Main Question for today...

Do animals go to heaven?

On a piece of paper, Draw out a double sided arrow going from left to right. Put the words "yes" and "no" on either end. Something like this...

Yes                          Maybe                             No

<----------------------------------------------------->

Before we begin, how would you answer the question, "do animals go to heaven?" 

Take sometime to write down your thoughts, Bible verses you might think of, and reasons why you believe what you believe.

Click on the "Resources" button above to download the handout for today.

As you listen along think about the following questions...

What is this verse saying about the relationship between God and animals?

How does this verse speak to the question of if animals go to heaven or not?

How does this verse compare to other Bible passages?

Consider these passages...

Psalm 104:10-30

Psalm 36:6

Romans 8:19-22

Revelation 5:13-14

Isaiah 11:6-9

Isaiah 65:25

Ecclesiastes 3:18-21

Ecclesiastes 12:7

Job 12:7-10

Luke 12:6

Genesis 1:25-31

As we talk about these verses, place them on the scale you drew out earlier. 

Where would you place these verses on a scale of "Yes this verse says animals go to heaven," to "No, this verse says nothing about the fate of animals," to "Well... maybe this passage suggests animals go to heaven."

What are some trends you notice about these passages?

Are there any theological or other biblical principals that shed light on this topic?

How does the concept of redemption and restoration between Christ and humanity fit in with all of this?

What differences do you see between God's relationship with humans and God's relationship with animals?

Does the Bible answer this question definitively?

Consider this...

What conclusions have you come to after this discussion?

Was there anything unexpected that you learned?

What can this conversation teach us about our role in God's plan for salvation?

Main Question for today...

What does the Old Testament say about what happens when we pass away?

Before we get started, click on the "Resources" button above to download the handout used for today's lesson.

Consider this...

Describe what you know about death and afterlife based upon the Old Testament alone.

As you listen alone, turn to the passages found on today's handout and write down what this passage says about Sheol, death, and the afterlife.

Descriptions of Sheol

Gen. 25:7-8  

Gen. 37:35   

2 Kings 22:20

2 Chron. 34:27-28

Job 7:9-10

Job 14:13

Psalm 6:4-5

Psalm 16:10

Psalm 49:14-15

Psalm 89: 47-48

Psalm 139:8

Eccl. 2:14-16

Eccl. 3:18-22

Eccl. 9:1-6

Eccl. 12:6-7

Consider this...

What does the term “Sheol” or the “place of the dead” mean in these verses?

How is Sheol portrayed in these passages? Is it a physical place or a metaphorical concept?

What are some of the characteristics of Sheol? How is it described?

Are there any consequences or rewards associated with Sheol in these passages?

What do these passages reveal about the Israelite’s understanding of the afterlife?

Glimpses of More

1 Kings 17:17-24

Ezek. 37

1 Sam. 2:6

Psalms 49:13-15

Isa. 26:19

Gen. 5:24

2 Kings 2:1, 11

1 Sam. 28:8-17

What are some things you notice that are different between this list and the previous list?

Promises of More

Daniel is one of the last OT books to be written and comes at the tail end of Israel’s theology before the ITL and the time of Christ. So there has been some development over the centuries from when Genesis-kings happened and when Daniel happened.

Daniel 2:31-45

Daniel 12:1-2, 13

What do you notice that is different in these passages?

Consider this...

How has this shaped your understanding of Israel's concept of death and afterlife?

How has this impacted your own understanding of death and afterlife?

Main Question for today...

How does the New Testament describe the Afterlife?

As we start today's lesson, Click on the "Resources" button underneath the audio recording above to download the worksheet used in today's class.

Starting out...

Based upon your understanding of both the Old and New Testaments, what happens immediately after we die?

Pause the recording and think about this question on your own. How do you understand death and afterlife? How do you understand the Bible's teaching on what happens when we pass from this world?

When you're ready, go ahead and press play and listen along. 

Consider this...

As we read through the passages below, consider these questions as we read:

What does this passage say about what happens to those who follows Jesus?

What does this passage say about when this will take place?

Does this passage say anything about the future hope of a resurrection?

Listen along or read on your own:

Matthew 5:12; 6:20; 7:21

Luke 16:19-26 (See also John 11:1-14)

Luke 23:43

John 14:2

2 Cor. 12:2

Philippians 3:20

Colossians 1:5

If the passages above were all that we had in the New Testament about death and afterlife, it would be no question that when we die we immediately go to heaven. However, these are not the only passages we have in the New Testament telling us about what happens when we die and the afterlife.

Three categories of passages that...

Emphasize a future resurrection from the grave

John 5:24-29

Matt. 9:24

Matt. 27:52-53

Acts 7:54-60

Indicate that people have not gone to heaven

John 3:13

John 7:33; 8:21-23

Acts 2:29-35

Speak of God's Future restoration of the earth with humanity and creation included at the end of time, not right now

Matt. 19:28

Rom. 8:18-25

1 Thess. 1:10

1 Thess. 4:13-15

1 Thess. 5:10

John 14:3 (Read verse 2, then read verse 3 and note the conditional statement within)

Notice also that within the apostles teachings, they never mention phrases like "When we die, we will go to heaven" immediately after we pass away. Instead the emphasis is on the future resurrection from death to life. Those who call Jesus Lord, get to be resurrected into life, while those who are not saved, are resurrected into eternal death and punishment and separation from God. 

Steps for this week

Read through 1 Corinthians 15. This chapter gives us the most exhaustive look at what death and afterlife looks for those who call Jesus Lord.  

Main Question for today...

What does the Bible say about Hell?

Consider this...

Why do you think most churches shy away from talking about Hell?

Why would God create a place like Hell and then send people to it?

Read the following passages as you listen along:

Matthew 25:41

1 John 4:8-9

Exodus 33:19

Nehemiah 9:33

2 Thessalonians 1:6-8

Psalms 5:5-6

Matthew 25:25-26

How does the Bible describe God's characteristics?

How does this inform us of God's grace and love as well as His commitment to Justice?

A Loving God would not be loving if he did not punish evil. Mercy would have no meaning if it was not applied with justice.

Why doesn't God make sure everyone goes to heaven?

A loving God honors our free will and our desire to choose Him, while dealing justly with those who have rejected Him.

Why would a loving God punish finite sin with infinite torment?

