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LHIM Everything episodes

March 18, 2024 Parables of Generosity
In Luke 16, Jesus told two parables about generosity. In the first, a dishonest manager ingratiates himself to his boss’ debtors to gain favors after he’s fired. Surprisingly, Jesus says such shrewdness is an example to his disciples. The second parable has a rich man and a poor man whose fortunes switch in the afterlife. The second parable illustrates the shrewdness of the first. By giving generously to those in need, we are investing in our future with God.
Luke 16:1-13 Jesus tells a story about a dishonest manager and then tells his disciples that this “shrewdness” is an example for them.

Luke 12:16-21   The parable of the rich fool illustrates the flaw in amassing wealth amid spiritual poverty.

Luke 19:1-10   Zacchaeus provides a sterling example of heartfelt generosity.

Luke 16:14-18   The Pharisees were lovers of money. They did not appreciate his instruction to use money to make friends with the poor.

Luke 16:19-23 We know the story is a parable because: (1) it begins the way parables begin, (2) it includes unrealistic exaggerations, and (3) it completes a massive unit of five parables.

Isaiah 14:9-11   The Bible repeatedly says the dead are asleep. Even Jesus himself said the real Lazarus had fallen asleep when he was dead (John 11:11). Isaiah 14 and Luke 16 tell fictional tales about the consciousness of the dead to make other points unrelated to the intermediate state.

