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.”
The Gold and the
Sacred
Matthew 23:16-22 –
New International Version (NIV)
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If
anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the
gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools!
Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it
means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that
oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater:
the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore,
anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it
and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And
anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on
it.”
What does Jesus
call the teachers of the law and Pharisees (verse 16)?
In your opinion,
why would the teachers of the law and the Pharisees say that it means nothing
to swear by the temple but that swearing by the gold of the temple mean you are
bound by the oath (verse 16)?
How
does Jesus show them that they were wrong
(verse 17)?
How does the next statement that
Jesus speaks about the teachers of the law and the Pharisees resemble the first
statement (verses 16 and 18)?
In
your opinion, what is the difference in the basic understanding of what is
valuable by Jesus and the teachers of the law and the Pharisees that is
revealed in this passage?
What
is someone swearing by if they swear by the alter (verse 20)?
What
is someone swearing by if they swear by the temple (verse 21)?
What
is someone swearing by if they swear by heaven (verse 22)?
In
your opinion, what does this passage from Matthew 23:16-22 show us about the
Great Commission?
1 Samuel 5:1-12 - New
International Version (NIV)
1 “After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they
took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then they carried the ark
into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the people
of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the
ground before the ark of the Lord!
They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But the
following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the
ground before the ark of the Lord!
His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only
his body remained. 5 That is why to this day neither the
priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the
threshold.
6 The Lord’s hand
was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on
them and afflicted them with tumors. 7 When the people of
Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the god of Israel must
not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.” 8 So
they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked them, “What
shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?”
They
answered, “Have the ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath.” So they moved the
ark of the God of Israel.
9 But after they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great
panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an
outbreak of tumors. 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron.
As
the ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have
brought the ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us and our people.” 11 So
they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark
of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it will kill us
and our people.” For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very
heavy on it. 12 Those who did not die were afflicted with
tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.”
Who captured the
ark of God (verse 1)?
Where did they set the ark (verse 2)?
In your opinion,
what did it mean that Dagon was face down on the ground before the ark of the
Lord (verse 3)?
How was Dagon different the “following morning” (verse 4)?
Where will the priests of Dagon not step (verse 5)?
What did the Lord bring to the people of
Ashdod and its vicinity (verse 6)?
In your opinion, why did the people of
Ashdod say “the ark of the god of Israel
must not stay here with us” (verse 7)?
How did the rulers of the Philistines
respond (verse 8)?
What happened to the people of Gath (verse
9)?
Where did the ark go next (verse 10)?
How did the people there respond (verse 11)?
What filled the city (verse 11)?
Where did the “outcry of the city” go (verse 12)?
In your opinion, what could the people of
the Philistine cities of 1 Samuel 5:1-12 have taught the teachers of the law
and Pharisees of Matthew 23:16-22?
In your opinion, what does this passage
from 1 Samuel 5 show us about the Great Commission?
Romans 2:17-29 –
New International Version (NIV)
17 “Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law
and boast in God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what
is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you
are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in
the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little
children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you,
then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against
stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not
commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob
temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by
breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is
blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you
break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So
then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they
not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who
is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even
though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is
circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a
Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the
Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other
people, but from God.”
What are the components that Paul asks the
readers about themselves:
In verse 17: If you call yourself -
_______________, If you rely on - ______________, If you boast in -
_____________________
In verse 18: If you know his - _______________,
If you approve of what is superior because you are
___________________________________
In verse 19: If you are convinced you are
- ______________________________, A ________________ for those who are in the
dark
In verse 20: An ____________ of the
foolish, An ______________ of little children
In your opinion, why does Paul indicate
that the readers have all of the above “because
you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth” (verse 20)?
Who does Paul ask “do you not teach yourself” (verse 21)?
Who does Paul ask “do you commit adultery” (verse 22)?
Who does Paul ask “do you dishonor God by breaking the law” (verse 23)?
In your opinion, what is Paul saying when
he says to the readers “As it is written:
‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you’” (verse 24)?
When does circumcision have value (verse
25)?
How does it change someone who is
circumcised if they break the law (verse 25)?
How will those who are not circumcised,
but keep the law’s requirements, be regarded (verse 26)?
Who will condemn the one with the “written code and circumcision” but are
lawbreakers (verse 27)?
What is not “merely outward and physical” (verse 28)?
What is circumcision (verse 29)?
In
your opinion, what are the similarities between the Philistines of 1 Samuel
5:1-12 and the circumcised lawbreaking Jews of Romans 2:17-29?
In
your opinion, what can we learn from the fact that the Jews of Romans 2:17-29
got distracted from the “circumcision of
the heart, by the Spirit” to the outward and physical circumcision and the
teachers of the law and the Pharisees of Matthew 23:16-22 missed the importance
of the scared because the saw the value of the gold or the gift?
In your opinion, what does this passage
from Romans 2 show us about the Great Commission?
Revelation
22:10-17 – New International Version (NIV)
10 “Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy
of this scroll, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who
does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let
the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue
to be holy.”
12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will
give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am
the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have
the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside
are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the
murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for
the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning
Star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who
hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes
take the free gift of the water of life.”
Why is John not
supposed to “seal up the words of the
prophecy of this scroll” (verse 10)?
In your opinion, why is the “one who does wrong” to continue to do
wrong, the vile to continue to be vile, the one who does right to continue to
do right, and the holy person to continue to be holy (verse 11)?
What is Jesus, who is coming soon, going
to give to each person (verse 12)?
In your opinion, why does Jesus three
times with different words say that He is the “Beginning and the End” (verse 13)?
Who does Jesus bless and what do they have
a right to (verse 14)?
Who are the “dogs” who stay outside (verse 15)?
In your opinion, what is the difference
between the “blessed” in verse 14 and
the “dogs” in verse 15?
What does the “Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star” send
by the angel to the churches (verse 16)?
Who says “come” (verse 17)?
What is the “one who wishes” to take (verse
17)?
In your opinion, what can we learn about
the “circumcision of the heart” that
Paul talks about in Romans 2:17-29 from the teaching of Jesus through John in
Revelation 22:10-17 about those who “wash
their robes” and those who are thirsty coming and taking “the free gift of the water of life”?
In your opinion, what does the discussion
about the Philistines and their willingness to recognize that the God of Israel
was greater than Dagon, but unwillingness to worship the God of Israel in 1
Samuel 5:1-12 help us to understand the “dogs”
who are outside when all who are thirsty can “take the free gift of the water of life” in Revelation 22:10-17?
In your opinion, how
does the inability of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees to see the
value of the sacred in Matthew 23:16-22 because they were distracted by the
value of the gold or the gift help us to understand why “those who
practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and
everyone who loves and practices falsehood” in Revelation 22:10-17 might be
unwilling to “wash their
robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the
gates into the city”?
In your opinion, what does this passage
from Revelation show us about the Great Commission?
Next, back to Matthew 23:23 –
(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment