Discussion starters, Lk 7:18-35
1. What kinds of doubts do you sometimes have about Jesus and who he is?
2. What can you say about how some of those doubts have been resolved?
3. If you could ask Jesus a question right now, what would it be?…
Pauline descriptions of hell
Douglas Moo observes that in most English versions, the word ‘hell’ is not found in Paul’s writings. That is because he never used either of the two words usually translated ‘hell’ – gehenna and hades.
So what language does the apostle use concerning the fate of the wicked? They are, in order of frequency:-
- “Death,” “die” (usually apothn’skō, thanatos; Rom. 1:32; 5:12, 14, 15, 17, 21; 6:16, 21, 23; 7:5, 9, 10, 11, 13, 24; 8:2, 6, 13; 1 Cor.
Did he really say that?
Shared recently on Facebook was an image of Pope Francis and the following quote, attributed to him:-
It is not necessary to believe in God to be a good person. In a way, the traditional notion of God is outdated. One can be spiritual but not religious. It is not necessary to go to church and give money — for many, nature can be a church. Some of the best people in history do not believe in God, while some of the worst deeds were done in His name.
Apostolic terms for the Christian message
In his book Tell the World (Evangelical Press, 1981), Eric Wright summarises the terminology used for the Christian message in the book of Acts. To my mind, this terminology contrasts markedly with that of our own day, where (I suggest) the Christian message is most popularly referred to as ‘sharing the love of God’.
| Term | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Jesus, or Jesus the Christ, or the whole message of his life, or the name of Jesus Christ, etc. | 16 |
| The Word of God, or the Word of the Lord | 13 |
| The gospel, the good news | 9 |
| The way, way of the Lord, way of salvation | 9 |
| The hope of Israel, the things announced beforehand, the good news of the promise, etc. |
Discussion starters, Jn 6:28-58; 8:12-20
“I am…”
(a) Why do you think Jesus said “I am the bread of life”, rather than “the caviar,” or “the cake” or the “confectionary” (assuming those things were available in those days!)?
(b) Jesus talks about ‘eating his flesh’ and ‘drinking his blood’. To those hearing this for the first time, it must have sounded shocking. But in what sense do his followers do precisely that (for example, when they take Holy Communion)?
(c) A leading thought in John 8:12-20 is that of ‘testimony’. …
How the apostles communicated the gospel
In his book Tell the World (Evangelical Press, 1981), Eric Wright sets out the main terminology used in the Book of Acts for apostolic communication (which was, as recorded in that book, mainly evangelistic communication). The following table reproduces the substance of Wright’s work. The summary definitions are based on Vine’s Expository Dictionary.
| English (NASV) | Greek | Frequency (approx.) | Meaning | As in... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To witness | Various forms of martureo | 6 | To aver what one has seen or heard or knows | Acts 1:18; 3:15 |
| To testify | Also various forms of martureo | 7 | As above, often with the suggestion of solemn protestation | Acts 2:40; 8:25 |
| To declare | apophthengomai anangello apangello | 5 | To speak forth To announce To declare | Acts 2:14; 26:25 Acts 20:20,27 Acts 26:20 |
| To speak | laleo | 17 | To speak | Acts 4:1; 6:10; 14:1,3 |
| To teach | didasko | 9 | To give instruction | Acts 2:42; 5:28, 42; 28:31 |
| To proclaim | katangello kerusso euangelizo | 11 | To declare, announce To herald To preach good tidings | Acts 4:2; 13:5; 16:17; 26:23 Acts 8:5; 9:20 Acts 8:12 |
| To preach | euangelizo kerusso | 17 | To preach good tidings To announce as a herald | Acts 5:42; 8:12, 25, 35, 40; 10:36 Acts 10:42; 20:25; 28:31 |
| To prove | sumbibazo | 1 | To join together; to prove | Acts 9:22 |
| To reason | dialegomai | 7 | To ponder, dispute, reason | Acts 17:2, 17; 18:4,19; 19:8f; 24:25 |
| To explain | dianoigo ektithemi | 5 | To open up To expound | Acts 17:3 Acts 11:4; 18:26; 28:23 |
| To persuade | peitho | 6 | To persuade, win over | Acts 17:4; 19:8; 26:28; 28:23f. |
Dances with the Trinity?
Important to Richard Rohr – important enough to use it as the title of a book – is the idea of the Holy Trinity as a dance.
Rohr explains:-
…‘At the heart of Christian revelation, God is not seen as a distant, static monarch but— as we will explore together— a divine circle dance, as the early Fathers of the church dared to call it (in Greek perichoresis, the origin of our word choreography). God is the Holy One presenced in the dynamic and loving action of Three.’
Jesus in the Old Testament
This is an unpopular thought in some academic circles; but it is the clear teaching of our Lord himself. As Goldsworthy says: ‘We do not start at Genesis 1 and work our way forward until we discover where it is all leading. Rather we first come to Christ, and he directs us to study the Old Testament in the light of the gospel.’ (According to Plan, p55)
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus preaches on the theme of ‘The Things Concerning Himself’, taking as his text Moses, all the prophets, and all the Scriptures (Luke 24:27). …
Should a Christian minister be paid?
William Hendriksen summarises the approach of Paul and his companions:-
Paul’s stand may be summarized in the following ten propositions:
- Titus 1:11: He definitely does not want to give any occasion for being placed in a class with “vain talkers” who are interested in “filthy lucre.”
- 1 Cor. 9:6–15: He, nevertheless, emphatically asserts the right to receive remuneration from the church for performing spiritual work, and to receive it even from the converts themselves (see especially verse 11).
How adversity can promote fruitfulness
The Spirit often effects greater fruitfulness in our lives in the presence of adversity, Jas 1:2-4; Rom 8:28:-
- Love matures when there are people who hate us, Mt 5:43-48.
- Joy deepens in adversity, being directed to eternal things and to him who never changes, Ps 63:3; Hab 3:27-28; Lk 6:20-23; Jn 16:33; Acts 16:25; 2 Cor 12:10; Jas 1:2.
- Peace is magnified in difficult circumstances. We have peace with God, Rom 5:1; peace from God, Php 4:7; and we are peace-makers, Mt 5:9.