December 7, 2014 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – Old Order and New Creations

December 7, 2014 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – Old Order and New Creations

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.”

Old Order and New Creations

Matthew 17:24-27 – New International Version (NIV)

²⁴ “After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

²⁵ “Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”

²⁶ “From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. ²⁷ “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

Where did Jesus and his disciples arrive at (verse 24)?

What kind of tax collector came to Peter (verse 24)?

In your opinion, why did Jesus ask Peter “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes-from their own children or from others” (verse 25)?

How did Peter answer that question (verse 26)?

How was Peter to come up with the funds to pay the tax (verse 27)?

Whose taxes was Peter to pay (verse 27)?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Matthew 17:24-27 show us about the Great Commission?

Daniel 3:1-30 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ “King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. ² He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. ³ So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

⁴ Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: ⁵ As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. ⁶ Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

⁷ Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

⁸ At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. ⁹ They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! ¹⁰ Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, ¹¹ and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. ¹² But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

¹³ Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, ¹⁴ and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? ¹⁵ Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual ²⁰ and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. ²¹ So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. ²² The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, ²³ and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

²⁵ He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

²⁶ Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, ²⁷ and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

²⁸ Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. ²⁹ Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

³⁰ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.”

What did King Nebuchadnezzar make (verse 1)?

Who did he summon (verse 2)?

How were people to react to the “sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music” (verse 5)?

Who was to be thrown into the blazing furnace (verse 6)?

In your opinion, why did the astrologers denounce the Jews (verse 8)?

How did Nebuchadnezzar react (verse 13)?

In your opinion, why did Nebuchadnezzar ask “Then what god will be able to rescue your from my hand” (verse 15)?

Did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego feel the need to defend themselves (verse 16)?

Did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego think that God could rescue them (verse 17)?

Would Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego have worshipped the image of gold even if God did not save them (verse 18)?

In your opinion, why did King Nebuchadnezzar’s attitude change (verse 19)?

What happened to the soldiers who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the furnace (verse 22)?

How many people did King Nebuchadnezzar see in the furnace (verse 25)?

What did King Nebuchadnezzar shout into the furnace (verse 26)?

Was there any sign that the fire had affected Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (verse 27)?

Who did King Nebuchadnezzar praise (verse 28)?

Why did King Nebuchadnezzar issue a decree that no one could “say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego” (verse 29)?

What did King Nebuchadnezzar do to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (verse 30)?

In your opinion, why would Jesus, who said “so that we may not cause offense” in Matthew 17:24-27 have agreed with the stand that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego took in Daniel 3:1-30 that offended King Nebuchadnezzar?

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

2 Corinthians 5:11-21 – New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ “Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. ¹² We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. ¹³ If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Why did Paul say he tried to persuade others (verse 11)?

Who was Paul trying to give the Corinthians the ability to answer (verse 12)?

What compelled Paul (verse 14)?

In your opinion, why should those who live; live for “him who died for them and was raised again” (verse 15)?

How did Paul once regard Jesus (verse 16)?

What has come “if anyone is in Christ” (verse 17)?

What did God “who reconciled us to himself through Christ” give us (verse 18)?

What did God not count (verse 19)?

In your opinion, why did Paul say we are “Christ’s ambassadors” (verse 20)?

Why did God make “him who had no sin to be sin for us” (verse 22)?

In your opinion, how did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who took a stand against worshipping the image in Daniel 3:1-30 work as an ambassador to Christ to reconcile the world to God as Paul discussed in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21?

In your opinion, how does Jesus, who began to reveal himself when refused to create an offense and paid the temple tax through Peter and the fish in Matthew 17:24-27 become more completely revealed to us as the one who removes offenses by Paul who says that “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us” in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21?

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

 

Revelation 21:1-7 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

⁶ He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. ⁷ Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.”

What did John see (verse 1)?

Who was “the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God” as (verse 2)?

Where is God’s dwelling place (verse 3)?

What will God do (verse 4)?

In your opinion, why has “the old order of things” passed away (verse 4)?

Who said “I am making everything new” (verse 5)?

What will the thirsty receive “without cost” (verse 6)?

Who will the victorious be to God (verse 7)?

In your opinion, what is the difference between the “new creation” that Paul was talking about in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 and “a new heaven and a new earth” that John talks about in Revelation 21:1-7?

