Matthew 10
Jesus gives power to his 12 disciples to heal and drive out demons. These are the twelve - Simon-Peter, Andre, James & John, Philip & Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot.
Jesus sent them out like sheep among wolves, instructing them to be shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves. He told them to freely give because they had been given freely.
He warned them that there mission would be tough and they would be arrested. He told them not to worry about what to say because the Spirit of the Father will speak through them. He warned "All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22).
Matthew 11
The disciples went out into Israel to perform the work Jesus had instructed them to do. Jesus went on to preach in Galilee. John the Baptist was in prison and sent his disciples to go and ask Jesus if he was the one who was to come. Jesus replied to go back and report what you see, the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear and the dead rise.
Jesus then proclaims that John the Baptist was the greatest of all men born to woman, but less than the least in the kingdom of Heaven. He told the crowds that John the Baptist was the Elijah who was to come. That was an interesting verse:
"And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let him hear" (Matthew 11:14-15).
Jesus proclaims the truth, but acknowledges that there are some who would be unwilling to accept this truth. He denounced the generation because they are fickle. John was fasting and the people said he had a demon. Jesus wasn't fasting and they called him a glutton.
Jesus denounces the cities where he performed most of his miracles because they had not repented. He stated that the gentile cities in the area, if he had performed his miracles there, would have already repented.
Jesus offers rest to the weary.
Matthew 12
Jesus' disciples are then decried by the Pharisees for picking up grain and eating it on the Sabbath. Jesus rebukes them because they do not understand the words 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice'. He then reminds the Pharisees that David and his men ate consecrated bread and that the Priests of the Temple work on the Sabbath but they are innocent. Jesus then healed a man's hand on the Sabbath. The Pharisees plotted how to kill Jesus.
Jesus then drove out a demon and the Pharisees tried to convince everyone he drives out demons by the power of the devil. Jesus denounces this and warns everyone that they will be forgiven of all sins except the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
12:35 "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him". Lord, help me to store good things in me.
Jesus calls those asking for signs wicked. He had already performed signs and they did not believe. Jonah preached in Nineveh and they repented, but God's own people won't repent when someone greater than Jonah is here.
12:43-45 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left'. When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation". This is an interesting thing to think about. Jesus is out here at the moment casting out demons, healing people, sweeping up the house and putting it in order. But, they aren't fully accepting him in and the house remains unoccupied. The driven out spirits are unable to find rest and come back to find their old house unoccupied and return with their buddies to make things worse. I've had a few unclean spirits in my time Lord, sweep out and put my house in order. But, live in it so that the unclean spirits won't find it unoccupied and leave me off worse than I was before.
12:46-50 is a hard little passage, a 'difficult verse'. Jesus doesn't go to his mother and brothers who want to speak to him, instead he points out whoever does the will of the Father is his brother, mother and sister. It seems a bit harsh on his family.
Matthew 13 - The Parables
Parable of the sower
The seed that fell upon the path was eaten by the birds. These are those who hear the message of the kingdom but don't understand it.
The seed that fell upon the rock places grew quickly, but was scorched by the sun. These are those who accept the message of the kingdom with joy but quickly fall away at the first sight of trouble.
The seed that fell among the thorns was choked out. These are those who hear the message, but 'the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.'
The seed that fell on good soil grows and produces a crop. These are those who hear the message and understands it and produces a crop.
Parable of the Weeds
A farmer plants good seed, but his enemy plants weeds in the same field. When the crop starts to grow the servants ask if they should rip up the weeds. The farmer says, no, wait until harvest then the weeds and the crop can be separated, otherwise removing the weeds might damage the growing crop.
I hadn't thought of this now, but the harvester is not the servants, but the farmer. I think that the Church has often sought to rip up the weeds, maybe even in good intentions, but this has damaged the roots of the crop. It isn't my job to weed the field. The angels will harvest and throw the weeds into the fire at the end of the age.
Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
-The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. Small when planted, but it grows to become a tree.
-The kingdom of heaven is like yeast, mixed into flour and worked throughout the whole dough.
Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
-The kingdom of heaven is like hidden treasure. A man finds it and sells everything he has to buy the field where he found it.
- The kingdom of heaven is like a great pearl, when the merchant finds it, he sells everything he has to buy it.
Parable of the Net
- The kingdom of heaven is a net, it will catch all kinds of fish, both good and bad. When it is brought ashore the angels will collect the good fish and the bad will be thrown away. Thus, the wicked will be separated from the righteous.
13:52 "He said to them, 'Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old". What are the old and new treasures?
Jesus did not do miracles in his hometown because of their lack of faith. Lord, let me have faith so you will not refuse to do your miracles.
Matthew 14
John the Baptist is beheaded and Jesus is told of his death. Jesus withdrew to a solitary place, but crowds followed him.
The disciples wanted to send the crowds away, but Jesus told his disciples to feed them with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus fed around 5,000 men plus women and children with that food after praying to God.
Jesus then walked out on the water to his disciples, throughly terrifying the disciples in the process. Peter then walked out on the water to meet him, but became afraid and began to sink. Jesus saved him and walked him out to the boat where the disciples bowed down and declared him to truly be the Son of God.
Jesus then healed all those who came to him on the other side of the lake.
Showing posts with label Elijah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elijah. Show all posts
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Brief Notes on 2 Kings 1-6
(Originally Written June 3, 2008 in the Journal)
Notes on 2 Kings
Chapter 1
After the death of King Ahab the Moabites rebelled against Israel.
Ahaziah fell and injured himself. He sent for Baalzebub to see if he would survive his injuries. The Lord sent Elijah to him and told him that he would die because he had sought the counsel of another god.
Chapter 2
Elijah was taken up to the Lord in a fiery chariot and the spirit of Elijah passed on to his pupil Elisha. Elisha then purified water in the name of the Lord for a city.
On the way up to Bethel children came and mocked Elisha for being bald. Elisha cursed them in the name of the Lord and two she bears came and mauled 42 of the children.
Chapter 3
Joram succeeded his father Ahab as the king of Israel. He did away with the Baal worship, but not with the sins of Jeroboam.
Now Moab rebelled against Israel so Joram called Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom to join him against Moab. Elisha prophesied that they would crush Moab through the Lord.
Chapter 4
Elisha then performed a miracle through God to save a widow's children from slavery.
A woman named Gehazi showed kindness to Elisha. She was without children and her husband was old. Elisha said the Lord would give her a son. The boy was born but died very young. Gehazi went to Elisha and wept over her son. Elisha went to her house and found the boy dead. Elisha prayed to God and the boy rose from the dead.
Elisha then fixed a stew that was poisoned. He put meal in it and it became poisoned no more.
Chapter 5
Naaman was the captain of Aram and won many victories in the Lord, but was a leper. Elisha told Naaman to wash in the Jordan River and be clean. Naaman became angry at this but was convinced to listen and was healed. Naaman tried to pay Elisha for this healing, but Elisha refused. Finally Naaman asked for dirt of Israel to worship the true God and Elisha consented. Elisha's servant however ran behind Elisha's back and asked for payment. When Elisha learned of this he inflicted the servant with leprosy.
Chapter 6
While getting wood for their lodging a prophet lost the iron of his ax in the Jordan River. Elisha raised it to the surface.
Aram tried to attack Israel but Elisha warned the king of Israel every time the Arameans mounted an attack and they were defeated. The king of Aram set out to kidnap Elisha.
Elisha blinded his kidnappers and took them to Samaria. The king of Israel served them food and drink and then sent them home. No more raiders of Aram entered into Israel.
All of Aram then came and besieged Samaria. The famine became severe and the people turned to cannibalism. The king of Israel was angry and set out to behead Elisha for this.
The Lord caused the army of Aram to hear phantom chariots coming for them and they fled their camp in fear.
Notes on 2 Kings
Chapter 1
After the death of King Ahab the Moabites rebelled against Israel.
Ahaziah fell and injured himself. He sent for Baalzebub to see if he would survive his injuries. The Lord sent Elijah to him and told him that he would die because he had sought the counsel of another god.
