October 26, 2014 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – Yeast versus Love

Matthew 28:18-20 – New International Version (NIV) – The Great Commission

¹⁸ “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

From Yeast versus Love

Matthew 16:5-12 – New International Version (NIV)

⁵ “When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. ⁶ “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

⁷ They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”

⁸ Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? ⁹ Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? ¹⁰ Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? ¹¹ How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

What did the disciples forget to take across the lake (verse 5)?

Who told them to “be careful” (verse 6)?

What were they to be careful of (verse 6)?

How did the disciples interpret the warning (verse 7)?

In your opinion, why did Jesus say to the disciples “you of little faith” (verse 8)?

How does Jesus show the disciples that He is not concerned about the bread (verses 9 and 10)?

What warning does Jesus repeat (verse 11)?

What did the disciples finally understand about the warning (verse 12)?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Matthew 16:5-12 show us about the Great Commission?

Psalms 1 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ “Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

⁴ Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶ For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.”

Who is blessed (verse 1)?

In your opinion, what does it mean to “not walk in step with the wicked” (verse 1)?

Who does the blessed one not sit with (verse 1)?

What does the blessed one delight in (verse 2)?

When does the blessed one meditate “on his law” (verse 2)?

In your opinion, why is the blessed one “like a tree planted by streams of water” (verse 3)?

What does the person who is blessed yield (verse 3)?

Who is like chaff (verse 4)?

Where will they not stand (verse 5)?

What does the way of the wicked lead to (verse 6)?

In your opinion, what is the difference between the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees of Matthew 16:5-12 and the “law of the Lord” of Psalm 1?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Psalm 1show us about the Great Commission?

Galatians 5:1-9 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

² Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. ³ Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. ⁴ You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

⁷ You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? ⁸ That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ⁹ “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”

Why has “Christ set us free” (verse 1)?

How should we respond to being set free (verse 1)?

What causes Christ to be of no value (verse 2)?

In your opinion, why would the man who lets himself be circumcised find Christ of no value “at all” (verse 3)?

Where do you fall if “by the law” you have been “alienated from Christ” (verse 4)?

Through who do we “eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope” (verse 5)?

What is the only thing that counts (verse 6)?

In your opinion, who did “cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth” (verse 7)?

What does not come from “the one who calls you” (verse 8)?

Where does a little yeast work through (verse 9)?

In your opinion, how is the one who is blessed in Psalm 1 similar to the person eagerly awaiting “by faith the righteousness for which we hope” in Galatians 5:1-9?

In your opinion, how is the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees of Matthew 16:5-12 similar to the little yeast that “works through the whole batch of dough” in Galatians 5:1-9?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Galatians show us about the Great Commission?

   

1 John 2:12-17 – New International Version (NIV)

¹² “I am writing to you, dear children,
    because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
¹³ I am writing to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
    because you have overcome the evil one.

¹⁴ I write to you, dear children,
    because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
    because you are strong,
    and the word of God lives in you,
    and you have overcome the evil one.

¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. ¹⁶ For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

Why is John writing to the children (verse 12)?

Who has known Him from the beginning (verse 13)?

What have the young men done (verse 13)?

Why is John writing to the children (verse 14)?

In your opinion, why does the reason that John is writing to the fathers stay the same (verse 14)?

How does the reason to write to the young men change from verse 13 to verse 14?

In your opinion, why is the “love for the Father” not in anyone who “loves the world” (verse 15)?

Where does “everything in the world” come from (verse 16)?

What passes away (verse 17)?

Who lives forever (verse 17)?

In your opinion, how is the statement “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free” from Galatians 5:1-9 expanded on by the statement “but whoever does the will of God lives forever” in 1 John 2:12-17?

In your opinion, how is the statement “Not so the wicked!  They are like chaff that the wind blows away” from Psalm 1 completed by the statement in 1 John 2:12-17 that “The world and its desires pass away”?

