Virtual Vestry ~ The Story of Jesus, Part #1

This, then, is how you should pray:
'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'

'For yours is the kingdom, and the power,
And the glory forever, Amen

'For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins'

History clearly demonstrates that the followers of Jesus RECITED the Lord's Prayer in formal worship up till the 19th & 20th Centuries. With the advent of the Evangelical Churches in the 19th Century the idea of Recited Prayers was rejected. Much of Christianity continues the practice of regularly reciting the Lord's Prayer in worship.

• Why do you think so many Christians over the centuries believed that Jesus commanded the recitation of the Lord's Prayer?

In Luke 11:2 the form of the GREEK word translated "SAY" is an active imperative verb. This is the prime reason for arguing that it should be translated as "Recite". It carries with the sense of a command!

• What reasons could be used for moving it from a RECITED PRAYER to a MODEL PRAYER?
• What's the difference between the two?
• Were set prayers normal among Jews at the time of Christ?

John the Baptist seems to have given specific prayer to his disciples. This prompted the request from the disciples.

• Is the Lord's Prayer an "I" prayer, "US" prayer or a "WE" prayer?
• What is the significance of each of these choices?
• Could this be important for the time in which we live?
• Could this prayer be considered a COVENANT PRAYER?

Is there a connection between this and the following?

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind'. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

DETAILS OF THE PRAYER

What does it mean to HALLOW THE NAME OF GOD?

• Do we have a responsibility to defend the Character of God?
• How do you think this impacts our daily life?

Does the phrase YOUR KINGDOM COME refer to the present or the future?

• How does this relate the teaching of Jesus, that the kingdom is at hand?

Can God's will, be done on Earth as it is in Heaven?

• How does this impact how you personally live your life?

Give us this day our DAILY BREAD

• What does this say about our fascination with STUFF?
• Does this include more than food for the stomach?
• Why DAILY?

DEBTS, TRESPASSES, SINS .........
These variations in terminology suggest a wide range of things that impact the lives of others. Our ability to share God's passion for forgiveness seems to be at the ROOT of this statement. What teachings of Jesus, or the Bible add depth to the possible importance of this thought? Take some time to make a LIST of these, with references if possible?

LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION!

• Some manuscripts add 'but deliver us from the evil one'
• Could this be connected to Matt 26:41 and James 1:13?

Can you think of SINGLE WORDS that sum up the significance of this prayer? What words would you CHOOSE? Make a list of THREE WORDS.

• PDF of these notes
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

1. Read Matt 16:13-19; Mark 8:27-29; Luke 9:18-20.
2. Read "Pan and Caesarea Philippi" (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_(god) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesarea_Philippi for further information).

All references are to Matthew 16.

• Having read the Wikipedia information what do you make of Caesarea Philippi?
• v13 Why do you think Jesus went with his disciples to Caesarea Philippi?
• v14-v15 Why do you think Jesus asked these two questions?
• v16-17 How do read Peter's response to Jesus' question in the context of Matt 4:18-20; 8:14-15; 8:23-27; 10:1-2; 14:28-33
• v18 Does this text mean that The Church is founded on the apostle Peter? Why/why not?
• v19 Does this sentence concern you? why/why not?
• v20 Why do you think Jesus gave this instruction?

• Note on Pan and Caesarea Philippi
• PDF of these notes
• Presentation slides referred to during the discussion
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

This week we take a break from our 'Story of Jesus' series. Dr Tom de Bruin will be our special guest speaker and his subject will be "God and Gender". He is an excellent speaker, and can be thoroughly recommended to present a thought-provoking talk and lead this fascinating discussion on the Nature of God. Tom's notes follow:

Introduction

Read this article by Dr Aulikki Nahkola, published in the Dutch Adventist church magazine in 2016.

The Bible

Something like biblehub.com is useful for this.

I will often only give a verse, do make sure you look at the context as well!

Metaphors

Read these passages where metaphors or similes are used about God.

• Isaiah 42:10–20, Isaiah 66:12–13 (also 45:10, 49:15?)
• Deuteronomy 32:18
• Matthew 23:37

God's gender

These are the most famous passages where God is directly ascribed a/no gender. What do these passages say about God's gender?

• Genesis 1:26–27
• Proverbs 8:22-23
• Genesis 49:25
• Deuteronomy 4:15–20
• Hosea 11:9

Does God have genitalia?

Read these descriptions of prophets seeing God and God's attendants. What can they tell us about God's gender and that of heavenly beings?

• Isaiah 6:1–4
• Ezekiel 1:26–28

Conclusion

As a final word, allow me to remind us all of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 13: "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."

• PDF of these notes
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

An important theme in last week's exchange was the concept of purity. Can we take this week's lesson and partly explore the opposite of 'purity': 'DEFILEMENT'?

Some atheistic critics hammer their perceived image of the God of the Old Testament, particularly for His cruelty to the Canaanites and other surrounding tribes. Apart from the permanently fought over piece of Real Estate we call 'Israel', the Canaanite culture was extremely seductive. I think without extreme action, the new religion, Judaism, would have been strangled at birth. However, the Canaanites always appeared to have an existence to the north of Israel. I find the genetic mix, as pointed out in the article "Who were the Canaanites? New insight from 73 ancient genomes" of considerable interest. You can draw your own conclusions from that.

The Canaanite woman's daughter was possessed by a demon. The behaviour of those who are demon possessed in the New Testament, always strike me as bordering on the demented, creating in my mind, a tragic-comic image. However, the concept of 'demon possession', I equate with an extremist form of evil.

From a personal point of view, the concept of supernatural possession by a demon does not feature in my conscious thinking, because my thoughts have been shaped by the Western culture which has influenced my cognitive development. This approach obviously has a bearing on shaping my faith, which is key in aiding it to remain authentic. Crucially, it is informed by scriptural revelation given in a historical, cultural context from a Judaistic/ Middle Eastern perspective from two to three thousand years ago.

We concluded last week that a pure heart is having the 'mind' of Christ within us. Perhaps the modern equivalent of being possessed by a 'demon' is permitting ourselves to be defiled by being dominated by our baser natures.

From this week's study, I want to explore with you the following questions:

1. The Canaanites were never annihilated. Can the biblical historians in the group give a sense of the relationship between the Canaanites and the Israelites two thousand years ago?
2. Why was the Canaanite's daughter possessed? (Purely speculative)
3. Under possession, was the daughter (or Gerasene) responsible for her actions?
4. Is there firm evidence to demonstrate that the form of possession we observe in the New Testament, is active in our own culture?
5. If not, does demon possession still exist and what form does it take? Give examples.
6. Initially, Christ appears to treat the woman's plea in an off-hand manner. "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs". If Christ made that statement about someone from a different race in our country, would He have been arrested for a hate speech? Why did Christ respond in that fashion?
7. If the woman would have had little or no faith, her daughter may not have been healed. Should the practice of compassionate acts be conditional?
8. Again, the multitudes come to Christ for healing. The Compassionate Christ has dominated a number of our recent studies. Can you identify a number of qualities which makes this virtue special?

This short exchange between Jesus and some Pharisees appears, more or less identically, in both Matthew and Mark. At first glance the telling-off that the Pharisees receive seems to have little to do with modern life. In this week in late 2021, this week of the CoP26 Climate Change Conference that's happening just down the road from where I write, it can be difficult to muster up the enthusiasm to have yet another go at the Pharisees. And yet...

Read Mark's account of this incident in chapter 7. In v5 a (possibly?) innocuous question is asked by the Pharisees and 'teachers of the law' – why, exactly, don't you lot obey the ceremonial rules? Jesus blasts them with a quote from Isaiah and calls them hypocrites. "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions".

1. The Adventist Sabbath School lessons for this quarter in 2021 are on the Book of Deuteronomy. This book, and its partner, Leviticus, are the source of many of these rules on cleanliness and purity. Was Christ referring to those Levitical/Deuteronomical rules? If not, then what?

2. In particular Jesus takes the Pharisees to task on the idea that their giving to God (see Korban for details on the workings of this system) negates the requirement to look after their own parents. He expressly quotes the Commandment to honour your father and your mother.

   A few years ago I was walking the Camino de Santiago, in northern Spain and found myself in the town of Leon. I spent a Sabbath morning exploring the magnificent cathedral and wrote this on my blog.

   The audio guide said that in the 13th century, when the cathedral was built, the town was a mere 5000 people. That's smaller than my home town in Scotland. I'm never entirely sure if this is a genuine sacrificial act of community worship or some feudal game of "who has the best cathedral" played by the ruling classes, whilst the peasants would really rather just have some more food. I suspect the latter but I suppose we'll never know.

   How important it is to you to "give to the church" (or some similar organisation)? Does that giving mean that you can't fulfill your responsibilities elsewhere? Don't we, as Christians, value "sacrificial giving"? What principle do you draw from Christ's complaint to the Pharisees?

3. Adventists traditionally hold to some of the rules and regulations from the Torah, but not others. For example the commonly observed injunction to not eat shellfish has its roots in Fundamental Belief #22 where "we are to adopt the most healthful diet possible and abstain from the unclean foods identified in the Scriptures" (emphasis mine). How does this directive square with the text in parentheses at the end of v19: "In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean".

   Mike L sent me a message earlier this week about v19 which he kindly allowed me to quote here (and he wanted to add that these thoughts are his opinions and are not academically researched conclusions!).

   Not sure if you're planning to venture into Mk 7:19? The final phrase is a can of worms... Bible Gateway gives a variety of translations, many of which are (in my opinion) rather contrived. Some are highly contrived given the difficulty of translating the Greek.

   "Meats" is basically just "food"

   "Thus he declared" is taken by many to be implied, but is definitely not in the Greek.

   Transliteration of the Greek:

   "...into the stomach
   and into the drain/sewer it (the food)
   goes out
   cleansing/purging
   all the foods

   As far as I can see there is no justification for statements like "In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean - NIV etc).

   I've always wanted to argue that it's now OK to eat pork and prawns - but I find no justification for this. As I read the Greek it seems to me it is the cleaning out of the stomach and bowel that is being referred to here. Perhaps the GNV and ISV are closest to the original meaning?

   What are your thoughts on this text and its meaning?

The notion of 'purity' was important to the Jews and is important to Christians today. But quite what we mean by that word 'purity' can be contentious. My guess would be that your initial gut reaction to hearing the phrase 'Christian purity' would be to think of sexual purity and sexual purity only. I fired up my favoured internet search engine (DuckDuckGo) and started typing the words Christian and purity. The autopredict gave me this:

It would appear that the wisdom of the crowd (aka autopredict) would agree with my guess.

