Ephesus
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What do angels do?
According to William Ames (1576–1633), the work of angels is “to celebrate the glory of God and execute his commandments (Ps. 103:20), especially for the heirs of eternal life” (Heb. 1:14; Pss. 91:11; 34:7). (A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life, p185)
Regarding angels’ specific function, there are at least four:
1) Angels continuously worship and praise the God they serve (Job 38:7; Psalm 103:20; Isaiah 6:1–3; Revelation 4:8; 5:9–12).
2) Angels communicate God’s message to man.…
The Day of the Lord
It is called:-
- “day of wrath” (Rom. 2:5).
- “that day” (2 Tim. 1:12);
- “the day” (1 Thess. 5:4);
- “day of judgment” (1 John 4:17);
- “day of Christ” (Phil. 2:16);
- “day of the Lord” (1 Thess. 5:2);
- “day of our Lord Jesus” (1 Cor. 1:8; 5:5);
- “day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6,10),
It will be a day of:-
- Revelation, 1 Cor 1:7.
- Arrival, 1 Thess 3:13.
- Wonder, 2 Thess 1:10.
- Resurrection, 1 Cor 15:52.
- Salvation, Heb 9:28.
Psalms of lament in the Gospels
The function of the psalms of lament in the Gospels, especially in the passion narratives, reflects a righteous sufferer typology.
- Jesus is betrayed by his friends. (Mk 14:18; Ps 41:9; 55:12-14)
- He is sorrowful. (Mk 14:34; Ps 43:5)
- He is falsely accused (Mk 14:56 par.; Ps 27:12).
- Pilate washes his hands of Jesus’ death. (Mt 27:24; Ps 26:6)
- Jesus’ clothes are divided among his enemies. (Mk 15:24; Ps 22:18)
- He is mocked. (Mk 15:29-31; Ps 22:7-8; 109:25)
- He thirsts.
What about those who have never heard?
I believe that the most Christian stance is to remain agnostic on this question. When somebody asked Jesus, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”, he refused to answer and instead urged them “to enter through the narrow door”. The fact is that God, alongside the most solemn warnings about our responsibility to respond to the gospel, has not revealed how he will deal with those who have never heard it. We have to leave them in the hands of the God of infinite mercy and justice, who manifested these qualities most fully in the cross.
Christ’s divinity – acknowledged and denied
Christ’s divinity was acknowledged by:-
- Peter Mt 16:16
- Demons Mk 5:7
- the Centurion Mk 15:39
- Nathanael Jn 1:49
- The Samaritans Jn 4:42
- Martha Jn 11:27
- Thomas Jn 20:28
It was challenged by:-
- Satan Mt 4:3,6
- Scribes and Pharisees Lk 5:21
- The Jewish People Jn 5:18 8:53 10:33
- The Scribes and Elders Lk 20:1,2
- On the Cross-By the Rabble Mt 27:39,40
- The Rulers Lk 23:35
- The Soldiers Lk 23:36,37
- One of the Thieves Lk 23:39
- The Chief Priests Mk 15:31,32
(Source unknown)…
Discussion Starters, Matt 12:1-21, Mk 3:1-6, Luke 6:6-11
The Sabbath controversy and the healing of a man with a shrivelled hand
(a) What does Matt 12:1-21 tell us about the greatness of Jesus?
(b) Why do you think the Pharisees were so angry with Jesus about his attitude towards the Sabbath? In what ways might we be in danger of adopting an attitude more like the Pharisees than like Jesus?
(c) In Mark’s account of the healing of the man with a shrivelled hand we are told that Jesus ‘looked around at them in anger’ and was ‘deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts.’ …
The Pilate inscription
In 1961 an Italian archaeologist, Antonio Frova, discovered an inscription at Caesarea Maritima on a stone slab which at the time of the discovery was being used as a section of steps leading into the Caesarea theatre. The inscription in Latin contained four lines, three of which are partially readable. Roughly translated they are as follows:-
Tiberium
Pontius Pilate
Prefect of Judea
The inscribed stone was probably used originally in the foundation for a Tiberium (a temple for the worship of the emperor Tiberius) and then reused later in the discovered location. …
Jesus’ innocency attested
- By Judas, Mt 27:3f.
- By Pilate’s wife, Mt 27:19.
- By Pilate, Mt 27:24.
- By Herod, Lk 23:15.
- By Pilate, Jn 18:38.
- By the thief, Lk 23:41.
- By the centurian, Lk 23:47.
(Source unknown)…
Jesus’ anguish in Gethsemane
- ‘He began to be sorrowful and troubled’, Mt 26:37.
- ‘He began to be deeply distressed and troubled’, Mk 14:33.
- His soul was “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” Mk 14:34.
- He was ‘in anguish’, Lk 22:44.
- ‘His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground’, Lk 22:44.