Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3376 to 3400 of 3852 results

Mark 9:42-50

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... large stone referred to here was the upper stone of a community mill, which required several people or a donkey to turn it. (See IDB, vol. 3, pp. 380–81.) 9:43ff. Hell: The Greek word here is gehenna, which comes from the Hebrew term referring originally to a ravine south of Jerusalem (gē-hinnom). By the time of Jesus, the term had acquired a metaphorical usage denoting the future fiery judgment to be inflicted upon the wicked at the last judgment. (See IDB, vol. 2, pp. 361–62; “Hell,” NIDNTT, vol ...

3377. Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

Mark 10:46-52

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... , was revered in the time of Jesus as a great exorcist and healer and that the term “David’s son” was applied to him as a kind of title. Thus, the cry Son of David here may have carried overtones of a healing power in the original situation of Jesus’ ministry. In Mark, however, the term surely carries messianic significance. (See also NIDNTT, vol. 3, pp. 648–53.) 10:50 Throwing his cloak aside, etc.: This gesture and the other details of the action in the Markan narrative help us to picture the ...

3378. Jesus Clears the Temple

Mark 11:12-19

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... coinage accepted for paying the annual temple tax (Exod. 30:13–16), would have turned the Court of the Gentiles into an oriental bazaar, making it impossible for any Gentile to use the area for prayer or serious devotion to God. In the original situation, Jesus’ action was probably supported by many others who found it offensive for the priests to have authorized the transacting of such business within the sacred precincts of the temple. The temple was frequently the site for disturbances having to do ...

3379. Marriage at the Resurrection

Mark 12:18-27

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... , vol. 4, pp. 160–63). There are various scholarly attempts to describe them and their background, but much is vague. They appear to have supported the right of the descendants of the Maccabees to exercise both royal and priestly powers in Judea and may have originated sometime in the second century B.C. Their ranks were decimated during the Jewish revolt of A.D. 66–70, and in the period following this war they were treated as heretics by the rabbis who came to control Judaism. We have no writing from ...

3380. Peter Disowns Jesus

Mark 14:66-72

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... divided over whether a first crowing of a rooster is mentioned in 14:68, with some containing the statement and some omitting it. The evidence is so divided that it is difficult to be sure whether the reference to this first crowing of the rooster originally appeared in 14:68, but probably it did—and was omitted by some copyists who sought to reconcile Mark’s account with the parallels in Matthew and Luke that mention only one crowing. Perhaps the rationale for describing Peter’s denials as all taking ...

3381. The Death of Jesus

Mark 15:33-41

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... in the scene, however, is the statement on the lips of the Roman soldier at the foot of the cross, Surely this man was the Son of God! Although it is likely that any such statement uttered by a Roman soldier would have originally meant something like, “This man behaves like a divine hero,” likening Jesus to the ideals of popular Hellenistic religious tradition, Mark guides his readers to interpret the statement as an ironic confession of the true significance of Jesus. The statement is ironic because ...

3382. Mary Visits Elizabeth

Luke 1:39-45

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... 2:22–23). (For further discussion see Fitzmyer, pp. 304–21.) One wonders how to account for all of the similarities and differences in the Lucan and Matthean infancy narratives. The numerous parallels make it unlikely that the Matthean and Lucan traditions originated separately, while in light of the many differences it is hard to see how they derive from a common literary source. Furthermore, the traditional explanation that the Matthean account goes back to Joseph, while the Lucan account goes back to ...

3383. The Shepherds and the Angels

Luke 2:8-20

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... 12:28; 13:32, 33; 19:5, 9; 22:34, 61; 23:43. Christ the Lord: Some manuscripts read “the Lord’s Christ,” as in Luke 2:26. But it is likely that the reading read by the majority of manuscripts, the reading which underlies the NIV, is the original one; for further discussion see Leaney, pp. 95–96. “Lord” does not always imply deity, for at times it denotes nothing more than “sir.” But when used in the absolute sense, the sense it appears to have in Luke 2:11, it refers to deity. 2:12 This will ...

