Welcome to APSE  Ministries  

        What is APSE Ministries?

             Ask - questions

             Pray - for guidance

             Study - the Bible in its historical context

             Embrace - the message of Jesus Christ

 

The Warren Area Community Bible Study is back!  

We will meet again at the Warren Public Library every Wednesday at 11:00 AM.

Christians, Jews, and Muslims

Why can’t we all get along?

COMING SOON!!!

The entire class notes for our current Bible Study.  The Bible, The Tanakh, The Quran, The Talmud, The Hadith.  

What do Holy Books really say?  Why are we at war today?  Did these three religious groups EVER get along?  Is peace EVER possible?

Click on the link below:

Christians, Jews and Muslims: 

Why can't we all get along?

 

 

The Weekly Blog - The Current Article to Explore.  

Separation of Church and State in the United States of America

Posted March 14, 2026  Click on the link below:

The Latest Blog Post

Rediscover the Bible's Relevance

Join us as we reach out to those feeling lost or disenfranchised by traditional teachings. Explore what the Bible really says and how its lessons resonate today.

APSE Ministries: A New Perspective

At APSE Ministries, we focus on:
1. Helping those hurt by the church.
2. Exploring the Bible’s truths within their historical settings.
3. Uncovering the relevant teachings of Jesus and Paul.
4. Ensuring the lessons of Christ remain applicable to modern life.

Our Key Features and Offerings

At APSE Ministries, we are committed to providing resources that enrich your understanding of biblical teachings.
We strive to create a welcoming environment for everyone seeking truth.

Biblical Studies

Explore The Life of Jesus as presented in the Gospels in the context of 1st Century Greco-Roman and Israeli cultures.  What did Jesus say and why did he say it?  Understanding Jesus in His lifetime helps us better understand his mission and message to the world, and allows us to better apply His teaching to our world today.

The Life of Jesus Bible Study

The Life of Jesus Bible Study - Part 2

The Life of Jesus Bible Study - Part 3

Biblical Studies

Everything You Wanted to Know 
About the Apostle Paul. 
Introducing this radical, contentious, respected, loved, hated, disrespected, quoted, misquoted, understood, misunderstood, Jewish servant of Jesus who was missionary to the Gentiles and the world.

The Apostle Paul Bible Study

The Apostle Paul Bible Study - Part 2

The Apostle Paul Bible Study - Part 3

Educational Resources  

Educational Resources  

Community Engagement

Opportunities for dialogue and connection with others.

The APSE Community Bible Study is held each Wednesday morning at the Warren Public Library at 11:00 AM.  Our room assignment is determined by attendance.   Check at the front desk for our weekly assigned room.

Online Bible Study - Notes from the weekly Bible Study will be posted online following the weekly live class.  You may access the notes by pressing the link here:

Notes from the Most Recent Class

Fall 2025 Bible Study Notes Archive

Articles for Thought: Blog Archives  

Blog posts will be available on the website.  Updates may be accessed by checking the APSEMinistries.com website or by following the APSEMinistries Facebook page.

Current blogs will be printed at the top of the APSEMinistries.com HomePage.  

Archived blog posts may be accessed by pressing the link here:

The Most Recent Blog Post

Archive of APSE Blog Posts

Relevant Articles for General Reference

How can a book written thousands of years ago have relevance today?  
Is the Bible used for positive influence?  For power?  For money?  To give aid to the suffering or to judge, condemn, and punish?  
Why are people fleeing a Jesus' message of love, hope, compassion, and service?  
Are we doing something wrong?  
Can we fix it?

To read articles regarding:

Leaving the Church Part 1   People share their stories of why they left their church or religion.

Leaving the Church Part 2   Concerns of the church from leadership.

Leaving the Church Part 3   Shrinking and disappearing churches in the United States.

Abortion   Studying abortion from various points of view.

LGBTQ+    Studying the LGBTQ+ issue from various points of view.

Christian Nationalism   The rise of Christian Nationalism in the United States.

Misogyny   Study the treatment of women throughout history and the Bible.

Slavery    A study of slavery and how the Bible addresses the issue.  

The Acts of Paul and Thecla - The complete text.

