JimOtt

(Matthew 5:27-32; 19:1-12) With whom did Jesus side: Rabbi Hillel or Rabbi Shammai? What exception does Jesus give to his prohibition of divorce? How does this exception relate to Deuteronomy 24:1-4? Jesus sided pretty close to the Rabbi Shammai. Jesus's exception was that of the unfaithful spouse. An unfaithful spouse is certainly a "displeasing" thing and would fit (at least my interpretation).

Q5. (Matthew 5:27-30) The spirit of our age is very accepting and approving of ****. According to Jesus' words, how seriously are we to take ****? How does agape love help us combat ****? We are to take **** as seriously as any other sin. We are to try and combat it whenever we can. Agape love helps us combat **** by showing us what love really is, and what we truly should be "wanting."

Q4. (Matthew 5:28) Sex is very closely tied to our core sense of person. This means that as we are healed in our view towards sex, it goes a long way toward making us whole inside. How would you counsel a brother who shared with you that he had trouble with ***********? How can you protect yourself against temptation over the Internet? At the beach or poolside? With your TV? I would share with him that God forgives him, and help him put things in place to prevent/discourage those desires. I would want to help him rebuild a healthier outlook at/towards women. I would help him put in place things in his life that I do in mine to try and keep this from overcoming him.

Q3. (Matthew 5:28) What is wrong with ***********? What is wrong with going to prostitutes? Who are the victims of this "victimless" activity? It is wrong because it is a sin to covet something, and with *********** that is essentially what you are doing, coveting having that "experience" with someone that is displayed on a magazine or on your screen of your computer. Going to prostitutes would be wrong as it is having the sexual relationship outside of the bonds of Holy Matrimony which is the place that God has placed that experience. Not to mention the toll on family, friends, and the psychie of everyone involved. I think everyone ends up being the victims of this victimless crime...from the people directl;y involved in the "acts" to society which is being told that this is acceptable. It can ruin relationships between husband/wife, and can ruin and kill those involved if things get violent. We have all seen pictures on prime time dramas of situations where that has happened, or heard it/read it in the news.

Q3. (Matthew 5:28) What is wrong with ***********? What is wrong with going to prostitutes? Who are the victims of this "victimless" activity? It is wrong because it is a sin to covet something, and with *********** that is essentially what you are doing, coveting having that "experience" with someone that is displayed on a magazine or on your screen of your computer. Going to prostitutes would be wrong as it is having the sexual relationship outside of the bonds of Holy Matrimony which is the place that God has placed that experience. Not to mention the toll on family, friends, and the psychie of everyone involved. I think everyone ends up being the victims of this victimless crime...from the people directl;y involved in the "acts" to society which is being told that this is acceptable. It can ruin relationships between husband/wife, and can ruin and kill those involved if things get violent. We have all seen pictures on prime time dramas of situations where that has happened, or heard it/read it in the news.

Q2. God purposely created us with a good and natural sexual desire. How do we distinguish between that God-given sexual desire and forbidden ****? God gave us all a healthy sexual appetite as that is the way that the human species (and other species for that matter) survives. Without sex, and sexual desire, there wouldn't be children and the human race would cease to exist. I am going to make this sound like a broken record....but....the distinguishing factor between the two types is that forbidden **** is that outside the bonds of holy matrimony as set forth and ordained by God.

Q1. (Matthew 5:27-30; Exodus 20:17) What is the point of similarity between adultery and lus+? What is the difference? How does lus+ break the Tenth Commandment? Adultery and **** are both similar as they are the same act, the only difference in my mind would be that Adultery is PHYSICAL and **** is primarily MENTAL. **** breaks the 10th Commandment as it is the desiring of something that isn't yours, which is what the 10th Commandment prohibits. Am I on track here?

Q5. (Matthew 5:21-26) Verses 21-22 are about murder, anger, and insult. Verses 23-24 discuss some fault against one's brother. Verses 25-26 discuss settling a civil suit before going to court. What is the overarching theme of Jesus' teaching in our entire passage, verses 21-26? LOVE. Love for one another, love for our enemies, love for God. We must cleanse our soul of the hatred that we may have for one another prior to settling the "things" that created that hatred.