Luke 16:24-31   Jesus tells a story that was floating around in their culture, but with a new twist. The living have everything we need to do what is right. Even if someone came back from the dead (which Jesus did later), many will not believe.The post Parables of Generosity first appeared on Living Hope.
52 min
March 13, 202415: How to Read the General Epistles
The General Epistles
Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude
Some consider Hebrews to be Pauline, but even if Paul wrote it, it’s not to a church or a pastor, so it still fits as a general epistle
2 John and 3 John are technical to specific individuals and thus not general epistles
Hebrews
Authorship
Evidence for Paul
Associated with Timothy and Rome (Heb 13:23-24)
Pauline themes
Evidence against Paul
Non-Pauline themes
Ancient uncertainty (Origen, Eusebius, etc.)
Non-standard opening
Not an eyewitness (Heb 2:3)
Daniel Wallace suggested Barnabas with help from Apollos.
Audience
As title indicates, the audience was Jewish.
Persecuted (Heb 10:32-36)
Occasion
Became aware of some falling away from faith (Heb 3:6; 4:14; 6:4-6; 10:23, 26-27)
Concern that they will return to Judaism
Purpose
Convince Jewish Christians to endure in the faith instead of falling away (presumably back into Judaism)
Mode
Show that Jesus is better
Ch 1: Jesus as God’s promised Messiah is better than the angels who gave the Law.
Ch 2: Jesus’ salvation is better b/c he is human.
Ch 3: Jesus is better than Moses.
Ch 7: Jesus’ priesthood is better than Aaron’s.
Ch 8: Jesus’ covenant is better than the old covenant b/c it has better promises.
Ch 9: Jesus’ heavenly priestly service is better than the priests serving at the temple on earth.
Ch 10: Jesus’ sacrifice is better than animal sacrifices.
Ch 11: The unshakable Mt. Zion covenant is better than the covenant at Mt. Sinai.
Overall rhetorical effect to ask, “Why in the world would Christ-followers want to downgrade to Judaism after they’ve tasted something so much better?”
1 John
Authorship
No author in the document itself (1 John 1:1)
Early Christians refer to this letter as written by John
Irenaeus (a.d. 180) attributed the Gospel of John and 1 John to “John, the disciple of the Lord”1
Later Christians agreed, including Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and the Muratorian Canon
Eusebius says, “But of John’s writings, in addition to the Gospel, the first of the letters is unambiguously accepted [as genuine] both by people today and by the ancients” (H.E. 3.24.17)2
Definitely the same John who wrote the Gospel of John (John the Apostle)
Same vocabulary and writing style
Audience
Christians that John is worried about
Occasion: concern over rogue Christians
“They went out from us, but they did not belong to us”
(1 John 2:19).
They are trying to deceive the regular Christians (2:26; 3:7).
Many false prophets have gone out (4:1).
They are denying that Jesus is the Christ (2:22).
They may have been teaching that sin is ok (3:7-10).
Purpose
Equip Christians to discern and resist false teachings
Encourage them to
Live righteously
Believe correctly about Jesus
Love one another
Mode
Christology
“Confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” (4:2)
“Testify that the Father has sent his son as the savior of the world” (4:14).
“Confess that Jesus is the son of God” (4:15)
“Believes that Jesus is the Christ” (5:1)
“Believes that Jesus is the son of God” (5:5)
“Believes in the son of God” (5:10)
“Life is in his son” (5:11)
“Believe in the name of the son of God” (5:13)
Behavior (1 John 3:7-10)
“It is unlikely that John has in mind absolute sinless perfection, since earlier he has denounced those who say they are without sin (1:8, 10). Rather, John has in mind the blatant sinning to which those who have left the community have fallen prey (2:19). In view of the letter as a whole, such sinning probably involves denial of Christ’s human nature (4:2-3; theological lapse), flaunting of God’s (or Christ’s) commands (2:4; ethical lapse), failure to love (4:20; relational lapse), or some combination of these grave errors.”3
Many appeals to live righteously (1 John 1:.5-6; 2:1-6; 3:4-10, 23-24; 5:18)
Live differently than the world (1 John 2:15-17; 3:1, 13; 4:4-6; 5:4-5, 19)
Love your brother/sister in Christ (1 John 2:10-11; 3:11, 14-18; 4:7-12, 16-21; 5:1-3)
Review
General epistles are for Christians in general rather than a specific church or person.
In order to understand the general epistles, it’s helpful to figure out authorship, audience, occasion, purpose, and mode.
