The Whole Counsel Media Gratiae

This week, Dr. John Snyder and Teddy James will wrap up our series on a talk given by Hudson Taylor to several missionaries in the late 19th century. His main emphasis throughout the talk was the significance of the missionaries living a life that aligns with their teaching.
While we are focused on living consistent lives, we also have to be aware of the contradictory nature of the Christian life. But the contradictions aren’t between teaching and life. They are between what is happening to us and how we respond.
As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:8-10, “We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.”
So, as we strive for consistency in our lives, let us also embrace those contradictions the Lord brings for the glory of His name and the growth of His kingdom on earth.
And if you haven’t taken the time to read Hudson Taylor’s short talk to his missionaries, let us encourage you to do so at the link below. We pray you will find it beneficial.
Show Notes:
Days of Blessing in Inland China: Being an Account of Meetings Held in the Province of Shan-Si
Digital: https://www.brethrenarchive.org/bookshelf/missionary/china/days-of-blessing-in-inland-china/
sPhysical: https://www.amazon.com/Days-Blessings-Inland-China-Meetings-ebook/dp/B00MW7YMRG
Hudson Taylor Biography
https://www.davidsonpublishing.org/hudson-taylor.html
Poor Richard
https://issuu.com/omf_international/docs/poor_richard_gospel_tract#google_vignette
Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts
You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

This week we continue discussing a talk Hudson Taylor gave to a group of missionaries in the late 1800s. His talk was grounded in 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 and focused on the importance of leading a life consistent with the teachings of Christ.
There is so much to highlight, Dr. John Snyder and Teddy James couldn’t fit it all into one episode (or even two). So today they take a deep look at what it means to commend oneself to the world. We do not do so to bring glory to ourselves, but to show the world our message is true and can be lived upon.
There are other fruits beyond evangelism. By living in the power of Christianity before those we love, we protect them from false teachers. Heresies are not powerful enough to live upon. Only the gospel is. So if we want to teach others the true gospel and give them answers to the false teachings, we must lead holy lives.
Show Notes:
Days of Blessing in Inland China: Being an Account of Meetings Held in the Province of Shan-Si
Digtal: https://www.brethrenarchive.org/bookshelf/missionary/china/days-of-blessing-in-inland-china/
Physical: https://www.amazon.com/Days-Blessings-Inland-China-Meetings-ebook/dp/B00MW7YMRG
Hudson Taylor Biography
https://www.davidsonpublishing.org/hudson-taylor.html
Poor Richard
https://issuu.com/omf_international/docs/poor_richard_gospel_tract#google_vignette
Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts
You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Hudson Taylor is no stranger to anyone who has been through a Media Gratiae study. He was a pioneer missionary to inland China and founded the Inland China Mission. There is a great deal we could say about his life and ministry, but Dr. John Snyder and Teddy James wanted to spend the next two weeks walking through a particular talk Taylor gave to his missionaries in the 1880s.
The talk is recorded in “Days of Blessing in Inland China” and the story of its creation is worth noting, as John does in the podcast. But the heart of his focus is 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 where Paul is teaching that Christians do not have to rely on the same tools and deceitful approaches of the world for success. We do not have to alter the truth of the gospel to affect change. We use His means and trust His hand.
While Taylor’s talk is aimed at missionaries, his applications speak to the pastor, the Sunday school teacher, the parent, or the Christian friend witnessing to a lost soul. Because we wanted to give a brief biography of Taylor in this episode, we only get through the first major point of his talk. We will finish it next week. If you would like to read it for yourself, find the link below.
Show Notes:
Days of Blessing in Inland China: Being an Account of Meetings Held in the Province of Shan-Si
Digtal: https://www.brethrenarchive.org/bookshelf/missionary/china/days-of-blessing-in-inland-china/
Physical: https://www.amazon.com/Days-Blessings-Inland-China-Meetings-ebook/dp/B00MW7YMRG
Hudson Taylor Biography
https://www.davidsonpublishing.org/hudson-taylor.html
Poor Richard
https://issuu.com/omf_international/docs/poor_richard_gospel_tract#google_vignette
Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts
You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

his is the final episode of our series focusing on Christians fulfilling our responsibility to speak God’s words carefully, accurately, and timely.
We started last week looking at our ultimate example in our Lord Jesus Christ. He perfectly spoke the words the Father gave Him to speak. He spoke comforting words to the hurting, convicting words to the lost, and glorifying words to the Father. We are called to do the same.
But how was He able to do that? This week Dr. John Snyder and Teddy James look at the tools Jesus used to learn how to glorify God in His life. How did He know what would please His Father? How did He know the words to say, the path to walk? It wasn’t a mystical, magical power. He didn’t have a secret antenna through which He heard the Father speak. He had the same Scriptures, the same prayer, and the same indwelling Holy Spirit available to us. Now, He was able to study with an uncorrupted mind and heart. But He had a fully human mind and heart, the same as us. How can we know those things will be enough for us? Because God promises they will be.
Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts
You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

In what was supposed to be our final episode of the current series, John and Teddy are in the studio again discussing the type of person who can be trusted with God’s words.
The conversation begins by asking how we should view conversations on the Internet. Are we commanded as Christians to answer every question we see on social media? Are we to respond to every criticism of Christianity? Or are we merely adding to the noise by doing so?
After this, John and Teddy move to the central point of the episode: following the pattern of Christ in being a person entrusted with God’s words. Jesus had the perfect word for every situation. He knew how to apply the Scriptures to every circumstance. And He spoke experientially, not from secondhand knowledge. This is an important distinction.
But is His path one that a redeemed sinner can walk? Can a believer in today’s world have such wisdom and speak such words? The answer is yes. We will not do it perfectly, but we can do it faithfully.
Though we hoped to make this the final episode, there was too much to say for a 30-minute conversation, so we decided to add one more. Next week, we will conclude the series by diving deeper into Jesus's path and how we are to follow in His footsteps.
Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts
You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

Two vital questions every Christian must ask and answer if they are to be regularly entrusted with the messages of God.