Sacred Scripture – 2018-19.

A SURVEY OF THE ENTIRE BIBLE

Genesis: Genesis Means origin or beginning.

 Genesis is the seed plot of the Bible.

 Genesis proves the rest of the Bible.
 Genesis is hated by the devil.
 The book of Genesis is the book of first mentions.
 The first 11 chapters of Genesis cover about 2000 years of history.
 Genesis begins with God and ends with a coffin.
 The first 5 books of the Bible are written by Moses.
 The first 5 books of the Bible are called the Pentateuch.
 The Old Testament records the development of the Nation of Israel.
 What are the 3 ingredients needed to have a nation? People, Law and Land.

Outline of the Pentateuch.

 Genesis = The origin of a nation.

 Exodus = The deliverance of a nation.
 Leviticus = The life of a nation.
 Numbers = The testing of a nation.
 Deuteronomy = The reminders of a nation.

Exodus:

 Exodus means departure.

 Exodus begins with slavery, and ends with God dwelling in their midst.
 God hardens a heart by removing his restraint on sin.

Name the 10 plagues in Exodus.

 1. The Nile River turning into blood.

 2. Frogs
 3. Lice
 4. Flies
 5. Disease on cattle
 6. Boils on men and animals
 7. Destruction of crops by hail
 8. Destruction of crops by locust
 9. Darkness
 10. Death of the firstborn

 Egypt is a type of the world.

 Moses is a type of Jesus Christ.
 Passover is a type of the death of Jesus Christ.
 The Exodus is a type of salvation.

Notes Prepared by: Jacob Bernath & Joynes

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 The crossing of the Red Sea is a type of victory over the world.
 The pillar of cloud and of fire is a type of the presence of God in the believer.
 God had Israel spoil the Egyptians to provide for the Tabernacle.

Leviticus:

 Leviticus is named after the Levite

 Leviticus teaches the way to God through sacrifice.
 Leviticus teaches the Christians their need for holy living.
 Name the 5 offerings.

1. Burnt offering.
2. Meal offering.
3. Peace offering.
4. Sin offering.
5. Trespass offering.

What does each feast represent for the Christian?

 Passover feast = Salvation.

 Feast of the First Fruits = Resurrection.
 Pentecost = Coming of the Holy Spirit.
 Feast of Trumpets = Rapture or 2nd coming.
 Day of Atonement = Tribulation.
 Feast of the Tabernacles = Millennium.
 The tabernacle represents God's visible center of worship and future work of The
Lord Jesus Christ.

Matching:

 MOSES JOHN
 Brazen Altar--------------------------------Lamb of God
 Brazen Lavor-------------------------------Water of Life
 Table of Shewbread-----------------------Bread of Life
 Lamp Stand----------------------------------Light of the World
 Altar of Incense-----------------------------Prayer of the Lord
 Mercy Seat-----------------------------------Death, Burial and
Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Numbers:

 Numbers was given from the numbering of Israel.

Outline of man:

 Genesis = Man ruined.

 Exodus = Man redeemed.
 Leviticus = Man worshipping.
 Numbers = Man serving.

Notes Prepared by: Jacob Bernath & Joynes

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1. Numbers shows Christians their need to be orderly.

2. Numbers reveals Israel's failures.
3. In Numbers Joshua was to succeed Moses.

Deuteronomy:

1. Deuteronomy means second law.

2. Deuteronomy has the first mention of the children of Belial.
3. Deuteronomy has the first mention of death by hanging on a tree.
4. Deuteronomy is the only book Jesus used in dealing with the devil.
5. Deuteronomy shows the Christian his need to be obedient.
6. In Deuteronomy the land of Canaan is a land of Hills and Valleys.

Joshua:

 Joshua begins and ends with Death.

 The only place in the Bible where the word Success is used is found in Joshua 1:8.
 God doesn't just use dreams, visions and angels, He now uses a Book-Joshua 1:8.
 God's grace is shown through Rahab's scarlet thread.
 Rahab is in the genealogy of Jesus.
 In Psalm 78:25 manna is called Angel's Food.
 Manna ceased after Israel crossed the Jordan River.
 Manna is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ.

List four reasons why manna is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Came down from heaven

2. Miraculous and Mysterious
3. Beaten in a mortar
4. He gave manna because he loved us.

List the sin of Achan.

1. I saw
2. I coveted
3. I took
4. I hid

Judges:

1. There are 12 judges in the Book of Judges.

2. There are 14 judges in the Book of Judges and I Samuel.
3. Israel's form of government where the priests teach and administer God's law is called
a theocracy.
4. Name three judges from the book of Judges:

 Deborah
 Gideon
 Samson

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1. The two judges found in I Samuel are Eli and Samuel.

Ruth:

1. Ruth is the great-grandmother of David.

2. Ruth is one of four women named in the messianic line.
3. Boaz is the kinsman redeemer.
4. Ruth is a type of lost sinner.
5. Boaz is a type of Christ.
6. Boaz is willing to redeem.
7. Boaz has the right to redeem.
8. Boaz has the power to redeem.

I Samuel:

1. The three double books of the Old Testament:

 I Samuel
 II Samuel
 I Kings
 II Kings
 I Chronicles
 II Chronicles

1. Eli's two wicked sons were Hophni and Phinehas.

2. The three Kinds of Israel under the united Kingdom were Saul, David, and Solomon.
3. I Samuel records Israel's transition from a theocracy to a monarchy.
4. Unique words to I Samuel:

 Ichabod - The Glory is departed

 Ebenezer - The Lord helped us

1. Eli's two main mistakes he made with his sons are:

 He restrained them not

 He permitted them to minister in the house of the Lord

1. The Ark of the Lord was captured by the Philistines for 20 years.
2. Samuel was the first circuit preacher.
3. Saul lost three things:

 His kingdom
 The Holy Spirit
 His life

 From the anointing of David we learn that God looks on the Heart of a man.
 When David went to slay Goliath he picked up five smooth stones.
 David would not stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed.

II Samuel:

Notes Prepared by: Jacob Bernath & Joynes

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1. II Samuel records the reign of David.

2. Saul reigned for forty years.
3. David reigned for forty years, 7 years over Judah, and 33 years over all of Israel.
4. Solomon reigned for 40 years.
5. Saul's battles were primarily defensive.
6. David's battles were primarily offensive.
7. David could not build God a house because he shed much blood.
8. The Davidic Covenant consists of these five things.

 Great Name
 Rest
 House
 Throne
 Kingdom

1. David's counselor was the Prophet Nathan.

2. David's general was Joab.
3. Ish-boseth's general was Abner.
4. David's rebellious son was Absolom.
5. David's sin with Bath-Sheba is found in II Samuel Chapter 11.
6. David's sin cost him a four fold restoration.

I Kings:

1. I kings records the reign of Solomon.

2. I Kings records the division of the United Kingdom into two kingdoms.
3. The key word of I Kings is Division.
4. The Northern Kingdom is made up of 10 tribes with Samaria as its capital.
5. The Southern Kingdom is made up of 2 tribes with Jerusalem as its capital.
6. The first king of the south was Solomon's son, Rehoboam.
7. The first king of the north was Solomon's servant, Jeroboam.
8. Ahab was the most wicked king of the north.
9. Mannessah was the most wicked king of the south.

The beginning of Elijah's ministry is found in I Kings Chapter 17

Name three great things that Solomon is noted for

A. Wisdom
B. Wealth
C. Temple

What were Solomon's three great sins

A. Horses
B. Gold and Silver
C. Wives

Two things were missing from the Ark when it found its final resting place in the temple?

Notes Prepared by: Jacob Bernath & Joynes

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A. The Golden Pot of Manna

B. Aaron's rod

Israel's sins:

A. Priests of the lowest people

B. The two golden calves
C. Changed the Religious calendar
D. Worshipped devils

Twenty kings ruled in the north.

Twenty kings ruled in the south.

There were no good kings in the north.

There were seven good kings in the south.

II Kings:

1. The key word of II Kings is captivity.

2. The principle found in II Kings teaches God is faithful in judging his people for their
disobedience and idolatry.
3. The Northern Kingdom consisted of 9 different dynasty's.
4. The Southern Kingdom consisted of 1 dynasty, David's.
5. Elisha received a double portion of Elijha's spirit.
6. Elijah performed 8 miracles.
7. Elisha performed 16 miracles.
8. Hezekiah was the most righteous kind of the south.
9. Jehu was instructed to destroy the house of Ahab.
10. Hezekiah destroyed the Brazen Serpent of Moses because it became an object of
worship.
11. Judah's most wicked king Manasseh reigned the longest period of any king, 55 years.
12. Judah went into captivity for 70 yrs. Because they didn‘t let the land rest its Sabbath's
for 490 yrs.

I & II Chronicles:

1. A Chronicle is an account of event arranged in order.

2. Chronicles deals solely with Judah.
3. Chronicles key word is Temple.
4. I Chronicles recaps I and II Samuel.
5. II Chronicles recaps I and II Kings.
6. Chronicles contains additional information not found in I and II Samuel and I and II
Kings.
7. Chronicles was written to be an encouragement to the remnant.
8. David's sin is not mentioned in Chronicles showing that God forgives and forgets.
9. There are four major places in the New Testament where additional information is
revealed about the Old Testament.

Notes Prepared by: Jacob Bernath & Joynes

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 Jude
 II Peter 2
 Hebrews 11
 Acts 7

Ezra:

1. Ezra records the return of the Jews from captivity.

2. Ezra deals with the rebuilding of the temple.
3. The purpose of Ezra is to record God's faith fullness in re-establishing the Jews in
Israel.
4. Name two kings mentioned in Ezra:

 Cyrus
 Darius
 Ahasuerus
 Artaxerxes

1. Approximately 50,000 Jews returned to Israel.

2. The priest named in Ezra who organizes the return to Jeruselam is Zerubabel.
3. The two prophets who challenged and motivated the people to build the temple were
Haggai and Zecheriah.
4. Ezra was a descendant of Arron.
5. About 1,500 men return with Ezra.

Nehemiah:

1. Nehemiah is the last historical book of the Old Testament.

2. Nehemiah deal with the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.
3. The wall of Jerusalem was rebuilt in just 52 days.
4. The only place in the Bible where the word pulpit occurs is Nehemiah 8:4.
5. After Nehemiah there is no inspired record of Jewish history for the next 400 years
until the angel Gabriel broke the silence in announcing the coming birth of John the
Baptist.

Esther:

1. Esther means Star of the East.

2. The book of Esther is never mentioned or quoted in the New Testament.
3. God is not mentioned in the book of Esther.
4. The book of Esther teaches the reality of God's divine Providence.
5. Ruth was a Gentile who married a Jew; Esther was a Jew who married a Gentile.
6. Mordecai was Esther's cousin.

Job:

1. The five books of poetry:

 Job - the secrets of suffering

 Psalms - the secret of worship

Notes Prepared by: Jacob Bernath & Joynes

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 Proverbs - the secrets of happiness

 Song of Solomon - the secrets of love

1. The past 17 books deal with a nation

2. The 5 books of poetry deal with the human heart.
3. The purpose of Job reveals the need to exercise faith when we don't know the reasons
for suffering and affliction.
4. Job was faithful though he had no Bible.
5. Job is thought to be the oldest book in the Bible.
6. Job contains 42 chapters.
7. The book of Job never refers to the scriptures.
8. James 5:11 sates "Ye have heard of the Patience of Job."
9. Job loses his wealth, children, and health yet still remains faithful to God.
10. God never explains to Job why he suffered.
11. God gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Psalms:

1. Psalms contains 150 chapters.

2. Psalms means a sacred song or poem.
3. Psalms was set to music for the tabernacle and temple worship.
4. Psalms contains the two middle words of the Bible "The Lord".
5. David is the main Author of Psalms.
6. Psalms is the most quoted book of the New Testament.
7. 1st Century Christians sand the Psalms.
8. The book of Psalms has five major divisions ending with the word amen.
9. The three main prophetic themes in Psalms are

 Messianic
 The suffering of Israel
 Future Glories

1. Psalm 22 deals with the suffering savior or cross.

2. Psalms 23 deals with the Living savior or crook.
3. Psalms 24 deals with the exalted kind or crown.
4. Selah means Pause.
5. Psalms 37 and 119 are perfect alphabetical Psalms.

Proverbs:

1. Proverbs deals with Practical wisdom.

2. Proverbs will develop your character.
3. Proverbs 8 is the chapter of wisdom.
4. A Proverb is a short popular saying that expresses some obvious Truth.
5. Solomon is the man Author of Proverbs.
6. Solomon spake 300

0 proverbs - I Kings 4:32.

7. Proverbs 31 describes a virtuous woman.

Notes Prepared by: Jacob Bernath & Joynes

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Ecclesiastes:

1. Solomon is the author of Ecclesiastes.

2. He calls himself the Preacher.
3. Ecclesiastes teaches the emptiness of everything apart from God.
4. The key word in Ecclesiastes in vanity.
5. The problem with man is that he is looking under the sun instead of looking to the
son.
6. Ecclesiastes teaches the greater the enjoyment the greater the disappointment.
7. Ecclesiastes teaches that only God can satisfy.
8. In Ecclesiastes the World is the object.

Song of Solomon:

1. In Song of Solomon Jesus Christ is the object.

2. Solomon wrote 1005 songs. (I Kings 4:32)
3. Another name for the Song of Solomon is Canticles which means song or chant.
4. The key word in Song of Solomon is Love.
5. There are two unique names of Jesus in the Song of Solomon:

 The Rose of Sharon

 The Lily of the Valleys

1. The unique name of the groom's bride is Shulamite

2. The Jews refer to the Song of Solomon as the Holy of Holies of scripture.
3. Orthodox Jews required you to be 30 years of age before you could read the Song of
Solomon.

Isaiah:

1. The origin of the prophets began with Moses.

2. The word prophet means "One who speaks in place of another".
3. While all prediction is prophecy not all prophecy is prediction.
4. The four different titles for a prophet are:

 The Prophet
 The Seer
 The Man of God
 My Servants

1. List the five Major Prophets:

 Isaiah
 Jeremiah
 Lamentations
 Ezekiel
 Daniel

1. There are 66 chapters in Isaiah

2. Isaiah means the Lord Saves.

Notes Prepared by: Jacob Bernath & Joynes

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3. Isaiah was ministering when the Northern Kingdom was taken captive by Assyria.
4. Isaiah's prophecies are mainly directed to the Southern Kingdom of Judah - Isaiah 1:1
5. Esaias is the Greek name for Isaiah found in the New Testament.
6. Isaiah's 66 chapters fall in line with the 66 books of the Bible.
7. Chapters 1 through 39 deal with the Judgment of Israel.
8. Chapters 40 through 66 deal with the Redemption of Israel.
9. Three good chapters in Isaiah are:

 The calling of Isaiah - Chapter 6

 The Devil - Chapter 14
 The Lord's Crucifixion - Chapter 53

1. In Isaiah 14:12 the name Lucifer appears and is the only place in the Bible that refers
to the Devil by that name.

Jeremiah:

1. Jeremiah contains 52 chapters.

2. Jeremiah was a prophet to the South.
3. Jeremiah was a prophet during the Single Kingdom.
4. Jeremiah was known as the Weeping Prophet.
5. God's phone number is Jeremiah 33:3.

Lamentations:

1. Lamentations was probably written shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem.

2. Lamentations is an Acrostic Arrangement which is a verse or arrangement of words in
which certain letters in each line, as the first or last, when taken in order spell out a
word, motto, etc.
3. In Lamentations each chapter has 22 verses or a multiple of 22 verses.
4. The 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet are used in succession to begin each verse in
chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
5. In chapter 3 each of the 22 Hebrew letters are used in succession after every third
verse.
6. The three Jewish grouping of writings in the Old Testament are:

 The Law
 The Prophets
 The Writings

1. The Rolls are read publicly at a Jewish Festival.

2. The five rolls are:

 The Song of Solomon

 Ruth
 Ecclesiastes
 Esther
 Lamentations

Ezekiel:

Notes Prepared by: Jacob Bernath & Joynes

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1. Ezekiel is the Prophet of the Exile.

2. Ezekiel means God Strengthens.
3. There are 48 chapters in Ezekiel.
4. Ezekiel was a priest as well as a prophet.
5. Ezekiel chapter 28 describes the Devil.
6. Ezekiel probably knew Daniel.
7. Ezekiel - Prophet of the Spirit.

Isaiah - Prophet of the Son.

Jeremiah - Prophet of the Father.

8. Ezekiel gave Israel 12 signs:

 God caused him to be dumb

 Unclean Bread
 Iron pan
 Tile
 Posture
 Shaved his hair
 Image of Jealousy
 70 Elder's
 Women weeping for Tammuz
 Sun Worshippers
 Removal of household goods
 Death of his wife

1. Ezekiel describes the physical resurrection of Israel in two ways.

2. Another name for Jerusalem is "The Lord is there".
3. Ezekiel describes the Millennial Temple.

Daniel:

1. The book of Daniel contains 12 chapters.

2. Daniel is the prophet of the exile.
3. Daniel means God is Judge.
4. The Lord Jesus Christ states that Daniel was a prophet.
5. Daniel prophesied in the King's court.
6. Daniel is written in the Hebrew and Aramaic languages.
7. Daniel was of royal descent.
8. Daniel is greatly beloved of God or highly esteemed.
9. Daniel rose to the highest position in the kingdoms of Babylon, Media, and Persia
though a captive because he never compromised.
10. Apocalypse means, an unveiling of the secret purposes of God.

Hosea:

Outline of the Minor Prophets:

 There are 12 minor prophets.

Notes Prepared by: Jacob Bernath & Joynes

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 The first 9 books are pre-exile.

 The last 3 books are post-exile.
 The Jews considered the minor prophets to be 1 book.
 The minor prophets are:

 Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakkuk, Zephaniah,

Haggai, Zacheriah, Malachi.

1. Hosea was the last prophet to the north.

2. Hosea's Greek name is Osee - Romans 9:25
3. The word "backsliding is found only in Jeremiah, Hosea, and Proverbs.
4. Gomer is Hosea's wife and represents Israel.
5. Hosea called the northern kingdom by three names Israel, Samaria, and Ephraim.
6. Of the last 6 kings on the throne in the Northern Kingdom only 1 died of natural
causes.

Joel:

1. The central theme of the book of Joel is the day of the Lord.
2. Peter quotes Joel 2:28-29 in the book of Acts Chapter 2
3. Joel Chapter 3 give the location of the battle of Armageddon.

A. The Valley of Jehosaphat

B. The Valley of Decision.

Amos:

1. Amos' occupation was that of a herdsman and a cultivator or sycamore trees.

2. The only place the word "chapel" is used in the Bible is found in Amos 7:13. It refers
to Bethel as the King's Chapel.
3. Amos predicted an earthquake.
4. The messages of Amos:

"Can two walk together except they be agreed" - Amos 3:3

"Prepare to meet thy God." - Amos 4:12

5. Amos had five visions:

 The Vision of the Grasshoppers

 The Vision of the Fire
 The Vision of the Plumbline
 The Vision of the Summer Fruit
 The Vision of the Lord on the Altar

Obadiah:

1. Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament.

2. Obadiah pronounces judgment on Edom.
3. Edom means Red.

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4. Edom is Esau - Gen. 36:1.

5. The Edomites would not let Israel pass through the Land on their journey from Egypt.

Jonah:

1. Jonah preached to Nineveh.

2. The purpose of Jonah reveal God desires the Salvation of Gentiles.
3. Jonah fled to Tarshish to avoid the Lord.
4. Jonah boarded a ship in Joppa.
5. Jonah was commanded twice by God to arise, go, and preach.
6. Jonah teaches Salvation through substitution.
7. Jonah is the only preacher who didn't want a convert.
8. Jonah preached an 8 word message.

Micah:

1. Micah preached at the same time as Isaiah.

2. Micah preached to the common people while Isaiah preached in the king's court.

Nahum:

1. Nahum declares judgment on Nineveh.

2. The key words of Nahum are revengeth and vengeance.

Habakkuk:

1. Habakkuk is the last prophet to the south.

2. Habakkuk was probably a member of the temple choir.
3. Habakkuk declares the grandfather of the reformation because of Habakkuk 2:4 "But
the just shall live by his faith".

Zephaniah:

1. Zephaniah is a contemporary of Jeremiah.

2. The key phrase of Zephaniah is the Day of the Lord.

Haggai:

1. Haggai is the first post-exile prophet.

2. Haggai knew Zechariah and Zerrubabel.
3. Haggai's message is "God First".
4. Haggai preached to call the people back to rebuild the temple.
5. Haggai preached for 3 months and 24 days.

Zechariah:

 Zechariah preached for 3 years.

 Zechariah contains several prophecies about the Lord.

Notes Prepared by: Jacob Bernath & Joynes

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Malachi:

 Malachi is the last prophet of the Old Testament.

 Malachi is similar in content to Nehemiah.
 Malachi contains a prophecy of John the Baptist - Malachi 3:1.
 The last word in the Old Testament is "Curse".

New Testament:

 The New Testament contains 27 Books.

 The New Testament is the Old Testament fulfilled.
 The New Testament is Jesus Christ's last will and testament.
 The Four Gospels:
 The Synoptic Gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
 Synoptic means seeing together or having a common view.
 The 4 living creatures in the Bible are found in:
 Ezekal 1; Ezekal 10; Rev. 4
 The four living creatures have 4 faces:
 A lion, an Ox, a Man, and an Eagle.

The four gospels each represent one of the faces:

 Matthew - Lion
 Mark - Ox
 Luke - Man
 John - Eagle

Each of the four gospels describe Jesus in a different way:

 Matthew - King
 Mark - Servant
 Luke - Man
 John - God

An outline of the New Testament is as follows:

 The New Testament instituted - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

 The New Testament proclaimed - Acts
 The New Testament explained - Romans thru Jude
 The New Testament fulfilled - Revelation

A.D. means Anno Domini and is Latin for "In the Year of our Lord".

Matthew:

 Matthew is the Genesis of the New Testament.

 Matthew genealogy proves Jesus Christ has the right ancestry to be King.
 Matthew was a tax collector and his other name is Levi.

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 Genesis 5:1 shows Adam has many generations because all in Adam die - I Cor.
15:22.
 Matthew is the only Gospel where the Church is mentioned.
 Matthew's 8 blessings are found in Chapter 5.
 Matthew's 8 woes are found in Chapter 23.

Mark:

 Mark is the shortest of the four gospels.

 Mark's theme shows Jesus as the obedient servant.
 The Gospel of Mark is considered the neglected Gospel or least studied.
 Mark was not an apostle.
 Mark emphasizes Christ's deeds not Christ's words.
 Mark is interested in what a servant does, not in what a servant says.
 Mark is considered the Gospel of action.
 Mark contains the least amount of unique material - 7%.
 Mark views the death of Christ as the greatest work a servant can do.
 There are 3 things missing from this Gospel because they are not important for a
servant - a genealogy, birth, and childhood.
 Mark summarizes John the Baptist, Christ's baptism and temptation in the first 13
verses, and immediately goes on to the work of Christ.
 Mark was Barnabas' nephew - Col. 4:10
 Mark was the first short term missionary.
 Mark's second missionary journey began with a fallout between Barnabas and Paul.

Luke:

 The Gospel of Luke is the longest Gospel.

 The Gospel of Luke shows the Humanity of Christ.
 Luke presents Jesus Christ as the perfect man.
 Luke's genealogy of Jesus Christ goes back to God.
 Luke wrote two books of the Bible: Luke and Acts.
 Both books are addressed to Theophilus.
 Luke was a medical doctor - Col. 4:14.
 Luke is the only gentile New Testament writer.
 Luke and Acts make up 25% of the New Testament.
 Luke is considered the Gospel of Women. They are as follows:

1. Chapter 1: Elizabeth
2. Chapter 1-2: Virgin Mary
3. Chapter 2:36-38: Anna
4. Chapter 10:38-42: Mary and Martha

John:

 John analyzes Jesus as God.

 John wrote 5 books:
 John, I John, II John, III John, Revelation
 Moses was the other Bible author who wrote 5 books.
 John wrote his books between 85 - 95 AD.

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 John reveals Peter's identity as the person who used the sword in the Garden of
Gethsemane.
 John trained Polycarp.
 John's father was Zebedee.
 John's mother was Salome.
 John was Jesus' 1st cousin.
 John the Baptist was Jesus' 2nd cousin.
 Jesus named John and James the Sons of Thunder.
 John was in Jesus' inner circle.
 John was the beloved of Jesus.
 John leaned on Jesus' bosom.
 John ran with Peter to the empty tomb.
 Four main things omitted from John's Gospel are:

1. No Genealogy - He is God.
2. No birth account - He is from the beginning.
3. No Temptation - God cannot be tempted.
4. No Transfiguration - Nobody has seen God at anytime - I John 4:12.

 Verily Verily is used 25 times and only in John.

 The Gospel of John contains the Seven miracles, testimonies, "I ams"
 The last seven I ams are:

1. Bread - ch. 6
2. Light - ch. 8
3. Door - ch. 10
4. Good shepherd - ch. 10
5. Life and Resurrection - ch. 11
6. Way Truth Life - ch. 14
7. True Vine - ch. 15

 Only John records Christ's last words on the Cross: It is Finished!

Acts:

 Both Acts and Luke were written to Theophilus.

 Sometimes the book of Acts is called the Acts of the Holy Spirit.
 The work that Jesus began to do was continued in Acts through the Holy Spirit.
 Acts contains 28 chapters.
 The key verse in Acts is Acts 1:8.
 The key message in Acts is witness.
 Acts has an abrupt ending because the life of Jesus is still going on.
 Acts 1:14 is the last place Mary is mentioned in the Bible.
 In the book of Acts detailed accounts are given for the two apostles Peter and Paul.
 Detailed accounts of Peter are given in Chapters 1 through 12.
 Detailed accounts of Paul are given in Chapters 13 through 28.
 Pentecost means 50 days.
 Jesus was seen 40 days after his Resurrection.
 As there is 1 Calvary, 1 Resurrection, and 1 Second Coming, there can only be 1 Day
of Pentecost.

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 Before the coming of the Holy Spirit the tabernacle, temple and our bodies (living
stones) all had one thing in common in that they were all empty.
 Signs and miracles were done in the days of Moses, the days of Elijah and Elisah, and
in the days of Jesus and the Apostles.
 The purpose for signs and miracles was for Authenticity.
 Acts 1:26 is the last place the Lot is used, which is gambling or a vote.
 Matthias is chosen to fill Judas' place as an apostle and is never mentioned again.
 Church means "called out ones".
 In Acts 2:47 it says the Lord adds to the Church.
 Stephen's address in Acts 7 is the longest in the New Testament.
 Stephen, Paul, and John, all saw the three manifestations of Christ.
 In Acts 8 we read about the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch.
 In Acts 9 we read about the conversion of Saul.
 In Acts 10 we read about the conversion of Cornelius.
 In Acts 11:26 they were first called Christian at Antioch.
 Paul was providentially prepared.
 Paul was:
 A Jew by birth
 A Roman citizen
 Educated in Greek culture
 Trained in the Scriptures
 Picked by the Lord
 Paul served in the church for 10 years before being called as a missionary.
 Paul's nephew revealed a plot to murder Paul to the chief captain.
 Paul had a disagreement with Barnabas over John-Mark.
 Paul often used his testimony when witnessing.
 Paul was the greatest Christian who ever lived.

Romans:

 The book of Romans contains 16 chapters.

 Paul wrote 9 Epistles to 7 churches the 7 churches were:
 Rome
 Corinth
 Galatia
 Ephesus
 Phillipi
 Colosee
 Thessalonica
 While the Gospels develop the person of Christ and Acts develops the work of Christ
the Epistles develop the Doctrine of Christ.
 Romans 1:17 - "The just shall live by faith" started the Great Reformation and is
quoted in Hab. 2:4.
 Romans is the most formal writing by Paul
 The Bible within the Bible - John 3:16
 Name the Romans Road
 Romans 3:10
 Romans 3:23
 Romans 5:8
 Romans 5:12

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 Romans 6:23
 Romans 10:9
 Romans 10:10
 Romans 10:13

I Corinthians:

 Corinth's wealth became it's woe.

 It took 18 months for Paul to establish the church at Corinth.
 I Cor. 5:9 reveals that I and II Corinthians was not the only letters written by Paul to
the Corinthians.
 Paul wrote I Corinthians in response to a letter, evil reports and false doctrine.
 Paul wrote 6 chapters of rebuke before he responded to their letter in I Cor. 7:1.
 Paul labored in Corinth with Aquila and Perscilla.
 Jesus Christ is mentioned 10 times in the first 10 verses in I Corinthians.
 Envy and exalting men caused division and contentions in Corinth.
 I Cor. 2 shows only the Holy Spirit reveals the Word of God to born again believers.
 I Cor. 3 discussed the Judgment Seat of Christ.
 I Cor. 6 discusses Judgment and Lawsuits.
 I Cor. 9 and 15 Paul defend his Apostleship.
 I Cor. 11 discusses Communion.
 I Cor 12 discusses Spiritual gifts
 I Cor 13 discusses the ending of spiritual gifts.
 I Cor. 14 discusses the problems of spiritual gifts.
 The only place this word is used in the Bible is I Cor. 12:25: Scitism.
 The Gospel is found in I Cor. 15:1-4.
 I Cor. 15 discusses the resurrection.
 Anathema Maranatha ends the book of I Cor. and means "accurses at the Lord's
coming".

II Corinthians:

 While I Cor. is mostly doctrinal II Cor. is mostly personal.

 Paul wrote II Cor. to defend his personal character.
 II Cor. 6:18 is the only place in the New Testament other then Revelation where God
is referred to as the Almighty.
 II Cor. key message is comfort. It is used 10 times in II Cor. 1:3-7.
 In II Cor. Chapter 5 these topics are discussed.

1. Absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

2. The Judgment seat of Christ.
3. We are a new creature.
4. We are ambassador's for Christ.

 II Cor. chapter 6 states now is the day of salvation.

 II Cor. chapter 8-9 is all about giving.
 II Cor. chapter 11 discusses that Paul was rude of speech and describes Satan's
ministers.
 II Cor. chapter 13 reveals that Paul went to the third heaven and had a thorn in the
flesh.

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Galatians:

 Galatians is similar to Romans.

 Paul writes in Galatians chapter 1 that they were soon removed unto another gospel.
 In chapter 1 of Galatians Paul wrote about his stay in Arabia.
 In chapter 2 of Galatians Paul withstood peter to the face.
 In Galatians Judiazers had infiltrated the church.
 Galatians chapter 3 the law is described as a schoolmaster.
 Galatians chapter 4 Christ was made of a woman, and we can cry "Abba, Father".
 Galatians chapter 5 lists the fruit of the spirit.
 Galatians chapter six states the law of sowing and reaping.

Ephesians:

 Name Paul's four prison epistles:

1. Ephisians
2. Phillippians
3. Colossians
4. Philemon

 Ephesians is similar to Colossians.

 The theme of Ephesians is the church and is a book of conduct and encouragement.
 Ephesians chapter one and four we are sealed with the Spirit.
 Ephesians 2:6 we are made to sit together in Heavenly Places.
 Christ dwells in our Hearts by faith according to Ephesians 3:17.
 Ephesians 4:14 talks about "Every Wind of Doctrine"
 Ephesians 5:16 we are to "Redeem the time"
 Ephesians chapters 5 and 6 gives conduct for husbands, wives, and children.
 Ephesians 6:11 we are commanded to put on the full armor of God.

Philippians:

 Philippians means "Lover of Horses"

 Philippians is a book of Joy and Thankfulness
 The first three converts in Philipi are Lydia, the slave girl, and the Philippian Jailer -
Acts 16.
 Philippians 1:21 Paul writes "To live is Christ and to die is Gain"
 Philippians 2:6-11 describes the humility of Christ.
 Philippians 3:13-14 Paul writes we are to forget those things which are behind.
 Paul writes in Philippians chapter 4:

1. "To be careful for nothing"

2. "I can do all things through Christ"
3. "My God shall supply all your need"

Colossians:

 Colossians was written to stabilize the church doctrinally.

 The theme of Colossians is the deity and all sufficiency of Jesus Christ - Col. 2:9-10.

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 Colossians chapter one teaches the deity of Christ.

 Colossians chapter two teaches the doctrine of Christ.
 Colossians chapter three teaches the demands of Christ concerning:

1. vs. 2 - Your affections on things above.

2. vs. 18 - wives submit...own husbands.
3. vs. 19 - husbands love your wives.
4. vs. 20 - children obey your parents.

 Colossians chapter 4 describes the disciples of Christ.

I& II Thessalonians:

 II Thessalonians theme is the coming of the Lord with his saints.

 The church in Thessalonica turns the world upside down - Acts 17:4.
 Paul was in Thessalonica for 1 month before he was forced to leave. - Acts 17:10.
 Paul was hindered twice from returning to Thessalonica. - I Thess. 2:17-19.
 The Doctrine of the Lord's return comes form the Lord. - I Thess. 4:15.
 The Lord's return is found in one out of twenty verses in the New Testament.
 The Crown of Rejoicing is commonly called the Soul Winner's crown is found in I
Thess. 2:19.
 Because of the 2nd coming of the Lord, the Thessalonians stopped working.
 The doctrine of the Rapture is found is found in I Thess. 4:13-18.
 Paul wanted to comfort the Thessalonians about those that sleep in Jesus. - I Thess.
4:14.
 I Thessalonians closes with Twenty-two things for the Christian to do.
 I Thessalonians was written in 51 AD.
 II Thessalonians was written in 52 AD.
 II Thessalonians was written to assure the people the Great Tribulation had not begun.
 II Thess. 2:15 is the only place where the word Tradition is used in a good way.
 The Great Tribulation is equivalent to the wrath of God and is not to be confused with
our tribulation as Christians.
 Two-thirds of II Thessalonians is similar to I Thessalonians.
 The double books of the Bible:

1. I& II Samuel
2. I& II Kings
3. I& II Chronicles
4. I& II Corinthians
5. I& II Thessalonians
6. I& II Timothy
7. I& II Peter

I Timothy:

1. Name the Pastoral Epistles: I Timothy, II Timothy, Titus.

2. I Timothy was written in 63 AD.
3. I Timothy was written by Paul to encourage Timothy.
4. Paul calls Timothy "my own son".
5. I Timothy's key word is "charge".

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6. Timothy was a prisoner with Paul.

7. I Timothy Chapter 2 mentions four types of prayer: Supplication - specific request;
Prayer - all communication with God; Intercession - praying for others; Giving of
thanks - sacrifice
8. I Timothy Chapter 3 gives the qualifications for both the Bishop and Deacon.
9. The greatest verse about the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ is I Tim. 3:16.
10. The word "potentate" is only found one place in the Bible - I Tim. 6:15.

II Timothy:

1. II Timothy was written in 67 AD.

2. Name the five prison epistles: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, & II
Timothy.
3. Tychicus delivered many of Paul's letters.
4. II Timothy is Paul's last writing.
5. II Timothy's key word is "ashamed".
6. In I Timothy, some had forsaken Paul by II Timothy all had forsaken Paul.
7. In II Timothy Chapter 3, Paul mentions twenty-two characteristics of the last days.
8. Paul mentions the crown of Righteousness in II Timothy 4:8 for those that love his
appearing.

Titus:

1. Titus was a Greek.

2. Titus served in Crete.
3. Titus was written in 63 AD.
4. Paul quotes 3 heathen writers.
5. I& II Timothy stresses doctrine while Titus stresses duty.
6. Titus' key message is "to maintain good works".
7. Titus' outline is: Godliness in the Church - ch. 1
8. Godliness in the Home - ch. 2; Godliness in the Church - ch. 3

Philemon:

1. Philemon contains 25 verses.

2. Philemon is Paul's briefest letter.
3. Philemon is a personal letter which contains no doctrine.
4. The church met in Philemon's home.
5. Philemon illustrates our redemption. Philemon – God; Paul - Jesus Christ; Onesimus -
The Sinner.
6. Onesimus was a runaway slave.
7. Philemon's key message is "receive him"
8. Onesimus means profitable.
9. Philemon is sometimes called the courteous letter. It reveals the ministry of letter
writing.

Hebrews:

1. Hebrew is the first book of the eight General Epistles.

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2. Hebrews was written 5 years before the destruction of the temple which took place in
70 AD.
3. Hebrews is sometimes called the orphan epistle.
4. Hebrews has been called the 5th gospel.
5. Paul is the most likely author of Hebrews.
6. The author of Hebrews remains anonymous because of the business of animal
sacrifice and also Paul's lack of respect among the Jews.
7. Romans reveals the necessity of the Christian religion while Hebrews reveals the
superiority of the Christian religion.
8. The four Gospels speak of Christ's work on Earth.
9. Hebrews speaks of Christ's work in Heaven.
10. Hebrews is the companion book to Leviticus.
11. In the book of Hebrews Paul argues with the Jews, instead of losing all they had, they
gained all.
12. Paul writes Hebrews to warn the Jewish believers about the apostasy of Judaism.
13. Hebrews reveals that Jesus is better then the law of Moses.
14. The word better is used 13 times in Hebrews.
15. Hebrews shows that Jesus made one offering for sin.
16. Hebrews contains 5 warnings.
17. In Hebrews 1:1 "sundry" is the only place in the Bible where this word is used.
18. Hebrews chapter 11 is called the chapter of faith.

James:

1. James is the earliest New Testament book , written in 45 AD.

2. James contains 5 chapters.
3. James is considered to be the proverbs of the New Testament.
4. Sometimes the book of James is referred to as the handbook of Christianity.
5. James is the half-brother of Jesus.
6. The purpose of James is to remind a Christians that genuine faith means a changed
life.
7. James teaches a genuine faith means a living faith.
8. James uses 5 Old Testament characters as illustrations:
9. Abraham
Isaac
Rahab
Job
Elijah
10. Comparing Paul and James on faith:

James - justified by Works

Paul - Root of Justification

James - Fruit of Justification

11. James 1:12 describes the crown of Life.

I Peter:

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1. I Peter contains 5 chapters.

2. Peter is the best known apostle.
3. Peter's brother was Andrew.
4. Andrew brought Peter to Jesus.
5. Peter's father's name is Jonah.
6. The main character of Acts chapter 1 through 12 is Peter.
7. Acts chapter 15 is the last place Peter is mentioned.
8. Peter has 4 different names in the New Testament.
9. Peter means "little rock".
10. I Peter was written to encourage the believers in the midst of suffering.
11. I Peter 5:4 describes the Crown of Glory.
12. The theme of I Peter is persecution from without.

II Peter:

1. The theme of II Peter is Persecution from within.

2. Peter is the apostle of Hope

 Paul is the apostle of Faith.

 John is the apostle of Love.

3. II Peter was written shortly before Peter's death.

4. II Peter was written to warn Christians about false teachers.
5. II Peter chapter 2 is similar to the book of Jude.

I, II, & III John:

1. Polycarp was John's disciple.

2. I John is sometimes called the epistle of no compromise or the fellowship epistle.
3. I, II, and III John were all written from Ephesus.
4. John wrote 5 books.
5. I John's key word is "love" and is used 46 times.
6. I John's theme is Fellowship.
7. God is described as light and love in I John.
8. John is the only New Testament author that mentions the Antichrist using it 5 times.
9. John mentions that we can know that we have eternal life in I John 5:13.
10. John identifies himself as the elder in II and III John.
11. II John is the shortest New Testament book and contains 13 verses.
12. II John is written to the Elect Lady.
13. III John is written to a man name Gaius.
14. In II John the phrase "Son of the Father" is unique to the New Testament.
15. In II John, John warns the believers of the possibility of losing rewards.
16. II John contains: 2 commendations and 1 condemnation.
17. In III John: Gaius would Spread the Gospel. Diotrephes would Hinder the Gospel.
Demetrius would Adorn the Gospel.
18. For Diotrephes there was no service because there was no Love.

Jude:

1. Another name for Jude would be Judas.

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2. Jude is most likely the Half-brother of Jesus.

3. Jude is the preface to Revelation.
4. II Peter 2:1 talks of future apostasy.
5. Jude talks of present apostasy.
6. Jude initially was going to write about salvation.
7. Jude writes to counter apostasy.
8. Jude describes and writes in series of threes.

Revelation:

1. Revelation is the Biblical circle.

2. Genesis began with paradise - Revelation ends with paradise.
3. Gen. paradise lost - Rev. paradise is regained.
4. Gen. is Satan's first rebellion - Rev. is Satan's final rebellion.
5. Gen. introduces Satan - Rev. shows Satan's doom
6. Gen. is where Satan tells first lie - Rev. shows that nothing that tells a lie enters the
city.
7. Gen. predicts Satan's doom - Rev. performs Satan's doom
8. Gen. the earth is prepared for man - Rev. the earth is perfected for man.
9. Gen. reveals the beginning of time - Rev. reveals the end of time.
10. Gen. shows creation of heaven and earth - Rev. shows creation of New Heaven and
earth.
11. Gen. Man driven from God's face - Rev. Man sees his face in glory.
12. Gen. Night and Sea created - Rev. No more night, no more sea.
13. Gen. Tree of life lost - Rev. Tree of life gained.
14. Gen. Reveals sorrow resulting from sin - Rev. No more tears.
15. Gen. Present's the curse - Rev. the curse is removed.
16. Gen. Records first death - Rev. No more death.
17. First Adam reigning - Last Adam in glory
18. Bride is brought to Adam - Bride is prepared for Christ
19. Believers looking for a city by faith - Holy city presented in glory
20. Where is the Lamb - The Lamb reigns
21. Construction of Babylon - Destruction of Babylon
22. First murder committed - Murderers cast into lake of fire.
23. The gates are shut - The gates are opened
24. The first rest - The final rest
25. Culture and art begin to replace God - Culture and arts are destroyed and replaced by
God.
26. Cherubim separated God and man - Cherubim in company with God and Man.
27. Genesis ends with sorrow and a coffin - Revelation ends with rejoicing in Heaven.

