Teachings of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke (Part 3 When Jesus called Levi) by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1750

Teachings of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke (Part 3 When Jesus called Levi)

After Jesus left His home town of Nazareth and after being rejected there we read about Him continuing on with His ministry of preaching and healing in the 2nd half of Luke 4 and 5.

We also read that He began to call certain disciples to follow Him. He tells some fisherman including Simon Peter that they now become fishers of men in 5:10.

I’m sure many in the religious community of His time were surprised and even frowned on His choice of companions as well as the company He kept. These guys probably had at best the basic religious education one would receive as a child yet Jesus chose them over the religious elite of His time.

And then in Luke 5:27 and following the Jews were probably even more shocked at His next choice.

Read 5:27-32 “ Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Tax collectors were NOT well liked back then. Their job was to collect taxes for Rome, the hated conquering occupiers of their homeland.

These collectors of the Roman tax made their living by taking a little extra off the top for themselves. And if they thought you could give a “little” extra – well, so much the better. There was not court of appeals. Whatever these men said you had to pay – you paid – you had no choice. The Jews therefore hated these tax collectors and viewed them not much better than prostitutes. Even the Romans really didn’t like them. Nobody seem to like these guys.

And, I suspect, when Jesus found him, Levi was tired of it all.  Tired of being rejected and turned away. Tired of being hated and spat upon. I can picture him being a sad and lonely man who just wanted out – but he didn’t know how. He didn’t know how to change WHO he was and WHAT he was. And even if he did, nobody would let him forget what he had been, and how he’d made his living.

But Jesus didn’t care what Levi had BEEN. He only cared about what Levi had the potential to BE. Jesus not only has the audacity to associate with this man, He even goes as far as to call him to become one of his disciples and follow Him.

The grammatical tense of Jesus request indicates that He wanted Levi to come and follow Him not just for a moment but rather constantly, even permanently. And Levi responds by getting up and following Him.

The next thing we see in the text is that Levi throws a party and a feast at His home in home in honor of Jesus. Rather than feeling sorry about what he was leaving behind, the good paying job for a life of sacrificial, Levi wanted to party because he was obviously very happy. And Jesus and His disciple stayed and enjoyed the festivities.

.And, of course, Levi invites a number of his friends – and of course his friends were other tax collectors. They too were also despised by the community. There were probably other socially undesirables present as well base on comments made by the Pharisees and teachers in the following verses. The probably wondered, ‘How could this teacher, this Rabbi, possibly associate with such despicable people?’

And so Jesus responds by telling them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

A medical doctor is not much of a doctor if he only sees healthy fit people.     If a Doctor wants to be a true healer he needs to work with sick people like these Jews… And I guess a savior would not be much of a savior if he only spent time with people who already thought they were righteous church people.

I can see a couple of lesson here from this text so far. #1. We are to be careful not to write off anyone when it comes to turning to Jesus. We don’t know where people really are and what’s going on in their life. They may have been scoundrels and they may have done some bad things in their past but they also may be ready for a change, a new and improved life lie Levi. Some of us have pretty shoddy backgrounds as well. We also need to see people for what they can become and not always for who they were and what they did in the past.

Verse 27 says that Jesus saw Levi, a better translation for the Greek word saw is observed, or look attentively at him. Maybe after taking some time to really observe and study this guy maybe Jesus saw how unhappy he really was. Maybe he took the time to see how much he was ready for a change. And maybe we need to do the same and open our eyes and really look at what going on in another person’s life before we make judgments about them.

#2. Jesus was no stick in the mud. He apparently liked to have a good time and party and have fun and probably have a few laughs. The Pharisees and teacher seem to be appalled at His behavior.

Look at what the Pharisees ask Jesus in Verse 33ff

“They said to him, “John’s disciples1 often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

And so Jesus answered by saying, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom2 fast while he is with them?  But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them;3 in those days they will fast.”

All that those Pharisees could do was find something wrong to complain about. They did not even really know who was standing before them..

Isn’t it sad that so many people are like that. They could be standing in the presence of God Himself or be surrounded by all kinds of blessing in their life, but all they can do is complain about this or that and even look down on others and find something to complain about them.

Those men even ignored the fact that it was quite possible that some of those tax collectors and other sinners enjoying that party may have made a decision to change from their life of sin.

#3. A lot of us seem to have forgotten how to enjoy our Christian life. We work and go to church, work and go to church. What do we do to enjoy our self. And what about having fun with our brothers and sisters, having dinner parties or picnics, having a few laughs together. It is so rare today.               No wonder so many churches are losing young people and can’t attract new people if all we do is act holy and stoic like those Pharisees and never have any fun. I think we need to loosen up a bit, find ways to enjoy life and have a few laughs together, and maybe then we will attract more outsiders like Jesus did that day.

Maybe we all have it backwards. The big thing we try to do is invite someone to Bible Study, Church service or may even a pot-luck meal after they have to sit thru a service and we wonder why people don’t come flocking in and come back for more each week. Levi called his friends and said come on over for a feast and a party at my home and people came. They had some good food, and wine, they probably had a few laughs and I sure Jesus probably made a few more friends that day. There might be a lesson in this for us today.