Following a few of the first page search results was a dispiriting experience. I visited a Focus on the Family page that stresses the importance of 'chastity' and referenced further pages on 'What to do if Your Teenage Daughter is Having Sex' (if there was a 'Teenage Son' version of this page it was not immediately obvious). Focus on the Family was founded by James Dobson, a prominent evangelical supporter of a certain Donald J Trump, a man of (how shall we put it?) questionable sexual purity. The athiests had a field day.

Questions

• Does 'purity' in modern Christian culture mean more than sexual purity? If so, what else?
• Take another look at the phrases suggested by my web browser - 'for her', 'for women', 'for girls'. Is purity only a woman's problem?
• 'Purity culture' is pervasive across the church. Take a look at the following articles:
  • '7 Lies That Purity Culture Teaches Women' (from CBE International, a Christian organisation that promotes equality within the church).
  • ' How an Abstinence Pledge in the '90s Shamed a Generation of Evangelicals ' (from the New York Times).
  • 'How Should Christians Have Sex?' (also from the New York Times).
  How do these articles make you feel?
• And lest we think that we're immune from the darker side of sexual issues here are some disturbing articles from within Adventism: 'The Great Institutional Sin' and 'Pipim Sexual Abuse Victim: The Story from a First-person Observer'.
• What actually is important in
  • a discussion on 'purity' in general?
  • a discussion on 'sexual purity' in particular?
• In recent years there has been a huge cultural shift in our understanding of sexual and power relationships. The #MeToo movement has upended many old norms. What have you learned from this shift?

• PDF of these notes
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

Preparation

Read John 6: 22-66 several times in a variety of translations

1. Jn 6:22-25 Setting the scene - by the lakeside
2. Jn 6:26-34 The questions of the crowd and the answers Jesus gives
3. Jn 6:35-36 In the synagogue: Jesus makes an "I am" statement
4. Jn 6:41-58 The Jews (aka Pharisees) murmur and dispute with Jesus
5. Jn 6:60 The reaction of the disciples

Please note that the additional document ("Notes from Commentaries") provides additional information which some might find of interest.

Background

Following the feeding of the 5000 the crowd discovers Jesus. This provokes fierce debate between (a) the crowd on the lakeside and Jesus and (b) the Jews in the synagogue and Jesus. The summary of these "discussions" that John records here has been, and continues to be, one of the most significant passages of scripture for Christians through the ages.

Discussion

There are a number of discrete sections in this passage. We will consider as many of these as time allows but not in the order given by John; we will start with what is, arguably, the most important section first, and then if there is any time left, then we will go back to some of the others.

Questions

1. What does Jesus mean / how do we understand his statements as recorded in vs 48-58:
   1. "I am the bread of life" (vs 35, 41, 48, 51, 58)
   2. "... it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world" ... "This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat of it and not die" (vs 32b-34;50)
   3. "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever" (v51)
   4. "The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh" (v51)
   5. "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in you . . . Those who eat my flesh and drink have eternal life ... for my flesh is true flesh and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them." (vs 53-56)
2. Do the disciples' reactions in vs 60, 66 surprise you? What do think about Jesus' response in vs 61-65? How does the response of the crowd described in vs 22-66 compare to responses of crowds today who encounter Christianity ? How should we react to such responses?
3. Read vs 25-34 and imagine you are in the crowd in Capernaum. What would you have made of the conversation? What meaning(s) would you take away from it?
4. What does Jesus mean / how do we understand his statements as recorded in vs27-28? The crowd asks what works they had to perform. Note the meanings of the words in capitals:
   
   "what must we

   DO (simply actions)

   so that we may

   ACCOMPLISH, CARRY OUT, WORK HARD (manual labour)
   (Note: there are hints of BEING SEEN TO BE WORKING and of gaining reward, payment)

   the

   ACTIVITIES, TASKS, ACCOMPLISHMENTS
   (Note: there are hints of PROOF OF WORKING BEING DEMONSTRATED)

   of God?"
5. v29: What do you understand by Jesus' answer to the crowd's question?
   "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent"
6. v42: Was the Jew's question a reasonable one? Why / why not?

• PDF of these notes
• Notes from Commentaries
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

Today is a follow-up from our discussion last week on the Feeding of the 5000.

Walking On Water

There were two storms on two boats involving Jesus and his disciples:

1. Matt 8:23-27; Mark 4:36-41; Luke 8:22-25. Disciples in Fear (Jesus asleep)
2. This week's texts. Disciples in Fear (Jesus absent most of the night, appears walking on the water)

Question: In your own journey in life have you ever felt abandoned by God. That he is missing in action when you most desire his help?

In the incident where Jesus was sleeping in the boat, they were crossing the lake, on the way to the country of the Gadarenes. All the locations for the walking on water incident are on the same side of the lake, yet the texts talk about crossing the lake, and John refers to the opposite shore of the lake. Their use of terminology was obviously different to our modern usage. The fact that they ended up in Gennesaret confirms that the headwind was so strong they were travelling backwards. Instead of getting closer to Capernaum they landed further away. They may well have been close to the shore most of the night.

Questions

1. Have you ever felt you were making no progress despite all your efforts?
2. Has Jesus ever turned up when you were exhausted with self-help?

Peter's attempt to walk on water

Only Matthew reports this!

Questions:

1. Does the absence of this account in Mark surprise you?
2. What spiritual lessons can be found here?
3. Does it tell us anything about Peter?

Response of the Disciples

Matthew

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."... And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Is it possible that when the sea went calm it was now daylight and they were so close to the shore that it only took a few minutes to reach land safely? Compared with their all-night rowing efforts that would have been immediate!

Questions:

1. On what other occasion does Jesus have to assure them with the words "it is I"
2. How do you view the reactions of the disciples?
3. What do you think about the touching of his cloak, as the way to healing?

The most important part of the story is in fact a repetition of a similar incident.

Matt 14:27 "Jesus went up on a mountainside to pray by himself alone"

Mark 1:35-39 (Luke 4:41-44) Jesus also withdraws to spend time in prayer) and when he is found REFUSES their request to stay there.

Questions:

1. Why did Jesus constantly retreat to pray in solitude?
2. Why did he do so when the disciples and the crowds were wanting his presence?
3. Do we take prayer seriously enough?

• PDF of these notes
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

The gospel stories this week are amongst the best known - walking on the water and feeding a big crowd with more or less nothing. So, what can we bring to this that might be new and interesting?

A Bigger Picture - Why?

For lifelong Christians some of these stories are so familiar that we don't really think about them anymore. We never ask the question 'Why did Jesus do that?'. And the subsequent question 'Why are there times when Jesus does nothing?'.

For example, we all know about the story of freeing Paul and Silas from jail (Acts 16:16-34) and are content to treat this as a 'miracle'. But what about John the Baptist's similar problems with the local authoritites that landed him in jail? That story does not end so well. In Matthew's gospel the beheading of John the Baptist immediately precedes the story of the feeding of the five thousand. In Matt 14:13 we are told that "when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself". Was Jesus upset by the news? I think the answer to that is obviously 'yes'.

So, let us ask: why were Paul and Silas freed and not John? Why did God/Jesus intervene in the former and not the latter?

Let's read on in Matthew. The crowds followed Jesus to that 'desolate place' and "he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick". It was getting late and Jesus performed the famous conversion of five loaves and two fish into enough food for 5000 or so men, plus an unknown number of women and children. Such was the bounty that, upon tidying up afterwards, the disciples "took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over".

Why ask "Why"?

Some preambles...

I'm a long time Christian and I'm also a scientist. Much of science is about spotting patterns, thus:

If I do this action and this happens, and it happens every time I take that action - then I've found out something useful about the system. I've done some science.

Unfortunately, as a result of my scientific background, I truly struggle with the (seeming?) arbitrariness of understanding those occasions when God/Jesus intervenes and those when he does not. Where is the pattern?

Now there are those, most famously Steven Jay Gould, who propose that the 'rules' of science/rationalism should not be considered when looking at religion¹ and that, perhaps, looking for patterns is a fool's errand. I've always struggled with that notion, too.

When thinking about the 'why', two thoughts from previous VV discussions came to mind:

1. Knowledge: Last week Jim floated the notion that Jesus, in his human form, may not have had access to what was going on in the rest of the world that was beyond his (human) field of view. He was not omnipresent and thus he was not omniscient.
2. Love: Previously, in Week 26, we discussed a Telegram conversation about the correct translation of Mark 1:41. Was Christ 'indignant' or was Christ 'moved with compassion'? We, largely, favoured the latter. In fact, we concluded that Jesus' love for those he saw around him was a defining feature.

So, to my quandaries for this week:

• Did Jesus simply not know about the ill and hungry that were not directly in front of him (see point 1, above)? Or, maybe, did he have no ability to heal/feed such people remotely? I suspect that most VVers would dismiss this idea.
• We traditionally tell the 'feeding the 5000' story as an example of Christ's love and concern for those people who had come to hear him. Let me ask a hard question. If Christ is God and God/Christ is omni-present (ie everywhere at once) and he is all-loving then why does he not intervene in feeding the many thousands in Darfur, Bangladesh and countless other places in the world? Why?
• In both the beginning (v14) and the end of today's texts in Matt 14, Jesus heals "all who were sick" (v35). Those people who received healing had the benefit of being within walking distance of where Jesus was. Let me ask another hard question. If Christ is God and God/Christ is omni-present (ie everywhere at once) and he is all-loving then why does he not intervene in healing the many thousands in Lebanon, Syria and countless other places in the world? Why?

Traditionally we view Jesus' interventions in the world that was directly around him as being examples of his love and concern (often in marked contrast with the authorities of that time and place). This is a position on which I think we can all agree. But... This does not explain the specificity of Jesus' actions. Why does he intervene in what is happening in front of him but not intervene in, say, a sick person three valleys to the east?

Perhaps there's something else going on? Perhaps the point of the feeding and the healing isn't actually the feeding and the healing? Perhaps the why? is to be found elsewhere? If so, where?!

Bring your thoughts to the class!

¹Gould coined the phrase 'non-overlapping magisteria' to describe this problem. To quote from Wikipedia: "science and religion each represent different areas of inquiry, fact vs. values, so there is a difference between the 'nets' over which they have 'a legitimate magisterium, or domain of teaching authority', and the two domains do not overlap."

• PDF of these notes
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

Let me state from the outset that when I initially read through these passages with the thought of leading out in a discussion on their contents, I immediately recognised I was out of my depth. The sensible thing to do was to head for the shallow end. But it's not clear to me where the shallow end is in these passages - Mike, Andrew, Llew and others, occasionally you may have to throw me a life-raft!

