The Challenge

You have finally reached the finished line. You've accomplished something noteworthy. You have read the entire New Testament. Perhaps for the first time.

Can't you just hear our heavenly father cheering. That's my kid. I'm so proud.

The next challenge is to use what you have read to continue to craft a Godly life of service, study and prayer. Jews believe that all of life is a conversation with God. We speak in the form of prayer. God speaks to us in the form of the Torah or the Scriptures. Then we speak together through serving our world. Helping the hurting. Feeding the hungry. Ministering to the sick. Spreading the Good News to a hurting world.

I hope you continue the conversation.

Diane Young Myers

Director of Discipleship

Asbury United Methodist Church

Revelation 21 & 22

The last chapters of Revelation describe the City of God. The New Jerusalem.

Some interesting things to note:

There are no temples. The entire city is a temple. It's built in the shape of a perfect cube, indicating that it replaces the Holy of Holies in the temple. The presence of God is continually there.

There is no night. Ancient people were afraid of the dark. The presence of God will bring eternal light.

There isn't much of a wall. The wall is described as 144 cubits high, or just 266 feet. The wall of Babylon was 300 feet high, and the walls of Solomon's porch in the temple were180 feet high. But this wall doesn't have to be very big. There is nothing hostile. All the evil things have been obliterated or cast into the lake of fire. God is much more eager to bring men in than to shut them out.

Revelation 19 & 20

John paints a picture of the conquering Christ. Jewish dreams were full of this image of the warrior Messiah, who would lead God's people to victory and smash their enemies. This image is of Jewish expectation and really has little resemblance to the Christ of the Gospels who was more meek and lowly.

Christ is seen riding a white horse, which is what Roman generals rode when the celebrated a triumph. On his head are many crowns. It was not uncommon for a monarch to wear more than one crown in order to show he was the king of more than one country. And he is wearing a robe dipped in the blood of his enemies.

Surrounding Him are the armies of heaven. Remember at His arrest Jesus says that He could have had twelve legions of angels to fight for Him. Here we see the angel army.

Revelation 16, 17 & 18

He may have called the woman Babylon but John is writing about Rome. At some point you might ask if John's indictment of Rome is really justified.

The world was pouring it's riches into Rome. Merchandise was brought from all over. Money was spent with extravagance. Nero once declared that the only use of money was to squander it. Caligula himself once spent the revenues of three providences in a single year. They drank expensive pearls dissolved in vinegar. Fished with golden nets drawn with the most expensive of fabrics. Never wore the same clothes twice. Had mules shod with silver.

It was an age of extraordinary gluttony. Amazing amounts of money were spent on food. They feasted on peacock's brains and the tongues of nightingales and flamingos. They frequently engaged in elaborate and expensive banquets. History had never seen such a period of wanton extravagance.

Revelation 13, 14 & 15

The seven headed dragon represents the seven Roman emperors. (Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, Titus and Domitian) The ten horns were Rome's ten rulers. Why ten? After the death of Nero there was a period of 18 months in which 3 different men briefly held the seat of power. (Galba, Otho and Vitellis) They were not included in John's list of the seven heads but are thought to have been included in the list of the ten horns.

The one wounded and restored to life is thought to have been Nero. Nero was a vicious dictator known for murder, immorality and crime. He killed his own mother, kicked to death his lover while she was pregnant with their child, and basically murdered anyone who stood in his way. He enjoyed burning Christians in his garden at night as a source of light. Many believed that the current evil ruler Domitian was the reincarnation of Nero.

John tells us that the number of the beast is six hundred and sixty six. Revelation is written in code. And nowhere is the code more closely guarded than in regard to this number which stands for the arch-enemy of the church. The key was evidently lost very early for even the earliest Christian scholars did not know what the number stood for. Everyone had a theory. The Pope. John Knox. Martin Luther. Napoleon. Hitler. Maybe something to do with Nero or Domitian. No one knows. But it's interesting to note that many ancient manuscripts give the number as 616 not 666.

Revelation 10, 11 & 12

The Antichrist stands for the universal power which is against God. This idea of a force opposed to God was not new. It's seen all over the Old Testament. Belial is one such reference that became synonymous for evil. An evil man or woman was called a son or daughter of Belial. Eli's wicked sons are called sons of Belial in the book of Samuel. Hannah was accused of being a daughter of Belial when they thought she was drunk in the temple. One of the insults hurled at King David was that he was a son of Belial.

Another evil force recognized in the Old Testament is the dragon of chaos that came to be known as Rahab. Isaiah says "Was it not you that cut Rahab in pieces, that did pierce the dragon." But as far as the Jews were concerned the peak of the manifestation of evil was the dictator Antiochus Ephipanes of Syria who was represented as the 'little horn' in the book of Daniel.

Antiochus Epiphanes invaded Palestine and captured Jerusalem. Eighty thousand Jews were either slaughtered or sold into slavery. To circumscribe a child or to have a copy of the Jewish scriptures was punishable by death. History had, at that point, never seen such an deliberate attempt to wipe out the religion of a whole people. Antiochus desecrated the temple and erected an alter to Zeus in the most holy place in the temple. And to make it even worse, he sacrificed pigs on it. The rooms of the temple were also turned into brothels. Jews today celebrate Hanukkah to honor the Maccabees who conquered Antiochus and restored the temple. (and to not rub it in the Roman empire's face they softened the holiday to honor the oil used to rededicate the temple)

Revelation 7, 8 & 9

During the time that John wrote this book people believed that the earth was flat. (and it was generally accepted belief until about the 1800's - mainly because anyone who spoke up about the shape of the earth was killed) At each of the four corners of earth there was an angel waiting to unleash the winds of destruction. Isaiah speaks of gathering the outcasts of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Ezekiel describes how the end will come upon the four corners of the earth.

Ancient people believed that the winds which came from the north, south, east and west were all favourable winds; but the winds which blew diagonally across the earth were harmful. That is why the angels stood at the corners of the earth ready to unleash the diagonal winds. It was also common belief that all the forces of nature were under the control of angels.

The Old Testament is full of interesting accounts of the winds. Especially, the Sirocco, the dreaded wind that blew from the southeast. The Old Testament prophet Nahum speaks of the Lord who has way in the whirlwind of Sirocco and the storm. So terrible was the effect of the Sirocco that it gained a place in the events of the last days. God would destroy His enemies as stubble before this wind.

Revelation 4, 5, and 6.

In the early chapters of Revelation John shows us the Risen Christ walking amidst His churches upon earth. Now the scene changes to the court of heaven.  

Many of John's mysterious and awe-inspiring pictures of heaven come from the Old Testament. The throne of God is one such Old Testament image. It's mentioned in a variety of Old Testament books including 1 Kings, Psalms and Isaiah. The Throne of God, standing for the majesty of God, is mentioned in every chapter of Revelation except for 2, 8 and 9.  

John describes voices that sound like thunder. Thunder and lightening were often connected with the manifestation of God. In Ezekiel's vision lightening comes out of the fiery haze around the throne. The Psalmist tells how the voice of the thunder of God was heard in the heavens. In Job, God sent His lightening to the ends of the earth, and Exodus describes the thunder and lightening that formed a thick cloud upon the mountains.

John uses imagery which was regularly connected with the presence of God.

Revelations 1, 2 & 3

John writes this book after he has been banished to Patmos, a barren rocky island ten miles long by five miles wide located forty miles off the coast of Asia Minor. Banishment to a remote island was a common form of Roman punishment especially for political prisoners. Such punishment involved the loss of civil rights and the loss of property. But prisoners were not mistreated and were free to move around within the island. The island of Patmos obviously left its mark on John's writing. Patmos is noted for it's breathtaking scenery and magnificent sunrises and sunsets. The word for sea occurs more than twenty-five times in the book of Revelation.

The book of Revelation is also full of symbolism. The number seven occurs fifty-four times. There are seven candlesticks, stars, lamps, seals, horns, eyes, thunders, angels, plagues and bowls. The ancient people regarded the number seven as the perfect number, representing completeness, and it runs all through Revelation.

The Book of Revelation

The Jews divided all time into ages- this present age, wholly given over to evil; and the age to come, the age of God. Between the two there was to be a time of terrible trial. Between the Old and the New Testaments the Jews wrote many books which were visions of the dreadful time before the end of time and the time of blessedness to come. These books were call Apokalypses or Revelations. Although there is nothing like it in the New Testament, it belongs to a class of literature that was common between the two testaments.