But as we’ve read, there Pharisees didn’t like the way Jesus did things.

Jesus goes on and tells them two similar parables in verse 36-39 saying, “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.”                                                                              

Can you just imagine tearing a piece of material out a new shirt to patch a hole in the elbow of an old worn out shirt? He continues on by saying…

37 “And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.

I believe what Jesus was telling them was sometime you have to get rid of that which is old and worn out and replace it with that which is new. Some things are just not worth fixing. Like the way those legalistic Jews had been doing things had run it course and Jesus was ushering in something completely new. People hence forth would be saved by the grace of God, by their faith and trusting in Him as their Savior, not by adhering to their rules and regulations of the Pharisees and then pretending to be holy.

He concludes by saying, 39 “And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’ “

Back then old wine turned sour, it began to turn to vinegar. He was saying that despite the fact that it was turning sour some simply choose not to partake of the tasty sweet new wine because the old wine is what they were use to. And as a matter of fact they felt that it was better because that’s what they are use to.

Some say that there was a touch of humor there in Jesus’ illustration.            It would be like saying, ‘I like using a washboard to wash my clothes on instead of one of those fancy new washer machines. I like my washboard, it’s better than a washing machine because that’s what I’m use to.’

Jesus was letting these critical Jews know that they were the one’s who were drinking the old sour wine and probably smiling as He told them that they prefer it because that’s what they were use to.

They couldn’t seem to accept anything that the Lord Himself was doing because it was different than what they were doing. They were in that much of a rut; keeping that law and all those rules and regulation for the sake of religion, and unfortunately overlooking the need to show love and mercy and the need to reach out to others with that love lie Jesus did to Levi.

And here lies our final lesson for this text today. #4. We have to be careful not to get in that same rut where we are more concerned about keeping rules and regulations and what we do at church rather that observing people and really paying attention to where they are. It should be more about at being willing to show them love and mercy as Jesus did that day rather that shaking a finger that folks because they aren’t doing what we are doing.

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

All comments can be emailed to: bfronzek@gmail.com

Seeing is Believing: The Design of the Human Eye by Taylor Richardson

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1412

Seeing is Believing: The Design of the Human Eye

by	Taylor Richardson

If one of your friends asked you, “How do you know God exists?,” what would you say? There are many different ways to prove God’s existence, because God has given us so much evidence. Sometimes we find that evidence in things we see in the Universe, for example, the Sun. The Sun is like a giant nuclear engine. It gives off more energy in a single second than mankind has produced since the Creation. It converts 8 million tons of matter into energy every single second, and has an interior temperature of more than 20 million degrees Celsius (see Lawton, 1981). Sometimes we find evidence in the animal kingdom. Take the golden orb spider for instance. Pound for pound, the dragline silk of this spider is five times stronger than steel, and is twice as strong as the material that currently makes up SWAT teams’ bulletproof vests. In fact, due to its amazing strength and elasticity, it has been said that you could trap a jumbo jet with spider silk that is the thickness of a pencil.

And sometimes the evidence for God’s existence can even be found within our own bodies. The writer of the book of Hebrews spoke about this evidence when he said: “For every house is built by someone, but he who built all things is God” (3:4).

One of the best examples of design within the human body is the eye. Even Charles Darwin struggled with the problem of how to explain how such a complex organ as the eye could have “evolved” through naturalistic processes. In The Origin of Species he wrote:

To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest sense (1859, p. 170, emp. added).

But even though Darwin acknowledged that the eye could not have evolved, he went on to argue that it had, in fact, been produced by natural selection through an evolutionary process. It seems almost as though Darwin could not seem to make up his mind on the matter. But he is not the only one who has struggled to explain, from a naturalistic viewpoint, the intricacy of the eye. Evolutionist Robert Jastrow once wrote:

The eye is a marvelous instrument, resembling a telescope of the highest quality, with a lens, an adjustable focus, a variable diaphragm for controlling the amount of light, and optical corrections for spherical and chromatic aberration. The eye appears to have been designed; no designer of telescopes could have done better. How could this marvelous instrument have evolved by chance, through a succession of random events? (1981, pp. 96-97, emp. added).

How indeed? Though Dr. Jastrow argued that “the fact of evolution is not in doubt,” he confessed that “…there seems to be no direct proof that evolution can work these miracles.… It is hard to accept the evolution of the eye as a product of chance” (1981, pp. 101,97,98, emp. added). Considering the extreme complexity of the eye, it is easy to understand why Jastrow would make such a comment. In his book, Does God Believe in Atheists?, John Blanchard described just how complex the eye really is.

The human eye is a truly amazing phenomenon. Although accounting for just one fourth-thousandth of an adult’s weight, it is the medium which processes some 80% of the information received by its owner from the outside world. The tiny retina contains about 130 million rod-shaped cells, which detect light intensity and transmit impulses to the visual cortex of the brain by means of some one million nerve fibres, while nearly six million cone-shaped cells do the same job, but respond specifically to colour variation. The eyes can handle 500,00 messages simultaneously, and are kept clear by ducts producing just the right amount of fluid with which the lids clean both eyes simultaneously in one five-thousandth of a second (2000, p. 313).