Chapter 2
Elijah was taken up to the Lord in a fiery chariot and the spirit of Elijah passed on to his pupil Elisha. Elisha then purified water in the name of the Lord for a city.
On the way up to Bethel children came and mocked Elisha for being bald. Elisha cursed them in the name of the Lord and two she bears came and mauled 42 of the children.
Chapter 3
Joram succeeded his father Ahab as the king of Israel. He did away with the Baal worship, but not with the sins of Jeroboam.
Now Moab rebelled against Israel so Joram called Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom to join him against Moab. Elisha prophesied that they would crush Moab through the Lord.
Chapter 4
Elisha then performed a miracle through God to save a widow's children from slavery.
A woman named Gehazi showed kindness to Elisha. She was without children and her husband was old. Elisha said the Lord would give her a son. The boy was born but died very young. Gehazi went to Elisha and wept over her son. Elisha went to her house and found the boy dead. Elisha prayed to God and the boy rose from the dead.
Elisha then fixed a stew that was poisoned. He put meal in it and it became poisoned no more.
Chapter 5
Naaman was the captain of Aram and won many victories in the Lord, but was a leper. Elisha told Naaman to wash in the Jordan River and be clean. Naaman became angry at this but was convinced to listen and was healed. Naaman tried to pay Elisha for this healing, but Elisha refused. Finally Naaman asked for dirt of Israel to worship the true God and Elisha consented. Elisha's servant however ran behind Elisha's back and asked for payment. When Elisha learned of this he inflicted the servant with leprosy.
Chapter 6
While getting wood for their lodging a prophet lost the iron of his ax in the Jordan River. Elisha raised it to the surface.
Aram tried to attack Israel but Elisha warned the king of Israel every time the Arameans mounted an attack and they were defeated. The king of Aram set out to kidnap Elisha.
Elisha blinded his kidnappers and took them to Samaria. The king of Israel served them food and drink and then sent them home. No more raiders of Aram entered into Israel.
All of Aram then came and besieged Samaria. The famine became severe and the people turned to cannibalism. The king of Israel was angry and set out to behead Elisha for this.
The Lord caused the army of Aram to hear phantom chariots coming for them and they fled their camp in fear.
Brief Notes on 1 Kings 9-22
(Originally Written June 3, 2008 in the Journal)
Notes on 1 Kings
Chapter 9
The Lord spoke to Solomon through Gibeon, telling Solomon that the Lord would remain faithful to the temple so long as Solomon and Israel remained faithful to the Lord. But, He warned Solomon if they turned to idols He would put the Temple to ruins.
Chapter 10
The queen of Sheba came to Solomon to see if he was as wise as his fame reported. She found it to be so and gave Solomon the largest gift ever given to a king. Solomon grew to be the wealthiest man in the world and all kings of the earth came to hear his wisdom. (It is interesting that the Scriptures state that the men came to hear the wisdom that God had given him, not to see the fortune of Solomon).
Chapter 11
Solomon sinned and married many foreign women. Solomon was swayed by the gods of his wives and did not follow the Lord with his whole heart as David had done. The Lord grew angry with Solomon and told him that He would split the kingdom, not in the lifetime of Solomon though on account of the Lord's love of David. God raised up Hadad, heir to Edom against Solomon. Also the Lord raised up Rezin, who became king of Damascus, against Solomon. The Lord raised up Jeroboam and gave to him 10 tribes of Israel to be king over.
Chapter 12
Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, went up to Schechem and spoke to Israel. They told Rehoboam they would follow him if he had an easier yoke for them than Solomon. Rehoboam consulted his father's advisors and they told him to do such. He then consulted young men of his age and they told him to press the Israelites even harder. Rehoboam took the latter advice and Israel abandoned him as king, leaving only Judah for him to rule.
Jeroboam was then made king of Israel's other ten tribes. Jeroboam then sinned against the Lord by erecting idols to the Lord to have the people worship at, rather than traveling to Jerusalem.
Chapter 13
The Lord sent up a man from Judah to the altar where Jeroboam was offering sacrifices and spoke out against Jeroboam. He told everyone that Josiah would rise up out of Judah and slaughter Israel on this altar for their sins. A prophet of Israel tricked the man of God from Judah into coming home with him and eating. As punishment the man of God from Judah was slain by a lion on his trip back home.
Chapter 14
Abijah, the son of Jeroboam grew ill so Jeroboam sent his wife to the prophet Ahijah to find out what would happen to his son. It was Ahijah that told Jeroboam initially that he would become king. Ahijah told Jeroboam's wife that her son would die because of the sins of Jeroboam. All Ahijah said happened and all of Israel mourned the death of Abijah. Jeroboam died and his son Nadab succeeded him. Jeroboam reigned for 22 years.
Rehoboam, the king of Judah sinned and the Lord punished Judah. The Egyptian king carried off the wealth of the Temple of Solomon.
Chapter 15
Abijam succeeded Rehoboam as king of Judah. Abijam warred with Jeroboam and reigned over Judah for three years. He sinned as his father Rehoboam had.
Asa, son of Abijam, succeeded Abijam and reigned for 41 years. Asa banished the prostitutes and tore down the idols of his fathers. Asa pleased the Lord.
Nadab, son of Jeroboam, king of Israel was wicked in the eyes of the Lord. He only reigned for two years over Israel.
Baasha, a son of Issachar, deposed Nadab and became king over Israel. Baasha killed off the entire house of Jeroboam. Baasha reigned for 24 years and continued the sins of Jeroboam.
Chapter 16
Elah, son of Baasha, succeeded him as king of Israel.
Zimri plotted against Elah and killed him. He then killed the whole house of Baasha as the Lord had said would happen through the prophet Jehu.
Zimri reigned for only seven days and was replaced by Omri, the general of the Israelite army.
Omri reigned for 12 years and continued the sins of Jeroboam.
Ahab succeeded his father Omri as king. Ahab reigned for 22 years over Israel, but was even more wicked than his father. Ahab turned to Baal worship. During the reign of Ahab a man from Bethel named Hiel rebuilt Jericho. He lost his two sons as the Lord said would happen through Joshua.
Chapter 17
Elijah rose up and went to king Ahab and told him that the Lord would send a drought on him. Elijah then hid in the Wadi Cherith where the Lord had ravens feed him. The wadi grew dry and the Lord sent Elijah to a widow in Sidon. There the Lord made the widow's cup of flour and cup of oil sustain her, Elijah and her son for a whole year. Elijah called upon the Lord to heal the boy and the Lord did so.
Chapter 18
Obadiah hid 100 prophets of the Lord when Jezebel, queen of Ahab began to murder the followers of the Lord.
Elijah then went to Ahab as the Lord commanded. Elijah commanded Ahab to summon Israel to Mount Carmel along with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. Elijah spoke to the people of ISrael and said, 'if the Lord is God then follow him; if Baal is God then follow him'. Elijah called for two bulls, one for himself and one for the prophets of Baal. He said the true God would start the fire for the sacrifice. The prophets of Baal called on Baal to start the fire for hours, but Elijah mocked them. Elijah then prepared the bull on the altar to the Lord he had built and poured twelve jars of water on the holocaust. He prayed to the Lord and the fire of the Lord came down and consumed the holocaust and the altar itself. Elijah told the Israelites to kill the prophets of Baal and the Lord sent rain to parched Israel.
Chapter 19
Jezebel cursed Elijah for what he did to the prophets of Baal. Elijah walked across the desert for 40 days and nights to Mount Horeb to escape Jezebel. Elijah then went and anointed Elisha as his successor as the Lord commanded.
Chapter 20
Ben-hadad, king of Aram went to war against Ahab of Israel. The Lord then delivered the Arameans into the hands of Ahab. Ben-hadad attacked again and the Lord handed him a defeat through Israel. But, Ahab set Ben-hadad free, so the Lord's anger flared up against Ahab.
Chapter 21
Ahab went to Naboth and asked him to sell his vineyard to him, but Naboth refused because it was his ancestral heritage. Jezebel then had Naboth stoned to death and told Ahab to go and claim the field. Elijah then went and doomed the line of Ahab on cue from the Lord. Ahab humbled himself before the Lord at the news, so the Lord told Elijah that because Ahab had humbled himself he would not bring about the doom during Ahab's life.