1. What were the main features of the social, political, economic and religious situation
of Palestine in the time of Jesus and how did they gave rise to certain movement at that
time?
POLITICAL SITUATION
Two Political forces:
(i) The rule of the Family of Herod the Great: 2 Herods.
Herod the Great (37-4 B.C) was the head of the dynasty; ruler of all Palestine; king when
Jesus was born. He was extremely cruel and killed his own wife and 3 sons. He was a

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political ally of the Roman Empire. Herod Antipas (4 B.C -39 A.D.) was the fifth son of
Herod the great; he became the ruler of Galilee and Perea. He lived in luxury and sin; he
killed John the Baptist, and also encountered Jesus during his passion (Mk 6:16-29; Lk 23:6-
12). It was said of him: "He came to throne like a fox, ruled like a tiger and died like a dog‖.
The Herods were not Jews. They were puppets in the hands of the Roman.
(ii) The Rule of Roman Empire: The Roman Empire got a footing in Rome, when the
Hasmone rulers quarrelled among themselves and sought the intervention of Roman general
Pompey. After the death of Herod the Great, his son Herod Antipas ruled Galilee, while
Judea, Samaria and Idumea came under the Roman Procurator (Pontius Pilate 26-36 A.D.).
The Procurator's main task was to collect taxes; to ensure internal peace; to confirm all death
sentences of the Jewish courts; to report all developments to Rome.

ECONOMIC SITUATION:
The first century economy of Palestine was basically agricultural. Wheat and barley were the
basic food crop, and they were cultivated everywhere. The olive trees produced abundant
olive oil which was exported to Egypt and Syria; similarly figs were exported to Rome. Vines
were cultivated particularly in the hill-country of Judea; wine - presses and watch-towers
were found everywhere.
They reared sheep, goats and donkeys for agricultural work and transport. They also had the
industry like rushing in the Sea of Galilee and Jordon River. The temple was the great
‗industrial complex‘. Priests and Levites conducted business there. But there were not
sufficient to meet the needs of Palestine's population (about 600,000). Hence fairly a good
number of people lived in poverty. Famines had their share to contribute to this poverty
(A.D. 25) taxation of the rulers and temple made the people to suffer more. As result of the
above economic situation people were divided as rich and poor.

SOCIO-RELIGIOUS SITUATION
The Priests: They were originally the descendants of the tribe of Levi and had been
respected by the Jews for their role in the worship. The High Priest was on the top of the
hierarchy. The high priest had political and economic power and he was the head of
Sanhedrin. Jesus too courageously challenged certain activities favoured by priests against
the gentiles. Jesus violent reaction to the marketing of the temple was against the priests and
hence they decided to kill Jesus (Mk 11).
The Pharisees: They were a sort of lay religious group. They observed the law strictly and
observed the religious rituals meticulously with such practices as fasts and long prayers. They
were traditionalists and were extremely fanatic and legalistic in practices.
The Scribes: They were the educated class, and experts in the Mosaic Law. They had to
study the law under recognized men like Hillel, Shammai or Gamaliel (Acts 5:34). They were
not a clerical class but they wished to be known as the rabbis, meaning teachers.
But Jesus often clashed with the scribes as he did with the Pharisees because they had deviate
from the true spirit of the Old Testament law - especially in respect of love for the Neighbour.
The Sadducees: They were a priestly class of the highest order, descending from the high
priest Zadok. They occupied the highest place in the temple, and most of the high priests

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were Sadducees. They were indeed aristocratic nobility, owning a lot of landed property, and
cattle. They believed only in the Torah and all its moral obligations, but rejected such
doctrines like the resurrection of the dead, the angels and devils, and God's direct providence.
They wanted to be known as broad-minded.
The Sinners: In the Synoptic Gospels although sin in general is considered as offence to God
needing forgiveness and return to God (Lk 15:7, 10), yet the sinners has been a term used
with a sociological connotation. By sinners they meant people of low status. (Mk: 2:15-17).
Those who suffered from any disease, or those involved in some ordinary occupations like
farming, or some menial tasks were considered sinners. And strangely and women were
considered sinners because their biological function rendered them low and hence their status
as sinners. Similarly, all the children who had no knowledge of the law were also sinners.
The Samaritans: They were a race despised by the Jews, because they were thought to be an
illegitimate offspring coming from the mixture of Jews and Assyrians during the exile. They
lived mostly in Samaria, the middle portion of Palestine, had their own temples at Mount
Gerizim (Jn 4). Jesus was extremely kind to this group due to their marginalized status (Lk
10:13; 17:10-17).
The Gentiles: The Jews who thought of themselves as a very important race of people on
earth, considered that the world was divided into two groups: Jews (the circumcised), and the
Gentiles (the uncircumcised). The gentiles in Palestine were ill-treated by the Jews at Jesus‘
time. In short, the socio-religious groups at the time of Jesus were basically of two classes:
the oppressed and marginalized class.
Some Peoples' Movements at the time of Jesus: As a result of the various socio-political
and religious divisions among the people of Palestine there emerged some people's
movements which were the result of their reaction to the existing situations. The following
movements were popular of the time of Jesus.
The Zealot Movement: The common population in Palestine certainly was averse to the
political situation at the time of Jesus. A spirit of nationalism began to emerge. Anyone with
zeal to fight against the Romans was called zealots (zelo) and thus began the Zealot
movement. Barabbas was on among them. The nationalistic uprising or the Zealot movement
finally led to the Jewish war of 68-70 A.D., and the movement came to a tragic end.
The essence of movement: Confronted with the Roman occupation and confused by the
unholy alliances between the religious authority and political powers. They abandoned the
faction-filled Jerusalem, and settled down on the shores of the Dead-Sea a place called
Qumran. Under the leadership of a priest they lived a monastic life of prayer and reflection,
preparing themselves for the coming of the Messiah.
The Apocalyptic Movement: Social oppression and political victimization of the foreign
forces created among the majority people, namely the poor, an apocalyptic sentiment. It
consisted of a sort of feeling that the world was to end soon and God's kingdom would be
established forthwith. People in their depressed state began to believe in the Day of the Lord,
the defeat of hostile powers, the dawn of the new age, etc.
The Jesus Movement: As Jesus came into the political and socio-religious scene of
Palestine, there were bitter feelings of oppression and the desire for change. The common
folk were on the brink of a break-down. The poor desired a change in their social situation.

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They knew that neither the Zealots nor the Essenes, nor the proud Pharisees, nor the arrogant
priests were going to solve their problems. It is at this time that the movement of Jesus
catches up: "The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in
the Gospel" (Mk 1:15). Early his ministry Jesus chose 12 men to be his disciples and he
trained them so that his movement may continue as an organized one. The main concern of
Jesus was to offer full human dignity to everyone, especially the oppressed - and this got him
in constant confrontation with the authorities, culminating in his death. But his subsequent
resurrection strengthened the movement as the Church. The four Gospels display the Jesus'
movement.
2. The evangelists Mathew and Luke differ from each other in the way record the
infancy of Jesus. Can you discuss their main content, the chief differences and the
theological motifs with which they redact the infancy narratives in them?

Matthew and Luke are the two Gospels that give us the familiar stories concerning Jesus‘
birth. Matthew‘s Infancy Narrative is considerably more concise, about half the length of
Luke‘s. Luke‘s account is almost four times as long. Both evangelists pulled data from
traditions that preceded them and reworked the material, and added their own reflections
according to the faith testimony of their community.

Differences between Matthew's & Luke's infancy of Jesus

Matthew (75-90CE) Luke (80-95CE)

Main Characters: Joseph, Angel, Magi, Main Characters: Zechariah, Gabriel,

Herod the Great. In Matthew, the angel Elizabeth, Mary, Angels, Shepherds,
comes to Joseph to announce the virginal Simeon, Anna. The central character is
conception. Matt. 1:20–21. In Luke, this Mary. Luke 1:26–56. However, the
angelic announcement is made to Mary. emphasis on Mary, and the relative
Luke 1:26–38. Matthew‘s account gives a exclusion of Joseph as an active character,
central role to Joseph, who, as a son of emphasizes that Jesus is not, in fact
David himself, provides the legal connection Joseph‘s son.
to the royal inheritance.

Secondary Characters: Mary, Chief Priests Secondary Characters: Herod the Great,
& Scribes, Archelaus Joseph, Caesar Augustus, Quirinius

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Location of Conception: According to St. Location of Conception: According to St.

Matthew‘s Gospel, there is no account of a Luke‘s account, Mary and Joseph travelled
journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. But from Nazareth to Bethlehem because of the
skeptics claim St. Matthew portrays the census called for by Caesar Augustus. It
Holy Family to have been living in would be there that Mary ―gave birth to her
Bethlehem, not Nazareth. There would have first-born son and wrapped him in
been no way for there to have even been a swaddling clothes, and laid him in a
journey to Bethlehem if Matthew‘s scenario manger…‖ (2:1-7)
were true. The Holy Family was already
there

Location of Birth: House (2:11) Location of Birth: Stable (2:7)

Adoration: Magi (Gentile Philosophers) – Adoration: Shepherds (Lowly) – How

How many? The text does not say! In many? The text does not say! In Luke, the
Matthew, the birth of Jesus is noticed by the birth is revealed to peasants who respond
powerful and the wealthy who respond with with both fear and worship. Luke 2:8–20
either worship or fear. Matt. 2:1–12

Star No star

Jesus is given the additional name In Luke, Jesus is given the additional name
―Immanuel.‖ Matt. 1:23 (or title) ―Son of the Most High God.‖

No angels in the night sky Angels in the night sky

Murder of the innocents & trip to Egypt No murder of the innocents & no trip to
Egypt

Move to Nazareth instead of back to Return to Nazareth since they live there
Bethlehem for fear of Herod‘s son, already (2:39-40)
Archelaus (2:19-23)

Less details More details

Matthew‘s Gospel begins with a genealogy Whereas in Luke, the genealogy runs in the
of Jesus starting with son of David, son of opposite direction, from Jesus to Adam.
Abraham, establishing Jesus‘ place within Luke 3:23–38. Luke begins with son of
the Jewish tradition. It was important for Joseph, ending with son of Adam, son of
Matthew to stress the Jewishness of Jesus God, thus emphasizing Jesus‘ universal
since Matthew‘s community initially was significance.
made up of Jews who believed Jesus was the
awaited Messiah.

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Dating the Story: Includes Herod the Great Dating the Story: Mentions Herod the Great
who died in 4BCE who died in 4BCE (vs.1:5). But it also
mentions a census under Quirinius who
does not come to power until 6CE (vss. 2:1-
2).

Themes(content) of the Book: Themes (content) of the Book:

1. Conflict of Kingdoms (i.e. the Kingdom 1. God's redemptive purposes.

of God / Heaven vs. the kingdoms of this
age / Caesar / Satan / etc.) 2. Salvation for all alike. Luke's most insight
is his perception that Jesus announced
2. Jesus is the new and better Moses who salvation for all people alike.
brings the ―new law.‖
3. The blessings of poverty and the dangers
3. How to continue now that there is of wealth. . . Popular theology held that the
separation between Judaism & Christianity. rich were blessed by God, but Jesus turned
that popular theology on its head,
maintaining that God would lift up the poor
and cast out the rich.

Theological motifs:

Each of the Infancy Narratives supports the themes and imagery that characterize the rest of
their Gospels. They would treat the important question of who Jesus was and how he was
born. Matthew‘s establishment of Jesus as ―the Son of David‖ in his Infancy Narrative lays
the groundwork for his depiction of Jesus as the Jewish Messiah later in the Gospel.
Likewise, the image of Christ as a new Moses, as seen in Herod‘s attempt to slay him and his
returning from Egypt, anticipates Jesus‘ role as the new lawgiver in the Sermon on the
Mount. In every scene, Jesus is seen as the fulfilment of prophecy, demonstrating who he
was, how he came into the world, and where the important first events of his life took place.
St. Matthew is writing to a Jewish Christian community; thus, he emphasizes both Christ‘s
birth in Bethlehem to fulfill the Old Testament prophecy of Micah 5:2 (Matthew 2:5-6), and
the fulfilment of the Oral Tradition, or word ―spoken by the prophets,‖ that Christ would be
―called a Nazarene‖ (Matthew 2:23). St. Luke, the only inspired Evangelist who was also a
Gentile, did not seem as interested in pointing those things out.

The Christology of Luke‘s Infancy Narrative, which emphasizes Jesus‘ role as the Son of
God and the Saviour for all people, accords with the portrayal of Jesus in the rest of his
Gospel, where Jesus is less exclusively a Jewish Messiah. The prominence of Elisabeth,
Mary, and Anna in the Infancy Narrative establishes the precedent for Luke‘s almost unique
emphasis on women, who appear with much more frequency in his Gospel than they do in

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any of the others. Another emphasis in Luke is his concern for the poor and the marginalized,
who are highlighted both in the Magnificat and in the appearance of shepherds at the manger
rather than the wise, rich, and powerful. Likewise, the centrality of the Holy Spirit in the
conceptions of John the Baptist and Jesus, as well as its role in inspiring Elisabeth, Zacharias,
and Simeon, is an anticipation of the central role of the Spirit in the Gospel of Luke. But
above all, by emphasizing that Jesus is the Son of God, born to be the Saviour, Luke‘s
Infancy Narrative is, like Matthew‘s, ―the essential Gospel story in miniature.‖

3. There are three different versions of inauguration of the Kingdom mission of Jesus
presented by each of the three Synoptic Gospels (Mk 1:14-15, Mt 5-7 and Lk 4:16-30).
Discuss the main features in each of these presentation and point out their common
content.
Inauguration of Kingdom Mission

 Initial Proclamation of Mark 1: 14-15

 Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5-7
 Manifesto in Luke 4: 16-30.
Each of the Synoptic Gospels presents a passage explaining the way Jesus inaugurated his
Kingdom Mission. Mark gives a short text telling the readers that As John the Baptist
completed his mission Jesus made clarion call towards his own mission (1: 14-15). In the
Gospel of Matthew there is no specific statement that Jesus is actually inaugurating a
mission. But the first of his five major proclamations, namely the Sermon on the Mount (5-7),
may be considered as the inaugural declaration of Jesus as to the way his mission would be
rooted. As for Luke, he offers the most precise and articulate announcement of Jesus as to his
mission taking a text from prophet Isaiah who had already pronounced many years earlier as
to how the mission of the future Messiah would be accomplished Isaiah (61: 1-2). Luke‘s
inaugural statement as to the mission of Jesus is rightly considered the manifesto of Jesus‘
Kingdom Mission.

Mark‟s Inaugural Proclamation of Jesus‟ Mission:

Jesus begins his motion with a sense of urgency throughout the Mark Gospel. ―The time is
fulfilled; the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel‘ is the actual call of
Jesus coming immediately after the arrest of John the Baptist.

The time is fulfilled signifies the end of a long standing expectation of the people for the
coming of the Messiah. The new time projected here is kairos meaning an extraordinary
period of grace in contrast to the chronos which is just the ordinary passing time. The mission
of Jesus is to bring about a new way of life.

The Kingdom of God is at hand is reiterating the totally new way of life with values which
come from God. The notion of the kingdom of god often occurring in the synoptic Gospel is
not to be understood in a political or geographical sense but in a moral and integral sense.
God‘s justice and love with an option for the poor will be the hallmark of the Kingdom of
God.

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Repent means a spirit of readiness to change oneself. the Greek word, metanoia implies that
the change of life is expected should be radical, total and deep- seated.

Believe in the Gospel is an invitation to people to accept Jesus Christ and all that He would be
teaching. The Gospel or good news may refer to the very person of Jesus.

The Sermon on the Mount: Mathew‟s Inaugural Proclamation: 5: 1-7: 29

The Sermon on the Mount inaugurates the mission of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus
is the New Moses giving a law or new law in the place of the old Torah from a new mountain
in contrast to the Sinai.

Matthew presents eight beatitudes with the ninth one possibly added by the early Christian
community in the context of their persecutions. The beatitudes are addressed largely to a
middle class Christian community that they may develop the right spiritual attitudes in order
to be disciples of the Lord. His eight beatitudes may be divided into two sets of 4 each. The
first set refers to our relationship to God and the second to our rapport with our neighbour.

The poor in Spirit is equal of the equivalent of the Old Testament Anawim Yaweh means poor
of the Lord that is the people who realise their fragility and the illusory nature of human
support and hence look to God for support. The first four beatitudes reflect the attitude of the
Anawim and God‘s favourable response to them.

The Kingdom of Heaven which is mentioned in the first and eighth beatitudes is the deep
contentment and happiness given by God as against some physical gratification. The effects
mentioned with regard to other beatitudes like possessing the land meaning Heavenly Life,
satisfaction seeing God etc. may also be equivalent to the Kingdom of Heaven.

The disciples should be like salt, light and like a city built on a hill. This refers to their life
which needs to be very exemplary and hence expected to sanctify, purify and preserve the
world in its relationship to God like salt.

The Old law is not abrogated by the new proclamations of Jesus but rather than the new is a
radical complement of the old. The new is based on the theme of love to which Jesus
subordinates every aspect of human life. In fact in the antithetical data provided by Matthew
we may note how Jesus brings about a synthesis between the Old and the New with an
authoritative statement from Jesus, ―but I tell you…. which follows a radical new antithesis
pertaining to six life issues murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, retaliation and hatred of
enemies.

The essential attitude towards piety should be that it should not be just hypocritical and
ostentatious show as was the practice of the Pharisees. It should be self-effacing and rooted in
the deep relationship to God. Giving Charity towards poor has been advocated much by the
prophets and the psalms. The poor increased numerically due to political, social and
economic factors and some Jewish group exploited the situation by a show off their alms
even by blowing their trumpets about their charities. Jesus advocates unassuming nature in
giving alms.

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Jewish practices abounded in prayer. The most common were cultic prayers, the Psalms, the
18 blessings and the Shema (Deut 6:4-9). They turned out to be mere formulas and did not
help them towards a relationship to God. Jesus teaches a short prayer ―Our father,‖ of direct
contact with God with meaningful petitions to him. Matthew has 7 petitions, a perfect number
for Jewish consideration, whereas Luke has no such compulsions as to number. He has just 5.

Fasting has been in Jewish tradition. While Jesus encourages the practice, what he detests is
the hypocritical behaviours of some jewish in making fanfare of their fasting. He wishes that
one should make efforts to see that our fasting is in no way noticed by others and praised.
Our reward should be from God.

Jesus concludes Sermon stressing on putting with new values into deeds. The parable of
building on a rock and not on a stand refers to a Christian life of praxis rather than mere
expressions.

Luke 4: 16-30 as the Inaugural Proclamation

Luke presents the inaugural proclamation of Jesus immediately after His temptations in the
desert. The place of the inauguration is the Jewish gathering in the Synagogue of Capernaum.
And Luke initiates his proclamation in the form of a pointed manifesto (4:18-20) and Jesus is
described as if He was filled with the Holy Spirit for such a course of action (1:4). Jesus
chooses an appropriated text from the most popular Messianic Prophet (Isaiah 61: 1-2)
inserting into it a verse of Isaiah 58:6.

The manifesto begins with ‗the spirit of the Lord is upon me‖ where Jesus identifies himself
with the prophet who began God‘s mission with the spirit. His preferential option for the poor
is underlined by such words as the poor, the blind, the oppressed, the captives who need to be
liberated. ―The year of Lord‘s favour‖ may refer to the spirit of Kairos or the Jubilee year
which Jesus would newly initiate recalling the old Jubilee year (Lev 25: 8-19; Duet15:1-11).
His mission would be a new era of liberation with the great Israelite liberation from Egypt as
a remote backdrop.

Response of the people is twofold: acceptance first and then rejection. Lk 4:22 is an
expression of acceptance considering the gracious prophetic words coming from one of their
own (Joseph‘s son). But such acceptance turns out first a challenge to him to repeat his deeds
and then a dislike arising out of inferiority complex.

Jesus goes ahead to explain the main target group of his mission would be the poor and the
despised, with the gentiles given special consideration, the response is one of total hostility
and anger. This anger led to kill Jesus. Jesus‘ favourable attitude to his gentile mission which
has been a special theme of LK will now begin and the Jewish rejection would be an essential
aspect of his ministry.

4. The ministry of Jesus partly consisted of his healing miracles, parables and certain
conflict events. Discuss the main content of each of these Ministries.

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Jesus came to the world for the particular mission (to bring the Kingdom of God and to
prepare the people for that). The Gospel of Mark vividly and shortly points Jesus mission in
the manifesto, Mk: 1:15
―The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the Good news.‖
By changing your attitude and values, one can easily enter into the kingdom of God. The
kingdom manifesto of Matthew continues an elaborate programme of inner revolution in
human beings which will bring about the new society. Love becomes the norms of the action
and it will slowly but firmly bring about the desired effect (Mt: 6:1-10). (Regarding giving
Alms, Praying etc.). The equivalent of the KOG for Luke would be a society where justice
abounds, and the poor have their rights restored to them.
Conflicts: All the three Gospels speak about the particular mission of JS to bring or to install
the KOG and its nature. while going forward, JS faced a lot of opposition from the highly
placed Jewish groups like the Pharisees, the Scribes, the Sadducees and t priests who felt that
their authority was being undermined by Jesus‘ popularity with the lower classes of people t
whom Jesus showed love and sympathy. Thus the very conflicts of Jesus become an essential
part of their kingdom mission. JS enters into a conflict with the Antagonist and brings about a
principle of truth a state of Justice favorable to the protagonist (ex) Mark 2: 1-12 – Jesus
heals a paralytic. There was a belief that every sickness is caused by sins.
Antagonist: It was a blasphemy to forgive sins, since God can only forgive sins. Jesus brings
about a great principle of truth that the son of man who has come to be part of humanity is
also divine, and hence has authority to forgive sins, and that God‘s power is at work in him.
As a sign of that power now he heals the paralytic. Ex. The practice of fasting; Two Sabbath
conflicts; Eating with the sinners.
Miracles: The OT prophets had prophesized that the time of messiah would be a period of
great spiritual and physical blessing. Isaiah spoke of a new world to come, a world of peace
and Justice and physical healings will take place as a symbol of a new world.
JS would have regarded his miracles not as ‗sings from heaven‘ (as prodigies functioning as
authenticating proofs of his mission), but as ‗signs of the kingdom‘, spontaneous
manifestations of the presence of God‘s saving power (the kingdom). (Mk 8.11). As part of
his mission, he had to heal and exorcise and then go to Jerusalem to die.
Healings: (Mt 9:27-31 – two blind men), of the deaf and dumb (Mt9:32-34), of the crippled
(Lk 6:6-11) Exorcises (Mk 9:27-31); resuscitations (Lk 9:37-43); Mature miracles (Jn 2:1-11;
Lk 9:10-17) show that salvation is not just spiritual affair but total liberation of the whole
man. It is not the individual rescue operation, but the healing of a whole oppressive power
structure. The Kingdom of Satan is shattered and blocked by Jesus‘ own exorcisms because
they are performed by the power of God (Mt: spirit of God; Lk: the finger of God). It gives
the security that the KOG has begun to assert itself.
Parables: among the forty five parables, fifteen of them actually begin with the statement
like ―The kingdom of heaven is like....‖ and continue with the comparison. The purpose of his
mission is to reveal the secrets of the KOG and the parables have the same purpose. it is faith
in JS XT and his word that begins within us the process of the kingdom. The kingdom does
require the certain qualities and these values pervade almost every parable.

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Ex. Good Samaritan (Lk10); Regarding equality and justice: three parable in (Lk 15); The
lost sheep; the lost coin; the prodigal son.

5. What can you say about Jesus‟ ministry to women and the outcastes as found in the
Synaptic Gospel?
The place of woman in the first-century Roman world and in Judaism has been well-
documented in several books. Most frequently, women were regarded as second-class
citizens. Even the OT presents situations here women were depersonalized. God never
authorized behaviour that depersonalized women. There are other things recorded in scripture
such as child sacrifice, polygamy, ritualistic sex in religion and wife abuse that have never
been sanctioned by God.
JS‘ regard for women was much different from that of his contemporaries. JS demonstrated
the High value on woman by ministering to them. it had taken place both physical and
spiritually. Numerous teachings and the casting out of demons from women display Jesus‘
care and concern for woman.
Ex. JS healed peter‘s mother-in-low and allowed her in return to minister to Him (Mk1:30-
31); JS also was concerned for a widow in Nain (Lk 7:11-15); Christ healed a women who
was hopelessly tent over for 18yr. (Lk 13: 10-17). Courageously, on the Sabbath and the
inside the synagogue before the religious leaders, Jesus helped and defended their poor
woman. He spoke to her tenderly, and placed his hands on her, and caused her to stand erect
for which she glorified God. He then acknowledged her equal standing with men in Israel‘s
religions heritage by referring to her as a daughter of Abraham. (cf: Jn 8:33-39).
A poor woman ceremonially was unclean for 12yrs by a bleeding disorder, touched JS in a
large crowed. It was breaking the religious and social customs, (Lk: 8:45-48). Instead of
rebuking her, JS addressed her tenderly as ―daughter‖, publically strengthened her faith, and
said her go in peace.
JS also touched the dead girl and restored her to her parents (Mt 9:23-25). JS‘ ministry to
needy and hurting women is clearly seen in these events. From the lower of the social order
to the top (the girl‘s father was a ruler of the synagogue) JS aided women just as she did to
men. Besides ministering to physical needs, JS dealt with women spiritually too. The fore
most example of this is found in John:4 (JS spoke with the Samaritan women). Three aspects
of this occasion do stand out.
 JS spoke to a woman which amazed the disables.
 She was a Samaritan.
 He taught her religious truth in conferred to the current rabbinic practice.
Js gave her His undivided attention by listening to her comment he mildly corrected her and
pointed her toward further spiritual understanding. he said that hearing and keeping the word
of God are the primary spiritual talks.
Another example would be Zebedee‘s wife (Mt 27:56) asking for the positions to her sons.
Again JS‘ mild warning turned into a spiritual lesson on humanity and self-sacrifice. JS was
consistently writing to dialogue and interact with woman. Thus, JS showed highly the
valued women by ministering to then and meeting their needs - even the need to be heard. He

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healed women, dialogued with them and showed women the same care and concern He
showed to men.
Ministry to the outcasts: (Outcast - who?)
Like Varnasrama system in India, Jews had the hierarchical set up; priests, Sadducees,
Pharisees and scribes were considered as the high class people; the poor and the Samaritan
were the outcasts. But JS takes a welcoming attitude towards these unfortunate groups. He
shows that they were to be treated equal to others.
Lk 9:51-56: JS‘ sympathy for Samarians: Samaritans expected JS to come to Samaria and to
stay. Therefore they showed resentment against JS that they were not included in his mission.
In the first stage of his mission, his concern was his own race, the Jews. He rebuked both
James and John while showing their anger towards the Samaritans. Thus Jesus manifests his
own inner concern for his unfortunate Samaritans. This has been the first act as Js‘ love for
the Samaritans. Lk 10: 25-37: The Good Samaritan an example of real neighbourly conduct:
Lk 17: 11-19: out of ten lepers, one came and thanked, the Samaritan is. Mk 7:24-30 JS and
the Syro-Phenician woman; Canaanite women by Mathew.
JS is requested for the healing other daughter possessed by the demon. Mark showing a lot of
sympathy; which Mathew who had a Jewish leadership in mind treats the woman hardly. The
saying about the children‘s bread not to be given to the dogs, has been a long-standing Jewish
proverbs, where they have intensively referred to Jews as children and gentiles as dogs. JS
destroys all such distinctions since the faith manifested by the gentiles (represented the
woman here).
Mk 11: 15-19 Jesus takes up whip in temple
‗The court of the Gentiles‘ has been turned into commercial place with the support of the
priestly authority. JS was against their oppression of the rights of the gentiles already
oppressed race and he called the temple ―a den of robbers‖ (Jer 7:8-11). The temple event
manifested Js‘ absolute support for gentiles concluded with the determination of the Jewish
authority to destroy Jesus.
6. What events in the Gospel of Mk bring out the theme of the Temple of Jerusalem as
the end of exclusivism and the beginning of Universalism?
Mark: 15:37-39 – there are three events facing place one after the other at the end of Js‘
mission.

The death of JS after three hours of agony on the cross in the culminating events of Jesus‘
life: (v 37). Js ends up his life with the land cry. the cry was not a sign of frustration; but one
of great victory which Js has achieved such as the lord cries of the demons as they fled at the
command of Js symbolizes Js‘ triumph ever evil (Mk 1:26) and the cry of the father during
baptism. Therefore the cry before his death is a sign that he had achieved what he wanted and
hence the beginning of new era in the history of the world began.

The tearing of the temple certain (v 38) following Js‘ death symbolizes that the barrier
between God and the people is now removed by the death of Jesus. The curtain is referred to
the one that separates the people from the ―holy of holies‖ where only the high priests could
enter. But now through the death of Js Xt, God passed a judgment that the people,
particularly the gentiles should now have free access the God who belongs to everyone. The

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Jewish supremacy over the temple and over God is now at an end. The Jewish exclusivism
closes and the gentle universalism opens here.

The confession or the declaration of the gentile confusion (v 39): The tearing of the curtain
and the beginning of universalism confirmed by the confession the Roman and hence a
gentile centurion. the Roman centurion has been given the task of crucifying and killing Js.
he had certainly been impressed by Jesus‘ attitude towards his death and he had been
absolutely convinced of Js‘ innocence (Lk 23:47). Hence, at the moment of Js‘ death he
spontaneously declares that Js is the son of God. Then he becomes the first to confess the
divinity of Js on the first gentile Christian. The confession of the gentile Christian forms our
‗inclusion‘.

7. How do you describe the epistolary form followed by Paul? Give a general division of
the Pauline letters according to their content?
An epistle is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually a formal
didactic letter. The epistle genre of letter-writing was common in ancient Egypt as part of the
scribal-school writing curriculum. The letters in the New Testament from Apostles to
Christians are usually referred to as epistles. Those traditionally attributed to Paul are known
as Pauline epistles and the others as Catholic/General Epistles. Among 21 letters, 13 are
attributed to St. Paul.
Opening/Greeting:
Since there were no envelopes in Paul's time, the name of the author and the person for whom
the letter was intended were included in the letter itself. Paul also identifies any co-senders in
the opening. These were usually fellow Christian missionaries. Paul greets his readers with
"grace and peace," combining both the Greek ("grace") and Hebrew ("peace") forms.
(1Cor1:1-3).
Thanksgiving/prayer: In Hellenistic-style letters, the opening was usually followed by a
prayer. Paul follows this format, usually stating the main theme of the letter. He may pray for
their well-being for the future and praise them for their growth in faith since he last visited
with them (Rom 1:8-15). Paul does not include the thanksgiving in two of his letters,
Galatians and Timothy (Gal 1:1-10).
The thanksgiving blessing was likely left out because Paul was upset with the Galatians who
had been enticed by other missionaries to include observance of Jewish law in Christian
living.
Body: The body, or main part of Paul's letters, is divided into two main sections. The first
covers the doctrinal teachings Paul wishes expressed. In the second part, Paul offers
encouragement for Christian living based on the teachings (Rom 12:1/ Gal 5).
Conclusion/Closing Session: The final words in Paul's letters usually include some personal
news about him or greetings to specific people in the community. Sometimes Paul includes a
note that the conclusion was written "in my own hand," indicating that the rest of the letter
was dictated to a scribe. He would write the conclusion in his own hand and sign his name to
assure the letter's legitimacy (1Cor 16:13-24).
General divisions According to their contents: There are four divisions which include all
the 13 letters.

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Major Letters: because of their deeper theological content and also their greater length:
Romans, 1-2 Corinthians and Galatians.
Captivity or Prison Letters: Because in these letters, Paul speaks of being in prison:
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon.
Pastoral letters: Because the persons addressed to are Pastors or Bishops, and they offer
guidance for Church administration: 1-2 Timothy and Titus.
Eschatological letters: 1-2 Thessalonians: These letters have as major theme eschatology or
the second coming of Christ, at the end of time.

8. Paul firmly states, “I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of god for
salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16).
How do you understand this statement from Paul‟s explanation as to the destructive
power of sin and the salvific power of Jesus‟ death and resurrection as indicated in Rom
1:18 – 3:31; 5:12 – 6:22?

Paul states in 1: 16 that he is not ashamed of the gospel (God‟s gracious actions toward
humanity through the cross and resurrection of Christ). This is a point worth making,
considering that to his Roman audience Christ's crucifixion would have been shameful and
degrading. Yet Paul's assertion is that this scandalous event, on the surface the antithesis of
all things divine, reveals God's righteousness.

Paul says that gospel is ―the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew
first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for
faith; as it is written, ―the one who is righteous will live by faith‘‖ (Rom. 1:16–17). For Paul,
the gospel is more than words. It is the power of God for salvation. He emphasizes that this
salvation is not for one group of people only but is intended to help anyone on earth to be
among the people of God, by faith.

v.1:18 identifies man‘s ungodliness and unrighteousness as the targets of God‘s wrath.
Ungodliness" means lack of reverence for God. Man's neglect of God and rebellion against
God are evidences of ungodliness. "Unrighteousness" or "wickedness" means injustice
toward other human beings. Paul explained ―ungodliness‖ in 1:19-27, and ―unrighteousness‖
in 1:28-32. God is right to judge everyone as we all know from our consciences and when we
condemn others. Rom 1:18-3:20 describes humanity under the wrath of God, a dire situation
from which no one, Jew or Gentile, can rescue themselves by means of their own. The
revelation of the wrath of God is clearly connected to the revelation of the righteousness of
God (1: 17 -18). v.3:25 explains why God put Jesus forth as a sacrifice of atonement: "He did
this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he has passed over the sins
previously committed." Here it seems clear that Paul is referring to God's role as judge.

A human status of righteousness is essential for salvation. Paul writes, "There is no one who
is righteous, not even one" (3:10). There is something deeply wrong with us individually, and
with the world as a whole, from which we need to be saved, and Romans tells us how God is
saving us from it.

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Even in the OT, people were justified by faith, such as Abraham and David. The covenant of
circumcision came after the promise made to Abraham, and this promise was salvation
through faith many nations. We are now put right with God through faith and have peace
with Him, because of the righteous work of the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, who dealt with
the consequences of the sinful deeds of the first Adam and us, his descendants (Chapter 5).
We should now live as we are which is dead to sin and alive to Christ, counting ourselves as
slaves to Him and not to our sinful desires any more. The end is eternal life (Chapter 6).
God‘s salvation is not a concept for analytical discourse in Romans, but a call to action (Rom.
6:22). You cannot repair your relationship with God through your good deeds; this is only
accomplished through faith in the perfect and finished work of Jesus Christ. Salvation is the
work of God that sets human beings in right relationship with God and with one another.
9. How does Paul relate the divisions that existed in the Church at Corinth (1Cor 1: 10-
17), and how does he propose the theme of unity through the Eucharist (1Cor 11:17-34),
and the human body-Church analogy (1Cor 12: 12-31)?
(1Cor 1: 10-17): After his greeting and thanksgiving, Paul begins this letter by speaking of
divisions among the Corinthians and by urging them toward unity. Church members are
lining up behind different preachers and are arguing for the priority of their favourite leader:
"What I mean is that each of you says, 'I belong to Paul,' or 'I belong to Apollos,' or 'I belong
to Cephas,' or 'I belong to Christ'" (1 Corinthians 1:12). One faction claims to be "of Christ"
rather than of any of the three apostles mentioned. ‗Christ‘ was probably being claimed by
those in the congregation who assumed an attitude of superiority and rejected all human
leadership. The way it is listed here with the other names of leaders indicates that it was being
claimed in a divisive spirit. They may have had the right name, but they did not have the right
attitude!
Work that each apostle has done (such as performing baptisms) seems to matter in the
divisions the Corinthians are drawing about themselves. Paul rejects any ranking of human
leaders or statements about affiliation with them. Instead, he urges the Corinthians to
recognize their unity on the basis of two facts: it was Christ alone who was crucified for
them, and all of them-regardless of who performed any particular baptism-were
baptized into Christ. It was through the ordinance of Christian baptism that believers
declared their personal association with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ on their
behalf. Baptism emphasized their dedication to Him. In this question Paul shows how silly it
is that he could be put on par with Christ. Even though he was the founder of their local
church and their spiritual father in the faith, it is ridiculous that they should call themselves
by his name rather than Christ's. Here Paul appeals to their identification with Christ alone in
baptism.
(1Cor 11:17-34): Reports of some getting drunk and others going away hungry at the Lord's
Supper have reached Paul. To instruct the Corinthians in the proper observance of the
sacrament, Paul recalls the institution of the Lord's Supper by Jesus, and he urges the
Corinthians to welcome one another and thus demonstrate their unity with one another in the
body of Christ.

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Paul complains again of factions within the Corinthian congregation. It seems that some
people-probably the more wealthy members who are free to begin supper before sundown-are
having plenty to eat and drink, while others-probably day labourers who arrive later-are going
away hungry. Instead of practicing the Lord's Supper as an occasion for levelling social status
distinctions and other markers of the "wisdom of the world" (1 Corinthians 1:20), the
Corinthians are reinforcing the standard social divisions by means of their religious practices.

To speak against their practice, Paul reminds them of the history of the supper and exhorts
the Corinthians to examine themselves and to discern the body lest they eat in an unworthy
manner and bring judgment on themselves. In this context, "discerning the body" probably
means paying attention to the needs of others as much as to one's own needs. "The body" is
the body of Christ, present not only in the element of bread which everyone eats, but
also in the social body of believers who gather for the meal. When Paul counsels the
Corinthians to "wait for one another" (1 Corinthians 11:33), he is offering advice for
how to remove the distinction between those with the luxury of arriving early to eat and drink
their fill and those who must arrive later and risk going away hungry.

(1Cor 12: 12-31): The Corinthians have divided themselves not only around loyalty to
certain leaders, around understandings of ethical behaviour, and around social status, but also
around spiritual gifts such as gifts for prophecy, speaking in tongues, performing miracles,
and so on. Paul uses the metaphor of one body with many members to argue that everyone,
regardless of specific giftedness, is indispensible to the whole.

Rank and status apparently matter to the Corinthians in every arena of their common life.
They compare and boast in their affiliation to leaders, in their knowledge, and in their
spiritual gifts. Paul acknowledges the variety of gifts and proclaims that one Spirit inspires all
of them. Furthermore, spiritual gifts are "for the common good" (1 Corinthians 12:7).
The guiding metaphor of the chapter is one body with many members. The unity of the
Church is as real as a body's unity, even though the body, like the Church, is made up of
different members. Paul emphasises on the unity and oneness. Many members are unified in
one body. We have all been placed into the body of Christ. Paul is so intent on driving home
this point of our oneness in the Church that he refers to Christ as the Church. This is one of
the places in Scripture where all believers collectively are called ―Christ.‖

Paul says that as members of the same body we are so closely bound together that we actually
share the same feelings. What causes joy for one member delights the whole body. When one
member suffers the entire body hurts. If we could ever come to the conviction that we are
truly family, it would change many of our attitudes about ourselves and others in the Church.

Paul makes it clear that God is the one that has gifted every Church the way He wants her
gifted. The Church is all about the sovereignty of God. We are one because of God‘s work.
Paul argues that every member of the body is necessary. There are no exceptions. Those body
parts that are deemed weaker, less honourable or less presentable are all critically important.
Paul rejected the Corinthians criteria for evaluating which gifts were most honourable. They
had chosen the most visible or audible gifts for selfish reasons. The sole purpose of the gifts

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was to build up the body of Christ; the true criterion for the greatness of any gift would be its
usefulness to the body of Christ.

10. In spite of Paul‟s boast about his mission as a minister of the new covenant (2Cor
3:1-11: 5:11-21), his ministry was overwhelmed with many trials and sufferings as he
describes in the following texts, namely 2Cor 4:7-18; 6:3-13; 11:16-33. Explain this facet
of Paul‟s life and mission in detail and the lesson we have for our own ministry today.

The section (3:1-6) is designed particularly to establish Paul‘s sufficiency as an apostle. His
main point is that he has been made as a ―minister of a new covenant‖ (3:6). This covenant is
a covenant in which the Spirit changes people, indeed, the Spirit ―makes alive‖ (v.6). The
Corinthians themselves are evidence that Paul is a minister of this new covenant, because
they have been made alive by the work of the Holy Spirit. So Paul does not need ―letters of
recommendation‖ (v 1), for the Corinthians themselves are ―incontrovertible evidence‖ of
Paul‘s sufficiency. Since the Corinthians have the characteristics of new covenant people, and
since they are an ―epistle of Christ‖ that has been ―ministered‖ by Paul, so Paul‘s ministry is
a new covenant ministry. This ministry is a ministry of sincerity (2:17), confidence (3:4),
glory (3:8-11) and great boldness of speech (3:12).13 Paul‘s sufficiency for this ministry
comes not from himself but entirely from God (3:5), so his confidence is entirely ―through
Christ‖ (3:4). Paul‘s new covenant ministry is superior to the ministry of the Old Covenant
because of the different nature of the two covenants, and because of the contrast between the
two ―audiences‖ of the two covenants (2Cor 3:7-18).

Paul argues for the superiority of his new covenant ministry on the basis of its results. His
new covenant ministry brought not death but the Spirit, as the evidence of the spiritual life of
the Corinthians testifies. The old covenant came with glory, but the Israelites were unable to
endure the glory because of their rebelliousness. The superiority of the new covenant lies in
the fact that the glory mediated by it can be experienced by the Corinthians because of the
new spiritual life that has been worked in them by the Spirit. In (vv 10-11), Paul argues that
the glory of the old covenant has been overtaken by the glory of the new. This has often been
interpreted to mean that the glory of the old covenant is fading away by being eclipsed by the
glory of the new covenant. Thus St. Paul boasts about himself regarding new covenant
ministry. At the same time we cannot deny that he has met a lot of sufferings and undergone
trials in order to with stand to hold the New Covenant ministry.

