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INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

The New Testament is a collection of 27early Christian writings. New Testament is the
variant translation of ‘New Covenant’. The background of the concept is Jeremiah31:31-
34. God intends to make once again a covenant, but this will not be like the previous ones.
The early Christians precisely echoed the language and ideas of Jeremiah when they began
to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. They understood Jesus’ death and resurrection in
the context of this new covenant. In Jesus Christ God has renewed His covenant with new
dimensions, it is no more restricted to Israel but to all people.

The Text and Canon of the New Testament:

Orthodox Christians everywhere today take it for granted that Holy Scripture consists of
two parts or testaments, consisting of 66 books. While purchasing a new Bible, some
Bibles, for sure include the Old Testament Apocrypha which is indicated in the outside
cover. The New Testament however is never added to, and so the percentage of Christians
who have any acquaintance with New Testament Apocryphal books is negligible. The New
Testament Apocrypha consists mainly of religious fiction and the majority of such works
were penned under false names.

Division of the New Testament:

We possess then a New Testament of 27 books which in ordinary English Bible always
appear in the same order. This is the Canon of the New Testament. The 27 Books can be
categorized into three types. They are

1. Biographical/Historical: In this there are five books. Four Gospels (Mathew, Mark,
Luke and John) and the Acts of the Apostles.

2. Epistolary: All the epistles are under this category. 13 Pauline letters, Romans 2
letters to Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 2 letters to
Thessalonians, 2 letters to Timothy, Titus and Philemon. These thirteen letters were
written by Paul the apostle. One letter for the Hebrews The author of Hebrews is
unknown. There are seven General or Catholic letters, Letter of James, 2 letters by
Peter, three letters by John and one by Jude.
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3. Apocalyptic: Apocalyptic means the revelation of the hidden things. In this we have
only one book that is the revelation of the Second coming of Jesus Christ i.e. Book
of Revelation.

The Apostles themselves had no such written rule of faith and conduct. Their Bible, and
that of the Jews to this day, consisted of the Old Testament; This was the Canon of the Holy
Writ accepted by Jesus Himself and referred to simply as ‘The Scriptures’, throughout the
New Testament writings. It was not until the year A.D. 393 that a church council first listed
the 27 New Testament Books now universally recognized. There was a period of about
350 years during which the New Testament Canon was in process of being formed.

The Greek word kannon, as used by the early church fathers had a number of meanings
and the most relevant of meanings were List and Rule. The New Testament Canon simply
refers to the list of books contained in the New Testament, the books contained in this list
are ‘canonical’ and all others are ‘uncanonical’. The canonical books are also those which
we find authoritative, presenting the ‘rule’ of faith and conduct.

The great majority of New Testament Books were penned between AD 50 and AD 100.
The writers were apostles and their associates and were men specially fitted and
commissioned to convey to mankind the Word of God as revealed in the Acts and the
teaching of the Lord Jesus. Another category of Christian literature sprang up in the second
century and to it belongs the New Testament Apocrypha. These books were not simply
essays in fiction , some were deliberately promulgated in the endeavor to support heretical
teachings. Such works caused real danger to simple Christians. Therefore Church leaders
had the twin responsibility to ensure that nothing contrary to Gods revealed will should be
read or taught in the churches and at the same time they must take care not to exclude any
writings that bore the impress of divine inspiration. The amount of unanimity churchmen
exhibited over the next century or two was remarkable The Canon of the New
Testament as we know it today, was defined not by church council, nor by any decree but
by the consensus of Christian opinion everywhere. In this we may well see the hand of God.
He who inspired the Biblical writers in the first place, guided those responsible for the safe
keeping and transmission as well. Another important reason for the unanimity was that to
Christians everywhere, the New Testament books plainly exhibited divine authority.

Order of the New Testament:

The New Testament writings are not arranged in the order of their composition. The order
is roughly chronological in so far as the subject matter is concerned. The life of Jesus
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(Gospels) precedes the history of the early Church (Acts), the letters reflect the life

of the early Christians and Revelation closes with the grand vision of the ultimate future,
paradise regained. Within this overall arrangement, the gospels come first. The Pauline
letters follow Acts and are arranged according to the principle that the letters to the seven
churches are separated from those to the three individuals. Then comes the general letters
and the Revelation.

The Language of the New Testament:

The New Testament books were all written in Greek, not classical Greek but Hellenistic
Greek. Although Jesus and his earliest followers probably spoke Aramaic in their present
form in the Gospels even the words of Jesus are given in a Greek Form.

Names of God in the New Testament:

Several names were used by the New Testament authors for God. These names reflect the
fact that the New Testament was written in a Greek speaking culture primarily on the basis
of the tradition and concepts inherited from the Old Testament. The following are the names
used by the New Testament authors for God.

1. God - (Theos) Theos was used as a general word for God. This is the most
commonly used term used 1318 times in the new Testament. This term refers to the
God revealed in the history of Israel and in the person o Jesus.

2. Lord – (kyrios) Kyrios was a more personal name designating God as the personal
Lord of all. It is used for God, about 100 times in the New Testament. 719
occurrences of kyrios in the New Testament refer to Jesus.

3. Father – (Abba) Jesus Christ used the intimate family word in his native Aramaic
language Abba which means Father. Those who acknowledge God as Father
acknowledge God as the one to whom absolute obedience is due.

4. The God of the Fathers -- This significant Old Testament title for God, as well as
the more particular phrase of the same meaning, ‘The God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob’ is found in the New Testament two times in the Gospels (Mk 12:26 & Mt.
22:32) and in the book of Acts. It emphasizes the continuity of Israel and the
Church’s faith, that the God of present experience is the same as the God revealed
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to the ancient patriarchs.

5. The Almighty – (Pantokrator, El Shaddai) This is the name God gives to himself
in his covenant relationship with Abraham. This term is found in II Cor.6:18 and
nine times in Revelation.

6. Alpha & Omega: These are the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet and
thus represent God as the beginning and the end, the source and goal of all creation
and thus the only God. Only the author of Revelation uses this name for God
(Rev.1:8, 21:6). He also applies it explicitly to Jesus Christ (Rev.22:13).

7. The Holy One: This term was explicitly used for God only once in the New
Testament (Rev.16:5). It is used for Jesus in (Mk.1:24, Lk. 4:34 and Jn.6:69)

8. General Terms- Among the more common general designations used in the Old
Testament that are adopted in significant ways by the New Testament authors are
King, Judge and Savior, which are applied more frequently to Jesus Christ than to
God.

***Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is
above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth
and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God
the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

References:

 Life of Christ – Fulton Sheen

 New International Bible Commentary – FF Bruce

 Chapter 1 of previous CEC New Testament notes

 http://www.intervarsity.org/studentsoul/item/names-of-god

 http://www.bible.ca/trinity/trinity-definition-god-titles.htm
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THE FORE RUNNER

THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

Introduction: John the Baptist is an important figure in each of the four Gospels of New
Testament. The four gospels prepare their narrative of the ministry of Jesus with a brief
summary of the ministry of John the Baptist. He is identified with the beginning of Jesus
Ministry and understood as the forerunner to Jesus the messiah. (Mt 3: 1-12; Mk 1: 1-8; Lk
3:1-20; Jn 1:19-34) Before he began his ministry he spent the years in the Wilderness. There
were no prophets in Israel for four hundred years and people were anxious to hear a
prophet. At that time John began his ministry of preparing the way for the Messiah.

Life Style & Characteristics of John the Baptist: (Lk3: 1-20)

John was living in solitude in the desert, clothed in camel’s hair with a leather girdle about
his loins. His food consisted of locusts and wild honey. His costume was probably meant
to resemble that of Elijah in whose spirit John was to go before Christ.(Mt 17:12,13). His
birth was foretold by prophet Isaiah and Malachi. (Is.40:3-5& Malachi 4:5-6) In all
countries, when the head of a government wishes to visit another government, he sends
messengers before him. So John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way of Christ, to
announce the conditions of his reign and government, John disclaimed that he was the
Messiah and said that he was only a voice crying in the wilderness (Jn. 1:23) Even before
he met the Messiah, he announced the superiority of Christ …one mightier than I…
(Mk.1:7&8) John considered himself unworthy to untie the shoes of Our Lord. The
greatness of John consisted in the fact that to him was given the privilege of running before
the chariot of the King and saying “Christ has come”. John the Baptist had the courage to
face challenges. He was bold enough to point out the mistakes of the leaders of his time.
He was willing to pay the price for that.(Lk.3:19&20). (Lk. 7: 18-29) While in prison John
clarifies his doubt on the Messiahship of Jesus. Jesus after giving an answer to The disciples
John sent, he testifies about John (vs.28) …among those born of women there is no one
greater than John

Teaching of John the Baptist:

John did not preach in the synagogue. He lived and preached in the wilderness. The heart
of his message to soldiers, public officials, farmers and anyone else who would listen was
‘Repent’. This first note of warning in the New Testament tells all men to change. The
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Sadducees must lay aside their worldliness, the Pharisees their hypocrisy and self
righteousness. With the country under a Roman yoke, it would have been a more certain
route to popularity for John to promise that the one who was to come , the one whom he
announced, would be a political liberator. That would have been the way of men; but
instead of a call to arms, John gave a call to reparation for sin, and those who claim descent
from Abraham should not glory in it, because if God willed , he could raise up children of
Abraham from the very stones (Lk.3:7-9)

In (Lk.3:10-14) John gave some sort of ethical teaching. To the multitudes he said, ‘share
with the needy brethren ‘, to the tax collectors, ‘be honest in your exactions’, to the soldiers,
‘don’t bully to blackmail’. John used symbols as well as words. The chief symbol of the
washing away of sin was a cleansing by water. John had been baptizing in the Jordan, as a
token of repentance, but he knew that his baptism did not regenerate or quicken the dead
soul. That is why he made a contrast between his baptism and the baptism that later on
Christ himself would confer, speaking of the latter he said ‘He will baptize you with the
Holy Spirit and with fire.’ (Mt. 3:12)

Death of John the Baptist:

(Mk.6:14-28) John was beheaded in prison and his head was brought in a platter and
presented to a girl who gave it to her mother who was Herodias, King Herod’s brother
Philip’s wife.

***’He must become greater; I must become less.’ John 3:30

Baptism of Jesus Christ: (Mt. 3:13-17, Mk.1:9-12, Lk.3:21&22,Jn.1:29-34)

The day on which John and Jesus met in the Jordan, there awakened in John the deepest
and most reverent humility. John felt the need of a Redeemer, ;but when Our Lord asked
him to baptize Him, John was reluctant to do so. (Mt.3:14) How could I baptize one who
had no sin? His refusal to baptize Jesus was recognition of His sinlessness. However Jesus
replied (Mt.3:15) Let it be so for the present; we do well to conform in this way with all
that God requires.

The Object of His baptism was the same as the object of His birth i.e. To identify Himself
with sinful humanity. Isaiah had foretold that He would be numbered with the transgressors.
Christ was not doing this as a private person but as a representative of sinful humanity,
though himself without sin. Every Israelite who came to John made a confession of his sins.
However Our Blessed Lord did not make any such confession. He had no sin to repent of
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and no sin to be washed away. Yet he was identifying Himself with sinners.

When he went down into the river Jordan to be baptized He made himself one with sinners.
At the age of twelve in the temple he said ‘He must be about His Fathers business’, now
He was revealing what His Father’s business was – the salvation of mankind. In the temple
at the age of twelve His origin was emphasized; now in the Jordan, it was the nature of
mission that is emphasized. From now on, He was to be merged with the sinful population.
He was committed henceforth to live among and minister unto the victims of sin, to be
betrayed into the hands of sinners and to be accused of even though he knew no sin.

When Jesus came out of the water, He saw a vision and heard a voice. He saw the heavens
open and the Spirit o God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from
heaven said ‘This is my son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased. To Jesus Baptism
meant an extraordinary spiritual experience. The descent of the Spirit means that from that
time onwards Jesus knew Himself to be ‘the Anointed of the Spirit, to be equipped with
divine power. The heavenly voice is in the language of scripture. ‘Thou art my Son’ is the
coronation formula of the Messianic King of Israel (Ps. 2:7) and ‘with thee I am well
pleased’ is the ordination formula of Isaiah’s Servant of the Lord (Is. 42:1) .

*** In the waters of the Jordan Christ identified with sinners. The descending of the spirit
in the form of a dove crowned Him and dedicated Him to sacrifice, and the Voice attested
that His sacrifice would be pleasing to the Eternal Father.

References:

 The Life of Christ – Fulton J Sheen

 New Testament previous CEC Notes

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LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST

Birth of Christ

Between Malachi and Matthew are about four hundred ‘Silent Years’, during which God
remained silent as far as fresh revelations were concerned. The broad outline of these years
is given in Daniel Chapter 11. During the silent years, God had not been interactive. Indeed
these 400 years were years of intensive preparation of the world for the coming of his son.
The Jews who dispersed had done much to spread ahead the basic ideas on which Gospel
was to be so firmly founded. The Jewish Sabbath, synagogue and scriptures became well
known. The Jewish Messianic hope was kept alive so that when the Apostles began to
spread the news that the Christ had come, many were ready to believe. So when the fullness
of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman to redeem them that were
under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Gal.4: 4, 5)

The Annunciation: (LK.1:26-38) God sent Angel Gabriel to Mary who was engaged to be
married to Joseph with the message of Jesus Birth. Mary was deeply troubled as she was a
virgin. When the angel told her not to be afraid and assured her that nothing is impossible
with God she submitted by saying ‘I am the Lords servant’. Fall from state of innocence
and happiness was according to Genesis through a woman, ad so it is fitting for God to
enable a woman to play a great role in its restoration.

Travel to Bethlehem: (Lk. 2:1-7) Caesar Augustus ordered for a census of the world,
which was subject to the Roman rule. Citizens were to register in the towns of their family
origins. So by the edict, Joseph, the builder, an obscure descendant of the great King David
set out with his wife Mary to register in Bethlehem the city of David. Unable to find room
in the inn, Joseph and Mary went at last for shelter in the stable. In the filthiest place in the
world, a stable Mary gave birth to her first born. She wrapped him in swaddling cloth and
placed him in a manger.