Chapter 22
King Jehoshaphat of Judah and Ahab went to reclaim Ramoth-Gilead from Aram. Four hundred prophets of the Lord told Ahab to go, but Micaiah told him that he would be defeated. Ahab locked Micaiah in prison until he returned. Micaiah said that if he returned then the words he had spoken were not from the Lord. King Ahab was killed while he was in disguise by a stray arrow. The Israelites then fled in terror.
King Jehoshaphat reigned 25 years over Judah. He followed his father Asa and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
King Ahab was succeeded by his son Ahaziah. Ahaziah was wicked and worshiped Baal. He reigned only two years.
Notes on 1 Kings
Chapter 9
The Lord spoke to Solomon through Gibeon, telling Solomon that the Lord would remain faithful to the temple so long as Solomon and Israel remained faithful to the Lord. But, He warned Solomon if they turned to idols He would put the Temple to ruins.
Chapter 10
The queen of Sheba came to Solomon to see if he was as wise as his fame reported. She found it to be so and gave Solomon the largest gift ever given to a king. Solomon grew to be the wealthiest man in the world and all kings of the earth came to hear his wisdom. (It is interesting that the Scriptures state that the men came to hear the wisdom that God had given him, not to see the fortune of Solomon).
Chapter 11
Solomon sinned and married many foreign women. Solomon was swayed by the gods of his wives and did not follow the Lord with his whole heart as David had done. The Lord grew angry with Solomon and told him that He would split the kingdom, not in the lifetime of Solomon though on account of the Lord's love of David. God raised up Hadad, heir to Edom against Solomon. Also the Lord raised up Rezin, who became king of Damascus, against Solomon. The Lord raised up Jeroboam and gave to him 10 tribes of Israel to be king over.
Chapter 12
Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, went up to Schechem and spoke to Israel. They told Rehoboam they would follow him if he had an easier yoke for them than Solomon. Rehoboam consulted his father's advisors and they told him to do such. He then consulted young men of his age and they told him to press the Israelites even harder. Rehoboam took the latter advice and Israel abandoned him as king, leaving only Judah for him to rule.
Jeroboam was then made king of Israel's other ten tribes. Jeroboam then sinned against the Lord by erecting idols to the Lord to have the people worship at, rather than traveling to Jerusalem.
Chapter 13
The Lord sent up a man from Judah to the altar where Jeroboam was offering sacrifices and spoke out against Jeroboam. He told everyone that Josiah would rise up out of Judah and slaughter Israel on this altar for their sins. A prophet of Israel tricked the man of God from Judah into coming home with him and eating. As punishment the man of God from Judah was slain by a lion on his trip back home.
Chapter 14
Abijah, the son of Jeroboam grew ill so Jeroboam sent his wife to the prophet Ahijah to find out what would happen to his son. It was Ahijah that told Jeroboam initially that he would become king. Ahijah told Jeroboam's wife that her son would die because of the sins of Jeroboam. All Ahijah said happened and all of Israel mourned the death of Abijah. Jeroboam died and his son Nadab succeeded him. Jeroboam reigned for 22 years.
Rehoboam, the king of Judah sinned and the Lord punished Judah. The Egyptian king carried off the wealth of the Temple of Solomon.
Chapter 15
Abijam succeeded Rehoboam as king of Judah. Abijam warred with Jeroboam and reigned over Judah for three years. He sinned as his father Rehoboam had.
Asa, son of Abijam, succeeded Abijam and reigned for 41 years. Asa banished the prostitutes and tore down the idols of his fathers. Asa pleased the Lord.
Nadab, son of Jeroboam, king of Israel was wicked in the eyes of the Lord. He only reigned for two years over Israel.
Baasha, a son of Issachar, deposed Nadab and became king over Israel. Baasha killed off the entire house of Jeroboam. Baasha reigned for 24 years and continued the sins of Jeroboam.
Chapter 16
Elah, son of Baasha, succeeded him as king of Israel.
Zimri plotted against Elah and killed him. He then killed the whole house of Baasha as the Lord had said would happen through the prophet Jehu.
Zimri reigned for only seven days and was replaced by Omri, the general of the Israelite army.
Omri reigned for 12 years and continued the sins of Jeroboam.
Ahab succeeded his father Omri as king. Ahab reigned for 22 years over Israel, but was even more wicked than his father. Ahab turned to Baal worship. During the reign of Ahab a man from Bethel named Hiel rebuilt Jericho. He lost his two sons as the Lord said would happen through Joshua.
Chapter 17
Elijah rose up and went to king Ahab and told him that the Lord would send a drought on him. Elijah then hid in the Wadi Cherith where the Lord had ravens feed him. The wadi grew dry and the Lord sent Elijah to a widow in Sidon. There the Lord made the widow's cup of flour and cup of oil sustain her, Elijah and her son for a whole year. Elijah called upon the Lord to heal the boy and the Lord did so.
Chapter 18
Obadiah hid 100 prophets of the Lord when Jezebel, queen of Ahab began to murder the followers of the Lord.
Elijah then went to Ahab as the Lord commanded. Elijah commanded Ahab to summon Israel to Mount Carmel along with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. Elijah spoke to the people of ISrael and said, 'if the Lord is God then follow him; if Baal is God then follow him'. Elijah called for two bulls, one for himself and one for the prophets of Baal. He said the true God would start the fire for the sacrifice. The prophets of Baal called on Baal to start the fire for hours, but Elijah mocked them. Elijah then prepared the bull on the altar to the Lord he had built and poured twelve jars of water on the holocaust. He prayed to the Lord and the fire of the Lord came down and consumed the holocaust and the altar itself. Elijah told the Israelites to kill the prophets of Baal and the Lord sent rain to parched Israel.
Chapter 19
Jezebel cursed Elijah for what he did to the prophets of Baal. Elijah walked across the desert for 40 days and nights to Mount Horeb to escape Jezebel. Elijah then went and anointed Elisha as his successor as the Lord commanded.
Chapter 20
Ben-hadad, king of Aram went to war against Ahab of Israel. The Lord then delivered the Arameans into the hands of Ahab. Ben-hadad attacked again and the Lord handed him a defeat through Israel. But, Ahab set Ben-hadad free, so the Lord's anger flared up against Ahab.
Chapter 21
Ahab went to Naboth and asked him to sell his vineyard to him, but Naboth refused because it was his ancestral heritage. Jezebel then had Naboth stoned to death and told Ahab to go and claim the field. Elijah then went and doomed the line of Ahab on cue from the Lord. Ahab humbled himself before the Lord at the news, so the Lord told Elijah that because Ahab had humbled himself he would not bring about the doom during Ahab's life.
Chapter 22
King Jehoshaphat of Judah and Ahab went to reclaim Ramoth-Gilead from Aram. Four hundred prophets of the Lord told Ahab to go, but Micaiah told him that he would be defeated. Ahab locked Micaiah in prison until he returned. Micaiah said that if he returned then the words he had spoken were not from the Lord. King Ahab was killed while he was in disguise by a stray arrow. The Israelites then fled in terror.
King Jehoshaphat reigned 25 years over Judah. He followed his father Asa and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
King Ahab was succeeded by his son Ahaziah. Ahaziah was wicked and worshiped Baal. He reigned only two years.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
The Coming of Christianity
(Originally written November 12, 2006 in Book 11)
The Mystery Cults all began to reflect the shift from human emphasis to superhuman. The acceptance and adherence to them paved the way for Christianity.
The cults brought hope to the masses who were in despair due to the collapsing of the Empire. "But the masses had doubtless been ignorant and superstitious, ready to put their trust in occult powers" (Jones, 19).
Neoplatonism was the first instance where, not only the uneducated lower class gravitated toward the supernatural, but the educated, middle and upper classes abandoned the natural, human mind set.
The emphasis on discovering the natural reality shifted to an emphasis on discerning why a transcendent Absolute Being created a natural world.
Another major shift was to view this world as evil and thus not capable of producing the good life.