Revelation brings together the worlds of heaven, earth, and hell in a final confrontation between the forces of good and evil. Its characters and images are both real and symbolic, spiritual and material. Revelation's cryptic nature makes the book a source of controversy among scholars who try to interpret its meaning and its message. 

Tradition says the book was written by John the apostle, although its authorship has been debated for centuries. It is believed to have been written during the rein of Domitian, a particularly blood thirsty Roman ruler, in about 95 AD. Domitian began a campaign of bitter persecution against anyone who would not worship the ancient gods. In particular he leveled his hatred against the Jews and the Christians. Revelation was written to encourage Christians during this difficult time and to show that Jesus Christ controls the course and climax of history.

1 John - 3 John & Jude

John
John, whom Jesus called His beloved disciple, writes to the church in Asia Minor in what is now modern day Turkey sometime around 90 AD.

He wrote to address several particular types of false teachings.

Gnosticism was a teaching that blended Eastern mysticism with Greek dualism (the spirit is completely good, but matter is completely evil). Some Gnostics believed that if God was truly good he could not have created the material universe. Another lesser god- the god of the Old Testament- created the earth.

Another false teaching was that Jesus was not fully human but only appeared to have a human body and never actually suffered pain and death on the cross. Yet another heresy that John addresses was the belief that Jesus was just a man upon whom the "Christ" descended at His baptism and that "the Christ" departed from Jesus just before His crucifixion.

Jude
The little 25 verse epistle of Jude was written around 60-64 AD to address false teaching in the early church. It is commonly believed to have been written by Jude, the brother of James and the half brother of Jesus.

1 Peter & 2 Peter

In most every listing of Jesus' disciples, Peter's name is first. His influence in the early church was enormous and universally acknowledged. By virtue of his position, he was easily the most powerful figure in the Christian community.

The first epistle of Peter was written to a group of Christians living in Asia Minor near modern day Turkey. It was written to encourage them during a period of great religious persecution.

Christians were targets of attack mainly because they did not participate in pagan religious practices. Since they were the ones who abandoned the so-called gods of the people, Christians were blamed for everything from natural disasters to economic downturns. They were even more vulnerable because they were often strangers in a city, having been driven out of other cities by persecution. These early Christians often had little security, low social status (some were even slaves) and had little recourse to government protection.

There is a lot of debate about who wrote these books. Early church tradition affirms that the apostle Peter wrote these letters sometime after 67 AD. Critics argue that the vocabulary and literary style could not have been Peter's.

James

The book of James is a "how-to" book on living a Christian life. It offers practical instructions and encouragement to Christians experiencing problems.

It is believed to have been written by James the brother of Jesus. Although James was a very common name and there are a few other James who may have authored it. It is also believed to be one of the oldest books in the New Testament although it was one of the last books added to the collection of books that make up the bible. The letter was not written to one particular church but was a circular letter that was passed along from church to church.

One of the central themes is that doing good works is a natural result of faith. That when a person truly believes in something they act upon it. James uses this letter as a walk up call to Christians to start putting your life in line with what you believe.

Hebrews 10-13

The Jewish Christians to whom the Epistle to the Hebrews is addressed were demoralized and discouraged. Christianity had proven difficult. It was radical. It set aside centuries of tradition. It emphasized a new but troubling kind of spiritual freedom.

Many converts were ready to turn back and leave the uneasy, uncharted waters of faith for the comfortable, familiar life of works and moral effort.

After reminding the immature believers of the superiority of Jesus, the writer of Hebrews demonstrates for them the superiority of the faith. Faith means we cannot see the outcome, and we are not sure what lies ahead. But we are convinced of the reality of God. In other words, "We're not sure what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future." Faith means clinging to the hope that God will eventually triumph.

Hebrews 6-9

One of the mysteries of the bible is the identity of Melchizedek. In the story from Genesis, Melchizedek is the strange and eery figure that arrives out of the blue to offer blessings to Abraham. He gives Abraham wine and bread (sounds a little sacramental huh?) blesses him and accepts a tithe of his war time plunder.

Under Jewish law, priest were required to come from the bloodline of Aaron. Genesis is all about the genealogies. Long list of ancestors are cited. In fact the whole Jewish priesthood was founded on genealogy. But none are written for Melchizedek. Then he accepts tithes from Abraham the founder of the Jewish race which would signify Melchizedek's higher position.

Various theories grew around the mysterious figure of Melchizedek. A Jewish madrish or interpretation says that the word Melchizedek is not a name but rather a position. And that it was the position given to Noah's righteous son Shem. Some Evangelical Christan denominations teach that Melchizedek was actually a pre-incarnate Christ. A premonition or earlier manifestation of Christ before the virgin birth. Others teach that he was an Angel sent by God as a representative.

The writer of Hebrews describes Jesus as a priest after the order of Melchizedek. He argues the superiority of the Melchizedek priesthood over the Levitical priest descending from Aaron. He says that the system of Levitical sacrifices had proved ineffective to restore the lost fellowship between God and man. So then a new priesthood was necessary, the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus offers a new and better covenant, a new kind of relationship between man and God. While the old covenant was based on law, the new covenant is based on love and on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The old covenant was based on man's achievement, while the new covenant is based on God's love.

Hebrews 1-5

Angels are mentioned throughout the Bible. The writer of Hebrews wants to prove that Jesus is superior to angels.

It was common Jewish belief at the time that angels acted as intermediaries between God and man. That God spoke to man through the angels and that the angels carried the prayers of man into the presence of God.

Other basic Jewish beliefs were that God lived surrounded by angelic hosts, that they did not eat or drink and didn't have children, and that they were immortal but could be annihilated by God. Some of them like the seraphim, the cherubim and the ofanim were always around the throne of God kind of like a holy entourage.

There were millions and millions of angels. Some were assigned names. Raphael, Uriel, Gabriel and Michael. There was the angel of death. Every person had a guardian angel. Every nation had a special angel. Satan was even seen as the prosecuting angel who on every day, except the Day of Atonement, continuously brought charges against men before God.

This vast angelology, the beliefs around angels, introduced a series of beings other than Jesus through whom man could approach God. The writer of Hebrews argues that Christians have direct access to God through Jesus. That Jesus broke down every barrier and opened a direct way for us to approach God.

Hebrews

The book of Hebrews is a mystery. Bible scholars are really uncertain about who wrote it, to whom it was written or even when it was written. The first listing of New Testament books, the Muratorian Canon which was compiled in about 170 AD, does not even include the book of Hebrews. But sometime in the fourth century Hebrews became accepted as part of the New Testament.

Origen, an early church philosopher, summed up the authorship of the book by stating that "only God knows who wrote Hebrews." Possible writers include Barnabus, who had accompanied Paul in his missionary journeys; Apollos, another early church leader, or even the husband -wife team of Aquila and Priscilla. The letter was probably not written by Paul because the vocabulary, style and theology differ from his other letters.

It may have been written to believers in Italy. So we could say that Hebrews was written by a great teacher to a little group of Christians in Rome.

It was written to address the doubts of those who were second-guessing their conversion to Christianity. Christianity was first thought of as a new Jewish sect. Jesus was a Jew. His disciples were Jews. The first meetings were held in synagogues and the first controversies concerned adherence to Jewish laws. This book was written to help answer those issues and to show that Christianity is the true successor to Judaism.

Philemon

Slavery was an integral part of the ancient world. There were 60 million slaves in the Roman empire and the owners worked hard to make sure there wasn't a revolt. A master had absolute power over his slaves. In their eyes a slave was not a person but rather a living tool. Rebellious slaves were promptly eliminated. And runaway slaves were sometimes branded with a big letter F on their forehead which stood for fugitivus runaway.

Onesimus was a slave who had run away and found his way to Rome to hide himself among the crowded streets of the big city. He became a Christian and began working with Paul. Somehow this fact was discovered and Paul could no longer harbour a runaway slave. So he sends Onesimus back to his owner Philemon with this personal letter asking that Philemon take him back without recourse and that he should view him not as a slave but as a Christian brother.

