Study the Bible by chapters.


This method of Bible study is not beyond any person of average intelligence who has fifteen minutes or more a day to put into Bible Study.


It will take, however, more than one day to the study a chapter if only fifteen minutes a day are set apart for the work.





First:

Select the chapters you wish to study. It is well to take a whole book and study the chapters in their order. The Acts of the Apostles (or the Gospel of John) is a good book to begin with.


In time one may take up every chapter in the Bible, but it would not be wise to begin with Genesis.




Second:

Read the chapter for today's study five times. It is well to read it aloud at least once. The writer sees many things when he reads the Bible aloud that he does not see when he reads silently. Each new reading will bring out some new point.





Third:

Divide the chapters into their natural divisions and find headings for them that describe in the most striking way their contents. For example, suppose the chapter studied is 1 John 5. You might divide in this way:



The Believer's Noble Parentage (vs 1-3)
The Believer's Glorious Victory (vs 4,5)
The Believer's Sure Ground of Faith (vs 6-10)
The Believer's Priceless Possession (vs 11,12)
The Believer's Blessed Assurance (v 13)
The Believer's Unquestioning Confidence (vs 14,15)
The Believer's Great Power and Responsibility (vs 16,17)
The Believer's Perfect Security (vs 18,19)
The Believer's Precious Knowledge (v 20)
The Believer's Constant Duty (v 21)



In many cases the natural divisions will be longer than in this chapter.





Fourth:


Note the important differences between the Authorized Version and the Revised and write them in the margin of your Bible.




Fifth:

Write down the leading facts of the chapter in their proper order.




Sixth:

Make a note of the persons mentioned in the chapter and of any light thrown upon their character. For example, your chapter is Acts 16. The persons mentioned are:

Timothy
Timothy's mother
Timothy's father
The brethren at Lystra and Iconium
Paul
The Jews of Lystra and Iconium
The apostles and elders at Jerusalem
A man of Macedonia
Luke
Some women of Philippi
Lydia
The household of Lydia
A certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination
The masters of this damsel
Silas
The praetors of Philippi
The Philippian mob
The jailor of Philippi
The prisoners in the Philippian jail
The household of the jailor
The lictors of Philippi
The brethren in Philippi


What light does the chapter throw upon the character of each?





Seventh:

Note the principal lessons of the chapter. It would be well to classify these: e.g., lessons about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, etc., etc.





Eighth:

The Central Truth of the chapter.





Ninth:

The key verse of the chapter if there is one.




Tenth:

The best verse in the chapter. Opinions will differ widely here. But the question is, which is the best verse to you at this present reading? Mark it and memorize it.





Eleventh:


Note the verses that are usable as texts for sermons or talks or Bible readings. If you have time make an analysis of the thought of these verses and write it in the margin, or on the opposite leaf if you have an interleaved Bible.





Twelfth:

Name the chapter. For example, Acts 1 might be called The Ascension Chapter; Acts 2, The Day of Pentecost Chapter; Acts 3, The Lame Man's Chapter; etc. Give your own names to the chapters. Give the name that sets forth the most important and characteristic feature of the chapter.





Thirteenth:

Note subjects for further study. For example, you are studying Acts 1. Subjects suggested for further study are, The Baptism with the Holy Spirit; The Ascension; The Second Coming of Christ.




Fourteenth:

Words and phrases for further study. For example you are studying John 3, you should look up words and expressions such as, "Eternal life," "Born again," "Water," "Believer," "The Kingdom of God."




Fifteenth:

Write down what new truth you have learned from the chapter. If you have learned none, you had better go over it again.



Sixteenth:

What truth already known has come to you with new power?




Seventeenth:

What definite thing have you resolved to do as a result of studying this chapter? A permanent record should be kept of the results of the study of each chapter. It is well to have an interleaved Bible and keep the most important results in this.

For example,

if you are studying the subject "Prayer" you can look up from the concordance the passages that contain the words "pray," "prayer," "cry," "ask," "call," "supplication," "intercession," etc.


But the Textbook will give most of the passages on any subject regardless of what the words used in the passage may be. Other passages will be found in the section on Bible Doctrines under their proper headings.




There are four important suggestions to make regarding Topical Study of the Bible.



First:

Be systematic. Do not take up subjects for study at random. Have a carefully prepared list of the subjects you wish to know about, and need to know about, and take them up one by one, in order.


If you do not do this, the probability is that you will have a few pet topics and will be studying these over and over until you get to be a crank about them, and possibly a nuisance. You will know much about these subjects, but about many other subjects equally important you will know nothing. You will be a one-sided Christian.



Second:


Be thorough. When you take up a subject do not be content to study a few passages on this subject, but find just as far as possible every passage in the Bible on this subject. If you find the Textbook incomplete make additions of your own to it.



Third:

Be exact.

Find the exact meaning of every passage given in the Textbook on any subject. The way to do this is simple.


In the first place note the exact words used. In the next place get the exact meaning of the words used.


This is done by finding how the word is used in the Bible. The Bible usage of the word is not always the common use of today. For example, the Bible use of the words "sanctification" and "justification" is not the same as the common use.

Then notice what goes before and what comes after the verse. This will oftentimes settle the meaning of a verse when it appears doubtful.


Finally see if there are any parallel passages.

The meaning of many of the most difficult passages in the Bible is made perfectly plain by some other passages that throws light upon them. Then parallel passages are given in the margin of a good reference Bible.



Fourth:

Arrange the results of your topical study in an orderly way and write them down. One should constantly use pen and paper in Bible study.


When one has gone through the Textbook on any subject, he will have a large amount of material, but he will want to get it into usable shape.


The various passages given on any topic in the Textbook are classified, but the classification is not always just the one best adapted to our individual use.


Take for example the subject "Prayer." The classification of texts in the topic is very suggestive, but a better one for some purposes would be:

Who Can Pray so that God Will Hear?
To Whom to Pray.
For Whom to Pray.
When to Pray.
Where to Pray.
For what to Pray.
How to Pray.
Hindrances to Prayer.
The Results of Prayer.