The duration of a crime does not affect the punishment for it. That decision is up to the authority over it (God) who is a perfect judge.

Why would a loving God send "good people" to Hell?

Are there any good people? 

Read and listen along:

Romans 3:10-18

Romans 6:23

God

/          \

Mercy          Justice

\      /

Human Sin

/          \

Accept/Believe Jesus/Gospel          Reject Jesus/ Gospel             

\     /

Judgement

/         \

Heaven          Hell    

Take away

How has this conversation impacted your understanding of Hell?

How can we be a witness for Jesus by showing love and faithfulness towards non-believers?

Main Question:

“Has God called the church to fix the world in order to make the world THE better place–the Kingdom of God?”

Intro Questions:

“What is the main purpose or function of the church?”

“How do we accomplish this purpose or function?”

Click on the "Resources" button above to download today's handout.

As you listen, feel free to pause the recording and try to answer these questions as they come up. What do you think is the main purpose of the church? How would you accomplish this purpose?

Now, critically think back to all the Bible lessons and stories you have heard and ask yourself, “Has God given the church the explicit task of fixing the world in order to bring about His Kingdom?”

Challenge

As you respond to these questions, try and find biblical passages and verses that support your answers. You may or may not find any. That’s OK. The point of these questions is to get us thinking about what specifically the Bible says about what God has called the church to do.

Three traditional views of the Church

Heaven-Centered | Human-Centered | World Centered

Heaven-Centered: This view believes that the church is meant to point to the better place that we cannot yet access. Essentially, Christians are meant to GO to a better place.

Key points

•  God’s Kingdom is not here and not yet because our future is in heaven.
• The church’s primary role is the make sure that the people of the church are found to be acceptable in the final day of the Lord–Judgement day.
•  Essentially, the church is a “recruiting and holding place” for believers.

Human-Centered: This view believes that humanity makes the world a better place.

Key points

•          Jesus cast a vision for what the fullness of the Kingdom of God would be like. It is up to us to carry out that vision.
•          Jesus began making the world a better place and it is up to the church to finish Jesus’ work.
•          As time goes on, life will gradually improve as humanity itself improves.

World-Centered: This view believes that we must work toward making this world the better place to come.

Key points

•          This view is most critical of the Heaven-centered view.
•          This view is more ecologically sensitive in that it seeks to care for the planet.
•          The church is remaking this world into a better place–Humanity is the agent by which the world will be made completely good.
•          Finds its support from prophetic texts such as
•                 o   Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:1-16; 30:18-26
•                 o   Micah 4:1-4
•                 o   Ezekiel chapters 40-48

A fourth View of the Church

Although these three views have their strengths and weaknesses, none of these options are our best choice. Sure, some may be better than others, however, we don’t want to settle on what is better. We want to find the best option.

There is a fourth option that highlights what Christ has already begun to do in the church.

Here are two fundamental truths about the work of Jesus and the role of the church:

First, Jesus has already made a better place in this world

Second, The role of God’s people is to embrace, display, and proclaim this better place.

The problem for us today is that we often combine these truths with other truths that result in a confused task or purpose of the church. For example, we may combine two truths by saying, “Because Jesus began making a better place in this world, we must join him in seeing it through to completion, until the whole world is better.” Or, “We should certainly embrace and convey the better place that Christ makes possible. And we should also do everything in our power to shape the wider society accordingly.”

These additional truths presuppose that Jesus sowed the seeds of world betterment and then it is our job to water it and help it grow. However, this is a misguided assumption. Dr. John Nugent describes these two roles another way:

First, since Jesus has already made a better place in this world, it is not our responsibility to do so.

Second, since our job is to embrace, display, and proclaim this better place, it is not our job to engineer or otherwise orchestrate its fulfilment.

Simply put, God’s people are not responsible for making this world a better place. We are called to be the better place that Christ has already made and that the wider world will be until Christ returns.

Copyright © 2016 John Nugent. All rights reserved. All credit for this material belongs to Dr. John Nugent at Great Lakes Christian College in Lansing, Michigan.

Nugent, John C. Endangered Gospel: How Fixing the World is Killing the Church. Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2016.

Main question

Has God called the church to fix the world in order to make the world THE better place– God’s Kingdom?

Focus for this week

Exploring God’s plans and God’s blueprints for this better place as seen all throughout the Old Testament. Specifically, how does the Bible describe the role of God’s chosen people when it comes to our relationship with the world?

Creation

What was God’s initial plan for creation?

What was God’s plan for creation after sin entered into the world? How did God start fixing this problem and what steps did he take?

God created the desire, necessity, and possibility for a better place.

So, whose job was it to fix the world?

God took it upon Himself to bring about this better place.

The Powers of the world

Genesis 6:5-8– The Evils of Humanity

What was God’s solution to the evils of humanity?

God chose to limit humanity’s lifespan to 120 years.

Imagine a world where evil rulers could live for a millennium. Would you want to live in such a world?

God also limited the evils of humanity by making blood sacred.

So, if humans could no longer live for a long time, perhaps a city could? Thus the city of Babel was built.

So, how did God respond? God scattered their languages and split people off in order to prevent evil world leaders living in massive cities to take control indefinitely.

God installed the powers of this world to:

Keep sin in check

Meet the basic needs of people

Make the world a better place

Were the people of God instructed to do anything at this point in the Bible story?

Israel is prepared as a better place

Main functions of Israel: Genesis 12:1-3 and Exodus 19:3-6

1) Move away and remain separate from the other nations

2) Bless the other nations

The question remains, "How does Israel do this?"

Look to Deuteronomy 4:5-6 and see how it answers this question.

Note also how the prophets never condemn Israel for not:

Going out into the world and converting the other nations,

Cleaning up the streets of Edom, Moab, Amon, Egypt, etc.,

Decrying the social injustices of the other nations around them. 

Instead, the Prophets rebuked Israel when they:

Neglected the widows and the orphans of Israel,

Failed to take care of the poor and needy of Israel,

Took advantage of fellow Israelites.

Read Deuteronomy 15 for God's specific instructions on how Israelites were meant to treat other Israelites.

Final thoughts

The people of God have been called, not to fix and make this world a better place. Jesus has already brought the better place to earth. It’s already here. The function of the chosen people of God is to BE the better place by embracing, displaying, and proclaiming Christ’s Gospel message to and for the nations around us.

