The Eye of Discernment by Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

The Eye of Discernment

Ron Thomas tells a story about an elderly woman who stood on a very busy street corner in rush hour traffic. She was fearful, confused, and hesitant to cross by herself.

Finally, a gentleman came up to her and asked if he could cross the street with her. Grateful and very relieved, she took his arm and stepped into the busy intersection. As they proceeded, she grew progressively alarmed as he zigzagged randomly across the street, to the blare of horns and screech of locked brakes.

Finally, after reaching their destination, she turned to the man and complained, “You almost got us killed! You walk like you’re blind.”

“I am,” he replied. “That’s why I asked if I could cross with you.”

Life is full of choices. Discernment is required for making good decisions. Obviously, this lady made a poor choice. The very one who she thought would provide her safety and security, was in desperate need for guidance himself. It reminds us of Jesus’ observation: “If the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Matt 15:14).

As we continue our theme this year, “20/20 Vision: Restoring Our Focus,” it’s imperative that we develop discernment. Spiritual discernment.

This was Paul’s prayer for the Philippian brethren.

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Phil 1:9-10)

The English word translated “discernment” is from a Greek word that Thayer describes as “perception, not only by the senses but also by the intellect.” A. T. Robertson defines it as “delicate spiritual perception.”

It is the judicious ability to see with our spiritual eyes. It is an enlightenment that Hendricken says is “born of experience.” He further observes that it “is the ability of mind and heart to separate not only the good from the bad but also the important from the unimportant.”

Joseph M. Stowell, in Fan the Flame, writes that “Discernment in Scripture is the skill that enables us to differentiate. It is the ability to see issues clearly. We desperately need to cultivate this spiritual skill that will enable us to know right from wrong. We must be prepared to distinguish light from darkness, truth from error, best from better, righteousness from unrighteousness, purity from defilement, and principles from pragmatics.”

This text reminds us that love is not enough. Our love, while well-intentioned might be blinded by our lack of knowledge, insight, and perceptiveness. People can fool us. Emotions can deceive us. Situations are not always what they appear to be. Discernment is necessary to see below the surface.

In fact, even knowledge by itself without spiritual discernment will leave us short-sighted. It’s possible to intellectually understand God’s Word, but fail to see how it applies in our lives. How it regulates relationships. Guides the home. Directs our decisions in the workplace. And provides principles that aid us in our day to day choices.

Furthermore, knowledge is learning what God has said and done, but discernment is understanding why God said it or did it.

The Bible says that God “made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel (Ps 103:7). The people got to see what God did, but Moses was able to understand why. Discernment offers deeper insight and aids in answering the “why” questions of life.

Discernment is vitally important because we live “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.” Because “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” our culture, like Isaiah described the ancient world, calls “ evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isa. 5:20).

The redefinition of marriage. Abortion on demand. Gender identify confusion. Animal rights activists. Extreme environmentalism. Sexual perversion. The rejection of moral absolutes. And add to all of this the confusion caused by Cultist religions and corrupt Christianity. No wonder people have lost their way in the confusing maze and moral mess in which we live. More than ever an eye of discernment is required.

The English writer and lexicographer, Samuel Johnson, was right when he wrote, “The supreme end of education is expert discernment in all things–the power to tell the good from the bad, the genuine from the counterfeit, and to prefer the good and the genuine to the bad and the counterfeit.”

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

The Land of Nod by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=696

The Land of Nod

by	Eric Lyons, M.Min.

After Cain killed Abel and was declared a “fugitive and vagabond” by God (Genesis 4:12), the Bible says that he “went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod” (4:16). It was in this land that “Cain knew his wife” (4:17), and it was here that his son, Enoch, was born.

When a person reads about Nod in Genesis 4, he often pictures a land where a large group of people already were dwelling by the time Cain arrived. Because the Bible gives this land a name (“Nod”), many assume it was called such before Cain went there. Furthermore, many believe that it was in this land that Cain found his wife. Based upon these assumptions, some even claim that God must have specially created other humans besides Adam and Eve, otherwise there would not have been a land of Nod, nor would Cain have been able to find a wife there. Are these assumptions and conclusions correct? What can be said about these matters?