In your opinion, how does the discernment and stance that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego demonstrate in Daniel 3:1-30 help us understand what is will be to be “victorious” and “inherit all this” in Revelation 21:1-7?

In your opinion, how does knowing that Jesus was looking forward to the time that “God’s dwelling place is now among the people” in Revelation 21:1-17 help us understand why He seemed to feel it was unnecessary, except for the offense it would create, to pay a tax for the temple maintenance in Matthew 17:24-27?

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

Next, back to Matthew 18:1 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

November 30, 2014 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – Grief and Encouragement

November 30, 2014 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – Grief and Encouragement

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.”

Grief and Encouragement

Matthew 17:22-23 – New International Version (NIV)

²² “When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. ²³ They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.”

Where did they come together (verse 22)?

Who did Jesus say the “Son of Man” would be delivered to (verse 22)?

What will the “hands of men” do to the “Son of Man” (verse 23)?

When will the “Son of Man” be raised to life (verse 23)?

In your opinion, why, when this passage ends with something joyful, were the disciples filled with grief (verse 23)?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Matthew 17:22-23 show us about the Great Commission?

Judges 11:29-40 - New International Version (NIV)

²⁹ “Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. ³⁰ And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, ³¹ whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”

³² Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands. ³³ He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon.

³⁴ When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. ³⁵ When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.”

³⁶ “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. ³⁷ But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.”

³⁸ “You may go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. ³⁹ After the two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin.

From this comes the Israelite tradition ⁴⁰ that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.”

Who came upon Jephthah (verse 29)?

What did Jephthah do (verse 29)?

Who did Jephthah make a vow to (verse 30)?

What vow did Jephthah make (verse 31)?

In your opinion, why did Jephthah make a vow (verse 31)?

How did the battle go (verse 32)?

How many towns did Jephthah devastate to subdue Ammon (verse 33)?

Who came out to meet Jephthah (verse 34)?

Why did Jephthah tear his clothes (verse 35)?

In your opinion, why does Jephthah's daughter respond as she does (verse 36)?

What is her request (verse 37)?

Why did she weep (verse 38)?

What did she do after two months (verse 39)?

Who continues to remember the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite (verse 40)?

In your opinion, what is the difference between the grief of the Jephthah and his daughter in Judges 11:29-40 and the grief of the disciples in Matthew 17:22-23?

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

2 Corinthians 2:1-11 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ “So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. ² For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? ³ I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. ⁴ For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

⁵ If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. ⁶ The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. ⁷ Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸ I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹ Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. ¹⁰ Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, ¹¹ in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”

What was Paul not going to do (verse 1)?

Why did Paul write as he did (verse 3)?

How does Paul feel about the Corinthian Christians (verse 3)?

In your opinion, why was Paul in “great distress and anguish of heart” when he wrote the Corinthians (verse 4)?

What did Paul want to show when he wrote (verse 4)?

Who has the person who has caused grief grieved (verse 5)?

Who inflicted the punishment (verse 6)?

Why should the Corinthian Christians “forgive and comfort him” (verse 7)?

In your opinion, why did Paul urge them to “reaffirm your love for him” (verse 8)?

What was Paul’s other reason to write (verse 9)?

Who does Paul forgive (verse 10)?

Why has Paul forgiven “in the sight of Christ for your sake” (verse 11)?

In your opinion, what is different about the grief that Paul caused in writing to the Corinthians that he refers to in 2 Corinthians 2:1-11 and the grief that Jephthah caused by his vow to the Lord in Judges 11:29-40?

In your opinion, how is the grief of the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 2:1-11 different from the grief of the disciples in Matthew 17:22-23?

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

   

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – New International Version (NIV)

¹³ “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Why does Paul not want the Thessalonians to be uninformed “about those who sleep in death” (verse 13)?

What do those who are uninformed not have (verse 13)?

Who died and rose again (verse 14)?

In your opinion, why do we believe that “God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him” (verse 14)?

Who will not precede those who have fallen asleep (verse 15)?

Where will the Lord come down from (verse 16)?

What will happen with “a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God” (verse 16)?

What will happen “after that” (verse 17)?

Where will we be forever (verse 17)?

In your opinion, why should we “encourage one another with these words” (verse 17)?

In your opinion, what is different about the grief “like the rest of mankind” in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and the grief of the Corinthians that Paul’s letter caused in 2 Corinthians 2:1-11?

