Main Question for today

Why do we have different Bible Translations?

As you listen, follow along using the material provided below, or click "Resources" beneath the audio recording above and download the worksheet the class used during the lesson.

Judges 13:1

                                                NIV                             ESV                            KJV                             NASB

“Again”                            

“Israelites” vs                 
“Sons/people/
Children of Israel”

“Sight” vs
“Eyes”

“Delivered” vs
“Gave” vs
“Handed”

On your own, sometime this week, repeat this exercise with verse 2 using different Bible translations.

Judges 13:2

                                                NIV                             ESV                            KJV                             NASB

“____ A Certain man”
            vs
“____ A man”

Clan, Tribe, Family

“Childless” vs
“Barren” vs
“Infertile”

Judges 13:1 In Hebrew                              (Don't worry! There won't be a test!)                                              <-- Hebrew Reads right to left!

וַיֹּסִ֙פוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּתְּנֵ֧ם יְהוָ֛ה בְּיַד־ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים אַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃

Literal Translation— “and they added, sons Israel, they to do evil in the eyes LORD. And he gave, LORD, in the hand of the Philistines, 40 years.”

Smooth Interpretation—“And again, the Sons of Israel, they did evil in the eyes of the LORD. And The LORD gave them into the hands of the Philistines, for 40 years.”

It is not necessarily the words that bring understanding. Instead, it is the meaning and interpretation of the words that brings understanding. 

All Translation is Interpretation

For example, here are common phrases, whose words we must interpret in order to understand its meaning.  A Literal translation will not work or make sense in these instances.

Numbers 14:18 “God is slow to anger, abundant in love.”

            Our English Bibles interprets “Long of Nose” as “Slow to anger.”

But the meaning and interpretation of “long of nose” brings understanding to a translation.

Euphemisms – “He fell asleep” = he is dead (ex. Acts 7:60—the stoning of Stephen)

                        “He is big boned” = he is fat

                        “The lights are on, but no one is home” = that person is dumb

Metaphor— “He is the Lion of Judah” (see Revelation 5:5)

                        “She’s the apple of my eye”

Personification—“The rocks will cry out” (ex. Luke 19:40)

                        “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood” (ex. Joel 2:31)

 Hyperbole--  “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” (1 Sam. 18:7)

                        “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!”

Key Point

All translation is interpretation

Can we trust our translations?

Yes! 

But how do we know if our interpretation is a correct interpretation?

We test Scripture against Scripture

We debate and have conversations

We study diligently and do our best to understand God's word truthfully and faithfully.

Take away

Is it ok if someone else has a different understanding or interpretation of Scripture? Why or why not?

Why does having different understandings of Scripture so important?

Why does this matter for us today?

How can we use what we've learned today the next time someone asks us a question about the Bible and our faith?

What will you do differently know that you know this?

Intro Question

Based on your Old Testament knowledge only, who or what is Satan?

What Scripture references can you point too to support your position on Satan?

Take the time to Pause the audio recording for a minute or two and write down a few of your ideas. Write down who or what you think Satan is. Think of some Old Testament passages that you may use to support your reasoning and write them down.

Main Question for today

How does the Old Testament use the word "satan?"

Background information

The word "satan" comes from the Hebrew word שטן  and it means " an adversary," "opponent," or "one who stands in opposition to." So in the generic sense, it means exactly that-- someone or something that stands against someone as an adversary. 

Now just שטן  on its own means “adversary,” but in Hebrew there is something called the “definite article,” and it is the English equivalent of the word “the.” The article looks like this ה and it shifts a word from an indefinite state to a definite state. For example, instead of “a ball,” “a church,” “president,” it becomes “the ball,” “the church,” “ the president.”  השטן

So when this definite article is attached to a word, it makes it definite. And more specifically, in Hebrew, it can turn the word satan into a proper noun like a name or a title. So the presence of a definite article turns it into a title like “THE Satan”, while its absence usually means the generic word for “adversary” and is treated like a noun.  

In total, the word "satan" appears about 27 times in the Old Testament-- sometimes with and sometimes without the definite article.

Three Categories of Satan

Human Adversaries

Let's take a look at a few examples in the Old Testament where "satan" refers to Human adversaries

1 Kings 5:4, 11:14, 23, 25

1 Samuel 29:4

Note that these passages do not contain the definite article when the Hebrew word "satan" appears. When no article is present, the English translates "satan" as "adversary," when used as a noun in these passages. in 1 Sam 29:4 the word "satan" is being used as a verb and is translated as "he will turn against." Here the Philistine commanders are calling David a "satan"-- one who will "turn against" the Philistines. 

Think about how the word "satan" is being used in these passages. Write some of your thoughts down and think about how this information impacts your understanding of "satan" as we move forward.

Celestial Opponents

Let's take a look at a few examples in the Old Testament where "satan" refers to Celestial Opponents

Zechariah 3:1-2

Numbers 22:22, 32

1 Chronicles 21:1

(Just for fun-- 2 Samuel 24:1)

The Zechariah passage does have the definite article with the word "satan." Satan is functioning as the "opponent" to God in this passage. Yet the broader context of the passage does not seem to indicate that Satan is or isn't evil. In fact it seems that Satan is serving as a prosecuting attorney (we will touch on this more in the Book of Job section below).