Statements like this proves that the eye was so well designed, and so complicated, that it could not have happened by accident, as evolution teaches.

THE EYE’S DESIGN

The anatomy of the eye was first examined and recorded at Alexandria, Egypt, in the first century A.D. An anatomist, Rufus of Ephesus, described the main parts of the eye, which included the dome-like cornea at the front, the colored iris, the lens, and the vitreous humor (which gives the eye its shiny look). Today, thanks to microscopes, we now know that these, along with many other parts of the eye, work in harmony to produce the gift of sight.

The outer white layer of the eye is called the sclera, more commonly known as the “white of the eye.” This layer is an extremely durable, fibrous tissue that extends from the cornea (the clear front section of the eye) to the optic nerve (at the back of the eye). Six tiny muscles (known as the extraocular muscles, or EOMs) connect to the sclera around the eye and control the eye’s movements. Four of the muscles (known as the rectus muscles) control the horizontal and vertical movement, while two (the oblique muscles) control the rotation. All six muscles work together so that the eye moves smoothly.

The inside of the eye can be divided functionally into two distinct parts. The first is the physical “dioptric” mechanism (from the Greek word dioptra, meaning something through which one looks), which handles incoming light. This includes the cornea, iris, and lens. The cornea is the transparent, dome-shaped window (about eleven millimeters in diameter) that covers the front of the eye. Its most important function is to protect the delicate components of the eye against damage by foreign bodies. Thus, the cornea acts like a watch face, in that it lets us look through the “window” of our eye while protecting the internal components from debris and harmful chemicals. The cornea also takes care of most of the refraction (the ability of the eye to change the direction of light in order to focus it on the retina) and works with the lens to help focus items seen at varying distances as it changes its curvature. The iris and the pupil work together to let in just the right amount of light. There are two opposing sets of muscles that regulate the size of the aperture (the opening, or the pupil) according to the brightness or dimness of the incoming light. If the light is bright, the iris constricts, allowing little light to pass; but if it is dark, the iris dilates or expands, allowing more light to pass through. The light (or image) then moves through a lens that has the ability to adjust its shape to help it clarify the image by changing the focal length of the lens between 40.4 and 69.9 millimeters where it is then focused (in an inverted form) on to the retina.

Between the lens and the retina is a transparent substance (the vitreous fluid) that fills the center of the eye. This substance is important because it not only gives the eye its spherical shape, but also provides nutrition for the retinal vessels inside the eye. In children, the vitreous feels like a gel, but as we age, it gradually thins and becomes more of a liquid.

The second is the receptor area of the retina where the light triggers processes in the nerve cells. The retina plays a key role in visual perception. In his book, The Wonder of Man, Werner Gitt explains how the retina is a masterpiece of engineering design.

One single square millimetre of the retina contains approximately 400,000 optical sensors. To get some idea of such a large number, imagine a sphere, on the surface of which circles are drawn, the size of tennis balls. These circles are separated from each other by the same distance as their diameter. In order to accommodate 400,000 such circles, the sphere must have a diameter of 52 metres... (1999, p. 15).

Alan L. Gillen also praised the design of the retina in his book, Body by Design.

The most amazing component of the eye is the “film,” which is the retina. This light-sensitive layer at the back of the eyeball is thinner than a sheet of plastic wrap and is more sensitive to light than any man-made film. The best camera film can handle a ratio of 1000-to-1 photons in terms of light intensity. By comparison, human retinal cells can handle a ratio of 10 billion-to-1 over the dynamic range of light wavelengths of 380 to 750 nanometers. The human eye can sense as little as a single photon of light in the dark! In bright daylight, the retina can bleach out, turning its “volume control” way down so as not to overload. The light-sensitive cells of the retina are like an extremely complex high-gain amplifier that is able to magnify sounds more than one million times (2001, pp. 97-98, emp. added).

Without a doubt, this thin (only 0.2 mm) layer of nerve tissue is a marvel of engineering. It contains photoreceptor (light-sensitive) cells and four types of nerve cells, as well as structural cells and epithelial pigment cells. The two kinds of photoreceptor cells are referred to as rods and cones because of their shape. Each eye has about 130 million rods and 7 million cones. The rods are very sensitive to light (whether it is bright or dim), and allow the eye to see in black and white. Cones, on the other hand, are not as sensitive as rods, and function only optimally in daylight. There are three different types of cones—red light, green light, and blue light—each of which is sensitive to its respective color of light, and which allow the eye to see in full color. The rods and cones convert the different lights into chemical signals, which then travel along the optic nerve to the brain.

Not only are the images produced by the dioptric mechanism miniaturized and upside-down, but it turns out that they also are left-right inverted. The optic nerves from both eyes split up and cross each other in such a way that the left halves of the images of both eyes are received by the right hemisphere of the brain, while the right halves are received by the left. Each half of the observer’s brain receives information from only one half of the image. As Gitt went on to explain, “Note that, although the brain processes the different parts of the image in various remote locations, the two halves of the field of vision are seamlessly reunited, without any trace of a joint—amazing! This process is still far from being fully understood” (p. 17). It is hard to believe that this inverted system of sight could have been produced through evolution.

