The third quarter course of the pastoral class at Guangzhou CC&TSPM commenced in 2023.
At Tianhe Church in Guangzhou City, Dr. Zhang Lue, a tutor for doctoral students in the New Testament at the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, was invited to deliver lectures on "New Testament Study of the 'Sermon on the Mount'" on August 22–24, attended by over 70 pastors from the city, said Guangzhou CC&TSPM.
Dr. Zhang was once a reviewer for the textbook Introduction to the New Testament, compiled by theological seminaries in China. He has long been dedicated to the study of the New Testament, with in-depth research on the New Testament books beyond the Pauline epistles and the literature of the period between the Old and New Testaments. He has authored works such as Annotations on the Book of James and Essentials of the Hebrews, Catholic Epistles, and Revelation (co-authored), as well as has proofread the Works of the Apostolic Fathers.
During this teaching session, Dr. Zhang Lue explained the contents of the "Sermon on the Mount" in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5 to 7. He covered topics such as the introduction to the "Sermon on the Mount," the Beatitudes, the six antitheses, and the Lord's Prayer.
Dr. Zhang pointed out that the teaching of Jesus on the mountain was different from Moses' delivery of the "Ten Commandments" in the Old Testament. Jesus employed a progressive, deductive, and enlightening teaching approach. By interpreting specific issues, Jesus outlined the blueprint of the kingdom of heaven and analyzed the characteristics, responsibilities, principles, values, faith, and behaviors of the citizens of the kingdom, thereby guiding their application to real-life situations.
In group discussions, the students explored relevant questions about "forgiveness" and "prayer" based on their learning, presenting their findings in groups.
Rev. Wu Zhongwu, vice president and general secretary of the Guangzhou Christian Council, encouraged pastors to focus on both the learning of methodology and the application of learned content in their pastoral work as well as in their personal spiritual practice.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