In your opinion, how does the warning of Jesus to the disciples to “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees” in Matthew 16:5-12 compare to the warning that John gives us to “Do not love the world or anything in the world” in 1 John 2:12-17?

In your opinion, what does this passage from 1 John show us about the Great Commission?

Next, back to Matthew 16:13 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

October 19, 2014 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – From Signs to Sanctification

Matthew 28:18-20 – New International Version (NIV) – The Great Commission

¹⁸ “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

From Signs to Sanctification

Matthew 16:1-4 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ “The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

² He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ ³ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. ⁴ A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.”

Why did the Pharisees and Sadducees come to Jesus (verse 1)?

What did they ask Jesus for (verse 1)?

In your opinion, why did Jesus reply by talking about forecasting the weather (verses 2 and 3)?

What does it mean for tomorrow’s weather if this evening’s sky is red (verse 2)?

What does it mean for today’s weather if this morning’s sky is red and overcast (verse 3)?

Who looks for a sign (verse 4)?

In your opinion, what does Jesus mean by “the sign of Jonah” (verse 4)?

In your opinion, why were all those who came to Jesus at the end of chapter 15 healed and fed, but the Pharisees and Sadducees that come to Jesus at the beginning of chapter 16 are met with a very critical response?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Matthew 16:1-4 show us about the Great Commission?

1 Kings 18:20-40 - New International Version (NIV)

²⁰ “So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. ²¹ Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

But the people said nothing.

²² Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. ²³ Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. ²⁴ Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”

Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

²⁵ Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” ²⁶ So they took the bull given them and prepared it.

Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

²⁷ At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” ²⁸ So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. ²⁹ Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. ³¹ Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” ³² With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. ³³ He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

³⁴ “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.

“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. ³⁵ The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

³⁶ At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. ³⁷ Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

³⁸ Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

³⁹ When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

⁴⁰ Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.”

Who did Ahab call to Mount Carmel (verse 20)?

What question did Elijah ask the people (verse 21)?

How many prophets of Baal were there in opposition to Elijah (verse 22)?

In your opinion, why is the challenge a fair challenge to Baal, a god of thunderstorms (verses 23 and 24)?

How will the winner of this contest be determined (verse 24)?

What additional advantage did Elijah give to the prophets of Baal (verse 25)?

When did the prophets of Baal begin calling to Baal (verse 26)?

In your opinion, why did Elijah begin to taunt the prophets of Baal at noon (verse 27)?

How did the prophets of Baal increase their intensity in the afternoon (verse 28)?

When did the prophets of Baal end their frantic activity (verse 29)?

In your opinion, why did Elijah begin by repairing the alter of the Lord, which had been torn down (verse 30)?

How many stones did Elijah use (verse 31)?

What did Elijah do when the alter was repaired (verse 32)?

When the wood and the bull were on the alter what did Elijah order (verse 33)?

How many times did he order it done (verse 34)?

How did Elijah know it was time to stop (verse 35)?

In your opinion, why did Elijah begin to pray “at the time of sacrifice” (verse 36)?

What did Elijah pray for (verse 36)?

How does Elijah want the people of Israel to respond (verse 37)?

What happened in response to Elijah’s prayer (verse 38)?

How did the people of Israel respond (verse 39)?

What happened to the prophets of Baal (verse 40)?

In your opinion, were the Pharisees and Sadducees of Matthew 16:1-4 requesting that Jesus do something like Elijah did in 1 Kings 18:20-40?

In your opinion, what does this passage from 1 Kings show us about the Great Commission?

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, ² not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. ³ Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. ⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

⁵ Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. ⁷ For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹ For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie ¹² and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

What is this passage concerning (verse 1)?

How are the readers to react to teaching that asserts the day of the Lord has already come (verse 2)?

What must happen before the day of the Lord comes (verse 3)?

Who will the man of lawlessness oppose (verse 4)?

In your opinion, why does Paul say “Don’t you remember” (verse 5)?

When will the man of lawlessness be revealed (verse 6)?

