THE NEWSLETTER OF IBTM
with Douglas Jacoby

.
27 October 2026

Good morning from Georgia! Autumn has arrived, and the cooler weather is most welcome.

Today, for your edification: three new messages in the iFaith Against the Flow series; a look at the 2nd-century church in the ancient Christian writings series; and a guest article, “When Institutions Apologize, and How They Can Do Better.” The bulletin closes with four thought-provoking quotations.

May we all find something here to make us think about faith!

AGAINST THE FLOW

Strong currents of daily distraction easily lead to crowding out the things of the Lord. Watch Against the Flow 19, from Psalms, to gain conviction about this important issue. I made this video at last month’s North American Teachers Conference in North Carolina.

Bad company corrupts good character, the apostle Paul reminds us. Watch the next Against the Flow offering, from Proverbs. This message was filmed in the shadow of the acropolis of ancient Athens.

We are susceptible to the illusion of infinite time—especially when we’re young—and the careless presumption that leads to procrastination and spiritual ineffectiveness. Check out the video from Ecclesiastes, produced in Marathon, Greece. While there I ran—for the first time since my knee replacements—a total of perhaps 10 meters. Ever since I’ve been telling people “I ran in Marathon.” Which they possibly hear as “I ran a marathon.” Although that’s not what I actually said. 😉

 

 

 

 

From Raleigh, NC: Watch AtF 19 (Ps)   From Athens, Greece: Watch AtF 20 (Pr)   From Marathon, Greece: Watch AtF 21 (Ecc)

ANCIENT CHRISTIAN WRITINGS 21

We continue our look at The Shepherd of Hermas, a 2nd-century document that sheds light on the faith in the first few generations after the apostles. Note: If you are new to the series, which began in 2024, you may want to begin HERE.

BOOK III – SIMILITUDES

This book exhibits a strong interest in virginity. Does this reflect a struggle for purity in the church? Or perhaps a reaction against Gnosticism, with its twisted notions of sex and physicality?

Book III also has a lot to say about wealth—a message much needed in Christian world of our own day.

1: “Instead of lands… buy afflicted souls, according as each one is able, and visit widows and orphans, and do not overlook them; and spend your wealth and all your preparations, which ye received from the Lord, upon such lands and houses.”

2:  “The rich man has much wealth, but is poor in matters relating to the Lord, because he is distracted about his riches; and he offers very few confessions and intercessions to the Lord, and those which he does offer are small and weak, and have no power above. But when the rich man refreshes the poor, and assists him in his necessities, believing that what he does to the poor man will be able to find its reward with God—because the poor man is rich in intercession and confession, and his intercession has great power with God—then the rich man helps the poor in all things without hesitation; and the poor man, being helped by the rich, intercedes for him, giving thanks to God for him who bestows gifts upon him. And he still continues to interest himself zealously for the poor man, that his wants may be constantly supplied. For he knows that the intercession of the poor man is acceptable and influential with God.”

4:  Further warning about the distractions of business. See also 8.viii.

5, I:  True fasting is fasting from evil, in order to obey God. This resonates with Isaiah 58:6-7. Now notice the practical way in which Hermas instructs us how to finance our generosity towards the needy:

III.  “Having fulfilled what is written, in the day on which you fast you will taste nothing but bread and water; and having reckoned up the price of the dishes of that day which you intended to have eaten, you will give it to a widow, or an orphan, or to some person in want, and thus you will exhibit humility of mind, so that he who has received benefit from your humility may will his own soul, and pray for you to the Lord.” This is quite a remarkable perspective: that Christians should tap into their wealth in order to help the needy! And yet isn’t that the NT teaching (James 1:27)?

9, I:  The Spirit is the Son of God. Is this too precise an identification? Wouldn’t it be better to say, The Spirit is the Spirit of the Son of God?

Xvi: about baptism: “For… before a man bears the name of the Son of God he is dead; but when he receives the seal he lays aside his deadness, and obtains life. The seal, then, is the water; they descend into the water dead, and they arise alive.” In the early writings, the seal is usually associated with baptism.

Next we find the fascinating (although highly speculative) notion about post-mortem apostolic ministry: “… These apostles and teachers who preached the name of the Son of God, after falling asleep in the power and faith of the Son of God, preached it not only to those who were asleep, but themselves also gave them the seal of the preaching. Accordingly, they descended with them into the water, and again ascended.” In other words, they baptized people in Hades!

xix-xxix: Here this document catalogs 12 types of wicked person.

xxxi: We must be on our guard against the evil of schism. (Breakaway groups were becoming more common in the second century.)

Next: The Address of Tatian to the Greeks (Mesopotamia, mid-second century)

WHEN INSTITUTIONS TRY TO APOLOGIZE AND HOW THEY CAN DO BETTER
by Wade Mullen, at Substack

Too often the words “We are sorry” are casually offered and easily accepted as if they possess a supernatural power to resolve every grievance and heal any wound. Yet, in my experience working with abuses in organizations, this short statement, offered as a bridge of reconciliation, is often surrounded by other messages that serve a very different purpose. Above, underneath, and all around this single bridge are numerous walls of defense.

These walls are established to repel the shame that threatens from without and to protect the legitimacy hoarded within, ensuring that the bridge of apology allows no shame to enter and no legitimacy to exit. KEEP READING

COOL QUOTES

  • Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living. — Jaroslav Pelikan (1923-2006)
  • Truth reveals reality, and reality can be described as what we humans run into when we are wrong, a collision in which we always lose. — Dallas Willard (1935-2013)
  • The problem with writing about religion is that you run the risk of offending sincerely religious people, and then they come after you with machetes. — Dave Barry (1918-2002)
  • Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive. — C. S. Lewis (1898-1963)

THANK YOU!

Next week Vicki and I will be attending a Soul Shepherding retreat at St. Simon’s Island, GA. Your prayers that we draw closer to God are appreciated.

Last, if you’d like to contribute towards our Spanish language podcast project—we need your help!—please visit the Donation page.

Thank you for your interest, support, and trust.—Douglas

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