The passages given in the Textbook would come under these heads.

It is well to make a trial division of the subject before taking up the individual passages given and to arrange each passage as we take it up under the appropriate head.


We may have to add to the divisions with which we began as we find new passages. The best classification of passages for any individual is the one he makes for himself, although he will get helpful suggestions from others.



There are some subjects that every Christian should study and study as soon as possible. We give a list of these:


Sin
The Atonement (of the Blood of Christ)
Justification
The New Birth
Adoption
Sanctification
Holiness
Assurance
The Flesh
Cleansing
Faith
Repentance
Prayer
Thanksgiving
Praise
Love:
To God
To Jesus Christ
To Christians
To all men
The Future Destiny of Believers
The Future Destiny of the Wicked:
Punishment of the Wicked
Death of the Wicked
The Character of Christ
The Resurrection of Christ
The Ascension of Christ
The Second Coming of Christ:
The fact,the manner, the purpose, the results, the time
The Reign of Christ
The Holy Spirit
Who and What He is;
His Work
God.
His Attributes and Work
Grace
Messianic Prophecies
The Church
The Jews
Joy
The Judgment
Life
Peace
Perfection
Persecution

Study the Bible topically.


Take up the various subjects treated in the Bible, one by one, and go through the Bible and find what it has to say on these subjects. It may be important to know what the great men have to say on important subjects; it is far more important to know what God has to say on these subjects.


It is important also to know all that God has to say.



A great many people know a part of what God has to say--and usually a very small part--and so their ideas are very imperfect and one-sided. If they only knew all God had to say on the subject, it would be far better for them and for their friends. The only way to know all God has to say on any subject is to go through the Bible on that subject.


To do this it is not necessary to read every verse in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. It would be slow work, if we had to do that on every subject we took up. This would be necessary were it not for Textbooks and Concordances. But in these we have the results of the hard work of many minds.


Here we have the various passages that bear on any subject brought together and classified for use, so that now we can do in a few hours what would otherwise take months or years.


The topical method of Bible study is simplest, most fascinating and yields the largest immediate results.



 It is not the only method of Bible study, and the one who pursues it exclusively will miss much of the blessing God has for him in the Bible.

• But it is a very interesting and fruitful method of study. It was Mr. Moody's favourite method.

It fills one's mind very full on any subject studied. Mr. Moody once gave several days to the study of "Grace." When he had finished he was so full of the subject that he rushed out on the street and going up to the first man he met he said: "Do you know anything about Grace?"

"Grace who," the man asked. "The Grace of God that bringeth salvation." And then Mr. Moody poured out upon that man the rich treasures he had dug out of the Word of God.


That is the way to master any subject and get full of it.



Go through the Bible and see what it has to say on this subject. This is easily done. Take your Textbook and turn to the subject.


Suppose the subject you desire to study is "Prayer."


There will be found a long list of the various passages of Scripture that bear on this subject. Look them up one after another and study them carefully and see just what their teaching is.


When you have gone through them you will know far more about prayer than you ever knew before, and far more than you could learn by reading any books that men have written about prayer, profitable as many of these books are.



Sometimes it will be necessary to look up other subjects that are closely related to the one in hand.


For example, you wish to study what the teaching of God's Word is regarding the atonement. In this case you will not only look under the head "Atonement", but also under the head "Blood", and under the head "Death of Christ."



To do this work a concordance is not necessary but it is often very helpful.

Sorry for the confusion. I'm doing it this way because when i tried to post all of it i found there was a limit of 1000 words, so I'm trying to keep it all on the same post.

Many of you may already use this method of Bible Study, but it may well be new to many.

I'll also be posting two other methods of Bible Study called Inductive and Deductive Bible Study along with their explanation. If any of the admins have any objections I will certainly respect their right not to have it posted here, though I think many bible students have heard of and used inductive and deductive bible study. They may already be posted on here.


As I am given to understand many ministers call Inductive Bible Study "gleaning" what we might ordinarily miss from God's word.

If anyone is interested I would like to open a forum here just for what we'll be learnubg using inductive and deductive study. (i'm just starting to learn these methods myself)  Again, that is ofcourse dependent upon the approval of our moderators.

Since I've post so much on the Inductive and Deductive Bible Study I'll move to the next one to finish Topical Bible Study.

God Bless

But more on that later.   Right now I'd like to

Methods of Bible Study
by Rev. R. A. Torrey

http://bible.crosswalk.com/Information/MethodsofBibleStudy.html



First of all make up your mind that you will put some time every day into the study of the Word of God. That is an easy resolution to make, and not a very difficult one to keep; if the one who makes it is in earnest.




It is one of the most fruitful resolutions that any Christian ever made. The forming of that resolution and the holding faithfully to it, has been the turning point in many a life.



Many a life that has been barren and unsatisfactory has become rich and useful through the introduction into it of regular, persevering, daily study of the Bible.


This study may not be very interesting at first, the results may not be very encouraging; but, if one will keep pegging away, it will soon begin to count as nothing else has ever counted in the development of character, and in the enrichment of the whole life.



Nothing short of absolute physical inability should be allowed to interfere with this daily study.



It is impossible to make a rule that will apply to everyone as to the amount of time that shall be given each day to the study of the Word. I know many busy people, including not a few labouring men and women, who give an hour a day to Bible study, but if one cannot give more than fifteen minutes a great deal can be accomplished.



Wherever it is possible the time set apart for the work should be in the daylight hours. The very best time is in the early morning hours. If possible lock yourself in with God alone.



Make up your mind to study the Bible.




It is astounding how much heedless reading of the Bible is done. Men seem to think that there is some magic power in the book, and that, if they will but open its pages and skim over its words, they will get good out of it.



The Bible is good only because of the truth that is in it, and to see this truth demands close attention.