Christianity first appealed to the uneducated, but when it became socially acceptable Neoplatonism proved to be a philosophical model and rival.
The survival of Christianity over the mystery cults has nothing to do with its possession of an objective truth or moral superiority, but its energy, ingenuity, polemical ability, administrative skill and the good luck of early Christian Fathers.
Linehan: really? luck? wow, that is quite ad hoc.
Jesus: The Jewish Heritage
Pagan View of the Christians.
Christ was born circa 4 BC during the reign of Augustus.
He was crucified in 29 AD during the reign of Tiberius.
The first three centuries after Christ's death, Christianity spread slowly.
The persecution was not as great as the Church fathers reported and was due mainly to their traitor status. They pledged allegiance to a divine God, not the divine Emperor.
The Christians refused to conform to the outward state religion so the officials viewed the tiny sect as ignorant and dangerous.
They were regarded as atheists and hopelessly immersed in the blackest superstition.
Jesus was a Jew and sought to reform Judaism, not destroy it.
Yahweh
Yahweh seems to be originally a war god, associated with meteorological phenomena.
Moses fused the tribes of Judaism together and made Yahweh a state god.
Yahweh chose the Jews as his people, but was the supreme creator of all. Why should a supreme god trouble himself with such a small group of people? The Jews never asked this question.
Linehan: Not true! "What is man that you are mindful of him?"
Israel developed a supreme national egoism.
Despite Yahweh's love for them, the Israelites had an unfortunate career. They lost their independence again and again.
Their intense nationalism deeply marked their religious thinking.
Their loss of independence led them to develop the notion of a jealous god who demanded strict, sole, individual worship.
The Israelites aimed to get back into the good graces of YHWH. This changed over the centuries from primitive outward signs to an inner righteousness. This gradual transformation took place through the Hebrew prophets.
Elijah was one of the earliest prophets. He sought to defend the worship of YHWH (Moses' god of wrath) from the new polytheism of King Ahab's foreign wife Jezebel.
Amos, who lived 100 years or so after Elijah saw YHWH no longer a vain monarch. Amos' YHWH could be won over by flattery and was angered by luxury and vice, not so much disobedience.
People seeking to formulate a single YHWH face a problem of harmonizing primitive beliefs with a more sophisticated version of God.
Deuteronomy, written in the 7th century BC attempted to harmonize the two conceptions of YHWH. It stated that the rituals are important (primitive) because they were outward expressions of an inner righteousness (motive).
Motive for worship was key in Judaism's mature form.
The Deuteronomy harmonizing resulted in a codifying law. This law became unalterable and strict. The adherence to this law caused men to return to the primitive ritualism of Judaism.
Jesus' attitude toward the Law
Jesus was anti-legalistic. He wished for Judaism to return to being concerned with the spirit or motives, not the rigid ritualism of the law.
Jesus' main position was what matters is the thoughts of our hearts, not what we actually do.
Jesus did not however reject the Law totally. He simply believed that Jews were using the Law to justify unjustifiable conduct.
He wished to complete the Law, not destroy it.
He attempted to simplify the ever multiplying law into a few simple precepts.
Jesus' two main precepts were actually derived from the Law.
1) Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart
2) Love thy neighbor as thyself
Fatherhood of God
Jesus emphasized that God was the father of man.
This was not a discovery of Jesus. Many Eastern cults viewed God as a Father and the Jews even had come to the conclusion long before Jesus Christ.
Jesus' emphasis is on this point transferred the notion from the East to the West. The Gentile Christians who are unfamiliar with God as Father notion made it a pivotal part of the emerging religion.
The wrathful God of the Hebrews was also adapted and grafted into the teachings of Jesus,
Jesus' belief in imminent judgment day
Jesus was dominated by a conviction that the end was near. This imminent doom mentality affected all of his teachings.
The teachings of Jesus
There is no formal ethical theory or doctrine of virtues in Jesus' teachings.
Jesus' teachings were not systematic. He used paradoxes and parables.
Jesus' view of pleasure was similar to the Greek Cynic view, but his adoption of this view was for very different reasons.
Jesus was criticized for enjoying the company of low persons too much.
Jesus was not an ascetic, but his focus on the kingdom of Heaven led him to ignore the physical world to a point. Christianity would adopt an ascetic bias because of this aspect of Jesus.
Jesus did not place emphasis on tomorrow because there will be no tomorrow. He held that the more we concern ourselves with property and possessions the less we'll concern ourselves with readying for the judgment day.
Jesus criticized the wealthy for two reasons:
1) They got their riches unjustly
2) Their possessions naturally caused them to think about them.
The poor were at an advantage to focus on the judgment day for Jesus and this mind set caused Christianity to be popular with the poor.
Jesus' ethics compared with Greek ethics
Jesus' ethic is noticeably absent of any social ethic.
Jesus' focus on the Kingdom of God and on inwardness made him uninterested in overt social or political theorizing.
Christianity, when it became a state religion, had to concern itself with politics.
Jesus' ethics also varied from Greeks in that he placed no emphasis on intellectual virtues that Aristotle was so concerned with.
Jesus was vitally concerned with moral, practical virtues, but also differed from Aristotle here.
Jesus denigrated pride as a sin, which was a key virtue for Aristotle.
Jesus' starting point was God, whereas Aristotle's starting point was man. Pride was self-centered and thus it took away from God and sinful.
Jesus' altruism replaced Aristotle's egoism.
Jesus emphasized the equality of man or at least all Jews. Jesus was provincial.
Jesus' view was narrow compared to the Greek but possessed two advantages:
1) its altruism
2) its democratic outlook
The Messiahship of Jesus
Jesus' messiahship is not a philosophical issue and in philosophy it is more important what his followers thought of it, not what he thought of it.
The moral and eschatological meaning Jesus taught was understood in political terms by many of his followers.
The Romans were not worried with Jesus until he came into the urban centers and caused the crowds to riot.
The Jesus Movement
Christianity developed slowly by created a complex theology out of Jesus', Judaism's, Oriental Cults' and late Greek philosophical teachings.
How the movement survived
The crucifixion of Jesus and the scattering of the disciples could have easily killed the movement. Somehow, the disciples' belief in the Messiahship of Jesus was revived after his death.
Jesus miracles and resurrection convinced the disciples of his supernatural status.
The disciples formed a communal life after Jesus' death.
Shift of Emphasis to Jesus
Jesus began to become the focus of a new religion, rather than a reformer of an ancient one.
Jesus had always been considered anointed by his followers. The emphasis shift made him a deity.
The divinity of Jesus created problems. It faced monotheistic problems, conception of God problems and eschatological problems.
The Jews of the Dispersion
Only a small portion of Jews lived in Palestine. The Diaspora (dispersed Jews) lived all over the empire.
The Gentile Mission
The Orthodoxy of Judaism was primarily located in Palestine. The Diaspora and converts were less Orthodox and more open to Christianity.
The Hellenized Jews and Gentiles converting to Christianity continued to change the new religion.
Converts began interpreting Christianity and preaching it around the world. The most important of these converts was St. Paul.
The Mystery Cults all began to reflect the shift from human emphasis to superhuman. The acceptance and adherence to them paved the way for Christianity.
The cults brought hope to the masses who were in despair due to the collapsing of the Empire. "But the masses had doubtless been ignorant and superstitious, ready to put their trust in occult powers" (Jones, 19).
Neoplatonism was the first instance where, not only the uneducated lower class gravitated toward the supernatural, but the educated, middle and upper classes abandoned the natural, human mind set.
The emphasis on discovering the natural reality shifted to an emphasis on discerning why a transcendent Absolute Being created a natural world.
Another major shift was to view this world as evil and thus not capable of producing the good life.
Christianity first appealed to the uneducated, but when it became socially acceptable Neoplatonism proved to be a philosophical model and rival.
The survival of Christianity over the mystery cults has nothing to do with its possession of an objective truth or moral superiority, but its energy, ingenuity, polemical ability, administrative skill and the good luck of early Christian Fathers.
Linehan: really? luck? wow, that is quite ad hoc.
Jesus: The Jewish Heritage
Pagan View of the Christians.
