NEXT GENERATION FOR CHRIST
  • Home
  • About
    • Executive Director
    • Our Team
    • Our Partners
    • Testimonials
    • Next Gen Interns
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Mailing Address
  • Speaking & Seminars
    • Preaching & Speaking
    • Next Gen Seminars
  • Story of Redemption
    • About Story of Redemption
    • Story of Redemption Films
  • Spiritual Gifts
    • Spiritual Gifts >
      • Administration
      • "Apostolic" / Missional Leadership
      • Discernment
      • Encouragement
      • Evangelism
      • Faith
      • Giving
      • Helping
      • Hospitality
      • Knowledge
      • Leadership
      • Mercy
      • Pastoral Care / Shepherding
      • Prayer
      • Prophetic Ministry
      • Service
      • Speaking
      • Teaching
      • Wisdom
    • Strengths >
      • Achiever
      • Activator
      • Adaptability
      • Analytical
      • Arranger
      • Belief
      • Command
      • Communication
      • Competition
      • Connectedness
      • Consistency
      • Context
      • Deliberative
      • Developer
      • Discipline
      • Empathy
      • Focus
      • Futuristic
      • Harmony
      • Includer
      • Ideation
      • Individualization
      • Input
      • Intellection
      • Learner
      • Maximizer
      • Restorative
      • Positivity
      • Responsibility
      • Relator
      • Self-Assuramce
      • Significance
      • Strategic
      • Woo
  • Resources
    • Stories/Illustrations
    • Next Gen Coaching
    • Covid Resources
    • Policies
  • Contact

A Labor of Love - Ulfilas, Missionary, Spent 30 Years CREATING the Gothic Alphabet and Translating the Bible for the Gothic People

5/22/2015

1 Comment

 
Before Jesus went to the cross, John's gospel tells us that Jesus washed his disciples' feet. While his disciples initially objected to this, Jesus did this to teach them about service. He said, "14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you" (John 1:1, 14-15).

While it is implied in the passage, the opening verse of John 14 makes it clear why Jesus washes his disciples; feet--because of his love for them. In setting the scene for the foot washing, john says, "1 It was just before the Passover Festival.
 Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end . . . . " His washing of the disciples' feet was an act of love--that pointed to the larger act of love that he would show through through his death on the cross--which he was calling them to imitate.

Love and service go together. Without love, we are unlikely to serve very long or with a very good attitude. And love without service is hollow sentimentalism at best, or at worse, simply non-existent. Jacob served 7 years for Rachel--was fulled into marrying Leah instead--and served another 7 years to be able to marry Rachel. And yet, the time passed for him as if it was nothing.

One of the great stories of love and service in Christian history is found in the story of Ulfilas. Ulfilas' parents were apparently captured by the Goths--East Germans--and he was raised among the Goths. After moving away once he had grown up, Ulfilas was appointed as a missionary bishop to the barbarian and warlike Goths. And in his missionary efforts, Ulfilas spent SEVEN YEARS creating an alphabet for the Goths (a previously illiterate people) and translating most all of the Bible into that language so that he might share Christ with them. It was said that he translated the whole Bible from Greek into the Gothic language that he had created except the book of Kings, due to its violent narratives which he did not want to encourage in the warlike Goths. 

What could motivate someone to serve a people by actually sitting down and INVENTING an alphabet and translating nearly the whole Bible for a people who once apparently captured/enslaved his parents? Only love. The kind of love that Christ showed for us. As Jesus said, "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many" (Mt. 20:28). 


And if we are to reach people for Christ, we too must have love in our hearts for them. True love. If it is not a labor of love, then we likely will not last seven years. Probably not seven months. Maybe not even seven minutes! But if we love those we are reaching out to? Well, like Jacob and Ulfilas and Christ--the time will pass quickly!


What do you think of Ulfilas' love and sacrifice? What other stories like this do you know?
Picture
1 Comment
vidmate link
2/9/2025 07:02:02 pm

I wanted to express my gratitude for your insightful and engaging article. Your writing is clear and easy to follow, and I appreciated the way you presented your ideas in a thoughtful and organized manner. Your analysis was both thought-provoking and well-researched, and I enjoyed the real-life examples you used to illustrate your points. Your article has provided me with a fresh perspective on the subject matter and has inspired me to think more deeply about this topic.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Search this site for a preaching topic or sermon illustration or click on the categories below!
    Picture

    Author

    Dr. James Nored is a minister and Executive Director of Next Generation for Christ.

    Categories

    All
    Adultery
    Bible
    Change
    Children
    Christ / Redemption
    Church Planting
    Conversion
    Early Christianity / Early Christians
    Empathy
    Evangelism / Sharing Our Faith
    Failure
    Fathers
    Father's Day
    Fear
    Forgiveness
    Funny / Humor
    Generosity
    Giving
    Gospel
    Grace
    Handicapped / Disabled
    Happiness
    Heart
    Heaven
    Hell
    Holiness / Holy
    Hypocrisy
    Hypocrisy / Hypocrite
    Inspiration
    Inspiring
    Islam
    Judgmental
    Justification By Faith
    Leadership
    Life Satisfaction
    Love
    Marriage
    Mission
    Morality
    Mothers
    Negativity
    Neighbors / Neighborhood
    Obedience
    Overcoming
    Persecution
    Preaching
    Race
    Reconciliation
    Restoration
    Revival
    Reward
    Risk
    Sacrifice
    Sanctification
    Satan
    Self-Deception
    Self / Selfish
    Service
    Sex
    Social Media
    Spirit
    Sports
    Suffering
    Terrorism
    Tongue
    Trials
    UnChristian
    World Missions

    Archives

    January 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

    RSS Feed

Next Generation for Christ
25265 Riding Center Dr. , Chantilly, VA 20152
Contact: [email protected]
  • Home
  • About
    • Executive Director
    • Our Team
    • Our Partners
    • Testimonials
    • Next Gen Interns
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Mailing Address
  • Speaking & Seminars
    • Preaching & Speaking
    • Next Gen Seminars
  • Story of Redemption
    • About Story of Redemption
    • Story of Redemption Films
  • Spiritual Gifts
    • Spiritual Gifts >
      • Administration
      • "Apostolic" / Missional Leadership
      • Discernment
      • Encouragement
      • Evangelism
      • Faith
      • Giving
      • Helping
      • Hospitality
      • Knowledge
      • Leadership
      • Mercy
      • Pastoral Care / Shepherding
      • Prayer
      • Prophetic Ministry
      • Service
      • Speaking
      • Teaching
      • Wisdom
    • Strengths >
      • Achiever
      • Activator
      • Adaptability
      • Analytical
      • Arranger
      • Belief
      • Command
      • Communication
      • Competition
      • Connectedness
      • Consistency
      • Context
      • Deliberative
      • Developer
      • Discipline
      • Empathy
      • Focus
      • Futuristic
      • Harmony
      • Includer
      • Ideation
      • Individualization
      • Input
      • Intellection
      • Learner
      • Maximizer
      • Restorative
      • Positivity
      • Responsibility
      • Relator
      • Self-Assuramce
      • Significance
      • Strategic
      • Woo
  • Resources
    • Stories/Illustrations
    • Next Gen Coaching
    • Covid Resources
    • Policies
  • Contact