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March 02, 202412: How to Read Acts
12 How to Read Acts Download
Luke wrote Acts.
Acts 1:1-2
Acts is the second volume.
Luke is about the life of Christ.
Acts is about the early expansion of the church.
Major events of Acts
1:1-11 Jesus commissions and ascends.
1:12-27 Peter initiates replacing Judas.
2:1-47 Spirit is poured out, and Peter preaches.
3:1-26 Peter heals lame man and preaches.
4:1-6:7 Communal living in Jerusalem
6:8-7:60 Stephen’s martyrdom
8:1-40 Philip’s expansion to Samaria, Ethiopia
9:1-31 Paul’s conversion, expansion to Damascus
9:32-9:43 Peter’s mission to Lydda and Joppa
10:1-11:18 Peter converts Cornelius in Caesarea.
11:19-30 Barnabas brings Paul to Antioch.
12:1-24 Peter’s arrest and miraculous escape
12:25-16:5 Paul’s 1st missionary journey
16:6-19:20 Paul’s 2nd missionary journey
19:21-21:17 Paul’s 3rd missionary journey
21:18-28:31 Paul’s arrest and trip to Rome
Organization of the book
The first half is about Peter (1-12).
The second half is about Paul (13-28).
Acts 1:8 outlines the book: they expanded from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth.
Leading and experience of God’s spirit
Baptized with the spirit, filled with the spirit, pour out the spirit, receive the spirit, spirit fell upon: 1:5, 8; 2:4, 17; 4:31; 8:17; 9:17; 10:44-45; 11:15-16; 13:52
Speaking in tongues; prophecy: 2:4, 17-18; 10:46; 11:28; 19:6; 20:22-23; 27:21-22
Exorcisms: 5:16; 8:7; 16:18; 19:12-16
Healing and miracles: 3:6-7; 5:12, 15-16; 8:39; 9:17-18, 34-35; 12:7-10; 13:11; 14:10; 19:11; 20:9-10; 28:3-6, 8-9
Supernatural direction: 1:16, 26; 8:26, 29; 9:10-16; 13:2; 15:28; 16:7; 18:9-10; 20:28; 21:11; 23:11; 27:23-24
Rapid expansion through conversion
Convert 3,000 on day of Pentecost (2:41)
5,000 after healing lame man at the temple (4:4)
Conversions of whole towns: Samaria (8), Lydda, and Joppa (9)
Conversions of key people: Ethiopian treasurer (8); Paul of Tarsus (9); Cornelius the centurion (10); Sergius Paulus, proconsul of Cyprus, (13); Lydia, a wealthy Philippian merchant, (16); Crispus, a synagogue leader in Corinth, (18); Publius of Malta (28)
Perseverance through persecution
Sadducees arrest Peter and John (4).
Sadducees arrest apostles (5).
A mob stones Stephen (7).
Paul leads persecution in Jerusalem (8).
King Herod executes James (12).
King Herod imprisons Peter (12).
Jewish leaders expel Paul and Barnabas from Pisidian Antioch (13).
Jewish leaders stone Paul at Lystra (14).
City magistrates arrest Paul and Silas at Philippi (16).
Jewish mob attacks Jason at Thessalonica (17).
Jewish leaders accuse Paul before Proconsul Gallio at Corinth (18).
Demetrius instigates riot against Paul at Ephesus (19).
Jewish mob attacks Paul at Jerusalem (21).
Plot of Jewish leaders to murder Paul (23)
Paul’s trial before Felix (24)
Paul’s trial before Festus (25)
Paul’s defense before King Agrippa (26)
Paul’s shipwreck (27)
Paul’s house arrest at Rome (28)
Respectful of Roman authorities
Paul is respectful to his arresting officer, Claudius, (21:33, 37-40).
He asserts his Roman citizenship (22:24-29).
He cordially converses with Felix, Roman governor of Judea, (24).
Paul appeals to have a trial before Caesar in Rome b/c he’s afraid he won’t get a fair hearing in Judea.
Paul interacts respectfully with Festus and King Agrippa.
King Agrippa says Paul should’ve been set free (26:31-32).
Paul complies on the whole journey while under arrest.
Including the Gentiles
Originally, Christianity was 100% Jewish.
Gentiles (non-Jews) began believing in Jesus, and God demonstrated his acceptance through his spirit (see Acts 10:44-45).
Both Peter and Paul preached to Gentiles and accepted them as part of God’s family.
After a disagreement broke out over the Gentiles (Acts 15:1-2), the disciples decided Gentiles could be part of the church without keeping the law.
Acts is the historical spine of the NT
Acts tells you about how Christianity came to many places mentioned in other parts of the NT.
On Paul’s second missionary journey, he visited Galatia, Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, and Ephesus. These are all places to which he wrote Epistles.
Prescriptive vs. descriptive
Does Acts prescribe how we should live or describe what they did?
Acts 2:44-46 talks about sharing all our possessions. Is this normative for all Christians for all time?
Fee & Stuart: “Unless Scripture explicitly tells us we must do something, what is only narrated or described does not function in a normative (i.e. obligatory) way—unless it can be demonstrated on other grounds that the author intended it to function in this way.”1
Review
Acts is a history of the church that Luke wrote to follow his biography of Christ.
Acts describes the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth (i.e. the Mediterranean world).
In Acts, Luke is interested in the activity of God’s spirit, missionary activity resulting in conversions, and how Christians are respectful to Roman authorities.
The inclusion of Gentiles into the early Christian movement caused a significant controversy, resulting in the decision that they did not need to keep the law.
Acts provides the historical backbone into which fit many of the Epistles of the NT.