Whatever difficulties these passages will throw up, it is clear to me they are about mission. Mission is about looking outwards to the needs of others. Whatever the difficulties we have in spreading the gospel, it appears to be a vital component of the transformed Christian's life. Hopefully, we can have a discussion on how to approach 'mission' today in a secularised, unchurched country.

Two points upon which we may want to reflect:

1. We've recently had some local difficulties with the actions of some of our church leaders. Of the twelve apostles, one was to doubt His resurrection. A second was to betray Him. A third was to deny Him at the most vulnerable point in His human existence. Yet He still sent them out!
2. I think Christ was a brilliant, mission strategist. Can you tease out from the passages the case to support this conclusion?

Christ's instructions to his disciples:

1. Go to the lost sheep of Israel.
2. Proclaim this message; "The Kingdom of Heaven has come near".
3. Heal the sick; raise the dead; cleanse those who have leprosy; drive out demons.
4. Freely give.
5. Rely on the hospitality of sympathisers.
6. Walk away from those who will not listen to you.

WARNING: Be prepared for persecution.
SUPPORT: You will be given what to say.

WARNING: There is likely to be a major breach in the social bond that is precious to you.
REASON: Your loyalties will have to fundamentally change.

1. The Kingdom of Heaven has come near.
2. Do not fear for those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
3. Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
4. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life will find it.
5. The terrifying experiences portrayed in Matt 5:16-23 did not appear to happen to the apostles at that precise period in time. Can you explain its insertion here?
6. Are our Christian convictions of sufficient strength to overcome the influence of our close, tribal bonds when faced with a moral dilemma?

Where do we go with mission today?

A quote from the late William Barclay:

There are two great days in a person's life, the day we are born and the day we discover why.

• PDF of these notes
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

This week we will follow the melodramatic 3-layer story of the interaction between Jesus, Simon (a Pharisee) and a woman (of "ill repute") and its implications for the concept and practice of forgiveness as reported by Luke

We will also note a similar story as reported in three of the four gospels.

1. Read Luke 7:36-50 and 8:1-3 in NKJV, NRSV or similar and also in a contemporary version (MSG or similar)
2. Read Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8
3. Check over all four reports (Mt, Mk, Lk and Jn) and make a note of your answers to the following questions:
   • Where does the action take place in Mt, Mk, Lk, Jn?
   • When does it take place?
   • Where does the woman pour the ointment in the four stories?
   • What is the significance, if any, of the woman using her hair to dry Jesus' feet?
   • What complaint is made and by whom?
   • How does Jesus respond to the complaint?
   • How does the story conclude?
4. Read the Luke version as shown at below and note the formatting

1. Is Luke telling the same story as the other gospel writers? What is the evidence for your conclusion? (Not too long on this one!)
2. How do you feel about the way Jesus treated the woman?
3. How do you feel about the way Jesus treated Simon? Do you think this was a private conversation or heard by everyone?
4. Imagine you are that woman. Why did you do this to Jesus in public? Describe your thoughts and feelings as the evening progresses.
5. Imagine you are Simon. Describe your thoughts and feelings as the evening progresses.
6. According to the story what SIX things didn't get or didn't appear to get done? How do feel about the three unstated ones (which you'll need to discover by reading between the lines)?
7. What is the principal lesson that you take away from this story?
8. What other lessons might be within it?
9. What connection (if any) do you see between Luke 7:36-50 and 8:1-3 ?

Luke 7:36-50, formatted to show structure

Introduction: One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, was there.

The woman acts: having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, She brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his (dirty, unclean) feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment.

Simon and Jesus speak: Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.' Jesus spoke up and said to him, 'Simon, I have something to say to you.' 'Teacher,' he replied, 'speak.'

Jesus tells a parable: 'A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them.

Jesus and Simon speak: Now which of them will love him more?' Simon answered, 'I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.' And Jesus said to him, 'You have judged rightly.' Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.'

Jesus talks to the woman: Then he said to her, 'Your sins are forgiven.'

Conclusion: But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, 'Who is this who even forgives sins?' And he said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'

• PDF of these notes
• PowerPoint slides referred to during the discussion
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

From Mike Lewis' notes last week - parables are "a sword to stab people's minds awake".

Read the passages Matt 13:24-30, 13:36-42 and Matt 13:47-50

• What do they say to you?
• Where were you stabbed?

What is the point of the 'wheat and weeds' story? Why do you think Jesus waits until he and the disciples are in the house before explaining it? Or why did the disciples wait until they were in the house before asking? What is their concern? Note the absence of any reference to 'wheat' in the 13:36-42 section. Is that significant?

So how should we deal with 'sons of the evil one' (v38) in the church? How could you go about instructing your local church board!

And... what then is the main point of the 'net' parable? (Matt 13:47-50)

See what you can find out about "Bounded and Centred sets". This idea was originally proposed around 25 years ago by Paul Hiebert, in relation to a new way of understanding social groupings. Hiebert wrote about this in his book, "Anthropological Reflections on Missiological Issues".

Discuss the implications!

Finally, a quote from Henri Nouwen to chew on ...

Compassion can never coexist with judgment because judgment creates the distance, the distinction, that prevents us from really being with the other.

• PDF of these notes
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

This week we will consider various short parables spoken by Jesus as recorded by Matthew, Mark and Luke.

Read this statement from William Barclay, and treat the Preparation below accordingly.

The parable is essentially a sword to stab people's minds awake; and therefore its interpretation can never be that which could be discovered only after long labour in the study. It must be one single truth which the story illuminates which leaps out to meet the listener's mind.

"And Jesus Said", William Barclay, p8

Read these parables in the order given - as soundbites - and immediately write down the answers to the questions in the order given. Finish one parable before moving to the next and don't go back and change what you wrote.

1. Mark 4:26-29
   What is the key thrust of this parable?
2. Matt 13:31-32, Mark 4:30-32, Luke 13:18-19
   How does this inform you regarding the Kingdom of Heaven?
3. Matt 13:33, Luke 13:20-21
   What has yeast and making bread got to do with the Kingdom of Heaven?
4. Matt 13:44
   Is the "someone" being dishonest?
5. Matt 13:45
   What does this tell you about Jesus' audience?
6. Matt 13:47-50
   In one sentence, what is Jesus' message in this parable?
7. What picture of the Kingdom of Heaven did YOU get on reading these five parables?
8. Mark 4:21-25, Luke 8:16-18
   What is the thrust of Jesus' message here?
9. Matt 13:51-52
   What is your answer to Jesus' question? (Be honest!) What might be the "new and old treasure"?
10. Matt 13:34-35, Mark 4:33-34
    What might Mark's attitude have been, considering his phrase "as they were able to hear it"? How do you understand/interpret Mark 4 34?

• PDF of these notes
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

Read carefully the above passages:

• Share your understanding of each element of the parable of the sower in the light of Christ's explanation.
• How does it translate to the world of today?
• When we take on the title of 'Christian' what difference does it make as to how we treat others?

• PDF of these notes
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

Lamb of God, I look to Thee;
Thou shalt my example be:
Thou art gentle, meek and mild;
Thou wast once a little child.
- From 'Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild' by Charles Wesley

Well, this will be interesting....

Two thoughts spring to mind for me.

Thought #1: Tanya Luhrmann in her revealing book "When God Talks Back" relates the rise of The Vineyard and similar charismatic churches in the 1960s. She makes many references to the 'individualisation' of religious experience. With this indivualisation comes a change in the way one views 'God'. Writing about the worship songs in such a church she says:

Here in these songs, the remarkable God of this kind of church shines forth. Rarely do you hear of his judgement; always you are aware of his love; never, ever, does a song suggest you might fear his anger. He is a person: lover, father, of course, but more remarkably, friend. Best friend.

One song begins with breathless amazement that God pays attention to the singer, thinks of the singer, loves him or her... Some songs are rousing, and people punch at the air with their hands: "Blessed be the name of the Lord!" or "Shout to the earth his name!". These are songs to drive with and dance with and clean the house with. But mostly these are songs to cry with: songs about perfect idyllic friendship in a most imperfect world...

This God is intensely human in this music, and the singer wants him so badly that the lyrics sound like a teenage fan's longing for a teen idol she can touch.
When God Talks Back, p4-5

Thought #2: Subscribers to the Telegram Virtual Vestry group will have seen the excellent and spirited discussion on the correct translation of Mark 1:41 in which Jesus heals a leper. Is it
"Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him..."? (NKJV)
Or should it be
"Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man"? (NIV)
Do you choose a translation based on your view of Christ? Christ the 'hippie', the 'best friend'? Or Christ the avenger?

Woe

This week we come to a passage recounted by Matthew and Luke where Jesus seems much more keen on judgement that he does on being friendly. "To what can I compare this generation?" he laments. Verse 17 seems to be a quote (from where I could not establish) likening this generation to petulant children. Jesus compares the actions of John and himself and concludes that he just can't win. Then in v20 comes the famous "Woe..." rebuke to Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. The latter really gets it. A comparison with Sodom in which Sodom comes out best will never feature in the Capernaum Tourist Board's publicity material.

Read carefully the "Woe" passage in Matthew 11:20-24:

• Did Jesus really mean it? Is he sending Capernaum to hell?
• Or is Jesus being somehow human? Is his human frustration spilling over?
• Is frustration a divine attribute?

Compare and Contrast...

A common idea is that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament appear to be very different. It would be hard to imagine that the attendees of the worship service described by Luhrmann, above, give any thought to the God of the second Commandment who promises the children of those who worship idols punishment for four generations.

• Do you think it can be difficult to square the pictures of God in the OT and the NT? Why? Why not?
• I recall learning the 10 Commandments as a child and feeling that the second one was, quite simply, unfair. Was my 10-year-old self wrong? Explain! Even better, explain as you would to a 10-year-old.

But I like...

In 'Thought #2', above, I asked if your preferred translation of Mark 1:41 is dependent on your view of Jesus. How would you argue that it isn't? Alden Thompson, in his excellent book "Who's Afraid of the Old Testament God?" puts forward the idea (paraphrased badly by me) that if you find some parts of the OT at best baffling and at worse genocidal, then you simply ignore those parts. Pay attention to those sections of the Bible that are helpful to you in your practical life and trust that somehow the 'bad' bits will make sense at some point.

• What do you think of that approach to the 'difficult' parts of the Bible?
• Be honest! How much of your personal Biblical interpretation is confirmation bias?

'Un-Woe'

The next passage in Matthew contains one of my favourite and most quoted texts: "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" says Jesus. Yes! Sign me up for that!

But before we get there we have vv25-27; a fascinating claim that Jesus is the "locus of all revelation. Whatever revelation there may be, dispersed in human intellect and values, the centre of all God's self-disclosure is Jesus of Nazareth" (Green, p132).