Satan is not out to destroy Joshua, but rather argues that Joshua is not fit or qualified enough to be Yahweh's priest. Yet Yahweh argues that he is. So the Satan is serving as an opponent in the way someone would be an opponent in a debate or a court case. 

Numbers 22:22, 32 is the story of Balaam's Donkey. There is no article attached to the word "satan."

(Fun fact: This is the first time from the start of Genesis until now that the word "satan" appears in the Old Testament.)

Who is the "opponent" or "satan" in this passage?-- An "Angel of the Lord." 

Here the Angel came to "stand against" Balaam. 

1 Chronicles 21:1 is when David is incited to take a census of Israel. There is no article attached to the word "satan."

This is an interesting passage and is an exception to the rule we have talked about so far. Here, there is no article with Satan, yet it can still be translated into English as "The Satan"-- Capital "S" Satan as a proper noun or a title. 

This passage is the only time in the Old Testament where Satan could be used explicitly as a personal name (rather than a title). 

Just for fun-- take a look at 2 Samuel 24:1 and compare it to 1 Chronicles 21;1

Who incites David to take a census? In 1 Chron. it's Satan, yet in 2 Sam. it's the Lord. One possibility is that God is functioning as a "satan" (opponent, adversary) to David who then succumbs to sin. This could work since there is no article attached to "satan" here, but this issue has some textual complexities with the note above about "satan" being used as a personal name in this passage. 

So this point is very interesting and unclear. We wanted to point this out to you so you can get a taste for the complexities of Scripture and have a more diverse understanding of who or what this Satan figure is. 

The Book of Job

Let's take a look at the Book of Job for another perspective on  "satan."

Job 1:6-12

Job 2:1-7

In these passages, Satan does have the definite article. These passages definitely describe a specific entity known as "Satan." Here the Satan could also be considered a Celestial Opponent to Job. 

Consider this:

If someone hit your car, or broke into your house, or stole something from you, would you want a really good prosecuting attorney or a bad prosecuting attorney? Why?

You would want a good one of course!

In the judicial system and in a court of law, what is the function of a prosecuting attorney? 

A prosecuting attorney is someone that makes accusations against the defendant and who tries to get a guilty plea from them. So simply because they accuse people of wrong doing, that doesn't make prosecuting attorneys good or bad, it just means they are doing their job. Prosecuting attorney's simply fulfill their functions within a court case in order to ensure that justice is being carried out as well as making sure that those who may have committed crimes receive a proper punishment. 

Having considered this, you could argue, that the Satan in Zechariah and Job is simply fulfilling his role as a prosecuting attorney. Yes, Satan caused the death of Job’s family, destroyed his riches, and ruined Job’s health, but who explicitly commanded and allowed/instructed Satan to do this to Job?

God did. Yes the death of Job’s family is bad, but it was God who specifically instructed Satan to carry out these actions . Satan’s actions were approved by God himself. So Satan was simply carrying out his role and function obeying God's commands.

Reflect

How has this impacted your understanding of Satan? What has changed?

Did you learn anything new? If so, why is this significant?

Is any of this a salvation issue? Or is there room for different interpretations that does not impact our understanding of Jesus, the Gospel, or salvation?

Homework

Notice how we did not cover Genesis 3 in the Garden of Eden. Your homework for this week is this: if you believe that Satan is the serpent in Genesis 3, write down as many reasons why you believe this and provide scripture references to support your position. 

Intro Question

If you believe that Satan was the serpent in Genesis 3, what arguments can you point to to support this idea?

What Scripture references can you use to support your position?

Main Question for today

How does the Bible describe the serpent of Genesis 3 and how does the Bible describe the creature known as Leviathan, Litan, and Lotan? 

Challenge

If you haven't already, take the time to search the Scriptures for evidence supporting the idea that Satan was the serpent of Genesis 3.

Feel free to pull from both the Old and New Testaments, Philosophy, Moral reasoning, etc. 

Remember to back yourself with passages found in the Bible.

Listen in to hear what the class came up with.

As you listen, consider a new perspective on who or what the Bible may refer to when it describes entities such as the "Red Dragon" or that "Ancient Serpent" of Revelation 12 and 20. What about the one who was "in Eden" or the "guardian cherub" described in Ezekiel 28? What do we do with John 8:44 referencing the "father of lies?" and other examples the class came up with.

As you listen, we want you to consider this new perspective by first learning about an entity known as Leviathan. Specifically, how the Old Testament describes Leviathan, how an ancient text known as the Baal Cycle describes Leviathan, and the descriptions laid out in Revelation 12 and 20 share similar descriptors to refer to this agent of watery chaos. 

Leviathan in the Old Testament and the Baal Cycle

Leviathan in Hebrew is לתן (equivalent to the English's consonants L T N--> Leviathan, Lotan, Litan) and it is used in Isaiah 27:1; Job 26:12-13, 41:13-21, 27-29; and Psalm 74:13-14

Read Isaiah 27:1

Listen to the phrasing and specific words used as Joshua reads two passages. Both Isaiah and the Baal Cycle share the same phrases such as the "Fleeing serpent," the "Twisting serpent." 