The Shepherds and the Angels: The Angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds who were
out in the field keeping watch over their flocks by night and gave them the good news of
great joy – the birth of the Messiah. The Shepherds hurried and worshipped the child and
spread word concerning the child.

Circumcision: (Lk. 2:21) On the eight day it was time to circumcise the babe and he was
given the name Jesus. Circumcision was the symbol of the covenant between God and
Abraham and his seed..Circumcision presumed that the person circumcised was a sinner.
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Jesus was now taking the sinners place. Circumcision in the Old Testament was a
prefiguring of Baptism in the New Testament. Both symbolize a renunciation of the flesh

with its sins. In the circumcision of the divine child there was a dim suggestion and hint of
Calvary, in the precocious shedding of blood.

Presentation at the Temple: (Lk. 2:22-39) Forty days after his birth, which was the
appointed time for a male child according to the Law, Jesus was brought to the temple. The
traditional offerings for purification were a lamb and a turtledove if the parents were rich,
and two doves or two pigeons if they were poor. Jesus was presented at the temple and the
offering was a pair of doves.(Vs. 24) We find here an instance of how God in the form of
man shared the poverty of mankind. At the temple was a devout and righteous man Simeon
who was waiting for the consolation of Israel. When Simeon saw Jesus in the temple, he
took Him in his arms and praised God for the Salvation which God had prepared for all
people. He also prophesied about the death on the cross when he said to Mary a sword will
pierce your soul.(Vs.35). There was also Anna the prophetess who gave thanks to God and
spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the Messiah. (Vs. 38)

Magi and the slaughter of the innocents: (Mt.2:1-18) Even as Simeon foretold that the
Divine Babe would be a light to the gentiles, the magi, scientist of the east, were already
on the march. It was a star that led them. The star disappeared during the interrogation of
Herod, but reappeared and finally stood over the place where the child was born. The Magi
worshiped him and gave him gifts. Gold to honor His Kingship, Frankincense to honor his
Divinity and Myrrh to honor His Humanity which was destined for death. The crib and the
cross are related for there is myrrh at both. When the Magi inquired King Herod of the babe
born King of the Jews, he learnt from the chief priests and learned men that he was born
at Bethlehem. Herod pretended he wanted to worship the babe and so requested the Magi
to come back and report to him about the babe born to be King. Being warned by an Angel
the Magi returned to their country by another route. When Herod realized that he had been
cheated by the Magi, he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who
were two years old and under in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.

Flight to Egypt & Return to Nazareth: (Mt. 2:19-23) Joseph warned by an Angel in a
dream took the Child and Mary and went to Egypt. Egypt was a temporary abode of the
child Jesus. After the slaughter of the Innocents and the death of the Herod the Great, an
angel charted the course of Joseph, biding him to return to Galilee. He came and settled
there in Nazareth in fulfillment of what was said by the prophets ‘He shall be a Nazarene’
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Prophecy of Birth of Christ & its Fulfillment

Prophecy Fulfillment Event

Isaiah 7:14, Genesis 3:14-15 Lk. 1:27 Virgin Birth

Micah 5:1-2 Lk. 2:4-7 Born in Bethlehem

Genesis 49:10 Mt. 1:2&3 Born in the Tribe of Judah

Jeremiah 23:5, Isaiah 9:6-7 Mt.1:6 lineage of David.

Jeremiah 31:15 Mt 2:16-18 Killing of innocent children

Hosea 11:1 Mt.2:13 Will come out of Egypt

A Messenger to prepare he way for
Isaiah 40:3-5 Mt 3:1-3
the Messiah
Will be from Gallilee specifically
Isaiah 9:1-2 Mt 2:22-23
Nazareth

Num. 24:27 Mt. 2:2 Appearance of a Star

Is. 60:6,9 Mt.2:11 Arrival of Magi with costly gifts

*** The crib and the cross are related for there is myrrh at both. A babe destined to die.

Child Hood Days:

The Boy Jesus at the Temple & Obedience: (Lk. 2:41-51) According to the custom when
Jesus was 12 years old he was taken to the temple at Jerusalem. After the feast of the
Passover, Mary and Joseph returned unaware that Jesus had stayed back at Jerusalem,
thinking that he was with his relatives and friends. After a days journey they found Jesus
missing and having searched among relatives and friends returned to Jerusalem. After three
days they found him in the temple courts (a Jewish school) , sitting among the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions. On seeing Jesus, Mary out of anxiety asked,
’Son why did you treat us like this?’ to which Jesus replied”…don’t you know I had to be
in my fathers house?”. The answer of Jesus was making a distinction between the one whom
He honored as a father on earth and the Eternal Father. This answer affirmed a parting of
the ways, yet it did not diminish the filial duty that He owed to Mary and Joseph for Vs. 51
says that he immediately subject to them again.
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Growing in Nazareth: (Lk.2:51&52) The only acts of Christ’s childhood which are
recorded are acts of obedience. For the next 18 years, after his visit to the temple, He played
the role of a village carpenter, a maker in wood. Jesus grew in wisdom (mental

dimension) and stature (Physical dimension) and in favor with God (spiritual dimension)
and men (social dimension). We see that his growth was wholesome encompassing the
body, mind, soul and spirit.

Suffering & Death of Jesus Christ

The Triumphal Entry: (Mt.21:1-11, Lk.19:28-44, Jn.12:12-19) It was the month of Nisan.
The book of Exodus ordered that in this month the Paschal Lamb was to be selected and
four days later was to be taken to the place where it was to be sacrificed. His last Sabbath,
the Lord spent in Bethany with Lazarus and his sisters. News spread that Our Lord was
coming into Jerusalem. In preparation for His entrance, He sent two of His disciples into
the village, where they were told they would find a colt tethered, on which no man had
ridden. They were to untie it and bring it to Him. If anyone asks why you are untying it,
say, Our Master needs it. (LK. 10:31). This combination of Divinity and dependence of
possession and poverty was the consequence of the Word becoming flesh. Truly, He who
was rich became poor for our sakes, that we might be rich. As He approached the city a
great multitude came to meet Him shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel.’(Jn.12:13. Our Lord who rejected false
enthusiasm of the people, fled the spotlight of publicity in several previous occasions, now
did not dampen their enthusiasm. Because His ‘Hour’ had come. It was time now for Him
to make the last public affirmation of His claims. Matthew explicitly states that the solemn
procession was to fulfill the prophecy made by Zechariah years before (Zech 9:9). If Jesus
had entered into the city with regal pomp in the manner of conquerors, He would have
given occasion to believe that He was a political Messiah. But the circumstance He chose
validated His claim that His Kingdom was not of this world. The acclaim of the people was
another acknowledgement of His Divinity. Many took off their garments and spread them
before Him, others cut down boughs from the olive trees and palm branches and strewed
them on the way. They shouted Hosanna to the Son of David, king of Israel.

The Last Supper: (Mt.26:17-30, Mk.14:43-51, Lk. 22:7-38) A covenant or testament is an

agreement and in Scripture it means one between God and man. At the last supper, Our
Lord would speak of the new Covenant which is best understood in relation to the Old. The
covenant which God made with Israel as a nation was done through Moses as the mediator
and sealed with blood. The new covenant or testament which would include all nations,
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was mediated through the Lord Jesus Christ and ratified by His precious Blood. With less
than 24 hours for Him to become the true Paschal Lamb, He gathered His twelve Apostles
and in one sublime act He interpreted the meaning of His death and instituted for His
Apostles and posterity a Memorial action of His redemption. ‘This is my body which is
given for you (Lk.22:19). This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, shed for many for
the forgiveness of sins’ (Mt.26:28).Do this in remembrance of me.(Lk.22:19) .

Garden of Gethsemane: (Mt. 26:36-46, Mk. 14:32-42, Lk.22:39-46) Eden and

Gethsemane were the two gardens around which revolved the fate of humanity. In Eden,
Adam sinned; in Gethsemane, Christ took humanity’s sin upon Himself. In Eden, Adam
hid himself from God; in Gethsemane, Christ interceded with His Father; in Eden, God
sought out Adam in his sin of rebellion; in Gethsemane, the New Adam sought out the
Father and submitted to him. In Eden, a sword was drawn to prevent entrance into the
garden and in Gethsemane, the sword would be sheathed. The garden was called
Gethsemane because of the presence of a press which crushed olives. It was not the first
time Our Lord had been in that garden, He often met there with his disciples and often spent
the night there. (Jn.18:3 & Lk.21:37). He took only three of his close disciples into the
garden. (Mt.26:36-38). Beginning to grow dismayed and distressed he asked the three to
stay awake and pray. Isaiah had foretold that there would be laid upon Him the iniquity of
us all. In fulfillment of that prophecy He tasted death for every man, bearing guilt as if it
were His own. Two elements were inseparably bound together – sin bearing and sinless
obedience. Falling on his face, he now prayed to His Heavenly Father: ‘My Father, if it is
possible, let this cup pass me by, yet not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Mt. 26:39). His two
natures, the Divine and the human were both involved in this prayer. He and the Father
were one; It was not ‘Our Father,’ but ‘My Father’, Unbroken was the consciousness of His
Fathers love. On the other hand, His human nature recoiled from death as a penalty for sin.
The natural shrinking of the human soul from the punishment which sin deserves was
overborne by Divine submission to the Father’s will. An Angel from heaven appeared to
him and strengthened him. His anguish was such that his sweat was like drops of blood
falling to the ground. During these agonizing moments he returned to find his disciples
sleeping and the third time he woke them and told them that his time had come when he
would fall into the hands of evil men.

*** Why Bread and wine was used in the Memorial? No two substances in nature have to
suffer more to become what they are, than bread and wine. Wheat has to pass through the
rigors of winter, be ground beneath the Calvary of a mill and then subjected to purging fire
before it can become bread. Grapes in their turn must be subjected to the Gethsemane of a
wine press and have their life crushed from them to become wine. Thus they do symbolize
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the Passion and Suffering of Christ and the condition of Salvation, for Our Lord said unless
we die to ourselves we cannot live in Him.

Betrayal by Judas & Peter’s Denial: (Mt. 26: 47-50, Mk.14:43-47, Lk22:47,48, Jn.18:1-
9) & (Mt.26:69-75, Mk.14:66-72, Lk. 22:54-62, Jn. 18:15-18&25-27) Judas led a
band of officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, carrying lanterns, torches and

weapons. Judas had given to the Roman soldiers a sign of a kiss by which they would know
our Lord. Judas had been with the Lord in that garden many a times to pray so he knew
where to find him. After betraying Jesus for just 30 pieces of silver, Judas was filled with
remorse for he had betrayed innocent blood. He tried to return his wages to the chief priests
but was refused. So he threw the silver coins into the temple and went and hanged himself.

When Our Lord was arrested, Peter followed Him afar off; with him was John. They both
went to the house of Annas and Caiphas where Our Lord was being tried. Peter entered the
courtyard and began to warm himself by the fire. A maiden who had let him in said to him
you were there too with Jesus the Galilean. Peter denied once. Peter began to feel
uncomfortable and moved a little distance toward the porch. Here again the maid came to
him affirming that He had been with Jesus of Nazareth. To this Peter replied I do not know
the man. More time passed and this time his speech gave him away and one of the
bystanders said surely you are another of them. Now Peter begins to blasphemy and swear
that he did not know him. At that moment the cock crew and Jesus turned to look at Peter.
Peter was now filled with repentance that he went outside and wept bitterly. Repentance is
not concerned with consequences; but remorse is inspired principally by fear of
consequences. Judas had a sad end but Peter later was referred to as the Rock upon which
the Church will be built.

Trial & Crucifixion: (Mt.26:47 to 27:56) Jesus was first led away to Annas, who was the
father- in- law of Caiphas, the high priest of that year. In as much as both were
representatives of religious power, the first trial was on the grounds of religion. From Annas
Christ was led to Caiphas, who said ‘It would be to their interest if one man died for the
whole people (Jn. 18:14). Since Caiphas had already determined the Our Lord should die,
he had no intention of learning anything; rather he sought to find some excuse for the
planned injustice by questioning Him and bringing in false witnesses. When Jesus finally
responded ‘I am’ to the question Are you the Messiah, the Son of God? charge of
blasphemy was raised against him and the religious trial was over.

Jesus was now led before the superior court of Pilate, and the charge filed was blasphemy.
As this was a purely religious charge, people knew that Pilate would not be interested in it.
 14

So they brought up another charge that He said He was the king. When Pilate asked Jesus
Are you king of the Jews? Jesus replied that My kingdom does not belong to this world
(Jn.18:36). Pilate’s worry about a challenge to Roman power was for a moment put at ease.
Pilate now began to attempt to rescue Christ and declared I find no case against him (Jn.
18:38). However when Pilate heard that Jesus belonged to Galilee, he saw an escape from
judging Christ and sent him to Herod. Herod had heard a lot about Jesus and was curious
to see him and was hoping to see some miracle performed by him. (lk.23:8). He asked the
Lord many questions to which Jesus gave no reply. Irritated by the silence Herod and his
troops treated him with contempt and ridicule and sent him back to Pilate dressed in a
gorgeous robe (Lk. 23:11). Pilate and Herod who had been long time enemies became
friends. Back in Pilates court, Pilate declared that he had nothing to deserve death. He tried
to release Jesus and gave the option to the Jews to choose the prisoner they wanted to be
released during the feast Jesus or Barabbas. People shouted Barabbas and Pilate could not
prevail. Wanting to please the crowd he declared to release Barabbas and asked the People
to take Jesus and crucify him. Even as Pilate was making one last attempt to release Jesus,
he asked him where have you come from for which Jesus remained silent. Now he received
a message from his wife Claudia, have nothing to do with that innocent man (Mt.27:19).
Pilate finally handed Jesus over to the crowd and said that he did not have anything to do
with the death of this innocent man, So he washed his hands off the guilt. The crowd
responded by saying let His blood be on us and our children (Mt.27:16) and they took Him,
stripped him of the purple robe and dressed him in his own clothes and laid on his head a
crown of thorns.

