Project Timothy Bible Conference
We love to share our priceless experience during our "expedition" in Singapore to attend the "Project Timothy Bible Conference" (PTBC). First of all, three of us (Soly-Syenny-Taufik) would give thanks and just appreciations to our brother Rev. Benson who shown us generosity earlier before we studied it in the conference by inviting, picking up, and treating us both lunch and admission. Thanks also to Mr & Mrs Peter Ng who accompanied us during the conference and kindly took us to Harbour Front.
Well, PT is an independent and inter-denominational organization. It works in partnership with other like-minded evangelical churches or organizations (para-churches?) in Singapore and overseas (incl. GKI & GPIB someday?) to promote confidence in the Bible’s authority and to equip Christians to faithfully handle the bible (it sounds very fundamentalist). But my view changed. They are faithful evangelicals, but are not like what I used to think about fundamentalist evangelicals, who blindly faithful to the doctrine of inerrancy and become "the defender of church’s dogma". They are not. I can see their reliable reasons in apology, they put reason in its place. I also saw their publishings, consist of reliable methods why we should hold the bible’s authority.
We left Batam Friday morning 07.50 a.m. Indonesia and arrived in Singapore around 40 minutes after it. We should queue for immigration and soon after it we met Rev. Benson waiting for our coming. We had some coffee on upstairs of Harbour Front, Pak Soly bought a towel, sightseeing in Vivo city, then we had our lunch. After lunch Rev. Benson took us to Prince George’s Park, NUS’s student flat. It was very comfortable and high tech, we were given a "transponder" to open the room’s door.
After taking shower we began the conference. Let’s check it out…
We began each session by singing praises (mostly hymn), responsive scripture reading and prayer. Then the speaker, Reverend Michael Raites, the principal of Bible College of Victoria, started his speech. The expositions are from the parables connected to richness and poverty, mostly Luke ch. 16, and some taken from Proverbs and other verses of the Scripture.
One thing surprised me, when Rev. Mike told us that the Lord has only once ever said "difficult" and "impossible". Isn’t he God? Is there anything difficult for God? "It is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, it is easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than a rich man entering the kingdom of heaven."
Usually, after one session completed, we took a rest and coffee time. There was also "Berean Strands Group" between two sessions, where we discuss about the authority of the Bible, and the methods used to understand the bible correctly.
Another session was about "serving two masters". There are slight differences between serving God and Money. God, our Master told us to love him, and also our neighbours; while Mammon told us to love money and not to love our neighbours. Both God and money promises us that He will take care of us if we trust him and rely our life in him. Both God and money ask us to love him.
The next session was about greed and generosity. There are some false teachings nowadays covering their greed motives in religious appearance. They accommodate the sinful nature of human’s greed by offering the "Prosperity Gospel". What is wrong with that? Prosperity gospel measures God’s providence and contentment by physical-material blessings.
One bible’s best example of Christian’s contentment is Paul’s letter to Philippians. Philippians 4:10-13, Paul wrote the letter not in a fortunate situation, he was in jail, waiting for his execution. Paul gave us example to be content both in sufficiency and in want. Contentment in the Scripture is satisfaction in whatever we have got; while prosperity gospel says never enough.
We also gained many Christian friends in there. We found them slightly more enthusiastic in welcoming newcomers like us. They came from different churches, mostly Presbyterian. Something funny said by Mike, when he was contrasting between "Messiah and Humiliation", between "Cross and glory" and finally, said Mike, "Dynamic and Presbyterianism". Audience laughed loudly. Presbyterian/reformed/Calvinist churches are supposed to be dynamic to counter the challenge of false teachings.
That is all my souvenir.