A verse must often-times be read and re-read and read again before the wondrous message of love and power that God has put into it begins to appear. Words must be turned over and over in the mind before their full force and beauty takes possession of us.



One must look a long time at the great masterpieces of art to appreciate their beauty and understand their meaning, and so one must look a long time at the great verses of the Bible to appreciate their beauty and understand their meaning.



When you read a verse in the Bible ask yourself, What does this verse mean?



Then ask: What does it mean for me?



When that is answered ask yourself again: Is that all it means? and do not leave it until you are quite sure that is all it means for the present.



You may come back at some future time and find it means yet a great deal more.



If there are any important words in the verse weigh them, look up other passages where they are used, and try to get their full significance.

God pronounces that man blessed who "meditates" on the Word of God "day and night." Psalm 1:2,3. An indolent skimming over a few verses or many chapters in the Bible is not meditation, and there is not much blessing in it.


Jeremiah said: "Thy words were found and I did eat them." (Jeremiah 15:16).


Nothing is more important in eating than chewing. If one does not properly chew his food, he is quite as likely to get dyspepsia as nourishment.


Don't let anyone chew your spiritual food for you. Insist on doing it for yourself. Any one can be a student who makes up his mind to.


It is hard at first but it soon becomes easy. I have seen very dull minds become keen by holding them right down to the grindstone.

Hi,

There is a website called WHY QUIT -  http://www.whyquit.com

It is totally free and loaded with information that most of us have never even heard a fraction of concerning "how to quit smoking".

There are no membership fees. They DO NOT sell or endorse quit smoking products. They simply give you the most INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE information, articles and support via bulletin boards!

If you or someone you know smokes and wants to quit or even if they don't think they want to quit, send them to this website and ask them to bookmark it.

(frankly, most smokers jump back and forth on wanting to quit and not wanting to quit - it's not the quitting it's the withdrawl and addiction process itself that makes it hard for someone to KNOW they really do want to quit even when they tell themselves and others that they really don't want to quit )

Again, here's the website:   http://www.whyquit.com

If you're a smoker or not a smoker but know other smokers, please, COPY AND PASTE  and pass this on to as many as you know. They'll be glad you did and so will you!

God Bless!

Rhonda Ramsey


Below is one of the articles from the website.




Quitting by the gradual withdrawal method.


I discuss this method quite extensively in my seminars.  I always tell how if there is anyone attending who knows a smoker who they really despise they should actively encourage them to follow the gradual withdrawal "cut down" approach.


They should call them up every day and tell them to just get rid of one cigarette.  Meaning, if they usually smoke 40 a day, just smoke 39 on the first day of the attempt to quit.  The next day they should be encouraged to smoke only 38 then 37 the next day and so on.


Then the seminar participant should call these people every day to congratulate them and encourage them to continue.  I must reemphasize, this should only be done to a smoker you really despise.


You see, most smokers will agree to this approach.  It sounds so easy to just smoke one less each day.


Thirty-nine cigarettes to a two pack a day smoker seems like nothing.


The trick is to convince the person that you are only trying to help them.


For the first week or two the one downside is you have to pretend to like the person and you have to talk to them every day.  They won't whine too bad either.  When they are down to 30 from 40, they may start to complain a little.


You really won't be having fun yet.  When the payoff comes is about three weeks into the scam.  Now you've got them to less than half their normal amount.  They are in moderate withdrawal all the time.


A month into the approach you've got them into pretty major withdrawal.



But be persistent.  Call them and tell them how great they are doing and how proud you are of them.  When they are in their 35th to 39th day, you have pulled off a major coup.  This poor person is in peak withdrawal, suffering miserably and having absolutely nothing to show for it.


They are no closer to ending withdrawal than the day you started the process.  They are in chronic withdrawal, not treating him or herself to one or two a day, but actually depriving him or herself of 35 to 40 per day.


If you want to go in for the kill, when you have them down to zero, tell them don't worry if things get tough, just take a puff every once in a while.  If you can get them to fall for this, taking one puff every third day, they will remain in withdrawal forever.


Did I mention you really should despise this person to do this to them? It is probably the cruelest practical joke that you could ever pull on anyone.


You will undercut their chance to quit, make them suffer immeasurably and likely they will at some point throw in the towel, return to smoking, have such fear of quitting because of what they went through cutting down, that they will continue to smoke until it kills them.


Like I said, you better really despise this person.

Hopefully there is no one you despise that much to do this to them.  I hope nobody despises themselves enough to do this to themselves.


Quitting cold turkey may be hard but quitting by this withdrawal technique is virtually impossible.


If you have a choice between hard and impossible, go for hard.  You will have something to show at the end of a hard process, but nothing but misery at the end of an impossible approach.  Quit cold and in 72 hours it eases up.  Cut down and it will basically get progressively worse for weeks, months, or years if you let it.


I should mention, this is not a new technique.  It has been around for decades.


Talk to every long-term ex-smoker you know.  Try to find one person who successfully used the cut down approach, gradually reducing to eventual zero over weeks or months.  You will be hard pressed to find even one person who fits this bill.


One other perspective that should help you see the flaw in the approach. Look at people here who had once quit for months or years and then relapsed. One day, after such a long time period, they take a drag and are smoking again.  


If one puff can do this after years or decades, guess what it will do after days or hours of being smoke free.  It puts the smoker back to square one. All that any ex-smoker has to do to avoid relapse or chronic withdrawal is to - NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!

Thank you my Brother,

I very much enjoy the fellowship here.

And you have been a great blessing to me.

Thank You!


Just let me know when you're ready for more of the lessons.

God Bless

[Was Jesus just a man?”]

This will be the last lesson I post on the Discovering Jesus Course.

There are many other lessons to the course, so if you would like them then send me a message

There is no charge. All that's needed is a heart hungry to learn more about our Savior.