Luke tells of Paul’s three missionary journeys, as well as his final treacherous journey to Rome under arrest.
Although Acts shows us what is possible as we walk with God, it does not prescribe that Christians today must do everything the way they did it (descriptive not prescriptive).
Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 124.
The post 12: How to Read Acts first appeared on Living Hope.
32 min
February 29, 202411: How to Read the Gospels
The Four Gospels
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
Gospel = good news
The Gospels are biographies about Jesus which seek to convince readers about the good news that he is the Messiah.
Basic Storyline of the Gospels
Birth narratives
John’s ministry
John baptizes Jesus.
Jesus calls the twelve.
Teachings of Jesus
Miracles of Jesus
Conflict with critics
Triumphal entry
Intensified conflict
Last supper
Arrest, trial, execution
Resurrection appearances
Great commission
Mark (11,305 words)
Papias: “And the elder used to say this: ‘Mark, having become Peter’s interpreter, wrote down accurately everything he remembered, though not in order, of the things either said or done by Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor followed him, but afterward, as I said, followed Peter, who adapted his teachings as needed but had no intention of giving an ordered account of the Lord’s sayings. Consequently Mark did nothing wrong in writing down some things as he remembered them, for he made it his one concern not to omit anything that he heard or to make any false statement in them.’”1
John (15,633 words)
Purpose statement: John 20:30-31
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Matthew (18,348 words)
Five blocks of teaching
5-7 Sermon on the Mount
10 Missionary Instruction
13 Parables of the Kingdom
18 Discourse on the Church
24-25 Olivet Discourse
Luke (19,483 words)
Luke’s method: Luke 1:1-4
1 Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 I, too, decided, as one having a grasp of everything from the start, to write a well-ordered account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may have a firm grasp of the words in which you have been instructed.
Luke’s historical precision: Luke 3:1-2
1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
The Synoptic Gospels
Matthew, Mark, and Luke
Matthew and Luke quote Mark extensively.
Both quote another source of sayings as well.
Still, much of Matthew and Luke is unique to them.
Fee & Stuart: “Take, for example, the fact that there is such a high degree of verbal similarity among Matthew, Mark, and Luke in their narratives, as well as in their recording of the sayings of Jesus. Remarkable verbal similarities should not surprise us about the sayings of the one who spoke as no one ever did (John 7:46). But for this to carry over to the narratives is something else again—especially so when one considers (1) that these stories were first told in Aramaic, yet we are talking about the use of Greek words; (2) that Greek word order is extremely free, yet often the similarities extend even to precise word order; and (3) that it is highly unlikely that three people in three different parts of the Roman Empire would tell the same story with the same words—even to such minor points of individual style as prepositions and conjunctions.”2
Fee & Stuart: “The best explanation of all the data is …that Mark wrote his gospel first, probably in part at least from his recollection of Peter’s preaching and teaching. Luke and Matthew had access to Mark’s gospel and independently used it as the basic source for their own. But they also had access to all kinds of other material about Jesus, some of which they had in common. This common material, however, is scarcely ever presented in the same order in the two gospels, a fact suggesting that neither one had access to the other’s writing. Finally, John wrote independently of the other three, and thus his gospel has little material in common with them. This, we would note, is how the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the Gospels. …[W]ith the Spirit’s help, they creatively structured and rewrote the materials to meet the needs of their readers.”3
Kingdom of God
Understanding what Jesus meant by the kingdom of God is critical
Fee & Stuart: “[T]he major hermeneutical difficulty lies with understanding “the kingdom of God,” a term that is absolutely crucial to the whole of Jesus’ ministry…”4
Likely, Jesus was pulling from Daniel who prophesies extensively about God’s kingdom coming to earth (Dan 2:44; 7:26-27)
Parables
Short fictional stories that make a point
Get the main point; don’t get lost in trying to find a meaning for every aspect of the story.
Jesus told some parables to hide truth from those who didn’t want it.
He told others to teach his disciples important truth simply and effectively.
Still others, he told as zingers to confront his critics.
Word of God
The Bible does not typically call itself “the word”.
“The word” is the message Jesus preached to repent due to the coming Kingdom.
He wasn’t telling his Jewish listeners to repent and believe in the Bible, since they already believed in it.
Compare Mark 4:13-15; Luke 8:11-12; Mat 13:19
Word = word of God = word of the Kingdom
Application
Must discern between the sayings Jesus limited to the people in front of him at that time and those that remain applicable to all his followers today
Mat 10:9-11 tells his disciples not to carry any money with them. Does that mean true Christians don’t use money and just mooch off their neighbors?
Luke 6:27-28 tells us to love our enemies, a commandment repeated in Mat 5:43-48; Rom 12:17-21; 1 Pet 3:9-11 and exemplified by Jesus’ actions.
Review
The NT begins with four evangelistic biographies of Jesus called Gospels.
Mark is the shortest Gospel. Its action-packed narrative is probably derived from Peter’s recollections as well as God’s direction via his spirit.
John is the most theologically developed, and it contains monologues where Jesus talks about himself and his relationship to his Father.
Matthew showcases Jesus as a Rabbi who teaches his followers how to live in light of the Kingdom of God.
Luke was a careful historian who made an effort to present a “well-ordered account” to present the life of Christ to a noble Roman audience.
The Kingdom of God is the core of Jesus’ message and ministry. It refers to a coming age when God sets everything wrong with the world right.
Jesus’ favorite self-title was “Son of Man,” which could either mean a human being or the ruler of the coming Kingdom.
Parables are short fictional stories told to make a point.
In the Gospels, the “word” refers to the message Jesus preached about the Kingdom of God, not the Bible in general.
