JesusWalk Bible Study Forum: Q2. A Light Shining in a Dark Place - JesusWalk Bible Study Forum

Q2. (2 Peter 1:19). In what ways do the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments act for you as "a light shining in a dark place"? What does the darkness represent? What does the light represent?

darkness to me would be a life without Jesus light is knowing Jesus and living his ways

The light shining in a dark place represents hope.

The darkness represents death, evil, etc. The light represents heaven (Paradise).

Pastor Ralph, on Jul 9 2004, 07:07 AM, said:

The Scriptures, both Old and New, act for me as TRUTH. This is what I have choosen to believe is 'The Truth'. This world and what is purported to be 'truth' by those who have choosen to live by it's standard, is going to end in hell. In a word "darkness" is represented by unbelief. To add some more: The seven deadly sins. The "Light" is The Word.

With out the Old Testament you do not have a complete picture of 'a light shinning in a dark place'. It brings everything together so that you get a real picture as to where the light is coming from and that where the darkness also originated from. Thus there is the necessity to draw from both the Old and the New Testaments to get a hold of the full story.

Q2. (2 Peter 1:19). In what ways do the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments act for you as "a light shining in a dark place"? What does the darkness represent? What does the light represent?

The Scriptures of the OT act as light for us because this is the time God chose to interact with us. Before this time there was only a dark abyss.
This is when the Messianic prophesies promised hope that God has worked out a plan for our Salvation. The NT is a continuation of the the Messianic promises stated in the OT. Now we have come out of the dark and move into vision and light because Jesus has offered hope by working out a plan of salvation.

The darkness represents evil working against the Light of the World, Jesus Christ our Savior. Darkness and light is the struggle of Good overcoming evil.

The Light is the Messaniac prophesies in the OT and in the NT it is Jesus crushing the enemy by His victory on the cross by offering His blood for the atonement of our sins.

Pastor Ralph, on Jul 9 2004, 07:07 AM, said:

Q2. (2 Peter 1:19). In what ways do the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments act for you as "a light shining in a dark place"?
The OT Scriptures foreshadow the coming of our Savior in which we have eyewitness accounts of holy men not only seeing for themselves but in as well hearing from God that Jesus is God’s Son. The NT if full of eyewitness accounts of our Lord, his life here on earth, his death, ascendance, his resurrection, and his coming again. . .
The OT brings forth a future of hope which leads into the NT bringing instruction, encouragement, and the word of God.

What does the darkness represent?
a void or lack of knowledge of Scripture. Not seeing the truth.

What does the light represent?
The truth and word of God in which take away any obscurity clearing up any doubts. The NT and Christ dying allows us through the Holy Spirit to be transformed so that we might re – present Him.

Q2. (2 Peter 1:19). In what ways do the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments act for you as "a light shining in a dark place"? What does the darkness represent? What does the light represent?

The Scriptures give us information on the truths of God--in the Old Testament, about how God worked throughout the history of the Israelites during those times as well as giving us His Laws and His promises of the coming Messiah Who redeems us and end times.
The New Testament tells us of the unfolding of the prophesies as they came true, as well as pointing to the future unfolding of those that have not yet come to be. By acting as a strong beam of light, giving us understanding of God and His expectations for His people, the two light up the darkness we would grope in without them!
Darkness represents life without Jesus and the Holy Spirit guiding us. It also reminds us that satan lives in that darkness and is embodied in it.
The light represents Christ, His New Testament directives and the Holy Spirit living in us. When we have His light--His Holy Spirit within us--we can see the way to go. Through it, we keep close to Him and His love.

The Old Testament prophesies the coming of the Messiah and the New Testament reveals Him. The Word of GOD is a light, a source of light, like the sun in the sky. As the sun gives out its light to the universe, the Word of GOD sends out a light. The Word of GOD is the only physical miracle that we have from GOD today.

The darkness represents sin and mankind without a Savior. The light represents our Savior Who brings us out of the darkness into His eternal light.

In what ways do the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament act as a light in a dark place.

This world is a dark place and the Scriptures are the voice of God giving us the truth and a road map. He is the truth and cannot lie and he loves us and desires the best for us. He taught us about Jesus and the way to salvation through the blood of Christ throughout scripture. He is the light of the world and in Him there is no darkness.

What does the darkness represent? To me the darkness represents life without Christ. Its dark and scary. It represents the darkness of my own heart also without the atoning blood of Jesus.

What does the light represent. The light represents the Word of God by which we come into a saving knowlege of Jesus and go from the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light which is the kingdom of God and the Truth.
God Bless!
Jen

Q2. (2 Peter 1:19). In what ways do the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments act for you as "a light shining in a dark place"? What does the darkness represent? What does the light represent?

Reading the scriptures has given me hope. The world we live in is slowly becoming a dark place Knowing what is in store for me once I leave this world is my shinning light.

The prophets of old prophezied of the Saviour's coming. Abraham made reference to Jesus as seeing HIS day . Isiah spoke of Him as one who would
bear our iniquities and be chastised so that we might know true peace. These prophecies gave hope to those who had a heart for God. To our benefit we now reap the salvation that they never experienced in their human life.

Darkness can represent a state of ignorance among many who do not choose the way of the Lord, as one who stumbles in the night.

Light is walking in holiness, righteousness and reflecting the very nature of
God in our day to day lives.