Authorship is explicit for James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, and Jude, but takes some work to figure out for Hebrews and 1-3 John.
Hebrews was probably not written by Paul but by someone who spent time with him like Priscilla, Luke, Barnabas, or Apollos.
Audience and occasion are often intertwined and determinable by gleaning bits of historical information from the epistles themselves. As you read, ask yourself, “Who was the original audience?” and “What was going on with them?”
To discern the purpose, ask, “What is the author’s main goal in this epistle?”
Mode is answering the question, “How does the author go about achieving his purpose?”
Once you’ve figured out the author, audience, occasion, purpose, and mode, understanding the rest of the epistle’s particulars is much easier.
Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.16.5, 8. ANF translation.
Eusebius, 148.
Yarbrough, Robert. “1 John” in Hebrews to Revelation, vol 4 of ZIBBCNT, ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 176-212.
The post 15: How to Read the General Epistles first appeared on Living Hope.
44 min
March 11, 2024 Haggai & Zechariah: Boldness to Speak
When we align ourselves with God’s guidance to fulfill His purpose, He unfailingly supplies all the needed provisions. Yet, an opposing force consistently seeks to obscure His instructions, employing fear, anxiety, and doubt to hinder our path and lead us astray from God’s will. The perseverance of Zerubbabel, coupled with the faith and boldness demonstrated by Haggai and Zechariah, serves as an inspiring example of how we should navigate these challenges.
Isaiah 44:28-45:7   Isaiah foretold150 years earlier God’s will for Cyrus.
Ezekiel 11:16-20   God promised to work in them and with them.
Ezra 1:1-11   The people who made the 900-mile journey back to Jerusalem were part of Yahweh’s predetermined plan and were inspired by Him to do so.
2 Kings 24:3-4   70-years earlier, these same nations, according to Josephus, were responsibility for the destruction of Jerusalem.
Psalm 79:1ff
2 Kings 25:1-12   The city was attacked three times over 20 years. After each siege, they led captives back to Babylon.
In the death march of Bataan in 1942, 75,000 soldiers traveled 65 miles, and an estimated 17,000 men perished.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9   Some of these people with them were in Jerusalem 70 years earlier.
Ezra 6:14-15   The prophets spoke boldly what God gave them to say.
Haggai 1:1-2:4   The phrase “Yahweh of hosts” occurs 67 times in Haggai and Zechariah, and “Yahweh” occurs 168 times.
Zechariah 1:1-6, 14-21; 2:1-13; 4:6-9
Psalm 62:5-9
The post Haggai & Zechariah: Boldness to Speak first appeared on Living Hope.
49 min
March 08, 202414: How to Read the Pastoral Epistles
The Pastoral Epistles
1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon
Philemon is not always included as a pastoral Epistle since it only deals with a specific issue regarding a single person.
Household
Paul employs the metaphor of a household in the pastorals to illustrate the order he’d like to see in the churches (1 Tim 3:14-15).
ZIBBC: “In Xenophon’s essay, the husband instructs his fourteen-year-old bride (the average age for marriage among Greek and Roman girls was fourteen to sixteen) on her vital role in managing the household resources, including the care and supervision of household slaves, while he supervised the gathering of produce from the farms. Because of the presence of slaves and freedmen in an average ancient household, management of sometimes large households could be demanding.”1
Lynn Cohick: “The family in the Greco-Roman world valued the community over the individual and promoted corporate honor and fortune. Those living in the domus (“home”) included parents and children, and perhaps extended family, such as adult siblings, cousins, and grandparents, as well as slaves, freedmen, and freedwomen. Each individual had a specific status within the home, and each family member deemed the social status of the family, including its wealth and social prestige, as of equal or greater value than their personal happiness.”2
Paul is concerned for how outsiders will perceive the churches (1 Tim 3:7).
Everyone has a place and a role.
Men’s role (1 Tim 2:8), older men (Tit 2:2), younger men (Tit 2:6-8).
Women’s role (1 Tim 2:9-15), older women (Tit 2:3), younger (Tit 2:4-5)
Respect elders (1 Tim 5:1-2, 17-19).
Young widows should marry (1 Tim 5:11-15).
Take care of your own family (1 Tim 5:7-8, 16).
Support real widows (1 Tim 5:3-6, 9-10).
Slaves obey & submit (1 Tim 6:2; T 2:9-10)