Next week we will take a look at the New Testament and see how the text describes the specific function and role of the Community of believers, who we are meant to care for the most, and why our specific task is so important.

Copyright © 2016 John Nugent. All rights reserved. All credit for this material belongs to Dr. John Nugent at Great Lakes Christian College in Lansing, Michigan.

Copyright © 2016 John Nugent. All rights reserved. All credit for this material belongs to Dr. John Nugent at Great Lakes Christian College in Lansing, Michigan.

Nugent, John C. Endangered Gospel: How Fixing the World is Killing the Church. Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2016.

Main question

Has God called the church to fix the world in order to make the world THE BEST place– God’s Kingdom?

Focus for this week

Exploring God’s plans and God’s blueprints for this better place as seen all throughout the New Testament. Specifically, how does the Bible describe the role of God’s chosen people when it comes to our relationship with one another?

As you listen along, click on "resources" above to download today's handout.

Embrace

How do we embrace God’s Mission and God’s Kingdom?

As Ambassadors, Christians are called to represent God’s Kingdom in our actions and in our lives. We are called to live in a way that the world will see a new, better way of living through our treatment of one another.

We must live in a way that these truths are evident:

 We have already entered into a new era in world history (Matt. 4:17, 2 Tim. 4:1, Luke 17:20-21, Gal. 4:4-5, Heb. 4:3, 10-11, Luke 12:54-56)

 We have already entered into a new world reality (1 John 2:17, 1 Cor. 7:29-31 2 Cor. 5:17, 1 John 2:8, James 1:18)

 We have already entered into a new life (Rom. 6:11, John 5:24, John 3:15-16, John 10:10, John 4:10, 1 Pet. 1:23)

We have already entered into a new social reality and a set of Relationships (2 Cor. 5:16-18, Eph. 2:1-17, Gal. 3:28, Eph. 2:11-15, 1 John 1:7, Eph. 1:13-15)

We have already entered into a new way of living (John 15:3, 1 John 1:7, Col. 3:9-11, Gal. 3:27, Titus 3:5, 2 John 1:2, 2 Cor. 4:16)

Does this sound too good to be true? Why?

Display

Who are we called to love? Are we called to love everyone in the world? Or are we called to love one another according to how the Bible’s descriptions?

Did the early church feel responsible for the overall direction of society as a whole? Or did the early church feel a responsibility towards one another and to fellow believers all across the world?

Read these passages and think about who is being talked about and who we should prioritize with our love:

o   John 13:34-35          John 15:12-13          John 15:17-19

o   Rom. 12:9-10             Rom. 14:15                 Gal. 5:13-15

o   Eph. 1:15                    Eph. 4:1-3                   Eph. 4:15-16

o   Col. 1:4                        Col. 3:14-15                1 Thess. 4:9-12

o   2 Thess. 1:3               Phlm. 1:4-5                 Heb. 6:10       

o   1 Pet. 1:22                  1 Pet. 2:17                  1 Pet. 4:8

o   1 John 3:23               1 John 4:7-12            1 John 4:17-21

Our main priority should be toward The "brothers and Sisters," "one another," those "among us," "all the saints," and the people of the church.

Consider this...

What is the difference between saying "We are called to prioritize a group of people" vs "We are called to ignore a group of people" ?

Does this model of loving "one another/each other/ the brothers and sisters in Christ," mean we should ignore the world? No! In fact it is on behalf of the world that we live this way. Prioritization should not be confused with isolation from or rejection of the world in which we reside. 

Steps for next week

Next week, we will talk about some potential counter examples. We will examine different Bible passages and see if we are called to Love Everyone Everywhere or if we are called to do something else.

Before next week, try to find examples in the Bible where it tells us to Love EVERYONE EVERYWHERE. 

Think of passages like "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22: 37-40), or "Love your enemy" (Matthew 5: 43-44).

Find as many as you can and we will talk about them next time.

Copyright © 2016 John Nugent. All rights reserved. All credit for this material belongs to Dr. John Nugent at Great Lakes Christian College in Lansing, Michigan.

Nugent, John C. Endangered Gospel: How Fixing the World is Killing the Church. Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2016.

Main question

Has God called the church to fix the world in order to make the world THE BEST place– God’s Kingdom?

Focus for this week

Taking a look at passages and examples in the Bible that may argue that we should love everyone everywhere. 

Last week, we talked about how a great deal of "love" references in the New Testament are in reference to members of God's Kingdom -- Christians. But surely God want's us to "love" everyone everywhere...right? In this study, we will take a look at several examples found in the New Testament and determine 1) who that passage is referring too and 2) How we are to interact with the person or group that is being referenced.

BEFORE YOU START

If you have not yet listened to last week's study, take the time to do so now. Today's lesson builds heavily off of last week's principles.

Counter points

1) What about “loving your neighbor as yourself? Surely, "neighbor" means "Everyone everywhere...right?" (Romans 13:8-10; Mark 12:30-31; Matt 22:37-39; Gal 5:14; James 2:8) 

- Where do you think Jesus and the Gospel authors got the phrase, "Love your neighbor as yourself?"

Take a look at Lev. 19:2, 17-18.

- To whom was Levi. 19:2, 17-18 written to and for?

- Was Israel instructed to practice these principles towards Edom, Moab, Ammon, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and others? Or were they instructed to practice these principles towards fellow Israelites?

2) What about “Well ‘neighbor’ can still imply our neighboring countries or people across the street right?” (Lev 19: 17)

For us today, perhaps. But for Israel, such an interpretation would have been impossible. We must first consider the passages original context. 

3) What about the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37? Surely Neighbor means everyone right?

- To what people group did the Samaritans belong too?

- Who is the subject and who is the object of Jesus' Parable? (Who did the actions[subject] and who received the actions[object]?)

Notice, the expert in the law is asking "Who is MY neighbor?" Jesus answers with a question "Who acted kindly to the man who was beaten?" The expert in the law replies "The Samaritan man." To which Jesus essentially says "There is your answer... your neighbor, oh expert in the law, is the Samaritan man.

4) What about “love your enemy as yourself” in Matthew 5:43-48? Enemy always means people outside of the Kingdom right?

5) What about Romans 12:20-21, about feeding your enemies? 