The Trials and Sufferings 2Cor 4:7-18: The fallibility, frailty, and weakness of Paul‘s life
are compared to a breakable and common jar. But within the clay pot, is a priceless treasure.
Paul‘s fragile life demonstrates to the whole world that it is God's power and not his. It is a
ministry for the sake of others and for the sake of God‘s glory. This passage deals primarily
with Paul‘s reflections on his apostolic sufferings. By his use of ―we‖ in this passage, Paul
distinguishes himself from the Corinthians whom he is addressing. This ―we‖ also possibly
includes the other apostles generally or at least Paul‘s apostolic co-workers (e.g., Timothy
and Titus). Paul defends against various criticisms. Some detractors are apparently claiming
that Paul is insincere (2:17), that he is trying to commend himself (3:1), that he is
incompetent (3:5), that he is not clear in his teaching (4:3), and that his hardships invalidate

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his claim to be God‘s approved messenger (1:3-11; 4:7-15; 6:4). After reminding the
Corinthians of the glorious God-revealing gospel that he preaches (4:6), Paul gives a
theological apologia for his suffering. The apostle explains that the reason that the gospel
(i.e., the ―treasure‖) is found in such a beat-up old pot (i.e., in Paul) is that his weakness and
suffering serve to magnify the truth and power of the message. Paul thinks suffering not only
accompanies the apostles‘ proclamation of the gospel, but is a proclamation of the gospel.
This fact is made clear by Paul‘s metaphorical descriptions of his afflictions as ―carrying in
[his own] body the death of Jesus‖ (4:10). Paul views his sufferings as picturing, in some
sense, Jesus‘ death. When the apostle suffers in his proclamation of the gospel before
potential converts, he puts on a ―Passion play‖ in his own body. Through Paul‘s experience
of ―death‖ by repeated suffering, he delivers ―the life of Jesus‖ (i.e., salvation) to his
addressees (vv. 10-12).
2Cor 6:3-11: In defense of his ministry, the apostle presented a list of hardships he had
suffered. His suffering testified to his credibility. Paul and his company did not have an easy
ministry. At every turn they faced difficulties of great proportions. Paul endured afflictions,
hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, and hunger for
Jesus (6:4-5). The response of a servant of God in such circumstances is great endurance by
purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and
the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; (2
Corinthians 6:6–7) Paul‘s great endurance is seen by maintaining these attributes during
difficulties. Then Paul describes the paradoxes of the Christian life. Being servants of God is
neither straight forward nor easy. We endure and show Christian integrity through honour
and dishonour and when we are slandered or when we are praised. Paul certainly experienced
this even from those who claimed to be Christians. Paul was treated as a false apostle (vv.8-
10).
2Cor 11:16-33: Paul points to his sincerity and suffering. Paul never forgot that he was a
follower of the suffering Servant Jesus. Paul never forgot that he must expect the same
treatment as his Master. To him suffering was the mark of Christ‘s servants. Though he felt
like a fool in thus boasting, necessity demanded that he speak the truth, and the truth was that
these false teachers were not noted for their suffering. They chose the easy path. They
avoided reproach and persecution and dishonour. v.11:31 - It is incredible how Paul truly
viewed his life as one lived out before the face of God. He carries himself with integrity
because he knows there is no fooling God. This is in stark contrast to the super-apostles who
think God cannot see their wicked hearts and deceitful words. Perhaps the difference between
Paul and his critics was this: Paul had a genuine fear of the Lord. vv.11:30-33 - Paul does not
glory in his flaws, but has an appropriate view of himself. He does not deny that he has
suffered nor does he shrink back from the unique call God had on his life, but he refuses to let
his comfort and ego get in the way of his mission. He knows that the gospel travels through
weak and brittle clay pots and that this is the way God displays his glory to the world. Paul is
not teaching the Corinthians to despise glory, but rather to learn how to spot it.

The Lesson for our life: Our utmost diligence and services appear unworthy of notice when
compared with his, and our difficulties and trials scarcely can be perceived. It may well lead
us to inquire whether or not we really are followers of Christ.

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Here we may study patience, courage, and firm trust in God. Here we may learn to think less
of ourselves; but we have to understand in all our suffering that we are suffering with Christ
and Christ also suffering with us. We need to persevere for the glory of God throughout our
life time.

11. Paul‟s letter to the Galatians brings out some of his basic characteristics like his
unflinching conviction about the Gospel (Gal 1:6-10), his vindication of being an apostle
(Gal 1:11-2:10) and his attitude in favour of the gentiles (Gal 2:11-21). Explain in detail.

Gal 1:6-10: Paul was utterly amazed that these Christians could be so quickly taken away
from the true gospel and go after a false gospel of salvation in his absence. Paul placed the
responsibility for the Galatians‘ desertion on the Galatians themselves, even though false
teachers had lured them away from the gospel. By deserting, the Galatians had turned away
from God, Who had called them to salvation in Jesus Christ. Because they had continued to
listen to false teaching, they had abandoned the true gospel. In place of the good news of
grace, they had turned to a different kind of ―gospel.‖ The false teachers may have called
their teaching the gospel, but Paul charged that it was no gospel at all. The Judaizers were
messengers of another gospel. They changed God‘s truth to please people. Therefore, they
did not serve the Lord; they served their own interests. Paul warned the Galatians not to
dilute the gospel to make it appealing to people. No one can improve the gospel, because it is
a perfect message, having originated with God. It points sinners to Christ, magnifies the grace
of God, and causes Christians to glorify their Heavenly Father.
Paul condemned each false teacher‘s heresy in the strongest terms: ―Let him be accursed‖ (v.
8). Paul preached that the message of Christ truly represented the salvation that God had
provided by His grace. Any other ―gospel‖ was false and deserved to be rejected. Paul urged
the Galatians to look beyond the persuasive personalities of the Judaizers, see the error in
their message, and reject it. Even if Paul himself or an angel from Heaven were to preach
another message, the Galatians were to reject it (vv. 8, 9).

Gal 1:11-2:10: The Judaizers questioned Paul‘s apostleship. He was not one of the original
twelve. They cast a shadow upon the validity of Paul‘s authority as an apostle. Paul would
argue that he received his Gospel via direct revelation from Christ. Paul received the gospel
and his commission from Christ and then immediately began to preach, without the approval
of others. Paul states that three years after his encounter with Christ he went to Jerusalem and
spent 15 days with Peter and James. He wants to make it clear that his gospel did not come
from any man and that there wasn‘t time for the apostles to transfer the content of the gospel
he preaches in just 15 days.
Paul tells his readers that it was ―because of a revelation‖ that he and Titus went to Jerusalem,
in order to make sure that he was not ―running in vain‖ (2:2). It is at this visit with the
apostles that Paul presented his gospel. Verse 3 is the first mention of circumcision in the
letter. This issue was the main piece of the Law that the Judaizers in Galatia were claiming
must be kept in order for one to be justified. Paul makes explicit that the gospel he presented
to the apostles did not include the need for circumcision and that the apostles ―added

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nothing‖ to his message (2:6). This is the first condemnation from Paul directed at a specific
doctrinal claim his opponents put forth.
Not only do the apostles affirm Paul‘s gospel, they affirm his calling as a missionary to the
Gentiles. Paul claims that the same God who empowered his ministry to the uncircumcised
also empowered Peter‘s to the circumcised. Furthering his point, Paul wants his readers to see
in this passage that there is one God who is working through many people to share the same
message (Gal 2:7-10).

Gal 2:11-21: The other apostles agreed that God had given Paul the specific role of spreading
the gospel to the Gentile world. So, Paul had every right to approach the question of Gentile
circumcision as he had. Paul publicly confronted Peter because he was not living in
accordance with the gospel. He was a hypocrite because he isolated himself from the Gentiles
in table fellowship. He did so in order to placate the Jewish sect, because he used to eat and
fellowship freely with Gentiles when the Jews were not around, but then they were around he
left the Gentiles. Peter‘s actions resulted from fear of the circumcision party [2:12]). Peter
acted in a manner inconsistent with his beliefs based on fear. Paul‘s point in these verses is
that justification is by faith alone and that even Jewish believers in Christ are not under the
Law anymore because of what Christ has done. ―It is preposterous…for those who by faith
have received the Spirit to go back to reliance on keeping the law.‖ The above said issues
proved that St Paul‘s attitude in favour of the gentiles.

12. The letter to the Hebrews forcefully brings out the theme of Jesus as the high priest
of the New Covenant. What was the need for the author to stress on such a unique
proposal? How does the letter give a distinct status to the priesthood of Jesus Christ
setting completely apart from the Levitical priesthood, and making it analogues to the
priesthood of Melchisedech?

There was a two-fold problem among the Hebrew Christians which called forth the
Epistle to insist on the priesthood of Jesus,
(1) The Danger of Returning to Judaism: Since the Christians had come to a saving
knowledge of Christ by faith in His atoning work, it seemed that the heretical
Judaizers has been trying hard to persuade them to return to the old ways of observing
the precepts of the Law.. .2:1-3; 3:6, 12-14; 4:1, 2; 6:4-6; 10:26-31..... 13.
(2) The Decline In Their Spiritual Progress: Because they had been uncertain about
their relationship to Christ, it seemed that the Hebrew Christians had not only failed to
grow in grace, they had actually lost ground in their spiritual progress: 5:11—14
Therefore, the writer of Hebrews had a double purpose in view in the writing of the
book:
He wrote to explain to them that Christ was the only source of acceptance with
God.
He wrote to Exhort them to appropriate all they had in Christ, and thus to become
mature and stable Christians. 5:11-6:20.
Jesus‘ position as High Priest is emphasized in the letter to the Hebrews because its
recipients, first-century Jewish Christians, were in danger of turning back to Judaism

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and the Levitical priesthood of the temple, which had now been superseded. It was
necessary to show them that Jesus is the one person in all history worthy to perform this
role, making redundant any need for an earthly priesthood. This was demonstrated by
the action of Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest who condemned Jesus: upon Jesus‘
acknowledgement that he was the Messiah, the Son of God, Caiaphas tore his clothes
(Mk. 14:63), an action forbidden under the Law (Lev. 21:10), and thus symbolically
brought the Levitical priesthood to an end. The author argues that for them to return to
the old ways would be a turning from the reality which is Christ - to the shadow of the
reality - which is the Law.
Distinct status of the priesthood of Jesus Christ from the Levitical priesthood:
The Bible teaches that there is a great gulf between the God of heaven, the Almighty Creator,
and fallen mankind, the result of man‘s rebellion and sin. Thus men have long recognized the
need for a go-between, a mediator who could intercede with God on their behalf. God
answered that need in the appointment of priests. The Levitical system of priesthood is thus
seen to have been a temporary one, foreshadowing the true means by which God would
choose to offer men complete and lasting forgiveness, through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus
Christ. He would be both perfect sacrifice and immortal priest. Jesus made both possible,
though fully sharing the nature of mortal man; he was totally submissive to his Father‘s will:
―though he was a Son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. And having
been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him‖ (5:8, 9).

Hebrews contrasts the annual offering of animal blood by the Jewish High Priest in the inner
room of the temple with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the High Priest according to the order of
Melchizedek. Christ‘s sacrifice is presented as more perfect in every respect. He did not just
enter the most holy place of the temple made by human hands but entered into heaven, into
the presence of God on our behalf, taking his seat at the right hand of the throne of the
Majesty. He did not enter with the blood of goats and calves but in obedience presented his
own blood. He did not enter twice but only once since he himself is without blemish and sin.
His offering is once and forever, without any need to be repeated from year to year. He
gained direct access to God not only for himself, while the people remained outside like in
Israel‘s temple worship, but gained access to God for the people as well. As mediator
between the people and God he succeeded in attaining fully the goal that could never be
completed in the annual temple offerings.
Analogues to the priesthood of Melchisedech: The priesthood of Jesus is of a superior
order, established by God and confirmed by oath in a remarkable psalm of David: ―The
LORD said to my Lord, ‗Sit at My right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool‘ . . .
The LORD has sworn and will not relent, ‗You are a priest forever according to the order of
Melchizedek‘‖ (110:1,4). This Melchizedek was a king and also priest in Salem (Jerusalem),
long before the time of Aaron‘s priesthood. He encountered Abraham and pronounced a
blessing upon him: ―Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was
the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: ‗Blessed be Abram of God Most
High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your
enemies into your hand‘‖ (Gen. 14:18-20). This ‗order‘ thus combines the roles of king and

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priest; Jesus has been divinely appointed High Priest, superior even to Melchizedek (Heb.
3:1), and future ruler of God‘s Kingdom on the earth, from David‘s throne in Jerusalem (Lk.
1:31-33). He has been granted immortality and exalted to heaven itself, and now exercises an
eternal priesthood, in the very presence of God: ―For Christ has not entered the holy places
made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the
presence of God for us‖ (Heb. 9:24).

13. The letter to the Hebrew quotes psalm 40:6-8 and appropriates it to Jesus Christ
himself: “Sacrifice & offering you have not desired. But a body you have prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, „see God, I
have come to do your will, o god.” How do you really see the priesthood of Jesus as
referred to in this psalm? And how does it affect our own priesthood today?

In seeking to show the perfection of the great high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, and His
atoning work, the author directly quoted from Psalm 40 to show that Jesus did in fact have a
body prepared for him to do His Father‘s will. Not only he did the will of God but he
delighted in fulfilling it. Quoting from Psalm 40 is entirely appropriate and it fits within the
hermeneutical purview of the original context of Psalm 40. One cannot forget that Psalm 40:3
speaks of God putting a ‗new song‘ in David‘s mouth. God‘s people sing ‗new songs‘ at the
dawn of new eras of revelation and divine grace. This is most fully manifested in glory when
saints sing a ‗new song‘ (Rev 5:9-10). When the Lord Jesus clothes Himself with a body that
has been prepared for Him (cf. Phil 2:5-12), undoubtedly a new era of special revelation and
divine grace has dawned. The greatest wonder that God has ever done is clothing Himself in
human flesh, taking a human body, and offering Himself as a perfect, atoning sacrifice for
guilty sinners (cf. Ps 40:5).

When the Lord Jesus walked on earth, he repeatedly uttered his mission was to fulfill the will
of God (John 6:40, 57; Luke 22:42). David delighted in doing the Father‘s will and how
much more did David‘s greater son delight in doing His Father‘s will (Ps 40:8). Furthermore,
David received duties as to how to live for it was written in the scroll of the book as to how
the King should conduct Himself and read the Law (Deu. 17) but how much more is the
entire Mosaic Law and the OT written to point to Jesus Christ.

CONSIDERATIONS: 1. The Humility of Jesus Christ. Jesus had a body prepared for
Him so that He could in fact live a real life of a man. He knew the limitations, the struggles,
the heartaches, and the life-situations of a real man because he was just that a real human
person.

2. The Obedience of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to do the Father‘s will and he came to obey
what the Father had commissioned Him to do. He obeyed the Law perfectly. He had fulfilled
where humans fail. He succeeded where sinners are guilty.

3. The God-Centeredness of Jesus Christ. He came not to serve His own purposes but to
accomplish the will of the Father. He worshiped God with His life. He offered Himself
entirely to the Father. He did not perform mere outward rituals. Nor did Jesus bring about a
religious revolution for a time. Rather, he knew what was written concerning Him in the

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Word and he delighted to do the Father‘s will and that passionate zeal for following God
drove Him through life.

4. The Atonement of Jesus Christ. Jesus fulfilled the verses of Psalm 40 when he had
abolished the entire Mosaic sacrificial system by his once and for all substitutionary death.
His atonement sanctifies sinners once and for all who come to Him by faith. He is not like
another priest who daily stands ministering and offering animal sacrifices. Rather, Jesus
perfected for all time those who are sanctified by one offering. And when there is a full
atonement, a complete cleansing, a real forgiveness granted to guilty sinners, there no longer
remains any offering needed for sin.

Priesthood Today: we the priests should use our body for the service of God; for the glory
of God and we should offer everyday holy Eucharist with proper preparation and with
holiness. We should be humble enough, obedient enough to do God‘s work. Our service
should be based on our prayer life by which we always have closer relationship with God.

14. Can you discuss the authorship and the occasion of the book of revelation, as well as
its main content as expressed symbolically in Ch12 and point out some of the spiritual
insights found in this book? And also compare and contrast with the first century
Christians with the area of faith and witness?

Authorship

The author of the Book of Revelation calls himself John four times (1:1, 4, 9; 22; 8) and
presents himself as part of a group persecuted for its faith (1:9), and at Patmos, a Roman
penal colony. But we have no indication whatsoever that this is John the Apostle. He seems
to have known Aramaic and Hebrew better than Greek and his writing is rough and full of
semitisms. In the early centuries of Christianity there was an almost unanimous agreement
among the Fathers of the Church that the author of Revelation is John the evangelist, the
writer of the fourth Gospel and the three Epistles. Justin Martyr (c.100-165)39, Melito the
bishop of Sardis (died c.180), Theophilus of Antioch (died c.183) strongly upheld the
apostolic authorship of the book. Thus there is a remarkable convergence of patristic witness
to the apostolic authorship of Revelation. A powerful internal argument in favour apostolic
authorship is the pastoral authority with which the author addresses the Churches. The author
definitely is a man of considerable authority who can expect the Churches to receive what he
has written as a revelation from God. John addresses each of the seven Churches of Asia
Minor as if he were their bishop. ―A highly powerful argument confirming the apostolic
authorship of the Apocalypse is the pastoral authority with which it is introduced and
concluded. Surely, only an apostle would express such authority to the Seven Churches of
Asia.‖

It was also argued that there were two Ephesian Johns who could easily be mixed up or that
John of Ephesus was the Elder (Presbyter) who was later mistaken for John the Apostle.
Hence names such as John the Elder (Presbyter), John the Prophet and John Mark were
proposed as authors of Revelation. Some have argued that John was simply an intentional
pseudonym. Others have suggested a Johannine school or an ‗unidentified John‘ as

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responsible for the book. There are some scholars who argue that the entire book originated
from the circle of John the Baptist and reflect his ideas. Barker holds that since the book was
written over many years, there was no one author, and that the name ‗John‘ refers to his
status as the chief of the prophets and authorised interpreter of the tradition and compiler of
the final form of the book.

Occasion of the book of Revelation:

Participation in the cult religions of the city/empire was expected. To not worship the
emperor was like wishing ill-will on the empire and the livelihood of those living in the
city/empire. One was expected to have faith in the empire. Monotheism of Christianity
prevented Christians from participating in many aspects of the city life/culture they lived in.
Monotheism was considered as unpatriotic and unpopular. Misunderstanding of Christians
emerged. Some Romans thought Christians were strange and antisocial, even dangerous
Christians accused of atheism for their refusal to worship other gods. People feared
punishment of the city/community by the gods due to Christian‘s lack of worship. Christians
were also accused of Cannibalism – Lord‘s Supper and Incest – marrying ―brother‖ and
―sister.‖ Because of above aid reasons, a group of Christians are undergoing extreme, local
or empire-wide persecutions and are afraid for their lives. Thus, there is the possibility of
some giving up their faith out of self-preservation. John is calling on them to remain faithful
in light of the big picture:

 Good will triumph over evil.

 God is the real supreme ruler.
 Don‘t give up the fight – let‘s be a fly on the wall in the throne room of God
for a moment.
 Don‘t give in to live like the world around you.

Application of chapter 12: Victory Hymn (12:10-12):

 Victory came through Christ and the martyr‘s testimony.

 This gives hope to those left on the earth – speaking for Christ, in a sense,
disarms the powers of darkness in the world and defeats them.
 Satan‘s time is short (12:12) – hopeful for us but makes him more desperate to
inflict as much damage to the world as possible in the short time he has left.
 This is the story of the cross, told in terms of angelic battle

Dragon vs. Woman (12:13-17).

 While the victory was won on the cross, there is still a struggle on the earth.
 This is where we find ourselves in this story – victory won, but still fighting against
evil.

Looking back to Genesis (Gen 3:15 vs. Rev 12:17)

 Offspring is literally ―seed.‖

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 This is the playing out of the prophesy given way back in Genesis What of Satan‘s
role?

Application:

 Our testimony for Christ matters – his defeat comes at the testimony of God‘s people
as well as the blood of Christ.
 Evil is only temporary – none of this will last forever.

Comparison and contrasts between the early Christians and the modern Christians

The first century Christians Modern Christians

The first Christians saw themselves We shouldn‘t read the church as

as brothers and sisters and mothers family metaphor through the lens of
and fathers to everyone who was part our modern-day Western family
of the Christian community. In the values, where our high-maintenance
first century, the family unit extended grandparents are shuffled off to
far beyond the nuclear family and retirement homes and annoying
was held together by an siblings are treated as outcasts.
unconditional bond of commitment
and service. You didn‘t have to like
your relatives, but you were expected
to love them.

The New Testament talks a lot about Many Churches today spend most of
giving money, but rarely - if ever - their revenue on salaries, building
talks about giving toward salaries, mortgages and other material
and it never mentions giving money supplements to ministry. Look at any
toward a building. When the New Church budget and you‘ll probably
Testament talks about giving, it refers find 1 or 2 percent of church funds
to redistributing money to the poor— allocated to benevolence—helping
usually, poor believers outside church poor people in need. Maybe another 5
walls (Rom 15:22-29; 1Cor 16:1-4; percent, or 10 percent at best, is given
2Cor 8-9). When Paul declares ―God to needs outside the Church that on
loves a cheerful giver‖ (2 Corinthians some level help the poor.
9:7) for instance, it was in the context
of Gentile churches giving money to
poor Jewish believers living in
Jerusalem. In fact, Paul spilled more
ink talking about giving to poor
people than he did on the doctrine of
justification by faith.

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Early Christians eagerly soaked up Christians today exhibit an

the word of God like a sponge. The unprecedented biblical illiteracy
New Testament letters, for instance, despite owning dozens of Bibles.
not only contain direct quotations According to one statistic, 60 percent
from the Old Testament but also of confessing born-again Christians
many subtle allusions (brief phrases) can‘t name five of the 10
15. that were expected to be understood commandments, 81 percent don‘t Who
is a by the reader. The early church took believe (or aren‘t aware of) the basic
seriously Jesus‘s statement that tenets of the Christian faith, and 12
people can‘t live on bread alone, but percent think that Joan of Arc was
on every word that comes from the Noah‘s wife.
Lord‘s mouth (Matthew 4:4). This is
why Christian leaders in the first
centuries of the faith mandated a
rigorous, communal study of the
Bible for everyone who became a
believer. Every new convert to
Christianity spent their first three
years of the faith studying through
the entire Bible so that it seeped
down into their bones.

The first Christians actually lived as if the same God who breathed stars into
existence also breathed out His Word for us to cherish, memorize, and read
ten thousand times over. They would have been mystified by our modern
ability to own, read and yet neglect the priceless written word.

prophet? Why do we call major and minor prophets? What is the chronology of the
prophets? Who is the true and who is the false prophet? Can prophets in Israel have
command over other nations why? Did propjets utter only words or also action in
transmitting God‟s message to the people?

Who is a prophet?

Prophet is the one who is called by the Lord and inspired to speak on his behalf. He is God‘s
Mouth-piece. They were to faithfully proclaim God‘s word and be provocative signs
reflecting the divine will even through their personal life. He is authorized to begin his
prophetic message with ―The Lord Says…‖

Why do we call major and minor prophets?

The distinction between ‗major‘ and minor‘ prophets are based purely on the length of their
works and not on the superiority of the one over another in the prophetic office.
Chronologically, Amos is the earliest prophet (750 BC) and Zechariah is the last (350 BC).
There are three Major Prophets and twelve Minor Prophets.

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What is the chronology of the prophets?

Chronologically, Amos is the earliest prophet (750 BC) and Zechariah is the last (350 BC).
The period of the prophetic career of ‗The Twelve‖ the compiling of their oracles, and the
final editing of the books attributed to them, range from the eight to the 5th century BC,
roughly a timescale of three hundred years. Amos, who loved in the northern kingdom about
750 BC would be the earliest and first prophet. After him, a little later also in the north, came
Hosea. Micah was a contemporary of the Israel in the southern kingdom about 735. A
century later about 630, Zepahaniah appeared about the same time as Jermiah. Nahum
andHabakkik both did their ministry before 600. The work of Haggai and Zechariah
coincided with the rebuilding of Jerusalem and founding the second temple (520 BC).
Malachi and Obadiah date from the period 450-500, and Joel about 350. A little later the
Book of Jonah was composed.

Who is the true and who is the false prophet?

The Old Testament highlights the constant conflict between false prophets and the prophets
of the Lord. Distinguishing between them in the past was difficult. The Israelites asked the
Lord, "How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?" (Deut. 18:21). The
Lord gave His people some guidance. Fulfilled Prophecies, Correct Theology, Ethical Test.
Israel could not always discern the difference between a true and false prophet. False
prophets who had no concern for relating the true Word of God. They merely said what
the king wanted to hear and collected their salary from the royal treasury.

Another difference between true prophets and false prophets in the Bible is motivation. True
prophets are motivated by loyalty to God above all else, whereas false prophets are
motivated by self-interest and a desire to be popular among the people (1 Kings 22:13–
14).

S.no True Prophets False Prophets

1 Usually is reluctant to speak for God Eagerly takes on the job of speaking for
God
2 listens to the authentic voice of God within listens to his or her own opinions and
him or her and then communicates God‘s wishes,
message communicating those as God‘s thoughts
.
3 Tells people the truth, even if it hurts Says what people want to hear

4 He is a realist He is an optimist

5 Conveys a message that is consistent with Conveys a message that is consistent with
the faith of Israel, the Sinai Covenant most people‘s inclinations

6 He is unpopular, holds no official position, He his popular, often holds an official

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and suffers for telling the truth position,

and leads a comfortable lifestyle

7 Offers people hope and a means of Offers people no way to make sense of
surviving suffering and devastation suffering
and loss

8 Lives the message preached . Talks a lot without taking action

9 Has a message that stands the test of time Has a message that does not hold up over
time—is not confirmed by historical
developments

Can prophets in Israel have command over other nations why?

A common assumption for Christians is "that the Holy Spirit was present and active in OT
times only in a transient, non-universal, indirect, and ultimately unsatisfying way." But the
OT associates the activity of God's Spirit with God's work in the world universally and
with the people of God from the very beginning of creation. Therefore the prophets of
Israel can have command over the other nations. Then time came for God to remind his
people again of their mission. God did it through the prophets. In the utterances of the
prophets we again see the people of Israel in the hand of God as a vessel of blessing for
the whole world. Their mission was definitely and clearly to go beyond their national lines
and aim at bringing all nations to a true knowledge of God. The teaching of the prophets
tells us at least three things that have to do with missions: first, the universality of God's
claim; second, the universality of God's plan of salvation; third, the universality of the
Messianic kingdom.

Nations will be partakers of God's forgiveness of sin. The grace of purification will be
granted to the Gentiles as much as to the people of Israel (Is. 25:7-8). Zech. 8:13 - Zechariah
pointed out the failure of Israel: They were a curse. How miserably they failed in their
mission! But God did not give them up; he was going to save them and help them carry out
their mission - to be a blessing to the whole world. The concept of the Messianic kingdom is
essential and central in the Old Testament prophecies. Again, the scope of this kingdom far
transcends the boundaries of Israel. The Servant of God was entrusted with the mission of
bringing the nations to know God and enjoy his blessings. The prophet Isaiah also
emphatically pointed out that the sufferings of this Servant-King "sprinkle many nations,"
which means that the efficacy of his sacrifice reaches the whole world. The Messiah is King-
Servant-Prophet. His role as prophet is by no means the slightest of his offices (Isaiah 52:13-
Therefore prophets in Israel have command over other nations.
Did propjets utter only words or also action in transmitting God‟s message to the
people?

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The prophet was also involving in actions in order to transmit the message of God. Prophetic
symbolic actions include a ritualistic gesture, a movement, a posture, or a dramatized
act. For example,

- Joshua stretched a spear toward the city of Ai (Joshua 8:18–19)

- Ahijah tore a new garment into twelve pieces (1Kings 11:29–31)
- Jeremiah placed stones in a brick kiln (Jeremiah 43:8–13)
- Ezekiel ate a scroll (see Ezekiel 2:8–3:6).
The dramatized action represents something other than what is visible to onlookers or
participants. For example, the Lord instructed Ezekiel to perform a certain action, which in
turn became a nonverbal prophecy. On one occasion, God told Ezekiel to shave his beard and
to cut the hair of his head with a razor and a knife and divide the cut hair into three parts.
Next God commanded, ―Thou shall burn with fire a third part [of the hair] in . . . the city . . .
and thou shall take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shall
scatter in the wind‖ (Ezekiel 5:2). The Lord interpreted these strange acts by drawing direct
parallels between the three portions of Ezekiel‘s cut hair and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ―A
third part of [the inhabitants of Jerusalem] shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall
they be consumed in the midst of thee; and a third part shall fall by the sword round about
thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds‖ (Ezekiel 5:12). Ezekiel‘s symbolic
prophetic actions were fulfilled when the Jews were scattered or destroyed—some were
consumed by famine, others by the sword, and still others were scattered upon the face of the
earth.
16. What are the principal themes in the book of Amos and Micah? Explain with
proper references?

Amos, who lived in the 18 century BC, is the first of the classical prophets the first whose
oracles have come down to us in written form. He began his ministry in the Northern
Kingdom in the US under Assyrian rule before the destruction of Samaria (722 BC). Indeed it
was a period of social and religious corruption. Although it was a period of material
prosperity for both Jude and Israel the poor suffered grass injustice at the hands of the rich.

Amos principal Themes

1. Judgment : Amos speaks of Israel‘s fate destruction ascertain inescapable and total
because do Yahweh had acknowledged Israel Asus Covenant people the particular Li the
leadership king freeze and the upper classes had sperm this las in this Amos message is the
least hopeful compared to the rest of the classical prophets.

2. Social Justice: God's Covenant had related the people not only to God but necessarily also
tea each other. innermost time the wealth Eva mall treating the impoverished under profit
voices Airways anger against the Heartless oppressors condemns the religious practices as
shame aantrik faulstich as an attempt to brave the Lord rituals sacrifices worship of any kind
everything is meaningless unless it finds expression in the righteous social order therefore is
Prophet work is dominated by a single team God's demand for absolute and uncompromising
Justice in social relationships. 5:24 "Let justice roll down like water and righteousness like

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an ever flowing stream" Amos passionate concern for the oppressed people as earn for in the
title of Prophet of Social Justice.

3. The Cult: beginning with the scene of Jarobobam I who set up the idols adorned and
Vitthal Israel slipped more and more into cross idle tree and frozen disobedience to the
Covenant is strong Kandam netri language against the Sanctuary or Patel the royal house and
the people infuriated Israel light officialdom Hamar Saiya priest of the royal strain of brittle
other things biggest even ordered a most to go back home today 7 10 13

4. The word: Israel refuse to listen to the prophets reproach them for their disloyalty
attempting even to silence them to 2:12 and 7:12-13 the profit side rejection of himself
therefore choose to lose the dieting word of yahweh 8: 1,12

Prophet Micah

He was the last of the four prophets of 18th century BC contemporary with Amos amavasya
in the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Isa in Jerusalem

Mica is Prophet ministry during the reign of bottom of Judah 742, 7 :35 Judah had become
infected with the same sins that visit Israel please profits and judges accepted drives Norton's
Cheetah can I cut was practiced along with yahwistic

His Themes

1. Sin calls for Punishment: some juice even the king lived in a sense of false security that
as they were product by God they were in vulnerable to disaster just awesome Mariya met
with destruction because of the scenes of Northern Kingdom Juda was in the same danger for
its own sense Michael preaching is concerned not with political are called matters but with
sin and the consequent punishment where the Syrian king is only and unconscious instrument
of God's wrath

2. Social Justice : his message is essentially the same as that of Amos Gods the man for
justice in social relations hi prophesied that the injustice and exploitation of the poor Mica Tu
Do anti-corruption of Civil and religious leaders 3 that were rampant in both the kingdoms
inevitable bring Jerusalem and samarya both capitals to destruction

3. Hope For the Future : however a message of hope is inserted in the middle of the book in
chapters 4 and 5 envisage Jerusalem of the future as the spiritual centre of world peace strong
David messianism minutes from Micah 5: 14 that speaks software Ramanand who will be at
the origin of you Israel and of your future ruler who will arise from a humble town of
Bethlehem who will restore Judah reunite the country Mathews infancy narrative points to
Jesus birth in Bethlehem as the fulfilment of this prophecy Matthew 2, 6

17. Why does Hosea use a metaphor for marriage in his book? What is the significance
of the names given to Hosea‟s three children?
The marriage metaphor is more than anything else closely allied to the phenomenon of
covenant. God is spirit and any attempt to classify God as either male or female is to deny the

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essential image of God as the union of male and female (Jewett, 1975). To focus on the
theological themes of the book of Hosea is more enriching than reading into the text what is
immaterial. There is deep significance in the marriage metaphor itself but there is not
tremendous significance in the gender roles of Hosea and Gomer. First, the emotional
realities seen in Hosea's words are not gender specific. The feelings that Hosea expresses are
common to all people, male or female. The experience of being betrayed, abandoned, and
hurt by the person one trusts and loves most is an experience that is common to all humanity.
It is also important to note that later in the book, the metaphor deviates from that of husband
and wife to metaphors that are not gender specific. One significant and powerful metaphor is
that of caretaker and child. In Hosea 11:1-3, the Lord says: ―When Israel was a child, I loved
him, and out of Egypt I called my son.... It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by
the arms....‖

It is obvious that this metaphor continues the themes present in the marriage metaphor, with
God in the place of the male or female parent and Israel as the young child. As this metaphor
continues the themes present in the marriage metaphor without specific gender assignments,
it affirms the idea that the gender assignments in the marriage metaphor are immaterial.

Second, with regard to the issue of power, it is crucial to observe that in the marriage
metaphor, God is portrayed, not as Israel‘s master or king, but as Israel‘s spouse. The
language of chapter 2 is not the language of a powerful leader who has been deserted by a
follower. These are not the words of a dominating ruler who desires to make an example of
an errant subject. Rather, the language is that of someone who is deeply in love and is
betrayed by his partner, his soul mate, the one person in the entire world who is never
supposed to leave him. Hosea‘s words of anger strike in us a psychologically true chord. It is
not often that our deepest wounds are expressed as anger. When we invest our hearts and
souls in another person and that person betrays our trust, passionate anger that masks deep
pain is the natural reaction. Thus the metaphor in the book of Hosea remains that God loves
the people of Israel with a deep and passionate love, comparable in nature to the deep and
passionate love between a man and a woman in marital relationship. Israel's unfaithfulness
breaks the heart of the living God, just as marital unfaithfulness breaks the heart of one's
spouse. As the people of Israel know the deep pain of love betrayed from their own intimate
relationships, so they can know the depth of Yahweh's pain at their idolatry. Thus a profound
reality is revealed through the fact that God chose the marriage relationship to illustrate his
passionate love for us.

What is the significance of the names given to Hosea‟s three children?

The names of Hosea's children, in particular, demonstrated God's judgment against sin.

The Lord said to him, "Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house
of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel"
(Hosea 1:4). The first reason is that it sounds similar to Israel in pronunciation yiz-RAH-eel
and YIZ-rah-eel. The other reason is that there was a valley in Israel called the valley of
Jezreel. This valley is associated with many bloody events.

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- The second child, the daughter, whom Gomer bore to Hosea, was called "Lo-
Ruhamah." We read about her in Hosea 1:6: Gomar conceived again and bore a
daughter. And the Lord said to him, "Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more
have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all" (Hosea 1:6).
- She conceived and bore a son. And the Lord said, "Call his name Not My People, for
you are not my people, and I am not your God" (Hosea 1:8-9).
The Hebrew name "Lo-Ammi" means "not my people." This was the highest level
and the hardest of the Lord's judgments.

18. Explain the messianic oracles found in minor and major prophets with biblical
references?

1.Immanuel prophecy (Is. 7:14): this deals with salvation which the house of David will
experience the word in the Hebrew Bible literally means the marriageable girl made an young
woman the Greek Bible translated as virgin Christians consider this action by hellenistic
translate is more than two centuries before the birth of Jesus as an act of divine inspiration as
it was meant as a professor to be full filled the birth of Jesus.

2. Prince of peace (Is. 9:1-7): This Prophecy is done on cement of the birth of Royal child in
Jerusalem and it was sign that that would be soon come at time of Liberation for the people
Christians see this as a Prophecy about the birth of Jesus will liberate all those who live in
darkness the Oracle is used in the celebration of Christmas by highlighting how this Prophecy
is fulfilled in Jesus who became incarnate as the prince of peace and war liberated those who
are living in darkness.

3. Messianic king Is. 11:1-9: The last four verses of the paradise restored every word
Paradise has become synonym for heaven on earth The Prophecy expects the message to
restore search heaven on all types there can be no trust no garage no hatred no Vengeance no
shading of blood is all feelings of enmity will disappear from the minds of all living beings
human beings as well as animals then the wolf will live with the lamp the Panther will lie
down with the kid. the mission that Jesus came to accomplish was nothing other than this re-
establishment of the paradise situation where all living beings can live together in perfect
harmony and peace mark in is Gospel seize the beginning of the fulfillment of this Prophecy
in C E presence Jesus with Y 20 in the desert for 40 days as he was preparing himself for his
public mission .

4. Messianic prophecies of Jeremiah 23: 5-6. 33:14-16: The first professional Germany is
regarding a future right chest branch of David thus again Oracle in Chapter 33 14 16
expresses hope for a righteous branch from David after the Babylonian exile this Jeremiah
Prophecy was taken as referring to the message was expected to come in future.

5. Messianic prophecies of Ezekiel 34: 23-24. 37: 24-28: Ezekiel envisions a future ruler
would not be a king but a prince gets servant would always be faithful and obedient to his
master.

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6. Messianic prophecies in the minor prophets How 11: 1. Mic 5:2. Zec9:9-10: Messiah
reliving the exodus experience Hos 1:1

Matthew 2:15 cites Hos 11:1, to say that was your work well prophetic announcing the
event of Jesus reliving the old Exodus event of the and sisters of Israel in participation for the
final Liberation of human crime from the slavery of sin and Saturn evangelist narrates how
the Holy Family flirt Egypt escape The bid on Jesus life by King Herod.

Ruler from Bethlehem Mic 5:1-4

Jesus birth in Bethlehem was Prophet announced by Mica
Solomon entry of the missianic king into Jerusalem Zechariah 9:9-10
It seems the Jesus considered The Prophecy of zakariya was about himself and hence we
fulfill The Prophecy just zakariya had predicted the glorious entry of Jesus exhibiting all the
marks of humility and simplicity insert of royalty and pump convinced the early Christians
that Jesus was Hindi the message prophesied by zakariya.

19. Explain the theology of the Day of the Lord and its present understanding?

The theology of the Day of the Lord:

The Day of the Lord is an important theological theme in many of our biblical texts. It is
found in numerous places within both the Old and New testaments. In the New Testament it
is mostly used in conjunction to a final day of divine and apocalyptic judgment believed to
take place at the end of the world ( Matthew 24:29-31; 1 Thes. 5:2; 2 Corinthians 1:14; Acts
2:17-21; Rev. 6:12-17).On one hand it denotes God pouring out his divine wrath on his
enemies (Joel 2:1-2; Zech. 1:14-15). Amos, provides us with an early example of this
theology in which he describes the catastrophic events that will occur on this day, ―Woe to
you who long for the day of the Lord… Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light –
pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?‖ (5:18-20).

The Day of the Lord is also characterized by God‘s pouring out of blessings on his people
(Hos. 2:18-23; Mic. 4:6-8; Joel 3:9-21; Zech. 14:6-9; Zeph 2:7).

The Day of the Lord is not only directed at specific nations or collections of people but also
at evil in general, it is about ―bringing judgment to evil wherever it may be found in fallen
creation,‖ and thus emphasizes the sovereignty of God and his judgement over nations and
people.

Isaiah &the Day of the Lord Theology: The prophet goes to some lengths to describe the
Day of the Lord (2:6-22). The prophet declares, ―For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be
upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be
brought low‖ (2:12).

According to the prophet, God‘s outrage is at the sins of Judah. Through an employment of a
harsh tone and hyperbolic language, the prophet describes Judah as being a nation full of
objects of wealth and strength (a land full of ―silver and gold‖ and ―horses‖ and ―chariots‖)
that have been turned into idols of worship. Judah has thus become a nation full of things that

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have made them sinful in the eyes of their God. These include their idolatrous behaviours in
their worshipping of deities fashioned by their hands (v. 8) as well as their importation of
sinful ―pagan customs‖ and practices of ―divination‖ from the East (v. 6-9).

Moreover, a major theme in our pericope is that of God‘s condemnation of human pride and
its accompanying arrogance.

How this theology is pertinent to believers today. Why?

Because just as it was with Isaiah and the pre-exilic community of whom he addressed, 21st
century Christ followers are facing their own challenges. Most western believers are not
threatened by impending doom on behalf of foreign empires but many of them exist in the
face of intense struggle. Christian believers the world over exist in societies in which man
made idols, not necessarily of gold and silver (although it is often the case), are driving
motivators in the lives of the people they love and those they interact with in their homes,
schools, and places of work. These idols are always temptations in the life of the believer too.
Moreover, although Assyria and Babylon are out of the picture, many believers are facing
fear brought on an unknowable and unpredictable future. Certain nations threaten any notion
of global coexistence, secular and alternative spirituality ideologies snatch away our children
in our backyards, and other religions, like Islam, are soon predicted to dominate the religious
domain in terms of sheer numbers alone. Thus, what the underlying premise of the Day of the
Lord theology provides is hope that even in the face of all these challenges God will come
through for his people for a last time in human history. The general premise behind the Day
of the Lord theology supports a message of hope for the Christian believer today.

20. Who is a „Servant‟ Spoken in the second Isaiah? Explain the meaning of four
servant songs in relation to Jesus‟ leadership?

In the book of Isaiah, however, the figure of the Servant is a complex one. There are four
passages in Isaiah that highlight this fifth major figure, which is mysteriously known simply
as the Suffering Servant. These texts are found in Isaiah 42:1–9; 49:1–6; 50:2–9; and 52:13—
53:12.

A. Israel is called God‘s servant in Isaiah 41:8-9; 43:10; 44:1-2; and 48:20.
B. Cyrus is referred to as servant in Isaiah 44:26;
C. Isaiah, the prophet himself is called servant (Isaiah 49:1-3; 50:10);
D. A perfect servant whom God will one day send – a future Messiah (Isaiah 9:1-6; 11:1-9).

