Thursday, June 25, 2015
Chronological New Testament Study Day 36
Matthew 23; Luke 20;
Luke 21
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 "The
teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3 So
you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do,
for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy
loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to
lift a finger to move them. 5 "Everything they do is done
for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their
garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and
the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be
greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.' 8 "But
you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all
brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you
have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be
called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.11 The
greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts
himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. 13 "Woe
to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom
of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those
enter who are trying to. 15 "Woe to you, teachers of the
law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single
convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as
you are. 16 "Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If
anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold
of the temple, he is bound by his 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 if anyone
swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' 19You blind
men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore,
he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And
he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And
he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on
it. 23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees,
you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you
have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and
faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the
former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow
a camel. 25 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and
Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but
inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind
Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also
will be clean. 27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and
Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful
on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything
unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to
people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and
wickedness. 29 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and
Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the
graves of the righteous.30 And you say, 'If we had lived in the
days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the
blood of the prophets.' 31 So you testify against yourselves
that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill
up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! 33 "You
snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34Therefore
I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill
and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to
town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood
that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of
Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the
altar. 36 I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this
generation. 37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the
prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your
children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were
not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you
desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until
you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' "
1 One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts
and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,
together with the elders, came up to him. 2 "Tell us by
what authority you are doing these things," they said. "Who gave you
this authority?" 3 He replied, "I will also ask you
a question. Tell me, 4 John's baptism--was it from heaven, or
from men?" 5 They discussed it among themselves and said,
"If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Why didn't you believe
him?' 6 But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone
us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet."7 So
they answered, "We don't know where it was from." 8 Jesus
said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these
things." 9 He went on to tell the people this parable:
"A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a
long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants
so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat
him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another
servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away
empty-handed. 12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him
and threw him out. 13 "Then the owner of the vineyard
said, 'What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will
respect him.' 14 "But when the tenants saw him, they
talked the matter over. 'This is the heir,' they said. 'Let's kill him, and the
inheritance will be ours.' 15 So they threw him out of the
vineyard and killed him. "What then will the owner of the vineyard do to
them? 16 He will come and kill those tenants and give the
vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "May this
never be!" 17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked,
"Then what is the meaning of that which is written: " 'The stone the
builders rejected has become the capstone ' ? 18 Everyone who
falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be
crushed." 19 The teachers of the law and the chief
priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had
spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. 20 Keeping
a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped
to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the
power and authority of the governor. 21 So the spies
questioned him: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right,
and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with
the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or
not?" 23 He saw through their duplicity and said to
them, 24 "Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and
inscription are on it?" 25 "Caesar's," they
replied. He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to
God what is God's." 26 They were unable to trap him in
what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became
silent. 27 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no
resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28 "Teacher,"
they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a
wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his
brother. 29Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a
woman and died childless. 30 The second 31and then
the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no
children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 Now
then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married
to her?" 34 Jesus replied, "The people of this age
marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are
considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the
dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they
can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since
they are children of the resurrection. 37 But in the account
of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord 'the
God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' 38 He
is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are
alive." 39 Some of the teachers of the law responded,
"Well said, teacher!" 40 And no one dared to ask him
any more questions. 41 Then Jesus said to them, "How is
it that they say the Christ is the Son of David? 42David himself
declares in the Book of Psalms: " 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at
my right hand 43 until I make your enemies a footstool for
your feet." ' 44 David calls him 'Lord.' How then can he
be his son?" 45 While all the people were listening,
Jesus said to his disciples, 46 "Beware of the teachers
of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in
the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the
places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows' houses and
for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
1 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts
into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in
two very small copper coins. 3 "I tell you the
truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the
others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their
wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." 5 Some
of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful
stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 "As
for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on
another; every one of them will be thrown down." 7 "Teacher,"
they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that
they are about to take place?" 8 He replied: "Watch
out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am
he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. 9 When you
hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen
first, but the end will not come right away." 10 Then he
said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences
in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. 12 "But
before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will
deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and
governors, and all on account of my name. 13 This will result
in your being witnesses to them. 14 But make up your mind not
to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I
will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to
resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents,
brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 All
men will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your
head will perish. 19 By standing firm you will gain
life. 20"When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies,
you will know that its desolation is near. 21Then let those who are
in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in
the country not enter the city. 22 For this is the time of
punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 23 How
dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There
will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They
will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations.
Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles
are fulfilled. 25 "There will be signs in the sun, moon
and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the
roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 Men will faint from terror,
apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be
shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in
a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin
to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is
drawing near." 29 He told them this parable: "Look
at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves,
you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even
so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is
near. 32 "I tell you the truth, this generation will
certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven
and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 34 "Be
careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and
the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a
trap. 35 For it will come upon all those who live on the face
of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that
you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able
to stand before the Son of Man." 37 Each day Jesus was
teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the
hill called the Mount of Olives, 38 and all the people came
early in the morning to hear him at the temple.
Ephesians 2
Ephesians 2 (New International Version, ©2010)
Ephesians 2
Made Alive in Christ
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Footnotes:
Ephesians 2:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
Ephesians 2
Made Alive in Christ
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Footnotes:
Ephesians 2:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
Revelation 17
Revelation 17 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 17
Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast
1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery: BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12 "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."
15 Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God's words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."
Revelation 17
Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast
1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery: BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9 "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12 "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."
15 Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God's words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."
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