Notice how "love" is not used in this passage. 

- Consider what words are used. 

Take a look at Exodus 23:4-5 and notice who one's "enemy" is within the context of the law code of Exodus.

6) Well how are we supposed to interact with non-believers?

Look at the specific words used of non-believers vs believers in the following passages

Romans 12:17

Romans 12:21; Gal. 6:10; 1 Thess. 5:15

Col. 4:5-6

1 Thess. 4:11

1 Thess. 4:12

Titus 3:2

1 Peter 2:13, 17

Notice how "love" language is strikingly absent from these passages with reference to non-believers.

7) What about “the least of these?” Surely the "least of these" is a reference to poor people everywhere right?

Read Matthew 25:40

Notice the phrase "Who are members of my family" referring to people within the Kingdom.

8) What about the “widows and the orphans.” Surely this is a reference to all widows and orphans all across the world right?

Read James 1:26-27

Consider who the subjects are in James 1:9-10, 2:1-9, and 2:14-17. 

9) What about the “poor and oppressed?” What about Mary’s Magnificat or the song of Zechariah in Luke 1?

Consider this...

It feels wrong that the New Testament strictly talks about love and service being exclusively reserved for fellow believers. It's embarrassing! You may be thinking "That's not what I want my Bible to say!" If God cares so much about the world, why doesn't He want us to fix all of the worlds problems? Why not love and help everyone everywhere?

It's surprising to see how the theme of our relationship to non-believers is such a minor theme within the New Testament. It's even completely missing from many of them. 

The New Testament seems primarily focused on teaching believers how believers ought to relate to other fellow believers. It is through our love to one another that we show the world what life under God's good rule can look like. It is through our intentional love towards the Body of Christ that we live God's mission for His people.

Take away...

As you consider this perspective remember this: 

We are NOT called to ignore the world, but we are called to prioritize the people who belong to Christ

We must remember not to isolate ourselves from those who do not know Jesus.

How is the Holy Spirit pulling you to consider this new perspective?

How does this perspective make you feel both personally and in your own faith walk?

What is God asking you to do after hearing this lesson?

What are some tangible, practical things you can do to start living these principles out?

Copyright © 2016 John Nugent. All rights reserved. All credit for this material belongs to Dr. John Nugent at Great Lakes Christian College in Lansing, Michigan.

Nugent, John C. Endangered Gospel: How Fixing the World is Killing the Church. Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2016.

Main Question for today...

How are we called to engage with Culture as Christians?

Note the differences between "How do we actually engage with culture?" versus "How does God call us to live with and engage with the culture around us?"

Consider this...

Revisit week one of this study for a refresher on the chart above if you would like.

Note the differences between God replacing the fallen order and humans trying to fix the world in order to bring about the fullness of God's Kingdom.

Fellowship

How would you describe fellowship? What are its characteristics?

Fellowship can be summarized as:

“Sharing life in common with one another” 

Accept one another (Rom. 15:7)

Agree with one another (1 Cor. 1:10; 3:13)

Be kind to one another (Eph. 5:21)

Be subject to one another (1 Thess. 5:15)

Bear with one another (Col. 3:13)

Carry one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2)

Encourage one another (Heb. 3:13; 1 Thess. 4:18)

Forgiving one another (Eph. 4:32)

Love one another (John 13:34-35; 15:12, 17; 1 John 4:7; 2 John 1:5)

Live in harmony with one another (Rom. 12:16)

Offer hospitality to one another (1 Pet. 4:9)

Serve one another (Gal. 5:13)

Show equal concern for one another (1 Cor. 12:25)

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19)

Teach and admonish one another (Col. 3:16)

Wait for one another before breaking bread (1 Cor. 11:33)

Are these things only for church leadership to practice? Or is everyone in the church called to do these things?

If so, how?

What key word is essential to prevent "Leeching, freeloading, and other people taking advantage of one another?"

Discuss this among your group.

The answer is Reciprocity. If everyone is acting in love toward one another and reciprocating the things in this list, then it's not disingenuous is it?

Friendship

How would you define friendship? Discuss amongst your group.

How does Jesus describe Friendship? (Read John 15:12-17)

Who does Jesus call his friends? Does Jesus call the wider community or everyone in the world his friends?

Those who are part of the Kingdom of God are our friends.

So, should we shun our non-Christian friends? Or are we called to prioritize the people belonging to “one another” first? If so, how? 

Discuss within your group.

Jesus never ignored people outside of God’s Kingdom, but he did prioritize those within God’s Kingdom.

Mission

Based on the Kingdom-centered model, how do we as a church and individual engage with the world?

How should the church respond to the world, its troubles, and God’s mission for the Kingdom?

Discuss these two questions within your group.

The Church’s response is to fill the earth with churches and Christ communities that embrace, display, and proclaim his Kingdom.

How does missionary work fit into this Kingdom-centered model? Discuss.

A Missionaries life together with the people they serve is kingdom living.

God’s design is that “churches committed to God’s kingdom strengthen other churches committed to God’s Kingdom and continue planting still more churches committed to God’s Kingdom.”

Copyright © 2016 John Nugent. All rights reserved. All credit for this material belongs to Dr. John Nugent at Great Lakes Christian College in Lansing, Michigan.

Nugent, John C. Endangered Gospel: How Fixing the World is Killing the Church. Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2016.

Main Question for today...

What are some things we should avoid with this new perspective?

What are some practical applications of this new perspective?

Pitfalls to avoid

Isolationism – Circle the wagons, focus only on ourselves, and exclude outsiders.

Church’s response: Churches that cease to exist for the world, cease to exist as an integral part of God’s plan for his kingdom. Our mission is for the world.

However, we should not mistake prioritization for isolationism

Utopianism – Creating the ideal society of prosperity and tranquility

Church’s response: We acknowledge that we are still affected by sin and its consequences. But it is not utopianism to cast a vision of the Best place–God’s Kingdom, while still acknowledging that God will fulfill his mission.

Q + A

During this portion of the lesson, We took some time to answer questions, express our concerns and thoughts, while also addressing what this new perspective means for our lives.

During this session, we began answering some of the questions provided above in today's handout. Click on "Resources" and download the Document to follow along. 

Join us next week when we finish the remaining questions the class has about Endangered Gospel.