 

 9

Let’s start with Jesus:  The Parable of the Tenants

The Parable of the Tenants. Found in all 3 of the synoptic gospels.  Matthew 21, Mark 12, and Luke 20.  The kingdom of god - the chosen people - HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM THE JEWS.  Read from Matthew:

“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.  When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.  Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.  Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

“But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’  So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,”they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.  Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them.  They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

 

 

Paul Defines God’s Chosen People

In three passages Paul asserts the population of the “chosen people,” the inheritors of the “Promised Land” has changed.  

1.  Galatians 3:7-11  Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham,

10

 the man of faith. For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”

Those who have faith are the true children of Abraham, regardless of physical lineage.  Relying on the "works of the law" brings a curse, because it requires doing everything in the law, which no one can do. Therefore Justification is not by Law: It is evident that no one is justified before God by the law.  The Just Shall Live by Faith: The text argues that righteousness is attained through faith, not by complying with legalistic works.  

Sorry Jews.  The believers in Christ are the Chosen People.  (The Baptized.) 

Hence, we have the pestering of the Jews by the Christians - PLEASE believe in  Jesus, we don’t want you going to hell!!!

 

2.  Galatians 3:16  The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.

Paul argues the singular wording in Genesis refers to CHRIST as the mediator of the covenant blessing, which is secured BY FAITH, NOT BY THE LAW.

Christians get the land from the Nile to the Euphrates!!!!!

 

3.  Romans 9:6-8  It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.  Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”  In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.

Romans 9:6-8 (NIV) explains that God's promise has not failed, despite many Israelites rejecting the Messiah. Paul clarifies that being a physical descendant of Abraham or Israel does not automatically make one a true child of God. Instead, it is the "children of the promise" (believers) who are counted as the true offspring.

(I can see why many Jews aren’t too fond of Paul…)

 

THE CONCLUSION: God’s Chosen people are not defined by ethnicity or lineage, it is defined by devotion to Jesus Christ.  

Hence, in regard to Israel.  Move over Bibi.  We just claimed Palestine/Israel/The Promised Land for the CHRISTIANS!  (Thanks Paul!)

 

Irony:  Paul was a Jew and remained a Jew theoughout his life.  

Then again, if it comes down to Jews or Muslims, Paul leaves no doubt who Christians are to ally with.  (Despite a feeble attempt to muddy the waters…)

 

11

Hagar and Sarah  Galatians 4:21-31

Galatians 4:21-31  A VERY IMPORTANT ALLEGORY.  PAUL EXPLAINS THE SEPARATE PATHS OF ISAAC AND ISHMAEL. The two sons of Abraham have been representative of the lineage, and hence the separate claims of Jews and Muslims as the “Chosen people.”   Is Paul saying the SAME argument also applies to Christians and Muslims because Christians are part of the Isaac lineage?  (This is referring to non-Jew Arab peoples obviously since Muhammad wouldn’t get his revelation until 550 years later.

 

Paul explains the two covenants – one from Hagar who represents Israel under bondage and her son Ishmael who mocked Isaac.  Hagar and Ishmael represent “Jerusalem under bondage – as slaves – because THEY WERE OF THE FLESH, NOT OF FAITH IN GOD.  The other covenant is represented by Sarah and her son Isaac.  Isaac was blessed by God because he was the product of FAITH IN GOD, NOT FAITH IN THE FLESH.  Sarah eventually wanted rid of Hagar and Ishmael because of Hagar’s ungraciousness, with Ishmael mocking Isaac as the final straw.  

 

A Theory: This represents the Jews mocking and rejecting Jesus, and hence, the discontinuation of the old covenant (of Mt. Sinai) and the beginning of the NEW covenant under Jesus Christ. 

 

Discussion: Ishmael represents the JEWS rejecting Jesus?  Doesn’t Ishmael represent the lineage of today’s Arab peoples? (See below)  Paul appears to be equating the Jerusalem that crucified Christ with the cursed slave descendants of Hagar.  The New Jerusalem under Christ gives you freedom.  You were slaves to Sadducees and Pharisees of the temple.  You now have freedom in Christ.  That is quite a statement.  

 

Sarah represents the NEW JERUSALEM.  The product of faith in God.  Spiritually speaking, Sarah is the mother of all Christians, of people who are not merely the product of human resources, but of the supernatural work of God in their hearts.  

Isaac of course is the representative of Israel. 