Since the eyes are one of the most important organs in the body, they must be taken care of constantly. And God designed just such a built-in cleaning system, consisting of the eyelashes, eyelids, and lacrimal glands. The lacrimal glands produce a steady flow of tears that flush away dust and other foreign materials. The tears also contain a potent anti-microbial agent known as lysozyme that destroys bacteria, viruses, etc. The eyelids and eyelashes work together to keep dirt and other debris from entering the eye. The eyelids act like windshield wipers, blinking 3-6 times a minute to moisten and clean the eye.

For many years, scientists have compared the eye to the modern manmade camera (see Miller, 1960, p. 315; Nourse, 1964, p. 154; Gardener, 1994, p. 105). True, the eye and camera do have many things in common, if the function of the camera demands that it was “made,” does it not stand to reason that the more complex human camera, the eye, also must have had a Maker? Alan Gillen explained it best when he wrote: “No human camera, artificial device, nor computer-enhanced light-sensitive device can match the contrivance of the human eye. Only a master engineer with superior intelligence could manufacture a series of interdependent light sensitive parts and reactions” (p. 99, emp. added). That master engineer was God. The writer of Proverbs knew this when he wrote, “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both” (20:12).

REFERENCES

Blanchard, John (2000), Does God Believe in Atheists? (Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press).

Darwin, Charles (1859), On the Origin of Species (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; a facsimile of the first edition).

Gardner, Lynn (1994), Christianity Stands True (Joplin, MO: College Press).

Gillen, Alan L. (2001), Body by Design (Green Forest, AR: Master Books).

Gitt, Werner (1999), The Wonder of Man (Bielefeld, Germany: Christliche Literatur-Verbreitung E.V.).

Jastrow, Robert (1981), The Enchanted Loom: Mind in the Universe (New York: Simon and Schuster).

Lawton, April (1981), “From Here to Infinity,” Science Digest, 89[1]:98-105, January/February.

Miller, Benjamin and Goode, Ruth (1960), Man and His Body (New York: Simon and Schuster).

Nourse, Alan E., ed. (1964), The Body (New York: Time, Inc.).

Seeing the Designer in Shrimp Vision by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=5015

Seeing the Designer in Shrimp Vision

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Humans have amazing eyesight. In fact, many camera companies have looked to the eye in an effort to glean useful information in developing better photographic and video technology. As effective as the human eye is, however, there are certain things it cannot do. One of those is to detect ultraviolet light. But researchers have recently discovered a creature with the amazing ability to detect ultraviolet light—the mantis shrimp.

Mantis shrimp are some of the most interesting creatures in the water. They have extremely powerful claws and lightening fast reflexes. But their ability to see ultraviolet light makes their eyesight one of the most remarkable abilities in the animal kingdom. Michael Bok, one of the researchers studying mantis shrimp vision stated: “The overall construction of the mantis shrimp’s visual system is just so unbelievably ridiculous, so this is just another piece of that tapestry” (Pappas, 2014). What makes their vision “unbelievably ridiculous” is that they have 12 photoreceptors in their eyes, while humans only have three (2014). Another interesting element to their vision is that the shrimp uses amino acids that act as sunscreen in their eyes to help them see ultraviolet light.

The design behind mantis shrimp vision, according to those doing the work on it, is “unbelievably ridiculous,” meaning of course that it is so advanced that it takes a team of researchers just to try to understand it, much less figure out a way to copy the technology. Those who contend that the mantis shrimp is a product of evolutionary changes that have taken place over millions of years cannot explain how such advanced capabilities could reside in the shrimp. No amount of mindless tinkering could produce such highly sensitive instruments as mantis shrimp eyes.

The most reasonable explanation for mantis shrimp vision is that an intelligent Creator, Who sees all things (including ultraviolet light), designed the shrimp and its complex eye. When brilliant human researchers come away from such “technology” in awe of the abilities of mantis shrimp vision, the obvious conclusion to draw is that the Designer of such vision possesses an intelligence far superior to that of the humans involved in the research. When the Proverbs writer stated: “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made both of them” (Proverbs 20:12), that would certainly include a “seeing eye” that uses amino acids as sunscreen and 12 photoreceptors to see light that humans cannot.

REFERENCE

Pappas, Stephanie (2014), “Natural Sunscreen Explains Mantis Shrimp’s Amazing UV Vision,” LiveScience, http://news.yahoo.com/natural-sunscreen-explains-mantis-shrimps-amazing-uv-vision-200152964.html.

Shrewbot’s Synthetic Whiskers Detect God by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=4210

Shrewbot’s Synthetic Whiskers Detect God

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Tiny shrews use their whiskers to locate prey and navigate.

The Etruscan pygmy shrew is a contender for the smallest mammal in the world. But its diminutive size does not detract from its amazing design. Since this little critter is blind, it must rely on its whiskers to navigate and find food. The whiskers of this tiny shrew are highly sensitive and extremely efficient. In fact, the shrew’s whiskers work so well that researchers have been studying them in an attempt to equip robots with similar technology.