Copyright © 2016 John Nugent. All rights reserved. All credit for this material belongs to Dr. John Nugent at Great Lakes Christian College in Lansing, Michigan.

Nugent, John C. Endangered Gospel: How Fixing the World is Killing the Church. Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2016.

Today, we had a free discussion on your most burning questions about Jesus, God, the Bible, and our faith.

Listen along to see if we were able to answer any of your questions.

Main Question for today...

Why should I read the Bible Front-to-Back?

As you listen along, remember to click on the link below the audio recording to download the handout used for today's lesson. Pause the recording as you listen to answer questions or fill in answers.

Consider this...

What do you think reading "front-to-back" is?

Why is it important to understand Scripture in its Context?

What happens when we take Scripture out of context?

Wrong ways to read the Bible:

Reading the NT as if the OT doesn't exist – we end up ignoring the Jewish background of the text.

Reading the OT as if the NT doesn't exist – we end up ignoring the direction God went in Christ.

Reading the OT as if the OT doesn't exist - ignores the original context by inserting Christ and/or our theology everywhere.

Reading the NT as if the NT doesn't exist - ignore the original context by inserting our theology everywhere

The following passages are examples of reading the OT as if the OT doesn’t exist.

Genesis 1:26

Who is the "us" / "Our" in this passage?

Who or what else could this passage be referring too?

What are some negative side effects if we insert out later understanding of the Bible into this particular passage?

Hosea 11:1

Where have we heard this passage before?

Read Matthew 2:15

How is Hosea 11:1 typically used? with regards to Matthew 2:15?

Read Hosea 11:1-11

After reading Hosea 11:1 in context, who is this passage talking about?

What problems pop up if we only think this passage is talking about Jesus?

Isaiah 7:14

Who is this passage talking about and why do you say that?

Read Isaiah 7:14-25

After reading Isaiah 7:14 within its context, who or what is this passage talking about?

Why is it a problem to insert Christ into this story?

Consider this...

When is a good time to read backwards?

Does this mean we can NEVER read backwards? Why or why not?

Why is this important given all we've learned regarding context over the past few weeks?

What will you personally do differently now that you understand the significance of reading Front-to-Back?

Main Question for today...

How can I make the most of my Study Bible?

Consider this...

Why are study Bible's useful?

Consider some instances when you would want to use a study Bible compared to a non-study Bible.

What are your favorite reasons for using a study Bible?

Cross References

What is cross referencing?

Why is cross referencing important in the Bible and other texts?

When should we cross reference?

In a study Bible cross references are the book and chapter numbers found in the middle margins or within the footnotes located at the bottom of each page. Within the foot notes they might look something like: "Cf. 1 Sam 2:7; Ps 113:7-8." Or "See..."

Parallel Passages

Read Matthew 6:9-13 and check out the references located in the center margin or in the footnotes. What locations are being referenced?

See Mark 11:25 and Luke 11:2-4

What is this reference telling us to do?

Why do you think the references sent us to Mark 11:25 and Luke 11:2-4?

Quotes

Read Luke 10:27 and look to the reference in the footnotes or in the margins

What is this reference telling us to do?

Go to Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18

Why is Luke 10:27 doing with these two OT passages?

Application

Read Matthew 4:1-11

What is going on here in this passage?

Some study Bibles direct us toward Hebrews 2:18 and 4:15. Go there now and read these verses.

Why would the references for Matthew 4:1-11 point us to these passages in Hebrews?

Notes and Commentary

What kinds of things do the footnotes do for us? How or why are they useful?

Explanations written by Human Experts

Are footnotes Scripture?

Are footnotes useful non-the-less?

Footnotes are out best attempt to explain the text given what we know about Scripture.

The best footnotes are the ones that give multiple interpretations and approaches.

General Comments

Go back to Matthew 4:1-11

What do you notice about how the sections of 4:1-11 are organized within the footnotes?

4:1-11....4.1.....4.2.....4.3....

What is the purpose of organizing it by 4:1-11 and then each individual verse after that?

Verse Comments

Each verse comment zooms in on the specific key words, phrases, or thoughts, used within the verse and helps us understand it better.

Book Introductions

Turn to the beginning of the Bible, the OT, or the NT, or any specific book.

What did you find at the beginning of these sections?

Why do you think this material is helpful?

Book introductions help provide purpose, author, date, genre, outlines of the text, info in style, and even connections to other types of texts within the Bible.

The best way to use these introductions is to use them to gain a general understanding of the book you are about to read.

A great practice is to read through the introduction first to get a general understanding of the text you are about to read.

Then read the book so you know what it says.

Them revisit the introduction to help clear up anything that didn't make sense or to help connect some dots while answering some of your questions you may have had as you read.

Consider this...

How has this helped you understand your Bible?

What will you do differently now that you know this?

Main Question for today...

What makes a source credible?

This question goes beyond only biblical sources as these principles we will learn today can apply to any and all sources we read.

Today is about finding reliable sources for answers we have about serious, genuine, difficult, theological, doctrinal, or controversial questions about the Bible and our faith. This lesson will pair with the next lesson on How to identify a good or poor source.

Consider this...

What makes a source credible and why?

Author's Training

Why is it important that we understand the training that an author went through before we even start reading their text?

What are some things that we should understand about the author regarding their training or experience?

Consider a persons field of expertise, Do they have experience in that field of study? What did their schooling look like? Is their text specifically within the field that they have expertise? 

A caution against elitism

Schooling, a degree, the "pedigree" one has does not mean that no one else can contribute to theological or spiritual questions or discussions. Remember that Jesus chose fishermen, merchants, tax collectors, and even persecutors of the faith to build His Kingdom. So this is not to say that you must be super educated in order to speak with biblical authority.

However, do consider where we get our information from. We put the most trust in people who have the knowledge, the experience, and the credible reputation, and the proper motives.

Click on "Resources" above to download the handout used for this lesson. Follow along as you listen.

Author's Reputation

Why is it important that we understand the reputation of an author before we even start reading their text?

What are some things that we should understand about the author regarding their reputation?

Consider an author's previous publications: is it within their field of expertise?

Does the author use credible resources themselves? Check the authors bibliography to make sure.

Does the author self-cite a lot of their own works? 

As you listen, check your handout and read along.

Author's Motives

Why is it important that we understand the motives of an author before we even start reading their text?