Isaiah includes the phrase "The dragon that is in the sea."

The Baal cycle also includes the phrase "The seven-headed monster." Remember these two phrases when we get to Revelation 12 and 20. 

Read Job 26: 12-13

Listen to the phrasing again and to the specific words used as we compare Job and the Baal Cycle.

Note that Job uses the phrase "Fleeing serpent" just like Isaiah 27:1

The Baal Cycle passage uses "The Dragon," "Twisting Serpent," and the "the seven-headed monster." 

Remember these phrases as we take a look at Revelation 12 and 20

Leviathan in Revelation and Apocalyptic Descriptors

Read Revelation 20:2-3 and 12:3,9

Here in Revelation, there is this dragon, this large chaotic entity that is described as an "ancient serpent" who is the devil, or Satan. Based on its physical descriptions (Large creature that comes from the sea, Chaotic force and strength, Seven-headed monster, 10 horns, 7 crowns), does this sound the serpent of Genesis 3?

Interesting how the Baal Cycle calls the Leviathan a seven-headed monster, and Revelation describes it the very same way.

Read Job 41:13-29

Based on its physical descriptions (having an outer coat of armor; its back lined with rows of shields, snorts that send out flashes of light, eyes like the rays of dawn, flames that pour from its mouth, sparks of fire that shoot out, smoke from its nostrils, immune to damage from swords , spears, darts, javelins, arrows, slingstones, clubs, and lances, stronger than iron and bronze) does this sound like the serpent of Genesis 3?

Read Psalm 74:13-14

Here God crushes the heads (Plural--> Remember the Baal cycle passages?) of the Leviathan. Note this passage describes Leviathan has having several heads-- Re-read Revelation 20:2-3 and 12:3,9 and count if the dragon has just one head or several. 

Does the Psalm 74 description of Leviathan sound like the serpent of Genesis 3? 

Description of the Serpent of Genesis 3

Read Genesis 3:1

How does the text describe this serpent?

1) It is more crafting than any of the wild animals

2) It is a wild animal

3) It is a creature created by God

4) It can speak (we don't know how or why as the text never tells us--see Numbers 22 for Balaam's talking donkey

If we look at verse 14 it says that

1) The serpent will be cursed above all livestock and all wild animals (indicating that it, again, is itself a wild animal

2) will crawl on its belly and eat dust

Notice how the word "satan" never appears in this passage. 

A New Perspective

What if I told you that instead of the Revelation passages referring to the "Ancient Serpent" is not referring to the serpent of Genesis 3?

What if, in fact, there was a more "Ancient Serpent" in the Bible found even early in Genesis?

Turn to Genesis 1:21 and read it through.

Re-read the first sentence again-- "So God created the great creatures of the sea..."

Want to take a guess at what Hebrew word appears? Want to guess which entity is mentioned as the "great creatures of the sea?"

The answer is Leviathan. The Hebrew has לתן here in this passage in a plural form. There is an even more ancient serpent in the Bible than the serpent of Genesis 3. Remember Isaiah 27:1 and Job 26:12-13 all call Leviathan a serpent, a serpent that twists and flees and comes from the sea. 

You see, the Leviathan is mentioned in Genesis 1, well before the events of Genesis 3. With all of the other evidence from the Baal cycle, Isaiah, Job, and other passages, we see that this sea creature causes chaos all throughout creation. The passages in Revelation use the same descriptors (seven-headed, chaotic entity that is beyond the scope of human capacity to defeat, a serpent) as the Old Testament references found in Isaiah, Job, Psalms, and others.  

This Leviathan, this other "ancient serpent" has caused tremendous trouble for Israel as seen through the time of the Judges and Kings. When Israel fell into Baal worship, they were constantly exposed to this entity, Leviathan, who caused Israel to fall into sin. Yes, the serpent in Genesis 3 caused Eve and Adam to sin, but Leviathan caused the whole nation of Israel to fall into sin for generations.

Take Away

Does this perspective change anything about our salvation?

Is this an "essential" issue in the church or are we free to talk about and debate and challenge new and different views?

How has this shaped your understanding of the descriptors of Revelation, descriptors in Isaiah, Job, and Psalms, and the descriptions of the serpent in Genesis 3?

Next Week

Next week we will revisit the other passages that we did not touch on this week. This week we only focused on the Leviathan passages, but next time we will talk about passages such as Ezekiel 28:1-19, Isaiah 14:12-15, John 8:44, re-visit Revelation 12 and 20, as well as touch on some of the moral/philosophical issues of sin and who brought it into the world.

References

For more information on the theme of watery chaos, God's actions to bring order to creation, and God's plan to eliminate all agents of chaos at the consummation of creation, check out a sermon by Joshua Bush on June 15th of 2022. Click "Media" above and select "Listen to sermons" to get started.