God Bless,

Rhonda Ramsey

======================================
DISCOVERING JESUS COURSE



WAS JESUS JUST A MAN


As we saw in the last lesson, a person can hold one of three possible views on Jesus:

1. He was a myth – “Jesus didn’t exist.”
2. He was just a man – “Jesus was a good man, maybe even a prophet.”
3. He is the Messiah – “Jesus is indeed everything that he claimed to be.”


We will now examine the second question: “Was Jesus just a man?” After all, isn’t it possible to recognize the merit of Christ’s teachings without actually worshiping him?


Only a superficial reading of the Gospel record would allow the comfortable but untenable position of embracing Christ’s teaching but rejecting his identity.


The more you read, the more you discover that Jesus made claims about himself which demand a decision. For indeed, as William Biederworld comments:

“A man who can read the New Testament and not see that Christ claims to be more than a man, can look over the sky at high noon on a cloudless day and not see the sun.”


C S Lewis points out the absurdity of claiming that Jesus was merely a good man.

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about [Christ]: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God."  


That is the one thing we must not say.


A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things that Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg – or he would be the Devil of Hell.


You must make your choice.


Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a mad
man or something worse.


You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.


"But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher.

He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.


As C S Lewis argues, if Jesus is not who he said he was, only two options remain:

1. He was a liar
2. He was a lunatic


1. Was Jesus a liar?


After all, if Jesus is not God, then he purposely deceived people when he declared, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58, NKJV).


But anyone who claims Jesus was a liar suddenly encounters a moral dilemma.


For the teachings of Jesus are the foundations upon which the best of human morality has been built.


Philip Schaff, a noted historian, firmly closes this option for us.

“How, in the name of logic, common sense, and experience, could an impostor – that is a deceitful, selfish, depraved man – have invented, and consistently maintained from the beginning to end, the purest and noblest character known
in history with the most perfect air of truth and reality?”


2. If Jesus was not a liar, then was he a lunatic?


Was he self-deceived? For this is now the only recourse for a person who seeks to reject the claims of Jesus.


To this, Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli have this to say:

“There are lunatics in asylums who sincerely believe they are God. The ‘divinity complex’ is a recognized form of psychopathology.


Its character traits are well known: egotism, narcissism, inflexibility, dullness, predictability, inability to understand and love others as they really are and creatively relate
to others.


In other words, this is the polar opposite of the personality of Jesus!...


[Jesus] was the most creative, interesting, unpredictable man who ever lived...


The common verb predicated of those who met Jesus was thaumazo, ‘to wonder.’

Lunatics are not wonderful, but Jesus was the most wonderful person in history. If that were lunacy, lunacy would be more desirable than sanity.”


The key question is this: Did Jesus believe his own claims to be God?


If he did not, then he was a liar. If he did, then he was a lunatic. Unless, of course, he is indeed God.


It is a choice between these three.


Let’s put it in another way.


Jesus was either bad or he was good. If he was a liar,
he was morally bad. If he was a lunatic, he was mentally bad. But if he was indeed the Son of God then, and only then, was he good.


“There are two things everyone admits about Jesus’ character: he was wise and he was good.  A lunatic is the opposite of wise, and a liar is the opposite of wise and good.”


Jesus simply cannot be called wise and good and not be God.





WAS JESUS JUST A MAN? Test 10



Question 1:  Is it possible to believe that Jesus was a good man, but not divine?  


1.   Yes, because the morality of his teachings are eternal.  

 
2.   Yes, because Jesus himself never said he was anything but an ordinary man.  

 
3.   No, because he himself claimed he was sinful.  

 
4.   No, because if he was not who he said he was, then he was not a good man.  
 

 

Question 2:  How do we know that Jesus was not a liar?  


1.   Because we must have a blind faith that he was not a liar.  

 
2.   Because his disciples said he was not a liar.  

 
3.   Because it is impossible for a deceitful, selfish, depraved man to have invented, and consistently maintained from the beginning to end, the purest and noblest character known in history.  

 
4.   Because if he was a liar, then nobody would today believe him.  
 




Question 3:  How do we know that Jesus was not a lunatic?  


1.   Because we must have a blind faith that he was not a lunatic.  

 
2.   Because Jesus said he was not a lunatic.  

 
3.   Because his disciples said he was not a lunatic.  

 
4.   Because the wisdom of Jesus' teachings and the sanity of his personality precludes the possibility that he was deranged.  
 




Question 4:  Which of the following statements is not true?  


1.   Jesus can be good and wise, yet still not be God.  

 
2.   Even unbelievers admit that Jesus was both wise and good.  

 
3.   A liar is the opposite of a good man, and a lunatic is the opposite of a wise man.  

 
4.   Jesus can only be called wise and good if he is indeed what he claims to be - God come in the flesh.  
 





Question 5:  According to this lesson, which of the following statements is true?  


1.   Jesus never claimed to be anything more than a man.  

 
2.   Jesus claimed to be more than a man, but he lied.  

 
3.   Jesus claimed to be more than a man, but he was self-deluded.  

 
4.   Jesus claimed to be more than a man, and was telling the truth.  
 




{SCROLL TO BOTTOM FOR ANSWERS}











ANSWERS TO TEST 10


The correct answer to #1 is number 4.  

The correct answer to #2 is number 3.  
 
The correct answer to #3 is number 4.  
 
The correct answer to #4 is number 1.  
 
The correct answer to #5 is number 4.  

[voice]

I've always been curious about this verse:

And they heard the "voice" of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day:


since a voice simply cannot walk in the   garden in the cool of the day...


It has to have a meaning that we don't understand.


I've often wondered if the "voice" that was walking in the garden in the cool of the day was infact Jesus.

He is God too. God said let US make man in our image.

Jesus is referred to as the word.  Perhaps here in this instance he is referred to as the "voice".

Any thoughts?

[Was Jesus A Myth? LESSON 9]

DISCOVERING JESUS COURSE



Was Jesus A Myth?  LESSON 9



A person can hold only one of three possible views on the person of Jesus:

1. He was a myth – “Jesus didn’t exist.”

2. He was just a man – “Jesus was a good man, maybe even a prophet.”

3. He is the Messiah – “Jesus is indeed everything he claimed to be.”[/color]


“Did Jesus actually exist at all?” is the ultimate skeptical question, so let’s address this first.