He was then taken through the streets, an ultimate sin offering driven like the scapegoat
outside the city. His enemies compelled a stranger, Simon of Cyrene to help Him carry His
cross. Along the procession route were many women. Jesus asks them not to weep for Him
but to weep for themselves for if these things are done when the wood is green, what will
happen when it is dry? (Lk.23:28-31) When the procession reached the place called
Golgotha, or the ‘Place of the Skull’, He was nailed on to a cross between two criminals.
He was indeed numbered with the transgressors. (Is.53:12). The inscription of the cross
written by Pilate read ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews’. Jesus uttered Seven words
from the cross and finally entrusted his spirit to His Heavenly Father. In fulfillment of the
Scripture before they came to break His bones in the evening, he was already dead. When
a soldier pierced His side water and blood gushed out.
 15

SEVEN WORDS OF JESUS FROM THE CROSS

1. Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing. Lk.23:14

Jesus remember me when you come to your throne. I tell you this today you shall
2. be with me in Paradise. Lk.23:42

Woman this is thy son. To his beloved disciple He said This is thy mother. Jn.
3.
19:26,27

4. My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? Mt. 27:46

5. I Thirst Jn. 19:28

6. It is finished Jn. 19:30

7. Father into Thy hands I commit my spirit. Lk. 23:46

Resurrection and Ascension: (Mt.27:57-28:15, Mk.15:42-16:18, Lk. 23:50-24:49, Jn.

19:38-20:25) & (Mk. 16:19&20, Lk. 24:50-53)

Burial: The body of the Savior hung limp upon the Cross. It was two his secret disciples,
rich men, Nicodemus, a doctor of the law and Joseph of Arimathea along with the company
of women, who claimed Christ’s body from Pilate and carried it to a new tomb. They
anointed the Body with a hundred pounds of myrrh and spices and wound it about with
pure linen. The elaborate embalming suggests that these disciples were not expecting the
Resurrection. However the enemies of Christ were expecting the resurrection. Early on
Saturday morning, the chief priests and Pharisees broke the Sabbath and went to Pilate and
said we recall how that impostor said that he would rise on the third day. So they requested
that the grave be made secure till the

third day. Their wish was granted. A stone was rolled on the entrance of the tomb and it
was sealed and was well guarded.

S.No. Incident Reference

1. The first appearance to Mary Magdalene Jn.20:10-18

2. The 2nd to Cleopas on the road to Emmaus Lk.24:13-35

The 3rd to the 10 apostles excluding Thomas who left just
3. Lk.24:36-49
before he came and some other disciples
 16

4. The 4th to the disciples and Thomas Jn.20:24-31

5. The 5th at the sea of Tiberias where he reinstates Peter Jn. 21:1-18

6. The 6th appearance was to more than 500 people at one time I Cor. 15:6
The 7th and final appearance when he ascended into heaven
7. Acts 1:9-11
on

Resurrection: In the dim dawn of Sunday morning, several women approached the tomb
with spices to anoint the body. The question in their mild was who would roll away the
stone for them (Mk. 16.3)) But as they approached, they found the stone rolled back. Before
their arrival, there had been a great earthquake, and an angel of the Lord, who descended
from heaven, rolled back the stone and sat upon it. On seeing this the guards shook with
fear and lay like dead (Mt.28:4). The angel told the women that Jesus had risen and
commissioned them to go and give this message to the disciples. Peter and John then came
to the tomb and found it empty but the Linen lying about. The chief priests offered the
guards a substantial bribe and asked them to spread the news that the disciples came by
night and stole the body while they were asleep. (Mt.28:12-15). Jesus after his resurrection
first appeared to Mary Magdalene and later to his disciples at several occasions.

Appearance of Jesus after Resurrection

Ascension: For forty days after His Resurrection, Our Divine Savior was preparing His
Apostles to bear the loss of His Presence through the gain of the Comforter who was to
come. (Acts1:3). At the end of the forty days, Christ led his disciples out as far as Bethany
to the Mount Olives which was to be the scene of the last adieu. As He was about to ascend
to His Heavenly throne, He raised His hands and gave the final blessing, and parted from
them to take his seat at the right hand of God. (Mk.16:19). As the disciples were looking
up into the sky, two men dressed in white stood beside them and said This same Jesus, will
come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. A coronation upon the earth,
instead of Ascension into heaven, would have confined men’s thoughts of Him to the earth.
But the Ascension would cause men’s minds and hearts to ascend above the earth. Another
reason for His Ascension was that He might plead in heaven to His Father with a human
nature common to the rest of men(Heb.4:14). While in heaven, He would be not only an
Advocate of men with the Father but He would also send the Holy Spirit as man’s Advocate
with Him.
 17

*** Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus
the son of God, Let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Or we do not have a high priest

who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted
in every way, just as we are- yet without sin. (Heb 4:14,15)

References:

 The Life of Christ – Fulton J Sheen

 http://www.truebiblecode.com/understanding240.html

 http://www.100prophecies.org/page2.htm
 18
MIRACLE & HEALING MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST

Preparation for Ministry:

Immediately after baptism, Our Blessed Lord withdrew into seclusion. The wilderness would
be His school, just as it had been the school of Moses and Elijah. Retirement is a preparation
for action. All human consolation was left behind as “Hew lodged with he beasts” and for forty
days, He ate nothing. Since the purpose of His coming was to do battle with the forces of evil,
His first encounter was with the prince of evil himself. (Mt.4:1) Through being tempted He
received the strengthening which comes directly from trial and testing, as a preparation of His
ministry.

The tempter was sinful, but the One tempted was innocent. (Heb4:15) The entire history of the
world revolves around two persons, Adam and Christ. Adam was given a position to maintain,
and he failed. Now with Christ everything was at stake again. There was the repetition of the
temptation of Adam. The temptations were meant to divert our Lord from His task of salvation
through sacrifice. Instead of the Cross as a means of winning the souls of men, Satan suggested
three short cuts to popularity: an economic one, another based on marvels, and a third, which
was political. The temptations will fall into three categories.1) pertaining to the flesh (lust or
gluttony) 2) pertaining to the mind (pride & envy) 3) pertaining to the idolatrous love of things
(greed). All three temptations sought to woo Our Lord from His Cross and , therefore, from
Redemption.

First Temptation: Knowing that Our Lord was hungry, Satan pointed down to some stones that
resembled round loaves of bread and said: ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become
bread.(Mt.4:3) The first temptation of Our Lord was to become a kind of social reformer and to
give bread to the multitudes in the wilderness, who would find nothing there but stone. But
Jesus realized there were deeper needs in man than crushed wheat; and there were greater joys
than the full stomach. The evil one was saying, ’start with the primacy of the economic! Forget
about sin!’ The physical need of Jesus was real; the power, if He was God, was also real. Yet
Christ answered Man cannot live on bread alone, he lives on every word that God utters.(Mt.4:4)
While accepting human nature with all its failings and trials and self denials, Jesus nevertheless
knew He was not without Divine help.

The Second Temptation: Satan having failed to win Our Lord away from His Cross and
Redemption by turning Him into a ;communist Commissar’ who promises nothing ;but bread,
 19
now turned to attack directly upon His Soul. Satan now tempted Him to pride and egotism.
Satan took him to a lofty impressive pinnacle of the temple and said; throw

yourself down, for it is written He will put his angels in charge of you and they will support you
in their arms, for fear you should strike your foot against a stone. (Mt. 4:6) Having heard our
Lord quote scripture, the devil now quoted it too. Satan was here saying, ‘why take the long
and tedious way to win mankind, through the shedding of
;blood, the mounting of a Cross, through being despised and rejected, when You can take a
short cut by performing a daring deed and giving the Father an opportunity to protect Him’.
The answer of Our Lord to the second temptation was Scripture says you are not to put the Lord
your God to the test. (Mt. 4:8) Jesus refused to perform stunts to win men. He knew it was only
when He was on the cross, He could draw all men to Himself.

The Third Temptation: The final assault took place on the mountain top. It was the third attempt
to divert Him from His Cross, this time by a plea for coexistence between good and evil. He
had come to establish a kingdom on earth by acting as the lamb going to sacrifice. Why could
He not choose a much quicker way of establishing His kingdom,; by striking, up a treaty, which
would give Him all He desired, namely the world, but without the Cross? ……. You only have
to do homage to me and it shall all be yours.(LK. 4:5-7) He was offering Our Lord the world
on one condition, that He worship Satan. Worship, of course, would imply service. The
kingdom that Satan offered was of the world, and not of the Spirit. It would still be a kingdom
of evil and the hearts of His subjects would not be regenerated. Jesus knew that kingdoms can
be won only by His suffering and death. So at this blasphemous request of Satan, patience gave
way to just anger, and He replied, Begone Satan! Scripture says, You shall do homage to the
Lord your God and worship him alone. (Mt.4:10)

Our Lord came down from that mountain as poor as when He ascended it. However when He
finished His earthly life and had risen from the dead, He spoke to His apostles on another
mountain Mt.28:16-20)….He said All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go
forth therefore and make all nations my disciples….

Some Miracles of Jesus Christ:

The Wedding at Cana: (Jn. 2: 2-11)

The first miracle of Jesus took place in the Marriage feast at Cana. A marriage feast is an
occasion for much joy; and wine is served as a symbol of that joy. Jesus and his disciples were
invited to the wedding at Cana, which would last for almost eight days. He came to the wedding
 20
not just as the village carpenter, but as the Christ or the Messiah which would be revealed before
the rejoicing came to an end. Mary His mother was also present at the wedding feast. Mary was
to be the instrument of His first miracle, or sign that He was what He claimed to be, the Son of
God. When the win gave out at Cana, it is interesting to note that Mary was more concerned
with the guests than was the wine-steward. She turned to her divine Son in a perfect spirit of
prayer. Completely confident in Him and trusting in His mercy she said (jn.2:3) ‘They have no
wine left. The mother used the special power which she had as a mother over her Son, a power
generated by mutual love. However Jesus answered with apparent hesitation:(Jn.2:4) Your
concern, mother is not mine. My hour has not yet come. The Hour obviously refers to His Cross.
Whenever the word ‘Hour’ is used in the New Testament, it is used in relation to His Passion,
death and glory. At Cana, our Lord was referring to Calvary and saying that the time appointed
for beginning the task of Redemption was not yet at hand. His mother was asking for a miracle;
He was implying that a miracle worked as a sign of His Divinity would be the beginning of His
death. The moment He showed Himself before men as the Son of God, He would draw down
upon Him their hatred, for evil cannot tolerate goodness. Mary turned to the wine steward and
said ‘Do whatever he tells; you. (Jn.2:5) The six water pots were filled, making about one
hundred and twenty gallons and in the beautiful language of Richard Crashaw, ‘the conscious
water saw its God and blushed.’ The first miracle was something like creation itself. It was done
by the power of ‘the Word’. The wine He created was so good that the bridegroom said …..you
have kept the best wine till now (JN.2:10) . He did at the marriage feast what He would not do
in a desert. He worked in the full gaze of men what He had refused to do before Satan. This
deed at Cana in Galilee is the first of the signs by which Jesus revealed his glory and led his
disciples to believe in him. (JN. 2:11).

Feeding of the Five Thousand: (Mt. 14:13-21;Mk.6:30-44; Lk.9:10-17;Jn.6:1-15)

This miracle is recorded in all four Gospels, with only slight differences in details. It is a
separate incident from the feeding of the 4,000. It signaled the end of Jesus' Galilean ministry
that lasted for about two years. When Jesus heard about the death of John the Baptist, he went
with the disciples on a boat to a private place. However, great multitudes followed him. When
the boat landed, Jesus saw all the men, women and children and had compassion on them. He
taught them about the Kingdom of God and healed those who were sick.

Looking at the crowd, which numbered about 5,000 men, not counting women and children,
Jesus asked his disciple Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" (John 6:5,
NIV) Jesus knew what he was going to do, but he asked Philip to test him. Philip replied that
even eight months' wages would not be enough to give each person even one bite of bread.
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, brought forward a young boy who had five small loaves21
of
barley bread and two small fish. Andrew wondered how that could help. Jesus ordered the
crowd to sit down in groups of fifty. He took the five loaves, looked up to heaven,

gave thanks to God his Father, and passed them to his disciples to be distributed. He did the
same with the two fish.

Everyone—men, women and children—ate as much as they wanted! Jesus miraculously

multiplied the loaves and fishes so there was more than enough. Then he told his disciples to
gather the leftovers so nothing was wasted. They collected enough to fill 12 baskets.

The effect of the miracle on the multitude was stupendous. There was no denying the fact that
Christ had Divine power; He showed it in multiplying the bread. It brought their minds back
immediately to Moses who had given their forefathers manna in the desert. Who then could be
a better King for them to throw off the yoke of the Romans and make them free. They previously
acknowledged Him A Prophet and Teacher now they would proclaim Him as King. However,
the Lord knowing what was in the hearts of the populace, withdrew into the mountain alone to
pray. Even in his busy schedule, spending time with God is a priority for Jesus. In order to teach
His disciples not to cash in on cheap popularity, constrained them to take a ship and go to the
other side of the lake, a distance of five or six miles.

Jesus Walks on Water: (Mt.14:22-32; Mk.6:45-56; Jn.6:16-24)

Several hours later in the night, the disciples encounter a storm. During the fourth watch of the
night, Jesus comes to them, walking on the water. This terrifies the disciples who think they are
seeing a ghost. Jesus tells them , "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

Peter replies, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." Jesus invites Peter to
come. Peter gets out of the boat and begins walking on the water. When Peter takes his eyes off
Jesus and sees the wind and waves, he begins to sink. Peter cries out to the Lord and Jesus
immediately reaches out his hand and catches Peter. As they climb into the boat together, the
storm ceases. Then the disciples worship Jesus, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Jesus Calms the Sea: Mt.8:23-27Mk.4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25

He and his disciples escape from the crowds in a boat, to cross to the other side of the Sea of
Galilee, when a great storm blows in on them, so that the boat was in danger of swamping. Jesus
is asleep on the stern seat. The disciples become terrified and wake him up. Jesus calms the
storm, then turns to them and says, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” The disciples
 22
were filled with great awe and said to one another "Who then is this, that even the wind and
the sea obey Him?"