Rich be humble/generous (1 Tim 6:18-19)
Godliness (Eusebia)
1 Tim 4:7-8; Tit 2:11-12 (See also 1 Tim 2:1-2; 5:4.)
Translated “godliness” but has nothing to do with being like God or imitating God.
Showing expected reverence
Piety (Latin = pietas)
Pious, reverent, dutiful
Shown not just to God (or gods) but also to the city and to one’s household
Church Leadership
Overseer’s qualifications (1 Tim 3:2-7; T 1:7-9)
Elders’ qualifications (Tit 1:6)
Deacon’s qualifications (1 Tim 3:8-13)
Standards are high for service in the church.
Overseers must manage their own households well (1 Tim 3:4-5).
Warnings Against False Teachers
Some strange Jewish teachings (1 Tim 1:4, 6-7; Tit 1:10-11, 14)
Asceticism (1 Tim 4:1, 3)
Proto-gnostics (1 Tim 6:20)
Unlabeled false teachings (2 Tim 2:14, 16, 23, 25; Tit 3:9)
Warn those who cause divisions (twice), then have nothing more to do with them (Tit 3:10-11)
Names individuals: Hymenaeus & Alexander (1 Tim 1:20), Phygelus & Hermogenes (2 Tim 1:15), Hymenaeus & Philetus (2 Tim 2:17-18), Alexander the coppersmith (2 Tim 4:14)
Sound Teaching (Healthy Doctrine)
Sin is when you live contrary to healthy doctrine (ὑγιαινούση διδασκαλία) (1 Tim 1:10).
Sound teaching nourishes you (1 Tim 4:6).
Encouraged to hold the standard of sound teaching (2 Tim 1:13)
“People will not put up with sound teaching” (2 Tim 4:3).
“Rebuke them sharply, so that they become sound in the faith” (Tit 1:14).
“Teach what is consistent with sound instruction” (Tit 2:1).
Reading the Pastoral Epistles
Mostly focused on church leadership
Church leaders NEED to read them.
The pastorals tell us who is qualified and who is disqualified for church leadership.
It’s good for everyone to know what they say so you can hold your leaders accountable.
Philemon
Philemon was a wealthy Christian leader who had a house church.
His slave, Onesimus, ran away and later became a Christian.
Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon, asking Philemon to treat him as a brother.
This Epistle is a masterful piece of rhetoric, Paul at his finest.
Ben Witherington III calls Philemon the emancipation proclamation of the NT.
Review
Paul wrote the pastoral Epistles toward the end of his life.
The metaphor of a household illustrates how the churches should function.
Everyone should play their role according to their duty, whether men or women or elderly or young.
Godliness is a major concept in the pastoral Epistles. It refers to performing your duty with proper honor. It’s important that Christians live respectfully and with proper dignity before a watching and suspicious world.
The pastoral Epistles include clear qualifications for church leaders, including that they manage their own households well.
The churches in Ephesus and Crete were beset with false teachers from both Jewish and Greco-Roman sources.
Paul encourages Timothy and Titus to adhere to sound teaching (healthy doctrine), so that people will escape the dangers of false teachers.
Philemon was a wealthy church leader who managed a household that included slaves.
Paul sent Philemon his runaway slave, instructing him to accept Onesimus as a brother.
Paul told Philemon to charge any debt Onesimus owed him to his account.
Such a request radically reconfigured social norms in a way that undermined the system of slavery.
Baugh, S. M. “1 Timothy” in Romans to Philemon, vol. 3 of ZIBBCNT-5, ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 444-478.
Lynn H. Cohick, “Women, Children, and Families in the Greco-Roman World,” in The World of the New Testament, ed. Lee McDonald Joel Green (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013), 179.
The post 14: How to Read the Pastoral Epistles first appeared on Living Hope.
35 min
March 06, 202413: How to Read the Church Epistles
Letters in the First Century
Letters written on papyrus with ink by a professional scribe (amanuensis)
Though most letters that have survived from the ancient world were short and to the point, Paul’s Epistles are extremely long.
Because there was no postal system, someone had to carry the letter to its destination.
Upon arrival, most people couldn’t read, so a professional would need to read it aloud.
This was difficult because there were no chapters, verses, paragraphs, punctuation, or spaces between words (scriptio continua).
Name
Greek Words
English Words
Verses
Chapters
Romans
7113
9506
432
16
1 Corinthians
6832
9532
437
16
2 Corinthians
4480
6160
257
13
Galatians
2232
3227
149
6
Ephesians
2424
3047
155
6
Philippians
1631
2261
104
4
Colossians
1583
1993
95
4
1 Thessalonians
1484
1908
89
5
2 Thessalonians
826
1065
47
3

