Articles about the Kingdom of God and our response to it.
The following articles are offered for personal enrichment of Christians and those who may be investigating the good news of Jesus Christ.
Please note that these articles are intended for personal use only. They are not provided to be republished or distributed widely without written permission from Koinonia Educational Services. (See Copyright Notice)
153 Fish: “A Great Mystery?” or “A Mystery Story?”
by David M. Freed
In John 21:11, it mentions that 153 fish were caught. Why an exact number? Historically, the attempts to interpret this number have fallen into two categories: symbolic and historical. The symbolic proponents argue that it represents some theological truth or points to another passage outside of John. This perspective has several renditions—some more plausible than others. On the other hand, many believe the 153 fish is simply historical trivia (given that none of the symbolic explanations are very convincing). This article offers a third alternative: a literary explanation. It proposes that the various forms of “three” are functioning as “literary markers” within the Gospel, highlighting key passages, as well as forming a chiasm with theological significance.
(Please note: I published this article on the web about 10 years ago. This version is a significant reworking of that previous paper).
“Cookies and Dreams”
by David M. Freed
As a young man looking for summer work, I was praying that God would lead me to a good job that would help pay for another year of college. To my utter surprise (and consternation) I felt the unmistakable calling of God to work as a nursing assistant in a nursing home. While I grew up in a medical family, I had no natural inclination to head that way, and thought I was too easily nauseated by the sights and smells of sick people. Besides, I just did not want to do it. But the conviction would not go away. So I succumbed to the calling, asked God for the grace to do the job, and began working as a nursing assistant. Overall, I worked about three years in nursing homes and have found the experience extremely influential in how I formulate theological convictions. The story of Cookies and Dreams recalls an experience I had with one of my patients and a dream about the world crying out for help.
The Alphabet of A Second Grade Commuter
by David M. Freed
In life we all have our burdens to carry which we have inherited from birth. Sometimes it takes awhile before we even know that our burdens exist and how hard they will be to carry. But inevitably all of us are confronted with our handicaps, our hardships, and other sources of sorrow. As for me, one of my earliest burdens was the handicap called “dyslexia:” an overly broad term that describes some kind of learning handicap. If you were to compare me to other people with the same burden, an observer might say that my dyslexia was not profound: only a moderate case. But such an observer could never foresee all the nights of “blood, sweat, and tears” I have endured trying to succeed as a student. As I see it, the profoundness of a handicap should not be measured by how well one performs, but how much pain a person must endure to achieve the task. The Alphabet of A Second Grade Commuter is a recounting of that pain. It is a series of “snapshots” of my journey with dyslexia from 2nd grade to my mid-20’s. I hope those who suffer with a similar hardship find encouragement from my story.