In your opinion, what is the difference in the relationship with God that Paul demonstrated in the discussion about resurrection 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and Jephthah who bargains with God as he prepares to fight the Ammonites in Judges 11:29-40?

In your opinion, how it a fulfillment of the words of Jesus in Matthew 17:22-23 that “they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life” for Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 to say that “we believe that Jesus died and rose again”?

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

Next, back to Matthew 17:24 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

November 23, 2014 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – Faith 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.”

Faith and Love

Matthew 17:14-20 – New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ “When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

¹⁷ “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” ¹⁸ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁰ He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Who did the man approach (verse 14)?

What was wrong with the man’s son (verse 15)?

Who was not able to help the son (verse 16)?

In your opinion, what did Jesus mean by “you unbelieving and perverse generation how long shall I stay with you” (verse 17)?

Who did Jesus rebuke (verse 18)?

What happened to the boy (verse 18)?

Where was Jesus when the disciples ask “why couldn’t we drive it out” (verse 19)?

Why couldn’t the disciples drive it out (verse 20)?

How much faith does it take to move a mountain (verse 20)?

What is impossible (verse 20)?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Matthew 17:14-20 show us about the Great Commission?

Zechariah 4:1-7 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ “Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep. ² He asked me, “What do you see?”

I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps. ³ Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

⁴ I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

⁵ He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I replied.

⁶ So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

⁷ “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”

Who returned and woke Zechariah up, “like someone awakened from sleep” (verse 1)?

What did Zechariah see (verse 2)?

Where were the two olive trees (verse 3)?

In your opinion, why did Zechariah ask “what are these, my lord” (verse 4)?

How did the angel respond to Zechariah (verse 5)?

What is the “word of the Lord to Zerubbabel” (verse 6)?

How will “mighty mountain” change before Zerubbabel (verse 7)?

In your opinion, what is the significance of the bringing out of the capstone to shouts of “God bless it! God bless it!” (verse 7)?

In your opinion, what is the connection between the “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit” in Zechariah 4:1-7 and the “nothing will be impossible for you” in Matthew 17:14-20?

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

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

What gives meaning to speaking “in the tongues of men or of angels” (verse 1)?

In your opinion, how does love give value to being able to “fathom all mysteries” and to “faith that can move mountains” (verse 2)?

How much is gained if everything is given to the poor without love (verse 3)?

What is love and what is it not (verse 4)?

What does love not do (verse 5)?

How does love react to truth (verse 6)?

When does love protect, trust, hope and persevere (verse 7)?

What happens to: love - _______________, prophecies - _______________, tongues - _______________, and knowledge - _______________ (verse 8)?

In your opinion, why do we “know in part” and “prophesy in part” (verse 9)?

Where does “what is in part” go when completeness comes (verse 10)?

What changed when Paul became a man (verse 11)?

In your opinion, what is the difference between the “now” and the “then” (verse 12)?

What is the greatest of the three that remain (verse 13)?

In your opinion, how is the love, as defined in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, of God demonstrated in the statement from the Lord to Zerubbabel that said “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit”?

In your opinion, how does the statement that “if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 expand our understanding of the statement that Jesus made in Matthew 17:14-20 that “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”?

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

1 Peter 4:7-11 – New International Version (NIV)

⁷ “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. ⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹ Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

What is near (verse 7)?

Why should we be “alert and of sober mind” (verse 7)?

How should we “love each other” (verse 8)?

In your opinion, how does love cover a multitude of sins (verse 8)?

How should we “offer hospitality” (verse 9)?

What should we do with the gifts that we have (verse 10)?

How should the one who speaks speak (verse 11)?

With what should the one who serves serve (verse 11)?

In what should God be “praised through Jesus Christ” (verse 11)?

In your opinion, how does the statement in 1 Peter 4:7-11 to “above all, love each other deeply” amplify the statement in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 that “these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love”?

In your opinion, how is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel in Zechariah 4:1-7 “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit” expanded on in 1 Peter 4:7-11 by the instruction to the one who speaks to “do so as one who speaks the very words of God” and to the one who serves to do so “with the strength God provides”?

In your opinion, how powerful is the faith that Jesus demonstrated in healing the demon possessed boy in Matthew 17:14-20 when combined with the love discussed in 1 Peter 4:7-11 that Jesus demonstrated that “covers over a multitude of sins” including all our sins when He went to the cross?

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

Next, back to Matthew 17:22 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)