Robotics experts from the Bristol Robotics Laboratory in England have been working on a new machine they call Shrewbot. Shrewbot is a small robot fitted with synthetic whiskers that mimic those of the Etruscan shew (Moon, 2012). The primary advantage of this “touchy” technology is that the bot does not rely on vision. Researchers suggest that the sense of touch will enable the bot to explore “dark, dangerous or smoke filled environments” (2012).

When scientists copy designs in nature, it is called biomimicry. At Apologetics Press, we have written several articles about this field of research (see Biomimicry). Each new instance of this practice underscores the intelligent design within the natural world. The implication is simple. If brilliant scientists find complex, proficient designs in nature that are more efficient than any man-made designs, then the Designer of the natural world must be more intelligent than any human designer. It is ironic that one of the world’s smallest mammals provides such a “big” piece of evidence for the existence of God—the Intelligent Designer.

REFERENCES

Biomimicry, /APContent.aspx?category=12&topic=66.

Moon, Mariella (2012), “How the Etruscan Pygmy Shrew Inspired a Bewhiskered Disaster Relief Robot,” http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/etruscan-pygmy-shrew-inspired-bewhiskered-disaster-relief-robot-154004920.html.

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER" Peter's Perplexing Passage (3:18-20) by Mark Copeland

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER"

Peter's Perplexing Passage (3:18-20)

INTRODUCTION

1. In 2Pe 3:15-16, Peter mentions that Paul wrote some things that
   were hard to understand

2. The same could be said about some of Peter's own writings,
   especially the passage in 1Pe 3:18-20

3. Considered by some to be one of the most difficult passages in the
   Bible, various and sometimes fanciful interpretations have been given

4. In a lesson designed to inform rather than exhort...
   a. We shall examine several of the interpretations that have been offered
   b. And suggest which one seems to be the right one (to me, at least)

[We shall examine five interpretations, in the chronological sequence
in which they have been offered...]

I. THE VIEW OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA (200 A.D.)

   A. BASIC ELEMENTS...
      1. That Christ went to Hades in His spirit between His death and
         His resurrection
      2. That He proclaimed the message of salvation to the souls of
         sinners imprisoned there since the flood

   B. MAJOR DIFFICULTIES...
      1. This view would suggest that for some reason these souls were
         given a "second chance"
      2. Whereas the Bible consistently teaches against such an idea...
         a. "it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the
            judgment" - He 9:27
         b. Peter himself later wrote that the wicked souls before the
            flood were being "reserved... under punishment for the day
            of judgment" - 2Pe 2:4-5,9
      3. Why would people before the flood be given a second chance
         when those after the flood are not?

II. THE VIEW OF AUGUSTINE (400 A.D.)

   A. BASIC ELEMENTS...
      1. That the "pre-existent" Christ in His spirit proclaimed
         salvation through Noah to the people who lived before the flood
         a. We know that Noah was "a preacher of righteousness" in his
            day - 2Pe 2:5
         b. We know that the Spirit of Christ was at work in O.T.
            prophets - 1Pe 1:10-11
      2. This view is held by many brethren today

   B. MAJOR DIFFICULTIES...
      1. The wording of Peter would more naturally suggest that he is
         speaking of...
         a. The Christ who was "put to death in the flesh but made
            alive by the Spirit"
         b. I.e., the "crucified & resurrected" Christ, not the
            "pre-incarnate" Christ
      2. Also, the wording would more naturally suggest the preaching occurred...
         a. To the spirits "in prison", not before they were imprisoned
         b. When they "formerly were disobedient", not during their
            disobedience

[Augustine's view dominated the theological scene for centuries, but
then other views were presented...]

III. THE VIEW OF CARDINAL BELLARMINE (1600 A.D.)

   A. BASIC ELEMENTS...
      1. That in His spirit Christ went to release the souls of the
         RIGHTEOUS who repented before the flood and had been kept in
         "LIMBO"
      2. In Catholic theology, "limbo" is the place between heaven and
         hell, where the souls of the O.T. saints were kept

   B. MAJOR DIFFICULTIES...
      1. The Bible is silent about a place such as "limbo"
      2. The "spirits" under discussion by Peter were "disobedient" in
         "the days of Noah"...
         a. According to Ge 6:5-13; 7:1, only Noah and his family
            were righteous
         b. If others had repented, would they not also have been on
            the ark?
      3. I.e., there were no righteous before the flood save Noah and
         his family!

