Patricia A

Q1. (Matthew 5:17-20) Can you see any tendencies in the church today to effectively "abolish" the Old Testament from our Christian faith? I know of some groups who feel the Old Testament is not relative but thankfully, my church fellowship and denomination are not led in the direction. Those who insist the New Testament teaches that the Old Testament is outmoded and irrelevant for Christians today ignore the abundance of evidence to the contrary within that same New Testament! What does a "Christian" legalism look like in a church? When I say these are legalistic, I am not thinking about those who believe every work of scripture and apply them in such a way that can be supported in the light of all of scripture. Christian legalists to me are those who take certain passages of scripture to imply the Bible says something that really cannot be supported in it full light. Also, I am thinking about those who try to conform to the letter without having the Holy Spirit so that they are unable to apply the scriptures with any wisdom or understanding. They are like some modern lawyers of our day who often twist the truth on purpose to achieve their desired outcome of deception. What does it look like in a church where there are no moral standards and no obedience expected of Christians? A church like this would be no different from society in general. People would live to do what they chose to do without regard for God's WORD.

Q4. (Matthew 5:13-15) Q4. (Matthew 5:13-15) [/size] How do verses 13-16 relate to verses 10-12? At first glance, persecution seems contradictory to the way and purpose of God. Though we certainly do not wish it upon anyone, and though we sincerely hope we do not have to face it, we can understand in the broad overview that, because of the enmity of Satan, it is inevitable. And in reality, it is a disguised blessing, designed to complete our preparation for God's Kingdom. What great blessings there are for the people that give mercy to other people! Mercy will be given to them. What great blessings there are for the people that are pure in their thinking! They will be with God. What great blessings there are for the people that work to bring peace! God will call them his sons and daughters. What great blessings there are for the people that are treated badly for doing good! The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. "People will say bad things against you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things against you because you follow me. But when people do those things to you, know that God will bless you. Be happy and glad. You have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did those same bad things to the prophets that lived before you. "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its taste, then it cannot be made salty again. How does hiding our light affect the glory of God? Now Jesus comes to the point: letting people see your good works rather than hiding them. And here is the reason for a Christian's witness: "that [men] may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Why must glory and suffering go hand in hand? Both salt and light are worthless if they are saltless or hidden from view. Jesus gives these parables right after a discussion of persecution. So we must be willing to bear our witness, even though it may bring persecution. Indeed, Paul says, "Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12). It comes with the territory. Was Jesus' suffering necessary? Is ours? What does this have to do with Romans 12:2? Christ did not suffer because He deserved it. He endured suffering for our benefit: to help fulfill God's purpose for us. During His ministry Jesus Christ was ridiculed, despised and rejected by the religious leaders of His day. This was a large part of His personal afflictions before His crucifixion. His countrymen demanded His execution. In the end, even His disciples abandoned Him to suffer His fate alone. "He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3). "He came to His own, and his own did not receive him" (John 1:11). He endured the full range of human suffering.

Q3. (Matthew 5:14-15) In the parable of "the light of the world," Jesus notes the stupidity of lights being hidden under bowls. Concerning what danger in the life of a Christian disciple does Jesus warn us in this parable? Jesus expresses care for all men. Jesus says the church, God's people, is the light of the "world." He says God's people are to give light to "everyone in the house." He says their light is to shine "before men." The church, in other words, is to give light and be light to all the world of men. These words of Jesus contradicts the practice among the Jews. For the Jews in Jesus' day only a fellow Jew counted. He was counted as a brother whereas the Gentiles were reckoned as dogs. Among the Jews, the Pharisees took this idea even a step further. The Pharisees considered only fellow Pharisees to be brothers; the rest were looked down upon as part of the multitude which did not know and practice the law. Jesus, in contrast, expresses here His love and care for all men. Christians should not only show love for one another but they are also to show love for all mankind. The church has a responsibility to be a light not only for its own members but also for those outside its doors. What is the purpose of light? Light has one basic purpose: to remove the darkness. You see, darkness cannot exist where there is light. "You are the light of the world," says Jesus. This means it is the function of the church to shine for Jesus so that the darkness is chased away. The church must allow herself to be used of the Lord to lead the world from darkness into light.

Q2. (Matthew 5:13) For a Christian to lose his degree of saltiness, the Gospel would have to diluted in his life. This person is the complacent Christian, the person who does not protect the Truth of the gospel in his life from the rainfall of other ideas and ideologies. This person mixes the Truth with a myriad of other ideologies. Or perhaps this Christian is a skeptic. You know, the hair splitting Christian. They say that they believe in Jesus, but they don

Q1. (Matthew 5:13) In what sense are Christians the "salt of the earth" using the preservation analogy? If we use the preservative analogy, we would say that Christians by their very presence help preserve the world and hold back the wrath of God against it. In what sense are Christians the "salt of the earth" using the seasoning analogy? "You are the salt of the earth" has to do with a willingness to live our lives with the "tang" of our faith intact. We're under so much pressure to give up our differences and blend in with society. Believers are to be "tangy" rather than bland and insipid in the way we live and speak.