Fill out the following chart as you listen along

                                       Character/ Attributes                           Desire                                                 Acts

God                              

Satan                              

                                       People                                                  Culture                                                Church

Satan's Influence

HALT: You are most vulnerable when we are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired

Scriptures

1 John 1:5-7; John 8:43-45; Deuteronomy 18:9-11; Ephesians 6:10-12; 2 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Peter 5:8-9; Deuteronomy 6:24; 2 Timothy 4:2; Romans 1:20, 7:7; Matthew 7:1; 2 Timothy 4:2. 

Intro Question

How does Satan influence our culture?

Listen along or copy and paste the link below into a separate window to follow along

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwDbiajBEbk

Viewer discretion is advised

Intro Topic

Music and Satan's Influence

Consider this: What is your take on the influence of music on people? How does Satan use music to influence people?

Main Topic for Today

Can Satan influence people through possession

Take a look at Matthew 12:22-29 and 1 John 4:4 and listen as we read along

What are the differences between demon possession and a demon's influence?

Check out Matthew 12:43-45

What happens when the evil spirit leaves the man?

Let's consider Judas, the disciple that betrayed Jesus. How does Judas become so influenced by Satan that he ended up betraying the Son of God? 

What do you think about people's rejection of Jesus when we don't get what we want?

Is there any connection to this idea and Judas' actions to betray Jesus?

How do people become influenced and sometimes even possessed in the first place? Is it something that just happens one day or is there something more happening within that person?

There are two major mistakes that people make when it comes to Satan

1) People sometimes do not believe in Satan at all.

2) People sometimes attribute every evil thing to Satan and his influence.

What does the Bible say about Satan's influence?

1) Satan is real

2) Satan affects us in a real, tangible sense

3) Satan has an agenda

People often don't just become possessed one day. People involve themselves in things that are contrary to God's commands resulting in a creeping influence from Satan. 

Main Discussion

This week we explore a hard look at our culture and see different ways Satan Influences our culture and the church more specifically.

What do you think the reason for the Law is? 

Why do we have our own laws here in the United States?

Why did God give us His law in the Bible?

What do you think of what you hear "Just do it" ? 

What does a phrase like this mean for our culture and how is it perceived by people given our sinful nature?

How are we to judge? Are we to judge?

Fill out the following chart as you listen along

                                       Character/ Attributes                           Desire                                                 Acts

God                                Light, all Knowing                                Saving Relationship                             Gospel

                                       Truth, Love

Satan                              Darkness, Liar                                      Destroy Relationship with God          Self-serving

                                       Murderer                                             Follow Him vs Follow Jesus                "just do it" 

                                                                                                    Wants to trap us                                 Deception

                                       People                                                  Culture                                                Church

Satan's Influence

Is Christianity a blind faith? Why or why not?

Top three responses from those when asked "Why do you believe what you believe?" I believe because...

1. I was brought up in this faith.

2. God changed me to be a better person.

3. I had a personal experience with God and my life changed forever.

Scriptures

Deuteronomy 6:24; Romans 7:7; Matthew 16:18, 7:1; 21 Timothy 4:2; Romans 1:20

Main point for today

How can we protect ourselves from Satan's Influence and from evil?

The Full Armor of God

Ephesians 6:12-17

The Belt of Truth

In order to protect ourselves from the influence of evil, we need to know, understand, and practice the truth found in the Bible.

Given our conversations about Satan, Why is it important to know the truth?

The Breastplate of Righteousness

The Greek word for "Righteousness" is dikaiosune (dik-ah-yos-oo'-nay) (δικαιοσυνη) and it means "a state that is in accord with standards for acceptable or anticipated behavior" --> "uprightness, righteousness, justice"

Romans 1:17

Romans 3:21-22

What is self-righteousness? How does this breastplate protect us against our own self-righteousness?

Does God require anything from us in order for us to receive salvation? Is there anything that we can do that will allow us to earn our way into God's Kingdom?

Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace

As Christians, what does this phrase mean? What does our Peace with God look like?

What does Peace with God give us as we make our way through our lives?

Romans 16:20

Proverbs 16:7

Shield of Faith

How does Job's faithfulness help him throughout the book of Job?

Job 13:15

Why is acting on the knowledge that we have about Christ important? What does putting our faith in to action look like?

Take the Helmet of Salvation

What securities do we have knowing that we have placed our salvation in Jesus?

Job 19:25-27

Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God

How can we use God's word to protect ourselves and those in the church?

How can we harm people by using the Bible incorrectly? 

Why is it important to speak truth, yet with love and gentleness? 

Can we win people to Christ through arguing with them? Is it more important to win an argument or is it more important to show God's grace and love? Why?

Main Question for today

What is a demon/ what are a demon's characteristics?

Based upon your understanding of the Old Testament alone, what is a demon?

Origins of Demons

There are four potential theories that could explain where demons came from

Theory #1

Demons are disembodied spirits from a pre-Adam race of human-like beings

Possible shortcomings with this view: 

1) This view aligns with theistic evolution

2) There is no biblical evidence to support this view as the Bible story does not indicate that such a race of human-like beings ever existed.

Theory #2

Demons are beings that coexisted with angelic beings known as Nephilim found in Genesis 6:1-4 and were human-angel hybrids

Possible shortcomings with this view:

1) This view only works if one interprets the "sons of God" as angelic beings.