IV. THE VIEW OF FRIEDRICH SPITTA (1900 A.D.)

   A. BASIC ELEMENTS...
      1. After His death and BEFORE His resurrection, Christ preached
         to "fallen angels", also known as "sons of God", who during
         Noah's time had married "daughters of men"
      2. This view is based upon a particular interpretation of
         Ge 6:1-4...
         a. Job 1:6; 2:1 is offered as evidence that angels are
            sometimes referred to as "sons of God"
         b. Jude 6, also, is offered as referring to "fallen angels"
            in the days of Noah
            1) Because it sounds very similar to references in a book
               called I Enoch
            2) Which expounds in detail the idea that the "sons of God"
               in Ge 6 were "fallen angels"
            3) And Jude seems to quote directly from this book in Ju 14,15
         c. Josephus, a Jewish historian born in 37 A.D., took a
            similar view of Ge 6
      3. This view is held by many Protestant scholars

   B. MAJOR DIFFICULTIES...
      1. In responding to the Sadducees, Jesus taught that angels of
         God do not marry - Mt 22:30
      2. Of course, Jesus may have been referring to angels who "keep
         their proper domain", and do not leave "their own habitation"
         a. If righteous angels could temporarily take on human form to
            deliver God's message (as in the case described in Ge 18:
            1-8; 19:1-3) where they ate food...
         b. It might have been possible for "fallen angels" to take on
            human form and cohabitate as some believe Ge 6 suggests
      3. But it just as feasible to understand Ge 6 differently...
         a. That the "sons of God" were the descendants of Seth (i.e.,
            godly people), and the "daughters of men" were descendants
            of Cain (ungodly people)
         b. This view stays clear of speculation which can easily take
            on mythological proportions!

[We come to a fifth interpretation, one that I think has much to
commend for it...]

V. THE VIEW OF SOME CONTEMPORARY COMMENTATORS (PRESENT)

   A. BASIC ELEMENTS...
      1. That the resurrected Christ, WHEN HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
         proclaimed to imprisoned spirits his victory over death
      2. That the exalted Christ passed through the realm where the
         fallen angels are kept and proclaimed His triumph over them
         (Ep 6:12; Col 2:15 is offered as support for this view)
      3. This interpretation has met favorable response in both
         Protestant and Roman Catholic circles
      4. More importantly, this view is in beautiful harmony with
         Peter's wording and context...

   B. MAJOR DISTINCTIONS...
      1. The preaching was made by Jesus Himself (not through Noah)
      2. The preaching was made by Jesus AFTER "being put to death in
         the flesh" (not in His pre-incarnate form)
      3. The preaching was made by Jesus AFTER He was "made alive by
         the Spirit" (i.e., after His resurrection, not during the
         three day period between death and resurrection)
      4. The preaching was made to "THE SPIRITS"
         a. Not to "the spirits of men" (which is how the souls or
            spirits of men are commonly referred to, notice He 12:23;
            Re 6:9; 20:4)
         b. But rather to "angelic spirits"
      5. The preaching was made to them "IN PRISON" (that there are
         angels so bound is clearly taught in 2Pe 2 and Jude)
      6. The preaching was made to them who were "FORMERLY DISOBEDIENT
         ...IN THE DAYS OF NOAH"
         a. This view does not require that the rebellious angels were
            the "sons of God" in Ge 6
         b. But simply were somehow disobedient at that time (as some
            were later during Christ's time)
      7. The preaching was a proclamation of victory over death, not an
         offer of a second chance to a select few!

CONCLUSION

1. As suggested, this last view is not only in harmony with the very
   words and grammatical constructions used by Peter, but it is harmony
   with the CONTEXT...
   a. Peter had been teaching us to be willing to suffer, if necessary,
      for doing good - 1Pe 3:17
   b. He appeals to the example of Christ - 1Pe 3:18a
   c. Who despite His suffering and death, was made alive, proclaimed
      victory to those spirits who had not been willing to submit to
      God in Noah's day, ascending to the right hand of God, over all
      angels and authorities! - 1Pe 3:18b-20, note especially v. 22
   d. In view of Jesus' triumph over suffering, we should be willing to
      do the same! - 1Pe 4:1

2. Admittedly, this passage is difficult, so one needs to be careful
   and not dogmatic in one's treatment of it

3. I hope that by presenting this survey of the various views it may
   serve helpful in drawing your own conclusions about "Peter's
   Perplexing Passage"

But one thing Peter mentions in this passage that is not perplexing is
his reference to baptism, and it's necessity for salvation (1Pe 3:21)...

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

 

Acceptable sin? by Gary Rose

Jesus never sinned; the rest of us – well, yes. Intentional or not, sin is sin. In and of ourselves, we are eternally lost and have absolutely no hope. That little thought is both depressing and discouraging to daily living. But, I thank God for Jesus who provides a way out of this situation and gives us an eternal hope.

Some today, will fellowship almost anyone, regardless of how they lead their lives; but, this is Biblically wrong. In the passage below, we have a Biblical standard as to what is unacceptable. Take a moment to reflect on this message of the Scriptures and how it affects your life. And if you are caught up in any of these activities- STOP!

1 Corinthians 6 ( World English Bible )

1Co 6:9, Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals,

1Co 6:10, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God. (see also Galatians 5:19-21)

1Co 6:11, Such were some of you, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.

The Biblical for stopping is repentance, which basically means to stop what you are doing that is sinful and act as God would have you to do. You can’t do that old sinful practice any longer; not even a little bit. But what if you should do it again, only once? Then ask God for forgiveness and change your life – again. At this point, I think it would be appropriate to consider the following passage from the first letter of the apostle John...

1 John 1 (WEB)

1Jo 1:6, If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and don’t tell the truth.

