Loisb
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Posts posted by Loisb
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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?
1. Jesus is showing us that one is as bad as the other, because we are to love each other, be forgiving, not be mean spirited and we couldn't have any of these if we are guilty of calling someone a fool or killing someone. We are supposed to have pure hearts and these two things aren't showing purity.
2. In God's eyes, yes. Both os these are from a root of evil and not goodness.
3. I'm sure that we would change our ways and think twice about the way we treat all people.
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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?
1. Yes, some churches would like to abolish the Old Testament and preach only what's popular today in the modern world. Nothing is too bad in today's society. Two examples are abortions and homosexuality. Also, I've noticed that some ministers seldom preach from the Old Testament.
2. In a Church Christian legalism looks like there isn't standards that everyone goes by. Everyone does whatever they want to do and there isn't any peace. There usually is always confusion going on.
3. A church that has no moral standards probably would have a great many members, because they can do or say whatever they want. Since there wouldn't be any peace or love in this church, there would be confusion, back-bitting, and not very much "Word".
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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?
1. In verses 10-12 we should expect persecution since we said that we want to be like Christ and we should let our light shine as in verses 13-16 to let everyone know about Christ. We should gladly let them know what we went through, what God has done for us and how they should make a change in their lives to be Christ like.
2. Hiding our light probably upsets God after all He has done for us. Jesus shed His blood for us and then we are not willing to spread the word of his goodness.
3. We must go through suffering like Jesus did. We are no better than He is.
4. Yes, it was.
5. Yes, it is.
6. In order to see God, we must have a renewed mind. There should be a change in us. We should stop doing worldly things and live a renewed life.
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Q3. (Matthew 5:14-15) 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?
What good is a light if it is hidden under a bowl? It does him or anyone else any good if the light does not shine where it can be seen. We are to be witnesses for Christ and show the world what He has done for us. Our praise shows others how good God has been to us and how we love and appreciate Him. When we show others how blessed we are and tell them how good God has been to us, it encourages them to want to try God for themselves.
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Q2. (Matthew 5:13) What might be the symptoms of a Christian who has lost his "saltiness"? Is it possible for a believer to detect such symptoms in himself or herself? What do secular people notice about a "de-saltified" Christian? What do other Christians notice about you? Is it possible to "resaltify" your life?
1. A Christian who has lost his "saltiness" would probably not attend church regularly; not speak against anything that is not Christ like; go back to doing the things that they used to do; would not read their Bible regularly and wouldn't have time to spend with other Christian associates.
2. Yes, I believe that a believer would notice some changes in him/her self even though they may not want to admit it.
3. Secular people would notice that a Christian was "de-saltified" if the Christian went back to saying and doing the things that they had given up or not preaching to them about the sinful things they are doing.
4. A true Christian would notice that there has been a change, but they would try to find out what the problem is and pray with you to ask God for forgiveness.
5. Yes, if you pray and ask God for forgiveness, you can "resaltify" your life.
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Q6. (Matthew 5:10-11) Why should we rejoice when we are persecuted? What keeps this from being some kind of sick masochism, or finding pleasure in pain? Why is the blessing "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" appropriate for the persecuted?
1. We should rejoice from persecution because if we are innocent and being persecuted, we are going through what Jesus did when He went to the cross for us. We are assured that if we go through persecution for Christ's sake we will be rewarded.
2. We won't be persecuted for pleasure, but for the side of righteousness. In the end, we will be reaching our goal in Heaven.
3. This makes me think about Jesus. After the persecution He went through, His Father rewarded Him by letting Him enter into Heaven. It is appropriate that we should have this same blessing as Jesus.
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Q5. (Matthew 5:8) Why can people with a pure heart see, know, and discern God? Why can't "chronic" sinners see God? How do we obtain the pure or clean heart that Jesus describes?
1. If you live by the Word of God and pattern your life after him, you will be able to see him. You can develop a close relationship with God by praying and reading His Word and you won't have time to think about the evil in this world.
2. "Chronic" sinners can't see God because their heart is filled with the things of the world. No matter how hard you try to show them things of righteousness, they don't understand, because their heart has been hardened.
3. You must go to God and ask him to purge the corruption of your heart and make it pure.
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Q4. (Matthew 5:6) How can an intense desire for righteousness put you at odds with the world? What sort of righteousness is Jesus talking about, do you think? What promise are we given in this Beatitude?
1. The world is living by the flesh and anything they want to do is considered righteous to them. Whatever makes them happy is ok. The world does not want anything to do with anything that is considered righteous.