It's much more likely that these "sons of God" were simply human kings  as this was a common phrase used in the ancient world for kings.

2) If the "sons of God" were angels, the Bible never describes angels as having relations with human women to produce offspring.

This was an idea that came from the intertestamental texts such as 1 Enoch. 

Theory #3

Demons are Spirits of humans who escaped Sheol as seen in the Witch of Endor story in 1 Samuel 28:7-25

Possible shortcomings with this view:

1) There is only one passage in the whole Bible that supports this view.

2) Would God allow such a instance to take place regarding a persons' soul?

Theory #4

Demons are fallen angels who were cast down with Satan from heaven

Ezekiel 28:13-19; Isaiah 14:12-15; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; Revelation 12:7-9

Possible shortcomings with this view:

1) Our previous discussions on the Ezekiel and Isaiah passages could just as easily be referring to the human kings of Tyre and Babylon as laid out in the text. This perspective forces a spiritual/apocryphal meaning onto a plain and clear text about human kings

2) 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6 are most likely quoting a passage from 1 Enoch, a text from the apocrypha. 

3) Revelation 12:7-9 could be talking about a future event rather than an event that took place before creation. Additionally, if the angels described here are "bound" and awaiting judgement, how could they be on the earth now?

Words for "demon"

1) There doesn't seem to be a single word or concept that cleanly describes demons in the Old Testament

2) The few Hebrew words we do have are rare and occur only a handful of times.

3) The words we do use to translate as "demon" often refer to both evil entities as well as neutral "anonymous gods" in the Old Testament. 

"Hairy ones"

This Hebrew word occurs about 50 times in the Old Testament

Two Hebrew words are used:

Seirim--> ("Hair ones" or "Satyrs") שעירים 

Isaiah 13:21 and Isaiah 34:14

Sedim--> ("demon") שדים

Deuteronomy 32:17 and Psalm 106:37

These terms are often associated with the male goats that were presented as a sacrifice for sin offerings on the Day of Atonement.

Seirim and Sedim are also often associated with Azazel ("scape goat") found throughout Leviticus 16. The scape goat was a sacrifice that the sin of Israel was placed upon one of these goats, while the other was driven away from the Israelite camp to live in the desert places.

"Lilith"

Seen in other Ancient Near Eastern texts as a female demon associated with the Seirim and other unclean creatures. Also described as a succubus and a "child stealing" demon in other ancient cultures. 

Translated as "night creature" in Isaiah 34:14

"Azazel"

Seen all throughout Leviticus 16 and is translated as "scape goat."

Leviticus 16 can refer either to the goat itself or to a place in the wilderness as the Hebrew could be understood as the goat itself, or to a specific place in the wilderness, or as the name of a specific demon that lives in the wilderness to which the scape goat is dedicated to. 

Demons responsible for or present within natural phenomena

Plague/ pestilence--Hosea 13:145; Hab. 3:5; Psalm 91:6

Destruction-- Deut. 32:24; Isaiah 28:2; Hosea 13:14

Flame/firebolt-- (Deut. 32:24 translates "flame/firebolt" as "pestilence"); Hab. 3:5

Terror in the night-- Psalm 91:5

These identifications are based upon our understanding of other ancient near eastern texts and how they associated these phrases to demons and evil spirits. It seems that such phrases do not simply refer to the natural phenomena themselves, but to the demon or god responsible for, or present within, them. 

Evil or Lying Spirits

Check out 1 Sam. 16:14-16, 23 and 1 Kings 22:19-23

These were lying or evil spirits sent by God. 

What do we do with these. If God sent these spirits, why is God commanding evil spirits in the first place? Why did God command these evil spirits to afflict and cause harm? What do we do with these negative functions of these entities?

Relationship to Satan

Notice what major figure we left out of our discussion on demons so far?

Satan

Why is that?

The answer is because Satan is never mentioned alongside demonic entities within the Old Testament. Satan is strikingly absent within the Old Testament when it comes to language that describes demons. 

As seen in our previous lesson on Satanology above, within the Old Testament, Satan seems to be functioning as a independent being who acts upon God's commands to carry out negative (note: not necessarily evil) functions as a prosecuting attorney. 

Take Away

What are our take away's from this?

Are demons a major aspect of the Old Testament, or does it seem to be focused on other stuff?

If the Old Testament isn't focused on demons, what does that mean for us?

Should we be super fixated on demons or other entities such as these? Why or why not?

Sources

Kuemmerlin-McLean, Joanne K., "Demons." In The Anchor Bible Dictionary: Volume 2, edited by David Noel Freedman, 138-140. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992.

Main Question for today

What is a demon/ what are a demon's characteristics?

Based upon your understanding of the New Testament alone, what is a demon?

Terminology

δαιμονιον ("dai-mon-ee-on") appears roughly 60 times in the New Testament and it means "Hostile/ evil Spirit" or "Demon"

This word is one of the most common words used for demons and is found primarily in the Gospel accounts

πνευμα ακαθαρτον ("peh-new-ma   ak-ath-ar-ton") appears multiple times throughout the New Testament and means "impure/ unclean spirit"

Found especially in Mark and Luke

Demonic Activity

Take a minute to pause the video and answer this question: 

Within the New Testament, what are some activities that are attributed to demons?