1Jo 1:7, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

1Jo 1:8, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1Jo 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1Jo 1:10, If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

No one is perfect in the absolute sense; we all fall short in thought, word or attitude at some time or another. In the relative sense, we are perfect, if we daily endeavor to be the very best we can possibly be and go before God’s throne of Grace and ask for forgiveness for what we have done wrong.

I like to think of all this using an old illustration about a teacher trying to teach perfection. The teacher draws a long line on a blackboard and invites a student to come up and quickly write a line over the one just drawn. When the student does this, there will be some errors. But the student TRIED and that’s the point. Jesus takes care of those errors (sin) and makes things right on his part. We have to continually try on ours.

Let God’s standard of living be your standard, do not willingly tolerate anything you know to be sinful. Take another look at the picture at the top of the post, think about it and do what the Bible tells you to do!

Bible Reading June 5, 6 by Gary Rose

Bible Reading  June 5, 6

World  English  Bible

June 5

1 Samuel 3, 4

1Sa 3:1 The child Samuel ministered to Yahweh before Eli. The word of Yahweh was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision.

1Sa 3:2 It happened at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see),

1Sa 3:3 and the lamp of God hadn't yet gone out, and Samuel had laid down to sleep, in the temple of Yahweh, where the ark of God was;

1Sa 3:4 that Yahweh called Samuel; and he said, Here am I.

1Sa 3:5 He ran to Eli, and said, Here am I; for you called me. He said, I didn't call; lie down again. He went and lay down.

1Sa 3:6 Yahweh called yet again, Samuel. Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for you called me. He answered, I didn't call, my son; lie down again.

1Sa 3:7 Now Samuel didn't yet know Yahweh, neither was the word of Yahweh yet revealed to him.

1Sa 3:8 Yahweh called Samuel again the third time. He arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for you called me. Eli perceived that Yahweh had called the child.

1Sa 3:9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, Speak, Yahweh; for your servant hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

1Sa 3:10 Yahweh came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said, Speak; for your servant hears.

1Sa 3:11 Yahweh said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone who hears it shall tingle.

1Sa 3:12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even to the end.

1Sa 3:13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons did bring a curse on themselves, and he didn't restrain them.

1Sa 3:14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated with sacrifice nor offering forever.

1Sa 3:15 Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Yahweh. Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.

1Sa 3:16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. He said, Here am I.

1Sa 3:17 He said, "What is the thing that Yahweh has spoken to you? Please don't hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he spoke to you."

1Sa 3:18 Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. He said, It is Yahweh: let him do what seems him good.

1Sa 3:19 Samuel grew, and Yahweh was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

1Sa 3:20 All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Yahweh.

1Sa 3:21 Yahweh appeared again in Shiloh; for Yahweh revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of Yahweh.

1Sa 4:1 The word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.

1Sa 4:2 The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was struck before the Philistines; and they killed of the army in the field about four thousand men.

1Sa 4:3 When the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has Yahweh struck us today before the Philistines? Let us get the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of Shiloh to us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies.

1Sa 4:4 So the people sent to Shiloh; and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of Armies, who sits above the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

1Sa 4:5 When the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

1Sa 4:6 When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What means the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? They understood that the ark of Yahweh was come into the camp.

1Sa 4:7 The Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. They said, Woe to us! for there has not been such a thing heretofore.

1Sa 4:8 Woe to us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness.

1Sa 4:9 Be strong, and behave like men, O you Philistines, that you not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Strengthen yourselves like men, and fight!

1Sa 4:10 The Philistines fought, and Israel was struck, and they fled every man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

1Sa 4:11 The ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

1Sa 4:12 There ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn, and with earth on his head.

1Sa 4:13 When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

1Sa 4:14 When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What means the noise of this tumult? The man hurried, and came and told Eli.

1Sa 4:15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old; and his eyes were set, so that he could not see.

1Sa 4:16 The man said to Eli, I am he who came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army. He said, How went the matter, my son?

1Sa 4:17 He who brought the news answered, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.

1Sa 4:18 It happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck broke, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

1Sa 4:19 His daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the news that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and brought forth; for her pains came on her.

1Sa 4:20 About the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, Don't be afraid; for you have brought forth a son. But she didn't answer, neither did she regard it.

1Sa 4:21 She named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel; because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

1Sa 4:22 She said, The glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is taken.

June 6

1 Samuel 5, 6

1Sa 5:1 Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

1Sa 5:2 The Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

1Sa 5:3 When they of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Yahweh. They took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

1Sa 5:4 When they arose early on the next day morning, behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Yahweh; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands lay cut off on the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

1Sa 5:5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any who come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, to this day.

1Sa 5:6 But the hand of Yahweh was heavy on them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and its borders.

1Sa 5:7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us; for his hand is sore on us, and on Dagon our god.

1Sa 5:8 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? They answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about to Gath. They carried the ark of the God of Israel there.

1Sa 5:9 It was so, that after they had carried it about, the hand of Yahweh was against the city with a very great confusion: and he struck the men of the city, both small and great; and tumors broke out on them.