What are some things that we should understand about the author regarding their motives?

Consider if an author villainizes or stupefies opposing views they disagree with.

Does the author fully inform the reader of opposing views or do they ignore and dismiss?

Does the author make false equivalencies to scare you or distract you from the issue?

Take a look at the images on the back of your handout

Consider this...

What will you do differently after learning some of these principles?

How will you be more intentional about finding resources that are credible?

How can you use this in your own personal study of God's word?

Main Question for today...

What makes a source credible?

Click on the "Resources" button above to download the handout used for today's lesson.

As you listen, read along with this handout.

Good online resources you can use today:

The Bible project      bibleproject.com

Bible Hub     biblehub.com

Bible Gateway     biblegateway.com

The remainder of the lesson notes are found in the handout provided in the "Resources" button above.

Main Question for today...

How can I be a good skeptic?

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:21 and Acts 17:11

Why are these passages important for as regarding the topic of skepticism?

What do these verses say about what we should do when we learn a new interpretation of the Scriptures?

As you listen along, click on "Resources" above to download the handout used for today and fill in the sheet with some of your responses.

As the class works through these passages, consider these questions:

What are the different interpretations?

What historical or cultural context is relevant to this text?

Are there any challenging theological concepts that come with this passage?

What are some things you've noticed that we should be skeptical of with interpretations of these passages?

1 Corinthians 14:34-35

Romans 9:21-26

Hebrews 6:4-6

How does skepticism play a role in our understanding of different interpretations of these passages?

Why is it important that we practice skepticism with interpretations such as these?

What are some of the dangers of NOT being skeptical when it comes to interpretations of these passages?

What will you do differently after going through this lesson?

How has this Tools of the Trade series helped you grow in your faith?

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?

Main Question for today:

What was life like in the ancient world?

It's clay time...

Welcome Scribe!

Go find some modeling clay, a popsicle stick, and some scissors. 

Click on the attachment under the audio recording above and print the "Akkadian Alphabet" worksheet.

Take your scissors and cut off the round portion of at one end of your stick.

Flatten out your clay to create a smooth, flat service.

Take the corner of your popsicle stick and try to replicate the triangular shapes of the Akkadian Alphabet from the work sheet. 

Try using the letters to write a word, or a phrase. You can even try

"Sphinx of black quarts, judge my vow"

Notice anything different or difficult as you do this? Does it feel strange or awkward as you mold the clay? Why do you think that is?

Are you use to writing like this?

As you listen, follow along with the discussion as you work your clay tablet.

Why do you think people in the ancient world used clay to write on?

What do you think the Bible was written on? What mediums were used and how does this differ from today?

Where did we find these ancient clay writings? Who did most of the writing in the ancient world?

Structure of Society

Consider this...

If you were a scribe and your job is to write stuff down for the king, where on the social ladder to you think you sit?

Who belonged to the top 1-2% of society?

Who belonged to the middle 6-7% of society?

Who belonged to the bottom 93% of society?

Have you ever heard of "subsistence Living?"

Listen along as Joshua explains what life was like living in the bottom 93% of the population in the ancient world.

Tribute

Taxes

Tithes

To whom was Tribute given?

Who received the people's taxes?

Where did people direct their tithes?

~ 60% of a person's total income (money, harvest, loot, etc.) were always first devote to Tribute, Taxes, and Tithes. 

Why do you think the Bible talks so much about a "bountiful harvest?"

Function of Religion

There are three main reasons why people devoted themselves to any particular religion. Religion provided people with: 

Control     Community     Comfort

How do you think religion provided people with Control?

Take the time to think it through as you listen along.

Why is living within a Community important and how does religion provide Community?

Pause to consider your answer.

How does religion provide Comfort for people?

Why is this?

Join us next week as we take a look at the Reliability of the Old Testament Scriptures. 

Main Question for Today

How do we know if the Old Testament is reliable?

Consider this...

What facts do we need to know about the words of the Bible? 

How would you describe the Bible to a stranger? 

What aspects of Scripture would you include in your description?

Scripture

Take the time to read the following passages:

2 Timothy 3:16-17

What do you think "God-breathed" means?

Deuteronomy 4:40

Psalms 19:7-9

How is the Law and the commands described here?

Matthew 5:19

Matthew 24:35

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

What are we told to do with the Words of God we have received?

Rules for the Masoretic Scribes

The Masoretes were a group of scribes whose sole job was copying the text of the Bible. 

Around ~AD 400 the Masoretes created a system of tracking and maintaining the accuracy of the biblical text. 

They held themselves to extremely strict rules which maintained consistency when these scribes copied the Bible.

These rules included the following foundations:

1. The scroll must be written on the skin of a clean animal

2. Each skin must contain a specific number of columns equal throughout the entire book

3. Each column must extend no less than 48 lines and no more than 60

4. The column breadth must consist of exactly 30 letters.

5. The Space of a thread must appear between every consonant

6. The breadth of 9 consonants had to fit between each section of text.

7. A space of 3 lines had to appear between each book

8. Every word had to be copied letter-for-letter

9. The scribe had to count the number of times each letter occurred in each book and compare it to the original.

10. If a manuscript was found to have just one error, it was discarded.

Listen along as Scott discusses the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls, their impact on Christian Scholarship, and the evidence they provide for the reliability of the Old Testament. 

Consider this...

Consider the acronym M.A.P. for three major areas of evidence that helps to support the reliability of the Old Testament text.

M= Manuscript Evidence

A= Archaeological Evidence

P= Prophecy of Scripture.

These three categories include both external and internal evidence that help to bolster the dependability and accuracy of the texts we have received as Scripture. Over the next several weeks, we will address some of these in more detail. 

Take Away

Why does learning about the reliability of Scripture important for your faith and for the faith of others?

How can this lesson help you share your faith?

Moving forward, what will you do differently when you read through your Old Testament?

Main Question for today

How do we know that the New Testament Scriptures are reliable?

Consider this...

Take the time to think about why we believe the New Testament Scriptures to be true? 