Galatians 4:30-31 “Get rid of the slave woman (Hagar) and her son (Ishmael), for the slave woman’s son will NEVER SHARE in the inheritance with the free woman’s son (Isaac).”  Therefore, we ARE NOT children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

 

Note: Historically Islam promotes Ishmael as the good guy, the prophet, mentioned in the Quran but expounded in other teachings.   

Surah  (5:21) My people! Enter the holy land which Allah has ordained for you; and do not turn back for then you will turn about losers.  (This signifies Palestine which had been the homeland of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.)

 

Discussion: Can there be, will there ever be peace in Israel?  

12

The Deicide Accusation

Let’s get to the Biggie:  The Jews killed Jesus.

Wikipedia:  Jewish deicide is the theological position and the antisemitic trope that as a people, the Jews are collectively responsible for the killing of Jesus, even through the successive generations following his death. The notion arose in early Christianity, and it features in the writings of Justin Martyr and Melito of Sardis as early as the 2nd century. The Biblical passage Matthew 27:24–25 has been seen as giving voice to the charge of Jewish deicide as well.  “When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”  All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”

Blame the Jews, not Pilate.  And many bought it.  The Eastern Orthodox Church made Pilate’s wife, Claudia Procula, a Saint.  They also believe Pilate converted to Christianity and became a missionary along with his wife.  The Ethiopian Orthodox Church went further and made Pilate himself a Saint.  

The accusation that the Jews were Christ-killers fed Christian antisemitism and spurred on acts of violence against Jews such as pogroms, massacres of Jews during the Crusades, expulsions of the Jews from England, France, Spain, Portugal and other places, and torture during the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions.

In the catechism that was produced by the Council of Trent in the mid-16th century, the Catholic Church rejected the deicide charge and taught the belief that the collectivity of sinful humanity was responsible for the death of Jesus, with Christians having a special responsibility themselves.  In the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), the Catholic Church under Pope Paul VI issued the declaration Nostra aetate that repudiated the idea of a collective, multigenerational Jewish guilt for the crucifixion of Jesus. It declared that the accusation could not be made "against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today."

 

Christianity and Islam 

They don’t get along.  Islam, as we shall see, places high importance on Jesus.  They merely reject the death and resurrection of Christ.  That sort of tosses out the whole basis for the religion of Christianity.  

Islamophobia, a term coined in 1918, is much older, and it has deep roots in Christianity. The Christian narrative of Islam as an inherently heretical and violent religion dates to the eighth century, when John of Damascus, an Arab Christian monk, discussed the Islamic rejection of Jesus’ crucifixion in his treatise The Fount of Knowledge. In what is perhaps the first Christian apologetic refutation of Islam, John attacks Muhammad and the Quran as immoral. He refers to Islam as the “Ishmaelite heresy” and dismisses its teachings as “ridiculous.” John’s writings were translated into Latin and significantly shaped the Western church’s perspective on Islam.

 

13

The Crusades  

In 1099, the First Crusade culminated in the establishment of the Kingdom of Jerusalem; nearly all Jewish and Muslim residents were massacred. (The Crusades were mainly directed toward the Muslim population, but the Jews were often caught up in the slaughter, especially in the 1st Crusade.)  Most of the subsequent crusades were unsuccessful, and some were outright disasters. Christian-Muslim relations in this period were largely defined by the narrative of the Holy War. For Christians, these campaigns were repeated attempts to recover the Holy Land. For Muslims, they were defensive wars against would-be colonizers. However, these military conflicts also had unexpected outcomes. The crusaders encountered superior Muslim medicine, astronomy, mathematics, architecture, and philosophy. Witnessing the accomplishments of Islamic civilization, many may have realized that Christian propaganda about Islam was untruthful.

 

Ann Coulter  

A news station reported her saying this comment on the post 9/11 attacks.  “We attack the Arab countires, convert them to Christianity.  Those who don’t we kill.”   Which is not entirely accurate.

The actual quote: “We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And this is war.”

Here are 2 social media comments reacting to her words:  

1.  “I shared (agreed with) Anne's sentiments for the most part at the time, and still do today.”

2.  “The line on conversion wasn't good. That said...it can be treated as a commentary on the forceful evangelism inherent to Islam.  (comparing forced conversion of Christianity to other forced conversions in history.)

Which is true, looking at the wave of the Ummyads across Northern Africa in 661-750 A.D.  My question, did they notice the wave of Charlemagne across Europe?