Was Jesus ever a real person?


Or was he simply a fabrication of later generations, the embodiment of all they considered ideal in a man?


The atheist Bertrand Russell, in his essay,

“Why I Am Not a Christian,” penned these words:

“Historically it is quite doubtful whether Christ ever existed at all, and if he did we do not know anything about him.”



Russell was sadly uninformed. No respectable scholar has ever ventured to deny there was a real Jesus in history.


Scholars have sought to debunk the biblical accounts of Jesus’ life, but not the existence of Jesus himself.


Contrary to Russell’s statement, it is actually quite certain that Christ existed and that we can know much about him, even from sources outside of the Bible.


As F F Bruce explains:

“Some writers may toy with the fancy of a ‘Christ-myth,’ but they do not do so on the ground of historical evidence.
The historicity of Christ is as axiomatic for an unbiased historian as the historicity of Julius Caesar. It is not historians who propagate the ‘Christ-myth’ theories.”  


As you read the Gospel accounts, you quickly discover that Jesus did not exist in some mythological past, but can be pinpointed with great accuracy to a specific period, and even to a specific year, in history.


And of even greater wonder is the fact that the period in which Jesus lived – the early first century – is the best documented period in ancient times!



The existence of Jesus was never called into question in the first centuries of this era.



This remarkable fact cannot be overstated. As Grant Jeffrey observes:

“The greatest critics of Christianity in the early centuries, including Celsus, who debated Christian writers in the second century...never once ventured to suggest that Jesus of Nazareth did not live or die in Jerusalem.


Surely if the pagans had possessed any evidence that contradicted the basic account of Christ’s life, they would have openly challenged the Christian writers with those facts.



C S Lewis, former Professor of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, has this to say about the Jesus-Is-A-Myth option:

“If [the skeptic] tells me that something in a Gospel is legend or romance, I want to know how many legends and romances he has read, how well his palate is trained in detecting them by the flavor; not how many years he has spent [reading] that Gospel...

I have been reading poems, romances, vision literature, legends, myths all my life. I know what they are like. I know that not one of them is like this.” [/color]


J B Phillips also echoes the same conclusion:

““I have read, in Greek and Latin, scores of myths but I did not find the slightest flavor of myth here.”

The Gospel record reads like reality because it is reality. It has the stamp of the genuine upon it, what J B Phillips calls "the ring of truth.”


Regardless of what a person may believe concerning Jesus,
it is hard to deny that the accounts of his life reveal that the authors genuinely believed what they wrote.


In countless small ways, the writers reveal that they had personal knowledge of the events they record, or at the very least knew people who had such personal knowledge.


Cultural and historical details are far too accurate to support any conclusion except that there really was a man named Jesus of Nazareth who lived in first century Galilee.



Yet we do not need to rely on biblical evidence to prove that Jesus really did exist?



Based solely on extra-biblical evidence, Howard Clark Kee draws this conclusion:

“The result of the examination of the sources outside of the New Testament that bear directly or indirectly on our knowledge of Jesus is to confirm his historical existence, his unusual powers, the devotion of his followers, the continued existence of his movement after his death at the hands of the Roman governor in Jerusalem, and the penetration of Christianity into the upper strata of society in Rome itself by the later first century.”







WAS JESUS A MYTH? TEST 9



Question 1:  Which of the following statements is true?  

1.   Scepticism concerning Jesus' historical existence is a valid and logical option.
 
 
2.   Historically it is quite doubtful whether Jesus ever existed at all, and if he did we do not know anything about him.  

 
3.   No respectable scholar has ever ventured to deny there was a real Jesus in history.  

 
4.   The essence of the Gospel message is not really dependent on whether Jesus existed or not.  
 
 




Question 2:  The historical existence of Jesus was never called into question by Christianity's opponents in the first centuries of this era. Why was this so?  

1.   Because they stupidly never considered this possibility.  

 
2.   Because they were less sophisticated than today's critics.  

 
3.   Because they didn't think it worthwhile bringing up.  

 
4.   Because they knew Jesus had really existed.  
 
 


Question 3:  Is it possible that the Gospel accounts are legendary?  

1.   Yes, it is quite likely, because they read like accounts we know to be legendary and mythological.  

 
2.   No, they are totally unlike legendary or mythological stories.  

 
3.   No, not as a whole, but there are many legendary or mythological interpolations within the Gospel accounts.
 
 
4.   Yes, but they are good reading.  




Question 4:  Which of the following statements are true?  

1.   Regardless of what a person may believe concerning Jesus, it is hard to deny that the accounts of his life reveal that the authors genuinely believed what they wrote.  

 
2.   The Gospel record has the stamp of the genuine upon it, what J B Phillips calls "the ring of truth."  

 
3.   In countless small ways, the writers reveal that they had personal knowledge of the events they record, or at the very least knew people who had such personal knowledge.  

 
4.   All of the above.    






Question 5:  According to today's lesson, which of the following is not a true statement?  

1.   Bertrand Russell's statement:
"Historically it is quite doubtful whether Christ ever existed at all, and if he did we do not know anything about him."  

 
2.   F F Bruce's statement:
"Some writers may toy with the fancy of a 'Christ-myth,' but they do not do so on the ground of historical evidence. The historicity of Christ is as axiomatic for an unbiased historian as the historicity of Julius Caesar. It is not historians who propagate the 'Christ-myth' theories."  

 
3.   J B Phillips' statement:
"I have read, in Greek and Latin, scores of myths but I did not find the slightest flavor of myth [in the Gospel accounts]."  


 
4.   Howard Clark Kee: "The result of the examination of the sources outside of the New Testament…confirm his historical existence, his unusual powers, the devotion of his followers, the continued existence of his movement after his death at the hands of the Roman governor in Jerusalem, and the penetration of Christianity into the upper strata of society in Rome itself by the later first century."  
 