Michael Green outlines 5 claims made in this passage:

1. God the Father conceals and reveals according to his will
2. Jesus is the representative of the Father
3. Only the Father fully understands Jesus
4. Only Jesus fully understands the Father
5. Because Jesus shares the Father's nature as well as ours, he and he alone can reveal the Father

There you have it in a nutshell. And what does this mean? See vv28-30. "Come to me" says Jesus...

And finally...

• Do you think the "Come to me..." invitation in vv28-30 somehow contradicts, or maybe even negates, the "Woe..." in vv20-24? Are the citizens of Capernaum also included in this invitation?
• Like the citizens of Capernaum, if you don't do the Right Thing then you will be punished. Last week we discussed the tricky topic of healing. Do you think that God punishes the unwell? Or even more simply - does God punish at all?
• Some Christian commentators consider the religion of Christianity to have been 'feminised' over the past 50 years or so. They reference the activities described by Luhrmann, above, as evidence that the person of Jesus is more 'meek and mild' than 'bringer of judgement'. In some quarters there is a backlash to this - an attempt is made to muscularise Christ and to promote 'judgement' over 'meek and mild'. What do you think? Has Jesus been 'feminised' in contemporary Christian culture? And as an aside, what do you think of the use of the word 'feminised' at all in this context?
• In the last few years there has arisen, particularly in the USA, a particular type of Christian Nationalism with an authoritarian bent. In a recent New York Times piece, "When Dictators Find God", David Brooks argues that Putin, Xi Jinping et al are practitioners of "spiritually coated authoritarianism". "These religiously cloaked authoritarians have naturally provoked an anti-religious backlash among those who understandably now associate religion with authoritarianism, nativism and general thuggishness."
  • How, exactly, did religion become associated with "authoritarianism, nativism and general thuggishness"?
  • In the culture wars between the 'masculine' and 'feminine' (please note the heavy use of air quotes!) Jesus where do you lie?
  • How do you feel about strong-man leaders using Christianity to support their views?

• PDF of these notes
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

Read and reflect on the above texts...

The study from Matthew 5 to Matthew 8:5 evokes the following:

Challenge, Humilty, Trust, Being morally unostentatious, Being non-judgemental, Spritual and moral engagement, Self-reflection, Preparedness, Being critically perceptive, Divine dependence, to name but some...

The overall theme is that of personal transformation

Matthew 8:5-13 is different. Why?

Read Luke 7:1-10
Tease out the important differences and their significance, between the two versions. I encourage the biblical scholars to make a contribution on this part. Their contributions in the past have been enlightening.

Luke 7:11-17 is different from the other two example of healing. Discuss!

In John 4:46-48 you may detect a sign of irritation in the exchange between Christ and his audience. Can you suggest why this may be the case?

Issue #1

Has the tool of 'Signs and Wonders' been an abysmal failure as a mode of Christian conversion?

Issue #2

There is a scarcity of evidence that 'miraculous healing' as was practiced by Christ and his disciples is operational today. There is no evidence that any person in recent historical memory has been raised from the dead. In our so-called 'Age of Reason' I invite a discussion on these concepts.

Do you think that the status and authority of Christ partly resides on his ability and willingness to perform miracles, not only 2000 years ago, but also today?

I end with quote from Schopenhauer: "Compassion is the basis of morality".

Further reading:

• "Faith Healing Shouldn't Work, But It Does" - a paper from Psychology Today.
• "Pastor dies from COVID after church told members 'not to worry' about virus because 'God is in control'" - a lesson in our time.

Notes etc:

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)
• PDF of these notes

And now for something a little different...

A few weeks ago we discussed the Sabbath and the statements of Christ on that subject. This week we want to have a thoroughly practical session on the same subject.

There are no real notes this week, deliberately so. We all know the theology of the Sabbath - most of us belong to a denomination that named itself after the 7th day Sabbath - so we're not going to go down that particular route.

Rather, let's do this intensely practical thing:

Tell us about your Sabbath...

• What is it for, for you?
• How do you 'keep' it?
• Sell it to me - why should I bother with it?

We want to hear your personal take on the Sabbath. There are no wrong answers!

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

Chapter 6 ended with the message: 'seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you'. Consider that statement and 1 Cor:13 as a backdrop to everything in this section.

WHEN JUDGEMENT IS A STEP TOO FAR

Matt 7: 1-6

• Why does Jesus prohibit the type of judgement described in this passage?
• Why would Jesus make the statement about dogs and pigs in verse 6?
• When Jesus later says 'by their fruits ye shall know them' in Matt 7:24-27 does this not require some form of judgment?
• Are there other passages of scripture that suggest some form of judgment by believers is REQUIRED?
• Doesn't PAUL suggest that the church needs to discipline individuals for certain types of sin?

CHOICES and OUTCOMES

Matt 7:7-11; Luke 11:9-13 Ask, Seek, Knock

• Ask, seek, knock: all imply choices and action on our part that led to outcomes.
• What actions do EACH of these items refer to?
• What critical piece of information does LUKE provide that brings some perspective to what Jesus is talking about?
• How do you think Jesus meant in verse 12 about the summing up of the Law and the Prophets?

ETERNAL OUTCOMES TO HUMAN CHOICES

Matt 7:13-14 The Narrow and Wide Gates
Matt 7:24-27 Wise and Foolish Builders
Why are these statement from Jesus, so critical to our understanding of the plan of salvation?

DANGERS ON ROUTE

Matt 7:15-20 True and False Prophets

• Prophets may or may not be from withing the church!
• Are there true and false prophets within the secular world?
• Are there true and false prophets within the Christian world?
• What fruits (good or bad) should we be looking for?

Matt 7:21-23 True and False Disciples

Would it be true to say that there are 3 primary groups among those who believe in God?

• PASSIVE... believing that being a good person is good enough!
• DOING .... in the name of God
• BEING .... in the power of the Holy Spirit

REACTION TO THE SERMON

Matt 7:28-29

• The Scribes and Pharisees obviously had authority?
• Why were the hearers of the Sermon on the mount so impressed by the authority of Jesus?

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)
• PDF of these notes

Note, when reading Matt 6 that "When you..." indicates expected parts of the believer's life.

The secret giving of the believer

• "When you give..." v2-3.
• Consider the example of Chuck Feeney.

The secret prayers of the believer

• "When you pray..." v5-7
• Compare with some of the prayers of the OT with what Jesus taught. eg
  • Psalm 86 A prayer of David
  • 1 Kings 8:22-62 Solomon's prayer at the temple dedication
  • 2 Kings 19:14-19 Hezekiah's prayer for deliverance from Assyrians
  • Nehemiah 1:4-11 Nehemiah's prayer for help for Jerusalem
  • Daniel 9:4-19 Daniel's prayer for his people
• What makes Jesus' prayer different?

The secret fasting of the believer

• "When you fast..." v16-17

Lay up treasures in heaven

• How do you do that?

Live without anxiety

• "Do not be anxious..." v25/v27/v28/v31/v34
• Really!!!

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)
• PDF of these notes
• PowerPoint slides referred to during the discussion

Read Matt 5:1-48 with a focus on 21-48; 7:28-29; 21:23-27.

Also note Ex 20:12-17; Deut 19:15-21; Job 29:1; 31:1-12; Deut 24: 1-4; Lev 19:12; Num 30; Deut 17:7-11; Lev 19:18; 19:2 and Romans 7-8.

1. What do you notice about the changes in the pronoun as you read through chapter 5? What significance might this have?
2. Are Lev 19:2 ("You shall be sacred / holy, for I the Lord you God am sacred / holy") and Matt 5:48 ("Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect") saying the same thing? If not, what are the differences?
3. Commandments 5-10 from Exodus 20 promote Honouring Parents and then forbid Murder, Adultery, Theft, False Witness and Covetousness. Despite Jesus stating he was not "abolishing the law", why do you think he makes no mention of number 5, 8, 9 and 10? Why might he have focused only on number 3, 6 and 7?
4. Being realistic and practical, how do (note, not 'how should'') you/I/we deal with Matthew 5: 22, 28-30, 39-42 and 44? Where does one draw the line between admiring the well-honed body of a Tokyo Olympic Swimmer and breaking the 7th and/or 10th commandment? If one finds oneself on the wrong side of that line, what can/should one do about it?
5. How do think Jesus' audience reacted when they heard him say "therefore be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect"? What is your reaction to this statement?
6. It seems likely that Matthew's gospel and Paul's letter to the Romans would have been written within a decade or so of each other. My gut feeling is that Matthew didn't know Paul's letter to the Romans. Paul, however, might well have known Matthew's gospel. Would a knowledge of Romans 7:1 - 8:17 (esp 7:15 - 8:2) have helped or confused Jesus' audience sitting on the grass in the province of Galilee on hearing Jesus say "Hey you lot, you gotta be perfect!"?
7. How can we possibly get through all this in just 90 minutes???

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)
• PDF of these notes
• PowerPoint slides referred to during the discussion

Some observations up for discussion - I have also supplied a second document made up mainly of some 'friends' of mine for your extra reading.

Last Sabbath in Steve's class some wonderful insights were made - here are some - sprinkled among my somewhat random thoughts, this week. [I won't name people in case I get it wrong...!]:

• Read Matt 4:23-25 and answer the questions: What is the gospel [good news] of the Kingdom? The people in the passage, I assume, are the audience of the sermon on the mount - what would have been the good news to them?
• The beatitudes of ...Ben Sirach 25:7-9

  "I can think of nine whom I would call blessed, and a tenth my tongue proclaims:
  a man who can rejoice in his children;
  a man who lives to see the downfall of his foes.
  Happy the man who lives with a sensible wife,
  and the one who does not plough with ox and ass together.
  Happy is the one who does not sin with his tongue
  and the one who has not served an inferior.
  Happy is the one who finds a friend and the one who speaks to attentive listeners."

  Apparently Jewish rabbis liked to preface their teaching with a list of values that they considered blessed. How do the values of the Sirach differ from the values Jesus outlines in His beatitudes?
• It's not purity that is blessed but purity of heart. Look through the sermon and note the number of references to 'heart' and to thoughts/actions that have to do with our hearts - could we name this Kingdom the "Kingdom of the heart"?
• Our main work is salt - unseen and pervasive. What are Christians who are flavourless? What should be done to them? What is the difference between salt and light witnessing?
• Mercy without law is meaningless. Think that through - true or not true? Have you ever met a person named "least"?
• Our section finishes with Matt 5:48. Does the standard of being perfect give you problems? Why perfect like "your" heavenly father is?

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)
• PDF of these notes
• Additional notes from Llew

"The Sermon on the Mount is the supreme jewel in the crown of Jesus' teaching" says the introduction to Matthew 5 in Michael Green's commentary.