There is no magic solution to fear and anxiety. It is a part of existence. But what it evokes is
the potential for a courageous response to anxiety, the courage to be. This

courage in the face of the storms of life connects us with God who is the ground of our being.
If God be for us who can be against us? (Rom.8:31)

Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ:

No title did our Lord use more often to describe Himself than “the Son of Man.” The “Son of
Man referred to His human nature. He identified himself with mankind and so became a
carpenter. No single human affliction which befalls man as the result of sin escaped His oneness
with it. Mt. 8:17 says He took away our illnesses and lifted our diseases from us. People came
to Jesus with physical diseases, mental problems and emotional disturbances, all affecting their
spiritual lives. He gave them wholesome healing. Just one thing was required from those who
came to Him; complete trust in Him (Mt. 9:22; Lk7:9) He received everyone who came to
Him(Jn. 6:37).

Healing of a Paralytic: (Mk. 2:1-12; Lk.5:17-26)

One day as Jesus was teaching in a home at Capernaum, a great crowd had gathered. Four men
carried a paralytic on a mat and finding no way to reach Jesus, went on the roof and lowered
him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Jesus seeing
their faith said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven”. The Pharisees and teachers of the law began
to question asking who can forgive sins but God alone. Jesus knowing their thoughts asked if
ilt was easier to say your sins are forgiven or to say get up and walk. He then said that they must
know that the son o Man has the authority on earth to forgive sin. Saying so he said to the
paralysed man ‘Get up take your mat and go home’. Immediately he went home praising God .

Raising from the dead:

Lazarus: (John:11:1-43)

Lazarus the brother of Martha and Mary who was loved by Jesus, died. Of sickness. Jesus was
informed but he delayed . when he finally reached Bethany, Martha and Mary approached Jesus.
Jesus made a meaningful conversation with Martha and told her ‘I am the Resurrection and the
life. He who believes in me wil live even though he dies’. (vs.25). Mary on seeing Jesus
23
remarked, Lord if you were here my brothe would not have died. Jesus wept. Then moved on
to the tomb and asked the people to remove the tombstone. After a short prayer he called out to
Lazarus who came out alive.

Jairus daughter(Mt. 9:18-25; Lk.8:40-59)

Jairus a ruler of the Synagogue requested Jesus to go with him to his house as his daughter
about twelve years old was dying. On the way, a woman subject to bleeding for twelve years
came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak and was immediately

healed. Jesus knowing that power had ;gone out from him claimed ‘someone touched me’. The
woman knowing she could not go unnoticed came and fell at Jesus feet. Jesus told her ‘Daughter
your faith has healed you. Go in peace’. While Jesus was still speaking people came from Jairus
house to say that his daughter was dead and not to bother Jesus anymore. Jesus knowing this
said ‘ Don’t be afraid only believe and she will be healed’. Sure enough Jesus entered the house
of Jairus , entered the little girls room and took her by the hand and said ‘My child get up’. Her
spirit returned and she stood up at once. Jesus asked them not to publicise the event.

Son of the widow of Nain: (Lk. 7:11-17)

Blind Barthimaeus receives sight: (Mk.10:46-52; Lk.18:35-43)

When Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho along with a large crowd, a blind man,
Bartimaeus, sitting by the road side begging knowing that Jesus was passing by, shouted Son
of David have mercy on me. Even the rebuke of the disciples did not deter him for he shouted
all the more. At his call, Jesus stopped and called the blind man,. Jesus asked him what he
wanted and when the blind man said ‘Rabbi I want to see’, Jesus said ‘Go your faith has healed
you’. Immediately he received sight and followed Jesus.

Ten Lepers Healed:(Lk:17:11-19)

Along the border between Samaria and Galilee, Jesus met 10 lepers who cried unto him for pity
with a loud voice from a distance. Jesus on seeing them asked them to ;go and show themselves
to the priests. As they went they were healed. One among them a foreigner came back praising
God and thanked Jesus. Jesus was astonished and asked what about the nine. So saying he
commended him and said ‘your faith has made you well’.
Healing of the Demon Possessed: (Mk:5: 1-20) 24

Jesus cast out demons (a legion) from a Gerasene demoniac. This man lived in the tombs and
no one could bind him not even with a chain. Jesus on seeing him ordered the demons to leave
him, but they begged Jesus to send them among the pigs. The permission was granted and a
herd of pigs about 2000 of them rushed down the steep bank and were drowned in the lake. The
people who lost their pigs pleaded with him to leave the place. The man relieved of demons
wanted to go with Jesus. But Jesus asks him to go to his family land tell them how much the
Lord had done for Him and people f Decapolis were amazed at his testimony.

Jesus was moved with compassion. He did not show the kind of pity that we humans feel when
we come face to face with pain and suffering. Our feelings are shallow and selfish.

Jesus expressed His genuine love for the suffering humanity in a tangible way. He had
compassion for the crowds because they were like sheep without a shepherd (Mt.9:36 &Mk.
6:34). When he saw a great throng, he had compassion on them and healed the sick (Mt.14:14).

…….Since man is disturbed and burdened about many things in life, Jesus freely invites

all to come to him and find rest in Him (Mt. 11:28)

References:
 Life of Christ – Fulton Sheen

 New Testament Previous CEC Notes

 http://christianity.about.com/od/biblestorysummaries/a/Jesus-Feeds-5000.htm

 http://www.messiah-study.net/Feeding5000.htm

 http://christianity.about.com/od/biblestorysummaries/p/walkingonwater.htm

 http://ifhtec.org/2012/07/03/62412-fear-or-faith-by-lynn-naeckel/

 http://web.stpeters.org.au/views/sermons/kempster/HK12os12.shtml
 37 Miracles of Jesus in Chronological Order 25

37 Miracles of Jesus
# Miracle Matthe Mark Luke John
w
1 Jesus Turns Water into Wine at the Wedding in Cana 2:1-11
2 Jesus Heals an Official's Son at Capernaum in Galilee 4:43-
54
3 Jesus Drives Out an Evil Spirit From a Man in Capernaum 1:21-27 4:31-36
4 Jesus Heals Peter's Mother-in-Law Sick With Fever 8:14-15 1:29-31 4:38-39
5 Jesus Heals Many Sick and Oppressed at Evening 8:16-17 1:32-34 4:40-41
6 First Miraculous Catch of Fish on the Lake of Gennesaret 5:1-11
7 Jesus Cleanses a Man With Leprosy 8:1-4 1:40-45 5:12-14
8 Jesus Heals a Centurion's Paralyzed Servant in Capernaum 8:5-13 7:1-10
9 Jesus Heals a Paralytic Who Was Let Down From the Roof 9:1-8 2:1-12 5:17-26
10 Jesus Heals a Man's Withered Hand on the Sabbath 12:9-14 3:1-6 6:6-11
11 Jesus Raises a Widow's Son From the Dead in Nain 7:11-17
12 Jesus Calms a Storm on the Sea 8:23-27 4:35-41 8:22-25
13 Jesus Casts Demons into a Herd of Pigs 8:28-33 5:1-20 8:26-39
14 Jesus Heals a Woman in the Crowd With an Issue of Blood 9:20-22 5:25-34 8:42-48
9:18, 5:21-24, 8:40-42,
15 Jesus Raises Jairus' Daughter Back to Life
23-26 35-43 49-56
16 Jesus Heals Two Blind Men 9:27-31
17 Jesus Heals a Man Who Was Unable to Speak 9:32-34
18 Jesus Heals an Invalid at Bethesda 5:1-15
19 Jesus Feeds 5,000 Plus Women and Children 14:13-21 6:30-44 9:10-17 6:1-15
20 Jesus Walks on Water 14:22-33 6:45-52 6:16-
21
21 Jesus Heals Many Sick in Gennesaret as They Touch His Garment 14:34-36 6:53-56
22 Jesus Heals a Gentile Woman's Demon-Possessed Daughter 15:21-28 7:24-30
23 Jesus Heals a Deaf and Dumb Man 7:31-37
24 Jesus Feeds 4,000 Plus Women and Children 15:32-39 8:1-13
25 Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida 8:22-26
26 Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind by Spitting in His Eyes 9:1-12
27 Jesus Heals a Boy With an Unclean Spirit 17:14-20 9:14-29 9:37-43
28 Miraculous Temple Tax in a Fish's Mouth 17:24-27
29 Jesus Heals a Blind, Mute Demoniac 12:22-23 11:14-23
30 Jesus Heals a Woman Who Had Been Crippled for 18 Years 13:10-17
31 Jesus Heals a Man With Dropsy on the Sabbath 14:1-6
32 Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers on the Way to Jerusalem 17:11-19
33 Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead in Bethany 11:1-
45
34 Jesus Restores Sight to Bartimaeus in Jericho 20:29-34 10:46- 18:35-43
52
35 Jesus Withers the Fig Tree on the Road From Bethany 21:18:22 11:12-
14
36 Jesus Heals a Servant's Severed Ear While He Is Being Arrested 22:50-51
37 The Second Miraculous Catch of Fish at the Sea of Tiberias 21:4-
11
 26

TEACHING MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST

One of the main aspects in the messianic ministry of Jesus is his teaching ministry. Even
those

Who do not believe him to be the Son of God, accepted him as a great teacher from God.
(JN. 3:2)

He taught with obvious authority and made a profound impression upon his
contemporaries. They were astonished at his teaching for He taught them as having
authority, and not as the Scribes:. (Mt. 1:22) (Lk. 4:22) says “all bear Him witness and
wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of ;his mouth” Jesus taught with
authority and this differentiated him from other religious teachers. Christ in His earthly
ministry gave three long discourses:

a) Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5,6&7) The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings
and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of
Matthew. The Sermon is the longest piece of teaching from Jesus in the New
Testament. It includes some of the best known teachings of Jesus such as the
Beatitudes, and the widely recited Lord's Prayer. To most believers in Jesus, the
Sermon on the Mount contains the central tenets of Christian discipleship. The last
verse of chapter 5 is considered to be a focal point that summarizes the teaching of
the sermon: "be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect", advising the disciples to
seek the path towards perfection and the Kingdom of God.

General Themes of Sermon on the Mount:

(Mt.5:1-16) – Characteristics of Discipleship

(Mt.5:17-48) – The old and the new law
(Mt.6:1-18) – Religious observance
(Mt.6:19-34) – Material Possession
(Mt.7:1-12) – Attitude of man to God
(Mt.7:13-29) – The demands of the kingdom
b) The Olivet discourse (Mt. 24&25) It is known as the "Little Apocalypse" because it
includes Jesus' descriptions of the end times, the use of apocalyptic language, and
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Jesus' warning to his followers that they will suffer tribulation and persecution
before the ultimate triumph of the Kingdom of God.

c) The Farewell discourse (John 13:31-35) The keynote of this discourse is the assurance
and comfort in the face of two difficulties coming upon the disciples, Jesus' death and
their own persecution. He prepares them for his death and the coming of the Spirit,
now called the Paraclete.

*** "be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect"

Teaching through parables:

(Mt.1:34&35) All these things spake Jesus in parables, and without parables spake he not
unto them; That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets. I will open my
mouth in parables, I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of
the world. In these words the ministry of out Lord in speaking in parables is magnified. In
parables are contained the profound and deep things or mysteries of the Gospel and
therefore the opening of them by the help of the divine Spirit is a necessity. Parables are
similitude, which makes use of natural things by way of allusion or comparison, to open
spiritual things, for our better understanding.

Parable of the Sower: (Mt. 13:3-23)

Through this parable Jesus was revealing the excellent nature of the word of God, which
when received into an heart prepared by the Holy Spirit will bear much fruit. Jesus also
wanted to convince the hearers that it is not enough or sufficient to; hear the word of God
preached, for many who hear it may eternally perish if not received right. Three of the four
grounds mentioned in the parable proved bad showing only a few hearers have their hearts
broken up and prepared by the convictions of the Holy Spirit to receive Jesus Christ.

The Highway Ground or the ground by the high-way side is very hard and not ploughed .
It commonly bears nothing. The seed which falls on the highway side is either trodden by
the feet of travelers or devoured by the fowls of the air. In like manner those who are not
prepared to received the word of God, will have the word trodden by the power of lusts and
love of this world or temptations of the evil one.

Secondly, the seed falls on stony ground, ground which is not fully broken up and mixed
with earth, for the seed to grow and bring forth fruit unto perfection. The success of the
seed is that for a time it sprang up, but in the end it withered. The second group of hearers
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listen to the word of God and receive it into their thoughts and their affections and

are somewhat raised by it for a certain period. However as their faith was not the true saving
faith, when the heat of the sun came up it withers away.

Thirdly, some seeds fell among the thorns; the thorns sprang up with it and choked the seed.
Thorny ground needs ploughing up and manuring. The plough must go deep to reach the
roots of the thorn. When this is not done, unbelief and sinful cares spread themselves and
choke the word and make it unfruitful.

Finally comes the good ground. The seed that falls on good ground, brought forth fruit.
There is no naturally Good ground. Good ground is the one prepared by the work of the
Holy Spirit. Honest hearers hear the word of God, Understand it, Keep it, bring forth fruit
and with patience.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan: (Lk. 10:30-37)

The scope of the parable is to show who is our neighbor and how we should respond to his
needs. Neighbour is one who shows the most favour, pity and compassion and thereby he
clearly shows that he himself is the only neighbor and friend of our souls. He also strives
to convince us of the wretched state and condition of all men by nature and of the evil of
sin, and to show neither the law, nor levite priest, nor legal sacrifices, could relieve or help
any miserable and undone sinner.

Jesus said this parable in answer to an expert in law who wanted to test Jesus. He seemed
to know the law well (Vs. 27) but when Jesus replied ‘Do this and you shall live, the lawyer
wanted to justify himself. The lawyer believes that no Gentile is his neighbor, although it
seems he suspects they really are. So the Lord wanted to teach him who his neighbor was.