First, the Suffering Servant is sent on a mission from God. Second, the mission involves
suffering on behalf of another. Third, although the Servant will suffer and be rejected, he
will, in the end, be exalted and vindicated. Finally, his suffering will bring justice, salvation,
and blessing to all nations. Sometimes it appears to have a more collective character than an
individual one.

One theory says that he is a particular individual – a king of the house of Judah, or the
prophet himself, or a future messiah who will redeem Israel. The second theory is that

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the servant is a collectivity, that is, he stands for Israel, or for some group within Israel.
The third theory argues that the servant is meant to be depicted ambiguously – that is,
in a way that allows him to be interpreted in both of the ways mentioned previously – as
an individual person of significance but someone who can symbolize all Israel. These
songs reveal something of the character of God‘s servant, rather than providing a clear and
precise identity of the servant who is to advance the mission of God to bring forth justice to
the nations. Here, the servant is portrayed as someone publicly appointed by God who enjoys
God‘s favour, and is infused with the Spirit of God.]

Explain the meaning of four servant songs in relation to Jesus‟ leadership?

Four passages in Isaiah are often identified as "the Servant Songs" because they focus
on the call and work of "the Lord's servant" (or ―God's servant‖)These songs (or poems)
describe the servant as the one God chose to "bring justice to the nations" (42:1) and "to lead
back the people of Israel" to God (49:5). But the servant will also be "a light" so that other
nations will recognize God's "saving power" (49:6). The servant in Isaiah suffers physical
pain and humiliation (50:6; 52:14; 53:3-5,7) in the work the Lord called him to do. The
last of these songs, however, recognizes that the suffering of the servant will help accomplish
the work he was called to do. In other words, his own suffering will ultimately take away the
sins and guilt of others (53:4,5,10,11), and the Lord will reward the servant for sacrificing his
life for others (53:12)

The first song (Isaiah 42): The first poem has God speaking of His selection of the Servant
who will bring justice to earth. Here the Servant is described as God's agent of justice, a king
who brings justice in both royal and prophetic roles, yet justice is established neither by
proclamation nor by force. He does not joyfully announce salvation in the marketplace as
prophets were bound to do, but instead moves quietly and confidently to establish right
religion (Isaiah 42:1-4).
[The Gospel of Matthew twice points us to how Jesus fulfils the prophecy of Isaiah 42.
Matthew 12:18-20 actually quotes Isaiah 42:1-3 to explain why Jesus kept his messianic role
somewhat secret during his ministry: He would not cry aloud in the streets. When God the
Father speaks from the heavens at Jesus‘ baptism, he quotes Isaiah 42:1, calling Jesus the one
―with whom I am well pleased.‖ The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows that Jesus is
fulfilling the Suffering Servant prophecies of Isaiah. The Messianic king whom God
appoints to bring justice to the Gentiles is Jesus himself. He is a new kind of king who
comes to vanquish the power of sin and establish God‟s righteous law in our hearts.
Jesus will also open the eyes of the blind and free prisoners from the dark confinement
of sin. Indeed he will even be ―a covenant of the people‖ (Isa 42:6). Jesus embodies the New
Covenant as priest, king, and sacrificial victim. He will perfectly fulfill man‘s covenantal
responsibility to God.]
The second song (Isaiah 49): The second poem, written from the Servant's point of view, is
an account of his pre-natal calling by God to lead both Israel and the nations. The Servant is
now portrayed as the prophet of the Lord equipped and called to restore the nation to
God. Yet, anticipating the fourth song, he is without success. Taken with the picture of the

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Servant in the first song, his success will come not by political or military action, but by
becoming a light to the Gentiles. Ultimately his victory is in God's hands. Isaiah 49:1-6.
Isaiah 49:6 is quoted by Simeon in Luke 2:32 concerning the infant Jesus Christ during the
time of His mother Mary's purification.
The third song: Main article: Isaiah 50: The third poem has a darker yet more confident
tone than the others. Although the song gives a first-person description of how the Servant
was beaten and abused, here the Servant is described both as teacher and learner who follows
the path God places him on without pulling back. His vindication is left in God's hands.
Isaiah 50:4-9; Isaiah 50:4-7 is seen by New Testament commentators to be a Messianic
prophecy of Jesus Christ. There is an allusion in Luke 9:51 to Isaiah 50:7 ("Therefore I have
set my face like a flint"), as Jesus "set His face steadfastly" to go to Jerusalem.
The fourth song: Isaiah 52 and Isaiah 53: The fourth of the "servant songs" begins at Isaiah
52:13, continuing through 53:12 where it continues the discussion of the suffering servant.
It is a messianic prophecy taken from the Fourth Servant Song in the second part of the Book
of the Prophet Isaiah. It tells how the promised Messiah would save mankind by sacrificing
himself as the atonement for our sins. Jesus did this sacrificial service of love for us as the
Suffering Servant by offering his life on the cross as an offering for sin, interceding for us
and taking our punishment on Himself.
21. Why do we call three different Isaiah's? What are their principal themes?

Identified with the southern Kingdom of Judah, Isaiah is probably the best known of the old
Testament prophets. He hailed from an upper class family and was highly educated. Isaiah
can be considered a summary of the fate of Israel in the old Testament and the gateway to the
revelation of Jesus Christ in the NT. St. Jerome compared Isaiah to combpendium of all the
scriptures. Though, himself probably did not write down any office processes over the years
is Oracle saved edited and applied to a new situations baster cycles leading to the
composition of new books based on differences in style language theology extra evident in
the various sections of the work the general consensus among biblical Scholars is cut the
book of Isaiah is composed by number of authors.

First Isaiah

The first 39 chapters originate from the prophet Isaiah also known as ‗proto-Isaiah‘. Until the
18 century it was presumed that Isaiah of Jerusalem wrote all 66 chapters but the biblical
Scholars today speak of first Isaiah are proto Isaiah mostly dating from the time of the
prophet himself. He is the greatest of the message profits and possibly the most gifted poet of
Israel is teachings or indelibly stamped by an experience of the divine.

Principal Themes

1. God's Holiness

his preaching was formally based on the moving vision that he had of God Holy Holy is the
lord of hosts the whole Earth is full of his Grace Isaiah 6 :3. To this Holy God, he taught total
obedience and trust. As the chosen of Yahweh the people should mirror is holiness

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"otherness" (6:3,5:16,19:24) which demanded fertility to God's law that would set them apart
from all nations. He had seen god as ‗the only one of Israel‘ another forgot it in humans in for
the appalling thing, and he never forgot that either. And he had been given and taken into
court service throughout his life he preached God's righteousness one of the judgement on sin
and comfort this people with the knowledge of God's Love.

2. Need to stand firm in faith

He saw no future and success for Judah in all aliens is with Assyria Egypt or any other
nation. The more Judah lost its faith in God testing in ritual observances rather than moral
integrity and Social justice and began to play politics with the pagan powers around the more
it began to octal to word its destruction by Babylonian in 587 BC.

3. Hope for future

Although Isaiah speaks of the punishment to come is not with hope punishment can be
Medical and prepare the way for restoration the revenant will always be there 4 3 and sign
will once again rejoice 12 1 6

4. Messianic promise: sum of Isis or take up the dance from yesterday bit of an ideal king
277 can contain seeds of messianism is promise to hackers of deliverance the sign of Excise
birth maybe we'll have found immediate fulfillment in Hezekiah son of Ahaz. ultimately was
fulfilling Jesus Marne Wale Our God with us born of the virgin Mary matw 1:23.

Second Isaiah: great poet also call ‗Deutero-Isaiah‘ who lived in the later period in the 6th
century living near the end of the Babylonian captivity 587 539 BC some Hundred and Fifty
years after the days of the 8th century first Isaiah.

Themes

1. Yahweh Creator :The very first chapter depicts god as everlasting creator Underworld by
other Gods were nothing but empty idols full of power system at the same time like a
Shepherd tender leading is flock home 40 10 11 12 28

2. New exodus

this is the controlling theme of nutro Aisa the one true god is in control of history and it
brings speak back to their Homeland over the desert on level and spot parts as a new episodes
of repatriation and boundless rejoicing.

3. The New Creator: The return is also reflective of a new creation by God whose power is
incompatible and was like no other 40 12 to 15. 45: 6-9

4. Cyrus: Though he says nothing about the king of Israel or their future second Isaiah give
exceptional accolades and King Cyrus of Persia would create the return of the Jewish excise
is the Shepherd of God's people even a messiah or anointed one And The Chosen of God

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5. The power of divine word: From his opening statements 40:5.28 to his final summation
5510 211 tutor Isaiah more than any other Prophet highlights the power of God's word to
enact wondrous deals now.

6. The servant of God: Second Isaiah noted for its 47 songs in in in in in identity of the
servant of the lord remains a mystery do the first two sons. To Israel itself as servant of
Yahweh the concrete description after suffering and death of the servant in the last 2 song
Singh's to refer to some individual the presenting the community focusing on the axis of ring
and death of the seven the new testament writers see the servant as a type of Jesus of
Nazareth.

Third Isaiah

Late in the 6th century BC after the exile after the resettlement had taken place unknown
authors who were in viewed by the spirit of the first Isaiah put together a collection of pieces.
Third Isaiah sought to serve as a corrective the spirit of Isain School, exhorting Israelites to a
greater hope in the future expressed particularly in true worship and just dealings.

His messages

. A Worship opens to all people (56)

. True worship finding expression not just in rituals but in justice and correct observance. 58,
65:1-5
. Avoidance of all lying and falsehood. 59:1-15
. Concern for the oppressed and broken hearted. 61:1-13
. Jerusalem, the centre of future hope. 62: 6-12
.Salvation for the just just an punishment for The Wicked. (65: 8-16)

22. Explain the concept of „New Covenant‟ in Jeremiah and its connection to Nt. And
significance of the oracles of Hope in Ezekiel especially „the Valley of Dry Bones‟ (Ezk
37) and Water flowing from the temple (Ezk 47).

Explain the concept of „New Covenant‟ in Jeremiah and its connection to NT

A New Heart & A New Covenant (Chap. 31: 31-34)

He is the proponent of the New Covenant. Old Covenant – Sinai Covenant; New covenant –
Jeremiah proposed.

Prophetic elements of the New covenant: I. Law -Hearts - I put my law within them (Old
covenant – God engraved in two tablets). II. God -People – I will be their God and they shall
be my people because the Assyrian god repairs the broken relationship. III. No Teacher –
No longer they teach one another. God himself teaches. They will have knowledge of God
which will be very personal. IV. Forgiveness of sins. Therefore, these will be fulfilled in
the person of Jesus who was sacrificed once and for all. This idea comes from the NT Mt.
26:28 – This is my blood of the new covenant which is poured on many for the
forgiveness of sins. Thus, first covenant is broken. Heb 10: 15-18; 8: 10,13 – Jesus is the

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mediator of the better covenant. And so, the mode of salvation history changes. The
pharasees and Saducess stuck on the OT.

The Valley of Dry Bones‟ (Ezk 37): Dry bones symbolize the people who have lost the hope
(Israel people who are in the Babylon). Ezekiel sees a lot of dry bones and God asks him to
speak with bones. And all the dry bones came together and got life. Can the bones live? Yes.
The people Israel in exile can once again be restored Ezk. 37:7. Chap. 37: 15-28 – gives hope
to the hopeless people i.e. joining of two sticks (The nation was already divided into two
north and south and God is going to join them through his intervention).

The New Temple (Ezk 47): Ezekiel saw climax of the restoration of the Israel people i.e.
New Temple. The glory of God returned to the temple. They reorganize the worship of the
temple. Thus, Ezekiel saw the climax of the restoration in the worship of the community of
Israel.

Chap. 47: water flowing from the side of the temple: The temple faced East and water comes
from the threshold of the temple, on the banks of the river there would be many trees whose
leaves never fell off and it gives many fruits to the earth. The Temple symbolizes the life of
the people 47:1-12. God is going to bring the people back and build the new temple THis
would become a life abundant for the people. This Ezekiel vision of heavenly Jerusalem is
fulfilled in the book of Revelation 22: 1-2.

23. Explain the following points:

Prophets are called to be God's spokespersons

Prophetism in Israel in general

Biblical tradition traces the origins of Israelite prophecy to Moses. In Israel, the OT itself
speaks of the ―450 prophets of ball and 450 prophets of Asherah‖ patronised by queen jezebel
1kgs 18:19), and also of other Prophets 1kgs 22: 5-12 who but father allegiance of Yahweh
must have been little different from their counterparts in neighbouring countries of
Mesopotamia Egypt and Canaan. there persons in Israel from antiquity is witnessed to by the
Jewish scriptures themselves Vile near Eastern regions made little or no distinction between
profit and priest the difference was well defined in the Israel Israelite priesthood was
hereditary and hierarchical marriage Prophecy was charismatic specially called by God.

Prophets as “Conscience of Israel”

Prophets emphasis on fidelity to covenant and dire consequences of violating it

Prophets mainly focus on present realities of life than foretelling of future events

The word prophet of any works in the mind of modern people some sort of fortune teller
effetely movies able to see the future like a photograph and predict events thanks to his
supernatural power. Only one of the so-called prophetic writings the book of Daniel actually
atoms to do anything of this kind this function was only one of the things the Hebrew

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prophets did. do most often thereafter answers seemed to concern the immediate future in
God's longer plan they are they also foreshadow out the distant future.

24. Types of prophets such as cult prophets institutional prophets or official prophets
three literary prophets Canonical prophets or literary prophets

A. some groups attach themselves for personages like Prophets Samuel Elijah and Elisha and
sometimes they are name as "sons of prophets"

B. there were also helped profits attached to the local sanctuaries like bethel and Sheol who
wore distinctive dress of hair cloth and option bought some distinguishing mark sometimes
even a tonsure

C. at the times of monarchy there was a type of profits who may be referred to as be
institutional or official accompanied the king an integral part of the nation there in the temple
enclosure and identify the case of God with that of king.

D. Canonical prophets auditory prophets that not a group but individuals whom we company
name when we speak of prophets stitching has been reserved in the old testament details
about that life and ministry written either by them themselves for most probably by the
disciples and followers somewhere ordered by God to write certain things for example Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel.

Former prophets and Latter prophets

Former Prophets : the books of Joshua, judges 1 and 2nd Samuel and 1 and 2nd Kings are
known collectively as the former prophets since the facial profits first make their appearance
here playing an important role in shaping Israel destiny. They offer in a continuous narrative
Israel‘s history from the depth of Moses to the Babylonian exile. Like the deuteronomistic
code project God as a lawgiver who blesses natural lights for their obedience and punish
them for dear transgressions for this reason the book of former prophets are often referred as
the deuteronomistic history.

Latter prophets: there are three Major Prophets and Minor Prophets collectively referred to
also as the scroll of the twelve.

The books of Former Prophets contains stories about prophets but the books of later Prophets
were written by the prophets themselves for their followers. To express this distinction the
latter prophets are sometimes called ‗Literary Prophets‟ or „Writing Prophets‟. Minor
prophets collectively referred to as the scroll of the 12.

Condemnation of Idolatry

Jeremiah strongly decried the People's infidelity to Yahweh in the form of idolatrous
practices and the desire for other gods comparing them with Unfaithful wife the prophet
conduct their lack of trust in the Lord as punishment the Babylonian invasion from the north
became inevitable.

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Personal and Individual Responsibility

National Restoration: New Era (Ezekiel Ch. 34, 36: 28-29, 37: 40-48.)

National Restoration is another team that strongly stands out in essay care processes after the
final deportation of 587. hi visualizes The Dawn of a new era International reboot full of life
under just and humane King the pictures of himself as the Good Shepherd who will lovingly
gather is he scattered in the nation's gently leading them to their own Homeland he calls F for
a new spirit and heart and for a life governed not by external observances but by personal
attachment to the lord and to his plants and the interior Rati of religion the most impressive
depiction and imaginative vision portrays the people of Israel as dried bones 211 the desert
floor that come to life through the influence of our spirit the prof does announces the hope
field message after National rebirth office own desperate and lifeless people thanks to God's
own creative Restoration as he looks forward to that day when Israel purified of all their sins
by god will be a holy Nation.

25 (A) The One God (monotheism) and the Holy God

The One God: there is only one God there is no other like him (Is. 41:28-29, 42:17, 43:10-
11, 46:1-2). he controls even the affairs of other nations. The prophets constantly resisted the
terms of the kings and the people to combine warship of Yahweh the Holy Israel. With the
worship of other gods. the prophets old speak of God as the only true God the supreme
master and maker of the all world before whom they are other so called gods are nothing why
I did not even really exist.

The Holy God: Because god is holy (Is 8:13), the people to must be Holy avoid sin which
is an offence against him(Is. 6:1-5. Hab 1: 12-13). he is the ‗holy one of Israel‘ the holy one
they must keep God's holy love and be Holy set apart for god alone if demands of the Holy
God for some dup in the words of Michael 6 8 to act justly to love tenderly and to walk
humbly with your God in line with the clear teaching of Amos the great prophet of Social
Justice who announced the operation of the poor by the rich the process from Elijah and word
retreat that injustice to one's neighbour Drop The Covenant just as much as did idolatry.

26. Explain the six confessions of Jeremiah and the confessions of saints in
Christian tradition?

Confession 1: 11:18-23 & 12:1-6: This passage is the first of Jeremiah's

confessions. He presents his case to Yahweh. Here Yahweh has evidently
revealed to Jeremiah (through some means or another) a plot against the
prophet's life. This is quite possibly the first major threat to Jeremiah's life, and
it brings with it a great insult. These were ―men of Anathoth‖ plotting against
Jeremiah and Anathoth was Jeremiah's hometown! Moreover, these men make
reference to destroying the ―tree and its fruit,‖ so that ―his name be remembered
no more.‖ They no doubt meant that since Jeremiah had yet to marry and have
offspring, by killing him they would end his line. It was ―a tragic end for a man
of Israel, for whom descendants demonstrated t he divine blessing on his life.‖

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The people of Anathoth must have found Jeremiah's prophecies appalling and
embarrassing to resort to murder. Because he prophesied the words of Yahweh,
As far as he was concerned, Yahweh was the reason he faced this p roblem; it was
therefore Yahweh‘s responsibility to resolve the problem.

Jeremiah feels victimized and downtrodden, an unfair recipient of the injustice

of the wicked, due entirely to his faithf ulness in proclaiming the word of the
Lord. The Lord, therefore, ought to turn the tables and deliver justice. And, in
this case, he is probably afraid. If home is not safe, where is? In this first of
Jeremiah's laments, God assures Jeremiah of justice, pr omising a severe
punishment for these wicked men, remarkably strong in its thoroughness.
Yahweh very rarely punishes so completely. When He says ―Not even a remnant
will be left,‖ this is serious stuff.

12:1-6: The occasion of this lament is unsure. Perha ps Jeremiah was feeling
overwhelmed; perhaps he was impatient with God's apparently delayed justice.
Most likely it was not a specific event, but rather the culmination of Jeremiah's
observations on the sad unfairness of life. In any event, its premise
fundamentally addresses the problem of theodicy: ―Why does the way of the
wicked prosper? Why do the faithless live at ease?‖ Jeremiah addresses a
problem with the world that believers in God must address even today sometimes
the wicked flourish, while the ri ghteous are downtrodden, yet God promises
justice. The tone of this lament seems a little more impatient. Certainly the
words are strong, addressing God as though He were not holding up His end. In
v.1 Jeremiah displays again his love of justice, which may have been
strengthened by the apparent dearth of said justice. Consistent with his love of
justice is his focus on true worship; he is truly upset by fakes. Jeremiah points
out false worship saying ‗You are always on their lips. But far from their
hearts.‖ This alone was enough, in Jeremiah's view, for them to be punished.

Now let us examine God's response. His response here is very different from His
response to Jeremiah's first lament. God never mentions the wicked, while his
previous response was entirely assurance of the wicked's impending judgment.
Therefore the prophet did not need further reassurance; God's earlier word must
still stand. God warned him to prepare for more severe trials yet to come." In
human terms, this is an unsatisfactory response , because it doesn't answer the
question asked. But it does show a parental concern for the prophet, warning him
of danger.

Confession 2: 15:10-11 & 15:15-21: This is a short but intense lament, where
Jeremiah wishes he'd never been born. It shows that ―t o curse the day of his birth
was tantamount to a rejection of his very mission‖ - a very strong lament. Rather
than focusing on the wicked, this lament is very inwardly focused. Jeremiah is

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feeling at war with the world and for no apparent reason. God remi nds Jeremiah
of his earlier promise of future justice, and of the purpose in his calling.
15:15-21: This is Jeremiah‘s most dangerous lament, and the only one which
earns a rebuke from God. His previous feeling of worldly oppression grows
bitter and turns outward towards God. The oppression is all for His sake and in a
sense God is answerable for it, so he grows impatient with Yahweh's delayed
justice. His earlier righteous love of justice becomes entangled in his embittered
sense of self-pity. Both laments are tied together. It is remarkable that despite
his bitterness towards God, Jeremiah turns to God to make his lament.
The response Yahweh gives may have satisfied Jeremiah. Yahweh goes on to
describe how he will strengthen and aid Jeremiah in his calli ng, concluding with
a promise of redemption: ―I will save you from the hands of the wicked, and
redeem you from the grasp of the cruel.‖
Confession 3: 17:12-18: Jeremiah displays that God's justice is not presently
evident (he's suffering and the wicked are not, yet he serves God and they do
not), but now that he is finally understanding the future emphasis of God's
justice, he is far less whiny. This confession is perhaps the best example of
Jeremiah‘s unwavering faith in God's existence and his power to affect all things
in the world. Significantly, Yahweh gives no response. Perhaps He smiled. Since
Jeremiah begins to reflect Yahweh's ideas in this confession, Yahweh perhaps
felt no need to offer those ideas to Jeremiah again.
Confession 4: 18:18-23: This confession is a reaction to the plots of the people
to kill Jeremiah. The plots against him indicate that his message is being heard
and understood. Jeremiah reminds God of his service and, after venting a bit in
anger that people actually want to kill h im for doing what is right, he hands the
wicked over to God. Again, Yahweh offers no spoken response to this
confidence, or if He did, it was not necessary for the readers of Jeremiah.
Confession 5: 20:7-13: Jeremiah's near bitterness surfaces again in th is
confession; it begins with strong words to Yahweh: ―you deceived me‖ and
expresses his feelings on the unfairness of his persecution for Yahweh's sake.
―The word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long,‖ he
whines. Jeremiah was consistently in a position of conflict, particularly with
Yahweh. Despite Jeremiah's frustration, his faith in God remains unshaken. He
still believes in the future downfall of the wicked, saying ―they will fail and be
utterly disgraced." Perhaps his confident statements are a hopeful reminder to
Yahweh, for Jeremiah longs to live to see God's justice. ―Let me see your
vengeance upon them," he asks again. Unlike his earlier requests for vengeance,
this confession concludes with praise, a ray of light at the end of the storm.
Confession 6: 20:14-18: He curses all the circumstances surrounding his birth.
―Cursed be the day I was born!‖ he begins. He curses the man who told his father
―A child is born to you‖ and wishes he had been killed at birth. This kind of
bitter lament, regretting that he had ever lived, is one that humanity has
expressed in some form or another through the ages. A lot of the time the

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equation of life adds up to a negative, which led the prophet Jeremiah to ask God
why he was ever born. ―To this poignant question Yahweh gave no answer.‖
General reflections
Jeremiah's confessions all stem from Jeremiah's commitment to justice. Much of
his lamentation is requesting that God make good on his word, that He prove to
the people that the wicked will see judgement. While he would often assume a
bit of a whiny tone, his laments by and large were not concerned solely with his
own trouble. His desire for vengeance on the wicked stemmed from his
indignation that people should behave contrary to the covena nt and thrive, that
those whose worship was false should find life so pleasurable. He was offended
on behalf of himself, yes, but at the centre he was offended on behalf of Yahweh.
Jeremiah's laments are permissible because he had a close relationship wit h
Yahweh. Indeed, scholars say ―only one who walked intimately with God would
dare to speak as Jeremiah did.‖

In Christianity, the term ‗confession‘ would be having different dimensions; i.e,

confession of faith, biography and so on. (the early Christians and St
Augustine‘s)

27. What is the main concern of wisdom books? What do you mean by personification
of Wisdom? How do you explain the just man's suffering in the book of Job? What is
the meaning of the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom? Can you cite some
practical wisdom sayings for the modern world?

The Main Concern of Wisdom Books:

The wisdom movement in Israel concerned itself with such basic and vital problems as
man‘s origin and destiny search for happiness the problem of suffering of good and evil in
human contact of death and life beyond the grave. wisdom literature deals with personal
matters looking at life from the individual viewpoint rather than the national or the universal
is chewing board themselves like Covenant law etc, under treat only search particular topics
as good manners moral behaviour business marriage family the home social life and human
relationships this writings also develop into polar realities the trouble humanity the true
meaning of pain and suffering good and evil wealth and poverty life and death.

What do you mean by personification of Wisdom?

in the biblical wisdom literature which term is presented as a divine attribute with a person
out of its own and distinct from God. In job 28 wisdom is presented as distinct from God in
home it is mysteriously hidden in proverbs the divine wisdom speaks as if it were a person
figure of lady wisdom in contrast to Dame folly of 9:13-18, advanced person in got from
eternity and acting with him in the work of creation. In Sirach, wisdom is presented as
coming from heaven from the mouth of the most high sir 24. In the book of wisdom it is an
outpouring of the glory of the almighty and an image of His perfection wisdom, 7: 22-8:1.

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Wisdom writings ultimately portray wisdom as a person who is with God yet distinct from
him who was his helper in the creation and Governance of the universe and delights in being
with human beings.

How do you explain the just man's suffering in the book of Job?

the book of job conference the mystery of suffering by an innocent man on earth in the
thoughtful exchanges between job and his friends it is admitted contrary to recurring out in
scripture that human suffering is not necessarily a form of divine justice that results from sin
9 is good fortune a sign of God's favour and blessing rather both the righteous and The
Wicked experience prosperity and misfortune alike does the book does help to develop the
theology of suffering.

Satan‘s question is one of the most important in the Bible: Do humans serve God for
themselves and divine profit? The book has the message that before god‘s inscrutable ways
of designs human response must always be one of unfailing Faith. God's ways translation our
comprehension as in job 9: 1-3, job suffers not because of any sins but as Jesus says that the
works of God may be shown for in him God me allow us to suffer but we need to stand form
in our faith.

In the story it is essential the job should be assigned a man of integrity which he is or else his
application could be seen as just punishment. Put in a "no- win" situation by Saturn God
accepts the challenges because god knows that only such a man as job can with stand the test
to some such a God may look to be callous against his creation but if God back to refuse the
challenge of Saturn it would mean that god is afraid considers that human beings serve him
only for themselves true acceptance of seconds challenge seen to make God and just in his
dealing with an innocent man but precisely does are we given the message that the Lord trust
those who like job truly serve him, and this is jobs opportunity to prove himself and does it.

What is the meaning of the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom?

proverbs brings home the message that wisdom is written by God into the very order of
creation therefore true wisdom comes to those who have faith in and reverence for God. The
fear of the lord is the essence of all through human wisdom and with such wisdom the voice
can confirm that life to the right order of things and to the will of god does finding true
happiness. the religious belief that lies as a foundation of every proverb is the fear of the lord
is the beginning of knowledge. - prov. 1:7 and cf. 9,7.

28. Bring about the salient features of the Providentisimus Deus of Pope Leo XIII,
Divino Afflante Spiritu of Pope Pius XII and the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine
Revelation „Dei Verbum‟ of the Second Vatican Council. What do you think about the
pontifical biblical commission‟s document „The interpretation of the Bible in the
Church?‟
Providentisimus Deus of Pope Leo XIII:
 The scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and therefore contains mysteries which
are beyond human understanding. God gave the scripture to the Church. For one to

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read the interior meaning of the scripture, one must follow the guide laid down by the
Church and also take the Church as his/her teacher. No one, except the mother Church
is allowed to interpret the scripture. So therefore, all preachers should follow the
interpretations of the Church. All interpretations therefore must harmonize the
inspiration of the sacred writers and should also be in conformity with the doctrine of
the Church.
 The holy fathers are of supreme authorities and whenever they all interpret any text of
the bible in one same manner as pertaining the doctrine of faith and morals, such
interpretations is considered to come from the apostles as a matter of Catholic faith.
 It is therefore not forbidden to go beyond what the Church fathers have laid down
provided the person carefully observe the rule laid down by St. Augustine not to
depart from the literal and obvious sense, except only where reason makes it
untenable or necessities requires.
 One can defend the scripture with another passage of the scripture when a heretic
rejects a portion of the scripture but when the heretic rejects divine revelation, then,
there is no way left to prove the article of faith by reasoning. So, care must be taken
that beginners approach the study of the scripture well prepared to avoid the danger of
error and doubting the words of the sacred scripture. The best preparation is the
application to philosophy and theology under the guidance of Thomas Aquinas and
through training as directed by the church.
 There are people who labor hard just to find mistakes in the scripture. The entire
books of the bible are inspired by the Spirit; God is the author of the sacred scripture
and cannot be the author of error.
 Theologians cannot be enough for defense of the scripture, learned people are also
needed.
 Leo was concerned about the use of the historical-critical method in interpreting
Scripture and declared that true science will never contradict Scripture properly
understood.
 Let us therefore put these into action in order to praise God for revealing of himself to
man.
Divino Afflante Spiritu of Pope Pius XII:
 Divino Afflante Spiritu (Inspired by the Divine Spirit) is an encyclical letter issued by
Pope Pius XII on September 30, 1943. It inaugurated the modern period of Roman
Catholic Bible studies by permitting the limited use of modern methods of biblical
criticism.
The Catholic bible scholar Raymond E. Brown described it as a ―Magna Carta for
biblical progress.‖
 The first purpose of the encyclical was to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the
issuing of Providentissimus Deus by Pope Leo XIII in 1893, which had condemned
the use of higher criticism.
 In the encyclical, Pius XII noted that since then, advances had been made in
archaeology and historical research, making it advisable to further define the study of
the Bible. In his encyclical the Pope stressed the importance of diligent study of these

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original languages and other cognate languages, so as to arrive at a deeper and fuller
knowledge of the meaning of the sacred texts.
 The Holy Scripture as a source of revelation was getting more often towards the
believers at the beginning of last century. Interest in individual aspects of biblical text
meant many difficulties for the Church. On the other end it brought great interest in
Bible.
 Pius also commends the use of modern methods to identify the most authentic texts
available, i.e. textual criticism. It is one of the ―dirty little secrets‖ of biblical studies
that there are hundreds of ancient versions of the biblical texts, and not all of them
agree on the exact wording or phrasing of some passages. In Pope Leo‘s time scholars
made use of textual criticism ―quite arbitrarily and often in such wise that one would
say they did so to introduce into the sacred text their own preconceived ideas.‖
 Finally, Pius commends the use of literary (or form) criticism, which is the means by
which biblical scholars interpret Scripture through the use of different literary forms
(poetry, narrative, laws, parable, etc.). Ancient authors, including the authors of
Scripture, ―did not always employ those forms or kinds of speech which we use
today; but rather those used by the men of their times and countries.‖ By examining
these forms, and their use in ancient literature, scholars gain insight into the intent of
the Sacred Writers. For instance, when a charge is made that the Bible contradicts
some historical fact, the cause may actually be found in the particular linguistic
expressions found in ancient culture.
 The goal of all these methods, according to Pius, is to arrive at a literal interpretation
of Scripture. By that he does not mean a ―literalistic‖ interpretation in which every
word is interpreted without regard for context, but one in which words are taken for
their ―plain‖ meaning. For instance, when Christ says, ―I am the door. By me, if any
man enter in, he shall be saved: and he shall go in and go out, and shall find pastures‖
(Jhn. 10:9), he is not saying that he has hinges, is mounted into a wall and can be
opened and closed; the literal meaning in this passage is that he is talking in
metaphor: Jesus is the way to heaven. On the other hand, when the evangelists
describe Jesus‘ trial before the Sanhedrin, there is nothing within the text to indicate
that they are recording anything but history; here, the literal sense is historical in
nature. Pius contrasts this literal sense with an overly mystical sense, by which he
means interpreting all of Scripture as a metaphor for the spiritual, rather than as a
record of actual events.
 Pius concludes his encyclical by encouraging Catholic scholars to continue to unpack
the riches of the Bible and to not be deterred by the challenges that remain.

Dei Verbum:
 God wants us to know His love for us. Revelation is not just words about God; it is a
living experience of God. God does not just reveal in Word how best we should live,
but God reveals himself as well.

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 Jesus reveals that God has called us to Himself and promises that salvation will
ultimately lead to divine closeness. The Father sent the Son so he could tell us about
the inner life of God. Jesus is not only the Word made flesh; he leads us to eternal life.
Jesus Christ is the fullness of revelation and there is no new revelation. What was
revealed two thousand years ago was everything. Any further understanding is just
that; a further maturity and understanding of God‘s Truth, but not a new truth.

God ―can be known with certainty from created reality by the light of human reason
(see Rom. 1:20).‖ However, such knowledge is very difficult for man to attain and, as
such, very few would attain it and of these, most would have mixed in some serious
error. His revelation then is necessary to make ―truths which are by their nature
accessible to human reason…known by all men with ease, with solid certitude and
with no trace of error.‖
 In regards to Sacred Scripture itself, ―everything asserted by the inspired authors or
sacred writers must be held to be asserted by the Holy Spirit.‖ As such, it is without
error and is written for our salvation. Yet, since God used man as an instrumental
cause, interpreters should ―carefully investigate what meaning the sacred writers
really intended, and what God wanted to manifest by means of their words.‖
 The unity of the entire Scripture must remain intact as the truth cannot be
contradictory to itself. Further, ―the living tradition of the whole Church must be
taken into account along with the harmony which exists between elements of the
faith.‖
 ―All the preaching of the Church must be nourished and regulated by Sacred
Scripture.‖ That being the case, the Sacred Scriptures should be accessible to all the
Christian faithful through careful translations and through the liturgy itself. And,
―prayer should accompany the reading of Sacred Scripture, so that God and man may
talk together; for ‗we speak to Him when we pray; we hear Him when we read the
divine saying.‘

The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church:

 The Pontifical Biblical Commission's document commends what is usually called

the ―historical-critical method‖ as ―the indispensable method for scientific study of
the meaning of ancient texts,‖ and also encourages our attempts to understand the
different literary methods that are used in the texts. And it critiques a
fundamentalist interpretation, which it calls ―dangerous‖ on the grounds that it
―invites people to a kind of intellectual suicide" because it ―injects into life a false
certitude.‖ So Catholics are neither fundamentalists nor literalists.
 The Catholic approach to Scripture insists on both the divine origin of the Bible
and the necessary contribution of the people composed the books of the Bible at a
certain time, in a certain place and for certain community. It urges us, in a word,
to understand the Bible better as, ―the word of God in human language.‖

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29. How does the Catholic Church explain Inspiration and Inerrancy? Elucidate the
different Hermeneutical Methods and the Historical Critical Method of Interpretation of
the Bible? Give some salient features of the Septuagint?
i. inspiration is a specific way of speaking about the unique and sacred character of the
scripture having important implications for the way in which the OT and NT books are to be
regarded by the believers. In the conciliar documents especially in Dei Verbum, inspiration is
referred as the quality of the biblical texts (Chap. 2; 8; 6:221). It affirms God the inspirer and
the author of both the Testaments. Often it is attributed to the Holy Spirit (2:7; 5:18).
ii. Origen must be the first theologian to speak about inspiration. Origen thought it is
impossible to accept many scriptural statements as spoken by a man (4:22). For him the Holy
Spirit illuminated the hearts of the inspired writer with an action directed to the human mind,
will and memory.
iii. Important Theories: Condescension: this word was much used by John Chrysostom to
talk about the SS being written by human authors, who occasionally expressed their thoughts
in metaphors and hyperbole or in such a way as to gain a favourable reception from their
readers. There is a two level of activity not in equal proportion namely Divine authorship
level and human authorship level. Chrysostom was very much fascinated to explain the mode
of divine inspiration through the analogy of incarnation. just like the word that made flesh to
dwell among us in all its humility so to the inspiration of God enabled the divine revelation to
be clear to the minds of men (also refer Dei Verbum 3:13). Dictation: very much supported
by St. Augustine and St. Jerome and later by John Calvin (1509-1564). This theory refers
Holy Spirit as the author primaries, primary author and human beings as amanuenses or
atuarii. It is not mere stenography but the scriptural authors were affected by the obscurity of
the times. This theory refers inspiration as a divine gift, ‗Spiritu Sancto Dicrante‟ (ND 216).
God the Author: there is only one god for both OT and NT (against Marcionites). Here the
author formula indicates that God is the ultimate source of both OT and NT but does not
necessarily ascribe literary authorship to him. In the ecclesiastical tradition about god‘s
authorship of SS has the more generic meaning of producer of source. This theory is well
supported both by catholic and protestants (refer also Dei Verbum 3:11).
iv. The Catholic Church says, the Holy Spirit is never to be regarded as merely human or
merely divine, nor as partly human and partly divine, but as all human and all divine. All
human because written by man, and all because inspired by God. These two factors are

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everywhere present and should be everywhere recognized if we are to understand the Bible in
its true light (introduction to the bible, vol. 3, p. 52).
v. Inerrancy: Catholic View: the ‗inerrant truth of the Bible was deemed all-important in so
far as the bible is the principal and normative source of all our theological endeavors. v. c. ii
clearly states ―...the books of the Sacred Scripture …..teaching firmly, faithfully, and without
error that truth which God wanted to put into the sacred writings for the sake of our salvation;
as a result of inspiration.
vi. Etymological analysis: the study of hermeneutics has its name from the Greek God
hermes, who indulged in interpreting the message of Olympus for the designated. The Greek
word hermeneia means; interpretation‘. Text, papal, architecture, arts, signs and figures are
the objects of interpretation.
vii. Development of Hermeneutics through the Ages: traditional understanding of the
hermeneutics involved two levels of meaning of the text (i) literal sense of the scripture (ii)
more-than-literal sense. Let us discuss about them briefly. Literal sense: the literal sense as
the meaning of the text resulting from the dialogue between the text and the reader i. e., the
sense which the human author directly intended and which the written words conveyed.
Different capabilities for exegesis: - professional readers – priests, catechists, leaders of
bible classes, their hermeneutics depends upon how much know about the bible. Otherwise
they will impose their ideas into the text. They need knowledge of the history of the biblical
era and the knowledge of the biblical languages. The general reader must equip himself or
herself with information about the text (as explained by the scholars) in order to benefit fully
from the bible.
More than literal sense: End of New Testament Era: right from the apostolic period we have
the proofs attempted for a better hermeneutics. The temptation story is a classic example of
hermeneutical debate. Paul‘s mission to the gentiles is in essence a reinterpretation of the
gospel in a Hellenistic context even after the formation of the canon, the need for
interpretation continued.
Patristic era: while a grammatical-historical of literal sense approach was favoured in
Antioch, the Alexandrian church favoured allegory method. During the patristic and right up
to the middle age there were at least not less than four basic method of interpreting the text.
They are:
i. literal meaning (historic meaning)
ii. Allegorical meaning (mystical meaning)

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iii. Anagogic meaning (spiritual or eschatological meaning). Ex. Jerusalem – Gal 4:26,
Melchizedek Heb 6:20; 8:1 High priest Heb 9:7).
iv. Topological meaning – John Cassien (360-425).
When Jerusalem is mentioned in the bible literal sense interpreted as a Jewish city,
allegorically it referred to Church, anagogically it stands for the heavenly city and finally
topologically it stands for human soul. In this hermeneutical climate literal sense won the
support of many all through the middle ages right up to renaissance. The reformation era (16th
and 17th cen): the reformation represented a fundamental change in hermeneutical thinking.
Luther‘s insistence is that the bible should first of all be understood as the living word (lat
viva vox) of God. The existential dimension of the text was very much insisted. Very
specially Luther denying the allegorical method opted for the Christological interpretation of
the OT. For him the Bible‘s central theme is Christ, and from this perceptive the rest of
scripture is to be interpreted. The bible is not a historical document in the first place, but a
text for preaching. Hermeneutics is more than rules or techniques; it concerns the problem of
understanding as a whole. John Calvin. Luther‘s position had two important consequences:
multiplicity of meaning is replaced by the central foci of the text and the priority of the word
over against any authority is conformed.
The post-reformation era: the emphasis was upon the independence and priority of exegesis
in the relation to dogma and tradition. The enlightenment spirit of emancipation and
emerging rationalism of the post-reformation era influenced the second development
decisively.
Modern Period: The devastating effect of world war I (1914-18) was a severe blow to the
spirit of liberal optimism in Europe. A search for existential meaning followed, which in the
Churches resulted in a crisis for preaching. K. Earth‘s theology is an attempt to meet the
challenge of interpreting the Bible for the shattered down post-war people meaningfully.
With his concept of a ―Theological Exegesis‖ his goal was to bridge the division between the
scientific and practical exegesis and to regain the supposed unity of biblical interpretation.
The biblical text is the result of an existential encounter between God and man. Hence the
interpretation of the text is aimed at making a similar encounter possible in the person.
Bultmann‘s whole hermeneutical programme is motivated by the need to communicate the
kerygma to a modern audience, thus he proposed a historical approach, chiefly understood as
‗demythologization‘.