"The Sermon of the Mount has a unique fascination. It seems to present the quintessence of the teachings of Jesus. It makes goodness attractive. It shames our shabby performance. It engenders dreams of a better world" says John Stott, who then goes on to quote a sermon delivered by John Donne in 1629, "All the articles of our religion, all the canons of our church, all the injunctions of our princes, all the homilies of our fathers, all the body of divinity, is in these three chapters, in this one Sermon on the Mount."

Phew!

Such is the importance of these chapters (and the complementary story in Luke) that we will be spending the next four weeks doing our best to tease out its message.

Next to John 3:16, and maybe Genesis 1, this section of scripture is perhaps the best known to the secular world. It's been expertly parodied by Monty Python ('blessed are the cheesemakers??!'). It is considered by some to be nothing more than Hallmark greeting card cod-philosophy ('be nice'), and by yet others to be a work of great poetry.

But to us professing Christians - what are we to make of it?

Jesus goes up a mountain to talk to his disciples. Crowds gather.

• Who shows up?
• Why is it important that those particular groups show up? What does this tell us about Christ's message?

"Moses went up Mount Sinai to get the law from God to give to the people of Israel. And now Moses' great successor ascends a mountain to receive from his Father and transmit to his disciples the law of the kingdom. We have a new law for a new people given on a new mountain by a new Moses. That is the context of the Sermon." Green, p76

Read the section of the Sermon on the Mount commonly known as the Beatitudes (Matt 5:3-12). Much space in the commentaries is given over to the translation of the repeated phrase rendered in the NIV as 'Blessed are...'. Other translations have it as 'Happy are' and still others as 'God's favour is on'. All three would seem to be linguistically valid. But all three have subtly different overtones. Which is your preference?

We'll spend some time looking at each of the 8 statements. Read them and note your reactions. Do you think there's something important in the order in which the statements are made?

1. poor in spirit
2. those who mourn
3. meek
4. hunger and thirst
5. merciful
6. pure in heart
7. peacemakers
8. persecuted

Jesus then gives two characteristics of the blessed life that should be seen in us (vv 13-14), 'salt' and 'light'. Both images have something to say about Christian involvement in society. Are these verses explicit instructions for us to be deeply involved in the world in which we live?

Verses 17 and 18 - ""Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished." - are the source of much discussion and disagreement amongst Christians. What do you think Jesus meant?

As you think on vv17-18 and as we discuss in our study time we may well find ourselves in need of Beatitudes #3, #5 and #7! But, as we all know, our understanding of these verses will inform our attitudes to 'law' and 'grace' and even to the person of Jesus himself.

Verse 19 is a stern injunction not to set aside 'one of the least of these commands' and not to come up with any alternative 'commands'. Who do you think is being addressed in this verse? The Pharisees? The Adventists? The Pope? Christians in general? You? How do you interpret this verse and to whom do you apply it?

We close out our discussion with verse 20 where Jesus makes another scathing attack on the Pharisees and the teachers. Christ's objections to the religious leaders of his day decidedly outweigh his objections to Herod, the Romans, or any other 'force' in the lives of his audience. Again, how do you interpret this verse and to whom do you apply it in the 21st century?

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)
• PDF of these notes
• PowerPoint slides referred to during the discussion

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

Rumour has it that a survey was conducted in the streets of Watford, a town just north of London. One of the questions in the survey was "What does 'Seventh-day Adventist' mean?". One gentleman responded with the magnificent answer "Do they celebrate Christmas every seven days?"

Seventh-day Adventists took a rather literalist approach when coming up with a name for their fledgling denomination. There's no attempt to prettify or soften the name. No - just shoehorn together the two seemingly most important doctrines into a name and we'll call ourselves that. It does what it says on the tin.

Clearly the Sabbath is very important to us.

Taking the story of Jesus in the cornfield as our starting point, we shall take a short-ish look at the standards of the day. Just what was expected of a Jew on the Sabbath? Then we'll debate, in an extremely practical way, the best way of keeping/honouring/dealing-with/insert-your-preferred-term-here the Sabbath in the 21st century.

Bring along your best (and worst) personal Sabbath experiences...

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)
• PDF of these notes
• PowerPoint slides referred to during the discussion, along with the 'parallel' texts.

• Why do you think Christ performed healing miracles?
• Can you see any consistent themes across the miracles of Christ we find in the gospels?
• What are your thoughts on miracles? Were they purely good things or could they have been problematic for Jesus?
• How big a role did faith play in Christ's power to perform miracles?

The term Son of Man appears again in the texts for this week and with great significance. Consider the meaning of this phrase. Compare its usage throughout the Torah and the Prophets.

Also compare its usage throughout the Old Testament with that of the New Testament.

Study the usage of the term Son of Man in the book of Daniel and compare it with the rest of the Old Testament, does anything strike you about its almost unique usage in the book of Daniel?

When Jesus calls himself the Son of man in Matthew 9:6 which definition is he using? That of the book of Daniel or that found in the majority of the rest of the Old Testament? What do you think and why? Justify your answer.

Finally, is it important that we understand the point Christ is making here, and why? Again, justify your answer.

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)
• PDF of these notes
• Additional full notes from Marc.

Please read the above passages and note any significant differences between those in the synoptic gospels.

1. The Royal Official's Son

Having run out of time last week and missed the second of the "signs" recorded by John 4:46-54 we'll spend just a few minutes looking at its position in John's gospel. The "thrust" of the story and discussion will be covered later when we consider similar miracles in the synoptic gospels.

2. The Storm on Galilee

Have you ever been on an EXTREMELY rough sea or an EXTREMEMLY turbulent flight? We'll take a short time for sharing just three experiences (as briefly as possible please). Apart from nausea etc how safe or otherwise did you feel? How do we relate the storm as reported in this story to Job 30, 37, Psalm 29, 107:23-32, 135:5-7, Jonah 1:4-16 etc?

3. The Demoniac(s) in Gadera / Gerasa

Read the story in Mark 5:1-20 several times in various translations.

• The demoniac(s).
  When (if ever) while out and about have you encountered anyone who was, or who appeared to be,
  1. demon possessed?
  2. having an epilectic fit?
  3. uncontrollably violent? (as in a street-flight or riot or other situation)? What was your reaction? What did you do?
  4. in a physically and mentally depraved condition similar to that described in Mark 5:3-5 and Luke 8:29? If so, what was your reaction? What did you do?
  How did you react to reading the descriptions of the demoniac?
• The demons and the pigs.
  
  1. What do you make of Mark 5:10, Luke 8:31 and then Matt 8:31, Mk 5:12 and Lk 8:32 with regard to the demons?
  2. Have you ever driven (slowly) or walked past a pig farm. How was this experience for you?
  3. Have you ever walked past or through a wood where pigs were feeding? What did you notice about the pigs?
  4. Why do think Jesus destroyed the herd of pigs in order to give the demons a "home"?
  5. The price of a pig sold for meat in the UK is approximately £120. A herd of 2000 pigs today would be worth around £240,000. How could Jesus justify destroying the livelihood of the Gadarene/Gerasene pig farmers who were most likely to be "Gentiles" supplying the local food chain?
• The end of the story
  
  1. Why did Jesus forbid the healed man from going back in the boat with him and the disciples?
  2. What was the result?

What have you learnt about Jesus from these two stories?

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)
• PDF of these notes
• Mike's slides in PDF and PowerPoint formats

The outline questions below will stick with Mark's account for ease of focusing on one account but please feel free to read all the passages and bring any nuances to the discussion.

Part 1 Jesus - the Holy One of God (Mark 1:21-28)

Read the story through a couple of times in the above passages and then consider the following questions.

1. What positive and negative things might this story tell us about the worship service Jesus attended?
2. How safe are we from being demon possessed? Is it in our power to not be possessed?
3. Consider the three things the demon says in verse 23.
   • What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
     • How might the following links help us understand what the question means - Judges 11:12 and 1 Kings 17:18?
     • What did the demon expect of Jesus?
   • Have you come to destroy us?
     • Who is the demon referring to as "us"?
     • Did the demon really think Jesus might 'destroy' us?
     • Why doesn't He?
     • What might the demon think of Jesus' work and character?
   • I know who you are—the Holy One of God/Son of God
     • What does the demon know?
     • Is the demon referring to the Holy One described in Isaiah 40:25?
     • Is the demon telling the truth about Jesus? And why does no one else in the story talk about what the demon said? If what the demon says is true, who are the Pharisees going to seek to kill? See Mark 3:6.
     • Consider another statements the demons make about Jesus - see Matthew 8:29 and Mark 5:6-7. Who do you conclude Jesus is?
4. Why might Jesus have silenced the demon? What is your concept of Jesus?
5. Why and what two things about Jesus amazes [Mk 1:22 & 27] the people in the synagogue? What in this story amazes you about Jesus?

Part 2 Sabbath and Healing (Mark 1:29 - 34)

• Are there illnesses Jesus is not concerned about? How easily does Jesus deal with demons and illness?
• If the incident in the synagogue happened in the morning and Jesus heals Simon's mother in law in the early afternoon, how much time was lost until sunset?
  • Why did they wait until sunset?
  • Where did they get the idea from that there should not be healing before sunset?
  • This seems to signal a major issue - how might the story in Mark 3:1-6 relate to this incident?
  • What made Jesus heal on sabbath?

Part 3 Jesus' focus keeping the main thing, the main thing (Mk 1:35-39)

From Morna Hooker

Nothing in the Gospels is as impressive as Jesus' single-minded obedience to his Father. Mark records three passion predictions - Mark 8:31-33, 9:30-31, 10:32-34. They are set at Caesarea Philippi, in Galilee and on the road leading to Jerusalem. The sayings have been likened to the solemn tolling of a bell; certainly they dominate this section of the Markan narrative and remind us of the inevitable destiny of the Son of man which Jesus obediently accepts.

From CH Spurgeon

The more work we have to do with men for God, the longer we ought to be at work with God for men. If you plead with men, you cannot hope to prevail unless you first plead with God. And, inasmuch as our Lord had great success the day before, it teaches us that the greatest success does not release us from the necessity of still waiting upon God.

1. How does prayer - see v35 - help us to know what our duties are?
2. What is the role of silence and solitude in hearing or allowing God to talk to you? Do any of you have stories about when God spoke to you?
3. Read Mark 1:38-39. Why did Jesus come? What was his mission?
4. Mark begins his book by saying that this is the good news [gospel] of Jesus. What good news do you see in these passages?

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)
• PDF of these notes

We have already discussed Jesus at the Wedding in Cana, the cleansing of the temple at Passover, baptising with his disciples in Judea, the visit with Nicodemus, and the encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in Sychar. He had his disciples with him throughout this period which is all based on John's gospel. John's Gospel does not record the calling of the disciples in Galilee.