The priest served God and His law, which encourages mercy. He professed his love for God
and human beings, and he prayed several times a day. This spiritual leader, one of 12,000
priests living in Jericho at that time, had left service to God back at the Temple, having
neither time nor compassion for his neighbor. The Levite was of the same tribe as the priest
but of one of the inferior branches. As a servant of the Temple, a custodian of religious
worship, and an interpreter of the law, he should also have been eager to assist the battered
man. Both men ignore God's instruction by neglecting the intent of His law.

The Samaritans were a Gentile people mostly living in Samaria, and Jews thought of them
as inferior and hated them. The Samaritan not only intervenes on behalf of the beaten
traveler, he goes beyond the call of duty to ensure the man receives care until he has
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recovered.

Jesus Christ is the good neighbor, and His example is the one to imitate. He saw a world of
sinners robbed of their potential, stripped of spiritual ideals, wounded by sins, and unable
to rise by themselves from their beaten state. He came down to where the sinners are and
gave mankind a corresponding act of mercy, seen in type in the Good Samaritan. Through
His death and resurrection, He covers our nakedness, binds up our wounds, and heals them.

Parable of the Lost Son: (Lk.15:11-32)

The chief scope of the parable is to rebuke the pride and arrogance of the Pharisees, who
over valued their own pretended legal righteousness and reflected upon our Lord for
keeping company with and showing so much love and favour to publicans and sinners
(Lk.15:1-3). It also sets forth man’s woeful, actual and willful departure from God and his
miserable condition by original and actual transgression (Vs.12-16). It magnifies the great
grace, love and unspeakable compassion of God the father to the greatest sinner, who
returns unto Him by true repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Vs.20-24). It finally
reveals the envy of the Jews and Pharisees, at God’s extended grace and favour to the poor
Gentiles and to such who have been great sinners (Vs.25-32).

Parable of Talents: (Mt. 25:14-30)

The open scope and design of this parable is no doubt to stir up all his servants and disciples
to watchfulness and to provoke them to the uttermost of their power, to improve all sorts of
gifts, grace and endowments they have received. It also helped to take his disciples off from
an expectation of a present, visible, glorious kingdom; when he said I must go on a long
journey into a far country and it will be a great while before I return. It is also designed to
show that we have nothing of our own, but what we and all men have, is given unto us by
the Lord Jesus Christ. All men have received some talent or another from God, so he
expects and requires he careful and due improvement of them to his own glory and
according to that will the rewards of grace be. Non-improvement of the least talent God
hath given us, will be the final cause of condemnation of the sons of men.

God does give differing gifts, but remember this, the lesson of this parable is that he rewards
according to each ones faithfulness (Vs.21). He doesn’t reward according to the
magnificence of the gift that he has given. As we shall see, he gives the same reward to the
two talent servant that he gives to the five talent servant.
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Teachings on Prayer:

One aspect of our Lord’s real humanity was his need for communion with God. Therefore,
he taught that men ought to pray always (Lk.18:1).

Jesus Encouraged his disciples to pray:

 He taught we should persist in prayer through parables (Lk.18:1-8)

 He reassured people of the efficacy of prayer (Mt. 7:7 & Jn 14:14)

 He taught the importance of faith in prayer (Mk.11:23,24)

 He taught to pray with a pure heart (Mk.11:25)

 We must fast and prayer especially when dealing with evil spirits (Mk.9:29)

 He taught us to ask in ‘His Name’ (Jn. 14:13&14)

 He recommended the secret, closet type of humble praying which pleased God
(Mt.26:41)

 He recommended praying in small groups with one accord (Mt. 18:18-20)

Jesus warned against
 Long prayers (Mk.12:40)

 Vain repetitions that are meaningless (Mt. 6:7)

 Public prayers conducted to be seen as a pious person (Mk.12:40)

Jesus himself was a man of Prayer.
 Jesus started his ministry with prayer (Mt. 4:1,2)

 Jeus prayed at his baptism (Lk. 3:21)

 He prayed very early in the morning (Mk. 1:35)

 He prayed in the evening (Mk. 6:46.47)

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 He prayed through the night in solitude (Lk.6:12)

 He prayed often (Lk. 5:15,16)

 He prayed before teaching others to pray (k. 11.1)

 He prayed before transfiguration (Lk. 9:28,29)

 He prayed at the garden of Gethsemane (Lk 22:41,42)

 He prayed at the Cross (Lk. 23:46)

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When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, he told them how to pray. The Lord’s
Prayer (Mt. 5:9) is given as a formula to guide us in formulating our own heartfelt prayers.
It is primarily concerned with God and His kingdom. It is addressed to “Our Father”. Both
these words are significant. We should never forget that God is our father and that we have
direct access to him in prayer along with all our brother and sisters in Christ. This access to
God through prayer is very important because Christian life is spiritual warfare (Mt. 19:16
& Eph 6:12-18). The enemy is real, but with prayers, our victory is assured (I Cor. 15:57).

*** If Jesus as the Son of God had an ongoing communication with his father, depending
on him for guidance and power, how much more ought we to pray, if we are to live effective
victorious lives as Christians?

Teaching about Women:

The teachings of Jesus about women should be considered both by his teachings and by his
actions. In Jesus’ dealings with women, he gave them a respect that they did not otherwise
have and gave them a place of honour which world other world religions did not give. We
must remember the cultural background of Judaism. A Jewish man might be heard to pray:
“I thank thee that I was not born a Gentile, a dog nor a woman”. In this context, Jesus’
many encounters with women, and his statement regarding women were revolutionary.

Jesus always treated women as persons. He purposefully entered into a life changing
dialogue with the sinful Samaritan woman (breaking many conventions) –Jn.4:9. As a
result, she brought her entire village into the understanding of his teachings. He included
women in his illustrations and parables; the story of the lost coin (LK. 15:8), the story of
the widow’s mite (Lk. 21:2), the yeast in the dough (Matt. 13:33). In fact, after his
resurrection, Jesus appeared first to women and spoke to them (Jn. 20:15). He asked the
women to tell the good news to the disciples who were in hiding. Jesus did not include
women in his band of 12 disciples, but this was not possible in the culture of his day
considering the sort of itinerant ministry he had to do.

The parables of Jesus make up a crucial part of the Bible. Jesus had the wisdom to simplify the
profound spiritual truths he needed to share with humanity in the form of relatable stories that
are easy to understand. A parable is a tale about a simple, common subject to illustrate a deeper,
valuable moral lesson. The source definition of the word “parable” means a placement side by
side for the purpose of comparison.

Sometimes the Gospel authors begin a parable with an analogy, as "The Kingdom of Heaven
is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard" (Matthew 20:1).
 33

Or Jesus may provide an example from everyday life to convey spiritual truth, such as the
Parable of the Good Samaritan to emphasize love and mercy, or the Parable of the Friend at
Midnight to show persistence in prayer.

A parable utilizes the full story to produce the spiritual lesson, whereas a proverb, metaphor,
simile, or figure of speech centers usually on a word, phrase or sentence. Discover the many
parables of Jesus from the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke in the collection of Bible verses
below!

Note some parables are found in more than one book so there are parallels across the lists

 Parables of Jesus from the Book of Matthew

 Parables of Jesus from the Book of Mark
 Parables of Jesus From the Book of Luke

Parables of Jesus from the Book of Matthew

The Lamp - Matthew 5:14-16

 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do
people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives
light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that
they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The Speck and The Log - Matthew 7:1-5

 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you
will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you
look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in
your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’
when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out
of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s
eye.
 34

New Cloth on Old Garment - Matthew 9:16-17

 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away
from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old
wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be
ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

The Divided Kingdom - Matthew 12:24-30

 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of
demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them,
“Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided
against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How
then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your
people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God
that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. “Or again, how can
anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the
strong man? Then he can plunder his house. “Whoever is not with me is against me, and
whoever does not gather with me scatters.

The Sower - Matthew 13:1-23

 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds
gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the
shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his
seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate
it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly,
because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and
they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and
choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a
hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” The
disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He
replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given
to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance.
Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak
to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
 35

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear For truly I
tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see
it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. “Listen then to what the parable of the
sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not
understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is
the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who
hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only
a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall
away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the
worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands
it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was
sown.”

The Weeds Among the Wheat - Matthew 13:24-30

 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed
good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds
among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the
weeds also appeared. “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow
good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

“‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

“‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat
with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters:
First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and
bring it into my barn.’”

The Mustard Seed - Matthew 13:31-32

 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a
man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows,
it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in
its branches.”
 36

The Leaven - Matthew 13:33-34

 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman
took and mixed into about sixty pounds[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them
without using a parable.

Hidden Treasure - Matthew 13:44

 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid
it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Pearl of Great Price - Matthew 13:45-46

 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he
found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

The Net - Matthew 13:47-50

 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and
caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then
they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how
it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the
righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.

The Heart of Man - Matthew 15:10-20

 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into
someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what
defiles them.”

Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended
when they heard this?”

He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the
roots. Leave them; they are blind guides.[a] If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into
a pit.”

Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”

“Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth
 37

goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s
mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil
thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are
what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

The Lost Sheep - Matthew 18:10-14

 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in
heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will
he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And
if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine
that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of
these little ones should perish.

The Unforgiving Servant - Matthew 18:23-35

 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with
his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold
was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife
and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I
will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and
let him go.

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a
hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe
me!’ he demanded.

“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay
it back.’

“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could
pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and
went and told their master everything that had happened.

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that
debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow
servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be
tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
 38

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or
sister from your heart.”

Laborers in the Vineyard - Matthew 20:1-16

 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to
hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius[a] for the day and sent
them into his vineyard.

“About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing
nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever
is right.’ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing.
About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked
them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

“‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers
and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a
denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But
each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble
against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and
you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of
the day.’

“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to
work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the
same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are
you envious because I am generous?’

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

The Two Sons - Matthew 21:28-32

 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said,
‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
 39

“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’
but he did not go.

“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the
kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of
righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did.
And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

The Tenant Farmers - Matthew 21:33-45

 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a
wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard
to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent
his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

“The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then
he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the
same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

“But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s
kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and
killed him.

“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the
vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

the Lord has done this,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’[a]?

“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to
a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to
pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
 40

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking
about them.

Marriage Feast or Great Banquet - Matthew 22:1-14

 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king
who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been
invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have
prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is
ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The
rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent
his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not
deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’
So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the
bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing
wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’
The man was speechless.

“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into
the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

The Budding Fig Tree - Matthew 24:32-35

 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves
come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you
know that it[a] is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not
pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my
words will never pass away.
 41

The Faithful vs. The Wicked Servant - Matthew 24:45-51

 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the
servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for
that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put
him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to
himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow
servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a
day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to
pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.

The Ten Virgins - Matthew 25:1-13

 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and
went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The
foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however,
took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the
wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those
who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who
were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Ten Talents or Gold Coins - Matthew 25:14-30

 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted
his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another
one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had
received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags
 42

more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had
received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you
entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a
few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s
happiness!’

“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two
bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a
few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s
happiness!’

“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that
you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have
not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here
is what belongs to you.’

“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have
not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my
money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back
with interest.

“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever
has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even
what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into
the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
 43

Parables of Jesus from the Book of Mark

The Lamp - Mark 4:21-25

 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t
you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is
concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let them
hear.” “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it
will be measured to you—and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does
not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”

New Cloth on Old Garment - Mark 2:21-22

 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece
will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old
wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins
will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

The Divided Kingdom - Mark 3:23-27

 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can
Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself
and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s
house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.

The Sower - Mark 4:1-20

 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so
large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along
the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching
said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell
along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did
not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun
came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other
seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear
grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some
multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
 44

When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.
11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those
on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that,

“they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,

and ever hearing but never understanding;

otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!”

Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you
understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the
path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the
word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and
at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When
trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like
seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of
wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some
thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

The Growing Seed - Mark 4:26-29

 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the
ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though
he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head,
then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because
the harvest has come.”

The Mustard Seed - Mark 4:30-34

 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall
we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth.
Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big
branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could
understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was
alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
 45

The Heart of Man - Mark 7:14-23

 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand
this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what
comes out of a person that defiles them.”

After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this
parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person
from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach,
and then out of the body.”

He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out
of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come
from inside and defile a person.”

The Tenant Farmers - Mark 12:1-12

 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a
wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the
vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. At harvest time he sent a servant
to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him,
beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Then he sent another servant to them; they
struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent still another, and that one
they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

“He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will
respect my son.’

“But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the
inheritance will be ours.’ So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the
vineyard.

“What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and
give the vineyard to others. Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:

“‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

the Lord has done this,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

 46

Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him
because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the
crowd; so they left him and went away.

The Budding Fig Tree - Mark 13:28-33

 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves
come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening,
you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly
not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but
my words will never pass away.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but
only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.

The Faithful vs. The Wicked Servant - Mark 13:34-37

 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each
with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come
back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If
he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone:
‘Watch!’”

Parables of Jesus From the Book of Luke

These are Parables unique to the book of Luke.

The Good Samaritan - Luke 10:29-37

 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was
attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving
him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the
man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw
him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man
was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds,
pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn
 47

and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper.
‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense
you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of
robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

The Friend at Midnight - Luke 11:5-13

 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight
and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come
to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother
me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give
you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because
of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you
as much as you need.

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the
door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and
to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he
asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to
give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask him!”

The Rich Fool - Luke 12:13-21

 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance
with me.”

Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said
to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in
an abundance of possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant
harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and
 48

there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid
up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.
Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward
God.”

The Barren Fig Tree - Luke 13:6-9

 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went
to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the
vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and
haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

“‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize
it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

The Invited Guests - Luke 14:7-14

 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them
this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of
honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host
who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then,
humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take
the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a
better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those
who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your
friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may
invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor,
the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you,
you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
 49

The Lost Coin - Luke 15:8-10

 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp,
sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls
her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’
In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over
one sinner who repents.”