Church Epistles in Chronological Order
Galatians 48
1 Thessalonians 49-51
2 Thessalonians 49-51
1 Corinthians 53-55
2 Corinthians 53-55
Romans 57
Philippians 62
Colossians 62
Ephesians 62
Developing Your Knowledge of the Greco-Roman World
Get background books like The World of the New Testament by Green and McDonald and Zondervan’s Illustrated Bible Background Commentary by Clinton Arnold.
Read the literature that has survived. Hundreds of volumes are available in the Loeb Classical Library.
Learn about archeology in the Mediterranean world around the time of Christ (Biblical Archeological Review).
Take a tour to visit the sites in Greece and Turkey (Spirit and Truth International).
Study the geography of the region on maps that show the correct place names for the first century.
Deciphering the Occasion
Each letter arose out of a specific circumstance. What was going on among the Christians in that city that caused Paul to write?
Galatians: Judaizers had visited churches Paul founded, telling people they needed to follow the law of Moses.
1 Corinthians: Chloe sent word of divisions in Corinth; Paul also received a letter asking specific questions.
2 Corinthians: false teachers had ensconced themselves in Corinth who criticized and undermined Paul.
Philippians: Epaphroditus brought Paul financial assistance from Philippi.
Reading the Church Epistles
The first time through, just get your bearings. Read for scope.
What’s going on in that church? What’s going on in that city? What are their concerns? What are the doctrinal errors that Paul is correcting?
The second time through, read more slowly, paying attention to major units of thought (usually paragraphs). Ask yourself how each section contributes to the whole.
Sometimes it is difficult to understand a particular sentence or phrase.
1 Cor 15:29 “baptism on behalf of the dead”
1 Cor 11:10 “because of the angels”
No one understands everything. It’s more important to get the main point than understand every little nuance.
Form of ancient letters1
Author(s)
Recipient(s)
Greeting
Prayer/thanksgiving
Content
Final greeting(s) and farewell
Content Section
These Epistles are loaded with theology and practical application.
Not systematic theologies, neatly organized
Rather, they move from topic to topic based on the need of the congregation, oftentimes based on a previous (now lost) letter or communication they made to Paul.
Romans and Ephesians come closest to laying out a theological system.
Application
What is Paul asking them to do?
Are my particulars similar enough to say this instruction applies to me as well?
How much of what he said is culturally conditioned?
Can I derive a principle that applies in general today?
Review
Sending long letters in the Roman world was expensive and difficult due to the cost of materials, the skill required to write, and the need to have someone carry and read your letter aloud to the recipients.
Paul sent the Church Epistles to Christian churches living in major Greco-Roman cities.
We know much about the culture, politics, and geography of these cities due to surviving literature, archeological discoveries, and the ability to travel to them.
Deciphering the occasion for which Paul wrote is the single most beneficial piece of information to help you understand an Epistle’s overarching purpose.
As you read through an Epistle for the first time, try to get the big picture. Then as you read through it again, try to figure out how each section relates to the whole.
It’s ok not to understand a particular verse. It’s more important to understand the point Paul is making rather than the particulars.
When applying the Epistles to your life, look for comparable circumstances and general principles.
See Fee & Stuart, p. 59
The post 13: How to Read the Church Epistles first appeared on Living Hope.
43 min
March 05, 2024 A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
A life of discipleship can be described as “a long obedience in the same direction.” While in our Christian walk, we might take wrong turns and have to course correct and get back on track moving forward toward the Lord, our desire should be to develop a pattern in our lives every day of taking one step closer to being like Christ.
John 15:1-8
Deuteronomy 5:28-33
Genesis 12:1-10
Proverbs 24:16The post A Long Obedience in the Same Direction first appeared on Living Hope.
38 min
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 27, 2024 Zerubbabel’s Perseverance
Zerubbabel was an important leader among the initial migration of Jews from Babylon. Arriving in Jerusalem they built an altar and began work on the temple. Though the government forced them to stop, Zerubbabel eventually led the effort to reinitiate the building project. Likewise, Clarence Jordan of Georgia serves as an example of persevering in the work God called him to amid great opposition and danger. These two examples show us the value of persevering through tedium and trials so that we can be faithful to God’s calling on our lives.
Ezra 1:3, 5 In 538BC Cyrus the Great, king of the Medes and the Persians, released the captives of Judah to return to their ancestral land. Nearly 50,000 people responded to the call, migrating approximately 900 miles from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Ezra 3:2-3 After arriving, they set up an altar where the temple had been and offered burnt offerings to God.
Ezra 3:7-8, 11 Under Zerubbabel’s leadership, they laid the foundation of the temple and threw a celebration to mark the event.
Ezra 4:4-5 Opposition arose from “the people of the land” who bribed government officials to stop the construction project.
Ezra 5:1-2 Haggai and Zecahriah prophesied that God wanted them to begin the work again. Amid great uncertainty and likely persecution, Zerubbabel reinitiated the building project.
Ezra 6:6-12 After an official investigation by local and national governments, Darius I officially endorsed the work, even contributing funds to it.
Ezra 6:17-18 Because Zerubbabel persevered, God’s people finished the temple and dedicated it with many sacrifices and much celebrating.
The post Zerubbabel’s Perseverance first appeared on Living Hope.
49 min
February 26, 2024 Zerubbabel’s Perseverance
Zerubbabel was an important leader among the initial migration of Jews from Babylon. Arriving in Jerusalem they built an altar and began work on the temple. Though the government forced them to stop, Zerubbabel eventually led the effort to reinitiate the building project. Likewise, Clarence Jordan of Georgia serves as an example of persevering in the work God called him to amid great opposition and danger. These two examples show us the value of persevering through tedium and trials so that we can be faithful to God’s calling on our lives.
Ezra 1:3, 5 In 538BC Cyrus the Great, king of the Medes and the Persians, released the captives of Judah to return to their ancestral land. Nearly 50,000 people responded to the call, migrating approximately 900 miles from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Ezra 3:2-3 After arriving, they set up an altar where the temple had been and offered burnt offerings to God.
Ezra 3:7-8, 11 Under Zerubbabel’s leadership, they laid the foundation of the temple and threw a celebration to mark the event.
Ezra 4:4-5 Opposition arose from “the people of the land” who bribed government officials to stop the construction project.
Ezra 5:1-2 Haggai and Zecahriah prophesied that God wanted them to begin the work again. Amid great uncertainty and likely persecution, Zerubbabel reinitiated the building project.
Ezra 6:6-12 After an official investigation by local and national governments, Darius I officially endorsed the work, even contributing funds to it.
Ezra 6:17-18 Because Zerubbabel persevered, God’s people finished the temple and dedicated it with many sacrifices and much celebrating.The post Zerubbabel’s Perseverance first appeared on Living Hope.
49 min

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