Jesus in Galilee

Matt 4  (Matthew records the calling of the disciples, AFTER this visit to Nazareth)

(vv12-13) When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee. --- (vv18-20) One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers - Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew - throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" And they left their nets at once and followed him.

Mark 1: 14-15 (Mark records the calling of the disciples, AFTER John is in prison)

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" ---- As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people." At once they left their nets and followed him.

Luke 4:14-15

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

John 4:43-45

After the two days he left for Galilee. (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.

Questions

• Is there a difference between declaring an interest in being a disciple, and being specifically invited to be part of the team?
• Can you think of modern parallels to what happened with the choosing of the Apostles?
• What questions come to your mind when you contemplate how Jesus went about this task?
• Peter was involved from shortly after Jesus was baptized. Why was the incident at the Sea of Galilee of such importance?

Luke 4:16-30

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.

Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself!'" And you will tell me, "Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum."

"Truly I tell you," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian."

All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Questions

When you look at the highlighted sections above, what questions do they trigger in your mind?

Re: discrepancies:

1. Do the apparent contradictions, undermine the reliability of the gospel accounts, or do they validate their integrity?
2. Are the discrepancies consistent with the idea of verbal inspiration?
3. What do the discrepancies tell us about the nature of biblical inspiration?

One of the latest was written by Val Grieve "Your Verdict on the Empty Tomb". He is a lawyer who abandoned his atheism and became a Christian. He invites the reader to imagine they are on a Jury examining the issue of the resurrection, based on commonly accepted legal principles. The discrepancies, he argues demonstrate that there was no evidence of any collusion to fabricate a lie. The records clearly show the honesty of the witnesses quoted. A compelling read!

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)
• PDF of these notes

Read the following passages in the order given as they describe the sequence of events relating to John the Baptist over a period of approximately 2 years. Note the various socially distanced interactions between John, his disciples, Jesus and Herod.

Luke 1:76-79,  Zechariah's prophecy regarding his son John

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

John 3:22-30,  John is baptizing

After this (the Nicodemus event) Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people kept coming and were being baptized - John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison. Now a discussion about purification arose between John's disciples and a Jew. They came to John and said to him, 'Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him.' John answered, 'No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, "I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him." He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.'

Luke 3:19-20,  John put in prison

But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, added to them all by shutting up John in prison.

Matt 4:12,  Jesus retreats to Galilee

Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.

Mark 1:14,  Jesus goes to Galilee and preaches

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.

Matt 11:2-9,  John hears about Jesus' activities

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, 'Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?' Jesus answered them, 'Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.' As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: 'What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

Luke 7:18-35,  John hears about Jesus' activities

The disciples of John reported all these things (miracles of Jesus) to him. So John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?' When the men had come to him, they said, 'John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?"' Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. And he answered them, 'Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.' When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: 'What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.". I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.' (And all the people who heard this, including the tax-collectors, acknowledged the justice of God, because they had been baptized with John's baptism. But by refusing to be baptized by him, the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves.) 'To what then will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the market-place and calling to one another: "We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not weep." For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, "He has a demon"; the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, "Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!" Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children.'

Matt 14:1-13a,  Herod hears about Jesus' activities; John is executed (2 years after imprisonment)

At that time Herod the ruler heard reports about Jesus; and he said to his servants, 'This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead, and for this reason these powers are at work in him.' For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because John had been telling him, 'It is not lawful for you to have her.' Though Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet. But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, 'Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.' The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. The head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother. His disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went and told Jesus. Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself.

Mark 6:14-29,  Herod thinks Jesus is John raised from the dead

King Herod heard of it, (the disciples sent out preaching and healing) for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying, 'John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.' But others said, 'It is Elijah.' And others said, 'It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.' But when Herod heard of it, he said, 'John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.' For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, 'It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.' And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When / his daughter Herodias / When the daughter of Herodias / came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, 'Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.' And he solemnly swore to her, 'Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.' She went out and said to her mother, 'What should I ask for?' She replied, 'The head of John the baptizer.' Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, 'I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.' The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

• John was one of a very, very rare breed - what is referred to in some circles as a "peripheral prophet" - out on his own, perhaps an outcast (self-inflicted or otherwise), unafraid of rulers and public opinion, one who spoke his mind forcefully, fearlessly and with great conviction. Was he wise to behave in this manner?
• Can you think of hearing or reading about or seeing such a person (of faith or of no faith) in your lifetime? How did you / do you react?
• There are very few such prophets recorded in the Bible. Does this imply that they are not God's preferred way of getting his message across? Why / why not?
• John may have been in prison for as much as two years. Note that this might have meant anything from being kept in one of Herod's castles (ref Paul in Rome) to incarceration in a Roman dungeon. How do imagine Jesus reacted to and then coped with knowing his "earthly" cousin and this "Prophet of the Most High (Lk 1:76-79) had been "detained at Herod's pleasure"?
• Paul and Silas were set free from the jail in Philippi but John was not released alive from Herod's castle by the Dead Sea. Should John have kept his big mouth shut regarding Herod's marital affairs?
• John appears to have some doubt regarding Jesus being the Messiah. Why do think this was? We are not told whether John's messengers got Jesus' reply back to John. If they did, how do you think he might have reacted?
• What doubts, if any, have you experienced regarding Jesus as Messiah / Son of God? If you have had such doubts, how did they get resolved - or are there still doubts remaining?
• In a time of sharing feel free to express any doubts, however big or small, you might have concerning your Christian Faith.

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)
• PDF of these notes
• Mike's slides from his presentation

This is a 'catch up' session to make sure we've done full justice to the stories in John 3 and 4 that we've been discussing for the last two weeks. Please refer back to Weeks 10 and 11 for the relevant texts and our previous discussion notes.

For this week's study I'd like to look at the implications of Jesus' actions in John 3 and 4.

Take the stories of Nicodemus and of the woman at the well in Sychar and immerse them in their direct context ie back-to-back tales of Jesus dealing with some individuals. In the middle you'll find John 3:16-21 (from The Message bible)

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

"This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is."

On 'everyone goes to heaven'

There are two broad ideas for looking at law (I refer here to all notions of 'law', in both Christian and non-Christian contexts). The first says "All things are permitted unless specifically forbidden". The second might read "All things are forbidden unless specifically permitted".

How do you interpret vv17-20?

• Are you on God's side unless you actively seek 'the darkness'?
• Or, are you in 'the darkness' unless you actively seek God?
• What is the default position for a human on this planet? God's side or darkness?

On how best to organise yourself

Discussion concerning the woman of Sychar often concentrates on Jesus' ability and willingness to talk to those who are not part of the 'in' group. This is a common theme in the gospels. We, as 21st century Christians, then try and apply that to ourselves and our lives and our interactions with others. Frequently we want to 'bring others into the faith'. This may mean converting to a particular denomination; for most of us that would be Adventism. Equally, some in our group are fiercely critical of the established Adventist church and would wish to distance themselves from it. Somehow both viewpoints, the evangelists and the refuseniks, manage to co-exist.

• What do you think Jesus makes of the fact that there are some 30,000+ Christian denominations?
• What do you make of the fact that there are some 30,000+ Christian denominations?
• We discussed a little in Part #1 of this study that Christ gives no doctrinal instruction to either Nicodemus or the Sychar woman.
  • Are we right to think that? Is the discussion with Nicodemus on being born again 'doctrine'? Or something else?
  • What part should doctrine have in meeting Jesus?

The prevailing 'progressive' view (as opposed to 'conservative' - please forgive the crude labelling!) runs something along the lines of 'love is more important than doctrine'. Which gets us into all sorts of trouble with other parts of the bible.

• If we really don't need to pay much attention to the nitty-gritty of our detailed behaviour then why are large parts of the Old Testament concerned with just such matters?
• Why does Paul tell off the Corinthians for what seems to be doctrinal points?
• How do you, personally, view 'love' and 'doctrine'? Is there a difference?

Let's say that we want to, for whatever reasons, remove ourselves from a strict loyalty to a denomination. How should we then organise ourselves?

• Without a centralised denominational system how would we run, say, ADRA?
• There are significant advantages to being part of a bigger like-minded group. List your top three or four advantages, as you see them.
• Similarly, what are the top three or four disadvantages of being in such a group?

It might be interesting to examine the reasons why a new denomination (or church) gets started. Usually, unless the issue is personal or family feuding, it's over a matter of doctrine. Rebecca Stott, in her excellent and somewhat chilling book "In the Days Of Rain" writes of being brought up in the Exclusive Brethren denomination, in Port Seton in the north of England in the 1970s. A recurring theme within the Brethren was doctrinal purity and the importance of shunning those deemed to be insufficiently pure. She writes of her long family history in the Brethren and tells of a rift between the 'Glantons' and others.

In this new large-scale rift, the Glanton sympathisers in Port Seton, held on to the red-tiled Meeting Room. The smaller number of hardliners, now calling themselves the London Brethren, took over the former Fishermen's Bethel on South Doors, a six-minute walk to the west. From satellite view on Google Maps it seems that this building had a grey-tiled roof. So there where now three Brethren Meeting Rooms in Port Seton, with blue-, red- and grey-tiled roofs.

All this excommunication was not just chillingly familiar to me - I'd watched the ministering brothers in our assembly suddenly turn on and expel once-respectable members of our fellowship - it was beginning to look like some kind of collective psychosis. The fact that there were three Brethren Meeting Rooms in this tiny fishing village was not just absurd, it was shameful.

How far should one go to ensure doctrinal purity? And should it ever come at the expense of personal relationships? As the WWJD wristbands ask - "What would Jesus do?"

The woman at Sychar could answer that question.

To close this session - Grace McCleen's review of Stott's book in The Guardian ends with this salutory warning:

But there was something that resonated deeply as I read "In the Days of Rain": the sense of being tortured by an inability to feel sufficiently sure of things one's very life depends on. Have I managed to "take the Lord into my heart"? the young Rebecca wonders; "Sometimes I'd be sure... then a day or two later He'd be gone again". When a friend's mother tells Stott "it was all right not to know" shortly after her family leave the Brethren, the idea astonishes her; not long after she experiences something like a conversion in a Catholic church, moved by the music and spectacle, where for "a moment" she "stopped striving to understand". The relief is seismic.

When every thought and impulse is given over to an infallible and omniscient Being, a person cannot develop an inner compass or uncensored emotions - a state that besides being agonising can also be fatal to one's sense of self. Getting to a place, subsequent to such an immersion, where it is all right not to know, then allowing oneself to be open to whatever emerges next, is, as Stott hints, an undertaking worthy of real devotion.