3384. Jesus Heals a Paralytic

Luke 5:17-26

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... edited, and codified as Mishnah and Talmud (and other rabbinic writings). Unlike the Sadducees, who were wealthy, aristocratic, and very conservative theologically and politically, the Pharisees were more numerous and much more popular with the people. The Pharisees traced their origins back to the glorious days of the Maccabean struggle for freedom (167–146 B.C.). They were zealous for the Jewish faith and were champions of the messianic hope. They believed that if all Jews would dedicate themselves to a ...

3385. Jesus Questioned About Fasting

Luke 5:33-39

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... , 36–43). Oftentimes a parable appears to have had only one basic point (or lesson), but the interpreter may well suspect that the tradition and/or the evangelist may have understood the parable, or parts of the parable, allegorically. As the parables are encountered, the question of what the parable originally meant and what later interpretations may have been assigned to it will be taken into account. See also the note on 8:9–10 below.

3386. Jesus Raises a Widow's Son

Luke 7:11-17

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... ’s theology of messianic blessings being extended to the weak and the outcast. Additional Notes 7:11 The town called Nain (from the Latin Naim and/or from Hebrew Na’im meaning “pleasant”) may possibly be traced back to the pre-exilic city of Shunem, the original site of which is quite close to the newer city. Nain is perhaps derived from the second half of the name Shunem. Lachs (p. 207) notes that the modern Arab village Nein may stand on the site. Even if such an identification cannot be made with ...

3387. A Lamp On a Stand

Luke 8:16-18

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... his true family (vv. 19–21, taken from Mark 3:31–35). The Lucan theme has nothing to do with the kingdom. Instead, its focus is upon Jesus’ word and the urgent need to obey it. 8:16–18 Verses 16–18 contain three sayings which probably were originally independent but were pulled together by Mark (4:21–25) or the tradition before him. In Mark 4:21–22 the idea seems to be that what remains secret during Jesus’ ministry (i.e., who Jesus really is, what his ministry is really all about; see Luke ...

3388. Who Will Be the Greatest?

Luke 9:46-50

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... would be applied to those who believe in Jesus and in his name carry on ministry. Understood this way the saying implies that Christian leaders (such as Gentiles) are not to be prohibited or prevented from ministry just because they were not part of the original Jewish group of believers. Additional Notes 9:47 Jesus … took a little child: A quaint and completely unfounded tradition arose during the Middle Ages that this child was none other than the church father Ignatius. 9:49 On Master see note on 5:5 ...

3389. Six Woes

Luke 11:37-54

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... and murdering the prophets, from Abel (Gen. 4:8) to Zechariah (2 Chron. 24:20–21), future prophets and messengers (i.e., Christian apostles and evangelists) will be mistreated as well. Although the warning of judgment and punishment that were to come probably originally had in view the Last Day, it is quite possible that Christians in Luke’s time believed the warning to be fulfilled, perhaps only partially, at the time of Jerusalem’s destruction in A.D. 70 (see note below). The diatribe concludes with ...

3390. Additional Teachings

Luke 16:16-18

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

16:16–18 Contained in these three verses are three sayings, originally independent in all likelihood (as comparison with Matt. 11:12–13; 5:18, 32 would seem to indicate). What connection these sayings have with the surrounding context is not immediately clear. In view of Jesus’ teaching about proper standards for living in the new age, Luke possibly wished to clarify ...

3391. Ten Healed of Leprosy

Luke 17:11-19

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... clearly in the episode of the cleansing of the ten lepers. In v. 11 Luke notes that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, traveling along the border between Samaria and Galilee (see note below). This introduction not only reminds the reader of the journey to Jerusalem, originally announced in 9:51, but sets the stage for the appearance of the Samaritan leper. Jesus is met by ten men who had leprosy (see note on 5:12 above). According to custom and law they stood at a distance and cried out to Jesus for help ...

3392. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Luke 18:9-14

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... that was made there is similar to the one being made here. The saying is a warning not to exalt one’s self (before others, 14:11; or before God, 18:14b), lest one be humbled. Whereas the saying (and the parable preceding it) was originally addressed to Pharisees as a criticism of their self-righteousness, Luke intends it to be a warning to Christians to be careful how they view themselves, lest they become guilty of the same hypocrisy frequently associated with Pharisees. Additional Notes 18:9 some who ...