The Prodigal Son - Luke 15:11-32

 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his
father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country
and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a
severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired
himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed
to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food
to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say
to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be
called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his
father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion
for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no
longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a
ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a
feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is
found.’ So they began to celebrate.

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music
and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your
brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has
him back safe and sound.’

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded
 50

with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and
never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could
celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property
with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But
we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again;
he was lost and is found.’”

The Rich Man and Lazarus - Luke 16:19-31

 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury
every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing
to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The
rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and
saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham,
have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
because I am in agony in this fire.’

“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good
things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in
agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so
that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there
to us.’

“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers.
Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will
repent.’

“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be
convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
 51

The Persistent Widow - Luke 18:1-8

 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and
not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor
cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him
with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God
or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she
gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about
justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them
off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of
Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

The Pharisee and The Tax Collector - Luke 18:9-14

 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone
else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and
the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that
I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat
his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all
those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be
exalted.”

References:

 http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/John/Jesus-
Introduces-Major-Themes

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivet_Discourse

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sermon_on_the_Mount
 52

 http://www.biblicaljesus.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/BS/k/823/The-
Parable-of-Good-Samaritan.htm#ixzz3qDrdd9x0

 http://www.sljinstitute.net/sermons/new%20testament/pages/the_parable_of_talen
ts.html

 Exposition of the Parables – Benjamin Keach

 New Bible Commentary 3rd Edition, Edited by Guthrie D, Motyer J A et.al.

 New Testament Previous CEC Notes

 53

HOLY SPIRIT

Holy Spirit is co-eternal with the Father and the Son. We understand from the Old
Testament that Holy Spirit was an agent at the time of creation(Gen.1:2). We find the
existence of the Holy Spirit along with the father at the time of creation. In the Old
Testament, Holy Spirit is understood as a source of inspiration and power. Holy Spirit is
understood as a vehicle of god’s revelation and activity. Another emphasis in the Old
Testament is that the Holy Spirit was understood as god’s presence in the covenantal
community. We also see the work of the Holy Spirit in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit at the time of Baptism. Holy Spirit came upon Jesus
as a dove. He was helped by the Holy Spirit at the time of temptation. Thus the day of
Pentecost is not the birthday of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit existed even before that.

Ascension day falls on the 40th day after Easter. Ascension day really commemorates the
exaltation of Jesus to God’s right hand and it is the day when Jesus disappeared from His
disciples sight, 40 days after the first resurrection appearance. Jesus gave the disciples some
parting advice (Acts1:2). He directed them to wait in Jerusalem until they should receive
heaven’s power and then to act as His witnesses iln Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria and to
the ends of the earth. Thus he told them not to start their ministry until they had been
baptised with the Holy Spirit (Acts1:5,8) As the apostles gazed up into heaven, two angelic
beings told them that Jesus would come back in the same way as they had just seen Him go
(Acts:1:9-11). Jesus Christ promised His disciples that when he goes away he would send
them a comforter, a counsellor to be with them always to guide them and to lead them.

Day of Pentecost:

The day of Pentecost, the Feast of weeks-the anniversary of the giving of the law at Sinai
(Levi23:15;Deut 16:9) which fall on the 50th day after the passion, Passover, found the
gathering of 120 people in the upper room. Suddenly the Holy Spirit took possession of
them while visible and audible signs accompanied the promised heavenly gift. There was a
rushing mighty wind which came with great force. There was an appearance of something
like flaming fire, lightening on every one of them. There was an outburst of glossolalia,
speaking in other tongues, as disciples were heard praising God in languages and dialects
diverse from their native Galilean, Aramaic, but recognisable by visitors to the feasts
(miracle of linguistic fusion). This seems to be the reversal of the curse of Babel (Gen.
11:1-9- strange miracle of confusion). The spirit like fire melts the heart, burns up the dross,
kindles pious and devout affections in the soul in which, as in the fire
 54

on the altar, the spiritual sacrifices are offered up. Peter asserts that what was prophesied
by prophet Joel has been fulfilled (Joel2:28-32).

Functions of the Holy Spirit:

Holy Spirit Empowers, Equips and Enables.

Holy Spirit empowers: (Acts 1:8) Holy spirit empowered the disciples of Jesus Christ.
Disciples were afraid and disappointed. They followed Jesus giving up everything. They
never worried about their livelihood when Jesus was with them. Now they were worried
and they did not know what to do. They expected Jesus to establish a kingdom (political)
and they thought that they would become an important people in that kingdom. When Jesus
died on the cross they thought everything was gone. They had lost their power. However,
when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were empowered and they could face situations,
move forward and face crisis. We see Peter who denied Jesus, stand up and address the
crowd with so much authority, that at the end of his speech three thousand people were
baptised and added to the community of disciples.

Holy Spirit Equips : Holy Spirit equipped the disciples with different gifts and abilities.
There are five different lists of gifts mentioned in the Bible.

 I Cor.12:8-10-Nine gifts are mentioned here

 I Cor.12:28-30-Nine gifts are mentioned of which four are different from the
earlier reference
 Rom.12:6- seven gifts are mentioned of which two are new

 Eph.4:11,13- Five gifts are mentioned of which two are new

 I Peter4:10,11- Two gifts are mentioned of which one is new

On the whole these five lists mention 21 gifts. There can be several other gifts of the Holy
Spirit also. Holy Spirit gives gifts and abilities according to the need of the situation. Gifts
are not given according to our desires and wish. They are distributed among people
according to the will of god (I Cor. 12:1). What one needs to understand is that no gift is
superior over the other. No one can have all the gifts together. Speaking in tongues is not a
special or superior gift. Gifts are given according to the need of the situation. Speaking in
different tongues on the day of the Pentecost was absolutely necessary for the disciples to
communicate as people gathered there did not share a common language. We need to
identify the gifts given to us and utilise them for God’s glory and for the common good.
 55

Holy Spirit Enables: He enables us to bear fruit (Gal.5:22&23). Paul states in I Cor. That
bearing fruit is more excellent way than having gifts (ICor. 12:31). “Covet earnestly

the best gifts and yet I show you a more excellent way” and then he talks about the fruit of
the spirit-Love. Gifts and abilities should be used to bear fruit. That is what Joseph did
and he is called a fruitful vine (Gen.49:22). Matt.7:22,23-reads, ‘Many will say on the day
of the Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? And in your name cast out devils and
in your name done many wonderful works. And I will profess unto them I never know
them.’ Holy spirit enables us to bear fruit. A tree is known by the fruit it bears. Fruit is a
collective noun designating crop or harvest and suggests the many-sided character of
virtuous life. Love does not seek its own selfish ends but the good of others. Joy is deep
happiness born of a personal relation to God. Peace with God affects our relationships with
others significantly. Patience is long suffering, being patient with others. Kindness denotes
excellence of character with the sense due regard for the fragile nature of human personality
and human need. Goodness in addition to kindness suggests righteousness softened by love.
Faithfulness denotes fidelity a fundamental trait of Christian character. Gentleness is used
to denote submissiveness to divine will and consideration towards men. Self-Control
denotes self-mastery, restraint of behaviour.

Holy Spirit enables us to stay united. He stresses unity and not uniformity. Different
languages but one spirit. (Acts2:44) All the believers were together and had everything in
common. Holy Spirit enables us to grow and expand. After the day of Pentecost, ministry
expanded and the number increased 3000, to 5000 to 7000. Increase in numbers meant
increased responsibility and the Spirit enabled them to shoulder it faithfully and wisely.

*** The Holy Spirit fills us that we may be His witnesses (Acts 1:8)

References:

• New Bible Commentary 3rd Edition, Edited by Guthrie D, Motyer J A et.al.

• New Testament Previous CEC Notes

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ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

Origin and Development of the Church:

Pentecost has rightly been described as the birthday of the church. Convinced by peter’s
argument the multitude were conscience stricken and willingly received his assurance that
forgiveness and the gift of the Holy spirit would be granted them by God if they repented
and were baptised in the name of Jesus. Three thousand believed the good news that day
and were baptised, thus forming the first fellowship of believers. The Pentecostal
experience did not lead the first believers to break with Judaism and form a separate and
distinct community. However, certain distinctive Christian elements are evident and the
first of which is ‘the apostles teachings’. The worship in the early church is marked by great
simplicity. In addition to worship in the temple, there are gatherings in believers homes
(Acts2:46&47;5:42), for breaking of bread and taking food. Common meals had played a
large role in Jesus ministry (Mk.9:10&11; Acts1:4) and continued to be an important factor
in the religious experience of the early church. Private homes provided the meeting places
for the acts of worship. The pouring of the Holy Spirit filled them with the spirit of unity.
They welcomed into their fellowship all who accepted the proclamation of Jesus, the
Messiah, repented and received baptism irrespective of racial and social backgrounds. The
community was apparently characterised by many poor people especially widows who had
no family and therefore no source of support. The sense of sharing the blessings of the
Messianic age led to an actual sharing of possessions. Many believers sold their lands and
properties and made the proceeds available for the support of the indignant (Acts4:32-35).

Characteristics of the early church:

• Worshipping community-Acts 2:47

• Praying community- Acts 2:42

• Caring & sharing community Acts: 2:44&45

• Witnessing community- Acts8:4

• Organised community which practised division of labour for common good-

Acts6:1-8
• Community which taught and meditated on God’s word-Acts11:26
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Persecution of the Church and the outcome:

The first evidence of breach with Judaism occurs as a result of the ministry of Stephen.
Stephen was accused of speaking against the temple and the low of Moses (Acts6:13).
Stephen was arrested and put to trial before the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of Jewish

nation. Stephen turned his face not on his persecutors, but up to heaven where he had a
vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of god to receive him. Saul witnessed his death,
consented to it and later embarked on a rigorous persecution of the believers. Stephens
testimony and the manner of his death may well have begun a process of conviction in Saul
which culminated in his conversion on the Damascus road. (Acts22:20). As Tertullion
wrote ‘The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church’. Now as then, preaching of the
gospel and persecution go together (Acts8:4) . The more the church was persecuted, the
more it seemed to multiply.

The execution of Stephen was now the signal for a much more rigorous campaign of
repression. The large community of believers in Jerusalem were now scattered throughout
Palestine and even beyond its borders. Dispersion did much more good than harm to the
cause. Those thus scattered carried the good news with them and disseminated it
everywhere even as far as north Syrian Antioch(Acts11:19-25). The disciples were called
Christians first at Antioch. The church at Antioch becomes a missionary church and they
set aside Barnabas and Saul for the special work which God had called them for – mission
to the gentiles(Acts 13:1).

The Jerusalem Council: (Acts15:1-16:5)

The Gentile mission resulted in predominantly Gentile churches and an excess of Gentile
Christians over those of Jewish birth and background. The Jewish party in Jerusalem church
said they must act at once, if they were to act at all. So a campaign was organised in Antioch,
the citadel of Gentile Christianity, urging the adoption of Jewish law by all Christians, as
an indispensable condition of salvation. Peter who was in Antioch at the time and knew
perfectly what the rights and wrongs of the matter were, after the vision that he had at Joppa
(Acts10:1-48), along with Barnabas, withdrew from the society of Gentile Christians. Paul
dealt drastically with that situation and rebuked Peter outright. This resulted in Peter
supporting Paul’s argument at the Jerusalem Council.

To avoid splitting of the early church into Jewish and Gentile, the church at Antioch sent
delegates to the apostles and elders at Jerusalem and the issue was thoroughly discussed.
At the end of the discussion, it was decided no conditions (circumcision) were to be
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imposed on the gentile Christians for salvation or admission to full Christian fellowship,
save that condition which God himself had accepted as sufficient i.e. Faith in Christ.
However, they had to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood and from flesh from
which blood is not fully drained. The decisions were conveyed to the church at Antioch
through a letter sent to them, carried by Judas and Silas, who accompanied the delegates on
their way back to Antioch.

**Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Eph.4:3).

References:

 New Bible Commentary 3rd Edition, Edited by Guthrie D, Motyer J A et.al.

 New Testament Previous CEC Notes

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PAUL THE APOSTLE

Paul was raised by devout Jewish parents in the port city of Tarsus on the coast of Asia
Minor. His father was a Roman citizen. How he acquired this priceless honor we are not
told. Most likely a Roman general or administrator in southeastern Asia Minor granted
citizenship to him for rendering some valuable service. The service may have been rendered
to Pompey or Mark Antony. As Roman citizens, Paul’s family must have associated with
the cream of Gentile society in Tarsus and Cilicia, even though their strict observance of
Jewish law made it impossible for them to exploit their advantages fully.

Paul described himself as a Hebrew of the Hebrews – a Hebrew sprung from

Hebrews(Phil.3:5). He was proud of his heritage as a Jew and of his status as a Roman. He
grew up in a bustling seaport thronged with sailors and merchants from allover the known
world. He was a cosmopolitan Hellenist and a Greek-speaking Jew. He was also a trained
rabbi, one who had sat at the feet of Gamaliel. That in itself set Paul apart from the rank
and file, even among the Jews.

Gamaliel was the grandson of the illustrious rabbi Hillel. He was a Pharisee, and his
learning was so great that he was one of just seven doctors of Jewish law given the title
rabban. He was Gamaliel’s star pupil, the one he thought most likely to succeed. Before his
conversion, Paul, then known as Saul, was a "zealous" Pharisee who "intensely persecuted"
the followers of Jesus. Paul also discusses his pre-conversion life in his Epistle to the
Philippians, and his participation in the stoning of Stephen is described in Acts 7:57-8:3.

A persecutor is what Paul became. He made havoc of the church. It is easy to imagine that
he cheered those who stoned Stephen and held their coats. He obtained warrants from
Caiaphas and Annas to persecute the church at home and abroad with a single- mindedness
and savagery that struck terror into the hearts of Christians everywhere.