Although it’s hard to be sure, most think Matthew and Luke used Mark as a source as well as another sayings source.
In order to discern what sayings of Jesus apply to you, consider the circumstances in which they were given, whether other parts of the NT repeat the statement, and what Jesus’ example can tell you.
Fragments of Papias 3.15 in Apostolic Fathers, trans. Michael Holmes, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids, Baker Academic, 2007).
Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 141.
Stuart, 142.
Stuart, 132.
The post 11: How to Read the Gospels first appeared on Living Hope.
49 min
February 24, 202410: Key Background for Reading the New Testament
Lesson 10 Notes Download
Recent History
Persians: Cyrus the Great
Greeks: Alexander the Great, Antiochus Epiphanes
Hellenization (2 Maccabees 4.7, 10-15; 1 Maccabees 1.41-53)
Maccabean Revolution: Mattathias, Judah the Maccabee, Jonathan Apphus, Simon Thassi, John Hyrcanus, Aristobulus I, Alexander Jannaeus, Salome Alexandra, Hyrcanus II, Aristobulus II
Romans: Pompey the Great annexed Judea in 63bc
Herodian Dynasty: Herod the Great and his descendants
Geographical and Political Setting
Roman Empire: Augustus (27bc-ad14), Tiberius (14-37), Caligula (37-41), Claudius (41-54), Nero (54-68)
Provinces: every region outside of Italy
Galilee: Herod the Great (37-4bc), Herod Antipas (4bc-ad39), Herod Agrippa I (37-44)
Judea: Herod the Great (37-4bc), Herod Archelaus (4bc-ad6), Coponius (6-9), Marcus Ambivulus (9-12), Annius Rufus (12-15), Valerius Gratus (15-26), Pontius Pilate (26-36), Marcellus (36-37), Marullus (37-41), Herod Agrippa I (41-44)
Samaria: under Judean jurisdiction; Samaritans and Jews conflicted with each other
Jewish Groups
Sadducees
controlled the temple
partners with Roman governors
wealthy aristocrats
chief priests were the leaders
only accepted the Torah as scripture
didn’t believe in resurrection or angels
Pharisees
focused on obedience to Torah
accepted the law (Torah), prophets (Nevi’im), and writings (Kethuvim)
oral tradition & fence laws
not in power at the time of Jesus, except those in the Sanhedrin
Sanhedrin
Romans established 5 councils over 5 districts
most important council was in Jerusalem
had temple police at their disposal to arrest people
could meet out punishments except capital punishment, which was reserved for the Roman governor
Scribes
every group had scribes
even Paul used scribes to write his letters (Tertius in Rom 16.22)
writing was a skill
copy scripture to preserve it
called lawyers or experts in the law
Revolutionaries
wanted to overthrow Roman occupation
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews23
“But of the fourth sect of Jewish philosophy, Judas the Galilean was the author. These men agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty; and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord. They also do not value dying any kind of death, nor indeed do they heed the deaths of their relations and friends, nor can any such fear make them call any man Lord”
John’s Renewal Movement
called people to repent
baptized them in the Jordan River
possible connection with the Essenes
Important Issues
Temple
Taxes
Torah
Unrest
Review
When the Greeks conquered the world, they made cities adopt their customs, culture, language, and religion.
When Antiochus Epiphanes forcibly Hellenized Judah, it resulted in the Maccabean Revolution under Mattathias and his sons.
After they won their independence, the Hasmonean Dynasty ruled up until 63bc when Pompey annexed Judea into the Roman Empire.
Herod the Great and his descendants ruled over the region for many years, though in Judea the Romans directly ruled through governors.
During Jesus’ ministry Herod Antipas ruled in Galilee and Pontius Pilate governed Judea and Samaria.
Sadducees partnered with the Roman government and controlled the temple.
The Pharisees focused on obedience to Torah, according to the traditions of the elders.
The Sanhedrin was a council in Jerusalem made of Sadducees and Pharisees that controlled a police force and ruled on legal issues.
Scribes copied scripture and had expert knowledge of the Law of Moses.
Jesus lived in a time of fragile peace when Roman provocations threatened to light the match of Jewish revolution at any moment.
The post 10: Key Background for Reading the New Testament first appeared on Living Hope.
49 min
February 23, 2024 10: Key Background for Reading the New Testament
Lesson 10 Notes Download
Recent History
Persians: Cyrus the Great
Greeks: Alexander the Great, Antiochus Epiphanes
Hellenization (2 Maccabees 4.7, 10-15; 1 Maccabees 1.41-53)
Maccabean Revolution: Mattathias, Judah the Maccabee, Jonathan Apphus, Simon Thassi, John Hyrcanus, Aristobulus I, Alexander Jannaeus, Salome Alexandra, Hyrcanus II, Aristobulus II
Romans: Pompey the Great annexed Judea in 63bc
Herodian Dynasty: Herod the Great and his descendants
Geographical and Political Setting
Roman Empire: Augustus (27bc-ad14), Tiberius (14-37), Caligula (37-41), Claudius (41-54), Nero (54-68)
Provinces: every region outside of Italy
Galilee: Herod the Great (37-4bc), Herod Antipas (4bc-ad39), Herod Agrippa I (37-44)
Judea: Herod the Great (37-4bc), Herod Archelaus (4bc-ad6), Coponius (6-9), Marcus Ambivulus (9-12), Annius Rufus (12-15), Valerius Gratus (15-26), Pontius Pilate (26-36), Marcellus (36-37), Marullus (37-41), Herod Agrippa I (41-44)
Samaria: under Judean jurisdiction; Samaritans and Jews conflicted with each other
Jewish Groups
Sadducees
controlled the temple
partners with Roman governors
wealthy aristocrats
chief priests were the leaders
only accepted the Torah as scripture
didn’t believe in resurrection or angels
Pharisees
focused on obedience to Torah
accepted the law (Torah), prophets (Nevi’im), and writings (Kethuvim)
oral tradition & fence laws
not in power at the time of Jesus, except those in the Sanhedrin
Sanhedrin
Romans established 5 councils over 5 districts
most important council was in Jerusalem
had temple police at their disposal to arrest people
could meet out punishments except capital punishment, which was reserved for the Roman governor
Scribes
every group had scribes
even Paul used scribes to write his letters (Tertius in Rom 16.22)
writing was a skill
copy scripture to preserve it
called lawyers or experts in the law
Revolutionaries
wanted to overthrow Roman occupation
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews23
“But of the fourth sect of Jewish philosophy, Judas the Galilean was the author. These men agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty; and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord. They also do not value dying any kind of death, nor indeed do they heed the deaths of their relations and friends, nor can any such fear make them call any man Lord”
John’s Renewal Movement
called people to repent
baptized them in the Jordan River
possible connection with the Essenes
Important Issues
Temple
Taxes
Torah
Unrest
Review
When the Greeks conquered the world, they made cities adopt their customs, culture, language, and religion.
