Study: Free for all

First morning bible study by Rev. Dr Barbara Rossing
Professor of New Testament at the Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago, USA

'God wants to renew and transform the world rather than destroy it,' Dr Barbara Rossing, Professor of New Testament at the Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago, USA, said in her first Bible study on the book of Revelation at the 'Stirring the Waters' Regional Consultation for Asia. 'God’s vision for the world is to come to live with us, not snatch us up out of the world,' she said. 'God's promise in the book of Revelation is to bless the world and to heal it'.

She pointed out that one of God’s free gifts is water, which flows from the spring of the water of life (Rev. 21:6b). Since water is God's gift, it should be accessible to everybody. In Revelation 21:1,2, God invites all people to come and drink from the river of life that flows from the throne of God and from Jesus Christ the Lamb.

Asking participants to describe the rivers in their own countries, she said that the more we can connect with the rivers in our own lives, the better we will understand the Revelation texts describing rivers as sources of healing and renewal and also of injustice and tragedy.

To read the full bible study, please click here.