日語ミニストリー Nichigo Ministry 2026-06-25
日語ミニストリー Nichigo Ministry
6月7日のオダ先生の礼拝メッセージは、マタイが主イエスの弟子になる前は取税人であった事から始まりました。主イエスの弟子たちは、決して学問を収めた人たちばかりではありません。ペトロ、アンデレ、ヤコブ、そしてヨハネはガリラヤ湖の漁師でしたし、シモンは熱心党とよばれる政治結社の一員、また主イエスご自身、宣教を始めるまでは、父ヨセフの大工の仕事を受け継いでいたと言われています。
そう思って改めて見てみると、新約聖書によく登場する職業は、学者、祭司、医師、取税人、商人、職人、漁師、船頭、地主、貸金、占い師、羊飼い、そして農業労働者などです。また召使や奴隷と呼ばれた人々、その多くは借金を返せなくなったり戦争に負けた国から連れてこられたりした人々でした。また当時、政治や軍事はローマの支配下にありましたが、神殿を中心とする宗教的な催事は、全て祭司や学者たちで仕切られていました。
また市民サービスも、治安活動は主にローマ軍とユダヤの神殿警備隊、消火活動はローマ軍と一般市民や奴隷たちが自発的に担っていたそうです。また子供の教育は、ユダヤ教の会堂で開かれ、祭司や学者による律法の学習が中心でした。またそれ以外にも、楽器奏者や歌手、踊り子、技師、猟師、また工事労働者や船員が居ました。それに人類の歴史で一番古い職業と言われる娼婦、また娼夫も存在したと思われます。
こうしてみると、職業の種類としては今とそんなに変わりないように見えます。でも一つ、当時にはあっても今はない職業があります。それが預言者。未来を占う予言者ではなく、神の言葉を預かる預言者です。
旧約の時代には歴代の王に仕えて政治・軍事の重要な決定事項について神の意向を取り次ぐのが「お抱え預言者」の仕事でした。でも旧約聖書に名を残しているイザヤやエレミヤなどの預言者は、神からの召命と託宣を受けて、逆境と戦いながら神の言葉を語り続けた人々です。一方、一般市民にとっては、今でいう「くじ」が神の意志を知る手段でした。これは今でもタロット占いなどに引き継がれていますね。
現代も預言者を自称する人は存在しますが、やはり私には、旧約聖書に名を残したような預言者は居ないように思えます。何方か、ご存知の方が居られれば、是非教えてください。一度お話しを伺って、その方が取り次ぐ神のみ言葉を、是非聞いてみたいものです。
そう思って改めて見てみると、新約聖書によく登場する職業は、学者、祭司、医師、取税人、商人、職人、漁師、船頭、地主、貸金、占い師、羊飼い、そして農業労働者などです。また召使や奴隷と呼ばれた人々、その多くは借金を返せなくなったり戦争に負けた国から連れてこられたりした人々でした。また当時、政治や軍事はローマの支配下にありましたが、神殿を中心とする宗教的な催事は、全て祭司や学者たちで仕切られていました。
また市民サービスも、治安活動は主にローマ軍とユダヤの神殿警備隊、消火活動はローマ軍と一般市民や奴隷たちが自発的に担っていたそうです。また子供の教育は、ユダヤ教の会堂で開かれ、祭司や学者による律法の学習が中心でした。またそれ以外にも、楽器奏者や歌手、踊り子、技師、猟師、また工事労働者や船員が居ました。それに人類の歴史で一番古い職業と言われる娼婦、また娼夫も存在したと思われます。
こうしてみると、職業の種類としては今とそんなに変わりないように見えます。でも一つ、当時にはあっても今はない職業があります。それが預言者。未来を占う予言者ではなく、神の言葉を預かる預言者です。
旧約の時代には歴代の王に仕えて政治・軍事の重要な決定事項について神の意向を取り次ぐのが「お抱え預言者」の仕事でした。でも旧約聖書に名を残しているイザヤやエレミヤなどの預言者は、神からの召命と託宣を受けて、逆境と戦いながら神の言葉を語り続けた人々です。一方、一般市民にとっては、今でいう「くじ」が神の意志を知る手段でした。これは今でもタロット占いなどに引き継がれていますね。
現代も預言者を自称する人は存在しますが、やはり私には、旧約聖書に名を残したような預言者は居ないように思えます。何方か、ご存知の方が居られれば、是非教えてください。一度お話しを伺って、その方が取り次ぐ神のみ言葉を、是非聞いてみたいものです。
by Mimune Tsukamoto
Pastor Oda’s sermon on June 7 began with a story of Matthew who was a tax collector before becoming a disciple of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus’ disciples were by no means all highly educated people. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee; Simon was a member of a political group known as the Zealots; and it is said that the Lord Jesus Himself took over His father Joseph’s carpentry business until He began His ministry.