John's gospel is written from the perspective of someone who lived and worked with Christ, had years to reflect on it all and had come to believe, without a shadow of doubt, that Jesus was the Messiah and that He was God dwelling with His people. He also understood what God's Kingdom was and who would dwell in it.

Today, we have the Bible which tells us God's story.

The Bible is a story with:

• a Beginning (Genesis 1 - 11),
• a long, long Middle (Genesis 12 - Malachi 4; Matthew - Revelation),
• and an End (Matthew 25; Romans 8; Revelation 21 - 22

• Plot - Creation to Consummation (Re-Creation) or Paradise lost to Paradise restored.
• Characters - God - Father, Son and Spirit - and God's people and the world and creation around them.
• Authors (many) who together tell the story.

or...

(Courtesy of Daniel Duda)

Each author tells his part of the story within the framework of the overall story, shaping the various elements of the plot, emphasising one element or the other.

When we read any part of the Bible we should read it in its context, not only of the passage within the chapter, within the book but within the context of the whole Bible as Story.

The account of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well at Sychar is very familiar to us, perhaps so familiar that we miss things. So I would like us to try and look at John's account of this event within the context of the Bible as Story and John's contribution to the Story.

But before we get in to the account of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman, some background to help us get the context of the event.

• The Samaritans were regarded as a hated, heretical Jewish cult and had been since the days of Nehemiah, 450 years earlier. The Assyrians had removed all the Jewish population and brought in others to repopulate the area. The Samaritans accepted only the five books of Moses, and they had mingled pagan, idolatrous practices with the Law of Moses. They had built a temple on Mt Gerizim as a rival to the one in Jerusalem. The Jews hated them even more than they hated Gentiles.
• There were three routes between Jerusalem and Galilee.
  • Directly north through Samaria. Approx 70 miles.
  • East and then north via Jericho and the Jordan Valley. Approx 120 miles, 177.6km
  • West and then north via the coast. Approx 100 miles, 160.5km
• The well was an historic spot - Jacob's well at the foot of Mt Gerizim, about 1/2mile from Sychar, is the well that Jacob had dug for his flocks and herds. Sychar is where Joseph's tomb is located. The Israelites were commanded to read the Law of Moses every year from the tops of the twin mountains, Mt Gerizim on the east and Mt Ebal on the west. Mt Gerizim was the place where the blessings of the Law were read; Mt Ebal was where the curses of the Law were read to those who disobeyed it.

Some topics to think about for our discussion this week:

• The significance of the introduction.
• What we can learn about 'Otherness'?
• What is revealed?
• What effect did this encounter have on the Samaritan woman; the Samaritans; the disciples; Jesus?
• Living this story today.

Bearing in mind that John's gospel would most likely have been read out in one sitting the listeners probably saw links that we easily miss due to the way we tend to approach the Bible. Can you identify any themes and literary techniques John is developing in the passages we have studied so far, John 1 - 4?

• Developing themes from John 1 - 4, e.g. light and darkness; not knowing to knowing; abundance.
• Contrasts and similarities.

And finally, a thought to keep with us:

I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.

This week's texts include what is probably the most famous verse in the Bible - John 3:16. Entire books have been written on this verse. Sermons, T-shirts, inspirational posters, men holding up signs at football matches and much else quote these immortal words:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

But, as we all know by now, a text appears in a context. And that context is a rather strange tale of an influential figure in the Sanhedrin coming to Jesus for a chat.

The wider context, too, is notable. Nicodemus was that influential member of the Sanhedrin. He is a Jew, male, has a name and he comes at night (why? is he doing this in secret?). The next story in the book of John is that of a woman at the well of Sychar. She is a Samaritan, female, has no name and is fetching water in the middle of the day (who fetches water at the hottest point of the day?). The stories are back-to-back in John 3 and 4.

These two tales are unique to the gospel of John. Do you think that the famous 'for God so loved the world' is so phrased to emphasise that Christ is here for all of us? For the folks who make the rules and run the show. And for the multiply married (and multiply disgraced) woman who collects water when no-one else is around.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves...

Nicodemus gets three mentions in the gospel of John. The first is here, in 3:1-20. "He came to Jesus by night" and his first statement is one of respect. 'Rabbi', he says, using a term that acknowledges Jesus' religious leadership, 'We know that you are a teacher from God because of the things that you do'. We don't know exactly what 'things' Nicodemus is referring to here, but I think we can presume that he's thinking of the healings and other supernatural events.

Questions:

• Do you think that 'signs and wonders' are a good enough reason to declare that someone is from God?
• Why do we not see more 'signs', if they are so persuasive?
• Is there a danger in looking for 'signs'? Explain your answer.

Jesus then replies with a statement, seemingly out of nowhere. "I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above", to which Nicodemus responds with a question about the literal meaning of those words. Verses 5 to 10 continue this conversation. We presume that what we read in John is an 'edited highlights' of the actual conversation (and it is unclear whether any of the disciples were present for this conversation, or if this story was written up afterwards). Nicodemus doesn't get to lead in this conversation. After his opening statement it is Jesus who is directing the conversation.

Questions:

• What is Jesus doing here? Why is he asking Nicodemus these questions?
• Karoline Lewis, in her commentary on John (p46), says ""One could see these episodes between Jesus and those who encounter him as a kind of theological trick, that Jesus is simply taunting his conversation partner when he knows full well how things will progress". Is that a fair reading? Why/why not?
• Lewis continues: "A more generous reading suggests that there is something theologically important in dialogue". In other words, this is less about the substance of the conversation but more about the fact that the conversation is happening at all. "Revelation, understanding, possibility, and openness happen in conversation. Conversation itself is indicative of theological curiosity and not doctrinal conclusiveness", continues Lewis. I find that statement extremely powerful. What are your thoughts? (see the link in Resources, below, to an episode of 'The Chosen' for an example of how such a 'conversation' might have gone.)
• This conversation in vv4-10 is often used to establish some theological principles surrounding the doctrine of 'being born again'.
  • Is that really what this is about?
  • Do you think that if Jesus was talking to someone other than Nicodemus he would say the same things? In other words is this passage supposed to be about the mechanics of 'being born again' or is it rather just a simple conversation?
• The Greek word translated 'born again' can be translated "again", "anew" and/or "from above". What is your understanding? Does one translation appeal to you more than the others, or is a mix of all three? What does 'born again' mean to you?

Verse 14 refers back to the events of Numbers 21:8-9 and the bronze serpent on the pole.

And the Lord said to Moses, "Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live." So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

Questions:

Karoline Lewis writes:
"There are three strategies for this verse [3:16].

• First, relocate it in its literary context. Why does Jesus say this, here, to Nicodemus? Why does Nicodemus need to hear this from Jesus?
• Second, that God loves the world will be the very next encounter in the Gospel. God loves the world through Jesus' going to Samaria to find the woman at the well. Where is God's world now? What world do we need to see?
• Third, that God loves the world demands the pressing question of what does loving mean? How does God love the woman at the well?

We must read on. Verses 17-21 could be considered the 'small print' for v16. Jesus explains that the purpose of him being here on Earth was to save, and not to condemn.

• Again, is this comment specifically for Nicodemus, who, presumably, because of his background would be well equipped to do some serious condemning?
• An important question about this 'small print': Is this an exclusive offer? Does it only apply to Nicodemus? To the Jews? To anyone who reads it? What about those who never read it?
• Is this a statement about the 'mechanics' of salvation? Do we need to know about the 'mechanics'? Just as one can operate a mobile phone without the slightest clue about how such a device actually works can one achieve salvation without a clue as to how it works? Explain! And, as my maths teacher would say "show your working!".

The 3 synoptic gospels only refer to one of the Jewish Festivals during the life of Jesus. Matthew and Mark identify the Passover at the time of the crucifixion. Luke does likewise, but also record the Passover when Jesus was 12yrs old. John identifies a variety of Jewish Festivals throughout the time of Christ's ministry. Without these, it would be impossible to accurately build a time framework for Christ's ministry . John also identifies the raising of Lazarus from his tomb as the prime motivation for the plan to kill Jesus. The synoptic gospels do not record the raising of Lazarus.

Since the Passover is so important in Jewish history, I have provided an overview of all the references to it in Scripture.

The number of references in the OT is surprisingly small. The NT contains over 33% of all the bible passages.

It would be a good idea to look at these outlines, check out the references as you deem fit and try to come up with your own response to the items posing a QUESTION.

About the Jerusalem Temple

• What part of the Temple was used for the market and money-changer stalls?
• Was Jesus justified in the intensity of his reaction?
• Why did he accuse them of making the Temple into a "Den of Robbers"?
• Did the Temple Ministry have any credibility left?
• Can you see any connection to wedding in Cana?

Jesus was asked for a sign to prove his authority: Jn 2: 18-22

• Was Jesus claiming that he was the Temple?
• If he was, when did he become the Temple?
• At the cross was the sacrifice of Jesus for sin "Once for all"?
• What is the difference between the Earthly temple, and the Heavenly Sanctuary?

John portrays that Jesus was not overawed by the reactions to his power: Jn 2: 23-24

• What do you think about John's comments about Jesus' lack of enthusiasm for human affirmation?
• Can you see any connection to Isa 11:1-5, and particularly verse 4?
• Does it have any bearing on the instruction we have been given about judging others?

This week's session will have three sections:

1. A short "Bibliodrama" in which we will all have the opportunity to imagine and re-enact the event
2. A discussion on points arising from our study of the text
3. A discussion on the subject of "Adventists and Alcohol consumption"

• Read John 2: 1-12 in some different translations and commentaries on the passage as available
• Note the following questions for discussion
• Read and note as many bible texts as you can find on the subject of "wine" and "strong drink" and then try to conclude what the Bible says on the subject
• If you have time, browse the web for information regarding Jewish weddings in the 1st Century

This will be an ad-hoc, make-it-up-as-we-go attempt to re-live what might have happened at the wedding at Cana and the conversations that might have taken place as described in John 2. Imagine six scenes in a play:

1. The guests arriving;
2. Jesus and his mother have a conversation;
3. The mother of Jesus and the servants;
4. Jesus, the servants and the chief steward;
5. Conversations with the Bridegroom
6. Jesus walking back to Capernaum with his mother and the disciples

Choose one character from the story to play in the Bibliodrama and try to think yourself into the part. Be aware that someone else may have also chosen that role (it doesn't matter) and that we'll just go with the flow as we all interact with each other - just as we would if going to a real (non-covid-restricted) wedding. Note the following players:

• Jesus, several disciples, the Mother of Jesus, some Servants, the Chief Steward, the Bridegroom, the Bride, the Best Man, the Bridesmaid, the Bridegroom's mother, the Bride's father, other guests, a couple of youngish teenagers and some children

• What symbolism do you see in the story as John presents it?
• How is the relationship between Jesus and his mother portrayed by the writer? Does it change during the event? If so, how and why?
• What can we learn from Mary's instruction to the servants?
• Why does John use the word "sign" (Gk semeia) whereas the other gospel writers use the word "miracle" (Gk dynameis = act of power)?