When Antiochus Epiphanes forcibly Hellenized Judah, it resulted in the Maccabean Revolution under Mattathias and his sons.
After they won their independence, the Hasmonean Dynasty ruled up until 63bc when Pompey annexed Judea into the Roman Empire.
Herod the Great and his descendants ruled over the region for many years, though in Judea the Romans directly ruled through governors.
During Jesus’ ministry Herod Antipas ruled in Galilee and Pontius Pilate governed Judea and Samaria.
Sadducees partnered with the Roman government and controlled the temple.
The Pharisees focused on obedience to Torah, according to the traditions of the elders.
The Sanhedrin was a council in Jerusalem made of Sadducees and Pharisees that controlled a police force and ruled on legal issues.
Scribes copied scripture and had expert knowledge of the Law of Moses.
Jesus lived in a time of fragile peace when Roman provocations threatened to light the match of Jewish revolution at any moment.
The post 10: Key Background for Reading the New Testament first appeared on Living Hope.
49 min
February 21, 20249: How to Read the Prophets
Canonical Arrangement
5 Major Prophets
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
12 Minor Prophets
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Chronological Arrangement
early pre-exilic: Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Micah, Isaiah
late pre-exilic: Nahum, Zephaniah, Obadiah, Joel, Habakkuk, Jeremiah
exilic: Ezekiel, Daniel
post-exilic: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
Setting
The historical context is helpful
In Jer 1.1-3, Jeremiah prophecies during the last days of the kingdom. He’s the last chance for the people to repent. Since they go into exile anyhow, it’s easy to anticipate that the people will not respond to Jeremiah.
The Prophet
God calls prophets into his service (Jer 1.4-6)
oftentimes, the prophet has access to the king and speaks to him
competition with false prophets (Jer 28.1-3, 15-17)
Acting out prophecies
Ezekiel
built a model of Jerusalem and acted out a siege against it (Ezek 4.1-3)
lay on his side for 390 days (Ezek 4.4-5)
cooked his food over animal excrement (Ezek 4.12, 14-15)
Jeremiah
shattered a piece of pottery (Jer 19.10-11)
wore an oxen yoke around (Jer 27.2)
bought a property while city is under siege (Jer 32.24-25)
Isaiah
walked barefoot and naked for 3 years (Is 20.2-4)
Hosea
married an unfaithful prostitute to illustrate God’s relationship w/ Israel who kept cheating on him with idols (Hos 1.2)
Preaching to the People
fidelity to the Torah, the covenant
justice in business dealings and courts
take care of the vulnerable quartet (Jer 22.11-16)
practice moral and ritual aspects of religion (Jer 7.4-10)
avoid fake righteousness and hypocrisy (Jer 9.8)
do not worship idols (Jer 7.16-18)
Prophesies of the Future
near judgment or restoration
judgment upon nations (Edom, Egypt, Syria, etc.)
use Assyrians/Babylonians to judge Israel/Judah
return to the land and enjoy covenant blessings
be faithful or lose the land again
eschatological judgment and restoration
a Davidic king will rule wisely and execute justice
healing for the lame, deaf, blind, etc.
healing for the land, especially the deserts
abundance and prosperity
peace among the nations
no need for militaries or even training for war
peace among the animals
elimination of death itself
Prophets Reveal God’s Heart
God is a lover
prophets express God’s emotions
lots of colorful language
God provides hope for the remnant
Review
The prophets make up a huge portion of the Old Testament (17 books)
Some prophets served before the exile, others during the exile, and others after the exile.
Pay attention to the historical context, including who was king and what was happening with Israel or Judah.
Prophets are commissioned by God to speak his words to his people and his king.
The prophets sometimes had encounters with false prophets who challenged their message and authority.
A prophet’s predictions served to authenticate or disprove their legitimacy.
The prophets fought injustice, especially the exploitation of the quartet of the vulnerable: the widow, the orphan, the sojourner, and the poor.
The prophets railed against idolatry and hypocrisy.
Yet they also prophesied about the coming kingdom judgement and restoration, offering hope for the remnant.
Because the prophets were close to God, they reveal his heart in a way no other part of the Bible does.
The post 9: How to Read the Prophets first appeared on Living Hope.