Taking another look with this in mind, the occupations that frequently appear in the New Testament include scholars, priests, doctors, tax collectors, merchants, artisans, fishermen, boatmen, landowners, moneylenders, fortune-tellers, shepherds, and farm laborers. There were also those referred to as servants or slaves, many of whom were people who could no longer repay their debts or had been brought from countries that had lost wars. Furthermore, while politics and military affairs were under Roman control at the time, religious rituals and ceremonies centered on the Temple were entirely managed by priests and scholars.
As for public services, law enforcement was primarily handled by the Roman army and the Jewish Temple Guard, while firefighting was reportedly carried out by the Roman army, ordinary citizen volunteers and slaves. Children’s education took place in Jewish synagogues and centered on the study of the Law under the guidance of priests and scholars. Although not specifically mentioned, there were musicians, singers, dancers, artisans, hunters, construction workers, and sailors. It is also believed that prostitutes existed, male and female, a profession often considered the oldest in human history.
Looking at it this way, the variety of occupations doesn’t seem all that different from today. However, there is one occupation that no longer seems to exist today; prophet. Not a fortune-teller but the ones who convey the word of God.
In Old Testament times, the job of a “court prophet” was to serve successive kings and convey God’s will regarding political and military decisions. However, the prophets whose names are recorded in the Old Testament—such as Isaiah and Jeremiah—were people who, having received a calling and oracles from God, continued to speak God’s word while battling adversity. On the other hand, for ordinary citizens, what we would now call “divination by lot” was the means of discerning God’s will. This practice has been carried on even today in forms such as tarot readings.
While there are people who claim to be prophets even in modern times, it still seems that there are no prophets like those whose names are recorded in the Old Testament. If anyone knows of such a person, please do let me know. I would very much like to hear the word of God that they convey.
Pastor Oda’s sermon on June 7 began with a story of Matthew who was a tax collector before becoming a disciple of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus’ disciples were by no means all highly educated people. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee; Simon was a member of a political group known as the Zealots; and it is said that the Lord Jesus Himself took over His father Joseph’s carpentry business until He began His ministry.
Taking another look with this in mind, the occupations that frequently appear in the New Testament include scholars, priests, doctors, tax collectors, merchants, artisans, fishermen, boatmen, landowners, moneylenders, fortune-tellers, shepherds, and farm laborers. There were also those referred to as servants or slaves, many of whom were people who could no longer repay their debts or had been brought from countries that had lost wars. Furthermore, while politics and military affairs were under Roman control at the time, religious rituals and ceremonies centered on the Temple were entirely managed by priests and scholars.
As for public services, law enforcement was primarily handled by the Roman army and the Jewish Temple Guard, while firefighting was reportedly carried out by the Roman army, ordinary citizen volunteers and slaves. Children’s education took place in Jewish synagogues and centered on the study of the Law under the guidance of priests and scholars. Although not specifically mentioned, there were musicians, singers, dancers, artisans, hunters, construction workers, and sailors. It is also believed that prostitutes existed, male and female, a profession often considered the oldest in human history.
Looking at it this way, the variety of occupations doesn’t seem all that different from today. However, there is one occupation that no longer seems to exist today; prophet. Not a fortune-teller but the ones who convey the word of God.
In Old Testament times, the job of a “court prophet” was to serve successive kings and convey God’s will regarding political and military decisions. However, the prophets whose names are recorded in the Old Testament—such as Isaiah and Jeremiah—were people who, having received a calling and oracles from God, continued to speak God’s word while battling adversity. On the other hand, for ordinary citizens, what we would now call “divination by lot” was the means of discerning God’s will. This practice has been carried on even today in forms such as tarot readings.
While there are people who claim to be prophets even in modern times, it still seems that there are no prophets like those whose names are recorded in the Old Testament. If anyone knows of such a person, please do let me know. I would very much like to hear the word of God that they convey.
Posted in Newsletter 2026-06-25