Christ was born circa 4 BC during the reign of Augustus.
He was crucified in 29 AD during the reign of Tiberius.
The first three centuries after Christ's death, Christianity spread slowly.
The persecution was not as great as the Church fathers reported and was due mainly to their traitor status. They pledged allegiance to a divine God, not the divine Emperor.
The Christians refused to conform to the outward state religion so the officials viewed the tiny sect as ignorant and dangerous.
They were regarded as atheists and hopelessly immersed in the blackest superstition.
Jesus was a Jew and sought to reform Judaism, not destroy it.
Yahweh
Yahweh seems to be originally a war god, associated with meteorological phenomena.
Moses fused the tribes of Judaism together and made Yahweh a state god.
Yahweh chose the Jews as his people, but was the supreme creator of all. Why should a supreme god trouble himself with such a small group of people? The Jews never asked this question.
Linehan: Not true! "What is man that you are mindful of him?"
Israel developed a supreme national egoism.
Despite Yahweh's love for them, the Israelites had an unfortunate career. They lost their independence again and again.
Their intense nationalism deeply marked their religious thinking.
Their loss of independence led them to develop the notion of a jealous god who demanded strict, sole, individual worship.
The Israelites aimed to get back into the good graces of YHWH. This changed over the centuries from primitive outward signs to an inner righteousness. This gradual transformation took place through the Hebrew prophets.
Elijah was one of the earliest prophets. He sought to defend the worship of YHWH (Moses' god of wrath) from the new polytheism of King Ahab's foreign wife Jezebel.
Amos, who lived 100 years or so after Elijah saw YHWH no longer a vain monarch. Amos' YHWH could be won over by flattery and was angered by luxury and vice, not so much disobedience.
People seeking to formulate a single YHWH face a problem of harmonizing primitive beliefs with a more sophisticated version of God.
Deuteronomy, written in the 7th century BC attempted to harmonize the two conceptions of YHWH. It stated that the rituals are important (primitive) because they were outward expressions of an inner righteousness (motive).
Motive for worship was key in Judaism's mature form.
The Deuteronomy harmonizing resulted in a codifying law. This law became unalterable and strict. The adherence to this law caused men to return to the primitive ritualism of Judaism.
Jesus' attitude toward the Law
Jesus was anti-legalistic. He wished for Judaism to return to being concerned with the spirit or motives, not the rigid ritualism of the law.
Jesus' main position was what matters is the thoughts of our hearts, not what we actually do.
Jesus did not however reject the Law totally. He simply believed that Jews were using the Law to justify unjustifiable conduct.
He wished to complete the Law, not destroy it.
He attempted to simplify the ever multiplying law into a few simple precepts.
Jesus' two main precepts were actually derived from the Law.
1) Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart
2) Love thy neighbor as thyself
Fatherhood of God
Jesus emphasized that God was the father of man.
This was not a discovery of Jesus. Many Eastern cults viewed God as a Father and the Jews even had come to the conclusion long before Jesus Christ.
Jesus' emphasis is on this point transferred the notion from the East to the West. The Gentile Christians who are unfamiliar with God as Father notion made it a pivotal part of the emerging religion.
The wrathful God of the Hebrews was also adapted and grafted into the teachings of Jesus,
Jesus' belief in imminent judgment day
Jesus was dominated by a conviction that the end was near. This imminent doom mentality affected all of his teachings.
The teachings of Jesus
There is no formal ethical theory or doctrine of virtues in Jesus' teachings.
Jesus' teachings were not systematic. He used paradoxes and parables.
Jesus' view of pleasure was similar to the Greek Cynic view, but his adoption of this view was for very different reasons.
Jesus was criticized for enjoying the company of low persons too much.
Jesus was not an ascetic, but his focus on the kingdom of Heaven led him to ignore the physical world to a point. Christianity would adopt an ascetic bias because of this aspect of Jesus.
Jesus did not place emphasis on tomorrow because there will be no tomorrow. He held that the more we concern ourselves with property and possessions the less we'll concern ourselves with readying for the judgment day.
Jesus criticized the wealthy for two reasons:
1) They got their riches unjustly
2) Their possessions naturally caused them to think about them.
The poor were at an advantage to focus on the judgment day for Jesus and this mind set caused Christianity to be popular with the poor.
Jesus' ethics compared with Greek ethics
Jesus' ethic is noticeably absent of any social ethic.
Jesus' focus on the Kingdom of God and on inwardness made him uninterested in overt social or political theorizing.
Christianity, when it became a state religion, had to concern itself with politics.
Jesus' ethics also varied from Greeks in that he placed no emphasis on intellectual virtues that Aristotle was so concerned with.
Jesus was vitally concerned with moral, practical virtues, but also differed from Aristotle here.
Jesus denigrated pride as a sin, which was a key virtue for Aristotle.
Jesus' starting point was God, whereas Aristotle's starting point was man. Pride was self-centered and thus it took away from God and sinful.
Jesus' altruism replaced Aristotle's egoism.
Jesus emphasized the equality of man or at least all Jews. Jesus was provincial.
Jesus' view was narrow compared to the Greek but possessed two advantages:
1) its altruism
2) its democratic outlook
The Messiahship of Jesus
Jesus' messiahship is not a philosophical issue and in philosophy it is more important what his followers thought of it, not what he thought of it.
The moral and eschatological meaning Jesus taught was understood in political terms by many of his followers.
The Romans were not worried with Jesus until he came into the urban centers and caused the crowds to riot.
The Jesus Movement
Christianity developed slowly by created a complex theology out of Jesus', Judaism's, Oriental Cults' and late Greek philosophical teachings.
How the movement survived
The crucifixion of Jesus and the scattering of the disciples could have easily killed the movement. Somehow, the disciples' belief in the Messiahship of Jesus was revived after his death.
Jesus miracles and resurrection convinced the disciples of his supernatural status.
The disciples formed a communal life after Jesus' death.
Shift of Emphasis to Jesus
Jesus began to become the focus of a new religion, rather than a reformer of an ancient one.
Jesus had always been considered anointed by his followers. The emphasis shift made him a deity.
The divinity of Jesus created problems. It faced monotheistic problems, conception of God problems and eschatological problems.
The Jews of the Dispersion
Only a small portion of Jews lived in Palestine. The Diaspora (dispersed Jews) lived all over the empire.
The Gentile Mission
The Orthodoxy of Judaism was primarily located in Palestine. The Diaspora and converts were less Orthodox and more open to Christianity.
The Hellenized Jews and Gentiles converting to Christianity continued to change the new religion.
Converts began interpreting Christianity and preaching it around the world. The most important of these converts was St. Paul.
Friday, January 6, 2006
Quick outline of Mark
(Originally written January 6, 2006 in Notebook 20)
Mark 1:1 - 9:50
1:1-8 John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus: "After me will come one more powerful than I, ... I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with he Holy Spirit"
1:9-13 Jesus is baptized by John, then sent to the desert by God where he is tempted by Satan.
1:14-20 Jesus gathers his first four disciples, Simon, Andrew, James and John (the fishermen)
1:21-28 Jesus was teaching on the Sabbath when a demon possessed man confronted him. Jesus cast the demons out of the man and all the people wondered what this new teaching and authority was.
1:29-34 Jesus heals Simon's mother-in-law and word spread about Jesus' healing powers. Many people brought the sick and demon possessed to Jesus to be healed. Jesus healed them and cast the demons out but would not let the demons speak, for they knew who he was.
1:35-39 Jesus went to pray one morning. His disciples went looking for him and then they left to go to other villages to preach.
1:40-45 Jesus heals a man with leprosy and informs him not to tell anyone. The man disobeys and tells everyone. Jesus can now no longer enter any town without a mob rushing him. He stays outside the cities, but crowds still flock to him.
2:1-12 When Jesus returned to Capernaum a crowd so large gathered that no one else could get inside. Four men ripped a hole in the roof and lowered the paralytic in to see Jesus. Jesus said to the man, "your sins are forgiven". Some teachers began to wonder and accuse Jesus of blasphemy in their heads. Jesus knew this and asked the men, "is it easier to forgive someone's sins or to heal him of his injuries?" To prove that he was the Christ he ordered the man to rise up and walk home. Everyone was amazed by this and praised God.