Q4. (Matthew 5:25-26) What is the point of Jesus' parable of settling out of court? Who are we supposed to settle with, according to this parable? What does "settling" entail? What are the reasons that we should settle? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=742 The point of this parable is similar top the answers to questino three where we were told to not speak meanly of of anyone. If you owe someone something, or at least have not forgiven them of something it will get in the way of your worship of the Lord. This is another very true statement, as how can you worship the Lord when your mind is concentrating on how much you owe or someone else might owe you.

Q3. (Matthew 5:23-24) What's wrong with worshipping while a brother has something against us (or us against a brother, Mark 11:25)? What is the appropriate action for us to take? How far should we go to bring about reconciliation with someone whom we have offended? Are there any situations that we shouldn't try to resolve? Or that we can't resolve? Worshipping while we are holding something against someone is like trying to look at a beautriful painting through some dark sunglasses. While you know that the painting (worship) is beautiful, you just dcan't pick out the details. You just wont be able to enjoy the worship or even hear from God as clearly or easily. I have observed this personally as it can happen to my wife. She will occassionally wake up on Sunday mornings, and just be in a funk and then we go to church and she just can't get into the worship time (singing) that she usually loves so much. She also has an incredible struggle when she tries to listen to the message during this time.

Q2. (Matthew 5:21-22) Why does Jesus treat calling someone a fool in the same classification as murder? Does this mean that murder is no worse than an angry insult in God's eyes? How would we act differently if we actually believed that angry attitudes towards others are viewed by God as murder? Jesus treats them both the same because as it says in the study the root is the same...the root of both actions is hatred, hatred directed at another person which is 180 degrees from what Jesus said the greatest commandment was which is to love one another. It is correct...from what we are reading here that both are equally vile in the eyes of God. I believe that we would perhaps treat everyone differently if we actually believed this. I think as humans this is a monumental task for us to try and overcome the overpowering feelings of anger that we sometimes have towards one another, but it is something that we are supposed to live up to according to the Bible and how we are taught.

Q1. (Matthew 5:17-20) Can you see any tendencies in the church today to effectively "abolish" the Old Testament from our Christian faith? What does a "Christian" legalism look like in a church? What does it look like in a church where there are no moral standards and no obedience expected of Christians? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=739 Starting from the last question forward, I am probably sheltered mid-westerner here, rather conservative in my thinking, but can there be such a church?? Isn't the whole idea of a church to instill and teach moral standards to its members?? I would also say that the "church" would EXPECT of their parishoners that they would be obedient to the laws of the land and the laws of God. (please note that this is the EXPECTED behavior...unfortunately not everyone follows at the same rate, nor is everyone always successful in their pursuit of obedience). Perhaps I should be phrasing it that every church that I have ever gone to has been that way. I am sure that there are some places out there that call themselves a church but don't worship God, and maybe that is where you would run into that. I think that there probably are many churches that don't teach on the Old Testament and concentrate solely on the New. Our Bibles have also been made in so many different ways that I am sure that it is confusing for many that want to find a new Bible to know if they are getting "the right one" I think that a balanced teaching is best and one that can contrast the old and the new and show how both apply is what should be done. I am sorry if I am off base on the definition of Christian legalism, but I am assuming that it would be a church that follows blindly what one man's interpretation is of God's law? If so that might be a church that restricts the worship time so much as to make thing s just a ritual and not have any feeling into it. Let me know if I am wrong and if so how far off base :-)