Q6. (Matthew 5:10-11) Why should we rejoice when we are persecuted? God will bless them for remaining true to the righteous living that they stand for. They refuse to back down in the face of threats because they are sold out to God and God will honor them for it. They may have earned the hatred and malice of men, but they have earned the favor of God himself for their courage and he will reward them with possession of the kingdom of heaven. What keeps this from being some kind of sick masochism, or finding pleasure in pain? We are blessed when we are persecuted, because persecution means that we have been seen. That we have been heard. That our actions have been taken note of by the powers that be and have made their mark. That we have done something right enough, for a change, to deserve persecution -- something that puts us in the same class as the prophets whom Jesus so honored for their faith and courage. Something that puts us in the same class as Jesus himself, who suffered persecution. Why is the blessing "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" appropriate for the persecuted? Jesus concludes this string of blessings with another amazing declaration: "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven." (5:12)

Q5. (Matthew 5:8) Why can people with a pure heart see, know, and discern God? God is able to purge the corruption of our hearts and make them pure again. And, like Isaiah, give us that holy vision of God. Why can't "chronic" sinners see God? Jesus' promise in this Beatitude is that the pure in heart will be blessed with the ability to see and know and discern God himself. Those whose lives are filled with compromise and conformity, **** and licentiousness cannot see God. They cannot know him. None of us can, for that matter. Since we all have a flawed heart, we must reach out to God himself to purify our hearts and cleanse them. Chronic sinners have not learned to reach out to God to purify their hearts. How do we obtain the pure or clean heart that Jesus describes? We can obtain the pure heart by actively seeking a closeness to God, by worshiping Him and living according to His Word.

Q4. (Matthew 5:6) How can an intense desire for righteousness put you at odds with the world? Those whose ideals get in the way of success are mocked. Those who refuse to compromise, even to their detriment, are scorned. But the way to heaven is not the same path as the road to worldly success. Jesus offers a blessing to those who seek righteousness with all their heart, who thirst for it. And he promises that they will be filled with it. What sort of righteousness is Jesus talking about, do you think? To tell the truth to seek real justice and to love all people is the sort of righteosness which Jesus is talking about and it an only come about when we draw on the strength of Jesus. We cannot do it with our own effort. What promise are we given in this Beatitude? "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." (1 Peter 3:18) Jesus promises to exchange his righteousness for ours if we only will receive it from Him.

Q3. (Matthew 5:5) How does this sort of gentleness contrast with the world's ideal? The word translated "meek" is Greek pra

Q2. (Matthew 5:3-4) Why is it necessary to be aware of your spiritual poverty before you can become a Christian? I propose for anyone to open their hearts and ask to be filled with God's spirit and love. This is the surest and quickest way to remove spiritual poverty and be filled with riches beyond the most exuberant imagination. Peace, joy and love are just a few of the gifts one receives from a baptism in this Spirit. Wisdom and knowledge bring a contentedness to the soul and is also a free gift; yet, it is more then just understanding, it is truth. What kind of mourning is necessary for a person to become a Christian? When people experience at a deep level their neediness, incompleteness and dependency

Q1. (Matthew 5:3-11) Each Beatitude consists of two parts. What are these parts? In the Beatitudes Jesus explains just who are the recipients of God's blessing and the favor and His grace which they will receive. Why do you think Jesus made each Beatitude a paradox? Jesus' first Beatitude is a paradox then. "How can the poor in spirit possess the kingdom?" is the riddle We must be rid of our pride in order to gain these blessings. What is the relationship of the Beatitudes to the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)? They heard Jesus expound the character traits of the citizens of his new Kingdom. These character traits are the Fruit of the Spirit. Let's examine what he said and contrast it to the accepted wisdom of our own day. The wisdon of our day is quite different from spiritual poverty to be admired. Rather the attitude is often one where superiority is desired and admired. We often think the kingdom is for the morally superior.

Q4. Read Matthew 8:5-13; 21:33-44; 22:2-13; 24:14; and 28:19. What do they have in common?

Q3. (Matthew 2:11b)

Q2. (Matthew 2:11a) What do we learn from seeing the Magi prostrating themselves before the child Jesus? What was the significance of this for them? Worship means "to express in attitude or gesture one's complete dependence on or submission to a high authority figure, (fall down and) worship, do obeisance to, prostrate oneself before, do reverence to, welcome respectfully."When the Magi prostate themselves before the child Jesus they are demonstrating their complete dependence and submission to Jesus. How can we emulate this kind of worship? We can emulate this kind of worship by depending complete on Jesus as our Lord and living in complete submission to His will for our lives. We speak His name only in reverence and express gratitude to Him constantly as we glorify His precious name. We live in such a way that others will want to accept Him as their Lord and Savior. We worship in thought, word and deed.