2:13-17 Jesus eats dinner with the tax collectors and "sinners". The Pharisees ask his disciples why he eats with those people and Jesus replies, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners"
2:18-22 Jesus is asked why his disciples are not fasting. Jesus answers they will fast after he has filled them with what they need to be sustained.
2:23-28 Jesus and his disciples pick some grain to eat on the Sabbath. The Pharisees ask why Jesus allows his disciples to break the law and Jesus replies that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
3:1-6 Jesus asks the men in the synagogue if it is right to do good or evil on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill; but, no one answers. Jesus then heals a man with a gimp hand and the Pharisees seek to kill Jesus for healing on the Sabbath.
3:7-12 People from all over the area came to see Jesus after they heard of the miracles. Demons bowed at his feet and said, "You are the son of God" but Jesus told them not to say who he was.
3:13-19 Jesus appoints twelve apostles who will preach and drive out demons: Simon (Peter), James, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas
3:20-30 Jesus is accused of being possessed by Satan and driving out demons in the name of Satan. Jesus replies with, "How can Satan drive out Satan? A house divided against itself cannot stand. If Satan opposes himself his time is over".
4:1-20 Jesus tells the parable of the Sower. A farmer throws seeds and some land on the path where the birds ate them. Some fell not the rocks where they grew but withered in the sun. Some fell on the thorns where they grew but were choked. Other seeds fell on good soil where they grew and produced a crop. Jesus asked if the people understood. The people didn't understand so Jesus explained it. The seeds on the path are like the people who hear the word but Satan takes it away. The seeds on the rocks are those who hear and accept but fall away at the first sign of persecution. The seeds that fell in the thorns are those who hear the word but it is choked away by worldly things. The seeds that fall in the good soil and produce fruit are those that hear the word and accept it and produce a crop of believers.
4:21-25 Jesus asks if a lamp is hidden, no of course not! It's put on a stand. He says what is hidden will be disclosed. He says you will be judged as harshly and more as you judge others. And says those who have will be given more (the saved) and those without will have more taken away (the lost).
4:26-29 The parable of the growing seed is what the kingdom of God is like. Seeds continue to sprout up without him knowing how. And when the grain is ripe it will be harvested.
4:30-34 The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. It is the smallest of all seeds but produces the largest of all garden plants. Jesus also explains all the parables he taught to his disciples.
4:35-41 Jesus is asleep in the boat when a massive storm comes over the sea. The disciples woke Jesus and he calmed the sea. The disciples were amazed at His power.
5:1-20 Jesus comes on man who was possessed by a legion of demons. The demons beg Jesus not to torture them or banish them from the area. They beg to be released to a flock of pigs nearby. Jesus lets them and they enter the pigs and cause them all to drown. The town came out to see what had happened and asked Jesus to leave. The formerly demon-possessed man begged to go with Jesus, but Jesus told him to stay with his family and tell how the Lord has been good to him.
5:21-43 Jesus after crossing the lake was approached by a synagogue leader begging Jesus to come heal his dying daughter. On the way a woman who had been bleeding touched Jesus garment and was healed.
6:1-6 Jesus spoke in his hometown and was not accepted. He was appalled by their lack of faith.
6:7-13 Jesus sent the 12 out to preach and cast out demons.
6:14-29 John the Baptist is beheaded by Herod.
6:30-44 Jesus feeds the 5,000.
6:45-56 Jesus walks on the water out to the 12 in the middle of the lake.
7:1-23 Jesus is approached by the Pharisees about why his disciples don't follow the Jewish traditions. jesus calls the men hypocrites for holding to Jewish traditions but ignoring God's law. Jesus then declares it is not the external world that makes a man unclean, but it is man's hearth that makes him unclean.
7:24-30 Jesus enters a house secretly but is found by a Greek woman. This woman begs Jesus to drive a demon out of her daughter. Jesus replies, "first let the children eat... for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs". The woman replies, "but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs". Jesus states that because of the woman's faith her daughter is freed of the demon.
7:31-37 Jesus heals a deaf and mute man. He commands the people not to talk about it but they are amazed and talk about it.
8:1-13 Jesus feeds 4,000 men with 7 loaves of bread and a few small fish. He then rebukes the Pharisees for asking for a miracle.
8:14-21 Jesus warns the disciples about the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod. The disciples take this literally and Jesus rebukes them
8:22-26 Jesus heals a blind man and orders him not to go into the village.
8:27-30 Jesus asks Peter who he thinks he is. Peter replies to Jesus, "you are the Christ". Jesus warns him not to tell anyone.
8:31-9:1 Jesus predicts his death and resurrection. Jesus rebukes Peter for rebuking him.
9:2-13 Jesus, Peter, John and James go up a mountain where Jesus is transfigured and talks with Moses and Elijah.
9:14-32 Jesus drives a demon out of a boy that his disciples could not. Jesus again predicts his death and resurrection. The disciples were afraid.
9:33-37 Jesus asks the twelve what they were arguing about. The twelve were arguing over who is the greatest disciple. Jesus says the greatest is the least. Those who serve will be great.
9:38-41 Jesus tells his disciples whoever is not against him is for him.
9:42-50 Jesus tells them if your hand causes you to sin it is better to cut it off than go to hell. Then Jesus tells the twelve to be salt.
10:1-12 Jesus condemns divorce.
10:13-16 Jesus rebukes his disciples for not letting the little children come to him.
10:17-31 Jesus tells a young rich man for him to enter heaven he must sell all his possessions, give it to the poor and follow him. The man did not.
10:32-34 Jesus again predicts his death to the twelve.
10:35-45 James and John ask to sit next to Jesus in glory. The other disciples are upset at this and Jesus tells them that to be great they must become a servant.
10:46-52 Jesus heals a blind man who begs for his sight, "By your faith you are healed".
11:1-11 Jesus has his disciples go and get him colt and he rides into Jerusalem while a crowd sings, "hosanna"
11:12-19 Jesus, hungry, walks to a fig tree in the distance. When there is no fruit Jesus says, "may no one eat fruit from you again". Then Jesus goes to the Temple and drives out all the merchandisers and money lenders. The leaders looked for a way to kill him. Then Jesus and the twelve left the city.
11:20-25 The fig tree Jesus cursed withered and died. Jesus tells his disciples that what you ask for in prayer if you have faith will happen and he tells them to forgive others.
11:27-33 The leaders of the temple ask Jesus who give him his authority. Jesus answered with a question: did John the Baptist baptize from heaven or from men? The Pharisees decided not to tell him their answer, so Jesus did not answer their question.
12:1-12 Jesus spoke the Parable of the Tenants to the people
12:13-17 Jesus says, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's
12:18-27 Jesus tells them there will be no marriage in the resurrection, people will be as angels
12:28-34 Jesus says the Greatest commandment - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second greatest - Love your neighbor as yourself.
12:35-39 Jesus warns the people of the teachers of the law's hypocrisy.
12:41-44 The poor widow gave her offering and it was greater than the wealthiest person's gift.
13:1-31 Jesus predicts the end times and tells them what will happen before it comes.
13:32-37 Jesus tells the disciples no one knows the hour when the Son of Man will return except the father.
14:1-11 A woman pours expensive perfume on Jesus and Jesus says it will prepare him for his burial. Judas went to the chief priests to betray Jesus for pay.
14:12-26 Jesus predicts his betrayal, then has the passover dinner.
14:27-31 Jesus predicts Peter's denials.
14:32-42 Jesus prays at Gethsemane where his disciples fall asleep. jesus asks for the cup to be taken away, "but not my will, but thine be done".
14:43-52 Jesus is arrested in Gethsemane, when Judas kisses him.
14:53-65 Jesus is brought to trial and declares He is the Son of Man an the Messiah.
14:66-72 Peter denies Jesus three times, just as predicted
15:1-15 Jesus appears before Pilate. Barabbas is released and Jesus is condemned to be crucified.
