord, which will include filling our hearts with wisdom (Prov 1:7), because “those who fear the Lord” are also “those who meditate in their heart on the commandment which they have received” (Barnabas 10; John 15:12; 1 John 2:7–11). For “those who know