 

 

Bring your swords…  

Let’s talk about one of the misunderstood and misused exchanges in the Bible.  This is from Luke 22:35-38    Jesus had sent his disciples out on a trial run.  Evangelize.  Preach the message of peace.  You don’t need to pack or take anything.  Live of the generosity of those who listen and believe.

14

Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”  “Nothing,” they answered.

 

Well, things are about to change.  After this week the reception isn’t going to be so friendly…

 

He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.  It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”

The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”

“That’s enough!” he replied.

 

What does THAT mean?  Jesus endorsing violence?  Jesus is saying “it’s gonna get tough out there.  What good are TWO swords???

 

Interpretation 1:  Obery Hendricks, Jr. writes:  Jesus was being sarcastic.  Sometimes we forget Jesus was fully human.  His merry band of misfits was quite the crew.  Jesus is telling them:  The end of my mission is near.  Our message is peace.  But it is going to be dangerous.  “Does anybody have a sword?”  Yeah, we got two of ‘em…   Jesus does an eyeroll.  “Oh yeah, that’s gonna be enough.”  His disciples just don’t get it.  He was kidding about the sword.  There weren’t enough swords in the world to protect this crew from what they were about to face.  

 

Interpretation 2:  Or did Jesus need a weapon on hand so the group Judas led to arrest Jesus would have justifiable cause for his arrest.  

“I told you they were dangerous.  Look, they have a sword.”

Peter does his part by lopping off the ear of a priest’s servant.  Jesus does his part by healing him.  Does this make sense?  A ragtag band of misfits vs 500 soldiers?  Peter is going to attack a slave boy and cuts off his ear and the soldiers are going to stand by and just watch it?  Peter would have been shredded on the spot.  Instead they not only didn’t react, in the end THEY LET HIM GO FREE!  As with ALL of the other 10.  Jesus was arrested for INSURRECTION, charged with a capital punishment crime.  These were his closest allies.  His top lieutenants.  And 500 soldiers and the cadre of priests who hated them LET THEM ALL GO FREE!!!

 

Interpretation 3:  Whew boy.  See?  Jesus told us:  Spread the word of peace.  Preach love.  But it’s going to be dangerous, so be heavily armed.  “That’s why we carry a sword.  Now we carry a gun.”

Really?  Maybe.   But really?

15

In December 2015, following the San Bernardino shooting, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. urged students to carry concealed weapons, stating: "If more good people had concealed-carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walked in". 

Falwell, who noted he was carrying a .25-caliber handgun in his back pocket, later stated his comments were aimed at Islamist terrorists.  "That's the only thing I would clarify," Falwell said. "If I had to say what I said again, I'd say exactly the same thing, (just add the Islamic terrorist stipulation"   I wonder who Falwell considered “a terrorist?”

 

 

Pastor Greg Locke and the Rebuilding of the Third Temple on the site of the Dome of the Rock - after BLOWING IT UP!

(This is a transcript of the words of Pastor Locke from the link below)

…the Gaza strip which has now been cut off by Israel, and rightly so, they should have cut them off a long time ago.  Now I don’t care how insensitive you think I am to that, there are 6 doors in this church, you can walk out of any one of them any time you want to…

They’ve cut ‘em off, you know electricity, they’ve cut off their water, they should have.  Now listen, I’m not for hurting anyone that’s innocent.  But anybody that supports terrorism is not innocent.   You understand that?  (moderate applause)

Israel should make the Gaza strip a parking lot by this time next week.  Destroy the whold thing.  

What they outta do is evacuate up there on that hill and get a great big missile, and blow that wicked Dome of the Rock plum off of the spot where it is standing right now so we can get that third temple rebuilt and usher in the coming of Jesus!!!  (wild cheers!!!)

 

Did Jesus ever say: “Just kill them all.  They are terrorists!”  That’s what the Prince of Peace wants to return to:  Genocide?  Hear Pastor Locke:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVlk1lWiACl/

 

Christianity and the war. 

Lindsay Graham

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DU-Ak1tgJvB/?igsh=MWxzbjU0cGhzZ3E3bA==

 

Did Jesus visit other planets?  Here is what the aliens have to say:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWkJb59BZP6/?igsh=cmFmeHFqb2k3YnR4

 

Continue to Christians, Jews, and Muslims - Judaism

 

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