Three standards of evidence

1. What is the number of Greek manuscripts of the New Testament that are available to us today?

2. What is the dating of and the time interval in between the original document and the earliest copies?

3. What is the textual accuracy of the manuscripts themselves?

Ancient Text                               Date Written                      Earliest Copy                       Gap                          Number of Copies

Homer's Iliad                             800 BC                               400 BC                              400 years                           643

Plato's Writings                           400 BC                               AD 900                             1300 years                           7

Caesar's Gallic War                     100-44 BC                         AD 900                             1000 Years                          10

New Testament Texts                  AD 49-100                         AD 130                              <100 years                       5686

Read 1 Peter 1:24-25

During this time, the class watches a video by Jay Warner Wallace found at ColdCaseChristianity.com

Check out the website for yourself to see some resources on the reliability of the Christian Scriptures.

Wallace's Key points:

1. Where the texts of the New Testament Written early?

2. Can the New Testament Texts be corroborated with other evidence outside of the Bible?

3. Have the New Testament Texts changed over time from the earliest manuscripts?

Read Luke 1:1-3

Consider this...

"Our faith did not originate from a book, but from an event. The Resurrection. Now that event and others were recorded, so others would know about it."

"The New Testament writers did not create the resurrection, the resurrection created the New Testament writers."

~ Frank Turek ~

crossexamined.org

Main Question for today:

Does Archaeology support the Bible?

Archaeology: The study of human history through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains.

Consider this...

How do you check to see if something is true? What steps to you take to determine if something is true or not?

How do you think archaeology is used to study the Bible?

Does archaeology support everything in the Bible? Why or why not?

If not, does that mean that we cannot trust the Bible? Why or why not?

If you could fund your own expedition and had unlimited funds, what kinds of events, places, people of the Old Testament would you most want to find and learn about with archaeology? Why?

Read these passages and consider how they provide evidence for the historical events of the Bible:

1 Kings 14:25-26

2 Kings 20:20

2 Kings 24:10-14

Luke 3:1

Romans 16:23

John 5:1-9

John 11:49-53

Consider this...

Archaeology is only as good as its interpretation.

Interpretations can differ depending on who you talk to, who examines the same evidence, and our own bias. What's important is that we examine the evidence closely and honestly and use the tools we have to the best of our ability.

Main Question for today:

How did we get the Old Testament in the form that we have today

How do you think the Old Testament came to be what we have today? Take a few moments to think about the actual process of how the Old Testament was written, passed down, and collected into its final form.

Check out The Bible Project at Bibleproject.com to find a large collection of resources that talk about things like today's topic and others.

Consider this...

Who wrote the Old Testament(OT)?

Who orchestrated the writing of the OT, its passage through time, and its final form? 

So if the OT was written by human hands, at the divine initiative of God, how did we get our final version today? What did that process look like?

If the Bibles was written by human hands, at the direction of God, does this compromise its divine nature? Why or why not?

The Masoretic Text (MT)

Click on "Resources" above to view the handout provided during class.

Green Arrow: Foot notes.

Red Arrow: "Hey reader! There's a footnote here, pay attention to this."

Blue Arrow: Commentary by the scribes.

This document, the Leningrad Codex, was a document dating to around 1008 AD/CE  and is the most complete manuscript of the OT that we have that was written by the Masoretes. 

Masoretes: Jewish scholars writing from around 700-1000 AD/ CE that accurately transmitted the OT text that they had received. 

Septuagint (LXX)

Dating: around 200-100 BC/ BCE

Written in Greek for Israelite communities that spoke Greek after Alexander the Great took over most of the known world. 

Check out Genesis 4:8 and take a look at the foot note.

Notice anything interesting about this verse and its footnote?

Sam: Samaritan Hebrew Text of the OT

Gk: The Septuagint (LXX) written in Greek

VG: the Latin Vulgate version of the Hebrew OT

MT: Hebrew Masoretic version of the OT

Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS)

Dating: around 300-100 BC/ BCE  

The DSS are contemporary documents with the LXX and help shed light on the earliest Hebrew Manuscripts of the OT.

The DSS are important because they provide additional Hebrew manuscripts from the same time period of the LXX that we can use to compare to one another and see what the most original Hebrew versions of the OT looked like. 

Consider this...

How has this changed your understanding of how we got the OT we have today? 

How do we make sense of this? 

This is complicated stuff, but should we shy away from the hard stuff? 

How should we approach topics like this? 

What will you do differently know that you know this?

Main Question for today:

How did we get the New Testament in the form that we have today?

Check out The Bible Project at Bibleproject.com to find a large collection of resources that talk about things like today's topic and others.

Consider this...

Who wrote the New Testament(NT)?

Who orchestrated the writing of the NT, its passage through time, and its final form?

So if the NT was written by human hands, at the divine initiative of God, how did we get our final version today? What did that process look like?

If the Bibles was written by human hands, at the direction of God, does this compromise its divine nature? Why or why not?

Three things...

What criteria do you think were used to determine if a certain writing, book, letter, document should be added to this collection of writings that would eventually become our New Testaments that we have today?

1) Apostolic Authority-- this is a question of Authorship. The author had to be a first hand witness.

2) Conformity to the "Rule of Faith"-- Is this document agree with what Jesus taught and what the earliest followers of Jesus believed?

3) Acceptance and usage by the earliest church-- Did the earliest followers/churches accept and use this document?

2nd Century

Irenaeus

He lived and died around 180 AD/CE and references the...

4 Gospels, 13 letters of Paul, Acts, 1 Peter, 1-2 John, and Revelation, AND the Shepherd of Hermas as being Scripture.

Justin Martyr

Died around 165 AD/CE and he mentions the...

"Memoirs of the Apostles," and quotes from the 4 Gospels, Hebrews, the letters of Paul, 1 Peter, and Acts.

What do you notice about these lists of "Scripture" according to these two Christian defenders?

During the earliest years of Christianity, the Scriptures of the New Testament were Fluid.

Was fluidity a problem for the early church? Why or why not?

Is fluidity of scripture a problem for us today? Why or why not?

Check out the Canon lists provided above in the "Resources" button and follow along as you listen.