2. I think that Jesus is referring to having a pure heart. If you are living like Christ taught us, you are living a pure life. If you follow the 10 Commandments or the Beatitudes, you are going in the right direction.
3. If you have an intense desire for righteousness, He has promised to fill you with all you ask for.
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Q3. (Matthew 5:5) How does this sort of gentleness contrast with the world's ideal? How is humility important to Christlikeness?
1. The world looks at the meek as being weak or as a coward.
2. Humility is important because Christ showed humility when he died on the cross for our sins. He was humble whenever He lived as a mere mortal when He was sinless. It takes being humble to live like Christ.
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Q2. (Matthew 5:3-4) Why is it necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty before you can become a Christian? What kind of mourning is necessary for a person to become a Christian? What kind of mourning is a common experience of Christians? (See Isaiah 61:2-3; Ezekiel 9:4.)
1. You must be humble and not think that because you have a relationship with God that you are superior to others. You must be humble to be a true Christian.
2. Mourning is necessary when there is no closeness with God and when you see so much injustice and degradation going on. We often accept sin and being ok. We mourn over people who do not believe in God.
3. Christians mourn over the lost people who continue to go against God's Word and who insist on living by the flesh.
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Q2. (Matthew 5:3-4) Why is it necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty before you can become a Christian? What kind of mourning is necessary for a person to become a Christian? What kind of mourning is a common experience of Christians? (See Isaiah 61:2-3; Ezekiel 9:4.)
1. You must be humble and not think that because you have a relationship with God that you are superior to others. You must be humble to be a true Christian.
2. Mourning is necessary when there is no closeness with God and when you see so much injustice and degradation going on. We often accept sin and being ok. We mourn over people who do not believe in God.
3. Christians mourn over the lost people who continue to go against God's Word and who insist on living by the flesh.
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Q1. (Matthew 5:3-11) Each Beatitude consists of two parts. What are these parts? Why do you think Jesus made each Beatitude a paradox? What is the relationship of the Beatitudes to the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)?
1. The first part states who are blessed and the second parts states what you will be blessed with if you obey these things.
2. I think that He wanted to make it clear to the leaders and the followers exactly what is required of everyone.
3. The Beatitudes and the Fruits of the Spirit are similar because they both tell you how God wants us to live our lives in order to possess the Kingdom.
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Q3. (Matthew 2:11b) Why was it appropriate for the Magi bring gifts to the Christ-child? How does the extravagance of their gifts reflect their heart attitude? What kinds of gifts are appropriate for us to bring?
1. It was appropriate to present these gifts to show honor to a king.
2. Even though Jesus was a baby, He deserved the honor and these gifts were the best that they had. These gifts were fit for a King.
3. Our time, our worship, our praise, our obediance and our tithes would be our gifts.
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Q2. (Matthew 2:11a) What do we learn from seeing the Magi prostrating themselves before the child Jesus? What was the significance of this for them? How can we emulate this kind of worship?
1. Even though Jesus was a baby, the Magi realized that this was the King that they had read about and they knew that He deserved the honor.
2. Their prostrating signified that they humbly worshipped Him, which showed their respect and honor toward Him.
3. We should do the same thing. We should show our honor and reverance to God by being humble. We should bow down when we pray and worship.
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Q1. (Matthew 2:1-2; Numbers 24:17) What is the significance of the Star of Bethlehem that the Magi saw? Why do you think the Magi came to find the Christ-child when they saw the star? In what way was does prophecy prefigure this event?
1. The star was a sign of the Messiah coming that had been prophesided many years before. This star also led them to the place where Jesus was born.
2. The Magi had read about the Christ-child, who was told that He was the King of the Jews and they wanted to see him for themselves and to worship him.
3. Number 24:17 prophesied this event and the Magi studied astrology and saw the change in the constellation.
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Q5. (Luke 2:17-20) Great joy, praise, curiosity, amazement, telling others, thoughtful meditation. Which of these responses to the Good News are present in your life? In what manner do they show themselves? If some are missing, why? What can you do to recover these responses?
1. & 2. Great joy that I have God in my life. Praise is how I honor God daily. Curiosity as what God looks like. Amazement when God brings about miracles in my life. Telling others of a God who is so magnificent. Thoughtful meditation that brings me closer to God in spirit.
Trying to explain to others how good God is seems to be the hardest, because so many people do not believe and they have hardened their hearts to the Word. Witnessing is something that I need to work on. I get discouraged when they don't want to listen, but I keep on trying.