Why did Christianity seem to condone slavery? People of the ancient world commonly held the belief that it was simply the nature of things that certain men would be slaves to serve the needs of higher classes of men. It would have been nearly impossible to imagine their society without it. But more importantly if the young Christian church would have encouraged a slave revolt, Christianity itself would have been branded as revolutionary and subversive. The movement could have been completely crushed.

The New Testament does not directly tell us what happened to Onesimus. But fifty years later a church leader named Ignatius writes about the bishop of Ephesus whose name is Onesimus. Onesimus was a common slave name so we will never know for sure if this is the same man. But another clue might be in the very inclusion of this book in the New Testament. Why would this little slip of a letter survive and become a part of the collection of Paul letters? It doesn't really deal with doctrine or heresy, and surely Paul wrote many many personal letters.

They first began collecting Paul's letters at Ephesus, just when a man named Onesimus was bishop there. Perhaps he insisted that it be included so that everyone would know what the grace of God had done for him. We will never know. But if it is true~ it's a great story of the power of God's grace and the hope we can find in His love.

Titus

Titus

Titus was one of Paul's most trusted and valuable helpers. He is mentioned several times in the New Testament as the man Paul went to when he needed assistance. There is also a hint that Titus might be Luke's brother. (2 Corinthians 8:18 say that when Titus was sent to Corinth a brother was sent with him- and that this brother was described as 'the brother who is famous among all the churches')

Titus was sent to Crete to be a pattern to the Christians there. To model for them a Christian life. The believers in Crete lacked leadership and were suffering as a result.

Although it contains only forty-six verses, the little book of Titus covers a wide range of topics. It provides information about church organization and a succint overview of how to lead a church.

2 Timothy

An older Paul writes this final letter to Timothy from a Roman prison. Paul knew that this letter might be his final contact with Timothy. His execution was most likely imminent. He implored Timothy to come quickly to his side. But in case he didn't make it, Paul writes these "last words" of encouragement to his proclaimed son in the faith.

Second Timothy is an intensely personal letter both in it's nature and in it's tone. He writes to strengthen Timothy's loyalty to Christ in the face of the suffering and persecution that would come.

Paul had been imprisoned at a time when Christians were being persecuted. Christians were being blamed for having started a tragic fire that decimated most of Rome in July of 64 AD. Called 'the great fire' it burned for six days and seven nights and destroyed famous buildings and sacred shrines as well as many homes. People were killed and injured. Left homeless and destitute.

Some believe that the emperor Nero himself started the fire so that he could build a new and nobler Rome. Some say he watched the fire from the Tower of Maecenas. Others that he played the fiddle or a lyre while Rome burned. (unfortunately the fiddle had not been created yet) Some historians believe that he was out of town when the fire started but that he had rushed back to Rome to lead the relief efforts even funding repairs with his own money and opening his own palaces for the displaced. Regardless of his role in the fire, Nero had a solution. Blame the Christians. And it was from this event that a great persecution of Christians sprang.

1 Timothy

The letters to Timothy and Titus are different from Paul's other letters. These letters were written not to a church but to a person. They were personal.

Timothy was Paul's young assistant who had accompanied him for years and acted as his liaison to a number of churches. This letter was written to instruct Timothy on how the church should function and how mature men and women of God should behave in it. It also provided Timothy with a list of extremely practical advice for leading a church.

One of the most famous and many times misquoted verses from Timothy is that 'money is the root of all evil.' The bible doesn't really say that money is the root of all evil, it says that the love of money is the root of all evil. Money is itself neither good nor bad; but the love of it may lead to evil. It seems to agree with a Roman saying of the time that wealth was like sea water; so far from quenching a man's thirst, it only intensified it. The more he gets, the more he wants.

2 Thessalonians

A simple phone call could have cleared up some of the problems encountered by believers in the early church. But of course there were no phones in the ancient world. Paul had to be personally tracked down wherever he was and be given a letter with questions. He then had to dictate his response and have someone hand-deliver the letter in return. Because of the distances and slow modes of transportation, the process could take weeks or even months. This time gap sometimes allowed false beliefs to spread or to become a part of the beliefs of new churches. This is the case in Second Thessalonians.

Reports had come to Paul of continued progress in the Thessalonian church and their faithfulness to the gospel. But some doctrinal problems had also arisen. False teachers had begun to tell the believers that the day of the Lord was already at hand. They misunderstood Paul's words that the day of the Lord would come suddenly.

Some believers had even stopped working and were just waiting for the Lord. They were losing hope. In this letter Paul reminded them that they had been called by God and saved through Christ's work. He exhorted them to stand firm in Christ and to work hard waiting for Jesus' return.

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1 Thessalonians

Thessalonica was a port city and commercial center located a hundred miles from Philippi. The Egnatian Way linking Rome to Byzantium passed through the city making it one of the wealthiest trade centers in the Roman Empire. Because of this strategic location, Thessalonica became a base for the spread of the gospel in Macadonia and Greece.

The city of Thessalonica was a hostile environment to preach the gospel. Not only did Paul and Silas have to leave the city prematurely under the cover of night but their opponents followed them to Berea, and created problems for them there as well.

Evidently the return of Christ was central to Paul's message here because he answers many questions about the second coming of Christ. He also addresses sexual purity which was an ongoing problem for the early church. Pagan religions often condoned sexual encounters as part of their rites, and ancient Roman culture itself had few sexual boundaries. Paul urges the Thessalonians not to participate in sexual activity outside of marriage. Reminding them that the body was God's temple and should be kept holy.

Philippians & Colossians

Philippians
Although this letter was written while Paul was in prison, it is one of the most joyful books in the whole Bible. It's most prominent theme is joy, specifically the joy of serving Jesus.

Philippi was a culturally diverse Roman city on the main highway from the eastern provinces to Rome, and the church at Philippi had a very diverse group of believers.

Women played important leadership roles in the churches that Paul founded. He mentions two in chapter four, Euodia and Syntyche. The exact nature of their leadership is not known, but the authority of both women was sufficient that Paul encouraged them to seek harmony with one another. Paul was concerned that they "be of the same mind in the Lord."

Colossians
The city of Colosse was about a hundred miles east of Ephesus. At one time it was a large and strategic city but by the time of this writing it had declined into the shadows of nearby cities.

Theologians debate about the authorship of this letter. Most agree that it was not written by Paul but rather by one of his followers. Ancient writers had different views about plagerism and it would have been out of honor that they wrote this letter in their mentors name.

The Colossian church was experiencing the same sorts of problems that other early churches had encountered. Certain members were teaching that the observance of Jewish rulers about food, the Sabbath, and special festivals would help believers earn their salvation.

Ephesisians

Paul's letter to the Ephesians is controversial on several accounts. First of all it may not have been written by Paul. Some theologians believe it was written by one of Paul's followers using his style of writing and thinking. Secondly, it may not have been written exclusively to the Ephesians but rather as a more general letter that would have been circulated among several congregations. There are no personal references, none of those shot outs to Paul's friends that are found in the other letters.

This is what we do know. The city of Ephesus was the capitol of the Roman province of Asia which is modern day Turkey. Located at the intersection of several major trade routes, it was a major commercial center in the Roman empire. Paul used the city as a center for his missionary work in the region.

This letter underscores that salvation is by faith alone and not through works or human action. It also addresses how spiritual truths should be reflected in Christian behavior.

Galatians

Paul writes this letter to a group he calls the Galatians. Galatians had both an ethnic and a political meaning. The ethnic Galatians were Celts who migrated from central Europe to Asia Minor in the third century and settled near modern day Turkey. But there was also a Roman province called Galatia. So Paul either wrote this to the people or to the province.

Paul had founded a church among these believers. But a false teacher had come to Galatia and was advocating salvation by "the works of the law" instead of by grace. So the new teaching was in fact a distortion of the gospel of Christ.

This letter speaks about the still simmering controversy regarding circumcision. A similar crisis had erupted at Antioch when believers from Judea, known as Judaizers, taught the believers that unless you were circumscribed according to the custom of Moses you could not be saved. They insisted that a person from a non-Jewish background had to first become a Jew ceremonially by being circumcised before he could be admitted to the Christian faith.

This whole circumcision issue was a matter of pride to the Hebrew people. It became a badge of their spiritual and national superiority and fostered a spirit of exclusivity. They came to regard the Gentiles as the "uncircumcision" a disrespectful term implying non-Jewish people were outside of the circle of God's love. So the issue became charged with emotion and brought a lot of discord and division.