Q1. (Matthew 2:1-2; Numbers 24:17)

Q5. (Luke 2:17-20)

Q4. (Luke 2:11) 1. What are the three titles of Jesus given by the angels? * The angel calls this baby "Savior" (sōtēr) "one who rescues, savior, deliverer, preserver." * The word "Christ" isn

Q3. (Luke 2:7-8) Why do you think the message of Jesus' birth comes to shepherds, of all people? One of the reasons shepherds were the first to witness and tell the story of the birth of Jesus was because God's Son would some day refer to himself as a shepherd

Q2. Why do you think the journey to Bethlehem was difficult for Mary? The journey took 4 days and travel in those days was difficult. Mary was pregnant making the journey more difficult. It could have been winter and if so, the weather during this Season would have added to the stress of making this trip. Is pleasure an indication that we are in God's will or not? Doing God's will does not always mean life will be easy or full of pleasure but it does mean we will have a special joy in our hearts. Any examples from your life? I have helped take care of a relative who was ill. At times, this was a very tiring and difficult task and yet it was satisfying as I felt I was doing God's will. Extra Credit: Argue for or against this proposition: "Being a consistent Christian causes more hardships than just going with the flow." Being a consistent Christian brings a special peace of knowing even in times of trials and undesirable circumstances we can still have peace and joy. Going with the flow can bring despair when trials arise and one doesn't have the comfort of knowing Jesus and know His care even when things are not as we would like them to be.

Q1. (Luke 2:1-2) Why does Luke name the rulers in 2:1-2? What point is he making? [/color] In reading Luke's account of the birth of Jesus, we can read true history. This event really occurred and can be related to a certain time in history when the rulers and leaders can be named. Jesus' historical setting includes rulers Caesar Augustus, Herod the Great, and Quirinius. "Caesar Augustus," Roman emperor Octavian, reigned 27 BC - 14 AD. Herod the Great, called "King of the Jews," ruled Judea from 40 to 4 BC. Quirinius was a military leader and Roman consul in central Asia Minor, and later Imperial Legate of Syria-Cilicia (AD 6 to 9), where Josephus notes that he conducted a census.

Q5. Matthew (1:24-25) What does Joseph accepting Mary as his wife say about his character? Joseph, no doubt took this troubling matter to God in prayer. He was not hasty to judge or to react with hurt and anger. God rewarded him not only with guidance and consolation, but with the divine assurance that he had indeed called Joseph to be the husband of Mary and to assume a mission that would require the utmost faith, confidence, and trust in Almighty God. Joseph believed in the divine message to take Mary as his wife and to accept the child in her womb as the promised Messiah. Like Mary, Joseph is a model of faith for us. He is a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. We must be ready to believe in the promises of God, even when faced with perplexing circumstances and what seems like insurmountable problems. What is the significance for prophetic fulfillment of Jesus as a Son of David that Joseph "named" the child "Jesus"? Emmanuel is a transliteration of the Hebrew name in Isaiah 7:14, literally "with us is God," originally symbolizing the presence of God to deliver his people from the Assyrian army that threatened their very existence in Isaiah's day. The name Jesus applied to him, since "God with us" is a perfect way to describe the birth of the God-Man, Jesus Christ, who is fully man and fully God.

Q4. (Matthew 1:23) How did the prophetic concept of the virgin conception and the name "Immanuel" find their fullness in the birth of Jesus to Mary? When Jerusalem is being threatened by armies of Israel, Isaiah tells Ahaz not to fear and to stand firm. As a sign, the Lord says that a virgin will conceive and bear a child to be called Immanuel as a reminder that God is with his people in times of trouble. The virgin conception and the name Immanuel has a fuller meaning in Christ.

Q3. (Matthew 1:21) What is the significance of the name Jesus? The significance of God's insistence that he be named Jesus is not to honor a national hero, but because of the meaning of the name: "Yahweh saves." 2. Why do you think the angel gave the name to both Mary (Luke 1:31) and Joseph independently? Jesus' name from the time he was a baby was to indicate his mission. Both Mary and Joseph were given this name by the angel so neither would ever forget who he was -- Yahweh's salvation embodied in human form. As a little baby, "Yahweh saves" might have been born and raised in the humblest of circumstances, but that never diminished who he was. His destiny was to save. The Greek verb sōzō means "to preserve or rescue from natural dangers and afflictions, save, keep from harm, preserve, rescue," here, "to save/preserve from eternal death, bring Messianic salvation."

Q2. (Matthew 1:19) What were Mary's options being pregnant and carrying a baby not her husband's? Mary's options were not very positive ones for her. She couldn't expect Joseph to accept her condition. It was possible she could be stoned. Even if her family allowed her to live at home, her family's standing in the community would be hurt and she and child would be shunned. No upstanding man would marry her. There was no where to go as single women didn't live alone. What kind of character did Joseph exhibit by deciding to divorce Mary quietly and leniently? Joseph was a man seeking to do the right thing. He would divoce Mary, but do so in such a way as to protect her as much as he could, given the situation. We see in Joseph a gentleness and maturity. He was a righteous man but very gentle and caring.

Q1. What would Jesus have learned as the son of a carpenter? What experiences would this have exposed him to? As the son of a carpenter, Jesus would grow up observing the value of work and of using talents which God has given us to live as a good citizen in the world. He would have observed Joseph carrying out honest transactions of business with those who needed the services of a carpenter. He may have helped Joseph around the carpenter shop and thus knew the satisfaction of contributing.