3393. The Parable of the Tenants

Luke 20:9-19

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... by the related theme of the rejected son. For this reason, and others, Klyne R. Snodgrass (The Parable of the Wicked Tenants: An Inquiry into Parable Interpretation, WUNT 27 [Tübingen: Mohr (Siebeck), 1983]) has argued that the citation of Psalm 118 was an original component of the parable and not, as most critics have either argued or assumed, a later Christian addition. 20:18 This saying is reminiscent of the “stumbling-stone” passages found in the NT. In Rom. 9:32–33 Paul alludes to and quotes ...

3394. Whose Son Is the Christ?

Luke 20:41-47

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... Ps. 110:1]?” (Marshall, p. 745). Jesus’ question in v. 44 is based on the assumption that to be a descendant of someone is to be lesser. For example, the descendants of Abraham are lesser than the great patriarch. Jesus’ question would be puzzling to his original hearers, but not to the believing community; they would understand it in the light of the Easter event. How can any descendant of David, even if he is the Messiah, be David’s Lord? He can be his Lord through the resurrection (see Acts 2:36 ...

3395. Jesus Arrested

Luke 22:47-53

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... of Man: See note on 5:24 above. 22:52 Am I leading a rebellion: The NIV here is quite paraphrastic. The Greek literally reads: “robber.” The word may mean “insurrectionist” or “revolutionary” (hence the reading found in the NIV), a meaning that would be entirely in keeping with the original political and religious setting of the time.

3396. The Ascension

Luke 24:50-53

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. Although this last phrase is omitted in two manuscripts, many other old manuscripts, among them the very oldest, do include it, and so it is probably best to regard it as an original part of the account. Even without it the meaning is scarcely changed, for the account of the ascension in Acts 1:9–11 confirms that Luke had a departure via ascension in mind, an idea which was probably in mind since the beginning of the journey to ...

3397. Personal Requests

1 Corinthians 16:5-18

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... 8 Paul writes explicitly of Pentecost (Gk. pentēkostē), referring by technical title to the Feast of Weeks, which was observed on the fiftieth day after the Passover. This is a religious, traditionally Jewish, designation of time, although since the original Christian empowering on Pentecost, this term may have become a normal designation or celebration in Christianity. If so, this reference is the earliest indication of the Christian recognition of the time or celebration. 16:9 More literally Paul writes ...

3398. The Thousand Years

Revelation 20:1-7

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... of human history. According to this view, the messianic reign (i.e., a “millennium”), the “trigger” for God’s eternal reign, would begin when world evil is overthrown by Messiah and human existence is thereby allowed to conform to God’s original intentions for it. Another voice was “apocalyptic” and viewed God’s salvation as the passing away of human history as we know and experience it. In this case, Messiah comes from outside of history to establish a new order which replaces the ...

3399. The River of Life

Revelation 22:1-6

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... Gen. 3:22–23). The phrases, there will be no more night and the Lord God will give them light, are additional links to the creation story (Gen. 1:3–5). In fact, the “night/light” dualism marks out God’s work on the “first day” of the original creation. Perhaps here the negation of this dualism—there is no more night … or sun—functions as a final element of John’s inclusio. Especially if night is also used as a metaphor for evil, as it often is in Scripture, then John’s point seems to ...

3400. The Cloud Above the Tabernacle

Numbers 9:15-23

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

... 9 and the tradition of not breaking the bones of the lamb. 9:2 In Lev. 23, Passover and Unleavened Bread are treated together as coming in the spring (March–April). Both relate to the exodus. The festival is often thought to have other origins related to fertility for nomadic flocks. For the literature, see Budd, Numbers, pp. 97–98; Davies, Numbers, pp. 80–81. 9:3 Twilight is lit. “between the two evenings,” probably the time between sunset and complete darkness (Davies, Numbers, pp. 81–82). 9:8 ...

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