2 Corinthians 12 & 13

Paul speaks about a 'thorn in his flesh.' All sorts of theories attempt to figure out what was wrong with Paul.

It might have been his physical appearance. He wasn't, by most accounts, a handsome man. He was once described as a little, balding, bow-legged man with a hooked nose and shaggy eyebrows. Some believe he may have had epilepsy which is painful and reoccurring, but that would allow him to work between episodes. Others believe that he may have had some type of eye trouble. When God met him on the Damascus Road Paul was blinded. It may be that his eyes never really recovered.

The most popular theory is that Paul had a type of malaria fever that resulted in devastating headaches. These headaches have been described as having felt like a red-hot bar was thrust through your head.

Whatever it was, Paul prayed that it might be taken from him. But God did not take it away, He gave Paul the strength to bear it. This is sometimes how God works. He doesn't spare us, but gives us the strength we need.

2 Corinthians 10 & 11

Paul suffers a great deal in his missionary work. He tells us that he was beaten with rods three times. This was a Roman form of punishment where guilty people were beaten with rods of birch wood. As a Roman citizen Paul should not have had this punishment, because it was against the law to scourge a Roman citizen. But in the heat of the moment when mob violence ruled there was no exceptions.

Paul also states that he received "forty stripes less one" five times. This was a Jewish punishment and Jewish law regulated the details. The penalty called for forty stripes (or whacks) but that the number should never be exceeded or the scourger himself would be subject to scourging. So they always stopped at thirty nine. Forty less one. One third of these strikes would be to the chest area and two thirds would be across the back. As hard as possible. If the person died during the punishment the scourger would not be liable. Unless of course he hits him too many times and then he have been permitted to leave town into exile. Paul suffered this punishment five times.

Paul also speaks of the dangers of the sea and the dangers of the ancient roads which were full of robbers and thieves.

2 Corinthians 7, 8 & 9

One of the projects very dear to Paul was the money he was collecting for the Church of Jerusalem. This was the center of the new Christian faith community- the so called mother church. And they were poor. Paul hoped that all the Gentile Churches could help the main church in Jerusalem.

In this letter Paul reminds the people of Corinth of their duty and urges them to be generous. He tells them how generous the Macedonian Church had been. That church had given all they had to give. Paul encourages them to put their feelings into action. The Corinthians had been the first to accept this financial appeal, but had failed to produce. Paul wanted them to literally put their money where their heart was.

2 Corinthians 4, 5 & 6

Many scholars believe that when they gathered the papyrus that recorded Paul's letters that a few of them might have been placed in the wrong order. That the logical sequence is a bit skewed in some of the writings. There are also some letters that appear to be completely lost. Some of those letters may have been placed into Paul's other letters.

Back in first Corinthians (chapter 5) Paul writes, "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with immoral men." That particular letter may have been lost or it might have been included in the section that we read today.

Paul is urging the Corinthians not to be joined to unbelievers in an alien yoke. The Old Testament paints a very vivid picture of this as "not to plow with an ox and an ass together." The idea being that there are certain things which are fundamentally incompatible and were never meant to be brought together. He is challenging Corinthians to keep themselves a part from the immorality of the world.

2 Corinthians 1, 2 & 3

Something severe happened to Paul while he was in Ephesus. Unfortunately we have absolutely no information about what this terrible experience might have been. Something happened to Paul which he describes as being 'almost unbearable.' He was in such danger that he believed that a death sentence had been passed on him and that there was no escape.

And yet beyond this passing reference and others like it in other letters, we have no idea what happened.

Despite the lack of information about the incident in Ephesus, the book of 2 Corinthians reveals a lot about the trials and tribulations, and the problems and the pressures of Paul's itinerant ministry.

2 Corinthians

The situation in Corinth had gone from bad to worse. Paul writes this letter to the church in Corinth to defend his character in the face of some slanderous accusations. Paul was being accused of being deceitful, intimidating the church with these letters, unjustly mistreating someone to the point of ruining that person and defrauding people.

His accusers pointed out that Paul had not returned to Corinth as he had promised. They also attempted to discredit Paul by charging that he was raising money to enrich himself. Paul wrote this letter to prove that his ministry was sincere and genuine, and to reassert his authority as an apostle of Christ.

1 Corinthians 15 & 16

Jewish tradition denied the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the body. In the Old Testament there is little hope of life after death. It was believed that all men went to Sheol after death. Sheol was a gray land beneath the world, where men would be cutoff from God. The Old Testament is full of bleak, grim pessimism regarding the afterlife.

For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in Sheol who can give thee praise. Psalm 6:5
For Sheol cannot thank thee, death cannot praise thee; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for they faithfulness. Isaiah 38:18
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no work, or thought, or knowledge, or wisdom in Sheol to which you are going. Ecclesiastes 9:10

Paul insists that if the Resurrection of Jesus was not a fact the whole Christian message was based on a lie, and that many thousands had died trusting in a delusion, and that without it the greatest values in life have no guarantee. "Take away the Resurrection, " he said, " and you destroy both the foundation and the fabric of the Christian faith."

1 Corinthians 12, 13 & 14

Women in the ancient world were really treated badly. Most Greek women lead very secluded lives. That is unless they were very poor or had debatable morals. The Jews had a particularly low view of women. One Rabbinic saying of the time said that teaching women the law (the scriptures) was to "cast pearls before swine." The Talmud actually list among the plagues of the world "the talkative and the inquisitive widow and the virgin who waste her time in prayer." It was even forbidden to just speak to a woman on the street.

It is into this society that Paul writes that women should be quiet during worship, and that they should ask their questions to their husbands when they get home.

Many theologians believe that Paul wrote this in a very specific context with a specific purpose in mind and not as a statement about the role of women in the church of 2011.

"In all likelihood what was uppermost in Paul's mind was the lax moral state of Corinth and the feeling that absolutely nothing, must be done which would bring upon the infant Church the faintest suspicion of immodesty. It would certainly be very wrong to take these words out of their context and make them a universal rule for the Church."
William Barclay's commentary on the Letters to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 9, 10 & 11

Paul is discussing the practice of eating meat that had been offered to idols. When animals were sacrificed as an offering, part of the meat was given back to the worshipper to hold a feast.

During this point in history people truly believed in demons. These spirits were intermediate between the gods and men. Greeks believed that demons were in every stream, every tree, every mountain. For the Jew there were the shedim. Evil spirits who haunted empty houses, who lurked in the crumbs on the floor, the oil in the vessels, the water that they drank.

Paul apparently believed in these demons. He believed that idol worshipping brought man not into contact with a god, but with these malignant demons.

1 Corinthians 7 & 8

Paul is sometimes criticized for his beliefs on marriage and on the role of women. At times it appears as if Paul belittles marriage and suggest that it should be avoided all together.

There is much debate about Paul's marital status. We know that he was not married at the time he wrote this letter to the Corinthians. ("Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.") But there is an argument to be made that he had been married at one time, although the bible does not directly say anything about his previous marital status.

Paul was a member of the Sanhedrin and it was required that members be married. The belief was that married men were more merciful. (Paul himself says that he voted against Christians in Act 26:10). Paul was also a Jewish Rabbi and orthodox Jewish belief at the time would have required marriage. It would have been very unlikely that a devout and orthodox Jew as Paul was would have remained unmarried.

So what happened to Paul's wife? Again the bible doesn't say. It's possible that she had died, and that Paul chose to remain a widow. Another possibility is that she left him. Sometimes families didn't take well to the new ideas of Christianity. Paul did say that he gave up all things for the sake of Christ.

1 Corinthians 4, 5 & 6

It's believed that Paul wrote at least 4 letters to the church in Corinth. These letters were written on sheets of payrus and it wasn't until 90 AD that they were all collected together. Some biblical scholars believe that part of Paul's letters to the Corinthians got thrown together when they were copied.

In 1 Cornithian 5:9 Paul refers to a previous letter he wrote this church. Some scholars believe that this letter was lost. Others believe that parts of it are contained in 2 Cornithian 6: 13-& 7:2. Remember that originally there were no chapters and verses just Paul's writings grouped together.