3rd-4th Centuries

Origen

Died in 254 AD/CE

He categorized Scripture into three categories:

1) Undisputed: 4 Gospels, 13 Pauline Letters, 1 Peter, 1 John, Acts, Revelation

2) Disputed: 2 Peter, 2-3 John, Hebrews, James, Jude

3) Spurious ("False"): Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of the Egyptians, and other writings not found in the Protestant canon

Eusebius

Lived around the early 4th century

He categorized Scripture into four categories:

1) Accepted: 4 Gospels, Acts, 13 Pauline Letters, Hebrews, 1 John, 1 Peter

2) Disputed which includes "Known and Accepted" and "Spurious but not Foul or Impious"

3) Known and Accepted: James, Jude, 2 Peter, 2-3 John, Revelation

4) Spurious but not Foul or Impious: Acts of Paul, Shepherd of Hermas, Apoc. of Peter, Letter to Barnabas, the Didache, and Revelation

4th Century

Athanasius

He was the first person to record the 27 books of the New Testament and ONLY the 27 books of the New Testament in a sort of canon list. 

Athanasius argued that Revelation was still debated and Hebrews was included for the purposes of inclusivity between the Eastern and Western churches.

Look back to the Handout and listen as you follow along. 

Consider this...

By the 4th Century, most of what we, as protestants, consider canon, was established.

It's clear that the Bible in its earliest form was very fluid. But that is ok. God used the process of human creativity and authorship, to create a collection of writings that he inspired. He wanted us to know the story of him and Jesus Christ, and the Early church, and he chose to tell us using a method that was real, tangible, and included humanity into its creation

So, it’s ok that there was fluidity in the formation of the Canon. That just means that God was gracious enough to include us humans into the creation of his Holy Word. That’s AMAZING! The fact that he chose to create a collection of texts that reveals Him to us, and allowed us to be a part of that is astounding.

This goes to show you that God is not some far off deity, or one who is “to holy to associate with His creation.” We got to play a part in the grand scheme of God’s design, even though it was complex. Because what we have today IS God’s word in the form that he wants us to have it.

What stands out to you in all of this?

Does the fluidity of the formation of the Protestant Canon bother you? Why or why not?

How does this help us move away from the "golden tablet from the sky," mentality of how Scripture came to us in its final form?

How will you look at Scripture differently now?

Main Question for today:

What does the map and the timeline of the Bible world look like?

Opening Activity

For those of you joining us online or those seeking to teach this lesson yourself, take a look at the map and timeline provided above under the "Resources" option beneath the audio recording. If you are a teacher, cover up the answers to the timeline and map and create a word bank for your class. Ask the class to fill in the answers to the corresponding time periods and zones on the map using the word banks. 

Follow along as you listen to the conversation.

Questions to consider...

As you look at the map of the ancient world, what stands out to you the most? 

Consider the size, the location, the allocation of natural resources. 

Notice the colors of the map. What can these colors signify? Why is this significant?

Questions to consider...

As you look at the timeline of the Bible story, what stands out to you the most?

Consider the length of time between each event, the dates, the categories of the various divisions.

Consider the history behind these events. As you read the books of the Bible, how can this timeline be used to help put the Bible story into context?

Why does all of this matter?

How have these study tools helped you better understand the Bible story, its events, and the purposes behind God's plan for salvation?

How have these tools changed your understanding of the ancient world and the world of the Bible? 

Main Question for today...

How do we understand Scripture in its context?

As you listen, click the "Resources" tab above next to the audio recording and click the attachment titled "Context Questions." As you listen along, answer these questions along with the class.

Turn to Judges 3:12-30 and read through it once or twice.

Think of these four categories as we walk through the lesson:

Original Situation--meaning the original context of the passage

Original Application-- meaning how the original audience applied the passage to their lives

Current Situation-- How do we differ from the original audience?

Current Application-- How do we apply this lesson to our lives today?

Contextual Description ("Original Situation")

The first few things you need to ask a particular Bible Passage is about the actual text itself, the physical words on the page. We also need to understand the basics of the story, its events, and characters. To give you an idea about what we mean, go through some of the questions provided in the handout to better understand the context of the text.

Original Application

After we understand the physical text, its characters, theme, etc., now we need to look at how the original audience would have understood, interpreted, and received this passage. Let's take a look at some of the questions in the handout to get inside the minds of the original readers of this story.

Current Situation

Next, we need to talk about how the original context of the original audience differs from us today. We need to consider not only the original audience, but also the original context of the story itself. 

Contemporary Application ("Current Application")

Finally, we need to ask about how the lessons the original audience learned can be applied to our lives today? How do we, as a modern audience, learn, grow, and apply the lessons to our own context?

Consider this...

How ahs this lesson helped you understand the context of Scripture?

What applications can we glean from the story of Judges 3:12-30?

How will you read Scripture differently moving forward?

Main Question for today:

How is Scripture taken out of Context?

Consider this...

Why is it important that we understand a passage of Scripture in Context?

What happens when we take verses out of context?

Why is this significant?

What are some things you can think of that you can do to properly understand Scripture in its context?

A good principle is to read 1 paragraph before and 1 paragraph after the passage we study.

Ephesians 5:22-24

Where and how have we heard this passage being used before?

Who most often uses this passage out of context and why?

What are some of the negative results of this passage being taken out of context?

Read Ephesians 5:15-33

Given the context, how do the surrounding verses change our understanding of vv. 22-24? Think about how we understood this passage BEFORE and how we understand it AFTER we read it in context.

What do you notice about the Husbands' responsibility given what we find in vv. 22-24, 15-20, and 25-33?

What does this mean for those who use vv. 22-24 out of context?

Matthew 18:20

Where and how have we heard this verse being used before?

Is this interpretation good, bad, neutral, harmful, etc.?

What meaningful lessons can we learn from this one verse?

Read Matthew 18:15-22

Given the context, how do the surrounding verses change our understanding of v. 20? Think about how we understood this passage BEFORE and how we understand it AFTER we read it in context.

Now what does this passage mean?

Knowing how the previous interpretations were not actually what this passage is talking about, what do we do with those previous interpretations?

Philippians 4:13

Where and how have we heard this verse being used before?

Is this interpretation good, bad, neutral, harmful, etc.?

What meaningful lessons can we learn from this one verse?

Read Philippians 4:11-13

Given the context, how do the surrounding verses change our understanding of v. 13? Think about how we understood this passage BEFORE and how we understand it AFTER we read it in context.

Now what does this passage mean?

What effect does reading this verse incorrectly do to the meaning of the text?

Consider this...

Moving forward, what will you do differently when you read individual verses from Scripture?

Why is it important that we understand Scriptures in their proper context?

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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