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Recent past: Typological approach: The word typos is used by St. Paul (Rom 5:14). It can be
defined as ‗the typical sense is the deeper meaning of the things‘ written about in the Bible
when they are seen to have foreshadowed future things in God‘s work of salvation.
Sensus Plenior (1925-70)
The Roman Catholic Church found out a new approach more than literal sense, and an
approach less related to historical approach. It is defined as: ‗The senses plenior is the deeper
meaning intended by God not clearly intended by human author, that is seen to exist in the
words of scripture when they are studied in the light o further revelation or of development in
the understanding of revelation.‘ It is in accompaniment with the scholastic thought.
Classical Method: Historical critical method (HCM)
This method is the by-product of 16th and 17th century social and intellectual revolution.
Richard Simon is said to be the direct founder o the HCM. The definition of HCM would be
that it is the method that studies the text of the Bible and the Gospels in particular by
applying to a series o techniques (the so-called criticism), which have been developed to give
us the original form of the text and its original (author‘s) meaning. Mk 4:3-9 – Mk deals with
the simple parable o the sower. Whereas Matthew speaks about the problems o the
community and Luke presents to us the power o the Word of God.s
Method of Analysis:
1. Text Criticism
 to establish the text
 It is an attempt to discover and remove the unintentional errors arising in
scribal transmission and intentional corruption through interpretation.
2. Lexical Analysis: It is more than the study o vocabulary, morphology and syntax. Eg:
II Sam 11:18
3. Literary Criticism: Through philosophical and stylistic analysis we work out the
precise meaning and determine the possible written source.
4. Form criticism: We discuss here which life situation gave rise to a particular literary
form and what the reason behind it was.
5. Redaction criticism: It makes clear how a literary work was accompanied and the
purpose behind it. Once a literary work comes out of the hand of its author, it has its
own history. Various editors for their own particular context will use the same work,
which may be different from the original context. So the theological role intended for
text becomes very clear. Here we define the theological perspective under which the

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authors integrate the text. Ex. Passover festival in the Gospel of John – day of
celebration.
6. Hermeneutical implications
Advantages
 Has been in use over two centuries
 Basis for all other methods
 clearly differentiates Exegesis (what one gets out of the text) and Eisegesis
(what one will get out of iits application)
Disadvantages
 Purely academic
 Even if we attain the original meaning of the text there is no consensus among
the scholars.
 Text meaning, author meaning – but no consideration for the new meaning.
30. From several centuries both the Jewish and Christian circles subscribe to the belief
that the Pentateuch was authored by Moses. But a critical study under taken by many
biblical scholars makes a strong claim that Pentateuch cannot be attributed to Moses.
Why are the scholars reluctant to accept the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch?
How was the Pentateuch evolved as a composite document?

For almost 2000 years both Jewish and Christian tradition attributed to Moses authority of
Pentateuch. But Moses making a reference to his own grave (Deut 34:5-6) clearly points to a
period of composition much later than Moses. Besides, Collective internal evidence throws
up a number of historical inconsistencies (the description of the land East of the Jordan as
‗the other side‘ indicates the point of view of resistant of Palestine is Moses never entered:
(Genesis 50.10) And anachronism that make mosaic authorship untenable. It was only in the
18th century that this issue was seriously examined.

A brilliant synthesis of previous efforts was made by Julius wellhausen that paved way to
what is known today as Documentary hypothesis that speaks of careful and complex joining
for 4 ‗traditions‘ rather than of any particular author such as Moses. Today, biblical
scholarship anonymously agrees that Moses did not himself author the Pentateuch. A
striking feature of Pentateuch is the usual to different names for God:The general name for
divinity, Elohim, and sacred name of God, Yahweh. each of these names is used with
characteristics vocabulary, narrative style already styles and content, which suggested
different authors. Another notable thing is repetition such a as the call of Moses in
Exodus 3 and 6. This suggested different authors: J, for Yahwist and E, for Elohist. The
names of authors were impossible to find as these documents are all anonymous. However,
on the basis of common elements and characteristics scholars identify four written strands or
traditions that are woven into a continuous narrative that is the Pentateuch.

The four sources, sometimes called also astraditions are: the Yahwist, Elohist,
Deuteronomist and the Priestly, each bringing to the Torah it's own characteristics and

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technological viewpoints they are abbreviated as J,E,D and P, taking the first letter of their
names. Behind each of this JEDP Sigla stands either an individual or most likely a whole
group or school., with the Classic dating proposed for them by Julius wellhusen J-9th
century BC, E- 8th century BC, D- 7th century BC, P- after exile in Babylon. Even
though recent scholarship has raised certain objections against this hypothesis no
convincing alternate solution are surfaced to date though some of them for workable
hypothesis.

These four sources which first existed as distinct works, were ultimately woven together in
6th century BC after the Exile, to produce the Torah as we have it today. These sacred books
were involved to help restore and purify Israel after its long and torturous history
culminating in the Exile and the insidious influence of pagan religions. This process
involved a good deal of cutting and pasting; pages from each of the four sources have
been blended together to form a continuous narrative. it is not always possible to
distinguish with certainty among the various sources rather than hypothesize a separate
person or persons as the editor for the director who compiled the four sources into the
Thorah. Many Scholars today, believe that with strong cultic and legal interests this priestly
school is principally responsible for compiling and editing, giving them their final form at the
end of the babylonian Exile in the fifth century.

It is the blueprint of the great deuteronomistic perform under king josiah (640-609BC)
that sought to animate the people into a whole -hearted commitment to the covenant
ideas, motivated by the great command of love. Sometime after 398 BC under Ezra the
Scribe, the Torah or Pentateuch was completed manifestly a composite work lacking
uniformity with various individual units not fitting perfectly together.

The three traditions of J, E, P have been used by the final productive composition of
the book the 6th century BC of which the Yawhist source is the most important for its
teaching antiquity and the continuity it provides the book.

31. The contained in Gen 1-11 are generally termed as prehistory comprising mythical
elements drawn from a rich variety of sources found in the cultures surrounding Israel.
Can we describe this unit as mere Myth.?

Gen 1-11 l of the creation of man and the origins of the universe. Gen 1-11then is single
story, an unsually sustained „philosophical‟ and theological explanation of the human
race - it's relation to God its Institutions (marriage language ethnic and national divisions
mental working animal husbandry excetra), it's flaws, its destiny and of God and goddess
justice and abiding fertility to the race.

In view of making the Israeli people grasp the meaning of this chapters and the truth
behind them, they have been expressed through elements prevailing among the people
of the time true Mesopotamian stories and Cosmogonies such as Gilgamesh Epic,
Enuma Elish, and Atrahasis story, the last being the most relevant for genesis 1 -11.

Theological Motifs

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The account of primeval history touches upon several secondary theme such as: All
creation is come from God, humankind is of Gods special making enjoying god given
spirit and primary in creation men and women are equal in dignity, companions who
complement each other.

In contrast to pagan mix of the time varying creation is depicted as the interaction of
Gods of good and evil the creation account in Genesis clearly presence only one God as
the creator of all things. Thus, Genesis teaching is that the universe did not come about
from nothing or by chance say through the random clashing of atoms but through a
consciously willed act of God the creation accounts of Genesis besides set men and women
as the climax of God's creative activity bearing his image and representing him on earth.

Sources: In the early chapters of Genesis come across: Yahwist J, and the priestly, P.
Through the narrator of the fall under first fratricide, sexual commerce between Angels and
humans the flood and the tower of Babel, underscores the principal the disobedience to God
will not go unpunished that God will at the same time forgive and give a new beginning.
Through each of them 3 elements are tiered: human sin - divine punishment - God's
mercy. Therefore it is not history in the modern scientific sense but history written primarily
from religious point of view.

32. How did Abraham the father of faith, learn to continue to walk up the face of Go?
In this journey of Faith how many times did he stumble? Was he able to complete his
journey of Faith successfully and prove himself the father of the multitude?

Abraham or Abram as he was first known and northern Mesopotamian native. he is

God's chosen charismatic man to turn trade mankind back to God and in that ways enjoys a
certain biblical primacy: ―In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen.12:3).
God's choice of Abraham and the people of Israel was gratuitous not based on no human
merit.

The centrepiece of the Abram narrative is certainly, the Covenant of promise a solemn
undertaking between God and the patriarch. Unlike Noachite covenant (gen 9) with the whole
human race here we have with one particular human family. God takes the initiative
promising Abraham both descendants and land. Genesis 15 portrays features of ancient
Covenant making where the ritual usually involved the setting of blood by the spelling
of an animal followed by the contracting parties working between the two heaps of
carcass, thus, promising bi-laterally there Covenant fertility even at the cost of life as
god alone can choose to make such a Covenant between unequals, two points stand out:
Abraham is reduced to get ‗deep sleep‘ and God alone passes between the two parts , thus
placing an Abraham no covenantal obligation other than trust and confidence.

God's promise to Abraham was never revoked. Although the Covenant ritual find no place in
Genesis 17. There is reiteration after promise of land under sentence abstained through
announcing the fourth coming birth of Isaac in the princely account the covenantal
application place on Abraham is that of circumcision distinguishing sign of the Covenant
people of Israel.

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Genesis 12-25 brings to us many colourful stories whose story is it is called as debate about
Abraham and his family. In Genesis 22, we have the most touching of all the stories about
Abraham the one in which shows his willingness to sacrifice to God even his only son Isaac it
comes through the test totally indicated and does proves himself to be the great example of
perfect faith in God before Abraham died his son Isaac married Rebekah, a grandniece of
Abraham.

The story of Isaac is told in a very few chapters (24-27) wearing a source as a link
between Abraham and Jacob and an integral part in the line of succession and the
fulfilment of God's promise.

Isaac and Rebekah have twin sons Jacob and Esau who are pictured as revolves right from
their mother's womb. cunningly Jacob makes his own Esau‘s birth right and many after
stories that follow highlight the shrewdness of Jacob. In search of a wife, Jack goes to
Haran only to end up marrying the two daughters off his uncle Laban. His wife and
their Maidservants became the mothers of Jacob's 12 sons head of the Twelve Tribes of
Israel.

Two separate account (Gen 32:29, 35:10) recount God changing Jacob's name to Israel
which became the popular name of the people who descended from him making him that
direct ancestor of all the people of Israel eventually Jacob return with his family to Canon and
his reconciled with Esau . Therefore, Jacob‟s life shows how God always reminded
faithful to the promise that he had earlier made to Abraham Jacob grandfather
Abraham Journey the faith proved himself the faith of the multitude.

33. The Sinai Covenant discrete instrument through which the people of Israel enable to
strengthen their relationship with god as well as their fellow human beings can one say
that the law that God gave to Israel through Moses is synonymous with the Covenant
that he made with them?

The tattered and motley group of refuses that Moses let out of Egypt soon prove to be a
disgruntled and dissatisfied lot arguing and complaining questioning the wisdom of
leaving Egypt behind and even wanting to return to 'the flash pots of Egypt'. However
the Lord's design was to form them into his own people and so the Mount Sinai he
entered into a sacred Covenant and with them as he did earlier with Nova and
Abraham and would do later with David.

It was a solemn pact centre on God's promise to become part of their life as their productive
and guide with the people duty to obey him and to observe the Ten Commandments as the
suitable response for his goodness.

The main obligations of Israelites towards God (the first three Commandments) and
towards one another (the remaining seven) are the content of the Ten Commandments.
many of Israel's laws liturgical regulations and ideas for Temple construction and
worship together in the book of Exodus as coming with the Ten Commandments from
God through Moses.

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The Ten Commandments and the Covenant at Sinai tell us of God's desire to be close to us
observing them we are kept in his presence you are helped to be truly free and not to be
enslaved by sin. The Covenant reminds them that the Covenant made with the ancestors.

34. Highlight the leading themes found in the book of Leviticus and numbers?

Nature of the Book Leviticus:

Leviticus is a physical handbook with little in the way of narrative setting down ritual laws of
the Jewish liturgy prescribed for priest of The tribe of Levi (rules of sacrifices the investors of
Priests, norms of ritual purity, the distinguish clean and unclean, penalties for violations,
celebration of feasts, sabbaticals and Jubilees). It is a compendium of cultic and sacrificial
legislation, whereby it could be called “the manual of Priest” as it was almost wholly a
collection of laws and rubrics the book as such advances Pretty little the Pentateuch narrative.

Although 50 case may give the impression to be just a legal code underlying this rules and
prescriptions is the strong Belief in the holiness of God and of possibility of our access to
such a got through right ritual and sacrifice the laws on ritual purity holiness reminder the
Israelites of God's holiness there were 10 invited to match the external purity of the rituals
with anterior disposition of a pure heart and of a life of consult holiness. As Leviticus
summarises "you shall be Holy for I the lord your god am Holy"(19:2).

Book of Numbers

This book presents realistically the account of the 38 years spent by the Israelites
“wandering in the wilderness from the end of their encampment at Sinai to their arrival
at the border of promised land although in fact the camp most of the time at the oasis of
Kadesh, on the northern Eastern edge of the Sinai. The account shows God's plan and care
for his people. It also portrays the hardships the people endured projecting above all their
discontent the lack of faith their dissatisfaction with desert life, leadership or even, food.
Seven instances of rebellion are recorded sometimes against God himself but most frequently
against Moses and Aaron. The people are punished but not abandoned. Their generation is
denied entry into Cannon (32:6-15), as was Moses himself but their progeny is assured of
future occupation with Joshua designated successor of Moses as the one to lead the Hebrews
into the land of the promise (Deut34:9) the account culminates with the scene of the people
poised to enter the promised land.

35. How do you understand the call and mission of Moses in Exodus 3 in view of the
oppressed Hebrews? How is Moses the model for the liberative mission of Jesus and
Church?

Exodus 2:23-25 reveals the nature of God: God hears the cries of the oppressed and takes
notice of them. This loving nature of God is further revealed in his calling of Moses in
Exodus 3:7-10. From this passage we can see that God is sensitive to the conditions of God‘s
people through the words ―observed,‖ ―heard,‖ ―know,‖ and ―come down to deliver.‖ God is

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intimately involved with the suffering Hebrews. God is moved by their physical, social,
economic, and political plight and is attentive to their need for deliverance.

How does God choose to intervene and deliver the Hebrews from their suffering?

God chooses a human to be an agent of God‘s active liberation. God, in all God‘s wisdom
and power could have intervened. Instead, God chose to work through a flawed and fearful
human being: Moses. In Exodus 4:1-13, we find a leader, chosen by God, who seems a lot
like us - scared, awestruck, and reluctant. Overcome with the magnitude of this task and fear
of Pharaoh, Moses begged God to send someone else. Despite this reluctance God chose to
send Moses, however, God was not unmoved by Moses‘ fear and trepidation. God sent
Aaron to be Moses‘ partner. God gave Moses a companion and helper. As we have seen,
God could have intervened with God‘s own power; however, God chose to intervene through
human action. Perhaps we could consider this to be the normative way God chooses to
intervene: To use God‘s highest creation, humanity, with all our flaws and weaknesses, with
all our fears and excuses, and with all of our calling and empowerment from God to
accomplish the difficult task of being God‘s agents in responding to the suffering that is still
found in the world.

Moses as the model for Jesus: Jesus The core event of the New Testament, the incarnation
of Christ, leads us to continue to think about this idea of humans as agents of God‘s work in
the world. God‘s most elaborate response to the needs of humankind for liberation was
sending Jesus into the chaotic human existence.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).

Paul writes of Christ‘s mission being God taking on human form in Philippians 2:5-8. While
this dual nature of Jesus, who refers to himself both as Son of God and Son of Man, is
foundational to think of God‘s ultimate intervention in human history being the incarnation,
the human agency of Christ. Like Moses, Jesus too sought out companionship along his
journey. Jesus knew his ministry could not be done alone and that he would need help and
support along the way. Therefore, he called the twelve named disciples and many others to
be his co-labourers. Within the gospel tradition all the stories that depict Jesus healing people
of their infirmities (Luke 7:l-10) forgiving their sins (Mark 2:1-12)1 and working for their
benefit in the midst of rigid political, social, and religious institutions and mind-sets (Matt
12:1-81 9-14) embody the spirit and theology of liberation first heard in Exodus, where God
is depicted not only as hearing the people's groans but also as committed to doing something
about their pain and suffering. Perhaps the passage that best captures the Exodus spirit of
liben1tion is Luke 4:16-301 where Luke portrays Jesus in the synagogue, reading from the
scroll of Isaiah. He proclaims that the following words are fulfilled in the people's hearing:

―The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the
poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let
the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.‖ (Luke 4:18-19).

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Church: Christians came to understand themselves as "the new people of God" (1 Pet 2:9-
10; Exo 19:6) and thus heard the Exodus story of liberation in relation to their own lives and
to the Christ event. Today, as Disciples of Christ, we too are collaborators with Christ in this
calling. While Jesus brought an immediate healing to those who needed liberation from their
ailments, we, today, as his human agents can bring liberation to oppressed people through
offering all persons access medicine, clean water, and economic development. God did not
stop choosing human beings as agents of God‘s work at the end of the Biblical age. Today,
God still calls people to be agents of deliverance throughout the world through the Church.

36. Is it true that the prologue of the gospel according to John encapsulates the
Johannine theology? Explain. How does the author of the fourth gospel enlighten us on
the significance of incarnation?

Yes, it is true that the prologue of the gospel according to John encapsulates the Johannine
theology. Some consider it to be ‗an awkwardly connected passage that can be eliminated
without loss to the message of John‘ while others not only see it as the Gospel of John in
‗miniature‘ but a summary of all ‗Johannine theology.‘ Most scholars divide the prologue of
John‘s Gospel into two parts. Verses one to thirteen can be seen as ‗a capsule summary of the
Gospel story.‘ Then verses fourteen to eighteen would be the response or reflection of
believers. The following are thirteen major ideas within the Prologue that are reflected in
other parts of John‘s Gospel.

 Jesus is God: The very beginning of the book identifies the Word as divine (1:1) who
is later identified as Jesus Christ (1:17). ‗The divine glory of Christ‘ is ‗the first, and
most distinctive, feature of John‘. This designation of Jesus as God occurs once again
at the end of John‘s Gospel forming, in effect, an inclusion of the entire Gospel
account (20:28). Furthermore the charges of blasphemy that run throughout the book
support this idea that was identified at the beginning (5:18; 8:58; 10:31-39; 17:5;
19:7).
 Life: Another main idea is that Jesus having life. He ‗embodies life‘ (1:4; 5:21; 6:57;
11:25; 14:6) as he has life in himself (5:26). This concept ties together a significant
component of John‘s Gospel - ‗eternal life‘ (3:16; 5:40; 6:47; 10:10, 28; 11; 14:6;
17:2).
 Light: Light is also a main idea that traverses the pages of John‘s historical account.
The divine life is light and enters the world (1:4, 9; 8:12; 9:5). It is in opposition to
darkness (1:5; 3:19; 12:35-36, 46). This light is ‗not mere reason or insight, it is the
light of salvation, the light that points to God‘ (3:19-21; 8:12; 9:5) in contrary nature
to the darkness that symbolises ‗rebellion, conflict, and hostility‘.
 World: It is through the Word that the world was made yet it ‗has fallen in alienation
from the creator‘ (1:10; 1 John 5:19).
 Witness of John the Baptist: Bultmann and others believe the Prologue was adapted
from ‗a pre-Christian gnostic hymn‘ and that verses on John the Baptist were inserted
later. On the other hand, if these popular eighteen verses are a summary introduction
one would expect there to be mention of him as a witness (1:6-8, 15, 19-37; 3:22-30;

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5:31-36; 10:40-42). These references do not merely contain the idea of the Baptist but
also the thread of witness, ‗one of the key words in the Gospel‘. Even John the Baptist
is not the greatest witness (5:36). Other witnesses to Jesus are his works (3:11, 32;
5:36; 8:14, 18; 10:25, 32, 37-38; 14:11; 15:24; 18:37), the Father (5:32, 37; 8:18),
Jesus himself (8:14, 18), the Spirit (15:26), the Scriptures (5:39, 46) and the beloved
disciple (19:35; 21:24). By opening this theme at the commencement of the Gospel, it
helps enlighten the reader to what is coming.
 Response
 Three verses (1:10-12) in the Prologue can be seen to ‗encapsulate the drama of the
whole Gospel‘. The first half of the Gospel (chs. 1-12) reflects the rejection of Jesus
(1:10-11) and the second half (chs. 13-21) reflects those who ‗believe in his name‘
(1:12). This theme of unbelief (e.g. 6:64; 7:5; 10:25; 12:37) and belief (e.g. 2:11;
4:39, 41; 8:30) carries on throughout the Gospel. This theme of belief appears to be
the purpose of the book (20:31).
 Children of God: The idea of being born of God and becoming his child also begins
in the Prologue (1:12-13) and continues in the Gospel (3:3, 5-8; 8:31-47; 11:51-52).
Becoming a child of God is a ‗privilege‘ that can only be brought about by God.
 Flesh: The flesh of Jesus is emphasised in the Prologue (1:14). He was in the world
(1:10). It directly refers to the incarnation of the Word, the humanity of Christ. This
emphasis on his human nature flows throughout the Fourth Gospel (1:45; 2:12; 4:6, 7;
6:1; 11:35; 19:28, 42; 20:20, 27).
 Glory: The glory of the Word of God is a main idea of the Gospel (1:14). Again it
carries throughout the penned account of Jesus Christ (2:11; 7:39; 8:54; 11:4, 40;
12:23, 41; 13:31; 17:5, 24). The glory of Christ is John‘s ‗first and most distinctive
feature‘. This theme of glory is being expanded throughout the rest of the book. The
concept that the Son was sent so that the glory of the Father might be revealed is also
pertinent within this theme.
 The One and only: (1:14, 18) - Especially the emphasis on the one and only Son ‗sets
the stage for the Gospel‘s characteristic emphasis on the Father-Son relationship
between God and Jesus‘. This same word is used in the famous verses of chapter three
(3:16, 18).
 Truth: The concept of truth is mentioned at the commencement of the Gospel (1:14,
17). John then expands on this concept as Jesus is the truth (14:6; 18:36-37),
‗communicates truth‘ (1:51; 3:3, 5, 11; 8:31; 18:37) ‗and leads to truth, which makes
man free (8:32; 14:17; 15:26)‘.
 The Law: The comparison John offers between Jesus and the law also begins in the
first section of the Gospel (1:17). „By showing his superiority to the patriarchs of the
Jewish faith (4:12; 6:32; 8:53-58), the replacement in his person of Jewish feasts and
religious institutions (2:1-11, 19-22; 6:32-41; 7:37-39), and the relationship between
the Law and Moses on the one hand and Jesus Christ on the other (1:17; 5:39-40, 45-
47; 7:19-23).‟ It seems clear that throughout the Gospel and the Prologue ‗in Christ
we have not symbol but substance, not the shadow of bliss but its reality‘. The law
paves the way for grace and truth to come through Jesus Christ.

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 Reveals the Father: The personal relationship of the Word and God is ‗epitomized in
John 1:18‘. He is the only one who has seen the Father (6:46). This ‗Word‘ reveals the
Father, ‗in the beginning God expressed himself‘. Jesus ‗reveals the Father‘ (8:38;
15:15; 17:25-26). So much so that he can say ‗whoever has seen me has seen the
Father‘ (14:9). This concept of revelation pervades the gospel.
 With each of these examples, we come to know that the prologue constitutes the
Johannine theology.

The significance of incarnation in the Fourth gospel:

The Logos idea in John's Prologue makes certain affirmations which simultaneously
eliminate certain alternative ways of interpreting Jesus of Nazareth. The belief of Christ as
God incarnate is presupposed by the idea of creation.

Vv 1-3 of John reads: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God; He was in the beginning with God. All things come into being by
Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being."

The Word was with God describes the pre-creation state, a formula similar to Gen 1:1. The
deity of the Word is explicitly affirmed, without obscuring distinction between the Word and
God. It is absolutely clear that the Word shared in the nature of Deity. The Word and God
were simply interchangeable words. The relationship between the Word and the world is
clearly articulated: ―all things were made through him, and without him was not anything
made that was made.‖ The Word is God's agent in the creation of the universe, a thought not
dissimilar from that of Paul in Col 1:15. The Word is clearly distinct from the creation in
kind, not merely in degree. Creation ex nihilo is both presupposed by and demanded for the
Incarnation. Christ can be no more than the supreme expression of God's universal presence
in humanity. Christ can be no more than the moment of greatest significance in the cosmic
process whereby God and the world create each other.

It is only if we place Christ in the context of the creator-creature relationship that we can
regard him as being absolutely unique and intrinsically unsurpassable. The Logos is distinct
from creation. A different verb is used for the creation (―to become‖) and the Logos (―to be‖).
V 14 asserts that this eternally pre-existent Word became flesh in Christ. Flesh signifies in
this context human nature, the full and real manhood of the incarnate Logos. Thus certain
conclusions follow. First, adoptionism is ruled out. From the beginning of his life Jesus was
God Incarnate. Second, Jesus was the Incarnation of the eternal pre-existent Word. His place
is firmly fixed in the divine Trinity. It was the Son, not the Spirit or Father, that became a
man in Jesus of Nazareth. Thus, the idea is that Jesus as the Son is inferior to God the Father
in His being and status (subordinationism) is ruled out. John did not say the Word was theios
(divine) but rather theos (God). Owen explains the implications of this distinction. ―To say
that the Word was divine could leave room for subordinationism which can be excluded only
by affirming an identity of being between him and God. Of course the Son is subordinate to
the Father in the sense that he is derived from the Father, but if . . . he receives the Father's

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whole nature, he and the Father are co-equal.‖ This emphasis of the full Deity and full
humanity of Jesus Christ simultaneously disavows both Docetism and (later) Arianism.

37. How do you understand the discipleship of the mother of Jesus as pointed out in the
fourth gospel?

It is noticeable that John does not mention the name of Mary in his Gospel. Instead, he calls
her ‗the mother of Jesus‘ (Jn 2:1, 3, 5; 19:25, 26). John is the only one of the four Evangelists
who never calls Jesus‘ mother by her name. It must also be said that when we say Mary is the
"perfect disciple," we do not intend to imply that she was a member of that select group of
followers who accompanied Jesus in his work of preaching throughout the country. There is
no evidence to suggest that she was especially chosen by Christ to be a disciple. But on the
other hand, none of the Gospels portrays her positively as an unbeliever. We must, therefore,
take a broader notion of discipleship and understand it in terms of an attitude of heart and
mind in relation to Jesus.

Mary accompanied Jesus from His conception in her womb until His death on the cross. In
doing so she followed Jesus in a perfect manner. ―What is decisive is whether one devotes
one‘s entire person to following Jesus and remaining faithful to him. What is important is to
surrender solely to Jesus. This would make the perfect discipleship to Jesus. The Gospel
according to John continues to develop this discipleship of Mary through what happens at
Cana and at Calvary (John 2:1-12; John 19:27-28).

In the Cana story, although Jesus is not refusing his mother's request nor is he reproving her,
nevertheless he is telling her something about her relationship with him. He is calling into
question the relationship she has had up to then with him - the familial relationship of mother
and son. He is suggesting that this has now been transcended. He signals this by no longer
calling her "mother" but "woman," a title which is not offensive but which nevertheless
shows that Jesus no longer sees himself His mother on the level of a natural family. Jesus is
telling Mary that the former mother-son relationship is now transformed into a new
relationship because his hour is now beginning with the sign which he will work in response
to her intervention. In doing this work of his Father, Jesus is subject only to Him; not even his
mother can influence what he does she understands what he is saying and that she accepts the
new relationship. She no longer addresses Jesus but speaks to the waiters, suggesting that
they should do whatever Jesus tells them. She does not specify what should be done. It is all
up to Jesus. The initiative belongs to him. But what is this new relationship?

Mary should enter into a relationship of discipleship based on receptivity to the word of the
Father manifested in Jesus - a relationship to which the other disciples are called also and
which is the condition of their membership in the special group. Mary's response to Jesus'
words in the Cana episode shows her own understanding of the new relationship. "Do
whatever he tells you." She is telling the servants to be at the disposal of Jesus. She is not
excluding herself from the command to do whatever Jesus says; rather, she is fulfilling the
Gospel prescription of what is necessary in order to be a true disciple. In these words of Mary
there is also a hint of her motherhood with regard to the disciples, which Jesus will declare on

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Calvary. In telling the servants to follow Jesus' commands, she is arousing in them an attitude
of discipleship. Accepting the word of God, having faith, is thus a necessary condition of
discipleship - a connection made clearly in John: "If you make my word your home, you will
indeed be my disciples" (Jn 8:31). It is too strong to maintain that the relationship of mother
and son is broken or even replaced; it is transcended. It is transformed into the higher
relationship of discipleship. Even as mother, Mary always sought what was best for him; she
was at his service in that sense. Now that her motherhood has been taken up into her
discipleship, she still seeks to serve him, but under new conditions. She now recognizes his
independence of her and the initiative belongs to him. But in concluding the story the author
says simply, "and his disciples believed in him," not mentioning Mary, perhaps because her
belief in him was not aroused by the wonder he wrought but rather was already present when
she made her intervention.

At Calvary, she stands there at the foot of the cross. She is with him in this last hour (his
passion and death). She shows her perseverance and intimacy in her relationship to Jesus as
his first Beloved Disciple. If at Calvary Mary is clearly seen as both mother and disciple, it
seems natural to suppose she is present at Cana also in this dual role. The Calvary scene is of
supreme importance for John: it is pregnant with symbolism and keen theological insight. At
the foot of the Cross John places two important characters whom he introduces not by name
but by description: the mother of Jesus, and the disciple whom Jesus loved. The significance
of this should not be missed. None of the other three Evangelists mentions the presence of
either of these two important persons, and this raises problems concerning the historicity of
the incident. However, for our purposes the theological significance of John's placing them
on Calvary is much more important; for here the "hour" of Jesus comes to a climax, the
"hour" in which his work reaches its fulfilment and he is to be definitively glorified. The fact
that he introduces Mary into the scene together with the Beloved Disciple is a strong
invitation for us to ponder in depth its significance to the best of our ability. "The disciple
whom Jesus loved" has a symbolic importance in John's Gospel.

The beloved disciple is portrayed in the fourth Gospel as being the ideal disciple. He is the
close companion of Jesus. Jesus' mission is entrusted to his disciples in the person of the ideal
disciple. Jesus is now to live on in his Church, in his disciples. In this crucial scene the
themes of motherhood and discipleship are tightly interwoven. This is emphasized by the
Evangelist's use of descriptive titles instead of proper names: the mother of Jesus and the
disciple whom Jesus loved. John writes: "Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother… Seeing
his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, 'Woman, this
is your son.' Then to the disciple he said, 'This is your mother.' And from that moment the
disciple took her into his care" (Jn 19:25-27). Jesus proclaims that Mary and the disciple are
now related as mother and son. This relationship obviously cannot be a biological one.
Nevertheless, the very words suggest a unity of "nature." A mother must be of the same
nature as her offspring. Mary's "son" here is a disciple; therefore she too must be a disciple.
Her biological motherhood is transcended and its true nature stands revealed in terms of
discipleship. The Beloved Disciple stands there as the ideal. Mary as his mother must be like

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him in his spiritual "nature" because he is her son. And so she too like him must be a model
disciple.

On Calvary his moment of glory had come and it was then time to breathe forth the Spirit.
Mary and the Beloved Disciple are witnesses to this breathing out of the Spirit and
outpouring of water. They are thus pictured as receiving the first outpouring of the Spirit on
the newly constituted Church. On Calvary Mary and the ideal disciple (representing all true
Christians) receive the Spirit from the dying Christ; at Pentecost Mary and the community of
disciples receive the Spirit in tongues of fire. Theologically the same point is made: Mary is
at one with the Spirit-filled disciples.

38. Explain the following concepts that figure in the gospel according to John:

(1) Jesus the Lamb of God (1:29, 36)

The sacrifice of the first Passover lamb prevented the death of the firstborn. In a similar
manner the sacrificial death of Jesus ―the Lamb of God,‖ as portrayed by the Baptist,
prevents the death that would result from ―the sin of the world‖ (Jn 1:29; cf. Jn 3:14-16;
6:51). In his high-priestly prayer Jesus sanctifies himself for his disciples: ―And for their sake
I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth‖ (John 17:19). Jesus
consecrates himself as a sacrifice for his disciples. In the OT, the sacrifice of the paschal
lamb was associated with the consecration to the Lord of the firstborn of Israel, both man and
beast (Exo. 13:2). Thereafter the firstborn male animals are to be ‗consecrated‘ or ‗set apart‘
to the Lord as a sacrifice. The firstborn of the Israelites are to be redeemed through animal
sacrifice in memory of the Exodus (Exod 13:11-16; Deut 15:19-20). As Jesus sanctifies
himself he reveals that one of the motives for his sacrificial death is to consecrate his
disciples, as the paschal lamb consecrated the firstborn of Israel to the Lord. As the paschal
lambs are slaughtered, Pilate hands over Jesus the Lamb of God to be crucified, thereby also
fulfilling Jesus‘ own prediction (John 19:16; cf. John 8:28).

(2) The Living water (4; 7:37-39)

The metaphor of the living water depicts two things:

 The valueless institution which Jesus replaces in his person.

 The newness Jesus brings.

John 4:10 and 14 and John 7:37-39, clearly refers to the Paraclete-Spirit. Those who receive
the Paraclete/Spirit or who ―drink‖ Jesus‘ teaching will have the Spirit (living water) welling
up in their hearts as Jesus promised the Samaritan woman in John 4:13-14. The water from
Jacob‘s well could extend life for a while, but the living water from Jesus would issue into
life everlasting which, according to the Johannine perspective, refers to life lived in
relationship with God. John 4:1-42: ―If Jesus is both Messiah and Saviour of the world, the
living water is both revelation and the Spirit.‖

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She then notes that being born of the spirit ―opens up possibility of receiving the eternal life
available through Jesus.‖ She cites John 19:34 where Jesus‘ side is pierced and ―water and
blood‖ came out of the wound. She concludes that drinking living water means a transition
from the ―earthly realm‖ into becoming one of God‘s children. She notes that here too
symbols are ―integrally related concepts‖ where ―living water/spirit‖ will become ―a spring of
water welling up to eternal life‖(John 4:14).The living water/spirit that Jesus offers opens up
the ―possibility of entrance into the realm of God and eternal life by allowing believers a new
ascribed honour status as children of God.‖

(3) The Light of the World (Jn 8:12; 9:5)

The figures of light and darkness define the plot of the Gospel, for they represent the
opposing powers of righteousness and evil, and the contrasting results of belief and un-
belief. In the introductory words of the Prologue the light is the life that was manifested in
Christ. Through Him the divine radiance was focused on the world as a searchlight plays on a
dark landscape (1:4-5). Sin and its consequent estrangement may have produced a twilight in
which the way of life had become obscure, but Christ had provided the illumination
necessary to lead men back to God. If the light did not reach them, it was because they
rejected it. ―Men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil‖ (3:19).
Jesus, however, claimed that He was the light of the world and that those who followed Him
should not walk in the darkness (8:12). The chief example of this principle is the healing of
the man born blind. Jesus said as He confronted the helpless victim of fate, ―When I am in the
world, I am the light of the world‖ (9:5). By the cure that He effected the man was delivered
from the darkness of futility and ignorance, and acquired a new purpose.

The rising hostility of Jesus, culminating in the crucifixion, seemed to mark the triumph of
the darkness, for justice was frustrated, and evil prevailed over good. The death of Jesus
apparently involved the denial of His claims and the defeat of righteousness. The
resurrection, however, brought the vindication of the claims of Christ, and once for all
confuted His enemies. The life in Him, which overcame death, proved to be ―the light of
men.‖

(4) The Bread from Heaven (6:31-58)

Jesus says, ―I am the living bread which came down from heaven;‖ he compares himself with
the manna and claims that he is the new manna that surpasses the old for he provides
everlasting life (John 6:48-50). He explains that this true bread is his flesh, which he will give
―for the life of the world‖ (John 6:51) Jesus conveys a further challenge, ―he who eats my
flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life‖ (John 6:53-57). He clarifies that the Spirit not the
flesh, is the source of that life (John 6:63). Consequently, it is the Spirit that will feed the
believers with the life provided through Jesus‘ sacrificial death. Upon hearing these words,
many disciples ―no longer walked with him‖ (John 6:66). The Twelve remain because they
have ―believed and have come to know that [Jesus is] the Holy One of God‖ (John 6:69).

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These verses show that Jesus is the true bread from heaven that surpasses and perfects the
former gift of the manna. His revelations constitute the teaching by God (John 6:45; cf. 1:18).

(5) The Good Shepherd (10:11, 14)

God himself takes the role of the true shepherd (Jer 31:10; 13:17; 23:3; Isa 40:11; 49:9-10).
The prophets spoke of a future Davidic figure that would shepherd the people of God (Mic
5:3; Jer 3:15; 23:4-6; Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24; Zech 13:7-9). Jesus declares, ―‗I Am‘ the Good
Shepherd‖; he further defines ‗good‘ in the readiness of the shepherd as he ―lays down his
life for the sheep‖ (John 10:11). Jesus surpasses the Jewish expectation of the messianic
shepherd as he claims his oneness with God whom he calls Father. His self-gift unto death for
the sake of the sheep extends to both Gentiles and Jews (John 10:16). Jesus compares his
mutual knowledge of his ‗own,‘ as shepherd with his sheep, to his intimate relationship with
his Father (John 10:14-15). The theme of the Shepherd‘s death is further accentuated without
the pastoral imagery: the Father willed that the Son lay down his life for the world and the
Son obeyed in freedom (John 10:17-18). In anticipation of his sacrificial death on the cross at
Passover, Jesus reveals himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.

Using the shepherd/sheep metaphor, Jesus maintains that because of their unbelief they will
not accept his words; they are unable to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. He further
identifies the true believers as the sheep that hear the voice and follow the Shepherd; he gives
them eternal life therefore, they will never perish (John 10:27-28).

(6) The True Vine (Jn 15)

The vine was commonly used as a symbolic representation of Israel in the Old Testament,
mostly depicted in unfaithful or unfruitful terms (Ps. 80.14-17; Jer. 2.21; 5.10). In the vine
discourse, the vine is not a representation of Israel, but Jesus. The emphasis, ‗true‘ vine (15.1)
suggests a contrast between Israel, the untrue or unfaithful vine in the Old Testament, and
Jesus, the true and faithful vine of God in the New Testament. Jesus as the ‗true‘ vine is
depicted in the discourse as the tree of life, giving life to all those who remain attached to him
(15.5-6: cf. Rev. 22.1-2).

The branch who remains attached to Jesus is pruned so he/she can bear much fruit (v. 2). The
word used for ‗prune‘ in this context, also carries the idea of ‗cleansing‘. Pruning the
branches is most likely a metaphorical way of expressing the moral cleansing of the branches
(disciples) by the Father so they can bear much fruit. Moreover, the branches are said to have
attained purity already by the words of the vine (v. 3), thus stressing a double cleansing
(13.10). The words of Jesus carry a cleansing/purifying effect, simply because they are Spirit-
imbued (3.34; 6.63). It is the Spirit who, through the words of Jesus as living water, cleanses
the heart and transforms God‘s people (cf. Ezek. 36.25-29). To remain in the vine is to keep
the Spirit-imbued words of Jesus (v. 7, 10, 14), which in turn leads to the bearing of fruits (v.
2, 4, 5, 7). The fruit-bearing that results from remaining in Jesus, has a moral denotation,

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alluding to other New Testament moral imperatives (Matt. 3.8, 10; 7.16-20; 12.33; Luke 3.8-
9; 6.43-44; 13.6-9). Stresses Christian character would be as the fruit.

(7) Jesus‟ Priesthood

John 17 contains the longest recorded prayer of Jesus in any of the Gospels. Jesus prays this
after He finishes His final instructions to the disciples and before He is betrayed, arrested,
and crucified. First, Jesus prays for Himself, then He prays for His disciples, and He closes
the prayer by praying for all believers. This intercessory prayer is commonly called Jesus‘
High Priestly Prayer. The office of high priest was instituted at Mount Sinai when God gave
the Law to the Israelites through Moses. Aaron and, subsequently, his descendants were
chosen to be priests who were responsible for interceding for Israel before God (Exo 28 - 29).
One priest was selected as the high priest who would enter the Holy of Holies on the Day of
Atonement to offer the sacrifice that would temporarily cover the sins of the people (Heb
9:7). When Jesus came, He offered His life as the ultimate sacrifice that would not only cover
the sins of the people but completely cleanse His people and save them. Jesus is the ultimate
High Priest, and His intercession for us in John 17 is a wonderful, multi-layered example of
His love. As Jesus begins His High Priestly Prayer, He reveals that His purpose in coming to
earth was to glorify the Father by giving eternal life to those who believe in Him. Although
Jesus is God and was with the Father before the world began (Jn 17:5), He humbled Himself
and came to earth as a man so people would know ―the only true God, and Jesus Christ‖
whom He sent (Jn 17:3). Now, the hour had come when Jesus‘ work on earth would be
finished (John 17:1), and Jesus asks the Father to glorify Him as He prepared to finish the
work that would ―give eternal life‖ to those who believe in Him (Jn 17:2).

Jesus continues His High Priestly Prayer by praying for His disciples. After praying for His
disciples, Jesus also prays for everyone who will believe in Him through their message (Jn
17:21). Jesus says that He prayed the High Priestly Prayer because He was going to the
Father soon and He wanted His disciples to ―have the full measure of my joy within them‖
(Jn 17:13).

39. Explain the seven signs in the gospel according to John and how they are reefing
point towards the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus?

The 7 Signs of John is based on the words that the apostle John writes near the end of his
gospel. He said, ―Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the
disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His
name.‖ (John 20:30-31) The Signs are as follows:

The changing of water into wine (Jn 2:1-11): When the disciple saw Jesus miracle they
believed. The miracle showed his power over nature and revealed the way He would go
about His ministry helping other, speaking with authority, and being in personal touch with
people. The significance of the miracle shows in the effect that it produced. This is the first

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miracle Jesus did at Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory. This signs promoted there
belief and it was advance step beyond the reason to believe. The individuals had seen the
wonders with their physical eyes and they were able to portray the person of Jesus and draw a
conclusion that a superior being was among them who has proof his claims by His deed of
compassion and supremacy.