Then in 2 Cornithian 7:8 Paul refers to a previous "severe" letter that he wrote to this church. Once again some scholars believe it is lost while others believe it to be 2 Corinthias 10-13.

Paul can also be hard to understand. His sentence structure can be difficult, and sometimes his grammar breaks down. It might be easier to read these letters with a good bible commentary (the Cliff Notes of the bible world) or to read a modern interpretation of these words like the Message Bible. (which is a modern paraphrase).

1 Corinthians 1, 2 & 3

During the time Paul was writing this letter there was a bumper crop of false Messiahs. Many of them tricked people into accepting them by the promise of wonders and miracles. In 45 AD a man called Theudas persuaded thousands of people to abandon their homes and follow him to the river Jordan. He promised that at his command the Jordan would divide and he would lead them across.

In 54 AD an Egyptian man arrived in Jerusalem who claimed to be a prophet. He persuaded thousands of people to follow him to the Mount of Olives by promising that at his command the walls of Jerusalem would fall down.

The Jews expected big signs. In Jesus they found someone who was meek and lowly, one who avoided the spectacular, one who served and one who ended up on death row and the cross. It seemed an impossible picture of the Chosen One of God.

1 Corinthians

Corinth was an important city in ancient Greece notorious for it's immorality. Greek plays of the day normally depicted Corinthians as drunk and unruly. There was even a Greek word for their behavior- korinthiazomai or "acting like a Corinthian." High above the city stood the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Thousand of priestesses, who acted as sacred prostitutes, came down every night and plied their trade in the streets of Corinth.

At the time Paul writes this letter, the church at Corinth was in serious trouble. Paul had just received disturbing letters from two members. The first was a report from the household of Chloe that detailed the divisions and immorality in the young church. The second was a set of questions raised by a group that included Stephanas, Fortunatus and Archaicus about things like marriage and Christian liberty. Paul attempts to answer both of these letters and to provide additional Christian instruction.

Paul had left the Corinthian church under the leadership of Aquila and Priscilla in the spring of 53 A.D. It seems that the young Corinthian church had failed to protect itself from the decadent culture of the city, and that the immaturity of the Corinthians had given way to sectarian divisions. Members were dragging into court to sue each other rather than settling their disputes within the church.

Romans 14, 15 & 16

Paul asks conflicting groups within the church to be united. It seems that there were differing points of view on things like observing the sabbath. The Jews had a jungle of regulations and prohibitions surrounded the sabbath. Paul didn't want to eliminate the observation of the rituals of the Sabbath, but he felt that the Lord should be worshiped more than the day set aside to worship Him.

In his call for unity, Paul points out that however different the practices, the aim was the same- serving God. He also believed that men shouldn't make practices simply because other people did them. But rather he should do them because he has thought them out and reached the conclusion that at least for him they were the right thing to do.

Romans 11, 12 & 13

The Old Testament prophet Elijah became depressed after coming to the conclusion that he was the only one left who was still loyal to God. God tells him that he was not alone, and that in fact that there were still seven thousand faithful people in Israel who had not bowed to the local pagan god Baal. From this story, in 1 Kings, the Jews began to think of a Jewish 'remnant.'

Various Old Testament prophets began to see that there was never a time when the whole nation of Israel was loyal to God. But there would always be a remnant within the nation that would remain faithful and that would not compromise their faith.

Amos described God sifting men like corn in a sieve until only the good remained. Micah had a vision of God gathering the remnant of Israel. Zephaniah had the same vision. Jeremiah saw the scattered remnant being gathered together. Ezekiel was convinced that a man could not be saved by either a national or an inherited righteousness but only by an individual relationship with God.

Romans 9 & 10

Paul attempts to explain the difference between the Jewish way of thinking and the believes of the new Church in these complicated and difficult chapters. The Jews were God's chosen people. They had had a unique place in God's purposes and yet when God's son had come into the world they rejected Him.

Paul says some hard things to the Jews in these chapters. The whole passage from Romans 9-11 is basically a condemnation of the Jewish attitude towards religion. Jewish religion was based on meticulous observation of the Law. Jews believed that obedience earned men credit with God. The new Church believed that because of the death of Jesus that man no longer was faced with the task of satisfying God's justice; he only had to accept God's love.

One important thing to remember is that not all the Jews rejected Jesus. Some accepted His teaching and believed in Him. All of the first followers of Jesus were Jews.

Romans 6,7 & 8

Paul used language and pictures that most everyone in his day would have understood. Some of his imagery might seem strange to us but it wasn't at the time he was writing.

Baptism in Paul's day was a little different from what it commonly is today.

Baptism in the early church was by total immersion and that practice lends itself to symbolism to which sprinkling does not. When a person descended into the water and the water closed over his head, it was like being buried. When he emerged from the water, it was like rising from the grave. Baptism was symbolically dying and rising again. The person died to the old life of sin and rose to new life of God's grace.

Baptism was an intimate confession of faith that would dramatically change the persons life. This decision would affect their family relationships and that often meant literally beginning life all over again.

Romans 4 & 5

Paul says that the way to God is not through membership in any nation, and not through any rule which requires a mark upon the body. (ie circumcision) But by the faith which takes God at His word and makes everything dependent, not on man's achievement, but solely upon God's grace.

The basic thought of the Jews was that a man had to earn God's favour. The new Christian church believed solely on God's grace. God's grace is the love that God freely gives to us. We don't do anything to earn it.

Romans 1, 2 & 3

Jews and Gentiles didn't like each other. Jews regarded themselves as God's chosen people. Strict Jews believed that God had no use for Gentiles.

The Gentiles also had it in for the Jews. They generally regarded Jews as barbarous and superstitious. They made fun of their avoidance of pork. They regarded the observation of the Sabbath as pure laziness. They were infuriated that the Jews seemed to receive extra privileges from the Roman government. They didn't have to testify in a Roman court on the Sabbath, were allowed to have their own courts and live according to their own laws, and were not required to serve in the Roman army (probably because Jewish soldiers would not serve on the Sabbath and that would have made it impossible for them to have carried out military duties).

At a time when Jews believed that God would judge the Gentiles with one measure and the Jews with another, Paul is attempting to create unity within the church.

Romans

Paul wrote this letter to a vibrant church in the city of Rome sometime around 57 A.D. Paul's letters to young churches normally addressed a particular issue or occasion. But Romans is different. It offers a more general view of Paul's theology and provides a systematic outline of the essentials of the Christian faith.

Paul had for many years dreamed of preaching in Rome. This letter served as a kind of introduction to prepare the church for his anticipated visit. It gave them instruction in the faith and an overall 'syllabus' of Paul's teaching. We also know that this church included both Jews and Gentiles and that Paul wrote to give them instruction and encouragement that would help them live in harmony.

As was the custom of the time, Paul dictated this letter to a secretary named Tertius. He probably didn't sit at a desk polishing his carefully crafted words. Rather Paul would have poured out his heart in a torrent of words with Tertius racing to record them.

Acts 27 & 28

Paul begins his last journey headed for Rome on a corn ship. Navigational practices at the time considered it questionable to begin sailing after September and nearly impossible by November. The ships sets sail sometime in the first half of October (and we know this because of the reference to the Jewish Day of Atonement). The ship would have had a hard time navigating in dark and cloudy weather.

Paul, who may have been the most experienced traveller on board the ship, suggested that they winter at a small town called Fair Havens. But the contractor who may have been anxious to reach a port where he could sell his goods doesn't care for that idea. The centurion, who had the last say, probably wasn't anxious to spend the winter in a dinky little town with nothing to do. So they venture forward.

They encounter storms. And corn ships by their design were difficult to maneuver in storms. So Paul and the crew run a ground.

Acts 25 & 26

Paul uses every legitimate ploy in his defense. To the Jews he spoke Hebrew (or Aramaic), to the Romans he spoke Greek. He claimed his Jewish background where appropriate and used his Roman citizenship when it was advantageous. A fact that frequently frustrated his adversaries.

What did it mean to be a Roman citizen?

Rome was the reigning power of the day. Being a citizen of the Roman empire carried certain rights, responsibilities, and status. A citizen paid Roman property taxes, and had the right to vote in Rome. In return a Roman citizen was guaranteed a fair trial and was protected against some forms of harsh punishment. For instance a Roman citizen could not be executed without a trial and couldn't be crucified except by order of the emperor. A citizen could even appeal to Caesar in order to be tried in Rome.