{SCROLL TO BOTTOM FOR ANSWERS}













WAS JESUS A MYTH? - ANSWERS


The correct answer to #1 is number 3.

The correct answer to #2 is number 4.  

The correct answer to #3 is number 2.  

The correct answer to #4 is number 4.  

The correct answer to #5 is number 1.  

[Answering the Skeptic]

DISCOVERING JESUS COURSE  


Answering the Skeptic


When it comes to Jesus, there will always be skeptics. But the twenty-first century doesn’t have a monopoly on skepticism.


Even the first century had its fair share of skeptics.


Read 2 Peter 3:3-7

Skepticism has changed little in twenty centuries.


In the first century, it was the second coming of Jesus that skeptics scoffed at; in the twenty-first century, the focus of skepticism has shifted to the first coming.


Whereas the skeptic in the first century questioned the credibility of the oral message of the disciples, the skeptic today questions the credibility of their written message.



However, to both forms of skepticism, Peter’s answer remains the same:

“But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed...”



Skepticism is a worldview that questions not just the life of Jesus but also the existence of God and his involvement in the world.


In that sense, skepticism about Jesus has to be addressed
on a deeper level than merely answering specific questions
about this dichotomy or that discrepancy.


Beneath all skepticism toward Jesus lies the issue of God himself.


As Peter pointed out, the first step is recognizing “that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water” (2 Peter 3:5).



This concurs with what Hebrews 11:6 says:

“...anyone who comes to [God] must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”



It is simply impossible to study the life of Jesus outside of the issues he himself held dear.



Even the skeptical scholar must first address those issues:


Do I believe in God?

If so, do I believe that he is personally interested in the affairs of mankind?

And if I do, do I believe that it is even remotely possible that Jesus is exactly who the Gospel accounts say that he is?


If the answer to any of these questions is “No,” then this scholar’s study of Jesus will be colored by one of more of
the following assumptions:

Assumption #1 – God doesn’t exist.

Assumption #2 – Even if God does exist, he does not personally interact with mankind.

Assumption #3 – Because God is not personally involved in human history, all reports of miraculous events are automatically suspect.

Assumption #4 – Because the supernatural is suspect, the Gospel accounts cannot be credible.



As you can see, without this first step of faith in the existence of God, the study of Jesus will be colored by assumptions that automatically discredit the very sources
by which we can truly know Jesus.


For everything about the study of Jesus demands that we hold these fundamental assumptions:

Assumption #1 – God exists.

Assumption #2 – God cares for humanity and is personally involved in human history.

Assumption #3 – God proves his concern and involvement through supernatural acts.

Assumption #4 – These miracles are the credentials by which we ascertain whether Jesus’ claims about himself are true or not.



Ultimately, embracing Jesus is a matter of faith, not intellect.



But this doesn’t mean that to believe in Jesus we must switch the intellect off.


Indeed, in the coming lessons we will be looking at the very issues that some skeptics raise.


How can we really know that Jesus is who he says he is?


Jesus himself had a reply to this question. In John 7:17, he said:

“If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.”


What does the Bible itself say to the skeptic?


1 John 5:10 lays down the challenge:

“Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.”


A person may choose not to believe the Gospel accounts, but John makes it clear that to do so is to call God a liar.


In 1 John 2:22-23, he writes:

“Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist. He denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”


God has spelled out the issue of Jesus Christ in black and white.

You either accept him or reject him.


There is no scholarly middle ground.








ANSWERING THE SKEPTIC  TEST 8




Question 1:  Which of the following statements is true?  

1.   Scepticism is a uniquely modern phenomenon.  
 
2.   Although there have always been sceptics, scepticism today is more serious than in the first century.  
 
3.   Scepticism today is on the whole similar to scepticism in the first century. Whereas the first century sceptic questioned the credibility of the oral testimony of the disciples, the modern sceptic questions the credibility of the written testimony of the disciples.  
 
4.   Scepticism today, like in the first century, focuses mainly on the second coming of Christ.  
   





Question 2:  Which of the following statements is true?  

1.   A scholar can approach the study of Jesus without assumptions.  
 
2.   The foundational assumptions in the study of Jesus have to do with the existence of God and his involvement in human history.  
 
3.   When we study the life of Jesus, it doesn't matter whether we believe that God exists or not.  
 
4.   When we study the life of Jesus, it doesn't matter whether we believe that God performs miracles or not.  
 



Question 3:  What does Hebrews 11:6 say?  

1.   "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ."  
 
2.   "If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own."  
 
3.   "Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son."  
 
4.   "...anyone who comes to [God] must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."  



Question 4:  What John 7:17 say?  

1.   "...anyone who comes to [God] must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."  
 
2.   "If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own."  
 
3.   "Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son."  
 
4.   "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ."  




Question 5:  What does 1 John 5:10 tell us?  

1.   "...anyone who comes to [God] must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."  
 
2.   "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ."  
 
3.   "If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own."  
 
4.   "Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son."  
 


{SCROLL TO BOTTOM FOR ANSWERS}

















ANSWERING THE SKEPTIC - ANSWERS


The correct answer to #1 is number 3.
 
The correct answer to #2 is number 2.  

The correct answer to #3 is number 4.  

The correct answer to #4 is number 2.  
 
The correct answer to #5 is number 4.  

[Examining the Evidence Lesson 7]

DISCOVERING JESUS COURSE


Examining the Evidence  Lesson 7



Jesus is a historical person.


This means that his life is rooted in a particular time
and place. The time was the early decades of the first century, and the place was the land of Israel, also known by its Roman provincial name, Palestine.


This historical context to the life of Jesus is so important to the biblical record that E F Harrison makes this claim:

“Some religions, both ancient and modern, require no historical basis, for they depend upon ideas rather than events. Christianity is not one of these.”


As you study the life of Jesus, you will be amazed at the wealth of evidence that comes from both historical and biblical sources.