Mark 1:1 - 9:50
1:1-8 John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus: "After me will come one more powerful than I, ... I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with he Holy Spirit"
1:9-13 Jesus is baptized by John, then sent to the desert by God where he is tempted by Satan.
1:14-20 Jesus gathers his first four disciples, Simon, Andrew, James and John (the fishermen)
1:21-28 Jesus was teaching on the Sabbath when a demon possessed man confronted him. Jesus cast the demons out of the man and all the people wondered what this new teaching and authority was.
1:29-34 Jesus heals Simon's mother-in-law and word spread about Jesus' healing powers. Many people brought the sick and demon possessed to Jesus to be healed. Jesus healed them and cast the demons out but would not let the demons speak, for they knew who he was.
1:35-39 Jesus went to pray one morning. His disciples went looking for him and then they left to go to other villages to preach.
1:40-45 Jesus heals a man with leprosy and informs him not to tell anyone. The man disobeys and tells everyone. Jesus can now no longer enter any town without a mob rushing him. He stays outside the cities, but crowds still flock to him.
2:1-12 When Jesus returned to Capernaum a crowd so large gathered that no one else could get inside. Four men ripped a hole in the roof and lowered the paralytic in to see Jesus. Jesus said to the man, "your sins are forgiven". Some teachers began to wonder and accuse Jesus of blasphemy in their heads. Jesus knew this and asked the men, "is it easier to forgive someone's sins or to heal him of his injuries?" To prove that he was the Christ he ordered the man to rise up and walk home. Everyone was amazed by this and praised God.
2:13-17 Jesus eats dinner with the tax collectors and "sinners". The Pharisees ask his disciples why he eats with those people and Jesus replies, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners"
2:18-22 Jesus is asked why his disciples are not fasting. Jesus answers they will fast after he has filled them with what they need to be sustained.
2:23-28 Jesus and his disciples pick some grain to eat on the Sabbath. The Pharisees ask why Jesus allows his disciples to break the law and Jesus replies that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
3:1-6 Jesus asks the men in the synagogue if it is right to do good or evil on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill; but, no one answers. Jesus then heals a man with a gimp hand and the Pharisees seek to kill Jesus for healing on the Sabbath.
3:7-12 People from all over the area came to see Jesus after they heard of the miracles. Demons bowed at his feet and said, "You are the son of God" but Jesus told them not to say who he was.
3:13-19 Jesus appoints twelve apostles who will preach and drive out demons: Simon (Peter), James, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas
3:20-30 Jesus is accused of being possessed by Satan and driving out demons in the name of Satan. Jesus replies with, "How can Satan drive out Satan? A house divided against itself cannot stand. If Satan opposes himself his time is over".
4:1-20 Jesus tells the parable of the Sower. A farmer throws seeds and some land on the path where the birds ate them. Some fell not the rocks where they grew but withered in the sun. Some fell on the thorns where they grew but were choked. Other seeds fell on good soil where they grew and produced a crop. Jesus asked if the people understood. The people didn't understand so Jesus explained it. The seeds on the path are like the people who hear the word but Satan takes it away. The seeds on the rocks are those who hear and accept but fall away at the first sign of persecution. The seeds that fell in the thorns are those who hear the word but it is choked away by worldly things. The seeds that fall in the good soil and produce fruit are those that hear the word and accept it and produce a crop of believers.
4:21-25 Jesus asks if a lamp is hidden, no of course not! It's put on a stand. He says what is hidden will be disclosed. He says you will be judged as harshly and more as you judge others. And says those who have will be given more (the saved) and those without will have more taken away (the lost).
4:26-29 The parable of the growing seed is what the kingdom of God is like. Seeds continue to sprout up without him knowing how. And when the grain is ripe it will be harvested.
4:30-34 The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. It is the smallest of all seeds but produces the largest of all garden plants. Jesus also explains all the parables he taught to his disciples.
4:35-41 Jesus is asleep in the boat when a massive storm comes over the sea. The disciples woke Jesus and he calmed the sea. The disciples were amazed at His power.
5:1-20 Jesus comes on man who was possessed by a legion of demons. The demons beg Jesus not to torture them or banish them from the area. They beg to be released to a flock of pigs nearby. Jesus lets them and they enter the pigs and cause them all to drown. The town came out to see what had happened and asked Jesus to leave. The formerly demon-possessed man begged to go with Jesus, but Jesus told him to stay with his family and tell how the Lord has been good to him.
5:21-43 Jesus after crossing the lake was approached by a synagogue leader begging Jesus to come heal his dying daughter. On the way a woman who had been bleeding touched Jesus garment and was healed.
6:1-6 Jesus spoke in his hometown and was not accepted. He was appalled by their lack of faith.
6:7-13 Jesus sent the 12 out to preach and cast out demons.
6:14-29 John the Baptist is beheaded by Herod.
6:30-44 Jesus feeds the 5,000.
6:45-56 Jesus walks on the water out to the 12 in the middle of the lake.
7:1-23 Jesus is approached by the Pharisees about why his disciples don't follow the Jewish traditions. jesus calls the men hypocrites for holding to Jewish traditions but ignoring God's law. Jesus then declares it is not the external world that makes a man unclean, but it is man's hearth that makes him unclean.
7:24-30 Jesus enters a house secretly but is found by a Greek woman. This woman begs Jesus to drive a demon out of her daughter. Jesus replies, "first let the children eat... for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs". The woman replies, "but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs". Jesus states that because of the woman's faith her daughter is freed of the demon.
7:31-37 Jesus heals a deaf and mute man. He commands the people not to talk about it but they are amazed and talk about it.
8:1-13 Jesus feeds 4,000 men with 7 loaves of bread and a few small fish. He then rebukes the Pharisees for asking for a miracle.
8:14-21 Jesus warns the disciples about the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod. The disciples take this literally and Jesus rebukes them
8:22-26 Jesus heals a blind man and orders him not to go into the village.
8:27-30 Jesus asks Peter who he thinks he is. Peter replies to Jesus, "you are the Christ". Jesus warns him not to tell anyone.
8:31-9:1 Jesus predicts his death and resurrection. Jesus rebukes Peter for rebuking him.
9:2-13 Jesus, Peter, John and James go up a mountain where Jesus is transfigured and talks with Moses and Elijah.
9:14-32 Jesus drives a demon out of a boy that his disciples could not. Jesus again predicts his death and resurrection. The disciples were afraid.
9:33-37 Jesus asks the twelve what they were arguing about. The twelve were arguing over who is the greatest disciple. Jesus says the greatest is the least. Those who serve will be great.
9:38-41 Jesus tells his disciples whoever is not against him is for him.
9:42-50 Jesus tells them if your hand causes you to sin it is better to cut it off than go to hell. Then Jesus tells the twelve to be salt.
10:1-12 Jesus condemns divorce.
10:13-16 Jesus rebukes his disciples for not letting the little children come to him.
10:17-31 Jesus tells a young rich man for him to enter heaven he must sell all his possessions, give it to the poor and follow him. The man did not.
10:32-34 Jesus again predicts his death to the twelve.
10:35-45 James and John ask to sit next to Jesus in glory. The other disciples are upset at this and Jesus tells them that to be great they must become a servant.
10:46-52 Jesus heals a blind man who begs for his sight, "By your faith you are healed".
11:1-11 Jesus has his disciples go and get him colt and he rides into Jerusalem while a crowd sings, "hosanna"
11:12-19 Jesus, hungry, walks to a fig tree in the distance. When there is no fruit Jesus says, "may no one eat fruit from you again". Then Jesus goes to the Temple and drives out all the merchandisers and money lenders. The leaders looked for a way to kill him. Then Jesus and the twelve left the city.
11:20-25 The fig tree Jesus cursed withered and died. Jesus tells his disciples that what you ask for in prayer if you have faith will happen and he tells them to forgive others.
11:27-33 The leaders of the temple ask Jesus who give him his authority. Jesus answered with a question: did John the Baptist baptize from heaven or from men? The Pharisees decided not to tell him their answer, so Jesus did not answer their question.