What is already at work (verse 7)?

How will the Lord Jesus overthrow the lawless one (verse 8)?

How will the Lord Jesus destroy the lawless one (verse 8)?

In your opinion, what does it mean that “the coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works” (verse 9)?

What will the man of lawlessness use (verse 9)?

Who is deceived by the “ways that wickedness deceives” (verse 10)?

Why do they perish (verse 10)?

What does God send them (verse 11)?

What have those who have not believed the truth delighted in (verse 12)?

In your opinion, how are the signs that the man of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 different from the fire of the Lord that fell and burned up the sacrifice in 1 Kings 18:20-40?

In your opinion, how would the Pharisees and Sadducees of Matthew 16:1-4 respond to the signs of the man of lawlessness described in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12?

In your opinion, what does this passage from 2 Thessalonians show us about the Great Commission?

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ “Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

² To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

⁴ I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵ For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— ⁶ God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. ⁷ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸ He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Who is writing (verse 1)?

Who is he writing to (verse 2)?

What blessing does he ask for (verse 3)?

Why does he thank God (verse 4)?

In your opinion, how are those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus “enriched in every way” (verse 5)?

What does this confirm (verse 6)?

Who do we “eagerly wait for” (verse 7)?

How will God keep us “to the end” (verse 8)?

Who called us into fellowship with Jesus Christ our Lord (verse 9)?

In your opinion, how are “those sanctified in Christ Jesus” in 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 differ from “those who are perishing” in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12?

In your opinion, how are those who are “called into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” in 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 similar to Elijah as he stood up in confrontation with 450 prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:20-40?

In your opinion, how are those who “eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed” in 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 different from the Pharisees and Sadducees who are requesting a sign from heaven of Matthew 16:1-4?

In your opinion, what does this passage from 1 Corinthians show us about the Great Commission?

Next, back to Matthew 16:5 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

October 12, 2014 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – Compassion and Love

Matthew 28:18-20 – New International Version (NIV) – The Great Commission

¹⁸ “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Compassion and Love

Matthew 15:29-39 – New International Version (NIV)

²⁹ “Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. ³⁰ Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. ³¹ The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

³² Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

³³ His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

³⁴ “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

³⁵ He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. ³⁶ Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. ³⁷ They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ³⁸ The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹ After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.”

What did Jesus do on the mountainside (verse 29)?

Who did the great crowds bring to Jesus (verse 30)?

Why were the people amazed (verse 31)?

Who did the people praise (verse 31)?

In your opinion, why did Jesus have compassion for the people (verse 32)?

How did the disciples respond to Jesus’s compassion (verse 33)?

What practical question did Jesus ask (verse 34)?

What did Jesus instruct the crowd to do (verse 35)?

In your opinion, why did Jesus not break the bread and the fish until after He had given thanks (verse 36)?

How much did the people eat (verse 37)?

What was left over when the people were fed (verse 37)?

How many ate (verse 38)?

What did Jesus do after He sent the crowd away (verse 39)?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Matthew 15:29-39 show us about the Great Commission?

Hosea 2:13-23 - New International Version (NIV)

¹³ “I will punish her for the days
    she burned incense to the Baals;
she decked herself with rings and jewelry,
    and went after her lovers,
    but me she forgot,”
declares the Lord.

¹⁴ “Therefore I am now going to allure her;
    I will lead her into the wilderness
    and speak tenderly to her.
¹⁵ There I will give her back her vineyards,
    and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will respond as in the days of her youth,
    as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

¹⁶ “In that day,” declares the Lord,
    “you will call me ‘my husband’;
    you will no longer call me ‘my master.’
¹⁷ I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips;
    no longer will their names be invoked.
¹⁸ In that day I will make a covenant for them
    with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
    and the creatures that move along the ground.
Bow and sword and battle
    I will abolish from the land,
    so that all may lie down in safety.
¹⁹ I will betroth you to me forever;
    I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
    in love and compassion.
²⁰ I will betroth you in faithfulness,
    and you will acknowledge the Lord.