Acts 23 & 24

Things were getting tough for Paul. His case is brought before two notorious men.

First there's Ananias who has a reputation for being a glutton, thief and a robber. When he sees that Paul has some attitude he orders that he be struck, which was a violation of the Mosaic Law. (basically anyone who hit an Israelite-strikes the glory of God). Paul strikes back verbally by calling him a white washed wall. It was an ancient custom to white wash tombs so that Israelites wouldn't accidental touch a dead body making themselves ceremonially unclean. Paul obviously knew that Ananias was the high priest. But he retorts with essentially "I never knew a man could act like you and still be a high priest of Israel."

Paul was next brought before the Roman governor Felix. Felix started life as a slave. His brother, Pallas was a favorite of Nero. Pallas had used his influence to have Felix freed and then appointed governor. In fact he was the first slave in history to become a governor of a Roman province. Felix had been married three times. His third and current wife was Drusilla, the daughter of Herod Agrippa the First. Felix was completely unscrupulous and capable of hiring thugs to murder his closest supports.

Acts 21 & 22

The temple consisted of three separate courts.

• The innermost court was the Court of Israel where Jewish men could offer their sacrifices. Only consecrated priest actually entered the temple building itself, and only the high priest could enter the inner sanctuary of the Most Holy Place- and then only once a year on the Day of Atonement.
• The second court was the Court of the Women where Jewish families could gather for prayer and worship.
• The outer court was the Court of the Gentiles, open to anyone who wanted to worship God. If any Gentile went beyond the barrier into the second court, he or she would be put to death. The Roman authorities, out of respect for the Jewish religion, authorized the death sentence for this trespass even for their own Roman citizens.

Acts 19 & 20

Early Christians gathered together for a meal as part of their worship. It was sometimes the only good meal a poor slave would receive all week. These feast happened at night after the day's work was done so that everyone could be a part of the gathering. There they ate together and cared for one another. Immediately after they the meal they celebrated the Lord's Supper. Just as Christ had done with His Disciples.


This explains a lot about the case of Eutychus. Known forever through history as the guy who fell asleep and fell out of a window in front of Paul. He had probably put in a hard day of physical labor, and then ate a good meal. The room most likely would have been hot and dark. So Eutychus sits by the window to maybe catch a cool breeze. And it all makes him a little sleepy. He's leaning against the window. There isn't any glass in the window and soon he drops right out of the window. It creates quite a commotion, until Paul tells the crowd that he's ok.


All of us who have sat through dry long winded sermons can relate. But Paul probably wasn't delivering a lecture. The style of the day would have been more of discussion format. So Eutychus probably wasn't just bored.


This little snippet gives us a glimpse of what an early Christian service would have been like and more importantly what it might have felt like. Simply put it probably felt a lot like 'family.'

Acts 17 & 18

Young rabbis were expected to have a trade and support themselves. Paul was a tent maker. He was from a region that was known for having herds of goats whose fleece was especially useful in making tents and curtains. So it's possible that he might have been involved in that trade as well. The Greek word for tent maker also describes leather workers. What is clear is that he was a skilled craftsmen.

Paul was also a Roman citizen and that gave him some special rights. For instance it was against the law to whip a Roman citizen or deny him due process.

In 49 A.D. the Roman emperor Claudius expelled all the Jews from Rome due to riots that were ignited by a group of zealous Jews. These insurrectionist were advocating revolution against Rome and were opposing the installation of a new king. Paul's accusers were trying to paint him in the same light saying he was a revolutionary who was plotting to overthrow the government.

Acts 14, 15 & 16

Paul and Barnabas faced new challenges as they begin to preach in the outskirts of the Roman empire. Many of these people would have been heathens with no Jewish background for Paul to reference. So he begins with nature and the God who created the world.

There was an ancient legend in Lystra that once Zeus and Hermes had come to earth disguised as mortals seeking lodging. After being turned away from a thousand homes, they found refuge in the humble cottage of an elderly couple. In appreciation for the couple's hospitality, the gods transformed the cottage into a beautiful temple with a golden roof and marble columns. All of the houses of the people who had turned them away were destroyed.

When Paul healed the crippled man the people of Lystra thought he was a god and were determined to not make the same mistake again. They thought that Barnabas was Zeus. And since Paul did most of the talking they thought he was Hermes the messenger of the gods.

In the midst of this excitement some Jews arrived. We don't know the exact reason they were in Lystra. But one theory is that they may have been corn merchants. Lystra was known for it's ability to grow corn and it is possible that these Jews may have been in the region to buy corn for the cities of Iconium and Antioch. They were not happy to discover Paul and Barnabas were still preaching and so they created an unruly mob that stones Paul.

Acts 11, 12 & 13

A whole family of Herod's wreck havoc in the New Testament.

• Herod the Great reined from 41 B.C. to 1 B.C. This Herod received the wise men from the east and massacred the male babies. He married ten times.
• Herod Philip the First. First husband of Herodias, the woman responsible for the death of John the Baptist. He was the father of Salome. (Matthew 14:3)
• Herod Antipas. Ruler of Galilee and Peraea. Second husband of Herodias. He signed off on the beheading of John the Baptist. This is the Herod whom Pilate sent Jesus for trial. (Luke 23: 7)
• Archelaus. Ruler of Judaea, Samaria and Idumaea. Bad ruler who was hated by the people. (Matthew 2:22)
• Herod Philip the Second. Founder of Caesarea Philippi. (Luke 3:1)
• Herod Agrippa. (Acts 12)

The Jewish historian Josephus describes how Herod (Agrippa) made a grand entrance at what we might call a peace accord wearing a fancy silver robe. As the sun glinted on the silver the people cried out that 'a god had come upon them.' And that instead of rebuking the crowd, Herod revealed in their adoration. The ultimate in blasphemy. Suddenly a "terrible illness" fell upon him from which he never recovered.

Acts 8, 9 & 10

Cornelius was a Roman centurion stationed at Caesarea. Today his rank might be equal to a sergeant-major. He is described as a "God-fearer or God worshipper." This is what they called Gentiles who were tired of all the gods and were frustrated with their ancestral faiths. They attached themselves to the Jewish religion. They weren't circumcised or didn't keep the Law. But they attended the synagogue and they believed in one God and in the ethics of the Jewish religion. Cornelius was a man who was seeking God, and he found Him.

But before Cornelius could be welcomed into the early church, some thinking had to change. Because strict Jews believed that God had no use for the Gentiles.

At the same time Peter is hanging out with a tanner named Simon. Since a tanner worked with the dead bodies of animals he was permanently unclean according to Jewish Law. Not exactly good company for a devout Jew. But this tanner was a part of the new Jewish sect following Christ. At lunch Peter heads up to the roof to pray. The houses had flat roofs, and since the houses were small and probably crowded it was common to use the roof for privacy. There Peter has this strange vision of lunch handed down to him on a sheet. Jews had strict food laws and could only eat animals which chewed cud or whose hoofs were cloven. But the sheet had both unclean and clean food.

Peter had to learn some new rules. And to see Gentiles in a new way. And it starts with Cornelius.

Acts 5, 6 & 7

The early church faced many challenges. Early on tensions begin to develop between Hebrews and Hellenist.

The Hellenist were Jews who grew up outside the land of Israel. They spoke Greek, were raised in Greek culture, and used the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament.

The Hebrews were Palestinian Jews who spoke Aramaic and used the Hebrew Old Testament.

It seems that tensions developed over the care of widows. Widows were a disadvantaged segment of ancient society, mostly poor and easily oppressed. The leaders of the synagogue went house to house to collect money and goods for them and other needy people every Friday. The proceeds were distributed later in the day. Those who were temporarily in need received enough to enable them to carry on; and those who were permanently unable to support themselves received enough for fourteen meals, enough for two meals a day for a week.

The apostles appointed seven Greek men, and we know they were Greek by their names, to oversee the local food distribution program.

Acts 3 & 4

The first Christians were generous people. They responded to needs within their new community and were 'one in heart and mind.' They seemed to have an intense sense of responsibility for one another, and a real desire to share what they had. The brotherhood was strong.