• What did you learn from your reading of Bible texts relating to "wine" and "strong drink". Note the circumstances in which the terms "wine" and "strong drink" are used. Focus on what you read in the Bible rather than what the SDA church states.
• What experience(s), if any, have you had in consumption of alcoholic beverages. What (if anything) was the result? Did that result change your behaviour w.r.t consuming alcohol? Why / why not?
• SDA fundamental belief 22 includes the statement "since alcoholic beverages, (tobacco, and the irresponsible use of drugs and narcotics) are harmful to our bodies, we are to abstain from them as well". Do you agree? Why / why not?
• How should Crieff SDA church relate to alcoholics?
• Is it right that the church treats the subject as dogma?

This week we will be looking at the gospel stories explaining how the group known as the 'Twelve Disciples' came to be.

The texts for this week are fairly prosaic. Jesus met some people and said, seemingly casually, "come and follow me".

• Do you think it was that simple?
• Where was the training, the interview, the employment contract, the pension plan?

The important people?

Matt 10:2-4 reads:

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

• What do you know of Bartholomew/Nathaniel?
• Why was he called? What purpose did he serve amongst the 12?
• Do you think he might have been a 'backroom' worker? Maybe he sorted out accommodation or organised the practical stuff of day to day life?
• Do you think that people just 'showed up'? These were a group (largely) of friends. Do you think that some of them were just, at least initially, along for the ride?
• Does the presence of seemingly silent members of the 12 tell us something useful?
• Some Christians read rather a lot into the selection and make-up of the 12. For example, an argument against the formal ordination of women is that Christ didn't have any female disciples in the immediate 12. Do you think that is a defendable argument? Why/why not?
• And an important question: why did Jesus call Judas Iscariot?

Follow me

The 'calling' seems to be a singularly Christian term. We use phrases like "when he received his calling..." and "after he heard the call..." and we assume that this term is understood. We largely use the term in two contexts; a specific call to become a minister, and, once a minister, the term is used to describe something akin to professional relocation: "he was called into the radio work".

Note the use of the gender pronoun, 'he', in those examples. Sadly Adventism still hasn't seen fit to integrate fully the 50%+ of the human race who are not described by 'he'.

So, what options are open to a person? Talking with older church workers the informal rule seemed to be

• If you are a young male Christian and love the Lord, then you become a professional minister,
• If you are a young female Christian and love the Lord, then you marry a professional minister.

Some further points to consider:

• By and large we only hear from individuals who 'have heard the call' and have gone on to become professional ministers. But we all know of cases where a call was seemingly heard but that person is not a pastor. What happened? Was the call real? Can a person be 'uncalled'?
• Can you extract a doctrine of 'ordination' from the actions of Christ regarding the Twelve?
• Look at the story in John 1:35-51. Jesus calls people who seem to already be disciples of John the Baptist. John the Baptist seems completely unconcerned with 'losing' two of his disciples. Could modern Christian denominations learn anything from this?
• Were you called? Explain...

The rest of us

What does it mean to be 'called' if you are not going on to become a professional minister? We are studying the story of the Twelve (which might be expanded to 70+ close members of the group who accompanied Christ). Where does this leave the rest of us? What about the people who did not leave the fishing business on the shores of Galilee? Does 'calling' mean anything?

What didn't happen

We've alluded earlier to the (apparent) lack of pre-job training and interviews. Perhaps this tells us something very important. Take Matthew as an example. He was a tax-collector, which meant, to quote Wikipedia, that "his fellow Jews would have despised him for what was seen as collaborating with the Roman occupation force". Read the story in Matt 9:9-13.

• Why did Matthew seemingly abandon his lucrative post and simply walk off?
• What do you think of the Pharisee's reaction to Christ having dinner with Matthew?
• Can you be a disciple of Christ and, to use a very Pharisaical term, a 'sinner'? We don't (really) have any issues with the tax collection business in 21st century Britain. So, think of another occupation that would produce a similar holding-my-nose reaction - how would you feel about such a person joining your church?

Alternatively, Matthew was being called into a relationship with Christ, rather than into a set of doctrines. Again, this has implications for how we treat baptism and 'calling' today.

And another thing...

Though not covered in today's texts take a look at the disciple chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. Matthias was selected, not by Christ saying 'come and follow me', but by casting lots. A random event! Discuss!

Matt 4:1-11

• Note the "Then" that begins Matt 4:1 - it connects the baptism of Jesus to what follows - how important is that connection?
• Compare the word "immediately" and "led" in the Mark and Luke accounts.

• a dove/Spirit over waters,
• wilderness,
• 40,
• bread,
• "if..."
• "I give it to whom I will"

Some commentators think these experiences of Jesus are better understood as the "Tests of Jesus" rather than the "Temptations of Jesus". What do you think? Which would you argue and why?

How do you imagine the Satan that approached Jesus (Matt 4:3 / Lk 4:3) - a horned being with pitch fork, an angel of light, an epiphany?

Mk 1:12-13: Mark's account differs from the the others in that he says that Jesus was "with the wild animals". Why might Mark have put that detail in?

Lk 4:1-13: It is not clear to me why Matthew's and Luke's order of the tests differ, and we are not told why. Have you come across any good explanations for this?

Satan quotes Psalm 91:11-12 in Matt 4:6 and Luke 4:10-11. How would you counter the argument made here?

How are the temptations/tests of Jesus also in your life?

This week we will study the ministry of John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. In preparation for this weeks lesson please read the following texts:

Additional text : Genesis 1:1-5.

Please ponder the following questions when reading the texts:

• Given that Christian baptism did not yet exist, what do you think John was doing?
• Why do you think Jesus was baptised? Was this necessary?
• Compare Genesis 1:1-5 with the different gospel accounts describing Jesus' baptism. Is there anything that speaks to you? Do you see a common theme or any similarities?

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

Our study this week covers the early part of Jesus' life:

I would like us all to think this week about the following:

1. Have you had any experiences of specific needs, financial or otherwise that seem to have been mysteriously supplied without action on your part?
2. Have you ever had provision made, before you knew a problem existed?

Circumcision and Purification

Lev 12:2-8 outlines the Mosaic regulations on the birth of sons and daughters.

• What practical issues surrounded these instructions?
• What impact do you think Simeon & Anna had on Mary & Joseph?
• What impact do you think did this event have on Simeon & Anna?
• Have you ever been blessed, encouraged and empowered by the ministry of fellow believers in your own life?

The Wise Men

There has been much speculation as to why Luke records the circumcision and the visit to the Temple, but not the account of the wise men and the flight to Egypt.

• Why would Matthew be particularly interested in this part of the story?
• Have you discovered any profitable thoughts on why this may have happened?
• Are there any significant connections between the two events?
• What would the timing of the wise men's visit tell us?
• What impact did this have on the wise men themselves?
• The wise men and Joseph were warned in a dream, does this devalue to reality of it?
• What was the significance of the gifts?
• Did the gifts have any practical value?

Jesus in the Temple

• How special were these regular pilgrimages for the Passover Festival in the lives of the people?
• I find the account of Jesus in the temple rather amusing. What lessons do you find in it?
• Are there any similarities between the early years of John the Baptist and Jesus?

• Apologies! The technology failed us this morning and we have no audio recording

This week I'd like to return to John's gospel and pick up where Llew left off 2 weeks ago before moving on to some aspects in Luke 1 and 2 not covered last week - if there's time.

Please read John 1:5-18 and Luke 1:5 - 2:14 together with any commentaries or other resources you might have access to. I will be referring to Wilcock's "Message of Luke" pages 24-34 (Bible Speaks Today series)

There are two valid translations of v9:

1. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. ("Jesus" is the subject of "coming")
2. He was the true light that enlightens everyone coming into the world. ("everyone" is the subject "coming")

Check various translations of v12 using the BibleGateway website.

• What do you understand by "... he gave them POWER to become..."
• What does it mean in our C21 reality to be born from God and to be a child of God and to have that "power"?

v14: What do you understand by "the Word became flesh"?

John states "we have seen his glory...". There is no doubt that many people in the Palestine of Jesus' day did experience that. Since we in C21 have not experienced the actual reality of Jesus's earthly ministry are we at a disadvantage? Why/why not? Does it matter?

v18 (NRSV): "It is God the only Son ... who has made him known"

• What is meant by that last phrase?
• How have you experienced that?

Moving on to Luke 1:5 - 2:15a and in addition to what Marc covered last week...

Luke moves from a very brief historical note (1:5-8) to a record of supernatural events before returning to history in 15b onwards.

• How many supernatural events are recorded? What are they all about?
• How did those involved relate to what happened? (Put yourself in their shoes and let your imagination run)
• How do think the people who read these parts of Luke's writings in C1 reacted to them?
• How do we relate to these recorded events today?
• How can talk we meaningfully to non-Christians about such events today?

• Slides from the presentation.
• Additional notes from Mike.
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

Read the texts listed for this week in the second section of the Blue Letter Bible, entitled 'The Birth and Early Childhood of Christ'.

As we know there are various inconsistencies and apparent contradictions in the different gospel accounts. This week we will investigative some of the differences in the relevant texts of Matthew and Luke's gospels. Examining the differences under a positive light, looking into why certain differences are present and what lessons might be hidden in these inconsistencies.

To begin with though, it would be interesting to look at how each of us as individuals deal with the apparent inconsistencies within the different gospel accounts. So I would like you to ponder the following prior to Saturday's lesson:

• What do you make of the inconsistencies and apparent contradictions in the gospel accounts? How do you approach them? Do they trouble you? Do they have any impact on your faith?
• Do you think the perceived contradictions in the gospel accounts are a barrier preventing others from accepting the gospel of Christ?

Additionally, pay close attention to the genealogies of Jesus listed by Matthew and Luke. Is there anything you notice about them?

Try comparing these accounts with each other and see if anything speaks to you.

• Slides from the presentation.
• Additional notes from Marc.
• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)

Luke 1:1-4 and John 1:1-14

A personal introduction - the significance of a study of the life and teachings of Jesus. We will spend MOST of our time in the passage from John with each of you bringing your understandings to the text.

Luke 1:1-4: Luke's methodology for creating his gospel - what (and why) significance might that have?

John 1:1-14: Below are 7 key words in the passage - PLEASE do your own reading and study about them. What connections, cross-references, allusions and so understandings do you see in the words?

• Beginning
• Word
• Light
• Life
• Darkness
• Witness
• Believe

• Audio recording of class discussion (password protected)