The healing of the Nobleman`s son (John 4:46-54): This is incredible power demonstrated
by healing the Nobleman`s son who was at great distance. Jesus proves himself the master of
space and distance. This was a sign to all people that Jesus is not just a mere man but divine.
This miracle enables the faith of the noble man and his family to grow. The kind of faith that
prompted the nobleman to demonstrate such action was the knowledge of information gather
from people gave him hope to believe that Jesus is capable of handling such crisis. The
ability and faith the nobleman put to work and the confidence of his words to Jesus it shows
the boldness of his trust that Jesus is the only answers to such case; ―Sir, come down because
my child die‖. This is a notable request without any authentic inquiry regarding his
personality, and whatsoever that is running in his mind must be a positive expectation. When
Jesus gave him a simple reply; ―Go your way; your son live‖, his response shows as he think
in his mind received his expectation. And the purpose of John gospel is for people to believe
in Christ divinity. The scriptures proofs that the nobleman increase in faith that led him
committed himself and his household wholeheartedly to Jesus.

The healing of impotent Man (Jn 5:1-9): Jesus instantly cures a man afflicted with disease
of thirty eight years. This demonstrated power over time. The condition of the impotent
man was already overwhelmed with depression of sickness and from physical standing point.
His psychological reasoning was already affected and resigned to his fate and had accepted
the inevitable. Apostle John regards this sickness as outstanding event which Jesus did to
open the spiritual eyes and inner man of the people to believe Jesus Christ had arrived the
saviour of life, the freedom giver no matter kinds of disaster or calamity, his present is the
instant solution to the matter. This is significant to John gospel. Thirty eight years of sickness
was challenged by Jesus asking him question, ―Do you want to get well?‖ The question might
appear foolish to the impotent man. But who is he or she would like to remain sick? But the
expectation of the impotent man was somebody needed to help him into the pool when the
water bubbled in other to achieve the miraculous powers. From Jesus‘ close examination, His
assessment shows that the impotent man was bound by his circumstances and could not rise
higher than pointless complaint. But Christ shows compassion on those who are helpless and
been reduced both in body, hope, faith, and in spirit. The authority of Jesus and the command
over the sickness bring an instant turning around over his helplessness in body, hope, faith
and spirit. Jesus said, ―Rise take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made
whole and walked. This is unusual miracles that brought a new faces into the gospel to
believe.

The feeding of the Five thousand (Jn 6:1-4): Jesus proves himself to be the master of
quantity by multiplying the five loaves and two small fishes of one boy‘s lunch to feed five
thousand men besides women and children. This is incredible circumstance beyond human

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expectation, even though the disciples who have being with him who had witnesses several
miracles cannot still confidently succumbed to the situation even though the master is within
them with the way they reasoning and their imagination. But Jesus Christ who is the master
of quantity proofs beyond the reactions of the disciples. The superiority of Jesus overrules the
kinds of educational knowledge which apply in the context of their calculation by Philip as
statistical pessimist and Andrew who was ingenious optimist. These could still not help the
situation. The miraculous multiplications by the hand of Jesus in breaking the bread and fish
into edible fragments is call the work of a sign and the prophetic of Jesus‘` sufficiency in the
midst of deficiency, and of His ability to make sacred meagreness gratify the need of the
starving. The amazing things the audience reaction is to make Jesus their king, the messiah
which is the main theme and the significance of John gospel.

The walking on the water (Jn 6:16-21): Jesus shows power over nature. This is incredible
event that created fear to Jesus Christ‘s disciples. The event has a significant meaning to the
disciples why they have the ideas of the weather, this made them to sail before Jesus came,
and they could not afford to take risk. Jesus expected them to act in their faith as they saw
him approaching them instead they were afraid. Faith is a mind-set that expects God to act
when we act upon this expectation, we can overcome our fears. John saw this miracle as an
incredible event that prove Christ authority over nature.

The healing of the Man Born Blind (Jn 9:1-12): Jesus anointing a blind man since his birth
with clay and he received his sight by obedience. This is power over disaster or
misfortune. In some of the miracles Jesus did as recorded in John`s gospel, sickness were
influenced by the operation of evil forces in the world. Sin and evil caused disease was seen
as part of the total fallenness of God`s creation. If the healing miracles show Jesus releasing
individual people from the power of sin, the nature miracles show Jesus doing the same for
the whole of creation. This is to prove that Jesus has power over the power of sin that lead
to sickness that is He is the life giver, the giver of eternal life to them that believe in him.

The Raising of Lazarus (Jn 11:1-46): This miracle shows Jesus was the master of death.
His transcended control over dead is unquestionably. It was the last enormous miracle Jesus
did and recorded in John gospel. Jesus proves his claim to be the resurrection and the life.
Since sign and miracles are symbolic meaning to the gospel of faith, John draws out this last
event as the close up mastery among the signs recorded in his written.

These signs were important to understand Christ superiority over the factors of life with
which human is unable to handle. The event of signs revealed the proof of his deity and key
to understand the purpose of eternal life as Christ is both eternal and human. However, the
purposes of these signs are for the person to believe in God as well as Jesus is the son of God
that they may have life in his name as it is carefully defined by Jesus in John17:3. The
miracles did by Jesus was not for his personal gain, rather for the glory of God which He
shared as God`s Son (John 1:14). The same subject happens in other miracles where Jesus
requires praise to be given to God and not to himself (John 11:4).

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Reefing point towards Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus:

We can find many instances of foreshadowing the Passion of Jesus throughout the Book of
Signs (John 2-12). For those whose hearts were open to mystery, these signs were pointers to
Jesus‘s inner divinity, to the intimate union of the Son with the Father. Within the first of his
miraculous signs, the transformation of water into wine at Cana in Galilee, John indicates an
initial reluctance in Jesus to resolve the young couple‘s social crisis. At first he resists his
mother‘s wish for him to intervene and provide some extra wine, by saying ―my hour has not
yet come!‖ (1:4). ―The hour‖ In the gospel of John is a foreshadowing reference to Jesus‘
crucifixion and ultimately his hour of glory that will bring about a new era for mankind. It is
linked to another saying, when Jesus tells the woman at the well in Samaria that ―the hour is
coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth‖
(4:23).

The story of the raising of Lazarus is told in such a way as to foretell the Lord‘s own passion
and death. Jesus is far away when he hears that his friend Lazarus is severely ill. At the
proposal that he go to visit his friend, some of the disciples object, ―Rabbi, the Jews were just
now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?‖ (11:8) Then, when Jesus says, ―let
us go to him.‖ the sceptical Thomas said to his fellow disciples, ―Let us also go, that we may
die with him‖ (11:16). There‘s surely a passion prediction in Jesus‘ words, ―Lazarus is dead.
For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may have faith‖ (11:15). His raising of
Lazarus from the dead will prepare his disciples to believe that Jesus, too, will be raised from
the dead. It is within this context that Jesus makes the memorable prophecy to Martha, ―I am
the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and
everyone who lives and believes in me will never die‖ (11:25-26).

It is no accident that immediately after the Lazarus miracle which was our Lord‘s ultimate
sign of divine, life-giving power, John puts his report about the leaders‘ plan to do away with
Jesus. The urgency is clearly underlined. ―The chief priests and the Pharisees called a
meeting of the council, and said, ‗What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. If
we let him go on like this, everyone would believe in him and the Romans will come and
destroy both our holy place and our nation‘(11:47-48). John then has Caiaphas the high priest
declare is better to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed
(v.50), and adds that these words prophesied ―that Jesus was about to die for the nation, and
not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God‖ (11:51-52) – an
interpretation surely far from the mind of Caiaphas, but dear to that of the Evangelist.

Religiously, politically and socially, the scene was set for destroying Jesus. His enemies had
both the motive and the determination to do it. But then in chapter Twelve, John makes clear
that Jesus understood and pre-accepted his coming death, as something necessary to achieve a
higher, universal purpose. Several elements in this final chapter of the Book of Signs give it a
distinctively prolepsis quality, looking forward to what must be achieved. It is like the
immediate prologue to the Passion narrative.

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40. Is it right to say that the Pentecost event is the commemoration and renewal of the
Sinai covenant? After the ascension of Jesus, there were about one hundred and twenty
people remaining faithful to Jesus as his followers (acts 1:15). But on the day of
Pentecost, after peter preached, about three thousand people expressed their willingness
to follow the Christian way (acts 2:41). Does this mean that the disciples of Jesus were
far more effective than Jesus?
Yes, it is right to say. The Jewish festival known in the New Testament as Pentecost is the
same as the Feast of Weeks (Shabuoth) in the Old Testament. It is called the feast of harvest
in Exodus 23:16; cf. 34:22. According to Deuteronomy 16:9-12, it was celebrated seven
weeks after the beginning of the harvest with a free will offering to God. More detailed
legislation is given in Leviticus 23:15-21 (cf. Num. 28:26-31), where the date is established
by counting 50 days (that is, seven weeks plus a day) from the day when the first fruits of the
harvest was offered to the priest.

In the New Testament there is reference to the Jewish festival in Acts 20:16 and I Corinthians
16:8. An important question is whether the festival had acquired any further significance in
New Testament times beyond being a festival of harvest. We have clear evidence that in
certain circles the festival was associated with the renewal of the covenant made by God with
Israel. An allusion to this festival may perhaps be detected in II Chronicles 15:10-12 where a
renewal of the covenant took place under Asa in the third month of the fifteenth year of his
reign.

The key passage, however, is Jubilees 6, in which God makes a covenant with Noah, and his
descendants are commanded to keep the Feast of Weeks annually to renew the covenant. The
feast was kept by the patriarchs, and then forgotten until it was renewed by God on the
mountain, that is, at Sinai (Jub. 6:19). In the rabbinic material, which is later in date,
Pentecost is regarded as the day when the law was given at Sinai, rather than as a memorial
of the covenant with Noah; The most that we can say with certainty is that the association of
Pentecost with the renewal of the covenant and perhaps with the giving of the law was taking
place in some Jewish circles by New Testament times. We have seen that in some areas of
Jewish thought the day of Pentecost was linked with the renewal of the covenant and the
giving of the law at Sinai.

Are these ideas present in Acts? Although a number of scholars have claimed that this is the
case, we have found little evidence to substantiate this view. We know that the early church
did operate with the idea of the new covenant (cf. II Cor. 3), and believed that Jesus had
inaugurated the new covenant by His death; Luke is familiar with the idea of the covenant
made with Israel (Lk, 1:72; Acts 3:25; 7:8), and in all probability with the concept of the new
covenant (Lk. 22:20). The early church did operate with the idea of the new covenant. There
is some parallelism between the theophany at Sinai and the visible manifestation of the Spirit;

Numerous scholars see connections between Sinai and the events at Pentecost. The
quantity and quality of these parallels vary, as does their affirmation among scholars.

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Pentecost is identified as the time when Moses received the Law on Mount Sinai and
Israel became married to God. The first Pentecost was a reflection of the future Day of
Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came and the church was born in Jerusalem.
The Pentecost in Moses‟s Time The Pentecost in Peter‟s Time
(Exod. 19) (Acts 2)
God spoke in seventy languages so They spoke in the tongues of sixteen
all could hear. nations.
Moses was on Mount Sinai. Believers were on Mount Zion.
God‘s voice issued forth as a flame Tongues of fire descended upon
of fire. them.
The mountain shook and quaked. A sound came like a rushing mighty
wind.
Three thousand were slain for Three thousand were converted to the Theref
worshiping an idol. Messiah. ore
with
Festival of Weeks Pentecost
similari
50 days following Passover 50 days following Easter
ties it
could
First fruits of wheat harvest First fruits of Spiritual harvest
be said
Thanksgiving for grain needed for Spirit given for spiritual survival
that the
survival
Pentec
Israel unified under the Church unified by the Spirit at pentecost
ost
law given to Moses
event is
Fire on Mt. Sinai Tongues of fire on the gathered the
Trembling Mt. Sinai Trembling house from violent wind comme
Noisy thunder on Mt. Sinai Thunder of many tongues moratio
Call of the ram‘s horn Call of the Gospel n and
renewal of the Sinai covenant.

Christ said He would build His Church, Matthew 16:18, ―And I also say to you that you are
Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against
it.‖ Therefore, Christ commissioned the disciples to make Disciples, Matthew 28:19-20, ―Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded
you; and I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. The disciples were
obedient and multiplied disciples. Acts 6:7 has witnessed then the word of God spread, and
the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests
were obedient to the faith.
The result of this first gospel sermon was that 3000 souls received the word and, in obedience
to the Divine command, were baptized and were added together.it is true that the number of
disciples has been increased from 120 to 3000. But the discussion has to be stopped with
Jesus is the greater one. Because even the chosen apostles and disciples, by using our Lord‘s
name they did many conversions and miracles. They make a number of disciples to walk on

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the path where Christ has walked and for the service of Christ and for the glory of God.
Christ should be given priority.

41. The conversion of Paul was indeed a turning point in the life of the church in that an
orchestrated missionary campaign was enthusiastically and efficiently undertaken by
him. Paul did respond positively to the mission mandate of Jesus as found in act 1:8 and
he was, to a great extent, able to realize Jesus‟ dream. Throw light on this statement.

The book of Acts provides a detailed, orderly, eyewitness account of the birth and growth of
the early Church and the spread of the gospel immediately after the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. The opening of Acts discloses a primary theme throughout the book. As believers are
empowered by the Holy Spirit they bear witness to the message of salvation in Jesus Christ.
This is how the Church is established and continues to grow, spreading locally and then
continuing to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). In Acts, as Luke describes the spread of the
gospel and the ministry of the apostles, he focuses primarily on two, Peter and Paul. Paul‘s
missionary practice found in the Acts of the Apostles (13:5, 14; 14:1; 16:13; 17:10, 17; 18:4,
19; 19:8; 28:17, 23). In each case, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, makes it his custom when
arriving in a new city to go first to the Jews – and only after preaching to them, to turn to the
Gentiles.
After his conversion, Paul preached the gospel in Damascus, the very city he was going to
persecute the Christians when the Lord seized him and turned his life around. He also went
into Arabia for three years (Gal. 1:17-18), probably for seclusion, meditation, and prayer.
After returning to Damascus, Paul escaped his attackers by climbing into a basket and being
lowered over the city walls (Acts 9:25). Paul then visited Jerusalem, where he met with Peter
and James, the leader of the Jerusalem church, before returning to his native Tarsus. While
Paul was at Tarsus, persecution of Christians in Jerusalem had caused them to flee to other
cities.
A number of Christians had fled to Antioch and were beginning to preach the gospel to the
Gentiles there. Barnabas recognized how valuable Paul would be in such a ministry and went
to Tarsus to seek him out. Within a short time, the Church at Antioch commissioned
Barnabas and Paul to take the gospel to other lands. So began Paul‘s first missionary journey.
Accompanied by Barnabas and Barnabas‘ cousin John Mark, Paul went to Cyprus and the
region of Galatia, in modern southern Turkey (Acts 13-14). The Emissary portrays scenes
from Paul‘s ministry in Lystra from this journey. After meeting with James and Peter in
Jerusalem (Acts 15; Gal. 2), Paul left with Silas on his second missionary journey, revisiting
Churches established in Galatia, and continuing on in to Greece, preaching the gospel in
Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth (Acts 15:39-18:2). Paul probably wrote
his epistle to the Thessalonians during this time.

On his third missionary journey, Paul again revisited the Galatian Churches, then spent
several years teaching at Ephesus, before going on to Troy and Macedonia (Acts 18:23-
21:17). During this time Paul likely wrote the epistles of Corinthians, Romans, and Galatians.
As Paul visited the Gentile Churches, he took up a collection for the persecuted and poor in

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Jerusalem, then suffering a severe famine. When Paul was in Jerusalem with his offering
from the Gentile Churches, he was encouraged to make peace with his Jewish opponents and
participate in a ceremony at the temple. When he came into the temple, the Jews started a
riot, and the Roman soldiers overlooking the temple area came to his rescue (Acts 21). The
Jews sought to kill Paul, but his Roman citizenship brought him some protection as he
appealed to Caesar for a trial. It was by this means that Paul was finally brought to Rome, the
centre of the Empire. He had longed to minister the gospel in the city, and he was happy the
Lord had brought him there, even if in chains (Acts 25-28). It was probably at this time that
Paul wrote the books of Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians. Paul, we surmise,
was released after his trial before Caesar and went on to minister in Asia Minor (modern
Turkey) and possibly Spain. During this time he could have written the letters of I Timothy
and Titus. When persecution of the Christians increased in Rome after the great fire, Paul was
again imprisoned. This imprisonment was more severe than the first. Most of his friends left
him, and only Luke remained. If II Timothy were written during this time, it tells us of Paul‘s
thoughts as he faced death.

From extra-Biblical sources, we know that Paul was executed, beheaded as befitting a Roman
citizen. It could be understood that the the extent of Paul‘s journeys as an emissary of the
gospel: ―The distances travelled by the apostle Paul are nothing short of staggering. In point
of fact, the New Testament registers the equivalent of about 13,400 airline miles that the
great apostle journeyed; and if one takes into account the circuitous roads he necessarily
employed at times, the total distance travelled would exceed that figure by a sizeable margin.
Moreover, it appears that the New Testament does not document all of Paul‘s excursions. For
example, there seems to be an unchronicled visit to Corinth (II Cor. 12:14; 13:1); he refers to
shipwrecks of which we have no record (II Cor. 11:25); and there was his desire to tour Spain
(Rom. 15:24, 28). ―Considering the means of transportation available in the Roman world,
the average distance travelled in a day, the primitive paths, and rugged, sometimes
mountainous terrain over which he had to venture, the sheer expenditure of the apostle‘s
physical energy becomes unfathomable for us. Many of those miles carried Paul through
unsafe and hostile environs largely controlled by bandits who eagerly awaited a prey (cf. II
Cor. 11:26). Accordingly, Paul‘s commitment to the Lord entailed a spiritual vitality that was
inextricably joined to a superlative level of physical stamina and fearless courage.‖ Thus the
Lord used Paul mightily in spreading the Christian message and he witnessed and responded
well to the mission statement said in Acts1:8.

42. Explain Briefly:

1. The Gethsemane Scene:
Parallel accounts of Christ‘s suffering in what is commonly referred to as ―the Garden of
Gethsemane‖ can be found in Matthew 26:30-56, Mark 14:26-52, and Luke 22:39-53. While
John‘s gospel does not narrate the suffering of Christ in the garden, it does place his arrest
there (John 18:1-12). Interestingly, none of the four accounts actually identifies the place as
the ―Garden of Gethsemane.‖ ―Gethsemane‖ means ―oil press.‖ The event of gethsemane is
considered to be very important because of its nature. It gives us two impacts: (1) Historical;

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(2) Explaining the life of early Christians. Going to the Gethsemane, thinking of passion that
is to begin from then on, deeply distressed spirit of Jesus, the seeking of the closeness of the
three apostles, crying out ‗Abba‘ requesting to remove the cup from him… gives us the
historical and theological nature (Mk 14:36-41). The deeper sense of cry and prayer in the
Old Testament gives a complete picture for this. Ps. 22:20; 31:9; 10:22. The deep cry and the
removal of the cup of Jesus express the true humanity of Jesus (Mk 14:36). But Jesus submits
himself at last to God, the father‘s will. The early Christians were strengthened with the
incident of Jesus at Gethsemane. During the time of persecution, the prayer of Jesus, His faith
and His surrender increase the faith of the people. This incident taught them to pray
unceasingly; ―keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial‖ (Mk 14:38).
The spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is weak. The prayer of Gethsemane explains the
dichotomy between the passion of Jesus and the ego of the disciples.

2. The Trial of Jesus in the Court of Pontius Pilate:

The trials before the Roman authorities started with Pilate (John 18:23) after Jesus was
beaten. The charges brought against Him were very different from the charges in His
religious trials. He was charged with inciting people to riot, forbidding the people to pay their
taxes, and claiming to be King.
After the third denial of Peter, Jesus is led from Caiaphas' house to the palace of the Roman
governor. Because the Jews want to eat the Passover, they remain outside Pilate's residence.
This forces Pilate into a situation where he has to come outside to the Jews if he wishes to
question them, and to go inside to Jesus if he wishes to question him. Pilate begins his
hearing by trying to ascertain the charges brought against Jesus. The Jews will not specify a
charge, nor will they back down. So Pilate has to ask Jesus whether he is the King of the
Jews. Jesus replies that he is a king, but not the sort of king either Pilate or the Jews have
understood. Pilate, frustrated, goes back to the Jews and asks whether they want Jesus
released. The Jews cry for Barabbas instead. Pilate then has Jesus flogged. His soldiers
humiliate Jesus. Pilate brings Jesus out to the Jews again, but the chief priests and officials
demand crucifixion. Pilate again pleads Jesus‘ innocence. The Jews, however, claim that
Jesus has called himself God as well as King, thereby setting himself up against Caesar. The
Jews eventually get their way with the statement, ―We have no King but Caesar‖. Vv.12-16
Jews pressure Pilate; Pilate presents Jesus; hands him over to be crucified on day of
Preparation.
3. The Crucifixion and Death: How was Jesus‟ Death Executed?

Condemnation to Death:

 In lands occupied by the Romans, the death penalty could only be carried out with
the approval of the local Roman governor (John 18:31).
 Mark and Matthew explicitly say Jesus was handed over to Roman soldiers to be
crucified; but Luke and John (using ambiguous pronouns) make it seem like Pilate
handed Jesus over to the Jewish authorities to carry out the crucifixion (Luke
23:25; John 19:16).

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Beatings and Scourging:

 Before being crucified, condemned prisoners were often beaten, scourged, mocked,
and mistreated in other ways.
 Prisoners might already die from this maltreatment, so Jewish law limited
floggings to thirty-nine lashes (2Cor 11:24).
 Since Jesus was condemned for claiming to be "King of the Jews," the soldiers
mock him with the symbols of royal power and authority, including a scarlet (or
purple) cloak, a crown (of thorns), and a reed (instead of a sceptre).

Road to Golgotha:

 Condemned persons would usually be forced to carry their own cross beams to the
place of their crucifixion (as Jesus does in John 19:17); in contrast, Simon of
Cyrene is compelled to help carry Jesus' cross in the Synoptics (Mark 15:21; Matt
27:32; Luke 23:26).
 Only Luke tells of Jesus speaking with women along the way to the cross (Luke
23:27-31), but none of the Gospels contains the full fourteen ―Stations of the Cross‖
that later became popular in Christian devotions.
 Golgotha, meaning ―Place of the Skull‖ (Mark 15:22) was probably an abandoned
stone quarry just outside of the walled city of Jerusalem; however, the city was
enlarged and new walls built to the North and West shortly after the death of Jesus.
 Thus, the site of Jesus‘ crucifixion and burial has been inside the city of Jerusalem
since the late first century (at the location of the 4th-century Church of the Holy
Sepulchre); in contrast, some people propose that the actual site of the crucifixion is
at the so-called ―Garden Tomb‖ (slightly north of the Damascus Gate).

Manner of Crucifixion:

 The cross was usually T-shaped, with the cross beam placed on top of an upright
post already set in the ground.
 The victim might be tied and/or nailed to the cross beam and to the upright post;
only John explicitly mentions ―nails‖ and ―nail marks‖ (John 20:25; cf. Col 2:14),
while Jesus may well have been tied to the cross, based on the Synoptic (Acts 5:30;
10:39; 13:29; which use the phrase ―hang on a tree‖; also Deut 21:22; Gal 3:13).
 Crucified persons had to be guarded by soldiers, to prevent family or friends from
rescuing them before they died.
 The charge would often be affixed over the head of the condemned criminal, to
serve as a warning to any onlookers: INRI = Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum,
Latin for ―Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews‖ (John 19:19-22; cf. Mark 15:26).
 Only John gives this full inscription, and says it was posted in Hebrew, Latin, and
Greek; it is briefer in the Synoptics (―This is Jesus the King of the Jews‖ in Matt

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27:37; ―This is the King of the Jews‖ in Luke 23:38; only ―The King of the Jews‖
in Mark 15:26).

Cause of Death:

 Some victims might bleed to death fairly quickly, but some could survive for
several days before succumbing to a combination of dehydration and asphyxiation.
 To prolong the victims' agony, their feet would be tied or nailed to the post, so that
they could push themselves up to breathe.
 To hasten the victims' deaths, their legs might be broken, so that they could no
longer breathe (John 19:31-36).

“Seven Last Words of Christ”:

 Traditional Good Friday devotions recall the seven ―utterances‖ (Greek logos =
―word, phrase, sentence, speech‖) that Jesus spoke while hanging on the cross;
none of the Gospels contain all seven phrases, however, but only one, or at most
three of them:
 Re. those crucifying him: ―Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they
are doing.‖ (Luke 23:34)
 To his mother: ―Woman, here is your son‖; and to the beloved disciple: ―Here is
your mother.‖ (John 19:26-27)
 To the repentant thief: ―Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.‖
(Luke 23:43)
 At the ninth hour: ―Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?‖ which means, ―My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me?‖ (Mark 15:34; Matt 27:46)
 In order to fulfill scripture: ―I am thirsty.‖ (John 19:28)
 After receiving a drink of vinegar: ‗It is finished.‖ (John 19:30)
 As Jesus is dying: ―Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.‖ (Luke 23:46)

The Witnesses to the Crucifixion:

 In the Synoptics, many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee were
―looking on from afar‖ (Mark 15:40; Matt 27:55; cf. Luke 23:49).
 Mark names three women (Mary Magdalene; Mary the mother of James and
Salome); Matthew names the same three (?) slightly differently (Mary Magdalene;
Mary the mother of James and Joseph; and the mother of the sons of Zebedee); but
in Luke the women remain anonymous (until 24:10).
 A Roman centurion who witnessed the scene declares, ―Truly this man was the son
of God‖ (Mark 15:39; Matt 27:54), or ―…was innocent‖ (Luke 23:47).
 In John 19:25-26, four women (his mother; his mother's sister; Mary the wife of
Clopas; and Mary Magdalene--or three, as well as ―the disciple whom Jesus loved‖
(not named, but called ―son‖) are ―standing beside the cross‖ (i.e. very close to it).

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4. The Empty Tomb and the Open Tomb

As Mary Magdalene approached the tomb where Jesus‘ body had been placed, she discovered
the stone blocking the entrance had been rolled away. She was alarmed that the tomb was
empty. How could that happen?
She ran out looking for someone to provide her with information. She found the disciples,
Peter and John. ―They have taken the Lord‘s body out of the tomb, and I don‘t know where
they have taken him‖, she said. Upon hearing this, the disciples ran to the tomb to see. Peter
and John entered the tomb, and saw neat and orderly grave clothes and laying on the "bed" of
the tomb. They believed that Mary‘s report was true, and that something awesome and
incredibly unique had happened. The arrangement of the grave clothes showed that this was
no grave robbery and that something absolutely unique had happened in that now-empty
tomb.
Why is this tomb so great, so important? Simply because it is empty! The person who
occupied it, Jesus, a humble carpenter of Nazareth, is no longer there. He was executed for
making extravagant claims. He claimed to be the Son of God. It didn‘t dawn on the disciples
that Jesus had predicted this. When they leave the tomb they leave it confused. After the
disciples leave, Mary stands outside the tomb weeping. She sees two angels in the tomb and
then she sees Jesus. She doesn‟t recognize him until Jesus says her name. Once Mary
recognizes Jesus she realizes at least one truth that the empty tomb is conveying. Jesus
lives and He is among the living and not the dead.

“Why was the stone rolled away?”

The stone was not rolled away for Him to come out. The stone was rolled away so that we
could look in. It was rolled away so that the empty tomb could be visible to all. The empty
tomb is the greatest evidence of the resurrection of Jesus. The empty tomb still stands, as
evidence to all that Jesus is not dead. He is alive today. The resurrection of Jesus is the basis
of our faith. Easter means victory. Victory over death, hell and the grave! It means hope of a
better life! It means joy! The resurrection of Jesus is the basis of our faith! The empty tomb
and the resurrection remind us that this physical life is not all that there is. We do not need to
eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die. Life is more than affluence, wealth and
comfort. Because of the resurrection, we can lift our attention from ourselves and shift it to
others. Sharing and serving are marks of faith in Christ—faith in the truth of the resurrection.

5. Judas‟ Character:
 Of all the Apostles, no name is so universally known and despised as Judas Iscariot.
The very name JUDAS has come to be associated with treachery and betrayal. Most
of our knowledge about Judas comes from the events of the last evening of Jesus life:
The 30 pieces of silver, the betrayal of Jesus with a kiss. Matthew, Mark and Luke
record only these events.
 John gives us two insights into Judas' earlier association with the twelve. In John
12:1-8 Judas is referred to as the one who carried the purse for the group. John's

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interpretation is that Judas was a thief. The Greek word used here for "keep" or
"carry" was also commonly used as a slang word for stealing... such as shoplifting.
 The narrator of the Gospel of John provided many telling asides about Judas, all of
which characterize the paradox of the disciple who from the beginning was a traitor.
After Jesus' "Bread from heaven" speech, He enigmatically revealed that a devil was
in His entourage (6:70), and the narrator intervened to explain that this was Judas (v.
71), the first reference to him in the Fourth Gospel.
 In Lazarus' house Judas objected to the anointing of Jesus‘ feet (12:4-6), and the
narrator noted three things about Judas: Judas was the group treasurer, a trusted
position; Judas had betrayed this trust by embezzling funds; and Judas actually did not
care about the poor. In both references, however, Judas is also described as a disciple,
in fact one of "the Twelve." Before Jesus‘ foot washing, the narrator told that the
devil had already put it into Judas‘ heart to betray Jesus (13:2), and later, in
connection with the sopped bread, that Satan entered Judas (13:27).
 Judas' act was one of unbelief... no faith. Jesus asked the disciples to trust him... to
have faith that what was happening was a part of God's will. Judas doesn't seem to
have been able to make that step of faith. Judas was more willing to trust his own
plans for his life than God's plans.

43. Today the religion of Islam claims that “holy war” is valid part of their religion. The
book of Joshua shows that “holy war” was an important part of Israel‟s history. Are
both rights? Are both wrong? How should modern Christians understand “holy war”?

Modern people often regard the idea of a holy war as a contradiction. Killing thousands of
people and causing wholesale destruction seems to be as far from holiness as one can get. But
religion and war have gone hand in hand for a long time. Armies go into battle believing that
God is with them, often after prayers and sacrifices to keep God on their side. In tribal
cultures (including Biblical ones) when a people lose a war, they often have to change to the
worship of the winner's gods.

Holy war in Islam:

Islam sets down clear guidelines as to when war is ethically right, and clear guidelines as to
how such a war should be conducted. Islam allows war in self-defence (Qur'an 22:39), to
defend Islam (rather than to spread it), to protect those who have been removed from their
homes by force because they are Muslims (Qur'an 22:40), and to protect the innocent who are
being oppressed (Qur'an 4:75).

But some Muslim thinkers in the past and some more radical Muslim thinkers today, take a
different view. They say that other verses in the Qur‟an, the so-called ‗sword verses‘, have
―abrogated‖ (revoked or annulled) the verses that permit warfare only in defence. They used
these 'sword verses' to justify war against unbelievers as a tool of spreading Islam (Qur'an
9:5, 9:29).

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They regard non-Muslims, and Muslims who don't conform rigorously to the Islamic code
are considered as ―enemies of God‖ against whom it is legitimate to use violence. But the
idea of a total and unrestricted conflict is completely unIslamic. “Fight in the cause of God
against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors”
(Qur‘an 2:190). Islam bans the killing of non-combatants (Qur'an 2:190, above), or of a
combatant who has been captured. Muslims are forbidden from attacking wounded soldiers
(unless the wounded person is still fighting).

―So when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, then smite the necks until when you have
overcome them, then make (them) prisoners, and afterwards either set them free as a favour
or let them ransom (themselves) until the war terminates‖ (Qur'an 47:4)

Abu Bakr (the First Caliph) gave these rules to an army he was sending to battle:

Do not commit treachery or deviate from the right path; You must not mutilate dead
bodies; Neither kill a child, nor a woman, nor an aged man; Bring no harm to the trees,
nor burn them with fire, especially those which are fruitful; Slay not any of the enemy's
flock, save for your food.
A noble example of ideal Muslim conduct of war is the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin in
1187 AD. Although a number of holy Muslim places had been violated by Christians,
Saladin prohibited acts of vengeance, and his army was so disciplined that there were no
deaths or violence after the city surrendered. The residents were taken prisoner, but their
ransom was set at a token amount.

Jihad
The literal meaning of Jihad is struggle or effort, and it means much more than holy war.
Muslims use the word Jihad to describe three different kinds of struggle:

 A believer's internal struggle to live out the Muslim faith as well as possible
 The struggle to build a good Muslim society
 Holy war: the struggle to defend Islam, with force if necessary
Many modern writers claim that the main meaning of Jihad is the internal spiritual struggle,
and this is accepted by many Muslims. However there are so many references to Jihad as a
military struggle in Islamic writings that it is incorrect to claim that the interpretation of Jihad
as holy war is wrong.

Holy War in the Book of Joshua:

The problem of violence in the Old Testament doesn‘t involve what we would call mere
criminality. The real problem is divinely sanctioned, divinely commanded violence, and
particularly, the commands to annihilate the inhabitants of Canaan. These sound to our
modern ears like ethnic cleansing, genocide.

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―Holy War‖ is war in which God himself is the main combatant, though Israel participates
too. Central in Holy War is the Hebrew term Kherem, the idea that the enemy and all their
possessions are devoted to Yahweh. On the surface, this looks like a command for
total destruction. This type of warfare is characteristic of the book of Joshua. There are seven
facts about holy war and violence in the book of Joshua.

1. Holy war is divinely declared.

It is war that Yahweh directly commands by means of a special revelation to his chosen
leader. This was Moses and Joshua. Both are pictured as Prophets, meaning they received
direct messages from Yahweh about his will, right then and there, a life and death decision.
So if a reader wanted to use the warfare in Joshua to justify human warfare, they‘d need to
assert that their war plan was not merely justifiable. They‘d have to claim their plans were
revealed directly by God.

2. Holy War, in the book of Joshua, is miraculous.

God not only declares war, he is also the primary fighter. Yahweh the Divine Warrior fights,
miraculously brings victory, and the Israelites march around, toot trumpets, shout and
mainly just watch in awe and then follow up with whatever action Yahweh commands. So if
a modern reader wanted to justify violence from Joshua, they‘d have to set aside strategies,
weapons and training and expect miraculous victories! It begins to look like the author of
Joshua doesn‘t give us a very good plan for modern warfare.

3. Israel often has mercy on her “enemies.”

This is a surprise. The Book of Joshua reports cases of mercy against Israel‘s ―enemies‖.
Here are 3 quick examples. First, Rahab the Harlot in Joshua 2 is Israel‘s first contact with
―the enemy.‖ A prostitute would likely also be a priestess in a pagan shrine. Yet the Israelites
show mercy to Rahab. Why? Her confession of faith in Israel‘s God meant she was no longer
the enemy. Israel spares her and everyone in her ―house‖ - one wonders about the occupants
of her house. Rahab is incorporated into Israel and ultimately ends up the genealogy of Jesus
the Jewish Messiah in Matthew 1.

Second, look at the Gibeonites in Joshua 9-10. In fear they trick Joshua into a making a
covenant, which Joshua and God both honour. While it was a hasty act, Israel is not punished
but experiences the greatest miracle in the book of Joshua, when the sun and moon halt in the
sky as Israel, keeping their word, races to the defense of their new, unlikely partners.

Third, in the great reading of the law in Joshua 8, the author speaks of ―all Israel‖ as
composed of ―native born‖ and ―foreigners.‖ The command to eliminate the Canaanites

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seems to have had an exception clause: Israel won‘t kill those who take shelter
under Yahweh‘s wings.

4. Battles are often responses to Canaanite aggression.

After the battles of Jericho and Ai the book of Joshua portrays Israel‘s wars in Canaan as
responses to aggression by Canaanite kings. In chapter 5-11, we read that when the
Canaanites heard what God had done, they massed together, combined their armies, and
prepared to annihilate the Hebrews. The book presents these conspiracies not just as military
resistance against Israel, but as a rejection of Yahweh‘s presence in Canaan, in contrast with
Rahab‘s confession of faith. So again, these stories don‘t make very good fodder for
defending our own practice of warfare, but already seem to be serving as images of how the
nations reject God and fall to his judgment.

5. The holy war is not against Canaan as a whole.

Holy War in the book of Joshua is not really a war against Canaan and Canaanites. The battle
narrative climaxes in Joshua 12 with a list, not of annihilated population groups or destroyed
cities, but of slain kings, dead tyrants.

6. Battle language in the ancient Near East uses extreme language.

Scholars of ancient military texts remind us that in the ancient Near East, battle accounts used
very stereotyped, extreme language. A king would claim he killed every single occupant of a
land, only to report how much tribute the presumably dead enemies had to pay each year!
Clearly, the claim of annihilation there only meant to convey total victory.

We should also remember that our modern notions of genocide and total war come from our
knowledge of weapons of mass destruction and the actual experience of genocide by these
means. The ancient world, for all its ferocity, couldn‘t do better than spears, arrows, swords
and catapults. They had no way to envision the literal extermination of whole populations.
The language was stock military rhetoric that conveyed an unquestioned, uncontested victory.
Maybe that could help us with those statements in Joshua too.

7. Stories of miraculous victories are combined with calls to covenant faithfulness.

The book of Joshua combines the stories of miraculous victory in battle with appeals to be
faithful to the law of God as it is found written in the book of Deuteronomy. The reader is not
called to emulate the militarism of the book, but to draw from the battle stories the courage
and determination to be obedient to God‘s will, as found in Deuteronomy. These stories

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explicitly illustrate a scripturally defined spirituality of love for God and compassionate
regard for others and the creation. So it‘s ironic that a book devoted to the subject matter of
―Holy War‖ is actually aimed at engendering Holy Love.

I have one concluding thought. There is still something disquieting, something disturbing,
about this theme of kherem, of total destruction of all that defies God‘s presence and
rule. This theme still rests uneasily with our inclusivist sensibilities. It reminds us that this
promise of God and the call to faithful obedience is not merely an invitation: it is a life or
death command. Here, in Joshua, in real space and time, each and every person‘s future was
permanently determined by their solidarity with Yahweh of Hosts.

The fact is that a day is coming when Joshua-Jesus will appear in clouds of glory, seated
upon a white horse, with a two-edged sword, to pass judgment upon all that violates and
destroys God‘s creation. A time will come when not just the temporal, earthly happiness, but
indeed, the eternal destiny of every single person will be decided by only one criterion:
solidarity with the one God, the Lord of Hosts, who reveals himself through his Son Jesus-
Joshua the Christ-King.

Yahweh is the God of the heavens and the earth, and the kings of Canaan have every reason
to fear. Likewise, when we ponder the righteous judgment that God will execute when Jesus-
Joshua slips his pierced foot into the stirrup and swings up into the saddle of that white war-
horse, maybe we too should tremble.

44. Israel experienced the repeated cycle of apostasy, oppression, repentance and
restoration by divinely appointed Judges. The most intriguing among them are
Deborah, Gideon am Samson. What was their role in delivering the Israelites from their
enemies?
The Book of Judges is often associated with a repetitive (cyclic) pattern as outlined in 2:11-
19 d repeated throughout the narratives of individual judges:
(1) Israel worshiped other gods (2:11-13);
(2) The Lord became angry and handed Israel over to an enemy, who oppressed them
(2:14- 16);
(3) Israel cried out, and the Lord responded in mercy by sending a judge to deliver Israel
from its enemy (2:18); and
(4) Israel would relapse into disobedience and apostasy, and the cycle would begin again
(2:19).

The Role of Deborah: The first notably important judge of the tribal confederacy was
Deborah, who was primarily a seer, poet, and interpreter of dreams but still a person endowed
with the kind of charisma that identified her as a judge sent from Yahweh. The story of the
victory of the Israelites under the charismatic leadership of Deborah and the military
leadership of Barak, her commander, is related in prose (chapter 4) and repeated in poetry

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(chapter 5, which is known as the ―Song of Deborah‖). The Canaanites, under the leadership
of Jabin, king of a re-established Hazor and his general Sisera, had oppressed an apostate
Israel. Deborah sent word to all the tribes to unite against the Canaanites, but only about half
the tribes responded. The Canaanites had asserted control over the Valley of Jezreel, which
was an important commercial thoroughfare and was commanded by the city of Megiddo. In
this valley dominated by the hill of Megiddo (Armageddon) - a site of many later crucial
military battles and which later became the symbolic name for the final battle between the
forces of good and the forces of evil in apocalyptic literature - the Israelites met the
Canaanites near the river Kishon in open battle. A cloudburst occurred, causing the river to
flood, thus limiting the manoeuvrability of the Canaanite chariots. The Canaanite general
Sisera, seeing defeat for his forces, fled, seeking refuge in the tent of a Kenite woman, Jael. A
supporter of the cause of Israel, Jael gave Sisera a drink of milk and he fell asleep ―from
weariness.‖ Jael pounded a tent peg through his temple, thus ending decisively the threat of
the Canaanites of Hazor. The victory song of Deborah in chapter 5 is one of the oldest literary
sections of the Old Testament. It is a hymn that incorporates the literary forms of a
confession of faith, a praise of Yahweh‘s theophany (manifestation), an epic, a curse, a
blessing, and a hymn of victory.

The Role of Gideon: Another important judge, perhaps the most important other than
Samuel, was Gideon, whose exploits are related in chapters 6–8. The oppressors of Israel
during the time of Gideon were the camel-borne raiders from Midian, roving bands that
pillaged the farms and unfortified villages for seven years. A prophet appeared among the
Israelites and denounced them for their apostasy, after which, according to the account, an
angel of Yahweh visited and then commissioned Gideon, a member of the tribe of Manasseh,
to lead the Israelites against the enemies from the Transjordan. After sacrificing to Yahweh,
building an altar to the Lord (which he named Yahweh Shalom, or ―Yahweh is peace‖), and
destroying an altar of Baal and an Ashera beside it, he sent out messengers to gather together
the tribes in order to meet an armed force of the Midianites and Amalekites that had crossed
the Jordan River and were encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. He went to a threshing floor (a
common place to seek divinatory advice) and sought a sign from Yahweh - dew on a fleece
of wool placed overnight on the threshing floor, with the rest of the area remaining dry. After
receiving the positive divinatory sign, Gideon assembled a large force, reduced it to 300 men,
and infiltrated the outposts of the Midianite camp with his servant - overhearing a Midianite
telling another of his dream about a barley cake rolling into the camp of the Midianites and
striking a tent so that it fell down and was flattened (which Gideon interpreted as a sign of
victory for the forces under him). He encircled the camp of the Midianites about midnight.
On signal, the men broke jars, shouted, waved torches, blew rams‘ horns, and attacked the
encampment. The Midianites, in the confusion, were routed and harassed in their flight. In
their pursuit of the fleeing Midianites, Gideon and his forces were refused aid by the cities of
Succoth and Penuel, which was a violation of the tribal confederacy agreements. The
Midianites, however, were again the objects of a surprise attack and their two kings (Zebah
and Zalmunna) were captured and later executed by Gideon because they had killed his

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brother. The leaders of Succoth were punished and the men of Penuel were killed in
retaliation for their refusal to aid the forces of Gideon.