Paul’s Conversion:

Acts of the Apostles discusses Paul's conversion experience at three different points in the
text, in far more detail than in the accounts in Paul's letters. The book of Acts records that
Paul was on his way from Jerusalem for Syrian Damascus to arrest followers of Jesus, with
the intention of returning them to Jerusalem as prisoners for questioning and possible
execution. The journey is interrupted when Paul sees a blinding light, and communicates
directly with a divine voice. The account continues with a description of Ananias of
Damascus receiving a divine revelation instructing him to visit Saul at the house of Judas
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on the Street Called Straight and there lay hands on him to restore his sight (the house of
Judas is traditionally believed to have been near the west end of the street). Ananias is
initially reluctant, having heard about Saul's persecution, but obeys the divine command.

This experience of the Damascus road not only brought him to recognition of Jesus as the
resurrected and exalted Messiah, it also contained a call from God to a particular mission.
This fact is recorded in the conversion accounts in Acts 9:15-16; 22:15; 26:17-18 and is
confirmed by Paul’s own words. God has set him apart before his birth to preach the Gospel
to the gentiles(Gal.1:15). He is an apostle to the gentiles and magnifies his ministry to
provoke Jews as well to faith(Rom.11:3). He has a commission that he did not choose for
him and which lays upon him the inescapable necessity of preaching the gospel( ICor.9:16).
After his first mission in the gentiles’ world, when his Gospel was challenged by the
Juadizers, Paul’s apostleship to the gentiles was recognized and approved by the church in
Jerusalem. Including the other apostles – James, Peter and John (Gal.2:7-9). This unique
factor in Paul’s apostleship was his distinctive mission to the gentiles. In his lists of leaders
in the churches Paul ranks apostles first.(I Cor.12:28; Eph.4:11).

Paul’s Missionary Journeys: The New Testament records Paul taking three missionary
journeys that spread the message of Christ to Asia Minor and Europe.
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On three separate missionary journeys—each several years in length—Paul preached the

news of Jesus in many coastal cities and trade route towns. The following is a brief
chronicle of these missionary journeys:

1st Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14): Answering God’s call to proclaim Christ, Paul and
Barnabas left the church at Antioch in Syria. At first, their method of evangelism was to
preach in the town synagogues. But when many of the Jews rejected Christ, the missionaries
recognized God’s call of witnessing to the Gentiles. Paul's ministry to Gentiles brought
controversy over who could be saved and how to be saved.

The first journey, led initially by Barnabas, takes Paul from Antioch to Cyprus then
southern Asia Minor (Anatolia), and back to Antioch. In Cyprus, Paul rebukes and blinds
Elymas the magician (Acts 13:8 – 12) who was criticizing their teachings. From this point
on, Paul is described as the leader of the group.

They sail to Perga in Pamphylia. John Mark leaves them and returns to Jerusalem. Paul and
Barnabas go on to Pisidian Antioch. On Sabbath they go to the synagogue. The leaders
invite them to speak. Paul reviews Israelite history from life in Egypt to King David. He
introduces Jesus as a descendant of David brought to Israel by God. He said that his team
came to town to bring the message of salvation. He recounts the story of Jesus' death and
resurrection. He quotes from the Septuagint to assert that Jesus was the promised Christos
who brought them forgiveness for their sins. Both the Jews and the 'God-fearing' Gentiles
invited them to talk more next Sabbath. At that time almost the whole city gathered. This
upset some influential Jews who spoke against them. Paul used the occasion to announce a
change in his mission which from then on would be to the Gentiles. Acts 13: 13-48 Antioch
served as a major Christian center for Paul's evangelizing.

Between his first and second missionary journeys, he participated in a conference in

Jerusalem discussing the way of salvation. The final consensus was that the Gentiles could
receive Jesus without submitting to Jewish traditions.

2nd Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36-18:22): After another stay in Antioch, building up
the church there, Paul was ready to take a second missionary journey. Paul leaves for his
second missionary journey from Jerusalem, in late Autumn after the meeting of the
Council of Jerusalem where the circumcision question was debated. On their trip around
the Mediterranean sea, Paul and his companion Barnabas stopped in Antioch where they
had a sharp argument about taking John Mark with them on their trips. The book of Acts
said that John Mark had left them in a previous trip and gone home. Unable to resolve the
dispute, Paul and Barnabas decided to separate; Barnabas took John Mark
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with him to Cyprus, while Silas joined Paul on their trip to Asia Minor. God turned this
dispute into a positive, for now there were two missionary teams.

Paul and Silas initially visited Tarsus (Paul's birthplace), Derbe and Lystra. In Lystra, they
met Timothy, a disciple who was spoken well of, and decided to take him with them. The
Church kept growing, adding believers, and strengthening their faith daily. Acts 16:5

In Philippi, certain men were not happy about the liberation of their soothsaying servant
girl, who had been possessed with a spirit of divination, (Acts 16: 16 – 24) and they turned
the city against the missionaries and Paul and Silas were put in jail. After a miraculous
earthquake, the gates of the prison fell apart and Paul and Silas were able to escape but
remained; this event led to the conversion of the jailor. Acts 16: 25 - 40 They continued
traveling, going by Berea and then to Athens where Paul preached to the Jews and God-
fearing Greeks in the synagogue and to the Greek intellectuals in the Areopagus.

Paul spent 18 months in Corinth. The reference in Acts to proconsul Gallio helps ascertain
this date (cf. Gallio inscription).In Corinth, Paul met Aquila and Priscilla who became
faithful believers and helped Paul through his other missionary journeys. The couple
followed Paul and his companions to Ephesus, and stayed there to start one of the strongest
and most faithful churches at that time. The missionaries sailed to Caesarea to greet the
Church there and then traveled north to Antioch where they stayed for about a year before
leaving again on their third missionary journey.

God providentially redirected Paul and Silas to Greece, bringing the gospel to Europe. At
Philippi, the missionary team was beaten and imprisoned. Rejoicing to suffer for Christ,
they sang in jail. Suddenly, God caused an earthquake to open the doors of the cell and free
them from their chains. The amazed jailer and his family believed in Christ, but the
government officials begged Paul and Silas to leave.

Traveling on to Athens, Paul preached to an inquisitive audience on Mars Hill. He

proclaimed the only true God whom they could know and worship without man-made idols.
Again, some sneered and some believed.

Paul taught those who believed in Christ and established them in churches. During this 2nd
missionary journey, Paul made many disciples from all backgrounds: a young man named
Timothy, a businesswoman named Lydia, and the married couple Aquila and Priscilla.

3rd Missionary Journey (Acts 18:23-20:38): During Paul’s third journey, he fervently
preached in Asia Minor. Paul began his third missionary journey by traveling all around
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the region of Galatia and Phrygia to strengthen, teach and rebuke the believers. Paul then
traveled to Ephesus, an important center of early Christianity, and stayed there for almost
three years. He performed numerous miracles, healing people and casting out demons, and
he apparently organized missionary activity into the hinterlands. Paul left Ephesus after an
attack from a local silversmith resulted in a pro-Artemis riot involving most of the city.
During his stay in Ephesus, Paul wrote four letters to the church in Corinth admonishing
them for their pagan behavior.

Paul went through Macedonia into Achaea and made ready to continue on to Syria, but he
changed his plans and traveled back through Macedonia because of Jews who had made a
plot against him. At this time, it is likely that Paul visited Corinth for three months.
In Romans 15:19 Paul wrote that he visited Illyricum, but he may have meant what would
now be called Illyria Graeca, which lay in the northern part of modern Albania, but was at
that time a division of the Roman province of Macedonia.

Paul and his companions visited other cities on their way back to Jerusalem such as Philippi,
Troas, Miletus, Rhodes, and Tyre. Paul finished his trip with a stop in Caesarea where he
and his companions stayed with Philip the Evangelist before finally arriving at Jerusalem.
(Acts 21: 8 – 10, 15) God confirmed his message with miracles. Acts 20:7-12 tells of Paul
at Troas preaching an exceptionally long sermon. A young man, sitting in an upstairs
window sill, went to sleep and fell out the window. He was thought to be dead, but Paul
revived him.

Once involved in the occult, the new believers at Ephesus burned their magic books. Idol-
makers, on the other hand, were not pleased with their loss of business on account of this
one true God and His Son. One silversmith named Demetrius started a city-wide riot,
praising their goddess Diana. Trials always followed Paul. The persecution and opposition
ultimately strengthened true Christians and spread the gospel.

At the end of Paul’s third missionary journey, he knew he would soon be imprisoned and
probably killed. His final words to the church at Ephesus display his devotion to Christ:
“You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the
whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came
upon me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything
that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying
to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And
now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will
happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying
that bonds and afflictions await me. But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to
 64

myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord
Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:18-24). Some Bible
scholars see a fourth missionary journey as well, and early Christian history does seem to
attest to the idea. At the same time, there is no explicit evidence for a fourth journey in the
Bible, as it would have occurred after the close of the book of Acts.

The purpose of all of Paul’s missionary journeys was the same: proclaiming God’s grace
in forgiving sin through Christ. God used Paul’s ministry to bring the gospel to the Gentiles
and establish the church. Paul’s letters to the churches, recorded in the New Testament, still
support church life and doctrine. Although Paul’s missionary journeys caused him to
sacrifice everything, they were worth the cost (Philippians 3:7-11).

Works cited:

1. Segal, Alan F. Paul, the Convert, (New Haven/London, Yale University Press,
1990)

2. Murphy-O'Connor, Jerome, Paul: A Critical Life (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996)

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MAJOR THEMES OF THE EPISTLES

Principles of victorious Christian living: (I & II Timothy)

Paul’s three recorded letters at the end of his full and fruitful life, were addressed to his
authorised representatives – Timothy and Titus. These were the only letters Paul wrote
exclusively to individuals and they were meant to exhort and encourage Timothy and Titus
in their ministry of strengthening the churches in Ephesus and Crete. In the 18 th century
these epistles came to be known as the pastoral epistles. And perhaps in other churches in
the province of Asia.

Paul the aged and experienced apostle wrote first to Timothy from Macedonia in AD 62
or 63 while Timothy was serving as his representative in Ephesus. Paul warns Timothy
about the growing problem of false doctrine, particularly as they relate to the misuse of the
Mosaic Law. (I Tim.1:3-11). Paul also urges Timothy to fulfil his divine calling without
wavering in doctrine or in conduct (ITim.1:18-20). Paul addresses the issue of church
worship. He requests that prayer be the backbone of worship and prayer should be made
for all especially those in authority as we may live and quiet lives in all godliness and
holiness. (ITim.2:2).. Paul then emphasises that men should lift up holy hands in prayer
without anger or dispute. He then turns to the role of women, their external beauty and
emphasises on the importance of inner quality of godliness. (I Tim.2: 8&9). Paul lists the
qualification of overseers or bishops and for the office of the deacon (I Tim.3:1-13). The
need for a person in God’s ministry to manage his own family well is stressed. Paul warns
Timothy of the false teaching and the deceiving spirits that will arise in the latter days and
exhorts him to teach what he has heard and followed. Paul advises Timothy not to deal with
older men harshly but to consider them as his father. He also gives clear instructions about
widows and asks Timothy to teach children to take care of their own family members for
this will be practicing religion and will be pleasing to God. (I Tim.5:1-8). Paul also asks
Timothy to teach about the unce rtainity of riches and putting their hope in God. (I
Tim.6:17-19).

Instructions for personal life:

 Set an example for believers in speech, in life , in love, in faith and in purity. (I
Tim.4:11)
 Do not neglect the gift given to you but devote to reading of Scripture, preaching
and teaching. (I Tim.4:13&14)
 66

 Do nothing out of favouritism (I Tim.5:21)

 Godliness with contentment is great gain. Love of money is the root of all kind of
evil. (I Tim.6:6-10)

 Pursue righteousness, Godliness, faith, love endurance and gentleness.

(I Tim.6:11)
 Fight the good fight of faith and take hold of eternal life. (I Tim.6:12)

 Persevere in the present testing (II Tim.2:1-8)

 Avoid Godless chatter (II Tim.2:16)

 Endure in future testing (II Tim.3:10-17)

***endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No soldier gets involved in
civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer (II Tim.2:3&4)

Faith & works: (James and Hebrews)

The second chapter of James (Js.2:14-17) deals with faith and works. According to James,
faith without works cannot be called faith. Faith without works is dead and a dead faith is
worse than no faith at all. Faith must work, must produce and must be visible. Throughout
his epistle, James integrates true faith and everyday practical experience by stressing that
true faith must manifest itself in works of faith. Faith endures. Trials come and go. But a
strong faith will force them head on and develops endurance. Faith understands
temptations. It will not allow us to consent to our lust and slide into sin. Faith obeys the
word. Faith produces doers. Faith harbours no prejudice. Faith and favouritism cannot co-
exist itself in works. It is demonstrated by obedience and it responds to the promises of
God. To illustrate this point just like Paul, James took his illustration from the life of
Abraham. Paul cited the instance of Abraham’s response to God’s promise as proof that
salvation is by faith, not by works (Rom. 4). James used Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac to
prove that faith must be manifested through works in order to be real (James. 2:21-24). In
spite of the apparent contradiction, the two are really the two sides of the same coin. Paul
is writing about the justification before God, while James writes of the evidence of
justification before men. A faith that produces no change is not saving faith. James is not
really an attack on faith, but a protest against the hypocrisy of pretending to have faith
without demonstrating it in works.
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Examples of faith revealed through works:

 By faith Noah, warned about things not yet seen, built an ark to save his family
(Heb.11:7)
 By faith Moses refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose
to be mistreated along with the people of God (Heb.11:24&25)
 By faith people passed through the Red sea as on dry ground (Heb.11:29)

 By faith Rahab because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who
were disobedient (Heb.11:31)

*** (Hebrews 12:1)Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run
with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of our faith.

Teachings about Jesus: (Book of Hebrews)

The Son Is Higher Than the Angels (1:5 – 2:18)

A series of scriptural citations prove that the Son is superior to angels. We might ask why
angels require a ranking anyway? Today’s view of the world has little room for angels. But
in the world of the New Testament, especially in the writing of Judaism, angels were
regarded as the most powerful intermediaries between God and humans. Their high place
is witnessed in Galatians 4:8 and Colossians 2:18. What is the concern here? Jesus in his
humanity did not appear so impressive as these “spiritual” beings. He was not only human,
he suffered and died. Hebrews must overcome the scandal of a “lowly” Messiah.

