From Ralph Winter's essay, "Theologizing the Microbiological World: Implications for Mission" originally published on June 18, 2001.
Posts tagged #works of the devil
The Only How-To Article You'll Ever Need
Here at the RWI we talk a lot about destroying the works of the devil. You could say it's a strange obsession of ours. And you'd be right. But we're okay with that because Jesus talked a lot about it, too. The New Testament tells us in no uncertain terms that Jesus has come and whose reign He is here to end.
The acts of love Jesus performs throughout the Gospels, He's clear to show, are also acts of rebellion against the one He calls "the Prince of this World" (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11). When He heals a crippled woman on the Sabbath, He paints the picture of what's actually going on like this " . . . should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?" (Luke 13:16, added emphasis).
There are numerous lists in the Bible of the signs of the Kingdom of Heaven as it comes, and the prior rule is abolished. But what does it look like for us, today? And, more importantly, how is it accomplished?
We were hoping you'd ask.
Founding the Roberta Winter Institute
In case you haven't noticed, things are looking pretty good over here at robertawinterinstitute.org. Along with our sharp new website, we have added some fantastic content and pages detailing the ins-and-outs of the institute.
The Birth of an Institute follows our timeline from the Winters' early days among the Mam people in Guatemala, through Roberta's cancer diagnosis, which led Ralph to the pivotal shift in understanding upon which the RWI is founded. Ironically and tragically, not long after establishing the RWI, Ralph was diagnosed with the same disease that took Roberta’s life (multiple myeloma).
Through the establishment of the RWI, he was able to disseminate "some of the most interesting and far-sighted ideas of his career," before being taken out by the very “works of the devil” he was seeking to destroy. But the vision lives on, read the full story of the passing of the torch and RWI's continuing endeavours to ignite in the body of Christ a theological shift regarding disease and its eradication.