1Sa 5:10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. It happened, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people.

1Sa 5:11 They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, that it not kill us and our people. For there was a deadly confusion throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

1Sa 5:12 The men who didn't die were struck with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

1Sa 6:1 The ark of Yahweh was in the country of the Philistines seven months.

1Sa 6:2 The Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, "What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? Show us with which we shall send it to its place."

1Sa 6:3 They said, "If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, don't send it empty; but by all means return him a trespass offering: then you shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you."

1Sa 6:4 Then they said, "What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him?" They said, "Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.

1Sa 6:5 Therefore you shall make images of your tumors, and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory to the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

1Sa 6:6 Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, didn't they let the people go, and they departed?

1Sa 6:7 Now therefore take and prepare yourselves a new cart, and two milk cows, on which there has come no yoke; and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them;

1Sa 6:8 and take the ark of Yahweh, and lay it on the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by its side; and send it away, that it may go.

1Sa 6:9 Behold; if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it was a chance that happened to us."

1Sa 6:10 The men did so, and took two milk cows, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home;

1Sa 6:11 and they put the ark of Yahweh on the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors.

1Sa 6:12 The cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went, and didn't turn aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.

1Sa 6:13 They of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.

1Sa 6:14 The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they split the wood of the cart, and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to Yahweh.

1Sa 6:15 The Levites took down the ark of Yahweh, and the coffer that was with it, in which the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to Yahweh.

1Sa 6:16 When the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

1Sa 6:17 These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to Yahweh: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;

1Sa 6:18 and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even to the great stone, whereon they set down the ark of Yahweh, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.

1Sa 6:19 He struck of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of Yahweh, he struck of the people fifty thousand seventy men; and the people mourned, because Yahweh had struck the people with a great slaughter.

1Sa 6:20 The men of Beth Shemesh said, Who is able to stand before Yahweh, this holy God? and to whom shall he go up from us?

1Sa 6:21 They sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought back the ark of Yahweh; come down, and bring it up to yourselves.

Jun. 5, 6

John 11

Joh 11:1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister, Martha.

Joh 11:2 It was that Mary who had anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother, Lazarus, was sick.

Joh 11:3 The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, "Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick."

Joh 11:4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God's Son may be glorified by it."

Joh 11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

Joh 11:6 When therefore he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was.

Joh 11:7 Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let's go into Judea again."

Joh 11:8 The disciples told him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and are you going there again?"

Joh 11:9 Jesus answered, "Aren't there twelve hours of daylight? If a man walks in the day, he doesn't stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

Joh 11:10 But if a man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light isn't in him."

Joh 11:11 He said these things, and after that, he said to them, "Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I may awake him out of sleep."

Joh 11:12 The disciples therefore said, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."

Joh 11:13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he spoke of taking rest in sleep.

Joh 11:14 So Jesus said to them plainly then, "Lazarus is dead.

Joh 11:15 I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let's go to him."

Joh 11:16 Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let's go also, that we may die with him."

Joh 11:17 So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already.

Joh 11:18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away.

Joh 11:19 Many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.

Joh 11:20 Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary stayed in the house.

Joh 11:21 Therefore Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn't have died.

Joh 11:22 Even now I know that, whatever you ask of God, God will give you."

Joh 11:23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

Joh 11:24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Joh 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.

Joh 11:26 Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Joh 11:27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God's Son, he who comes into the world."

Joh 11:28 When she had said this, she went away, and called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, "The Teacher is here, and is calling you."

Joh 11:29 When she heard this, she arose quickly, and went to him.

Joh 11:30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met him.

Joh 11:31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and were consoling her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."

Joh 11:32 Therefore when Mary came to where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn't have died."

Joh 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

Joh 11:34 and said, "Where have you laid him?" They told him, "Lord, come and see."

Joh 11:35 Jesus wept.

Joh 11:36 The Jews therefore said, "See how much affection he had for him!"

Joh 11:37 Some of them said, "Couldn't this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also kept this man from dying?"

Joh 11:38 Jesus therefore, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

Joh 11:39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."

Joh 11:40 Jesus said to her, "Didn't I tell you that if you believed, you would see God's glory?"

Joh 11:41 So they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, "Father, I thank you that you listened to me.

Joh 11:42 I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude that stands around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me."

Joh 11:43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"

Joh 11:44 He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Free him, and let him go."

Joh 11:45 Therefore many of the Jews, who came to Mary and saw what Jesus did, believed in him.

Joh 11:46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them the things which Jesus had done.

Joh 11:47 The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, "What are we doing? For this man does many signs.

Joh 11:48 If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."

Joh 11:49 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all,

Joh 11:50 nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish."

Joh 11:51 Now he didn't say this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,

Joh 11:52 and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

Joh 11:53 So from that day forward they took counsel that they might put him to death.

Joh 11:54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but departed from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with his disciples.

Joh 11:55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand. Many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

Joh 11:56 Then they sought for Jesus and spoke one with another, as they stood in the temple, "What do you think-that he isn't coming to the feast at all?"

Joh 11:57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had commanded that if anyone knew where he was, he should report it, that they might seize him.