12:1-12 Jesus spoke the Parable of the Tenants to the people
12:13-17 Jesus says, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's
12:18-27 Jesus tells them there will be no marriage in the resurrection, people will be as angels
12:28-34 Jesus says the Greatest commandment - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second greatest - Love your neighbor as yourself.
12:35-39 Jesus warns the people of the teachers of the law's hypocrisy.
12:41-44 The poor widow gave her offering and it was greater than the wealthiest person's gift.
13:1-31 Jesus predicts the end times and tells them what will happen before it comes.
13:32-37 Jesus tells the disciples no one knows the hour when the Son of Man will return except the father.
14:1-11 A woman pours expensive perfume on Jesus and Jesus says it will prepare him for his burial. Judas went to the chief priests to betray Jesus for pay.
14:12-26 Jesus predicts his betrayal, then has the passover dinner.
14:27-31 Jesus predicts Peter's denials.
14:32-42 Jesus prays at Gethsemane where his disciples fall asleep. jesus asks for the cup to be taken away, "but not my will, but thine be done".
14:43-52 Jesus is arrested in Gethsemane, when Judas kisses him.
14:53-65 Jesus is brought to trial and declares He is the Son of Man an the Messiah.
14:66-72 Peter denies Jesus three times, just as predicted
15:1-15 Jesus appears before Pilate. Barabbas is released and Jesus is condemned to be crucified.
15:16-20 Jesus has a purple robe put on him, a crown of thorns on his head and is mocked
15:21-32 Jesus is crucified, they cast lots for his clothes and mock him
15:33-41 Jesus dies. The curtain splits in the temple. The centurions who saw Jesus die proclaimed Jesus must be the Son of God.
15:42-47 Joseph of Arimethea asks for the body of Christ. He laid the body in the tomb and wrapped it.
16:1-8 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James went to the tomb to find Jesus was gone and an angel told him that He had risen.
This is where most early manuscripts end. But later ones contain 16:9-20.
16:9-20 Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and to two others but no one believes them. Jesus appears to the eleven and charges them to preach throughout the world.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
The Problems of Philosophy - Chapter 7
(Originally Written September 21, 2005 in Book 2)
The Problems of Philosophy
Bertrand Russell
1912
Chapter 7 - On our Knowledge of General Principles
The inductive principle is necessary to all arguments based on experience; however, experience cannot prove or disprove it. The principle of induction is not alone in this characteristic.
The principle of inference is the means of drawing inferences based on a sensation. If this inference is then true, it is as true as the data itself.
An inference takes the pattern of stating:
If A is true then B is true
A is true
B is true
The principle is obvious and may seem trivial, but it is important because it is knowledge which is in "no way derived from objects of sense" (Russell, 72).
There are three laws of thought:
1) The law of identity - Whatever is, is
2) The law of contradiction - Nothing can bot be and not-be
3) The law of the excluded middle - Everything must be or not be
(3: This is only man's logic. God is not subject to this law) This was written in my margins, but to be honest I don't know what I meant by it
In addition to these principles (laws of thought and the principle of inference) which enables us to prove that from a given premise that something is certainly true, there are other logical principles that enable us to prove that there is greater or lesser probability that something is true. (These principles include the inductive principle)
All knowledge is elicited and caused by experience, however some knowledge is a priori. A priori is knowledge derived without reference to particular facts or experience.
"Nothing can be known to exist except by the help of experience" (Russell, 76). This means that if we want to prove something exists of which we have no experience of we must use premises (one or more) of things we have direct experience with.
The scope of a priori is strictly limited.
When anything is known by direct experience (immediately) it is known by experience alone. But, when anything is proved to exist without immediate experience both experience and a priori principles are required in the proof of that thing's existence.
Empirical knowledge rests wholly or partly on experience.
A priori knowledge is hypothetical and contends that things exist or may exist, but does not give actual existence.
"The most important example of non-logical a priori knowledge is knowledge as to ethical value" (Russell, 75-76).
Russell is not stating ethical value as what is useful or virtues because they do not need empirical premises; he is referring to "the intrinsic desirability of things" (Russell, 76).
"It is fairly obvious that they [judgments on the intrinsic value of something] cannot be proved by experience; for the fact that a thing exists or does not exist cannot prove either that it is good that it should exist or that it is bad" (Russell, 76).
Whether something's existence is good or bad falls into the scope of ethics.
The knowledge as to what is intrinsically of value is a priori in the same sense that logic is a priori; meaning that the truth of such knowledge cannot be proved or disproved by experience.
Pure mathematics is a priori.
Pg. 78-79 mortal men passage. If men are not mortal it would upset the entire fabric of our knowledge. What of Elijah who was taken into heaven? He was immortalized by God and yet the fabric of man's knowledge was not interrupted. Man's logic was superseded by God's presence.
Deduction takes us from general to general or from general to particular whereas induction takes us from particular to particular or particular to general.
All empirical generalizations are more uncertain than the instances of them.
A priori propositions include logic, pure mathematics and fundamental propositions of ethics.
The questions that arise from a priori are:
1. How is it possible that there should be such knowledge?
2. How can there be knowledge of general propositions in cases where we have not examined all the instances and never can (because they are infinite)?
The Problems of Philosophy
Bertrand Russell
1912
Chapter 7 - On our Knowledge of General Principles
The inductive principle is necessary to all arguments based on experience; however, experience cannot prove or disprove it. The principle of induction is not alone in this characteristic.
The principle of inference is the means of drawing inferences based on a sensation. If this inference is then true, it is as true as the data itself.
An inference takes the pattern of stating:
If A is true then B is true
A is true
B is true
The principle is obvious and may seem trivial, but it is important because it is knowledge which is in "no way derived from objects of sense" (Russell, 72).
There are three laws of thought:
1) The law of identity - Whatever is, is
2) The law of contradiction - Nothing can bot be and not-be
3) The law of the excluded middle - Everything must be or not be
(3: This is only man's logic. God is not subject to this law) This was written in my margins, but to be honest I don't know what I meant by it
In addition to these principles (laws of thought and the principle of inference) which enables us to prove that from a given premise that something is certainly true, there are other logical principles that enable us to prove that there is greater or lesser probability that something is true. (These principles include the inductive principle)
All knowledge is elicited and caused by experience, however some knowledge is a priori. A priori is knowledge derived without reference to particular facts or experience.
"Nothing can be known to exist except by the help of experience" (Russell, 76). This means that if we want to prove something exists of which we have no experience of we must use premises (one or more) of things we have direct experience with.
The scope of a priori is strictly limited.
When anything is known by direct experience (immediately) it is known by experience alone. But, when anything is proved to exist without immediate experience both experience and a priori principles are required in the proof of that thing's existence.
Empirical knowledge rests wholly or partly on experience.
A priori knowledge is hypothetical and contends that things exist or may exist, but does not give actual existence.
"The most important example of non-logical a priori knowledge is knowledge as to ethical value" (Russell, 75-76).
Russell is not stating ethical value as what is useful or virtues because they do not need empirical premises; he is referring to "the intrinsic desirability of things" (Russell, 76).
"It is fairly obvious that they [judgments on the intrinsic value of something] cannot be proved by experience; for the fact that a thing exists or does not exist cannot prove either that it is good that it should exist or that it is bad" (Russell, 76).
Whether something's existence is good or bad falls into the scope of ethics.
The knowledge as to what is intrinsically of value is a priori in the same sense that logic is a priori; meaning that the truth of such knowledge cannot be proved or disproved by experience.
Pure mathematics is a priori.
Pg. 78-79 mortal men passage. If men are not mortal it would upset the entire fabric of our knowledge. What of Elijah who was taken into heaven? He was immortalized by God and yet the fabric of man's knowledge was not interrupted. Man's logic was superseded by God's presence.
Deduction takes us from general to general or from general to particular whereas induction takes us from particular to particular or particular to general.
All empirical generalizations are more uncertain than the instances of them.
A priori propositions include logic, pure mathematics and fundamental propositions of ethics.
The questions that arise from a priori are:
1. How is it possible that there should be such knowledge?
2. How can there be knowledge of general propositions in cases where we have not examined all the instances and never can (because they are infinite)?
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