The Scriptures don't say anything about an equal distribution of goods, nor does it eliminate property ownership. In that day, as in ours, there were both rich and poor Christians. The bible does encourage compassion and generosity. And it doesn't condemn wealth, but the love of wealth.

What could our Christian community at Asbury (or in your community) learn from these early Christians?

Acts 1 & 2

The Festival of Pentecost, or the Festival of Weeks, was one of the three Jewish festivals that every male Jew living within twenty miles of Jerusalem was legally bound to celebrate at the Temple. It was named because it fell 50 days after the Passover. The festival normally happened in June when travel conditions made it possible for more people to participate, so crowds in Jerusalem would have had an international flavor.

Pentecost also celebrated the firstfruits of the harvest, and Jews brought the firstfruit of their harvest in thanksgiving. In addition it celebrated the giving of the Law to Moses at Mount Sinai. Just as God appeared to Moses in a burning bush, God now appeared to the faithful through fire that looked like tongues descending on the Disciples.

After Jesus died the Disciples were bewildered, broken men with broken dreams and shattered lives. The resurrection and the power of the Holy Spirit changed them from cowards to heroes.

The Book of Acts

The Book of Acts was written by Luke to a man named Theophilus sometime between 60-64 AD. Some theologians consider it the most important book in the bible because it gives key information about the early church.

The book begins in Jerusalem with the disciples huddled in a room on the Day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came upon them and empowered them with great authority in what we celebrate as Pentecost or the birthday of the Church. The rest of the book describes the ripple effects of that event and describes how Christianity began in Jerusalem and swept across the Roman empire.

John 20 & 21

John is the only Gospel writer who records the account of Jesus restoring Peter to ministry after Peter denied Christ three times.

Luke tells us that when Peter recognized what he had done he 'wept bitterly.'

Imagine how Peter must have felt in encountering the risen Jesus. His great joy in seeing the risen Lord had to have been a bit tempered by the embarrassment and shame of deserting Jesus when he needed him the most.

Three times Jesus asked Peter if Peter loved him. When Peter acknowledged that he loved Christ, Christ gave him the task of feeding His lambs and taking care of His sheep. With this exchange, the Lord restored Peter to a position of leadership in the ongoing ministry of the gospel.

John 18 & 19

Only John tells us that Jesus was first brought before Annas. Annas was the Jewish High Priest from 6 to 15 AD. Four of his sons also held this office. His son-in-law Caiaphas was now in office. The family was immensely rich and they bribed themselves into office with Annas the power behind it all.

The family made their money be selling sacrifices inside the Court of the Gentiles in the temple. Every animal offered in the temple had to be without blemish. There were inspectors to make sure each animal met the necessary quality. If an animal was bought outside the Temple it was certain that a flaw would be found. The worshipper was directed to buy at the Temple booths where the animals had already been examined and where there was no risk of rejection. Sounds helpful right? But outside the temple a pair of doves would cost about 4 p; inside the Temple at the booths ran by Annas it would cost as much as 75 p. The whole business was set up to exploit the worshippers. The Jews hated Annas for this reason.

Jesus had attacked this business, thrown over the tables, chased out the livestock and called them a den of thieves. Jesus had hit Annas where it would hurt the most-his pocket.

So now Annas wanted to be the first to gloat over the capture of this disturbing Galilaean.

One more tid bit from today's reading. When Jesus and His disciples left the upper room after celebrating the Last Super they walked to the Garden of Gethsemane. Bible scholars tell us that path would have taken them down a steep valley and across the channel of the Kedron brook. At this time all the Passover lambs were being killed in the Temple, and the blood of the lambs was poured on the altar as an offering to God. Some estimates say that as many as 250,000 lambs may have been slaughtered. That's a lot of blood. From the altar there was a channel down to the Kedron brook, though that channel the blood of the Passover lambs drained away. So as Jesus walked over the brook it would be red with the blood of the lambs. And as He did so wouldn't the thought of His own sacrifice be vivid in His mind.

John 15, 16 & 17

The book of John is thought to have been written about 70 years after the death of Christ. By this time the early church was living under the constant threat of persecution. Basically Christianity was illegal. So it was helpful to remind folks that Jesus said it would be like this. "That the world would hate you because of me." When John wrote, this hatred had long since begun.

The Roman government hated Christians because it regarded them as disloyal citizens. They refused to worship Caesar. They persecuted Christians because they insisted they had no king but Christ.

Slanderous things were also believed about Christians. They were said to be cannibals because in one of their religious ceremonies they ate the body and drank the blood of Christ. They were said to be immoral because they greeted each other with a kiss of peace which might mean their feasts were an orgy of sexual indulgences. They broke up families because when one member became a Christian the family might become divided. All of which we living in 2011 understand not to be true, but which the common uneducated Roman citizen fully believed.

In fact by the time John was written some Christians had already abandoned their beliefs. Even among the heroes of the early church, there were those whose faith was not great enough to resist persecution and whose endurance was not strong enough to stay the course.

John 12, 13 & 14

From the New Illustrated Bible Commentary.

"It was after the raising of Lazarus from the dead that the chief priests, Pharisees, and other religious leaders finally determined to put Jesus to death. Until now the conflict between the them and the upstart Rabbi was one of words. But the raising of Lazarus was an incredible miracle that was witnessed by many.

Indeed Lazarus became something of a curiosity drawing lots of onlookers who wanted to see for themselves this man whom Jesus brought back to life. And it was this kind of publicity that the leaders especially feared.

The religious leaders began to consider how they might bring Jesus before the Romans, and have him put away on a charge of rebellion. And even though Lazarus had just been brought back from the dead, they plotted to do away with him as well because he was the living evidence of Jesus' power.

The plan succeeded brilliantly except for one detail that Caiaphas and his fellow leaders either overlooked or refused to believe: in arranging His death, they handed Him the opportunity to prove once and for all that He had spoken the truth when He said, "I am the resurrection and the life."

John 10 & 11

One of the most vivid images of Jesus is that of the good shepherd.

Shepherds were very common in ancient Israel. It was a hard life. The sheep had to be constantly watched. There was always the threat of wild animals.


Many Biblical heroes were shepherds including Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and King David. And the angels first revealed Jesus birth to shepherds in the field.


There are all sorts of parallels between the shepherd and Christ. A good shepherd was constantly vigilant, fearless, courageous, and patient with the flock. It is thought that in ancient Palestine the shepherd would have walked ahead of the sheep to make sure that the path was safe. And sometimes the sheep had to be encouraged to follow.


The sheep knew and responded to the voice of their shepherd. And Jesus says this His sheep also know His voice and will follow Him.

John 8 & 9

Jesus spit on the ground, mixed the spit with dirt and then rubbed it in a man's eyes. The use of spit may seem strange, repulsive and unhygienic, but in the ancient world it was quite common. Spit from a distinguished person was believed to possess curative qualities.

A famous Roman writer of the day named Pliny wrote an encyclopedia of scientific information that included a whole chapter on the use of spit. He claimed that it offered protection from the poison of serpents, cured epilepsy, cancer and "crick in the neck." He also claimed that you could cure eye problems by anointing the eyes every morning with fasting spit.

The fact is that Jesus took the methods and customs of His time and used them. Bible scholars think that Jesus probably didn't believe in medicinal spit but that He was doing what a doctor of the time probably would have done and so was working through the expectations of the blind man.

After anointing the man's eyes with spit, Jesus sends him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. The Pool of Siloam was one of the landmarks of Jerusalem, and was one of the great engineering feats of the ancient world. King Hezekiah of Judah built an underground water tunnel in 701 BC that protected the cities water supply during attack. It was called Siloam, which meant sent, because the water in it had been sent through the conduit into the city.

John 6 & 7

When Jesus called himself the "bread of life," he was using a rich symbol of Jewish life.

Bread was an important part of Israel's worship. During the celebration of Pentecost, two loaves of leavened bread were offered as sacrifices. In the tabernacle, and later in the temple, the Levites placed twelve loaves of unleavened break, or bread without yeast, before the Lord each week to symbolize God's presence with the twelve tribes.

Animal sacrifice was also common in the ancient world. During a sacrifice a token part of the animal was burned on the altar, although the whole animal was offered to the god. Part of the flesh was given to the priest to use as they wished, and part went to the worshipper to make a feast for himself. At that feast the god himself was thought to be a guest. Once the flesh had been offered to the god, it was believed that he had entered into it; therefore when the worshipper ate it he was literally eating the god. When people finished such a feast they believed themselves to be literally god-filled.