As we put Jesus under the magnifying glass, we quickly discover that, rather than being a two-dimensional invention,
he is a three-dimensional historical figure, with words and actions colored by the culture and circumstances of his times.



Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-6

The writers of the New Testament continually fall back on eyewitness testimony as proof of their claims. This eyewitness quality to the evidence presented in the
Gospel is important to the credibility of the Gospel.



Paul rightly concludes in 1 Corinthians 15:14-15:

“...if Christ has not been raised [back to life], our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead...”



What we need to understand, from the very beginning of our studies, is the quality of the evidence that exists within the New Testament.


We often forget that people in the first century were just as intelligent as ourselves, and could be just as skeptical as anyone today.



It was for this reason that Peter, himself one of the
eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life, wrote in 2 Peter 1:16:

“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ...”



Peter needed to write these words in order to refute the natural skepticism of the people of his day regarding the testimony presented by the apostles.


Yet in the face of both skepticism and persecution, their message did not falter.


As Peter had earlier declared in Acts 5:32:

“We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”


Read Luke 1:1-4

Just how credible is this “orderly account” that Luke has written for us?


As Grant Jeffreys points out:

“One of the greatest subjects of dispute is the question of what historical evidence qualifies as acceptable proof of the life of Jesus of Nazareth.”


In the late nineteenth century, Sir William Ramsay set out to disprove the Gospel accounts through the best and most logical means available – archaeology.


Yet the archaeological evidence eventually forced him to this conclusion:

“Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy; he is possessed of the true historical sense...In short this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians.”



F F Bruce makes this observation on the credibility of Luke’s accounts:

“A man whose accuracy can be demonstrated in matters where we are able to test it is likely to be accurate even where the means for testing him are not available. Accuracy is a habit of the mind, and we know from happy (or unhappy) experiences that some people are habitually accurate just as others can be depended upon to be inaccurate. Luke’s record entitles him to be regarded as a writer of habitual accuracy.”



The eyewitness nature of the Gospel record provides us with a high degree of confidence in its historical credibility. Thus we should sit up and listen when John, one of Jesus’ disciples, makes this statement in 1 John 1:1-2:



“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched, this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it...We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard...”  






EXAMINING THE EVIDENCE TEST 7




Question 1:  Which of the following statements is true?  

1.   Jesus is a myth and this invalidates the Gospel.  
 
2.   Jesus is a myth, but this doesn't matter to the message of the Gospel.  
 
3.   Jesus is an historical person, and this matters to the message of the Gospel.  
 
4.   Whether Jesus is historical or mythological doesn't make any difference to the message of the Gospel.  
   




Question 2:  Which of the following statements is true?  

1.   People in the first century were more gullible than people today.  
 
2.   People in the first century could be just as sceptical as people today.  
 
3.   People in the first century didn't care as much about the credibility of eyewitness testimony.  
 
4.   The first century disciples weren't overly concerned about being credible witnesses.  



Question 3:  According to 1 Corinthians 15:1-6, what was of first importance?  


1.   That Christ died for our sins.  
 
2.   That Christ was raised back to life.  
 
3.   That there were eyewitnesses of his death, burial and resurrection.  
 
4.   All of the above.  
 


Question 4:  What conclusion did archaelogist and scholar Sir William Ramsey come to concerning Luke?  


1.   Luke is an historian of the first rank.  
 
2.   As an historian, Luke made a few mistakes, but they don't make the Gospel record any less credible.  
 
3.   Luke is a poor historian.  
 
4.   Luke made things up.  
 



Question 5:  According to Luke 1:1-3, which of the following is true?  


1.   Luke wrote his Gospel account by compiling the various stories circulating about Jesus, without regard for their accuracy or credibility.  
 
2.   Luke wrote his Gospel account by direct dictation from God and didn't need to rely on eyewitness evidence.  
 
3.   Luke made up the stories he wrote, in order to illustrate timeless truths.  
 
4.   Luke carefully investigated all the accounts of Jesus' life, cross-checking them with eyewitnesses who were at that time still alive.  
 




{SCROLL TO BOTTOM FOR ANSWERS}









EXAMINING THE EVIDENCE ANSWERS 7


The correct answer to #1 is number 3.  

The correct answer to #2 is number 2.  

The correct answer to #3 is number 4.  

The correct answer to #4 is number 1.  

The correct answer to #5 is number 4.  

[The Titles of Jesus Lesson 6]

DISCOVERING JESUS COURSE


The Titles of Jesus Lesson 6



In the last lesson, we explored the redemptive significance of the name Jesus. But Christ not only inherited a name superior to all others, he has also inherited a number of titles which are “far above...every title that can be given, not only in
the present age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:21).


In this lesson, we will take a brief look at just three of these titles.


The Son of God

Mark launches his Gospel account with these words:


"The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”


And John 20:30-31 provides us with the
primary reason John wrote his own account:


“But these [miraculous signs] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”


Although Jesus avoided describing himself as the long-awaited Messiah (for reasons we will see in a moment), he didn’t shy away from the title “Son of God.”



Infact, Jesus frequently referred to himself by the abbreviated title “Son” (see Luke 10:22; John 3:16-18), and when asked at his trial, “Are you then the Son of God?”(Luke 22:70), he replied without hesitation: “You are right in saying I am.”



This title “Son of God” is the most fundamental description of Christ’s identity.


This primary title has two important facets:


Relationship – The title “Son” is primarily a description of relationship.[/i]


Jesus is, first and foremost, the Son of God. The use of this term throughout the New Testament underscores Christ’s relationship with his Father.


As the Father himself expressed it in Matthew 17:5:


“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”


Authority – With the relationship comes authority. As the Son of God, Jesus has the full authority to act on his Father’s behalf. [/COLOR]


This is reflected in the many statements found throughout the New Testament describing Jesus “at the right hand of the mighty God” (Luke 22:69; Acts 5:31; 7:55-56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3).