²¹ “In that day I will respond,”
    declares the Lord—
“I will respond to the skies,
    and they will respond to the earth;
²² and the earth will respond to the grain,
    the new wine and the olive oil,
    and they will respond to Jezreel.
²³ I will plant her for myself in the land;
    I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’
I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’;
    and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”

What did Israel do that she will be punished for (verse 13)?

Where will the Lord lead Israel and allure her and “speak tenderly to her” (verse 14)?

How will Israel respond to the Lord (verse 15)?

In your opinion, why will Israel call the Lord “my husband” instead of “my master” (verse 16)?

Whose names will be removed from Israel’s lips (verse 17)?

What will be abolished from the land (verse 18)?

How long will the betrothal last (verse 19)?

What will Israel be betrothed in (verse 19)?

How will Israel respond to the betrothal (verse 20)?

In your opinion, what is the day on which the Lord will respond (verse 21)?

Who will the Lord plant (verse 23)?

What will the Lord show to the “one I called ‘Not my loved one’” (verse 23)?

How will those who were called “Not my people” that the Lord now says to “You are my people” respond to God (verse 23)?

In your opinion, how is the compassion that the Lord shows to the people of Israel in Hosea 2:13-23 similar to the compassion felt by Jesus for the people of Matthew 15:29-39?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Hosea show us about the Great Commission?

James 2:14-26 – New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? ²¹ Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴ You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶ As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

What is James asking about “faith” for someone who “has no deeds” (verse 14)?

How does the “brother or sister” without clothes and daily food benefit from the statement “Go in peace, keep warm and well fed” (verses 15 and 16)?

In your opinion, why is faith without works dead (verse 17)?

How does James expect to show his faith (verse 18)?

Who does James say believes in one God “and shudder” (verse 19)?

When was Abraham considered righteous (verse 21)?

What made Abraham’s faith complete (verse 22)?

What was Abraham called (verse 23)?

In your opinion, why does James say “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone” (verse 24)?

Who was considered righteous for giving lodging to the spies and sending them off in a different direction (verse 25)?

What is the body without the spirit (verse 26)?

What is faith without deeds (verse 26)?

In your opinion, how are the people of James 2:14-26 who claim faith but do not have deeds like the Israel of Hosea 2:13-23 who went after other lovers and forgot about God?

In your opinion, would Jesus, who had compassion on those people who had been without food for several days in Matthew 15:29-39, also have compassion of those who recognize that their faith is dead in response to James 2:14-26?

In your opinion, what does this passage from James show us about the Great Commission?    

1 John 3:16-24 – New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

¹⁹ This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: ²⁰ If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹ Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God ²² and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. ²³ And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. ²⁴ The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”

How do we know what love is (verse 16)?

What should we do (verse 16)?

In your opinion, what does John mean by asking “how can the love of God be in that person” (verse 17)?

What kind of love are we to avoid (verse 18)?

How are we to love (verse 18)?

In your opinion, how is it comforting “if our hearts condemn us” to know that God is greater than our hearts (verse 20)?

What do we have if “our hearts do not condemn us” (verse 21)?

What is God’s command (verse 23)?

How do we know that God lives in us (verse 24)?

In your opinion, how does John’s discussion about loving “with actions and in truth” in 1 John 2:16-24 reinforce James’s statement about faith without works being dead in James 2:14-26?

In your opinion, how is the love demonstrated by God to a wandering Israel in Hosea 2:13-26 similar to the love demonstrated by Jesus when He “laid down his life for us” in 1 John 3:16-26?

In your opinion, how is the love that we are commanded to have “with actions and in truth” in 1 John 2:16-24 a reflection of the compassion that Jesus demonstrates in Matthew 15:29-39?

In your opinion, what does this passage from 1 John show us about the Great Commission?

Next, back to Matthew 16:1 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)