34 min
February 16, 20248: How to Read the Psalms
Lesson 8 Notes
Basic Facts
Phenomenal for devotional reading, emotional connection
150 total psalms
Called psalms, not chapters (Psalm 50:4 not Psalms 50:4)
Authors: David (73), Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Heman the Ezrahite (1), Ethan the Ezrahite (1), Moses (1), Solomon (2), Anonymous (49)
Book 1: 1-41
Book 2: 42-72
Book 3: 73-89
Book 4: 90-106
Book 5: 107-150
David reassigned the Levites to develop a music ministry to worship God (1 Chron 16:4-6, 41-42).
Chesed
כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ (1 Chron 16:41) for his chesed (is) forever.
הוֹדוּ לַיהוָה כִּי־טוּב כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ (Ps 118:1) O give thanks to Yahweh for (he is) good for his chesed (is) forever.
chesed is an extremely important word in the Psalms.
“EVV [English versions] translate chesed by expressions such as ‘steadfast love’ and ‘constant love.’ It is sometimes described as covenant love, though in the OT it rarely appears in the company of the word ‘covenant.’ It is used in two connections: when someone makes an act of commitment for which there is no reason in terms of prior relationship, and when someone keeps their commitment when they might be expected to abandon it (e.g., because the other person has done so). It is the Hebrew equivalent to the Greek agape.”1
Walter Brueggemann’s Three Kinds of Psalms
Orientation: celebrate order in creation and in morality (Psalm 8)
Disorientation: complaints about injustice and God’s inactivity (Psalm 88)
Reorientation: renewed sense of trust; thanksgiving for deliverance (Psalm 30)
The psalms nicely compliment the various types of wisdom literature we covered last time.
14 Types of Psalms
Praise Psalms
Historical Psalms
Torah Psalms
Creation Psalms
Royal Psalms
Enthronement Psalms
Wisdom Psalms
Prophecy Psalms
Trust Psalms
Petition Psalms
Complaint Psalms
Repentance Psalms
Imprecatory Psalms
Thanksgiving Psalms
Hebrew Poetry
Word play
Acrostic psalms
Thought rhyming instead of word rhyming
Synonymous parallelism
Antithetical parallelism
Synthetic parallelism
Transliterated Terms
Selah (71x) may mean a pause (perhaps for a musical interlude).
Maskil (13x), miktam (6x), gittith (3x), alamoth (1x), higgaion (1x), and shiggaion (1x) were probably musical instructions of some sort.
Lectio Divina (Divine Reading)
First reading
Read the psalm or a section of it twice.
Pause to reflect on what you read.
Second reading
Read text once.
Look for a verse or phrase that sticks out to you.
Pause and reflect on that phrase turning it over in your mind
Third reading
Read text once.
Ask God what he wants you to do in relation to the phrase you have been contemplating.
Listen for a response.
Review
The book of Psalms contains 150 poems, songs, and prayers written by several different authors, divided into five books.
More psalms are associated with David than anyone else (73). He was responsible for tasking the Levites with praising God through music.
A key reason to praise God in the Psalms is because his chesed (steadfast love) endures forever.
Psalms of orientation celebrate the orderliness of creation and the moral universe.
Psalms of disorientation cry out for help amidst times of injustice, persecution, and suffering.
Psalms of reorientation thank God for his deliverance in a situation.
The many kinds of psalms are for you to use when you go through similar blessings, trials, doubts, and deliverances.
Lectio Divina is an ancient meditative practice that you can use to get more out of the psalms you read.
Appendix: All the psalms categorized by type
#
Types
Description
Psalms
1
praise
extolling God for his character and actions
23, 24, 34, 46, 67, 76, 95, 100, 103, 111, 117, 139, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150
2
historical
overviews of interactions between God and his people
78, 81, 89, 105, 106, 114, 132, 135, 136
3
Torah
poems about the Torah and the benefits of obedience
1, 19, 112, 119
4
creation
songs about the well-ordered creation
8, 19, 65, 104, 148
5
royal
poems about the king; messianic psalms
2, 20, 21, 45, 61, 72, 101?, 110, 144?, 149?
6
enthronment
poems about God sitting on his throne and ruling
9, 24, 29, 33, 47, 50?, 93, 96, 97, 98, 99, 102?, 113, 145, 146
7
wisdom
extolling wisdom and disparanging folly
1, 14, 15, 37, 49, 52, 53, 73, 90, 101, 112, 127, 128,
8
prophecy
words spoken by God to the people
2, 50, 81, 82, 91, 108, 110, 132
9
trust
expressing confidence in what God will do
57, 61, 62, 63, 68, 69, 71, 73, 77, 82, 85, 91, 94, 102, 115, 121, 125, 131
10
petition
asking for deliverance (usually from enemies)
3, 6, 7, 17, 22, 25, 26, 27, 31, 36, 40, 41, 54, 56, 59, 60, 69, 70, 79, 86, 108, 123, 141, 142, 143, 144
11
complaint
complaining, asking “how long?” “why?” etc.
13, 42, 43, 44, 60, 74, 80, 88, 89, 120
12
repentance
repenting from sinful action(s)
32, 38, 39, 51, 130
13
imprecatory
wishing God to harm one’s enemies
5, 10, 11, 12, 28, 35, 55, 58, 69, 70, 79, 83, 109, 129, 137, 140
14
thanksgiving
thanking God for the deliverance he has provided
4, 16, 18, 30, 40, 64, 65, 66, 75, 92, 107, 116, 118, 124, 138
15
Zion, pilgrimage
songs praising Zion/Jerusalem or talking about going there
48, 84, 87, 122, 125, 126, 128, 129, 133, 134, 147
John Goldingay, Psalms, vol. 3: Psalms 90-150, Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Wisdom and Psalms, ed. Tremper Longman III, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008), 753. I altered his spelling from hesed to chesed to conform to the actual pronunciation.