As in other New Testament Writing (Gal 3:1-5), Hebrews argues “the greater” right out of
the readers’ own experience. The work of God’s Spirit among them is itself powerful
“witness” to the salvation accomplished through Jesus (2:3-4). Hebrews now drives home
the exhortation. This “greater salvation” demands of the readers a greater response of
vigilance (2:1-2).

From the perspective of the risen Lord, Hebrews new takes up the issue of Jesus’
“lowliness”. On the basis of Psalm 8, the author asserts that Jesus was “lower than angels”
only temporarily. And the reasons for this is so that he could “taste death for everyone”,
that is, act as a priest. On the basis of a messianic reading of Isaiah 8:18-19, Hebrews next
affirms God’s (and the messiah’s) solidarity with humanity. Then Hebrews turns the table.
 68

Because Jesus is one with those he represents before God – those who are “tested” and who
“fear death” – he can be compassionate and merciful priest. Hebrews defines priesthood in
terms of identity rather terms of religious ceremony. Later doctrine would say that “what is
not assumed (by God) cannot be saved”. Precisely because Jesus is human, he can save
humanity.

Jesus, Faithful And Compassionate High Priest (3:1-5, 10)

The next contrast is between Moses, “the servant of the house”, and Jesus, “a son placed
over his house” (3:4-6). The real contrast is between the people led by Moses and the
Christian Community hearing the sermon, a contrast between disobedience and obedient
faith (3:7-13). Hebrews agrees with Paul’s Argument in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, that what
happened to Israel in the desert is a warning for the present.

Much is made of specific words such as rest and today, without regard to their original
contexts. The reason for this is that Scripture speaks to every age in each of its words, and
that every part of scripture interprets every other part. Hebrews says that the “rest” to which
Moses led the people (the land) was not the “rest of God”. Also, the people of old failed to
enter the earthly rest because of their disobedience. Now Christians have hope for the real
rest won by Jesus’ resurrection. The point - they are to obey the call of God and not fall
away (4:6). The message is not a trivial one. The readers are not engaged in a conquest of
territory; they are to share God’s life, an awesome prospect (4:12-13). The comparison to
the wandering Israelites also establishes a basic image of the church as a people on
pilgrimage. Hebrews points the reader again to the leader of the pilgrimage, the “Apostle
and high priest of our confession” (3:1). In the description of Jesus as priest (4:14- 5:9),
Hebrews combines what has come to be called “high” and “low” Christologies. It is an
example .Jesus is not only “faithful” (3:1-2 )as all are called to be, he “learned obedience
from what he suffered”(5:8).The implications of this statement becomes clear only later
(see 12:1-11). We already understand that Jesus’ suffering deepened his faith, and his
obedience was itself a form of suffering. Jesus became little by little, in his humanity, the
perfect son of God and therefore the “leader” of all who follow him.

Jesus’ Eternal Priesthood and Sacrifice (5:11-10:39)

The long middle section of the sermon argues for the superiority of Jesus’ priesthood. An
extended exhortation is found in (5:11-6:20) and Chapter 7-10 focus on the priestly identity
and activity of Jesus. Hebrews presupposes the reader’s grasp of the “basic teaching about
Christ” (6:1), but, in a rebuke as an exhortation, urges them beyond the milk fit for babes
 69

of the meat for the mature (compare Paul’s use of this imagery in 1 Cor 3:1-3). This
“matter” teaching is not a matter of abandoning Jesus. Hebrews, calls such apostasy from
Christ “re crucifying the son of God” (6:6). God’s promise based on Jesus’ resurrection is
utterly reliable; Jesus is the “anchor of the soul” (6:19), to whose priesthood God is bound
by oath (6:13). But how are we to understand Jesus’ priesthood? This requires explanation.
By it Christians are enabled to become “imitators to those who, through faith and patience
are inheriting the promises” (6:12).

The consideration of Jesus as priest is the climax of the “lesser to greater” argument. But
because the Jewish symbols are foreign to us today, this section makes for some of the
hardest reading in the New Testament. It is important to remember from the start that the
books premise is the Christian experience of the spirit and conviction that Jesus is the risen
Lord, who has entered into the life of God (2:3-4). Only this makes Hebrews
reinterpretation of scripture reasonable. (This portion has been deleted)

References:

 New Bible Commentary 3rd Edition, Edited by Guthrie D, Motyer J A et.al.

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THE BOOK OF REVELATION

Guidelines to study the book:

The book of Revelation, makes for difficult reading, and in fact has a long history of
misinterpretation. Many people had made a fundamental mistake, taking it as a literal set
of predictions delivered in the past concerning current event. Reading Revelation that way
has been popular for a long time. For many people nowadays, it has become an obsession.
The ‘end time’ has been awaited many times without occurring. Such readings have caused
distortion of lives, many individuals and groups have left livelihood and loved ones to meet
the New Jerusalem, only to have their dreams destroyed. Such readings have missed the
real religious message of Revelation. They reduce its value to that of an astrological chart.

The Book of Revelation requires an openness of faith and an ability to hear. Because it
engages the hearing and the seeing, images must be elicited through the imagination. A
contemplative attitude is essential, along with the need not to try to pin poetic language to
specific events. Although the text calls out for such an interpretation, with its promise to
reveal what will happen soon (22:18&19), it is critical to recognise that just such statements
are standard features of a specific literary for of the ancient world, called apocalyptic. Two
tenets should guide the faithful study of Revelation:

 The word of God was addressed to the people of the age when it was written

 A texts ‘fuller’ meaning for successive ages is secondary and never to be divorced
from its first historical meaning.

Newspapers and poetry do not communicate their ‘truths’ in exactly the same way.
Knowing the usage of a literary form is necessary for intelligent reading. The literary
features express an interpretation of history. Apocalyptic defends god’s justice. The
‘present age’ appears to be under the control of evil people or even satanic powers, since
those devoted to God are being persecuted. The apocalyptic transposes God’s blessing to a
future time, ‘the age to come’. Just when things become humanly impossible, God will
intervene (as through a Messiah), to save God’s own, and he will inaugurate the “Kingdom
of God’. Apocalyptic brings the conviction that God controls history even though
experience seems to suggest that God does not.

The religious message of the apocalyptic is simple. To the faithful, it says, ‘hold on’. To
the wavering, it declares, ‘stand fast’. It offers hope of victory to those now oppressed but
remaining loyal to the one God. Revelation fits the apocalyptic genr well. It has visions,
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animals, numbers, and cosmic catastrophes. It has a two page interpretation of history and
its basic religious message is a call for the ‘endurance of the holy ones’.

The seven broad chronological themes in Revelation:

THEME 1: The message to seven ecclesia’s (Chapters 1 – 3)

Jesus gives his assessment of the spiritual state of each of these seven ecclesia’s, and urges
each of them to "overcome" and inherit the promises of the Kingdom. The overall message
of Revelation was also relevant to the seven ecclesia’s, as it has been, and is, to all ecclesia’s
of all ages. Although specific to the seven ecclesia’s, the challenge for today's ecclesia’s is
identical. The same call is made by Jesus to all ecclesia’s over the past 2,000 years, and
beyond, until he comes.

THEME 2: The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb (Chapters 4 and 5)

Chapter 4 is a chapter of great holiness as we take a look, with John, at the throne of God
Himself, surrounded as he is with four living creatures, twenty-four elders, seven spirits
and myriads of angels. Chapter 5 introduces us to the Lamb, who alone can open the scroll
God holds in His right hand, sealed with seven seals.

THEME 3: 3½ years of great tribulation under the rule of the beast

Chapter 6 - A preview of conditions under the rule of the beast.
Chapter 11:1-14 -Destruction of Jerusalem by the nations marks the beginning of the
tribulation period of 3 1/2 years. The work of the two witnesses during the 3 1/2 years of
tribulation.

Chapter 12 - Persecution of Israel and followers of Jesus by the beast.

Chapter 13- Description of the beast and false prophet and their work.
Chapter 17 - A picture of the beast and the harlot (whose name is Babylon) sitting on the
beast. The beast and ten kings destroy the woman. The beast and the ten kings make war
with the Lamb (Jesus). This battle is described in more detail in chapter 19.

Chapter 18 - A description of the destruction of the harlot (Babylon) by the beast and ten
kings.

THEME 4: The return of Jesus and the gathering of the elect as his bride

Chapter 7 - The elect receive the seal of God. The great destruction of evil on the earth is
delayed while this takes place. This destruction must not be confused with the 3 1/2 years
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period of tribulation. They are two separate events. The tribulation must take place first,

at the end of which the elect will be gathered to Jesus by his angels. After that, the
destruction of evil throughout the world takes place.

Chapter 14 - Jesus on Mt. Zion with the redeemed elect. He warns all people on earth not
to worship the beast or bear its mark, and that the destruction of all things evil is about to
commence.

Chapter 15 - Another view of the gathered saints with Jesus, singing the song of Moses and
the Lamb.

Chapter 19:1-10 - Rejoicing by the saints of the destruction of the harlot by the beast and
ten kings. The union and marriage supper of Christ and his bride (the saints). These events
relate closely to those in chapters 7 and 15. Not long after the gathering of the saints to
Jesus, the beast and kings of the earth make war with Jesus. This attack by the beast is
motivated by the destruction of the evil on the earth by Jesus.

THEME 5 : Involving the 7th seal and six angels with trumpets . The destruction of all
evil on the earth, culminating in the final battle between Jesus and the beast and kings of
the world who support the beast

Chapter 8 – 9 - Destruction of one third of the environment and mankind (the first phase).
An opportunity is given for those left to repent.

Chapter 10 - God's promise that the establishment of the Kingdom will no longer be
delayed.

Chapter 16 - The second (final) phase of destruction of evil, culminating in the battle of
Armageddon. (This involves the seven angels pouring seven bowls of wrath onto the earth
and mankind). The battle of Armageddon is the war of the beast against the Lamb.

Chapter 19:11-21 - A description of the war in which the beast and kings of the earth make
war against Jesus. The beast and false prophet are destroyed.

THEME 6: The Millenium.

Chapter 11:15 – 19 - (Involving the 7th seal and 7th angel with a trumpet). Proclamation
of the Kingdom of God.

Chapter 20 - A vision of the millenium in which sin will be put down because of the
destruction of the beast, but will rise again at the end of the millenium. Those faithful to
Jesus will rule with him as priests during the millenium. At the end of the millenium, a final
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judgement will take place involving those who have lived as mortals during the millenium.
Sin and death will be finally done away with.

Chapter 21-22 - A description of the new world order in the Kingdom, including a vision
of the new Jerusalem.

THEME 7: Beyond the millenium

The earth is now completely filled with the glory of God. Sin and death are no more, and
mortality exists no longer. God is "all in all".

Message to the Seven Churches: Rev.2:1-3:22

The apocalypse or revelation given by God through John his servant who had been banished
to the island called Patmos to the seven churches of Asia (Modern turkey) situated on an
irregular circular road, in the order in which they are addressed. Ephesus, Smyrna,
Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. Behind the outward of the Asian
Churches, there was an on-going invisible conflict between Christ and Antichrist between
the Lamb and the Dragon, between the church (the Holy city) and moral degradation. The
onslaught was physical, through the persecuting rulers, intellectual, through the several
false doctrines and moral, through sub standards of Christian ethics.

The faithful Christians should follow their master who never faltered even when he
suffered. The Lord whom they worship is the firstborn of the dead and had overcome even
death and will never die again. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
The kings of this world may try to dominate the lives of Christians, but Christ is the Lord
of Lords. His dominion Is universal and He comes to judge the living and the dead. He
walks among the seven lampstands which stand for the seven churches, patrolling and
supervising His churches, as the Chief Bishop. Each of the seven churches receives a
message of commendation along with rebuke. This is to make sure the on- going mission
of His church is not hampered.

The Seven Churches:

(1) Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) - the church that had forsaken its first love (2:4).

(2) Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) - the church that would suffer persecution (2:10).

(3) Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17) - the church that needed to repent (2:16).
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Name of Reward for him

Christ speaking as Commendation Rebuke
the Church who overcomes
He, "who holds the seven Hard work &
Ephesus stars in his right hand, who Patient endurance, Forsaken their Right to eat from
walks among the seven cannot tolerate First love the tree of life
golden lamp stands" wicked men
"he who is the First and
Afflicted & Poor ,
Smyrna the Last, who died and - Crown of Life
yet rich
came to life"
Eating food
Hidden Manna,
he "who has the sharp two- Live where Satan sacrificed to
White stone with
Pergamum edged sword". has his throne yet idols and
a new name
remained faithful sexual
written on it
immorality
Tolerate
Jezebel who
"the Son of God, who has Love, Faith, teaches -
Thyatira eyes like a flame of fire, Service & Eating food Authority over
and whose feet are like Perseverance sacrificed to the nations
burnished bronze" idols and
sexual
immorality
Will be dressed
Have a
He, "who holds the seven A few who have in white, will not
reputation of
Sardis spirits of God and the not soiled their blot out his name
being alive but
seven stars" clothes. from the book of
are dead
life.
"the holy one, the true one, Have little strength Will make him a
who has the key of David, yet have kept the pillar in the
Philadelphia who opens and no one word and not - temple of God
shall shut, who shuts and denied His name. Will write on him
no one opens" Endured Patiently my new name
"the Amen, the faithful and Will give him
Neither cold
Laodicea true witness, the beginning - right to sit on my
nor hot
of God's creation" throne
 75

(4) Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) - the church that had a false prophetess (2:20).

(5) Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) - the church that had fallen asleep (3:2).

(6) Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) - the church that had endured patiently (3:10).

(7) Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) - the church with the lukewarm faith (3:16).

Message to the Seven Churches:

*** Behold I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of prophecy in this book.
Behold I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to
what he has done. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may

have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. (Rev. 22:
7,12&13)

References:

 http://bibleprophecy.bigpondhosting.com/rev/themes.htm

 http://www.gotquestions.org/seven-churches-Revelation.html