Q4. (Matthew 5:13-15) How do verses 13-16 relate to verses 10-12? How does hiding our light affect the glory of God? Why must glory and suffering go hand in hand? Was Jesus' suffering necessary? Is ours? What does this have to do with Romans 12:2? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=738 Verses 10-12 are a warning to expect persecution for showing the light, and 13-16 tell us to do it anyways. Both sets of verses explain that while we won't be rewarded here on earth for allowing our light to shine, our reward is actually waiting for us in heaven with our Father. Jesus' suffering...there is something that puzzled me from time to time. We discussed that at our in-home Bible study right after Easter. Why, with Jesus being God's son, would God allow him to suffer that way? Why, with all of the miracles that Jesus had performed and everyone had witnessed did He not just put a stop to the suffering immediately when it started?? Would that not have made as big an impression on people of the time, if Jesus had just wiped out his accusers, and caused those that were ridiculing Him to be struck with some horrifying disease. Perhaps that is the answer...would it have been easier???? sure, but his suffering was a metaphor...to illustrate for us how deeply He loves us and wanted to impress upon us that He would do anything for His children so that we wouldn't balk at following the rules that He set forth for us. Romans 12:2. Jesus' acts, and what he tells us to do is simply that we shouldn't follow what the world would have us do, but to follow what he would have us do.

In the parable of "the light of the world," Jesus notes the stupidity of lights being hidden under bowls. Concerning what danger in the life of a Christian disciple does Jesus warn us in this parable? That if we don't bring our light up, lift it on the lampstand no one will see it. If we don't show others we are Christians how would anyone else know>??

Q1. (Matthew 5:13) In what sense are Christians the "salt of the earth" using the preservation analogy? In what sense are Christians the "salt of the earth" using the seasoning analogy? I had never thought of us as being salt to preserve the earth as Pastor Ralph said in his message. Although I can see it using the references that he used. I would say that we are the salt in a preservative sense to preserve the earth FOR God rather than FROM his wrath. Preserving it by being here and spreading his word, so that when he returns to earth he will be glorified by more believers. Using the seasoning analogy I would say that we are here to again apread the word of the Lord, to introduce it to someone with our personality/personal flavor/personal salt rather than someone just reading it by themselves and perhaps not understanding it and therefore not taking an interest in it. We are here to involve people in the word and works of God so that they may also add their salt and light to the world.

We should rejoice (although I will admit it can be tough while you are going through it) when we are persecuted as that means we are doing things God's way instead of the wrong way. What keeps this from being masochistic, is that you are rejoicing in the result, not the pain or persecution. The blessing is appropriate because that is how God will reward us for standing strong for him.

People with a pure heart can see know and discern God because they don't have any of the distractions that sinners do. Nothing pulling them away from God, getting their attention, saying "oh let's go do this thing....God will wait." We obtain the pure heart through study of God's word, and through prayer.

An intense desire of righteousness puts us at odds with the world because the world is often times going in the opposite direction. As a society it is not always what is right that gets done, but maybe what feels good, or what will just get us by. As Christ-followers we must pursue living correct, Godly, Spirit-filled lives. Following in Jesus' footsteps and trying to block out what the world says is right and follow what we know we should do. The promise that we are given is that if we pursue a righteous life we will be filled with the Holy Spirit and be granted our wish!

Simply put the world views meekness as a sign of weakness, but here it is described in a more positive light. Humility is important as it helps us remember that God is BIG and we are small. Our pastor did a whole sermon series on that a few years back and whenever I think about it I picture my pastor up on the platform on his knees with his face to the floor saying that this is how big we are. (smile)

I have to agree with saskheather, it is necessary for us as Christians to recognize what life is like without God as the leader in our lifes and that so much more is possible with him leading us. I think that all Christans do mourn for the common things such as death of a friend, but we also mourn for those that we know that aren't believers for we have read what their fate is.

The two parts would be identifying the recipient of the blessing and then the blessing itself. Jesus taught in this way (in my humble opinion) to get them people that were listening to whom to think about what he was saying, and then apply to their lives (i.e. to see how to apply it to themselves). Similarily Jesus did a lot of teaching in parables, to get his listeners to think about what he was saying and trying to impart to them. I also believe that he did it for us to, to make us think about how and what he was saying and what impact it has on our daily lives.

Hi everyone....My name is Jim and I am in Madison WI. First time trying an online study. Just recently finished reading the Bible for the first time and am now looking for a way to dig deeper into things This looked like an interesting topic to start with! Later, jim