After the victory, the people, recognizing their need for centralized leadership of the
confederacy, petitioned to Gideon that he establish a hereditary monarchy, with himself as
the first king. Gideon refused, however, on the basis that ―the Lord will rule over you.‖

The Role of Samson: The exploits of the great Israelite strongman judge, Samson (a member
of the tribe of Dan), are related in chapters 13–16. Dedicated from birth by his mother to
Yahweh, Samson became a member of the Nazirites, an anti-Canaanite reform movement. As
a Nazirite, he was required never to cut his hair, drink wine, or eat ritually unclean food. He
married a Philistine woman whom he then left when she helped her fellow Philistines avoid
payment to Samson in a riddle contest by giving them the answer. Returning later to find her
given to another man, he burned the grain fields of the Philistines. They sought revenge by
killing Samson‘s wife and her father. The exploits of Samson against the Philistines from
then on are numerous. After he met the temptress Delilah, who wrested from him the secret
of his great strength (i.e., his long uncut hair because of his vow), Samson was captured by
the Philistines after his hair had been cut short. After imprisonment, blinding, and
humiliation, Samson finally avenged his loss of self-respect by pulling down the main pillars
of the temple of the Philistine god Dagon, after which the temple was destroyed, along with
numerous Philistines. Though Samson was more a folk hero than a judge, he was probably
included in the list of judges because his ventures against the Philistines slowed their
movements inland against the Israelite towns and villages.

45. The four leading characters of Israel‟s early monarchy were Samuel, Saul, David
and Solomon. Explain their strength in establishing monarchy and weakness in dividing
the monarchy. All of them had success and troubles both in their personal and political
lives. How do they become our models?

Samuel:
Samuel experienced a revelation from Yahweh in the shrine at night. First going to Eli three
times after hearing his name called, Samuel responded to Yahweh at Eli‘s suggestion. What
was revealed to him was the fall of the house of Eli, a message that Samuel hesitatingly
related to Eli. After this religious experience, Samuel‘s reputation as a prophet of Yahweh
increased. In chapter 4 is an account of the fall of Shiloh and the loss of the Ark of the
Covenant to the Philistines. Leaving the ark, the symbol of Yahweh‘s presence, at Shiloh, the
Israelites go out to battle against the Philistines near the Mediterranean coast but are defeated.
The Israelites return to Shiloh for the Ark; but even though they carry it back to the
battleground, they are again defeated at great cost. Though the Philistines had captured the
ark, they eventually discovered that it did not bring them good fortune. Their god Dagon, an
agricultural fertility deity probably meaning ―grain,‖ fell to the ground whenever the ark was
placed in close proximity to it; and, even more calamitous to them, the Philistines suffered
from ―tumours,‖ probably the bubonic plague, wherever they carried the ark. After
experiencing such disasters for seven months, the Philistines returned the ark to Beth-

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shemesh in Israelite territory, along with a guilt offering of five golden tumours and five
golden mice carried in a cart drawn by two cows. Because many Israelite men in Beth-
shemesh also died—―because they looked into the ark of the Lord‖ - the ark was taken to
Kiriath-jearim (the ―forest of martyrs‖ in modern Israel), where it was placed in the house of
Abinadab, whose son Eleazar was consecrated to care for it. The ark was not returned to
Shiloh, probably because that shrine centre had been destroyed, along with other Israelite
towns, by the Philistines.
In chapter 7, verse 3, to chapter 12, verse 25, the Deuteronomic historian depicts the way in
which Samuel assumed leadership as judge and Covenant mediator of Israel. The Philistines
continued to oppress Israel, though under Samuel‘s leadership the Israelites were able to
reconquering territory lost to their western enemies. When Samuel grew old, his sons were
trained to take his place; but they - like the sons of Eli were corrupt (―they took bribes and
perverted justice‖), so that the Israelites demanded another form of government a monarchy.
Samuel attempted to dissuade them, pointing out that if they had a highly centralized form of
government (i.e., a monarchy), they would have to give up much of their freedom and would
be heavily taxed in goods and services. Samuel obeyed both the elders of the people, who
demanded a king, and Yahweh, who said, ―Make them a king.‖

The rise and fall of Saul

The man selected to become the first monarchical ruler of Israel was Saul, son of Kish, a
wealthy Benjamite landowner. Because Kish had lost some donkeys, Saul was sent in search
of them. Unsuccessful in his search, he went to the seer-prophet Samuel at Ramah. In the
early source, from which this narrative comes, he did not know Samuel‘s name. The day
before Saul went to Ramah, Samuel the seer, received notice from Yahweh that Saul was the
man chosen to reign over Israel. At the sacrificial meal, Saul, a tall young man, was given the
seat of honour, and the next day Samuel anointed him prince of Israel in a secret ceremony.
Before returning home, Saul joined a band of roving ecstatic prophets and prophesied under
the influence of the spirit of Yahweh. In chapter 10, verses 17–27, Saul was chosen by lot at
Mizpah. The early source picks up the story of Saul in chapter 11, which illustrates Saul‘s
military leadership abilities and describes his acclamation as king at Gilgal. Samuel‘s
farewell address recapitulates the history of the Israelite tribes from the time of the patriarch
Jacob through the period of the judges and forcefully presents the conservative view that the
request for a monarchy will bring about adversity to Israel.
The early reign of Saul and his confrontations with Samuel until the last judge‘s death is the
subject of chapters 13–15. Saul‘s early acts as king centred about battles with the Philistines.
Because his son Jonathan had defeated one of their garrisons at Geba, the Philistines
mustered an army to counterattack near Bethaven (probably another name for Bethel). Saul
issued a request for volunteers, who gathered together for battle but awaited the performance
of the sacrifice before the battle by Samuel. Because Samuel did not come for seven days,
Saul, acting on his own, presided at the sacrifice. Immediately after the burnt offering had
been completed, Samuel appeared and castigated Saul for overstepping the boundaries of his
princely prerogatives - even though Saul had been more than patient. Samuel warned him that
this type of act (which Saul, in the early source, and later David and Solomon also often

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performed) would cost Saul his kingdom. In spite of Samuel‘s apparent animosity, Saul
continued to defend the interests of the newly formed kingdom.
The tragedy of Saul was that he was a transitional figure who had to bear the burden of being
the man who was of an old order and at the same time of a new way of life among a people
composed of disparate elements and leading figures. Both Samuel, the last judge of Israel,
and David, the future builder of the small Israelite empire, opposed him. Saul was more a
judge - a charismatic leader - than a monarch. Unlike most kings of his time and area, he
levied no taxes, depended on a volunteer army, and had no harem. He did not construct a
court bureaucracy but relied rather on the trust of the people in his charismatic leadership and
thus did not alter the political boundaries or structure of the tribal confederacy.
The issue between Saul and Samuel came to a head in the events described in chapter 15 (a
section from the later source). Samuel requested Saul to avenge the attacks by the Amalekites
on the Israelite tribes during their wanderings in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt
about 200 years earlier. Saul defeated the Amalekites in a holy war but did not devote
everything to destruction as was required by the ban (ḥerem). Because Saul had not killed
Agag, the Amalekite king, and had saved sheep and cattle for a sacrifice, Samuel informed
Saul that he had disobeyed Yahweh and was thus rejected by God, for ―to obey is better than
to sacrifice.‖ Samuel then asked that Agag be brought to him, and he hacked the Amalekite
king to pieces. After that, Saul and Samuel saw each other no more.

The Rise and Significance of David: Samuel, still a charismatic and political power of great
consequence, received from Yahweh the message that he was to go to Bethlehem to anoint a
new ruler. Because he feared reprisal from Saul, Samuel went to Bethlehem under the
pretence of presiding at a sacrifice. There he anointed David, son of Jesse, to be future king.
David then went to the court of Saul to be the king‘s armour bearer and court singer.
In I Samuel 17 David is reported to have killed the 10-foot-tall (3-metre-tall) Philistine
champion Goliath of Gath in a battle. Chapters 18 through 26 depict the rise of David in the
court of Saul, his friendship with Jonathan, the beginning of Saul‘s jealousy of David, the
young David‘s winning of Saul‘s daughter Michal in marriage for killing a large number of
Philistines, Saul‘s attempt on David‘s life, David‘s escape and formation of an outlaw band in
the Judaean hills, his acceptance by the priests of the house of Eli at Nob (all of whom were
killed by Saul except Abiathar, who became David‘s priest), Samuel‘s death, and other
incidents.
Because he feared for his life, David, along with 600 of his men, fled to the Philistine city of
Gath, where he became a supposed leader of one of their military contingents against the
Israelites. The last four chapters of I Samuel depict the final futile effort of Saul to retain
control of his throne and thwart the Philistines: Saul attempted to receive advice from the
spirit of the dead, even though he had earlier banned such practices in his realm. Through his
mediumship, Samuel foretold the death of Saul and his sons by the Philistines. The armies of
the Philistines poured into the Valley of Jezreel. Some of the Philistine leaders distrusted
David, who was sent back to his garrison town of Ziklag, which the Amalekites had overrun
and in which they had taken many prisoners. Thus, David did not witness the defeat of the
Israelites under Saul, who was mortally wounded by the Philistines and whose sons were

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killed. In an act of heroism so that he, the king of Israel, would not be captured, Saul
committed suicide by falling on his own sword. Thus Saul ended the career of the tragic hero
who tried to serve Yahweh and Israel but was caught between the old, conservative ways (led
by Samuel) and the new, liberal views (championed by David).
Early Reign of David: The Second Book of Samuel, as noted earlier, relates the exploits of
David and the events of his monarchy. After mourning the death of Saul and executing an
Amalekite who claimed to have killed the former king, David began to consolidate his
position as the successor to Saul. He was anointed king of Judah at Hebron while Ishbosheth
(―man of shame,‖ originally Ishbaal, or ―man of Baal‖), Saul‘s son, reigned in the rest of
Israel under the guidance of Abner, Saul‘s general. After seven years, the army of Israel,
under Abner, and the army of Judah, under Joab, David‘s general and nephew, met at
Gibeon—each chose 12 champions to fight each other, and all were killed. After the minor
battle, a major engagement ensued, with the forces of Judah emerging victorious. A long war
of attrition developed between the house of Saul and the house of David. Abner attempted to
deliver Israel to David but was killed by Joab to avenge his brother Asahel‘s death at Abner‘s
hand in the first engagement between the two reigning houses. With Abner dead,
Ishbosheth‘s position became exceedingly insecure, and he was beheaded by two of his own
captains, whom David, in turn, executed for murdering the last ruler of the house of Saul.
Because of the course of events, the Israelites asked David to become king over all of Israel,
and David made a covenant with the elders of northern Israel. He next engaged in a war with
the Jebusite (Canaanite) stronghold of Jerusalem, which he captured. He selected this city as
his new capital because it was a neutral site and neither the northerners nor the southerners
would be adverse to the selection. From the very beginning of his reign, David showed the
political astuteness and acumen that made for him a reputation that has continued for 3,000
years. He built at his new capital a palace, fortified the defences, and established a harem.
The Philistines, concerned about the man whom they had considered a former vassal, decided
to move against David, which proved to be their undoing. David effectively contained them
in a small area of the Mediterranean coast.
The Expansion of the Davidic Empire: The third section of Samuel (II Samuel, chapter 6
through chapter 20, verse 22) contains the account of the reign of David from Jerusalem,
ruling over a minor empire that stretched from Egypt in the south to Lebanon in the north and
from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Arabian Desert in the east. He thus controlled
the crossroads of the great empires of the ancient Near East. His second act of political
astuteness was to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem; but because of pressures from
conservative elements who wanted to retain the tent that housed the ark (which had symbolic
value from the days of the Exodus), David was not able to build a temple. Because the ark
was now in Jerusalem, however, the city became both the political and the religious cult
centre of his kingdom. In chapter 8 is a summary account of David‘s extension of his
kingdom by military means and of the military, administrative, and priestly leaders of Israel.

II Samuel, chapters 9 through 20, verse 22 contain accounts of the domestic problems of
David‘s reign. Though he showed generosity to Mephibosheth, the sole surviving son of the
house of Saul, he showed his weakness for the charms of Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of

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his generals. After ensuring Uriah‘s death by sending him into the front lines in a battle with
the Ammonites, David married Bathsheba, who had become pregnant by the King. When the
prophet Nathan came to David and told him of a rich man‘s unjust actions toward a poor
man, David‘s response was one of anger and a demand for justice, whereupon Nathan said,
―You are the man,‖ and that Yahweh would exact retribution by not allowing the child to
live. David then repented. He later went to Bathsheba and she conceived and bore another
child, Solomon, who was to be the future king of Israel.
Though David was viewed as a master in the art of governing a nation, he was depicted as an
unsuccessful father of his family. One son, Amnon (half-brother to Absalom and his sister
Tamar), raped Tamar, for which act Absalom later exacted revenge by having Amnon
assassinated at a feast. Absalom then fled to Geshur, stayed there three years, was taken back
to Jerusalem by Joab, and two years later was reconciled to his father. Absalom‘s ambition to
succeed his father as king caused him to initiate a revolt so that David had to flee from
Jerusalem. Absalom was crowned king at Hebron, went to the concubines of David‘s harem
in the palace, and decided to raise a massive army to defeat David. If he had then heeded the
advice of Ahithophel, one of David‘s former counsellors, and attacked David‘s forces while
they were disorganized, he probably would have been successful in retaining the throne. The
forces of David under Joab, however, defeated Absalom‘s army ―in the forest of Ephraim.‖
While in flight on a mule, Absalom caught his head in an oak tree, and when Joab heard of
his predicament he killed the hanging son of David. When David heard of the death of his
rebellious son, he uttered one of the most poignant laments in literature: ―O my son Absalom,
my son, my son Absalom! Would I have died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!‖
David then returned to Jerusalem and settled some of the quarrels that had erupted in his
absence. A revolt led by the conservative Benjaminite Sheba, under the old rallying cry
―every man to his tents, O Israel,‖ was thwarted by Joab, who had to kill David‘s newly
appointed commander Amasa to accomplish this end.
The Succession of Solomon to the Throne: I Kings (chapters 1 and 2) continues the story of
David and the struggle for the succession of his throne. The sides were drawn between
Adonijah, David‘s eldest living son, and Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba.
Supporting Adonijah were the ―old guard‖ - the general Joab and the priest Abiathar and
supporting Solomon were the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, and the captain of David‘s
bodyguard, Benaiah. With David close to death, Adonijah prepared to seize control of the
kingdom; Nathan, however, requested Bathsheba to go to David and persuade David to
proclaim Solomon the next monarch. Following the advice of Nathan, David then appointed
Solomon the heir to his throne; and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed the son
of Bathsheba king in Gihon.

After David died, however, Adonijah attempted to regain some semblance of prestige by
asking Solomon to give him Abishag, a young Shunammite woman who had been given to
David in his old age, as his wife. To this request Solomon answered by ordering Adonijah‘s
execution, which Benaiah carried out. Solomon also ordered the execution of the old general
Joab for having killed Abner and Amasa years earlier as a loyal supporter of David, an
execution again carried out by Benaiah, who also executed Shimei, a man who had cursed

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David a long time earlier. Prior to these executions, which David—before he had died—had
requested of Solomon, the new king banished the priest Abiathar of the house of Eli to
Anathoth, an act that confirmed the position of Zadok as the principal priest of Jerusalem.
The Reign of Solomon: David had reigned from about 1000 to 962 BCE, a period in which
he consolidated a federation of tribes that had been united under the charismatic leadership of
Saul, who had reigned for about two decades before David began to construct his minor
empire. Solomon, who inherited a strong monarchy, reigned for 40 years. His reputation as a
monarch centred about his great wisdom (chapter 3), his reorganization of the administrative
bureaucracy (chapter 4), and his building of the magnificent Temple (chapters 3–8). Though
two sons of the prophet Nathan served Solomon, one as a court official and another as a
priest, the prophetic movement apparently was little encouraged by the united monarchy‘s
third king. Solomon is perhaps one of the most overrated figures in the Old Testament, in
spite of his achievements in wisdom, construction, and commerce; he is recorded as having
1,000 wives and concubines—some of them merely guarantees of commercial treaties, to be
sure—and as building a fleet of ships for a nearly landlocked Israel. To accommodate his
desire for a seaport, he built the port of Ezion-geber at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba of the
Red Sea. A son of the harem, Solomon had had little contact with the people of his realm, and
he used many of them in labour battalions in his vast building programs to the economic
disadvantage of Israel. By fostering social discontent in such ventures, Solomon prepared the
way for the disintegration of the United Kingdom and the resurgence of the prophetic
movement that reflected the indigenous covenant concept peculiar to Israel.

Whereas David secured Israel‘s borders and property by military means, Solomon sought to
extend Israel‘s influence through commercial treaties. To secure diplomatic and commercial
treaties, Solomon contracted marriage with various princesses - who brought with them their
native deities. This defection from the Covenant obligations to Yahweh is a continuance of
Israel‘s constant flirting with apostasy, which had occurred under the judges and the
beginning of a long process of internal religious and political disintegration under the
monarchical system. Solomon‘s oppressive taxation and commercial expansion also brought
about retaliation and rebellion.

The Divided Monarchy: After Solomon died (922 BCE), he was succeeded by Rehoboam,
who proved to be unfit for the task of reigning. Prior to Solomon‘s death, Jeroboam the
Ephraimite, a young overseer of the forced labour battalions of the ―house of Joseph‖ in the
north, had encountered Ahijah, a prophet from the old shrine of the confederacy at Shiloh,
and Ahijah had torn a new garment into 12 pieces, prophesying that 10 pieces (tribes) would
be given to Jeroboam and only two pieces (tribal political units) would be retained by the
house of David. The dismemberment of the united monarchy was to be brought about by
Yahweh because Solomon had ―not walked in my ways, doing what is right in my sight and
keeping my statutes and my ordinances, as David his father did.‖ Though Solomon had
worshipped the Sidonian goddess Ashtoreth, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite
god Milcom, his reign over Israel continued.

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46. Solomon is most remembered in the Old Testament for his building of the temple of
Jerusalem from the perspective of Israel‟s covenant relation with Yahweh. Explain its
chronos and kairos in the socio - politico and religious life of the Israelites?

Names are powerful. Mentioning Adolf Hitler, Steve Jobs, Justin Beiber, Barack Obama,
Tiger Woods, or Warren Buffet, you are likely to start an interesting conversation with people
you may barely know. King Solomon knew the power of names too. He knew the esteem and
honour that certain names deserve. This is one of the main reasons he wanted to build a house
for the Lord.

Chronos is the time fabricated by humans; the clock so many of us imprison ourselves to that
says we have to be up at 5:30, take lunch at 12, and be home for dinner by 6. Chronos
reminds us that a national election is only 15 days away.

Kairos however is much different. Translated from the Greek, kairos means ―the right,
opportune or supreme moment‖. It is God‘s time, holy time. Kairos is the unfolding of history
and God‘s actions in our lives, and is not dependent upon our clocks or calendars or other
ways we measure the passage of time.

Chronos of the Temple: For about five hundred years, their worship of God centred on the
tabernacle, which was a movable tent-like structure containing the Ark of the Covenant, built
by Moses, containing the tablets he had been given on Mt Sinai. It was made to be portable
because the Israelites were always on the move. From the moment they were liberated from
slavery in Egypt to entering the land God had promised them, they were a wandering people.
But now, they had settled down. Those wilderness travels were part of the distant past.
Deuteronomy commands centralizing worship of Yahweh at the Temple once peace is
obtained. The collection begins with the demand that all cultic activity, whether sacrificial or
votive, take place exclusively at God‘s one chosen site – a notion referred to in scholarship as
―cult centralization.‖ The Israelites are commanded to worship Yahweh not in the way the
Canaanites did (v. 4), i.e. in multiple places (which the Israelites are commanded to destroy),
but only at His one chosen place (vv. 5-7).

Joshua (chapter 22) seems to presuppose that this new, ideal period has arrived. It tells of a
near civil war that was caused because the Transjordanian tribes built an altar on their land,
east of the Jordan (vv. 10-12). This civil war was averted only after the Transjordanian tribes
explained that the altar was really meant only as a monument to their connection with
Yahweh and not to be used sacrificially (vv. 26-28).The reaction of the Israelites in the
Transjordan could be understood as connected to the violation of centralization. Joshua had,
at this point, already established the Tent of Meeting in Shiloh: the offense of the
Transjordanian tribes is the fact that it looked as if they were planning to build an altar and
worship Yahweh in the Transjordan which is not part of the Promised Land proper (the
Cisjordan). Elsewhere, the Deuteronomistic history does not assume that Joshua‘s conquest
marks the time of centralization, and this theme is absent in the following chapters in Joshua,
Judges, and Samuel until we reach the descriptions of David‘s reign.

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He would build God's house, or temple: a magnificent building to show to the entire world
how wonderful God is and what God has done. But later that night in a vision, God gave
Nathan a message to pass onto David, revealing a very different time line (actual kairos starts
here).

God said ―Why do you think I need a house right now? I‘ve been doing things just fine,
moving about in complete freedom, bringing the people out of Egypt, being wherever you
are. Instead of worrying about what you can build for me, let me build for you an amazing
legacy. When the time is right, I‘ll have one of your offspring build a place for me. But now
is not the time.‖

You have to wonder why, when David was all good and ready, pumped and excited to build
God a temple that God said, ―No.‖ We‘re never told why in this passage, but later, in the
Book of Chronicles, an older David retells this story to the son who DID build the temple,
Solomon, saying that because he had fought so many wars he had too much blood on his
hands to build such a sacred structure. Perhaps that is to remind us that the building itself was
meant to establish peace.

 First Temple built in 957 BCE by King Solomon.

 Became sole place of Jewish sacrifice, replacing portable sanctuary (Ark of the
Covenant) built by Moses in the Sinai Desert, as well as local sanctuaries, and altars
in the hills.

The year 587 BCE marks a turning point in the history of the region. From this year onwards,
the region was ruled or controlled by a succession of superpower empires of the time in the
following order: Babylonian, Persian, Greek Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Empires,
Islamic and Christian crusaders, Ottoman Empire, and the British Empire.

Foreign Empires that ruled in Israel

Period Empire Major Events

587 BCE Babylonian Destruction of the first Temple.

538-333 BCE Persian Return of the exiled Jews from Babylon and construction of
the second Temple (520-515 BCE).

333-63 BCE Hellenistic Conquest of the region by the army of Alexander the Great
(333 BCE). The Greeks generally allowed the Jews to run
their state. But, during the rule of the king Antiochus IV, the
Temple was desecrated. This brought about the revolt of the
Maccabees, who established an independent rule. The related
events are celebrated during the Hanukah holiday.

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63 BCE-313 CE Roman The Roman army led by Titus conquered Jerusalem and
destroyed the Second Temple at 70 CE. Jewish people were
then exiled and dispersed to the Diaspora. In 132, Bar Kokhba
organized a revolt against Roman rule, but was killed in a
battle in Bethar in Judean Hills. Subsequently, the Romans
decimated the Jewish community, renamed Jerusalem as Aelia
Capitolina and Judea as Palaestina to obliterate Jewish
identification with the Land of Israel (the word Palestine, and
the Arabic word Filastin originate from this Latin name).

The remaining Jewish community moved to northern towns in

the Galilee. Around 200 CE the Sanhedrin was moved to
Tsippori (Zippori, Sepphoris). The Head of Sanhedrin, Rabbi
Yehuda HaNassi (Judah the Prince), compiled the Jewish oral
law, Mishna.

313-636 Byzantine

636-1099 Arab Dome of the Rock was built by Caliph Abd el-Malik on the
grounds of the destroyed Jewish Temple.

1099-1291 Crusaders The crusaders came from Europe to capture the Holy Land
following an appeal by Pope Urban II, and massacred the non-
Christian population. Later, Jewish community in Jerusalem
expanded by immigration of Jews from Europe.

1291-1516 Mamluk

1516-1918 Ottoman During the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-
1566) the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem were rebuilt. The
population of the Jewish community in Jerusalem increased.

1917-1948 British Great Britain recognized the rights of the Jewish people to
establish a ―national home in Palestine‖. Yet they greatly
curtailed entry of Jewish refugees into Israel even after World
War II. They split the Palestine mandate into an Arab state
which has become the modern day Jordan, and Israel.

After the exile by the Romans at 70 CE, the Jewish people migrated to Europe and North
Africa. In the Diaspora (scattered outside of the Land of Israel), they established rich cultural
and economic lives, and contributed greatly to the societies where they lived. Yet, they
continued their national culture and prayed to return to Israel through centuries. In the first
half of the 20th century there were major waves of immigration of Jews back to Israel from

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Arab countries and from Europe. During the British rule in Palestine, the Jewish people were
subject to great violence and massacres directed by Arab civilians or forces of the
neighbouring Arab states. During World War II, the Nazi regime in Germany decimated
about 6 million Jews creating the great tragedy of the Holocaust.

The Real Kairos of the Israel People:

God promises David another legacy, one that is passed along many generations until it
reaches forward to Jesus, the Prince of Peace. As Christians, the body of Jesus in the world
today, we are that legacy. Jesus is greater than the temple (Mat 12:6) and He is the place
where the Lord God meets with the man. It is through the veil of His flesh that we enter into
the holy presence of the Lord (Mat 27:51). We can now go boldly before the throne of grace
and have perfect access to God.

47. What is Midrashic literature? Is it fiction or history? What is the purpose of this
literature? Explain the primary focus in each of the books of Ruth, Esther, Judith,
Jonah and Tobit.

Midrashic literature: The Midrash, often translated as ―legend,‖ was compiled later, in the
fifth to seventh centuries. It is an anthology of homiletics and exegeses of the Bible, a type of
literature that continued to flourish late into the Middle Ages. Midrash is ‗a part of the Oral
Torah, which explains the words of the Torah not in the literal way, but in the way of
derashah, aggadah (narrations) and parable.‘ It is second only to the Halakhah (laws) as a
central pillar on which Jewish culture is based.

Fiction: The very fact that the history-type narrative found in Midrash is connected
formally to a Midrashic exegetical operation and is presented in contrast to the
biblical flow of events should convince us that the narrative does not make
claims of facticity and historical veracity. Midrashic literature contains countless
storyline additions to the biblical narrative, and the rabbis could and did demarcate
between Midrashic plot-additions whose function was to present God‘s word and historical-
literal reconstruction of past events. In our modern terms, then, these Midrashic plot-
additions are indeed fiction, though perhaps a better term, based upon Plato‘s usage, would
be ―Creative Mythology.‖

The Purpose of this Literature: The library of Midrashic literature, partly included in the
Talmud and mostly presented in independent collections, is the main treasury of Jewish
thought, ethics, world views, history and historiosophy, which Judaism received from
Antiquity. A previous generation of scholars of Rabbinic Midrash tended to emphasize the
oral and popular aspects of Midrashic creativity and its transmission. In contrast to the
Rabbinic legal writings, whose domain was thought to be the more formal, scholarly
academy, midrash (by which was usually meant aggadic, or non-legal, midrash) was thought
to inhabit the more public and popular domain of the synagogue, where either non Rabbinic
preachers and teachers expressed folk-traditional understandings of scriptural narratives and

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laws, or Rabbinic sages orally communicated their wisdom in popularly accessible and
responsive ways.

Ruth: Ruth was the great-grandmother of King David. It is her steadfast loyalty to both
God and family that really makes the case for her getting her own book in Holy Writ.
Naomi loses her two sons, and then encourages their wives (her daughters-in law, Orpah and
Ruth) to go off on their own. Orpah does, but Ruth remains, utterly devoted to Naomi and her
needs. The familiar Song of Ruth comes to us from chapter 1 of this book. ―Wherever you go
I shall go. Wherever you live so shall I live. Your people will be my people, and your God
will be my God too‖ (ch. 1). Ruth proceeds to glean in the fields of Boaz (ch. 2). Boaz then
marries Ruth (ch. 3) and the two have a son, Obed (ch. 4) who goes on to become the father
of Jesse who becomes the father of David. The Book of Ruth is read by Jewish people during
their Feast of Weeks, which is a harvest festival 50 days after Passover.

Tobit: Tobit‟s story will teach about patience as God‟s way is worked out in time. Tobit
prays for death; in the last 11 chapters, God responds with life. The story is set about 700
years before Christ and Assyria has just conquered Tobit's homeland. It ends with Assyria's
power being doomed and the fall of Nineveh. In Tobit's pages, we will read about his roots as
grandson of Deborah, son of Tobiel, husband of Anna, father of Tobias and uncle of Ahikar
who was well-placed to be able to intercede in high places(ch.1), how Tobit was blinded by
bird droppings (ch. 2), the arrival of Archangel Raphael who would heal Tobit and suit Sarah
to Tobias (ch. 3), a negative way of putting the Golden Rule (ch. 4, vs. 15), the appearance of
Tobias' dog and Tobias‘ catching the fish which had caught himself (ch. 6), a reappearance of
the dog and the healing of Tobit‘s eyes (ch. 11), and the deaths of Tobit at 112 and Tobias at
117 (ch. 14).

Judith: Judith tells the story of an earlier time in the 6th century B.C. when King
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon wanted not only to rule all the world but also to have all the
world worship him alone. He sent his General Holofernes to enforce this dictate, but he in his
vanity was duped by Judith and was quickly dispatched by her as he lay in a drunken stupor.
In Judith's pages, we will read about needing to rely on some-thing (One) greater than
walls for security and about a 120-day party (ch.1), Nebuchadnezzar's commission to
Holofernes (ch. 2), Nebuchadnezzar's desire to be the only god (ch. 3), the high priest's prayer
for safety for Jerusalem (ch. 4), the intervention of Achior to dissuade Holofernes (ch. 5),
Holofernes' rejection of Achior (ch. 6), Uzziah's persuasion of the people to wait 4 days more
before surrendering to Holofernes who had cut off their water supply (ch. 7), Judith's Prayer
for Deliverance (ch. 9), Judith's ploy of getting all gussied up to allure Holofernes (ch. 10) so
she can gain his trust (ch. 11) and then—following dinner and his imbibing too much—(ch.
12) acquiring his head as a souvenir to take home (ch. 13); Judith then lives an exemplary life
until the ripe old age of 105 (ch. 16).

Esther: This young Jewish girl rises to be the wife of the king of Persia. The hand of God
uses her uncle, Mordecai, to persuade Esther that she must intervene before the evil
Haman (of the royal court) carries out a plot to kill all the Jews on a particular day.

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This book, by the way, is read on the Jewish Feast of Purim and takes place in the Persian
city of Susa . Written in the 1st Century B.C., the story is set in the 5th Century B.C. In
Esther's pages, you'll read about Mordecai's dream warning of the plot (ch. A or 11), a 180-
day party (ch. 1), Mordecai's refusal to bow to Haman (ch. 2), Haman's decree to kill all the
Jews (ch. B or 12), Mordecai's & Esther's prayer for deliverance (ch. C or 13-14), and Haman
being hung on the gallows he had erected originally for Mordecai's death (ch. 7).

Jonah: The story of Jonah is set about seven centuries before Christ, though it may well have
been written a few centuries later. Jonah is not one who was thrilled with his prophetic
mission. The first chapter tells us right off that, when sent by God to Nineveh (a city in the
heart of Israel‘s enemy, Assyria), he ran the other way. Stowing away aboard a ship, the
vessel is tossed about in a storm until the sailors determine that it is because of Jonah's
running from God that the storm is upon them. They throw him overboard, and the sea is
calmed (and they pray to Jonah's God as a result). Jonah is also saved, sings a psalm of
thanksgiving, and is spewed upon the shores of Nineveh country by the large fish that had
swallowed him, all in chapter two. Then, in chapter three, much to Jonah‘s surprise (and
apparent disappointment), the people of Nineveh turn from their evil ways when Jonah
prophesies (he had actually wished that the Lord would have cause to follow through with
divine punishment instead). Though the focuses of the books which are, unnecessary fear
while doing God's will, the inability to run permanently from God, the inevitability of
God‟s will being carried out whether we agree with it or not, and the very nature of
God's forgiving heart, it seems the chief lesson of the book lies in the fourth and final
chapter: that we must not be upset if God is more merciful than we are. Indeed, if Jonah
can be upset about the qiqayon plant (which he had nothing to do with growing) that withers,
can we expect God not to be concerned about a whole city of people who realize their errors
and return with contrite hearts?

48. Explain the Jewish calendar and Major Festivals:

The Jewish calendar is primarily lunar, with each month beginning on the new moon, when
the first sliver of moon becomes visible after the dark of the moon. In ancient times, the new
months used to be determined by observation. When people observed the new moon, they
would notify the Sanhedrin. When the Sanhedrin heard testimony from two independent,
reliable eyewitnesses that the new moon occurred on a certain date, they would declare the
Rosh Chodesh (first of the month) and send out messengers to tell people when the month
began.

The problem with strictly lunar calendars is that there are approximately 12.4 lunar months in
every solar year, so a 12-month lunar calendar loses about 11 days every year and 13 month
lunar gains about 19 days every year. The months on such a calendar "drift" relative to the
solar year. On a 12 month calendar, the month of Nissan, which is supposed to occur in the
Spring, occurs 11 days earlier each year, eventually occurring in the Winter, the Fall, the
Summer, and then the Spring again. To compensate for this drift, an extra month was
occasionally added: a second month of Adar. The month of Nissan would occur 11 days

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earlier for two or three years, and then would jump forward 29 or 30 days, balancing out the
drift.

In the fourth century, Hillel II established a fixed calendar based on mathematical and
astronomical calculations. This calendar, still in use, standardized the length of months and
the addition of months over the course of a 19 year cycle, so that the lunar calendar realigns
with the solar years. Adar II is added in the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th years of
the cycle. The New Year that began Monday, September 25, 1995 (Jewish calendar year
5756) was the 18th year of the cycle. Jewish year 5758 (beginning October 2, 1997) will be
the first year of the next cycle.

Numbering of Jewish Years

The year number on the Jewish calendar represents the number of years since creation, as
calculated by adding up the ages of people in the Bible back to the time of creation. However,
it is important to note that this date is not necessarily supposed to represent a scientific fact.
For example, many Orthodox Jews will readily acknowledge that the seven ―days‖ of
creation are not necessarily 24-hour days (indeed, a 24-hour day would be meaningless until
the creation of the sun on the fourth ―day‖).

Jews do not generally use the words ―A.D.‖ and ―B.C.‖ to refer to the years on the Gregorian
calendar. ―A.D.‖ means ―the year of our Lord,‖ and they do not believe Jesus is the Lord.
Instead, they use the abbreviations C.E. (Common or Christian Era) and B.C.E. (Before the
Common Era).

Months of the Jewish Year

The "first month" of the Jewish calendar is the month of Nissan, in the spring, when Passover
occurs. However, the Jewish New Year is in Tishri, the seventh month, and that is when the
year number is increased. The Jewish calendar has different starting points for different
purposes.

The Jewish calendar has the following months:

Month Length Gregorian Equivalent

Nissan 30 days March-April

Iyar 29 days April-May

Sivan 30 days May-June

Tammuz 29 days June-July

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Av 30 days July-August

Elul 29 days August-September

Tishri 30 days September-October

Heshvan 29 or 30 days October-November

Kislev 30 or 29 days November-December

Tevet 29 days December-January

Shevat 30 days January-February

Adar 29 or 30 days February-March

Adar II 29 days March-April

In leap years, Adar has 30 days. In non-leap years, Adar has 29 days. The length of Heshvan
and Kislev are determined by complex calculations involving the time of day of the full moon
of the following year‘s Tishri and the day of the week that Tishri would occur in the
following year. The number of days between Nissan and Tishri is always the same. Because
of this, the time from the first major festival (Passover in Nissan) to the last major festival
(Sukkot in Tishri) is always the same.

The Major Festivals:

Rosh Hashanah - New Year: Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish year and
the Ten Days of Penitence. The holiday concludes with Yom Kippur. This two-day holiday
is observed with day-long synagogue services, the blowing of the shofar (ram‘s horn) and the
eating of apples and honey, symbolic of hopes for a sweet year.

Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement: The most holy of all Jewish holidays is devoted to
synagogue services, fasting, prayer and repentance.

Sukkot - Feast of the Tabernacles: This eight-day harvest festival is a holiday of

thanksgiving and remembrance of the Israelite wanderings in the desert after the Exodus from
Egypt. Although Sukkot lasts for eight days, Jews traditionally refrain from working on the
first two days and the last day of the holiday. The concluding day of Sukkot is called
Shemini Atzeret. Simhat Torah follows and marks the conclusion of the annual readings of
the Torah - The Five Books of Moses. The conclusion of Simhat Torah marks the end of the
High Holy Day season.

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Passover: This eight-day festival commemorates the Israelite Exodus from Egyptian slavery.
Two home services (Seders) occur in Jewish homes on the festival eve and first night. Work
is prohibited on the first two and last two days of Passover.

Shavuot - The Feast of Weeks: This holiday commemorates the receiving of the
Torah (Five Books of Moses) by the Israelites on Mount Sinai and is observed by two days of
synagogue attendance.

Shabbat - The Sabbath: This weekly celebration begins on sundown Friday and concludes
one hour after sundown on Saturday. Shabbat celebrates God‘s completion of Creation and
the desire to see peace and harmony in the world. As God rested on the Seventh Day of
Creation, Jews are commanded to rest and refrain from work on Shabbat as a way to recreate
an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. This weekly holy day is the most revered on the
Jewish calendar.

Other major Jewish Holidays where it is permissible to work :

Hanukkah: This eight day festival marks the victory of Jewish forces over the ancient
Assyrians, and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Jewish people fought for
religious freedom and were able to throw off the yoke of their Hellenistic oppressors.

Purim: This day of Jewish merry making marks the salvation of the Jewish community from
near destruction by the Persian tyrant Haman. The story of this victory is recorded in the
Book of Esther.

49. What are the Principles that constitute Deuteronomistic Perspective? Can you
elucidate how a particular event or an individual book of Historical collection qualifies
to fit into that perspective?
This is a connected literary reality from Deuteronomy through Joshua, Judges, 1and 2
Samuel, and 1and 2 Kings, with the basic outlook and influence of Deuteronomy and hence
one approaches these books from the ‗perspective‘ of ‗Deuteronomistic History,‘ (Dtr).
Some salient common features of Dtr.:
 Linguistic uniformity or similarity,
 Chronological connectivity (1 Kgs 6:1, four hundred and eighty years gap between
the Exodus and the beginning of the Temple construction), and systematic
presentation and clear cut pattern: Book of Judges.
 Above all, an overarching unity of theological concepts and content that decides.
(i) Israel‘s religion emerged from the nature of Israel‘s God, Yahweh, the jealous
One, who demands exclusive allegiance, namely worship of Yahweh alone and
absolute observation of the Torah (Deu 6:4-5, Shema Israel, Hear, O Israel).
‗People‘ are His possession by ‗election‘ and ‗covenent‘ (Key words of Dtr.)
(ii) The ‗Land‘ is Yahweh‘s gift to Israel to possess. ‗Theology of the land‘ is
therefore its corollary: its conquest and occupation is blessing for Israel‘s
faithfulness and obedience to the law (Joshua) and its loss an exile is curse of her

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disloyalty and disobedience (2 Kgs) as forewarned by Moses: the way of life and
the way of death (Deu 30:15-19).
Josiah is the greatest protagonist of the deuteronomic reform (with the discovery of the
"Book of the Law' in the Temple in 621 BCE, (consisting of probably Deut 12-26) which
followed the program of Deuteronomy. The deuteronomic ideals initiated by Josiah were
centralization of worship (Deut 12:8-14) and outright condemnation of idolatry and very
specifically, syncretism, the greatest threat to Israel's religious allegiance.
Dtr. (esp. 1 and 2 Kgs) in a way justifies the two historical catastrophes; collapse of Israel
(721 BCE) and the fall of Judah (587 BCE) because of the guilt of their cultic infidelities
(religious heterodoxy). (Cf. the standardization of the phrase 'the sin of Jeroboam I' (2 Kgs
12:26-31) to implicate the kings of the north and the notion of the ‗high places‘ for the sinful
temperament of the kings of the southern kingdom.‖)

50. Why the Psalms are called the prayer book of Israelites? How will you explain their
timeless compilation and composition by variety of poets? What are the major and
minor types that you find? How are they helpful in your pastoral and spiritual life?

The psalms were used in connection with worship services conducted in the Temple at
Jerusalem. Some of them were sung by the pilgrims on their journeys to the Central
Sanctuary, for all of the faithful were required to attend services at this place at least once a
year if it was at all possible for them to do so. Some of the hymns would be sung when the
pilgrims first came in sight of the city of Jerusalem and others as they stood before the
entrance to the Temple. Some of the hymns were antiphonal numbers, and their use
constituted an essential part of the worship service. Hymns and prayers of adoration were
used on appropriate occasions, such as the beginning of the New Year, particular feast days,
the enthronement of Yahweh, and celebrations of important events in Hebrew history. There
were songs of praise to Yahweh for the mighty works that he had performed, and there were
songs of thanksgiving for the way in which the Hebrews had been delivered from the hands
of their enemies. Other songs were written in praise of the Law. Therefore it is known as the
“Prayer Book of Israelites.”
The Author
 The book of Psalms is a compilation of the songs of various Hebrew authors including,
according to the superscriptions heading many of the psalms, Moses (90), Asaph (50, 73-
83), Sons of Korah (42; 44-49; 84-85; 87-88), Heman the Ezrahite (88), Ethan the
Ezrahite (89), Solomon (72; 127), and David (writer of at least 73 of the psalms) while
the rest are anonymous.
 The book is commonly referred to as belonging to David because he wrote about half of
the psalms.
1. The headings attribute 73 to him but he probably wrote more (cf. Psalm 2 with Acts
4:25-26 and Psalms 105 and 96 with 1 Chron. 16:7-36).
2. He is known as "the sweet psalmist of Israel" (2 Sam. 23:1; cf. also 1 Sam. 16:18; 2
Sam. 6:5,15; 2 Chron. 7:6; 29:25; Amos 6:5)
 Ezra is perhaps the collector and compiler of the Psalms in their present form.