When you are ready, un-pause the video and listen along to what the class had to say.

Read the following passages for a better understanding of what the New Testament says about demonic activity

Insane Behavior: Matthew 8:28 and Mark 5:1-5

Inability to speak: Matthew 9:32

Inability to hear: Mark 9:25

Blindness: Matthew 12:22

Symptoms of Epilepsy: Luke 9:39

Self-destructive tendencies: Matthew 17:15

Take a moment to think about these questions: 

Do the gospel writers ever clearly explain the relationship between demon possession and sickness? Why or why not?

Within the New Testament, are all sicknesses caused by demons? 

Do all demons cause sickness?

Read the following passages to gain a clearer understanding of the relationship between demons and sickness

Acts 16:16ff

Mark 5:21-43

Mark 7:31-37

Matthew 8:1-4

Luke 6:6-11

Does there seem to be a distinction between those suffering form diseases and those who are demon possessed? If you are unsure, check out these passages and see how the Gospel writers differentiate between the different categories of people brought before Jesus

Matthew 4:24

Mark 1:32

Luke 7:21

Jesus' Exorcisms and the Kingdom of God

Read the following passages and listen along to the conversation from the class. As you read and listen pay special attention to what these have to say about "kingdoms."

Matthew 12:25-29

Mark 3:23-27

Luke 11:17-22

What do these passages say about Kingdoms?

Read these passages also. What do these say about Jesus' commissioning of the disciples and the coming Kingdom of God?

Mark 3:13-15

Mark 6:7-13

Matthew 10:8

Luke 9:1-2

What does this mean for us today?

What is most significant here? is it the demons we should be focusing on or should we direct our attention to something else instead?

Why is the connection between demons and God's Kingdom/ the Gospel message, significant?

How does the ministry of Jesus serve as a way to give people freedom from the influence of evil forces?

What does this mean for us today? How do we focus our attention to the Kingdom of God in light of everything we've learned today?

Main Question for today

What is an angel/ what are an angel's characteristics?

Based upon your understanding of the Old Testament alone, what is an angel?

Words for Angels

There are several words used within the Old Testament to reference angels...

מלך  

מלך  pronounced "ma-la-k" means "messenger" or "envoy." This can refer to both human and celestial entities. 

The Greek version of the Old Testament--known as the Septuagint [LXX]--  often translates מלך as αγγελος "ang-gel-os".  αγγελος is where we get our English word "angel."

"Sons of God"

Examples include:

Job 1:6; 2:1, 38:7 which our English often translates as "angels."

Genesis 6:2,4 may  be a reference to angels. However, this topic of the Nephilim are often widely debated.

Psalm 29:1 and 89:6 translates "Sons of God" as "heavenly beings."

"Holy Ones"

Examples include: 

Psalm 89:5,7 which is likely a reference to celestial entities as they serve as an "assembly" and a "council" to God.

"Hosts" or "Army"  +  "Ministers" or "servants"

Examples include:

Psalm 89:8 which our English often translates as "Lord Almighty" [Lit. Lord of Hosts].

Psalm 103: 21 where both "Hosts" and "ministers/ servants" are used.

Pre-Exilic Time Period

There are three major categories in the pre-exilic texts that are used to describe angels and their functions:

1) Divine council–Gen. 28:12; Psalm 89:6-9; and 1 Kings 22:19-22

2) Heavenly Army– Deut. 33:2; Joshua 5:14; and 2 Kings 6:16-18

3) Agents and messengers that:

Announce births (of Ishmael in Gen 16:11-12 and Isaac 18:9-15)

Give reassurances (to Jacob in Gen 31:11-13)

Commission a person to a task (Moses in Exod. 3:2; Gideon in judges 6:11-24)

Communicates God’s word to prophets (Elijah in 2 Kings 1:3; Isaiah in Isaiah 6)

Intervene at crucial moments to change or guide a persons actions (Abraham in Gen 22:1-12; Balaam in Numb 22:31-35)

Agents of protection (Isaac in Gen 24:7; Israel in the desert in Exod. 14:19-20)

Agents for punishment (Sodom and Gomorrah in Gen 19; Against Israel/David for the census in 2 Sam 24)

Take the time to read the following passages and ask yourself this question: 

What is the relationship between the angel of the Lord and YHWH Himself?

Genesis 22:11-12

Genesis 31:11-13

Exodus 3:2-6

For more examples of the angel of the Lord, check out these passages...

Genesis 16:7-13

Genesis 21:15-21

Judges 6:11-24

Exilic Time Period

There are two books with a lot of angel activity: Ezekiel and Zechariah. Let's take a look to see what these books have to say.

Ezekiel

There are two major categories for celestial entities that exist within Ezekiel: Cherubim and Seraphim

Cherubim

Found in Chapters 1 and 10 of Ezekiel

As you read along, listen and think about the descriptions of these Cherubim

"Winged creatures with human and animal traits"

Ezekiel 1:5-13

Ezekiel 10:12-16

"Watchdog Guardians"

Genesis 3:24

"Winged mounts that the Lord rides"

Psalm 18:10

2 Samuel 22:11

"Throne bearers that God sits upon or above"

2 Kings 19:15

2 Samuel 6:2

1 Samuel 4:4

Seraphim

Found in Isaiah 6:2-7

Seraphim do not seem to be described as Fiery-winged serpentine-snake-like entities that are associated with the worship of YHWH.