The post 8: How to Read the Psalms first appeared on Living Hope.
42 min
February 14, 20247: How to Read Wisdom Literature
Proverbs
“[Proverbs] should not be read as promises but as guidelines, as principles for living. They show the way life works best 80 to 95 percent of the time. The Bible is clear throughout Scripture: if you live a life oriented to God, you will tend to have a good life.”1
Proverbs 14:7: Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not find words of knowledge.
The Fool
Mouth of a fool brings ruin near (10:14)
Utters slander (10:18)
Doing wrong for fun (10:23)
Broadcasts folly (12:23)
No restraint, careless (14:16)
Despises parent’s instruction (15:5)
Does not receive a rebuke (17:10)
Has plenty of personal opinions (18:2)
Perverse speech (19:1)
Quick to quarrel (20:3)
Devours wealth (21:20)
Despises wise words (23:9)
Vents anger (29:11)
Hasty in speech (29:20)
The Wise
Honoring your parents (1:8-9; 10:1)
Handling money well, avoiding debt (3:9-10; 22:7
Discernment between right and wrong (3:21; 10:9; 28:5)
Understanding (3:13; 4:7; 18:2)
Fidelity in marriage (5:15-19; 6:32-35)
Hard work instead of laziness (6:6-11; 15:19)
Fearing the LORD (9:10; 24:21; 31:30)
Teachability, humility (9:9; 11:2)
Controlling what you say (10:19; 21:23)
Righteousness, honesty, morality
(11:3; 12:22; 29:6)
Generosity (11:25; 19:17; 22:9)
Choosing good friends (12:26; 13:20)
Disciplining children (13:24; 22:15)
Patience, slow to anger (14:29; 15:18)
Self-control (16:32; 25:28; 29:11)
Song of Songs
This collection of romantic poems is a commentary on Proverbs 5:18-19
The focus of the book is a woman who pursues and fantasizers about romantic love. Her speech begins the book (1:5-6), ends the book, and utters the key truth of the book (8:6-7).
Far from relegating women to a passive role, Song of Songs affirms a woman’s desires and her pursuit of them. She does not ignore that her body has yearnings, nor is she ashamed of them. Our heroine knows who she is; she’s in touch with her sexuality. She goes after him, attempting to woo him with her charms. Over and again, the two get separated, and one searches for the other until they find each other, panting with desire. Then, the section abruptly ends, and the two find themselves apart again, ready to repeat the cycle.
“This poem should be read in light of Genesis 1 and 2. Following the command to “be fruitful and increase in number” (Gen 1:28), God plants a garden (2:8) in which he placed the man and woman he created in his own image. The narrative concludes with the words: “A man will … be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame” (2:24-25, emphasis added). The picture of sexual love in this book recaptures that scene, where the woman and the man take utter delight and pleasure in each other’s bodies and do so without shame. This is thus God’s way of recapturing both the fidelity and the unity and intimacy of marriage, which the enemy has tried to take away from God’s people by making it seem either titillating outside of marriage or something shameful and unmentionable within marriage.”2
Job
Job 15:20–24
20 The wicked writhe in pain all their days, through all the years that are laid up for the ruthless. 21 Terrifying sounds are in their ears; in prosperity the destroyer will come upon them. 22 They despair of returning from darkness, and they are destined for the sword. 23 They wander abroad for bread, saying, ‘Where is it?’ They know that a day of darkness is ready at hand; 24 distress and anguish terrify them; they prevail against them like a king prepared for battle.
Do the wicked “writhe in pain all their days?” No. Many wicked people are just fine. You must be careful with the book of Job. It is a philosophical treatise, dealing with the question of justice. The key question is whether Job did something wrong to deserve the calamities he experienced. The book answers with a resounding “No,” but does not explain why God allowed Job to suffer so much.
Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 9:11–12
11 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the skillful, but time and chance happen to them all. 12 For no one can anticipate one’s time. Like fish taken in a cruel net or like birds caught in a snare, so mortals are snared at a time of calamity, when it suddenly falls upon them.
“Vanity” הֶבֶל hevel (38x) is the key word in Ecclesiastes.
Vapor, breath, smoke, pointless
Smoke appears solid, but you can’t grab it.
Chasing the wind
Pursuing money, success, or knowledge is hevel (temporary, fleeting).
Ecclesiastes 12:13–14
13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments, for that is the whole duty of everyone. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Review
Proverbs offers conventional truisms that generally work in an ordered world. Pursue wisdom and avoid folly.
Song of Songs is an anthology of poems celebrating the delights of physical beauty, romance, and sexuality.
Job disproves the notion that those who suffer calamity deserved it by sinning in some big way.
Ecclesiastes bemoans the futility of pursuing wealth, success, pleasure, or even wisdom. Life is uncertain, so fear God and keep his commandments.
Although ultimately all one’s achievements disappear like smoke in the wind, we can enjoy the blessing of enjoying a good meal, working hard, and the delights of marriage.
Conventional wisdom offers principles that generally work, whereas subversive wisdom acknowledges that chaos and catastrophe strike, resulting in the righteous suffering.
Reading just one of these books limits you to a partial view of wisdom. Reading them together presents a robust understanding of how to live wisely through the complexities of life in the real world.
George H. Guthrie, Read the Bible for Life (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2011), 141.
Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible Book by Book (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2002), 163.
The post 7: How to Read Wisdom Literature first appeared on Living Hope.