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Time Period for Writing: Because many different authors wrote the Psalms, the writing of
these sacred songs occurred at different times, spanning a period of about one thousand years.
The time of their writing reaches from approximately 1410 B.C., when the first psalm was
written, to around 430 B.C, when the last psalm was written (depending upon the identity of
the author of Psalm 126).

 The first psalm written, Psalm 90, was composed by Moses during Israel‘s forty years
of wilderness wanderings (1445-1405 B.C.), probably toward the end of this time of
severe testing, perhaps around 1410 B.C.
 The vast majority of the psalms were written during the kingly reigns of David (c.
1010-970 B.C.) and Solomon (c.970-930 B.C.).
 The last psalm composed, Psalm 126, is thought to have been recorded after the time
of Israel‘s Babylonian exile, during their return to the land of Judah, around 500 B.C.,
or even later, about 430 B.C., if Psalm 126 was written by Ezra.

The Major and Minor Types: Psalms can be divided into three major literary categories
(genres) with several subcategories as well as several minor categories. The major categories
are Praise, Lament and Wisdom. An example of a subcategory would be Penitential Psalms
(ps. 51), which are a specialized form of Lament Psalms. Significant Minor Categories would
include Royal Psalms (ps. 72), Zion Psalms (ps. 48), Pilgrimage Psalms (ps. 128), Torah
(law) Psalms (ps.119).
Psalms are helpful in our spiritual and pastoral life: The psalms give believers the right
words to pray when no words come to mind. The Psalms teach the importance of being
honest with God. We learn the necessity of submitting to him in difficult times and the joy we
have in approaching him when we contemplate his greatness. Following the Psalter‘s prayer
patterns will enrich our prayers, making their substance fuller and more God-cantered.
Singing the psalms allows us to proclaim God‘s words and let them dwell richly within us
(Colossians 3:16). In doing so, we will be shaping our lives according to God‘s Word and
making worship a more natural part of our lives.

As we read the psalms and make them your prayer, God will work in us and change our
desires to be more like his. We will be delighting in the Lord and will receive the desires of
our heart (Psalm 37:4). God desires us to be thankful – in fact, thankfulness is His will for us
(1 Thessalonians 5:18). Cultivating a thankful heart is especially important in a culture (even
a Church culture) that focuses on the gifts God gives instead of being thankful for what he
already has given us in Christ. Thanking God puts us in our proper place as humble creatures
dependent on an abundantly gracious Creator.

The book of Psalms is a hymnal filled with songs for God‘s people. Many of the psalms are
intended for corporate worship, with some being directed to the Choirmaster and prescribing
specific instruments for accompaniment (for example, Psalms 51-62). Reading or singing the
psalms corporately will shape individual hearts and minds in the congregation and help your
church pursue a culture of worship. Use them at the start of a service as a call to worship, for

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responsive readings, or as a response to a sermon. Your congregation will love how the rich
imagery of Scripture speaks to their daily life and experience and it will make their hearts
sing!
All Christians face emotional ups and downs. Even our Lord himself went through emotional
triumph and turmoil. The Psalms provide a faithful road map to follow in the world of
emotions – triumph, turmoil, and everything in between. The Psalms show us the wide
spectrum of the Christian life, from mountain top experiences to walking in the valley of the
shadow of death. As you read the Psalms with your Christian experience in mind, God will
humble you, refine your expectations about life, and show you his faithfulness and steadfast
love.

51. How will you explain the prominence of psalms in the NT, the history of the Church
through the ages and the present day worshipping community? For the contemporary
world, what are the progressive ideas that you find in the Psalms?
Psalms and the New Testament: Many of the NT writers had been steeped and saturated in
the Psalter since childhood. It is only natural that they should turn to it as a prism through
which to view the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The Psalms add greater depth and
perspective to the NT picture of Jesus. They help us to grasp more fully all that God intended
to do for and among his people. There are 116 direct quotations from the Psalms in the New
Testament. Many Messianic prophecies from the Psalms find their fulfilment in the New
Testament.
 The Son of God (2:7; Matt. 3:17).
 Praised by children (8:2; Matt. 21:15-16).
 Ruler of all (8:6; Heb. 2:8)
 Rises from death (16:10; Matt. 28:7).
 Forsaken by God (22:1; Matt. 27:46).
 Derided by enemies (22:7-8; Luke 23:35).
 Hands and feet pierced (22:16; John 20:27)
 Lots cast for clothes (22:18; Matt. 27:35-36).
 Bones unbroken (34:20; John 19:32-33,36).
 Accused by false witnesses (35:11; Mark 14:57).
 Hated without cause (35:19; John 15:25).
 Delights in God's will (40.7-8; Heb. 10:7)
 Betraved by a friond (11-9 ule Studying t
 Ascends to heaven (68:18; Acts 1:9-11)
 Zealous for God's house (69:9; John 2:17)
 Given vinegar and gall (69:21; Matt. 27:34)
 Prays for enemies (109:4; Luke 23:34)
 His betrayer replaced (109:8; Acts 1:20)
 Rules over His enemies (110:1; Matt. 22:44)
 A priest forever (110:4; Heb. 5:6)
 The chief stone of God's building (118:22; Matt. 21:42)

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 Comes in the name of the Lord (118:26; Matt. 21:9).

Since the beginning of Christianity the Psalter has enjoyed a central position in the Church's
liturgical life, a fact well documented by many sources. The Church adopted the psalms,
whose original homeland is the Old Testament, to express her praise and longing for God.
The psalms have held a prominent place in Christian hymnals. Early Churches inherited the
regular recitation and chanting of psalms from the Jewish synagogue. The ancient Church
fathers, however, pointed to Jesus' quotation of Psalms 22:2 when he was crucified (e.g., Mt.
27:46) and assumed as a matter of course that Jesus recited psalms. Christian practice would
accordingly emulate Jesus by making Psalms central to its liturgy. Jerome, for example, in
the late fourth century attests to the chanting of psalms in Latin, Greek, and Syriac at funeral
processions.

In the Middle Ages, Psalms formed the larger part of all regular worship. Psalm 119, the
longest in the canon, was recited daily by clerics, who were required to memorize the entire
Psalter; over the course of a week all the psalms were systematically recited. The psalms
functioned both as devotion and as guides to piety and inspiration.

Christians utilize different texts of the Psalter, most of them adapted for public worship from
the Latin of Jerome. Many English versions today stem from revisions of the Great Bible
produced in 1539–1541. In addition to public worship, modern Christians have recited psalms
in school and at home for meditation and for insight into God's ways.

The Need of Psalms in the Contemporary World: Life is challenging. Every day there are
relationships with co-workers, friends and family to nurture, and decisions, both big and
small, to consider. Sometimes the unexpected happens: health complications, a financial
strain, a loved one dies; Society is complex with conflicting ideas, endless options, social and
political unrest and constant change. As a Christian living in this complicated world, we
need a transcendental support which is given by the book of psalms. Book of psalms makes
our life to progress in this world with the presence of God.

In God‘s Word, we find comfort in times of sorrow, encouragement when we want to give
up, and correction and instruction when finding our way through thoughts and situations to
God‘s will. Promises, when believed with all of our heart, free us from strong feelings of fear
and discontent. Verses bring us peace in the midst of confusing thoughts and uncertain
situations. We experience God‘s blessing from obeying His Word and share King David‘s
sentiment: “I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life.” Psalm
119:93.

52. Which are the Captivity Letters? Explain their General Background and Salient
Features of Each Book?

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Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians, and Philippians are commonly designated as the ―Prison
Epistles‖. In these letters for the first time Paul writes as a prisoner. He calls himself ―the
prisoner of Christ Jesus‖. (Eph. 3:1). All four contain explicit references to his prison
experience (Col. 4:3, 18; Philemon 10:13, 22, 23; Eph. 3:1; 4:1; 6:20; Phil. 1:7, 13). These
references show the deep mark left by the imprisonment on Paul‘s heart and thinking. They
also indicate that the imprisonment was of a longer duration than Paul‘s previous brief
detentions (2 Cor. 11:23).
Although 2 Timothy was also written during Paul‘s second imprisonment, it is not included
under the term ―Prison Epistles‖. The indications of the severity of the Apostle‘s confinement
in that epistle show that it was an imprisonment different from that during which these
epistles were written. Except for Philemon, which is a personal note and contains no direct
doctrinal teaching, these epistles are marked by their special emphasis on the person of Christ
and are aptly characterized as the Christological Group.
COLOSSIANS:
STABILIZATION: Paul wrote to strengthen and to confirm the Colossian Christians in their
adherence to the Gospel which they had received.
 He expresses joy at the report of their stability and growth in grace.
 He assures them of his continuous prayers for them.
 He urges them to abide in the faith they have received. (1:3-8; 2:5-7).
 Paul also seeks to impress upon them that, although he has never seem their faces, he
is yet interested in them and the furtherance of the true Gospel among them.
 He informs them of his deep concern for their spiritual welfare (2:1-5).
 He reminds them that his personal concern for them is in keeping with the ministry
entrusted to him by the Lord for the whole Church (1:12-29).
REFUTATION: The obvious purpose of the epistle is to crush the heretical teaching which
had threateningly emerged in Colossae. The teaching was a mixture of Jewish elements,
oriental theosophy, and Helenistic Gnostic speculations. (Gnosis -knowledge (GK).
(Gnosticism - a heresy based on knowledge instead of faith).
 This heresy pretended to be a philosophical system of truth.
 It was but vain speculation without a foundation in truth and was empty of moral
power for practical life.
 It was ritualistic in its teachings and demand: It insisted that the Colossian Christians
should observe religious days and seasons, ―a feat day or a new moon, or a Sabbath
day‖ (Col. 2:16).
 It was ascetic:
o It criticized the Colossian believers about their diet, ―judge you in meat, or in
drink‖ (2:16).
o It drew up rigid ascetic rules: ―handle not, nor taste, nor touch‖ (2:21).
 It was inspired by a lack of sympathy for bodily life (2:20-230.
 It was mystical: It encouraged angle worship, insisted on some self-abasement, and
praised visions which were to be understood only by prolonged meditation. (2:18).

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 It taught that God was holy but matter was evil, and between spirit and matter was a
big gap.
Paul takes the terminology of the heretics to attack their teaching. He develops the
doctrine of the ―Cosmic Christ‖. In Christ, the One Mediator, dwells all wisdom and
knowledge; in His death and Resurrection, all powers of the cosmos are defeated and
subjected to Him (Col. 2:3, 9, 10, 15). Any teaching that deviates from the centrality of
Christ under the pretence of leading men to maturity and perfection is a perversion of the
faith.
INSTRUCTION: Paul uses the latter part of the Epistle to instruct the Colossians in a
well-balanced Christian life through union with Christ, the Head (Col. 3:5-4:6).
The tendency of Gnostic teaching was to lead its followers either into gross immorality or
into asceticism. Paul exposes the root of the error at Colossae. The outstanding
characteristic of this epistle is its Christology. Its specific burden is the elaboration of the
person and work of Christ as the answer to all error. The marvellous passage in 1:15-23,
which presents Christ in His threefold relation to God, creation, and the church, is the
distinctive glory of this epistle among the Pauline writings; this passage present Paul‘s
picture of the Cosmic Christ. The Christology of the epistle is one central and unifying
theme of the whole. Every part of the letter directly or indirectly contributes to this exalted
theme and acknowledges Christ as ―all and in all‖. Since apparently the heresy at Colossae
did not claim authorization from Old Testament Scripture, no reference to the Old
Testament is made in the epistle.
PHILEMON: The epistle to Philemon is the only New Testament Book giving us a look
at a Christian household of that time. Apparently, Philemon was a well-to-do householder.
His house was spacious enough to serve as an assembly place for believers in Colossae
and that he was in a position to show his benevolence to an extended circle of fellow
Christians (vv. 2,). Apphia was his wife and Archippus was his son. To this household,
Onesimus belonged as a slave.
Slavery was a commonly accepted feature of that day. Because of this situation, Paul
included instructions for Christian slaves as well as masters in writing to the Colossians
and the Ephesians (Col. 3:22; 4:1; Eph. 6:5-9).
OCCASION FOR PHILEMON: Onesimus, a salve of Philemon, had wronged, and
possibly robbed his master of some money, and had fled. To evade the slave catchers, he
had found his way into populous Rome where he came into contact with Paul who
consequently led him to Christ (v. 10). As a new creature in Christ, Onesimus, whose
name meant ―Profitable‖ (v. 11), rendered highly appreciated service to Paul in his
imprisonment (v. 13). Onesimus had repented, but he had to make restitution. Paul felt that
Onesimus must return to his master in accordance with the demands of the law.
Soon circumstances demanded that Tychicus be dispatched to Colossae with the epistle to
that church; Paul used the opportunity to return Onesimus to his master with a letter of
explanation incorporating a plea for Onesimus.

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PURPOSE OF PHILEMON: Paul wanted to express his high regard of Philemon (the
master) and of Onesimus (the slave) and to persuade Philemon to receive, forgive, and
reinstate Onesimus.
CHARACTERISTICS OF PHILEMON
Charm: In this epistle, Paul reveals his mastery of Christian courtesy.
Contents: The letter in itself is a practical commentary upon the precepts concerning the
mutual relations of slaves and masters given in the contemporary epistles.
Value: 1. Personal: The epistle throws light upon the character of Paul. 2. Ethical: It has a
balanced sensitiveness to what is right. 3. Providential: It suggests that God is behind and
above all events. 4. Practical: It applies the highest principles to the commonest affairs. 5.
Evangelical: It supplies encouragement to seek and to save the lowest. 6. Social: It
presents the relation of Christianity to slavery and all non-Christian institutions. 7.
Spiritual: It is closely related to the Gospel story.
SOCIAL IMPACT: The epistle greatly contributes to the indirect attack on slavery; it
demonstrates that Christianity advocated the spirit of love and consideration which
ultimately meant a death-knell to the institution of slavery.

EPHESIANS: The contents of the epistle offer no indication as to the occasion of its
composition. It does not appear to have been written to meet any particular crises. Judging
from its close relation to Colossians, it appears that the conflict which caused the writing
of Colossians likewise called forth this epistle. The Colossian conflict revealed to Paul the
need for a fuller statement of God‘s programme for the universe as it centres in Christ in
His relationship to the Church. Ephesians was written during Paul‘s first imprisonment in
Rome (Acts 28:30-31). In Ephesians, Paul sets forth God‘s purpose of summing up ―all
things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth‖. (Eph. 1:10), and
gives emphasis to the position of the Church as the Body of Christ in the universal plan of
God (3:10-11).
CHARACTERISTICS OF EPHESIANS
Language: The richness of the epistle‘s thought is reflected in its rich vocabulary.
Contents: Ephesians is generally considered as the deepest book in the New Testament.
Its vision of the purpose of God stretches from eternity to eternity. It is also by far the
most difficult of all Paul‘s writings.
The epistle is specially distinguished by its universalism; its theme is the Church as the
Body of Christ. This vital union with Christ spells out the duties of the believer. Special
note must be made of the following outstanding passages in the epistle: (i) The ‗Hymn of
grace‘ (1:3-14); the two prayers of Paul (1:15-22; 3:14-21); the passage on the Mystery
(3:2-21) and above all, the description of the Christian‘s armour (6:11-17).

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While Colossians reveals Paul‘s spiritual conflict, Ephesians shows his tranquil,
meditative and deeply reflective peace. Ephesians deals with the Body of Christ while
Colossians deals with the person of Christ.
THE CHURCH IN PHILIPPI
Origin: The Church in Philippi was established as a result of the labours of Paul and his
co-workers there during the second missionary journey. The first convert in Philippi was a
proselyte to Judaism, Lydia, a business woman of Thyatire (Acts 16:12-14). Her own
conversion of such a household conversion led to the conversion of her whole household,
the first instance of such a household conversion recorded in Acts. The opening of her
home to the missionaries provided a base of operation for them and a place of assembly
for the young church (Acts 16:15). The work continued for some time and converts were
won. The crisis which arose, when Paul cast out the spirit of divination from the slave girl
(Acts 16:16-18), helped to establish the security of the church in Philippi (Acts 16:19-39).
Although the missionaries departed after the crisis, Luke apparently remained behind in
Philippi to guide the affairs of the Church.
Characteristics of the Philippian Church: The prominence of women in the church is
noteworthy. This is in accordance with the general status of women in the province of
Macedonia. As already mentioned, the first convert in Philippi was the business woman
Lydia. Her own fervour and spirit of liberality seem to have diffused themselves
throughout the church. In the letter to the Philippians two women, Euodia and Syntyche
are mentioned as having been co-workers together with Paul (4:2). The membership of the
Church was mainly Gentile with a few Jewish converts.
Relations to Paul: The Philippian Church maintained its intimate relations with their
founder, Paul. Shortly after Paul left their midst, they sent a financial contribution ―once
and again‖ to him while he was labouring at Thesalonica (Phil. 4:16). A further
contribution was sent to him while he was at Corinth (Phil. 4:15; Acts 18:5; II Cor. 11:9).
In this matter the Philippians had a distinctive record, as Paul himself reminds them in his
letter (4:15). From them he received the support that he refused to receive from the
Corinthians (II Cor. 11:7-10).
OCCASION FOR PHILIPPIANS: The immediate occasion for the writing of
Philippians was the return of Epaphroditus to Philippi following his serious illness in
Rome (2:25-30). The occasion couldn‘t have been the information concerning the
disagreement between two women in the Church (4:2), since the matter was quite minor,
and Paul does not ensure the Church in internal factions. According to internal evidence,
Paul was a prisoner in Rome when he wrote this letter. The bearer of the letter is
Epathroditus. He is not mentioned elsewhere beyond this epistle and must not be confused
with Epaphras, the founder of the Colossian church (Col. 1:7-8; 4:12-13). Paul describes
Epaphroditus as ―my brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier, and your messenger
and minister to my need.‖ (2:25).
PURPOSE OF PHILIPPIANS

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Information: The letter was written to provide the Philippian Church with official
information about his circumstances. The Philippians naturally were anxious to get the
latest information concerning developments in Paul‘s case. He informs them of the
generally satisfactory results of his imprisonment (1:12-20), and imparts the important
news that the Imperial Court has actually begun to dispose of his appeal to Caesar (2:23).
Affection: The letter is marked by a spontaneous outpouring of his personal regard and
affection for the Philippians.
Warning: His love and concern for the Philippians causes him to warn them against two
dangers which he senses: The Judaizers (3:2-16) and Antinominianism (3:17-4:1).
Exhortation: Paul exhorts the cultivation of the following graces in particular:
 To develop and uphold unity in aim and work (1:27-29).
 To endeavour to foster that which will promote the common good (2:2-4).
 To avoid any personal disagreements that have arisen (4:2-3).
 He also urges upon them the cultivation of humble-mindedness (2:3), a virtue
commended by the example of our Lord Himself (2:5-11).
 He further desires that they foster the spirit of joy and thanksgiving (3:1; 4:4-9).
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PHILIPPIANS
Personal: The epistle has all the marks of a spontaneous letter to beloved friends.
Joyfulness: The joyousness of this epistle is an eloquent testimony to the triumph of the
Christian faith over all adversity and affliction.
Theological Importance: Philippians, like the other prison epistles, contains a profound
Christological passage (2:5-11). In summary form, it presents the pre-existence,
incarnation, and exaltation of Jesus Christ. However, this passage was written with an
ethical rather than a doctrinal purpose, and it was intended to enforce the practical
Christian virtue of humility in the interest of ecclesiastical unity.
53. Which are Pastoral Letters? Explain the Role of Bishops, Elders, Deacons,
Widows and Women in Paul‟s time?
The last major group of Paul‘s epistles have generally been called the ―Pastoral Epistles,‖
a term used to designate the three letters addressed to Timothy and Titus (1 and 2
Timothy, and Titus). Originally, they were regarded as mere personal letters and were
classified with Philemon, but because of their strong bearing on the life of the Church,
they began to be called the ―Pastoral Epistles.‖ Though addressed to individuals, these
books are not only not limited to personal and private communications, but they are more
official in character. Paul addressed them to Timothy and Titus to guide them in matters
concerning the pastoral care of the Church, which is the household of God (cf. 1 Tim.
3:14-15; 4:6-15 with 2 Tim. 2:2).
The Roles of Women: From the early decades of Christianity, women were co-workers,
missionaries and leaders of house Churches. They enjoyed several positions of leadership
in the Church as a deaconess, widows, virgins, saints, prophetess etc. Within the official

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ordering of the early churches life, there were two primary orders of women; widows and
deaconesses.
Paul calls three women “coworkers” (synergoi): Prisca (Rom 16:3), Euodia and syntyche
(Phil 4:3). One of the most striking texts is Philippians 4:2-3, where Euodia and syntyche
are exhorted to harmony in the Lord. Paul says that they ―laboured together with him in
the gospel‖ and goes on to call them ―co-workers‖ (synergoi). Probably they laboured with
Paul in spreading the gospel, functioning as missionaries by proclaiming the word.
Four women are designated as “labourers”: Mary (Romans 16:6) and Tryphaena,
Tryphosa and Persis (Rom 16:12). We know nothing about these women apart from these
all-too- brief descriptions. The term itself does not mean that one served as a leader.
Women here served significantly in the ministries and laboured with intensity.
Women are not to teach men in Church, and since elders are the teachers in the Church,
women are not allowed to be elders. Women have the wonderful privilege of teaching
other women and children. They can also exercise their spiritual gifts through evangelism,
counselling, helps, and other crucial ministries. But when it comes to preaching in the
Church that is reserved for men.
Paul says Andronicus and Junia are ―distinguished among the apostles‖. The Greek
phrase could also be translated ―outstanding in the eyes of the apostles,‖ but most agree
that this is an unlikely way of rendering the phrase. The Term apostle is not always a
technical term (2Cor 8:23; Phil 2:25) and Andronicus and Junia were likely itinerant
missionaries if they are called apostles here. The word apostolo is used of such travelling
missionaries in the apostolic fathers. Such apostles did not have the same kind of authority
as did Paul and the twelve.
The other significant New Testament reference to a woman deacon is in St Paul‘s
commendation of Phoebe, to whom he clearly refers to as a Deacon of the Church of
Cenchrea. ―I command you to our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the Church at Cenchera, so
that you may welcome her in the Lord as is sitting for the saints, and help her in whatever
she may require from you for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as
well.‖(Romans 16:1-2). They assisted women who were in need and who were ill. They
verified the corporal integrity of the virgins. They gave private instructions to
catechumens when necessary. They assisted the bishops in the baptism.
The Role of Widows: The role of the widows in the early church was to perform
charity and they were also appointed for prayer. A clear picture of the widows can be
seen in the pastoral epistles of St Paul. 1 Timothy 5:3–6 issues the actions about the
character, conduct and also the responsibility of women who were enrolled as widows. If
one was to be enrolled among the widows, she should be at least 60 years old, married
only once and well attested for her deeds, as one who brought up children , shown
hospitality, washed the feats of the saints, relieved the affected and devoted herself to do
good in every way (5:10). The additional role of the widows were in the communities
economic support, they were to remain celibate and needed to be engaged in the ministry

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of prayer. ‗The real widow, left alone, has set her hope in God and continues its
application day and night‘ (5:5).
The Role of Elders: Although the term ―pastor‖ does not occur in the Pastoral Epistles, it
is clear that it refers to the same office as the elder or overseer. In Acts 20 Paul calls for
the ―elders‖ (v. 17) and encourages them to ―be on guard for themselves and for all the
flock.‖ Since they have been appointed as ―overseers,‖ are called ―to shepherd the Church
of God‖ (v. 28). Not only are pastors or elders/overseers given the task of shepherding, but
they are also those who teach the congregation (Eph 4:11; 1 Tim 3:2; 5:17). Elders are the
overseers of the church. The term ―elder‖ is related to the Greek word ―episkopos‖ which
refers to the office of the bishop and the person holding this office. They are tasked with
supporting, encouraging, and guiding the lower office of the deacons. (Elders are spiritual
leaders or shepherds of the church. They serve as pastors and teachers and also provide
general oversight on financial, organizational, and spiritual matters. The practical ministry
of deacons in the church is vital, freeing elders to focus on prayer, studying God's Word,
and pastoral care.)
The Role of Deacons: the role of the deacon is mainly to be a servant. The church needs
deacons to provide logistical and material support so that the elders can focus on the Word
of God and prayer. Perhaps the most noticeable distinction between elders and deacons is
that deacons do not need to be ―able to teach‖ (1 Tim. 3:2). Deacons are called to ―hold‖
to the faith with a clear conscience, but they are not called to ―teach‖ that faith (1 Tim.
3:9). This suggests that the deacons do not have an official teaching role in the Church.
54. What are the Catholic or general epistles? Why are they called Catholic? Why are
the Catholic Epistles important? Explain the salient features in each book?
The Meaning of Catholic: There are 7 New Testament letters attributed to personages of
the apostolic age in the family of Jesus tradition (James and Jude), the Petrine tradition (1
and 2 Peter) and Johannine tradition (1, 2 and 3 John) that are collectively referred to as
the ―Catholic letters.‖ The term Catholic meaning „universal‟ „widespread‟ general,
inasmuch as these letters addressed not to a particular individual or search
community but to the believers in general to all the churches to the entire Christian
Church. Early Christians wish to include only the direct testimony of the apostles this
writings nevertheless faithfully testify to the apostolic faith and so constituted Canonical
scripture, all seven Catholic letters have since been acknowledged as Canonical.
Letter of James: the letter to James encourages us to lead more lives based on a strong
faith that Express itself in Good Works.
Letters of Peter: The first letter of Peter enlivens in us awareness of our Christian
identity as baptize Christians and of the intrinsic of call to a life of Holiness whatever
be a walk of life it prepares us to face like sufferings as Jesus did and to be collaborative
and proactive members of the hierarchical search.
The second letter of Peter inspires us even today to place all our faith in God who is
ever faithful and in Jesus who can always be relied on. It conscientize us to be on guard

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against the false teaching teachers after modern day ideologies, as we prepare
ourselves for judgment of the second coming of Jesus at our death.
Letters of John: The first letter of John, deepen our Belief in God's Love and in Jesus
incarnate and divine. We are reminded to walk in the light of God by observing is
Commandments particularly of love for each other. We are to be on our guard against
the wolves in lamb's clothing the pseudo-preachers of today who could lead us astray
from our Christian faith.
The second letter of John serves as a timely reminder that altruism and inclusive love are
God's plan for happiness. Against those champion only gold -Crown Jesus, distant and
divine, this letter teachers the equality true earthly dimension of Jesus, namely is
humanity that makes him one of us.
The third letter of John is case in point that problems of authority and collaboration existed
in the early Church. Yet God's will prevailed and Christianity flourished. This letter
teaches us never be despair of God's saving presence even as the church of today is
blocked by divisions and dissensions of varied sorts.
Letter of Jude: Denial of sin, loss of sense of sin, freedom misinterpreted as licentious:
these are some of the spiritual cancers that clear today's world.
55. What are the important themes of the Catholic letters?

Letter of James: Value of trial and temptations, Hearing and doing God‘s word, Sin of
Partiality, Faith without good works is dead, Control of the tongue, True and false wisdom,
Friendship with the world, Patience in suffering, The power of Prayer.

1st Peter: Christians call to holy living, Christ and the Church, Christian duties in various
walks of life, call to suffer like Jesus, advice to Church leaders.
2nd Peter: A. Need to be faithful to the authoritative teaching and reject the false
teachings, Exhortation of Christian virtue, eye-witnesses of Christ Glory, condemnation of
false teachers, B. Delay of the second coming.
1st John: Historical reality of the Christian message, walking in the light – the question of
sin, Keeping the commandment of love, warning against the false teachers, Children of
God and children of evil: Love vs Hatred, God‘s love inspires, Need of faith in Christ Jesus.
2nd John: Exhortation to love one another, warning against the anti-Christ who denies
Christ came in the flesh.
3rd John: Commendation of Gaius for his exemplary Christian life and for his hospitality to
Johannine missionaries. Warning against Diotrephes who failed to acknowledge the
presbyter‘s authority.
Letter of Jude: Warning from the past, Judgment on false teachers, exhortation to remain
faithful.

56. Explain Faith without good works is dead (Jam 2:14-26) and compare it with the
letter to Romans.

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It was written with the primary aim of collecting a misunderstanding of the teaching of Paul
in his letter to the Romans that justification comes through faith in Jesus (Rom3:20-25, 9:30-
32, 10:4-6) cannot through works prescribed by the law. This teaching of Paul was
misinterpreted by some to mean that faith in Jesus even without a life of good actions and
morality is salvific, consequently there was a growing belief that a simple acceptance of the
truths of Faith was sufficient for salvation. Consequently, Social Justice was practiced by
some rich members of the community who treated the poor differently even in the liturgical
assemblies.

John counters such an Christian living by insisting in his letter that Christian should be 2
hours of the word not nearly hearers who deceive themselves( Jam. 1:22) those who say they
have faith but do not have works only nominal Christians on warning the Christian
community that faith without works is dead(2:14-17) ..

Notably the norms of responsible behaviour on drawn, not from Christology as Paul does, but
from a concept of salvation that demands conversion, baptism, forgiveness of sin and
expectation of judgment. Hebrews presents no contradiction to Paul‘s teaching about
justification apart from works or rituals of the old law, while James is talking about the moral
behaviour and dispositions that are proper to any person of true faith.

57. Explain the Christian call to holy life (1Pet 1:13-2:3) and call to suffer like Jesus
(1Pet 3:8-22; 4:12-19)?
1Pet 1:13-2:3: This passage focuses on the holy lifestyle that Christians should seek. The
great hope of Christ's return should not inspire in us a sloppiness of life, but a determination
to live our lives in holiness. Peter is reminding us that now we are walking in a new life, a
new birth, a redemption from the old slavery. Things are different now and we must learn not
to live in the same old way. Our sins are forgiven, removing the barrier between us and God.
From here on out, the focus shifts from our guilt (now forgiven) to our character.
The process of becoming more like God, that is, becoming more holy in our character, is
called ―sanctification‖ or ―discipleship.‖ Peter characterizes Christians as resident aliens, as
we saw in 1:1. ―Strangers,‖ ―sojourning‖ or ―exile‖ translates the Greek noun paroikia, ―the
state of being in a strange locality without citizenship, sojourn, stay.‖ The related verb means
literally "to dwell beside," that is, we live next to the houses of those who are citizens. Never
forget that your citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20) and it is to heaven's standards you
will be held accountable, not to those of this world.
Holiness also involves obedience. The sanctifying process involves yielding to the Spirit in
obedience instead of to the old nature. The result of God's work in us is real love. Maturing
Christians who are developing a love for one another are exhorted to let that love deepen into
a self-giving love. Moreover, it must be a fervent love from the heart. When Christ is
preached, it is like imperishable seed that begets new life in dead men and women. The word
is powerful and creative. Peter concludes this section with a renewed call to integrity. He is
encouraged that genuine brotherly love is growing in them. Now he encourages them to go all
the way and let God's word complete its work in them:

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"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every
kind. Like new-born babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your
salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." (2:1-3)
He knows all about battling conformity to the world's values, the necessity of pushing into a
holy life, and the importance of maintaining a healthy hunger for and a healthy intake of
God's word. Peter calls us to press into maturity as a Christian disciple.
1Pet 3:8-22; 4:12-19: In this passage Peter calls each of us to integrity before God, integrity
before God's people, and integrity before the unbelievers who live around us. Integrity,
according to St. Peter, needs to infuse Christians' relationships with each other in the Church.
If we expect to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in the world where it's tough, we must be able to
love each other in our Church where we're among friends. Even then Christians will suffer, so
let them suffer with a clear conscience. We are called to be a blessing to our enemies. When
we suffer, we bless. When we are slandered, we bless. When we are hurt, we bless. Why?
Because we are called to bless! And as we bless and suffer, we inherit the blessings of Jesus,
whose suffering and blessing we emulate -- "Father, forgive them, for they know not what
they do" (Luke 23:34). Our tongue is prone to evil, especially when we are under pressure.
We complain. We blame. We vacillate. But in the Spirit, our tongue becomes an agent of
blessing. Notice the path of the righteous man and woman:
"He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it." (1 Peter 3)
When we are tempted, sometimes we must consciously and deliberately turn away from evil
and toward good. Notice that the way of righteousness is not passive. It is a decision.
To live a Christian life in Peter's day was a struggle and sometimes brought suffering. The
Christian life calls for courage and fortitude in the face of evil. To encourage Christians in
suffering, Peter admonishes them with a word from the Lord in Isaiah: ―Do not fear what
they fear; do not be frightened.‖ When God spoke these words to Isaiah, Isaiah reports that
God's ―strong hand [was] upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people" (Isaiah
8:11). The people feared death at the hands of their enemies, but Isaiah was not to fear. He
was not to panic or be intimidated. He was to fear the Lord, not the enemy. He was to trust in
the Lord. So are we.
Now Peter gives us instruction in how to answer those who persecute us.
―But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with
gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously
against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is
God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." (3:15-17)
Burial is symbolized when we are dunked under the water. Resurrection is symbolized when
we come up out of the water. We didn't die for our sin, Jesus did, and we identify with his
death by baptism. We can't produce spiritual life either, Jesus does, and we identify with his
resurrection to eternal life by baptism. We serve a risen Saviour; He is in the world today.
Serve him faithfully, whether you suffer persecution or not. Emulate His humility and love

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with your brothers and sisters in the Church. Imitate his righteousness as you live in the
world. Serve Christ with a clear conscience.
We do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon us to test us as though something
strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as we share Christ's sufferings, that we
may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If we are insulted for the name of
Christ, we are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of
us suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if we suffer as a
Christian, let us not be ashamed, but let us glorify God in that name. For it is time for
judgement to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the
outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And
―If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?‖
Therefore let those who suffer according to God‘s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator
while doing good.
58. Explain condemnation of false teachers (2Pet 2:1-22) and why there is a delay in
second coming (2Pet 3: 1-13)?
2Pet 2:1-22: Peter‘s referring to Israel, and the historical fact that there has always been a
problem with false teachers. God‘s Law is clear as to how to handle them. (Examples:
Deuteronomy 13:1-18; Jeremiah 23; Matthew 23:1-36; 24:4,5; Galatians 3:1,2.) Peter‘s
warning is that false prophets and teachers are going to rise up among God‘s people no matter
what. Their teachings are ultimately destructive to a person in the end, and the teachings
always diminish the person and work of Christ to the point of creating an alternate gospel.
There is an expression of ―sensuality‖ (usually, but not always, sexual impurity), and ―the
truth is maligned‖; that is, the truth is ―mal-aligned‖ or distorted. The false prophets act by
Greed and exploitation. There is almost always greed involving money, ambition, or power
over people. The author speaks of the 13 additional characteristics of false prophets and false
teachers.

 They are ―daring‖ meaning that they are reckless (v. 10)
 They are ―self-willed‖ (NT equivalent of OT ―iniquity‖; v. 10)
 ―...revile angelic majesties‖ and seem to have no qualms about doing so (v. 10)
 Do not exercise good reasoning (v. 12)
 Do things without knowledge (v. 12)
 Revel in the daytime and count it as pleasure (v. 13)
 They are deceived (v. 13)
 They carouse with believers (v. 13)
 They commit adultery, either openly or with their eyes (v. 14)
 They never cease from sin (v. 14)
 They gravitate toward unstable people (v. 14)

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 They have hearts shaped by years and years of greed (v. 14)
 They forsake the right way and follow the way of Balaam (v. 15)
Peter says that once a person has been exposed to the truth, has learned and accepted the truth,
and then turns away from it, there‘s no other way to be rescued. “And then have fallen away, it
is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the
Son of God and put Him to open shame.‖ - Hebrews 6:6. One who leaves untruth for truth,
and then turns from truth to lies and deception, is like a dog who returns to his own vomit.
2Pet 3: 1-13: At the time of Peter‘s epistle, perhaps some 30-35 years may have elapsed
since our Lord‘s ascension into heaven and the promise of His return in glory. Now mockers
or, scoffers begin to make their presence felt within the Church. As the years have passed,
they have become emboldened to express their disbelief in the promise of God that Christ
will return in glory. The alleged ―delay‖ in Christ‘s return has emboldened them to live for
their lusts - they have become confident that there will not come a day of just retribution.
These scoffers maintain that since the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob nothing of great
spiritual significance has happened. ―Indeed, all things have continued as they were from the
beginning of the creation.‖ They are maintaining that since the time God created the world
there has been a consistent and unbroken uniformity. At this point Peter refutes their
argument by asserting: there is something that they wilfully, intentionally, forget, namely, the
cataclysmic flood that occurred in the days of Noah. Peter asserts that the flood was of such
tremendous cataclysmic proportions that it can be described as bringing to an end ―the world
of that time.‖
Alluding to Psalm 90:4, Peter reminds us that God is the sovereign Lord of time. We must
also remember that the Lord is not negligent. Sinful man is so prone to misinterpret the
Lord‘s long suffering patience as negligence (Psalm 50:21). But the Lord‘s very character
precludes any negligence on His part (Numbers 23:19). Finally we must remember that the
day of the Lord will come ―like a thief.‖ That Day of Judgment has been divinely appointed
and therefore it is inevitable (Acts 17:31). It will come just as surely as the forewarned day of
judgment came upon Old Testament Israel (Lamentations 2:17). But when that day comes it
will come like a thief. It will come unexpectedly upon a world that refused to take heed and
refused to repent (Luke 17:26-27).
As Christians, we ought to be prepared for the day of our Lord‘s return by living lives that are
characterized by holy conduct and godliness lives that are devoted to God and that are
oriented around God. We should anticipate the coming day of the Lord not with fear, but with
confident expectation. As people who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, clothed in
His righteousness and being transformed into His likeness by His Holy Spirit, we shall be
welcomed by God into His new creation. As Romans 8:1 assures us, ―Therefore, there is now
no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.‖
59. Exhortation to keep the commandments of love (1Jn 2:3-17; 2Jn 5-6) and warning
against anti-Christ who deny Christ came in the flesh (2Jn 7-11)?
Keeping the Commandments of Love (1Jn 2:3-17; 2Jn 5-6): Love is the subject in this
section. John loves the people that he is writing to. Therefore, he calls them his dear

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friends. He refers to the command that the Lord Jesus gave (John 13:34). The people
who received John‟s letter already knew about this command. These people knew that
they should love God and each other. The command to love is new because of Jesus. He
makes it possible for us to have a new life with God. Jesus loves us so much that he gave
himself to die for us.
Those who do not know God cannot obey this command. But now those who know God can
do it. This command to love is new. The Lord Jesus showed us what love means. His love
was so much more than the love of normal people. It was a different kind of love. He gives
the same kind of love to those who know him. We too begin to know what love really means.
So, the love that Jesus has is also in Christians. We are able to love God and each other with
this new kind of love. They love as Christ loved. As the Christians love the Lord more so
they grow to be more like Jesus. That process of love has begun in them. A real Christian
loves other Christians. The Christian who loves other Christians will be in the light. Where
there is light there can be no darkness. In the light, one can see. In the light, there is nothing
to cause sin or error.
But, for the Christian who hates another Christian, there is no light. He is wrong when he
hates another Christian. He does not obey the command and he is in error. He is like someone
in the dark. A person who wanders in the dark has lost his way. He does not know where he
is. He does not know where he is going. If he is in the dark for too long, he may become
blind. His eyes can no longer see the light.
Love and truth: John loves those who know the truth, because the truth ―abides‖ in them (2
Jn 1–2). When two parties know the truth, love comes naturally. Truth and obedience: God
the Father commanded that His children walk in truth (2 Jn 4). When you know the truth,
obedience comes naturally. Obedience and love: The commandment that God gave isn‘t
anything new: ―love one another‖ (2 Jn 5). A sure sign of obedience to God is love for His
Church, and a sure sign of love is obedience to God (2 Jn 6).
Warning against Anti-Christ who Deny Christ came in the flesh (2Jn 7-11): John warned
against deceivers who led others astray. The doctrine they stressed involved a denial of the
incarnation. Christians affirmed the genuine humanity of Jesus when they said, Christ has
come in the flesh. Jesus did not become Christ at the baptism or cease to be Christ before His
death. He was Christ come in the flesh. John warned his readers against losing their reward
for faithful service by falling into doctrinal error (v. 8). He affirmed that one who erred at this
important point did not have God. John included an additional warning in verses 10–11. He
warned against providing any sort of official welcome for those who erred in their doctrine of
Christ. John was not promoting intolerance, nor was he violating his earlier appeal to ―love
one another. He was warning against extending any form of support for those who erred at
the point of the genuine humanity of Christ. We should not apply John‗s words to cause us to
separate from those whose opinions we happen to dislike.
60. The literary relationship between Jude 4-16 and 2Peter. 2:1-18.
Jude 4-16 and 2Peter. 2:1-18 have so much in common that scholars surmise a literary
relationship between them. Ruling out that both had the same source to borrow from, the

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latter writing would have taken material from the earlier. As Jude contains references to
apocryphal books of Enoch in vv. 6.14, and Assumption of Moses v. 9, while 2Peter omits
both references, most scholars believe that Jude is the earlier of the two, since it is natural
that later writing would have excluded such legendary material as it was a controversial issue
in the early Church.

Notes Prepared by: Jacob Bernath & Joynes

Typing Helped by: Solomon SDC & Suresh