Additionally, the same Hebrew word is used in Isaiah 14:29; 30:6; Numbers 21:6-9; 2 Kings 18:4 to describe venomous snakes that bite as well as the bronze snake that was used to cure the people of Israel as they wondered the desert.

NOTE: None of the words used for "angel" (מלך , Sons of God, Holy ones, Hosts, army, ministers, servants, angels) are ever used to describe Cherubim and Seraphim. 

This isn't to deny the celestial importance of what these entities are. However, there seems to be a difference between a group of celestial entities known as "angels" and other entities known as Cherubim and Seraphim.

Zechariah

Zechariah seems to describe angels as those with Horses, riders, and chariots that roam the earth and return back in order to report to the angel of YHWH about a new restructuring of the earthly and cosmic orders

Zech. 1:7-17 and 6:1-8

Additionally, the Angel of YHWH is further described as

-a sort of Guide or interpreter (Zech. 1-6)

-an intercessor for Israel (Zech. 1:12-17)

-a presider and judge in a council (Zech. 3)

-a commander of angelic patrols (Zech. 1:11; 6:7)

Post-Exilic Time Period

Many angelic references are found in the Book of Daniel.

Angels in Daniel are described as those who

-Protect the pious–3:25,28 (Shad, Mesh, Abed)

-Execute punishment– 4:13-26– cutting down the tree of Babylon

-Keeps records– 7:10

We are finally given names of Angels for the very first time

-Gabriel– 9:21

-Michael– 10:13, 21; 12:1

Images of Fire, Metal, and precious stone.

Dan 10:5-6

Take Away

How has this study changed your understanding of Angels?

Does this complicate things? If it does, is that necessarily a bad thing?

Is it better to have a biblical understanding of angels or should be force angels to fit into neat, clean categories that' we've created?

What does this mean for us today? How will this information help us for next week's discussion on angels in the New Testament?

Main Question for today

What is an angel/ what are an angel's characteristics?

Based upon your understanding of the New Testament alone, what is an angel?

Take the time to write down a few of your thoughts as you listen along to the discussion.

Consider this...

When and where in the New Testament do angels play a major role in the story?

Thank about...

The Birth narratives of Jesus and John

Jesus' Resurrection

The establishment of the Church

and the Consummation of Creation as seen in Revelation.

Ask yourself: What does this mean and what is its impact on the overall story of the New Testament?

Two common Questions

1) Who or what are the "powers" and "principalities" 

2) What are guardian angels and what biblical evidence is there to support their existence?

What is a "power" or a "principality" based on your understanding of the Bible?

What passages can you point to to support your ideas?

Common Greek words uses for "powers" and "principalities"

αρχη (x56 in the New Testament) means "Beginning" [x42] or "ruler"

-- When thinking about αρχη  John 1:1 is a good example of how this word is used.

δυναμις means "power, might"

εξουσια means "authority, right, power, control" and refers to one's authority to rule or have jurisdiction over.

Powers and Principalities

Read Romans 8:38

Often this passage translates the phrase as "...neither angels nor demons (αρχη), neither the present nor future, nor any powers (δυναμις)..."

αρχη elsewhere in the New Testament is used to: Refer to the leaders of the synagogue (Luke 12:11); refer to the leaders of Israel (Col. 2:15); and talks about human governments (Titus 3:1).

What category is Romans 8:38 talking about when it says "powers?"  Angelic, Demonic, or Human entities? If it's talking about demonic structures, why not use the Greek word for "demon?"

Read 1 Corinthians 15:24

This passage is talking about God destroying ALL "...dominion (αρχη), authority (εξουσια), and power (δυναμις)..." So is this passage talking about Angelic, demonic, or human structures?

Read Ephesians 1:20-21; 2:2; 3:10; 6:12

Based on context, which categories are being referenced here? Angelic, Demonic, or human? Is there a combination?

Christ is seated "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion." could be a human category as Christ is above both human and celestial powers and forces.

2:2-- "of the air" and "Spirit of disobedience" is most likely referring to Angelic, demonic, or human structures?

3:10-- "...of the heavenly realms" could be referencing angelic or demonic forces?

6:12-- "...cosmic powers of darkness" and "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms..." is most likely referring to which category?

Read Colossians 1:16, 2:10, 15

1:16--"Powers"--> another Greek word is used here that indicates "Lordship" over something

"Rulers" αρχη is used.

"Authorities" εξουσια  is used

What is this passage talking about when it says "thrones?" Often times we associate "powers" and "principalities" with "thrones." Lets see how the Bible uses the word "thrones." (θρονος) 

θρονος is used x63 times in the New Testament, 61 of these usages are referring to the throne of God, the throne of the lamb, the thrones of Israel's elders and leaders, and to other heavenly throne references. So it's safe to say that an overwhelming majority of these usages are referring to "good" thrones.