36 min
February 10, 2024 6: How to Read the Law
Lesson 6 Notes
Reading the Law takes work
– Sometimes it’s just weird (Lev 11:20-23)
– Sometimes it’s tedious (Ex 26:7-9)
– Important to focus while reading
– Eliminate distractions
– Read aloud if you can
– Keep track of things (underline, highlight, write notes in the margin)
The books of the Law (Torah)
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
Four categories of Law
1. Holiness
2. Sacrifice
3. Justice
4. Sacred time
Sinai and the giving of the Law
– God came down on the mountain and spoke audibly (Ex 19:16-21)
– The people agreed to obey and then “stood at a distance” while Moses went up and received the rest of the Law (Ex 20:18-21)
Tabernacle
– The 2nd half of Exodus contains meticulous instructions on how to build the tabernacle and everything that went outside and inside of it.
– The tabernacle is where God dwelled and where the people made animal sacrifices.
– Inside the tabernacle was a lampstand, table, bread, alter of incense, and ark of the covenant. Outside of the tent stood the bronze basin and the bronze altar for sacrifices.
Numbers
– Organization of the camp
– Tabernacle was in the center, surrounded by Levites
– the Levites set up, tore down, and transported the tabernacle (Num 18:21-24).
– Later on, David commissioned the Levites to sing and play instruments to praise God (1 Chron 16)
– A man named Korah instigated a rebellion that resulted in disastrous judgement with God showing that he wanted only the Levites to serve him through the tabernacle worship system.
Leviticus
– Priests maintained the inside of the tabernacle.
– They butchered animals and offered them on the altar.
– They managed cleansing ritual when someone became unclean for touching a dead person, touching the carcass of an unclean animal, nocturnal emissions, monthly menstruation, childbirth, bodily discharges, and skin diseases.
– Israel => Levites => Priests => High Priest
Types of sacrifices (Lev 17:11)
– Burnt offerings
– Grain offerings
– Peace (well-being) offerings
– Sin offerings
– Guilt offerings
– Holy day offerings
Covenantal structure of Deuteronomy
1. Preamble (Deut 1:1-5)
2. Historical review (Deut 1:6-4:49)
3. Individual laws/requirements (Deut 5-26)
4. Deposit of the text (Deut 31:9, 24-26)
5. List of witnesses (Deut 4:26; 30:19)
6. Blessings and curses (Deut 27-28)
7. Ratification ceremony (Deut 29)
8. Exhortation (Deut 29-30)
Deuteronomy
– Second telling of the law to the next generation
– Shows so much of God’s heart
– Apodictic laws: general commands (ex. 10 Commandments)
– Casuistic laws: specific scenarios (ex. Deut 22:6-7; 23:15-16)
Dealing with embarrassing or sexist laws
– God gave the Law to move the people of Israel forward.
– Comparisons to other ancient near eastern (ANE) law codes (like the Code of Hammurabi) show how the Torah curbed abuses and protected the vulnerable.
– On first reading, a law (ex. Deut 21:10-14) may seem bizarre or barbaric, but when you consider the historical setting and the options available in a patriarchal society, the wisdom of the Torah shines through brilliantly.
– Two books that can help you make sense of confusing laws include Is God a Moral Monster? by Paul Copan and How (Not) to Read the Bible by Dan Kimball.
Why the Law matters to you
– The Torah teaches you who God is and what his preferences are.
– The new covenant includes many of the same prohibitions and commandments as the old covenant.
– The Law shows how highly God values holiness over syncretism.
– Understanding the Pentateuch is necessary for understanding the rest of the Bible.
– You can extract ethical principles from laws even when the particulars don’t line up.
Review:
– The Torah or Pentateuch includes Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, though much of these books contains narrative.
– The Law was God’s gracious covenant with Israel, detailing how he wanted them to live and be different than the nations around them.
– The tabernacle was the worship facility God had his people construct. Under King Solomon, the temple in Jerusalem replaced the tabernacle.
– God set apart the tribe of Levites to manage the tabernacle and the offerings made there. They didn’t receive a land inheritance; instead, the people supported them financially.
– God set apart the priests, a subset of the Levites, to manage the sacrificial system, maintain holiness, and cleanse those who became unclean.
– The high priest was the only one allowed to enter the holy of holies in the tabernacle on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
– Deuteronomy contains the clearest expression of the covenant God made with Israel, updated for the second generation.
– Although some of the laws contained in the Torah seem backward or offensive to us, they limited abuse and protected vulnerable people amid a patriarchal and unequal society.
– Although most of the specifics of the Torah don’t apply to Christians today, it’s critical to understand to know God better and understand other parts of the Bible.
The post 6: How to Read the Law first appeared on Living Hope.
49 min
February 08, 20245: How to Read Old Testament History
Lesson 5 Notes
Old Testament history includes the following books:
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Chronology of major OT events:
Creation and Eden
Rebellions and Consequences
Abraham & Sarah & Descendants
Sojourning in Egypt
10 Plagues and Exodus
Receiving Torah at Mount Sinai
40 Years of Wandering
Entering the Promised Land
Judges
Samuel (Hinge of History)
Kings of the United Kingdom
Succession of the Northern Tribes
Assyrian Deportation of Israel
Babylonian Deportation of Judah
70 Year Exile
Return from Exile
Cultural backgrounds:
Pre-flood
Patriarchs
Egypt
Tribes (Judges 17:6)
Monarchy
Empires
Their History vs. Our History:
Real Events
Ancient Historiography
Biased but Honest
Genealogies
Etiologies
The Name of God:
God’s Name is יְהוָה
Hebrew Letters: yod hey vav hey (YHVH)
Pronounced “Yahweh”
Typically translated “the LORD”
God’s proper name (Ex 20:2-3)
“Lord GOD” = “Lord Yahweh” (Ezek 3:11)
Parallels
Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5
Chronicles and Kings
Prophets sometimes rehearse historical overview (Daniel 9:4-19; Ezra 9:5-15; Nehemiah 9:6-37)
Assyrian threat to Jerusalem triply attested (2 Kings 18-19; 2 Chron 32; Is 36-37)
Value of reading OT history
Sacred history
Your history
Hones moral intuitions
Necessary background
Review:
Read OT history asking the question, “What does this tell me about God?”