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Q4. (Luke 2:11) What are the three titles of Jesus given by the angels? What does each mean? What does this tell us about Jesus' true identity?
1&2. The three titles given by the angels were: Savior-deliverer, preserver, one who rescues; Christ-annointed; and
Lord-master or owner
3. It tells me that he is God wrapped up in a human body. Nothing is too hard for God.
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Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people? Why is Jesus born in a stable with a manger for a bed? This has to be intentional. What point is God making?
1. The message of Jesus was supposed to reach everyone from the poorest to the riches. I also think that since the Shepherds traveled they could spread the news to others. He also wanted everyone to know that he came for the poor also.
2. Jesus was sent as a servant and these humble beings showed the people that He was sent for the poor.
3. God wanted to show that Jesus was a God to be honored, but because of his humble birth, he showed that he was for all people.
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Q2. Why do you think the journey to Bethlehem was difficult for Mary? Is pleasure an indication that we are in God's will or not? Any examples from your life? Extra Credit: Argue for or against this proposition: "Being a consistent Christian causes more hardships than just going with the flow".
1. Mary was a young girl in her last month of pregnancy, traveling on or off a donkey for four days in the winter, and not have a place of comfort to have her baby would have been difficult for anyone. She didn't know what was going to happen when giving birth and didn't have another woman these to assure her.
2. Being in God's will is seldom without difficulties. We were not promised that being in God's will would always be easy.
3. I know some Christians that it seems like they live the perfect life --go to curch always, don't gossip, don't swear, treat people right, don't steal, don't lie, and still they are either constantly sick or have so many family problems; but they still put their faith in God. To the unbeliever, it looks like this isn't the way it should be.
4. Sometimes being a consistent Christian is hard, but you have to continue to put all your trust in god to bring you through. I often think about we are no better that Jesus and He suffered and never knew any sin at all.
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Q1. (Luke 2:1-2) Why does Luke name the rulers in 2:1-2? What point is he making?
1. Luke wanted to show that these rulers from history were real and if the unbeliever didn't believe anything else, he could check his History books and find these names.
2. He wanted to point out that Jesus was real, also, and the reason that he was born in a stable was also real.
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Q5. (1:24-25) What does Joseph accepting Mary as his wife say about his character? What is the significance for prophetic fulfillment of Jesus as a Son of David that Joseph "named" the child "Jesus"?
1. Joseph was truly a righteous man. He was devoted to Mary and Jesus, obedient to God, faithful, just and merciful.
2. Joseph naming the child "Jesus" proved to the world that he accepted Jesus as his legal son.
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Q4. (Matthew 1:23) How did the prophetic concept of the virgin conception and the name "Immanuel" find their fullness in the birth of Jesus to Mary?
1. I think that the virgin birth and the name "Immanuel" completed the fullfillment of the prophecy given by Isaiah to King Ahaz.
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Q3. (Matthew 1:21) What is the significance of the name Jesus? Why do you think the angel gave the name to both Mary (Luke 1:31) and Joseph independently?
1. The name Jesus means "Yahweh saves", because Jesus was sent to save the people from their sins.
2. To confirm with Joseph in case there was any doubt that Mary was the one saying this. Hearing this from an Angel would convence Joseph that the child was not from man but from God.
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Q2. (Matthew 1:19) What were Mary's options being pregnant and carrying a baby not her husband's? What kind of character did Joseph exhibit by deciding to divorce Mary quietly and leniently?
1. Mary's options were limited. She didn't have a husband, so she would have been an outcast. She could have been stoned, or put out by her family, or put out of the city and become a prostitute.
2. Joseph was a righteous man and wanted to do the honorable thing, but he was also thinking about his own reputation.
Because he was a good man, he did do the right thing.
Q3. Worship and Reconciliation without Delay
in 3. The Spirit of the Law and Reconciliation (5:17-26)
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1. We are supposed to love our brother and forgive them if there is bitterness between us. We are supposed to turn the other cheek, but if we can't forgive our brother, how can we say that we are worshipping with a pure heart. Our heart is not where God wants it to be. We are mocking God if we are worshipping and we haven't repented of our sins.
2. We should go to our brother and reconcile our differences and repent of our sins.
3. We should do anything that is possible to reconcile the differences even if it takes more than two or more tries and do it as soon as possible.
4. No, we should humbly try to resolve any issues that are causing issues with you and your brother.
5. I'm sure that there are some situations that no matter how hard you try, a person will not reconcile, but after you do your part, just leave it in the hands of God.