So John's readers would not have been shocked by the idea of eating Christ's body and drinking His blood. They would have quickly understood the experience of union that communion represents.

John 4 & 5

Jews and Samaritans hated each other. Their quarrel dated to the fall of the northern kingdom in 722 BC. The victorious Assyrians deported twenty thousand Israelites and replaced them with settlers from Babylon, Syria and other nations. These foreigners introduced pagan idols and intermarried with the Hebrews creating an ethnically mixed population.

When the Jews of Judah returned from the Babylonian captivity, they meet resistance from the Samaritans as they tried to rebuild the temple, Jerusalem, and the rest of their society. They looked down on their northern cousins because of their mixed marriages and idolatrous practices. Soon permanent walls of bitterness had been erected by both sides. By Jesus' day, the hostilities were so severe that the woman at the well was astonished that Jesus would even speak with her.

Palestine is only 120 miles long from north to south. In Jesus time there were three divisions of territory. In the north lay Galilee, in the south Judaea, and in between Samaria. Many times the Jews would avoid Samaria by crossing the Jordan river and traveling along the eastern side of the river. But Jesus takes the quickest route right through Samaria, and encounters this woman at the well.

John 1, 2 & 3

Jesus first miracle takes place at a wedding in Cana.

Jesus and His Disciples were invited to a wedding in Cana, about 4 1/2 miles northwest of Nazareth. His mother Mary had invited them and some scholars believe that she was in some way related to the family holding the wedding. In ancient times, wedding feast often lasted for a week. To run out of wine at such an important event would have been humiliating for the bride and groom. The family of Jesus was not wealthy, and it's likely that their relatives and acquaintances were not either. This may have been a "low budget" wedding feast.

Mary had waited for thirty years for something big to happen. She gives Jesus a nudge. They are out of wine. And the miracles begin.

Jesus ask that six stone jars be filled with water. Each jar held twenty or thirty gallons. So Jesus makes 120-180 gallons of the finest wine. For Jews wine represented life and abundance. Wine also symbolized the expectation of a good life for the newlyweds.

Jesus used the moment to reveal something of who He was. He astounded the Disciples. The product wasn't just wine, but the best wine. The New Illustrated Bible Commentary says it this way "In the same way, Jesus was the new wine bringing abundant life to Judaism, which, like the wedding, had run out of life and become spiritually empty."

The Book of John

The Gospel of John is different that the three synoptic gospels we've just read. Most of it's material is unique, and persuasively argues that Jesus is the son of God. Every chapter presents evidence - both signs and statements- for Christ divine authority.

Tradition holds that this Gospel was written by the Disciple John in the city of Ephesus around 100 AD. But many modern scholars believe that it was written by an unknown writer who may have been influenced by the Disciple John.

Luke 23 & 24

The Bible is full of stories of ordinary people who by the power of God do extraordinary things. One of these is Simon of Cyrene.

When a criminal was condemned to be crucified, he was taken from the judgement hall and set in the middle of a hollow square of four Roman soldiers. His cross was then laid upon his shoulders and he was marched to the place of crucifixion by the longest route possible. A soldier marched before him with a placard inscribed with his crime as a warning to anyone else who was contemplating such a crime.

During the time of Jesus, Palestine was an occupied country and any citizen at any time could be immediately forced into service by the Roman government. A Roman soldier could enlist your "involuntary" help by tapping you on the shoulder with the flat blade of a Roman spear. When Jesus sank beneath the weight of His Cross, the Roman centurion in charge looked around for someone else to carry it. Enter Simon of Cyrene.

Simon was probably a Jew who had scraped and saved his whole life so that he might be able to eat one Passover in Jerusalem. He had come to participate in a cherished ambition of a lifetime, and he now finds himself schlepping a heavy cross to Calvary. It's not too much of a reach to assume he might not have been very happy.

So what exactly makes Simon so extraordinary? The Bible says that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus. Obviously the sons were well known people to early Christians. Paul writes in his letter to Rome "Greet Rufus, and his mother. So somehow the humility of carrying the cross for the Christ must have changed Simon in a profound way.

Luke 20, 21 & 22

Jesus arrived in Jerusalem at Passover. The Feast of Unleaven Bread lasted for a week, and commemorated the deliverance of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. On the night of Passover the first born son in every Egyptian family was killed, but the angel of death passed over the homes of the Israelites because their doors were smeared with the blood of the lamb to distinguish them. On that night the Israelites left so quickly that, at their last meal, there was no time to bake bread with leaven so they ate unleavened bread.

In Jesus time every male Jew, who was of age and who lived within 15 miles of the holy city, was bound by law to attend the Passover. But it was the dream of every Jew to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. Today when Jews celebrate the Passover they pray that "next year they may keep it in Israel."

The atmosphere of Passover was always inflammable as the city swelled with pilgrims. The Jewish authorities had to figure out a way to arrest Jesus without provoking a riot. Judas betrayal offered them the opportunity they were looking for.

Luke 18 & 19

Does Jesus really expect us to sell all of our stuff and give the money to the poor? Don't drink the kool-aid just yet. In this passage Jesus was determining whether this rich ruler's treasure lay with God or with money. He was examining the ruler's orientation to God by directly confronting him with the very thing that was hindering him- his wealth. Zacchaeus, the short little guy who climbed the tree to see Jesus, was also a wealthy man yet Jesus does not command him to give away his money.

The early church had many writings about Jesus. The most popular ones and the ones that were deemed the most authentic made the cut when they compiled the bible in 325 AD. The other writings became known as apocryphal. One of those the Gospel According to Hebrews gives a bit more insight on this particular incident.

In that account, Jesus initially tells the rich ruler to obey the law and the prophets. The man replied, "I've done so." Jesus then tells him to sell his things. This causes the rich man to scratch his head a bit. "Why do you say that you have obeyed the law and the prophets? For it is written in the law, 'You must love your neighbor as yourself.' There are many brothers of yours who are dying of hunger, and your house is full of many good things, and not one single thing goes out of it to them."

The secret and the tragedy of this rich ruler was that he was selfish. He was rich, and yet he gave nothing away. His real god was comfort, and what he really worshipped were his own possessions and his wealth. That is why Jesus told him to give it all away.

Luke 15, 16 & 17

In chapter 15 we have three lost things. Lost sheep. Lost coins. And lost sons. We know this story as the prodigal son. But a better name might be the loving Father.

The son asks for his inheritance early. Then blows it. Returns home expecting to grovel for scraps at the family table. Instead he's met with the compassion of a loving father.

In Jewish law, the eldest son would have received a great share of the inheritance than younger sons. It was not unusual for a father to distribute his estate before his death so that he could retire, although early Jews warned against this practice.

The son hits rock bottom and ends up with a job feeding pigs. An especially horrible thing for a Jewish person, since pigs were considered unclean. He decides enough is enough and heads home. His father rushes to meet him with forgiveness and love. The father calls for the fatted calf. This calf would have been kept for sacrifices on special feast days. A meal of meat was rare in ancient Palestine.

The coming home party doesn't sit well with the older brother. His unhappiness illustrates the response of the Pharisees and scribes at the prospect of sinners becoming acceptable to God.

Luke 12, 13 & 14

Jesus frequently describes the kingdom of God as a feast. In Palestine invitations to a feast would have been sent out well in advance but the time of the meal would not be announced. Then on the day of the feast, servants were sent out to summon the already invited guest. To accept the invitation beforehand and then to refuse it when the day came was an insult.

Many Jews had what they thought was a clear picture of what would happen when the Messiah came. One of these was a picture of a Messianic banquet. On that day God would give a great feast for His own people. It's this banquet that the man in verse 15 is thinking.

But Jesus interrupts him with a parable.

Throughout all their history the Jews had looked forward to the coming of the messiah. But when the Messiah came they refused His invitation. So God invited some new guest. The Gentiles, the outcast, the sinners. Jews would never have dreamed that outsiders would find a place at God's table.

By the way, did you catch their excuses. I'm too busy at work. I have a new hobby. I'm hanging out with new people. Or I have a new farm, I have these new oxen, I just got married.

What excuses do you use to avoid your place at God's table?