OT history serves as the backbone of the entire OT. Getting your bearings amid the chronology of major events will help you understand the rest.
When you encounter “the LORD” or “GOD”, substitute in “Yahweh”, God’s personal name.
Since the OT covers thousands of years, it’s helpful to determine the cultural background for the time period you’re reading.
It’s fine to skim or even skip genealogies, though they do have value in establishing legitimacy in their culture.
OT history is not objective or as concerned with precision as our modern history books.
Names of individuals and places bespeak the parents’ faith in God, a historical event, or a play on words.
Reading OT history influences your moral intuitions as you encounter positive and negative examples.
The post 5: How to Read Old Testament History first appeared on Living Hope.
53 min
January 30, 20244: How to Determine Content and Application
Notes Download
“If there was one bit of wisdom, one rule of thumb, one single skill I could impart, one useful tip I could leave that would serve you well the rest of your life, what would it be? What is the single most important practical skill I’ve ever learned as a Christian? Here it is: Never read a Bible verse. That’s right, never read a Bible verse. Instead, always read a paragraph at least.”1
What to Look For
author
audience
occasion
purpose
Two Tasks
Figure out what a text meant to its original audience
Figure out what it means to you today
Understand Then Apply
get the author’s point before asking about application
what’s the author’s train of thought
do not ask, “How does this affect my life?”
do not ask, “How does this fit into my theology?”
just focus on getting what the author is conveying in his own historical context
paragraph style bibles help with this tremendously whereas verse paragraphs make it hard to see what is connected to what
look up words and phrases that you don’t understand like a Sabbath day’s journey, high places, a talent or a mina
in most cases a simple internet search will provide the answer
a paper study bible or some apps will provide footnotes with helpful information
Have an Open Posture Toward the Text
accept that you are going to disagree with the scriptures from time to time
also accept that sometimes your understanding of the scripture is flawed
recognize that you are imperfect in your understanding, morals, theology, and understanding of life
adopt a posture of obedience
pray, “God please change me by what I read”
the role of God’s spirit to inspire, convict, encourage, etc.
The spirit is both lurking beneath the surface of scripture and hovering over it as you read
pray and ask God to show you what to do in light of what you just read
Covenants
covenant is an agreement between God and the people with clear expectations and commitments from both
old covenant
God established this with Israel at Mount Sinai after he brought them out of Egypt through Moses
they would follow his Torah (instruction or law) as taught by Moses
he would take care of their fertility and protect them
new covenant
God established this with the Church at the cross
they would follow Jesus and his apostles’ teaching on how to live
God would make them (even non-Israelites) his people, forgive their sins, allow himself to be known, and put his law (as taught by Jesus) in their hearts
he would resurrect them to eternal life in the age to come when he establishes his eternal kingdom
Application Rules
“A text cannot mean what it never could have meant to its author or readers” (p. 77).
“Whenever we share comparable particulars with the first-century hearers, God’s word to us is the same as his word to them” (p. 78).
“The great caution here is that we do our exegesis well so that we have confidence that our situations and particulars are genuinely comparable to theirs. This is why the careful reconstruction of their problem is so important” (p. 79).
Application Problems
The problem of extended application (1 Cor 6.1-6)
The problem of particulars that are not comparable (1 Cor 10.24-11.1)
The problem of cultural relativity (Rom 16.16; 1 Cor 16.20; 2 Cor 13.12; 1 Thess 5.26)
The problem of task theology
Three Questions to Help with Extended Application
Does extending the application contradict other scriptural statements?
Does extending the application align with general principles taught in scripture
Does extending the application align or contradict with the example of Jesus or the apostles?
Moral vs. Custom
“[O]ne should be prepared to distinguish between what the New Testament itself sees as inherently moral and what is not. Those items that are inherently moral are therefore absolute and abide for every culture; those that are not inherently moral are therefore cultural expressions and may change from culture to culture.”2
Novel Doctrines
If you’ve found a way of putting together verses to build a new doctrine no one in twenty centuries of Christianity has ever expressed, chances are, you’ve made a mistake
See Restorationist Manifesto (Appendix 2-3) for simple methods of doctrinal synthesis and evaluation
Review:
When reading scripture, look for clues about authorship, audience, occasion, and purpose.
Figure out what a text meant to them first, then figure out what it means to you.
Pray! Ask God to change you by what you read. Seek his wisdom in applying scripture to your particular situation.
Understanding covenants is necessary to figure out if a particular command in scripture applies to you today.
It’s easiest to apply scripture when your situation lines up closely with the biblical situation.
Recognize that scripture has a limited application. Don’t extend application beyond the original intention.
Sometimes our situations are so different that the best we can do is extract the principle behind a particular instruction. However, applying that principle in a new situation takes wisdom.
Some instructions in scripture are culturally embedded and obeying them literally would result in new problems.
Building general doctrines from biblical texts is sometimes problematic since scripture often addresses particular situations.
Dan Kimball, How (Not) to Read the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2020), 39.
Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 85.
The post 4: How to Determine Content and Application first appeared on Living Hope.
43 min

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