2:10-- which category is used here? Christ is the leader of all rulers and authorities so is this passage referring to all those who obediently follow his commands? 

2:15-- which category is this verse talking about? Human? Jesus disarmed the rulers that put him on a cross and made them into a public spectacle by raising from the dead. 

Consider this...

Are "powers" and "principalities" only ever evil forces? Can they be good or heavenly or Human forces? What does this mean and how does this change our understanding of "powers" and "principalities."

Guardian Angels

What are your thoughts on Guardian Angels? 

What are they and what passages can you point to to support your ideas?

The Bible does seem to mention a group of angels that serve a protective function. Lets examine what the Bible specifically says about these angels.

Matt:18:10 references guardians of Children

Revelation 2-3 talks about angels that may serve as guardians of churches

Acts 12:6-11, 15 talks about an angel that protected Peter and released him from prison

Acts 5:19-20 mentions angels in relationship to the apostles

Matt 4:6/Luke 4:10-11 angels are referenced with regards to Jesus' temptations.

Matt 4:11/ Mark 1:13 mentions angels that minister to Jesus

Matt 26:53 mentions angels that would defend Jesus while he was on the cross.

Based on these passages, what are your thoughts on guardian angels?

Most of the time we only point to Matthew 18:10 as the basis of angelic protectors of each and every person. What are the problems with this interpretation based on this verse?

Take away

What does this mean for us today?

How has this study impacted your understanding of angels and demons?

How can we used what we've learned in a real-life situation?

What is your greatest take away from these studies?

Main Question for Today

Why is there evil, pain, and suffering?

To begin, Read Romans 8:18

What does this passage tell us about pain and suffering?

What is the motivation behind the question of pain and suffering?

Why should we think about these things and ask this question in the first place?

Moral Evil

How people treat other people

How do we respond to the evils of humanity?

Is love even possible? Can love be given freely? If so, can love be withheld from someone?

Is there a risk to love?

How does free will play in all of this?

Natural Evil

What the physical world does to humankind

Does natural evil occur without humanities contribution?

Does an eternal perspective help us deal with suffering?

Justice

Is there true Justice in this world?

The Bible tells us that God is a just and righteous God. Justice will be done.

We can always trust God for our ultimate Justice and Hope.

What security do people who do not put their faith in Christ have for Justice?

Benefits?

Are there any benefits to pain and suffering?

Think about exercise, or a dental cleaning, or childbirth. Despite the pain that we endure, what benefits to we receive from this pains and hardships?

Can God relate to our suffering? How?

Consider this...

"Jesus came to make dead people live, not bad people good."

"Where there is freedom, the possibility of love; where there is love, the possibility of pain; where there is pain, the possibility of a savior; where a savior, the possibility of redemption; where redemption, the possibility of restoration."

"Meaninglessness doesn't come from being weary of pain. Meaninglessness comes from being weary of pleasure. The loneliest people in the world are the ones that have exhausted pleasure."

- GK Chesterton

Take away

What do we do with this? How does pain and evil and suffering impact our relationship with God and with others?

Knowing what we've learned, how have your perspectives on evil, pain, and suffering changed?

What will you do differently now that you know this?

Main Question for Today

Why is there Evil, Suffering, and Pain in our world?

How do we respond to evil?

Moral and Natural Evil

Recall from last week the differences between Moral and Natural evils.

Moral evils are those that humanity does to one another or are a direct result of human actions.

Natural evil are those that humanity does not directly cause such as natural disasters and sickness.

With these two evils in mind, can Justice be done? 

What do we base our understanding of Justice?

Scott draws some connections between good and evil

Evil--> Good --> Standard/law --> Law Giver (God)

By this, Scott means that:

If evil exists, then there must be a scale of what is good and what is bad. Since Evil is bad, then good must stand as the antithesis of evil.

If there is good, then there must be a standard or a plum line used to determine the difference between good and evil.

If there is a standard or a law of good and evil, there must be someone/thing that has established the distinction between good and Evil.

As Christians, we call this Law Giver, God. God is the one who determines what is good and evil and sets the bounds of both.

Consider this...

Can evil and suffering benefit us in any way?

Think about the dentist... is dentistry evil? Of course not! Dentistry serves to correct the sickness and decay of our teeth.

Even though getting a cavity filled hurts and causes us pain, dentistry is not inherently evil.

What about exercise? Even though exercising hurts our muscles and lungs, that pain does not make exercise evil. In fact, exercising is a good thing, even though it causes us pain and some level of suffering. 

How does God influence our understanding of the role/function of pain?

Why does God choose to do somethings but not others? Does this have anything to do with our own choices and free will? Why or why not?

Read James 1:2-3

Can God understand and relate to humanities pain? How so?

Why would God become a human and endure suffering? Why is this important for our relationship with Him?

Read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

What does this passage say about how we should respond to evil, suffering, and pain? 

As you go throughout this week, ask God to show you how important our freedom of choice impacts our relationship with Him. 

Take the time to consider how important our free will is and how this impacts the pain and suffering we inflict upon others.

How does this change your understanding of evil, suffering, and pain? 

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