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2.) The condemnation, promised judgement, and death of sinful man (Dark). The hope, faith, promise, forgiveness, mercy, grace and propitiation through Our Lord and Savior, Jesus (Light).

Q2. (2 Peter 1:19). In what ways do the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments act for you as "a light shining in a dark place"? What does the darkness represent? What does the light represent?


Psalm 119:105 says ' Thy word is a lamp unto my feet....
Dark place is this world controlled by Satan and his dark forces. The Word of God contained in the Old and New Testaments are a sure source of light in this dark atmosphere. Science, logic, Theology, Movements etc., are nothing but the tricks of Satan to blind the eyes of His saints to the guiding factors in the Word of God. We should pray for discerning gift to filter the misleading ideas and thoughts proposed by the so called intellectuals and theologians who are over-active regarding the interpretations of the Word of God. It is very plain that the darkness represents this world and its present atmosphere and the Word of God contained in the Bible is essentially a source of light without which we will flounder in the mist of darkness.

Q2. (2 Peter 1:19). In what ways do the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments act for you as "a light shining in a dark place"? What does the darkness represent? What does the light represent?

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament act for us as " a light shining in a dark place" by calling on us to recognize the spiritual darknes that is around us and causes us to wake us and pay attention. The illumination or light that the Scripture brings will be a centrifugal force . As the sun gives out light on the earth so the Word of God sends out light to a world that is full of darkness. The Word of God is centrifugal force going throughout the world and drawing men away from the world system into the arms for Christ.

Darkness represents the forces of evil led by Satan and his helpers who are working hard to get every person they can in their camp.

Light represent Jesus Christ who came to transform us from the power of darkness in the His marvelous light. The illuminating presence of the Holy Spirit in our Christian walk with Christ will be like a "morning star" bringing tranformation into our hearts.

For me, the Scriptures are TRUTH, truth about God, the world, about me and my condition. I learn about human nature, I learn about God's expectations of me, about what He has done and is doing to help me meet His standards. In the 'darkness' of depression, or a bad day, or anything that throws me off-kilter, if I meditated on His Word, I am strengthened and encouraged. In the 'darkness' of my own sin, His word exposes it - brings it to the light - exposing my own heart/motives in the process, and shows me the way out - the light of His forgiveness and mercy. The light is all about Jesus, about God, about His Word.

Q2. (2 Peter 1:19). In what ways do the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments act for you as "a light shining in a dark place"? What does the darkness represent? What does the light represent?

The Scriptures, being the word of God, illuminate our knowledge (gnosis and epignosis) of God. Without the revelations given in the Scripture, that knowledge will remain dim. Just like the light provided by the glory God will be all that is necessary for light in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:23), the light of His word is what is necessary to remove the darkness from our souls. A constant feeding on His word is necessary to keep the light shinging bright since the world around us is darkened by Satan who is always doing whatever he can to rurn out the light and keep us blinded by the dark.

What a fab question! I could do a whole thesis on it with great joy!

John 1:4,5 says "In Him was Life, and the Life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."

In our lives there is a lot of darkness, even though we are , and have been for a long time, Christians. Always there is something the Holy Spirit is trying to show us, say to us, make clear to us. Often it involves healing a past trauma which has resulted in our believing something that is not of God, not true! For example, we believed what an early grade teacher said, that we will never make it! It has sunk into our heart as if it were the truth, and it defines our approach to life, changes our attitudes. We don't know why we experience depression, or cannot ever seem to perform consistently at our best, or experience great motivation: but there it is, operating as our driving force, the lie we have believed, and made true for us, that "I'll never make it".

We can't seem to change, get motivated, become consistent, no matter what we do - because there is that hidden lie underlying all we do. Theophostic prayer enables one to ask Jesus to pour His light on the darkness that is being experienced (via the emotions, eg depression, unmotivated, inadequate, guilty etc). He shows up the origin of this stress, in a (probably) childhood scenario, and brings His Truth to bear on the situation. It may be something like "All things are possible with Me". When He brings light to the dark place by replacing the lie with His truth, the lie has no more power to destroy us. His truth goes right into our bones and strengthens them! We begin to operate from the Truth, We are healed, and everything has changed! His light has shone in the dark place, and guess what! THE DARKNESS COMPREHENDETH IT NOT! The lie has no more power to direct our activities! The father of lies has lost his grip!

Darkness represents what satan, the father of lies, would have us believe, what grounds he has taken in our lives, and, yes, what authority we have (unwittingly mostly) given over to him.

Jesus is the Light of Men, who shines in the (very specific) darkness, and restores Life to us. He delivers us from evil, be it sin, disease or demonic influence.

HALLELUJAH!

Q2. (2 Peter 1:19). In what ways do the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments act for you as "a light shining in a dark place"? What does the darkness represent? What does the light represent?

2 Pe 1:19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

The Word of God is given to us to be in a tangible way a guide for us. Ps 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."

Light of spoken of in another instance in the New Testament: 1"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Nither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house" (Mt 5:14-15). The light of God is in believers in part by his Word dwelling in us (David says, "I have hidden your word in my heart..."). When we live by his word, others in this "dark world" will see and be drawn to Christ.


Christina Ingraham

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments act as "a light shining in a dark place" for me in that they show when men fail, God prevails. The darkness represents sin, evil, despair, etc. The light represents Christ, hope, life, etc.