Ep. 129 || How Ordinary Women Spread the Gospel Story: An Interview with Dr. Michael Kruger

Historians won’t record that we prayed with ours kids before school, dropped off meals to neighbors, or hosted Bible study. But God’s greater story uses the everyday work of women to spread the gospel around the world. In this episode, Emily and Laura interview Dr. Michael Kruger about women in the second century church. Michael is the president of Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte) and professor of New Testament and Early Christianity; and an author, husband, and father. Church history teaches us that God is faithful to his Church through his people. From the second century to now, God uses ordinary women serving in sacrificial ways to change the world with the gospel of Christ.

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Mentioned on the Show:

• Canon Fodder (Michael’s personal website)

• Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church

• Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte

• “The Most Significant Lessons We’ve Learned as Parents” Mike and Melissa Kruger (TGC)

• “Practicing the Principles of Scripture in the Home” Mike and Melissa Kruger (TGC)

• “The Dynamic Ministry of Women in Early Christianity” Mike Kruger

• The Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference 2018

• “What is Discernment and How Do I Get Some?” Melissa Kruger, TGCW 2018
  

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RELATED ARTICLES, RESOURCES, AND CONTENT

Related R|M Resources:

• Ep. 18, Freedom To Be The Mother God Created You To Be: Why Comparison Doesn't Work

• Ep. 43, Serving Others Right Where You're At

• Ep. 123, Motherhood is Ministry: How to See and Serve Your Kids

• “Unity Rather Than Uniformity” Christine Hoover

• “Loving the Mom Who Is Different Than Me” Amanda Criss

• “Bridges of Grace: Dealing with the Different Mama” Emily Guyer

Around the Web:

• Glory in the Ordinary: Why Your Work in Motherhood Matters, Courtney Reissig

• Missional Motherhood: The Everyday Ministry of Motherhood in the Grand Plan of God, Gloria Furman

• Church History 101: The Highlight of Twenty Centuries, Sinclair Ferguson, Joel Beeke, Michael Haykin

• “Inspired by the Incredible Early Church” John Piper

• “God’s Plan for the Church” Doug Ponder

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R|M Apply Questions:

1. History is more than facts about people at a particular time. It’s the evidence of God’s greater story and broader purpose across all of time. How is knowing church history helpful for moms? How can it impact our daily lives?

2. Christians in the second century looked very different than the Greco-Roman culture around them. What made them stand out? In what ways do we stand out in our own culture today or in what ways should we?

3. One of the most shocking things about the early church was the way it united people across socioeconomic, geographic, ethnic, and gender lines. What does it mean to find unity in Christ? How does our identity in Christ shape our relationships with moms who are different from us?

4. The gospel is very countercultural in our society (and the second century). The world tells us to chase our dreams or that’s we’re good enough on our own. The gospel tells us something different and better. What’s one false gospel you hear frequently and what is the right gospel response?

5. To become an expert at spotting counterfeit things, you don’t immerse yourself in counterfeits. Instead, you spend your time studying what’s real—learning its design, studying its details, growing used to seeing it rightly. The same is true with God’s word. How can you invest in scripture study or memory? What’s one new thing you could try this week?

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