As we study the life of Jesus, we will see these two dimensions of Christ’s Sonship:– relationship and authority – constantly being expressed.


The Son of Man


This was the title most commonly used by Jesus himself, for three reasons:


Firstly, it was a generic title used for prophets in the Old Testament (see Ezekiel 2:1; Daniel 8:17).


In calling himself “the Son of Man,” Jesus was
laying claim to the long prophetic heritage that stretched behind him.


Secondly, it was a scriptural term used for human beings in general. Thus by describing himself as the “Son of Man,” Jesus was declaring his total identification with humanity.


Thirdly, it was a title drawn from Daniel 7:13, which describes “one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.”


Jesus himself echoed this description when he declared in Matthew 24:30:


“They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.”


The Messiah

The Hebrew title Messiah (and its Greek counterpart, Christ) simply means “the Anointed One.”


On one level, the term “messiah” could be applied to any anointed king. For example, Saul, David and Solomon were all anointed as king over Israel, and the term “anointed one” or “messiah” was applied to all three (1 Samuel
26:7-11; 2 Samuel 5:3; 1 Kings 1:39; 2 Chronicles 6:42).


But in time, the title Messiah took on a whole new meaning.


Daniel 9:25, for example, foretold of the "Anointed One, the ruler,” and Micah 5:2 described him as “the one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”



Jesus avoided the title Messiah (except when speaking to his innermost circle of disciples) for two reasons:



1. The first-century expectation of a Messiah had strongly military tones.

2. The expectation of the coming Messiah had reached a fever pitch in Israel, and Jesus did not want to instigate his arrest before the set time.



But there came a time, in response to the question “Who do you say I am?” (in Matthew 16:15-16), when Peter exclaimed:


“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”



Jesus has many other titles, beside these. He is called the Son of David (Matthew 12:23; 21:9), the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 22:13) and Immanuel (Matthew
1:23).


We will investigate these, and others, in the lessons to come.






THE TITLES OF JESUS - TEST 6




Question 1:  In the opening verse of Mark's Gospel account, what does Mark write?  

1.   "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, a teacher of men.”  

 
2.   "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, a prophet to Israel.”  

 
3.   "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, a good man.”  

 
4.   "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”  
 
 



Question 2:  What does the title Son of God mean for Jesus' identity?  


1.   It shows that he is God's favorite.  

2.   It means that he is too holy to be involved in the mundane affairs of man.
 
3.   It means that Jesus hopes to grow up to be God someday.  

4.   It means that Jesus has both a special relationship with God and a special authority from God.  




Question 3:  What was the significance of the title Son of Man, as used by Jesus of himself?  


1.   It was a generic term for the prophets of the Old Testament.  
 
2.   It was an expression of Christ's total identification with mankind.  
 
3.   It alluded to prophecies such as Daniel 7:13-14, describing the coming of "one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven"  
 
4.   All of the above.  





Question 4:  Why did Jesus avoid directly referring to himself as the Messiah?  


1.   Because he was unsure of his own identity.  

2.   Because the people were expecting a military Messiah.  

3.   Because he was waiting for the religious leaders to proclaim him as Messiah.  

4.   Because he was not really the Messiah.  



Question 5:  Which of the following is not one of the titles belonging to Jesus?  


1.   Son of Joseph  
 
2.   Son of David  
 
3.   Alpha and Omega  
 
4.   Immanuel  
 


{SCROLL TO BOTTOM FOR ANSWERS}
















THE TITLES OF JESUS TEST 6


The correct answer to #1 is number 4.  

The correct answer to #2 is number 4.  

The correct answer to #3 is number 4.  

The correct answer to #4 is number 2.  

The correct answer to #5 is number 1.

[Some followed the teaching of the rabbi Shammai.]

THE DIVORCE DEBATE

Let's get to the meat of this debate and it's origin, shall we?


In the first-century Jewish world, it was a contentious issue from a religious perspective. The Jewish teachers were split over the grounds for divorce. There were conservative and liberal views.


Some followed the teaching of the rabbi Shammai.

He had said in an interpretation of Old Testament law that divorce was allowable in only one case—that of marital infidelity. He allowed no other reasons for such termination of marriage.


His opponent in the debate over divorce was the rabbi Hillel.

He had died seven or eight years before Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. No doubt Hillel’s teaching was popular, because he allowed divorce for just about any reason.

Anything about the woman that displeased the man was ground for divorce in Hillel’s opinion.


By His response, Jesus put Himself on the conservative side of the debate.


His purpose, remember, was to show the deeper spiritual implications of the law. He was going to uphold and fulfill the law—to show how it could and should be kept.


So with regard to divorce, He said: “Anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery”


The men were using the Law, which ever teaching - Hillel's teaching rather than  Shammai's   because it left them with and easy excuse to divorce. (Which by the way Shammai's teaching was most definitely the view of Jesus.)



"Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" (Mt.19:3)

In the Old Testament the Mosaic Law allowed divorce for any reason of displeasure concerning indecency:




3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

DEUTERONOMY 24:1 - When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some  uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.


2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.


3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; 4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. [/i]

5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.


(Notice that he said, "For the hardness of your heart".


The writ of divorcement could not have been for adultry during Moses days because according to the Law anyone caught in adultry was stoned to death.

Remember the woman brought to Jesus accusing her of adultry - stones in hand?


It was because of the hardness of their heart that Moses wrote them this precept.


So we're not talking about adultry or fornication. We're talking about literally two schools of thought - rabbi Shammai
and/or Hillel. Obviously, many chose the teachings of Hillel.


6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.


10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

I have many favorites, but the one that stands out in my heart is Job. Not the parts about Job's suffering, though I have great compassion for what he went through. And God did bless him mightly afterward.

What I LOVE is when God talks about himself. When He asks Job - where were you when I.....

At the end Job says: I knew ABOUT you, now I KNOW you.

Extemely inspiring!

Talk about a mighty God we have. Beyond words that I can put together.

He is EVERYTHING!