It is very likely that when Moses wrote the name “Nod” (Genesis 4:16), he was using a figure of speech called “prolepsis” (the assignment of something, such as an event or name, to a time that precedes it). People often use prolepsis for the sake of convenience, so that the reader or audience can better understand what is being communicated. For example, I might say, “My wife and I dated two years before we got married,” when actually she was not my wife when we were dating, but a very dear friend. We may see a special on television about when President George W. Bush was a boy, but the fact is, George W. Bush was not President of the United States when he was a child. From time to time, even the Bible uses this kind of language. In John 11, the Bible speaks of a woman named Mary who “anointed the Lord with ointment” (11:1-2), yet this anointing actually did not occur for about three months. John merely spoke about it as having already happened because when he wrote his gospel account this event was generally known. Another example of pro­lepsis is found in Genesis 13:3 where we read that Abraham “went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel.” This area actually did not wear the name Bethel until years later when Jacob gave it that name (Genesis 28:19). However, when Moses wrote of this name hundreds of years later, he was free to use it even when writing about a time before the name actually was given.

When Moses used the name Nod in Genesis 4, the reader must understand the land probably was not given that name until sometime after Cain moved there. This is consistent with the meaning of the name Nod (“wandering”), which in all probability was given because God told Cain he was to be a wanderer upon the Earth (Genesis 4:12). Thus, the land of Nod almost certainly was not an area filled with people whom Cain would eventually befriend. It would become that in time; nevertheless, it probably was not such a place upon his arrival.

But, someone might ask, did Cain not find his wife in the land of Nod? Actually, the Bible never tells us that Cain’s wife came from Nod. The text simply says that Cain “dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch” (Genesis 4:16-17).

To conclude that God specially created others besides Adam and Eve because “there was a large group of people living in Nod when Cain arrived” and “from this group Cain got his wife” is faulty reasoning and sheer speculation. Scripture does not teach the above premises, nor does it ever hint that God specially created others than Adam and Eve. In fact, the Bible teaches the very opposite when it explicitly states that Adam was the first man (1 Corinthians 15:45) and that Eve would be the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20, emp. added). It seems clear that there could have been no other people on the Earth contemporaneous with them (except, of course, their own children). Even though some allege that God specially created other people in addition to Adam and Eve during the creation week, such cannot be defended logically in light of what Scripture teaches.

The Marriage of Joseph and Mary by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=5398

The Marriage of Joseph and Mary

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

Q:

Were Mary and Joseph actually married, just not in a consummated relationship, before they travelled to Bethlehem, or had they only had the betrothal ceremony of marriage?

A:

The Jewish concept of betrothal is unique and unlike the American concept of “engaged.” Under Mosaic Law, unfaithfulness during the betrothal period was tantamount to adultery and elicited the death penalty (Deuteronomy 22:23-28; Leviticus 20:10; Ezekiel 16:38; cf. John 8:5). A betrothed couple were essentially considered to be husband and wife—as evident from the fact that during the betrothal period Joseph is identified as “her husband” (Matthew 1:20). The angel instructed Joseph: “Do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife” (vs. 20). This phrase means to “recognize her as such, and to treat her as such.”¹ Did he obey the angel and proceed to take her as his wife? He did: “Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife” (vs. 24, emp. added). This action of marriage preceded Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, as McGarvey observed, “several months prior to the birth of Jesus.”² Though the couple was officially married prior to Jesus’ birth, the text makes clear that the couple refrained from sexual relations: he “did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son” (Matthew 1:25).

Endnotes

¹ Albert Barnes (2005), Notes on the New Testament: Matthew and Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker), p. 6, emp. added. By “treat,” Barnes meant to treat her as his wife rather than as a non-wife, with no intention to refer to the sexual relationship.

² J.W. McGarvey (no date), The Fourfold Gospel (Cincinnati, OH: Standard), p. 27.

The Mayan Calendar and the End of the World by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=4544

The Mayan Calendar and the End of the World

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

You’ve no doubt heard the hubbub: Supposedly, the ancient Mayans predicted that the world will end on December 21, 2012 at 11 p.m. A recent poll found that “nearly 10% of people believe that the year 2012 on the Mayan calendar signifies an apocalyptic collapse” (“New Mayan…,” 2012). What is one to make of such claims? How concerned ought we to be?

In reality, the only reliable source of information concerning end-time events is the Bible. It is, in fact, the only book on the planet of divine origin (cf. Butt, 2007). All other books that claim to be from the one true God do not bear up under objective scrutiny. Only the Bible possesses the attributes of inspiration. Only the Bible can provide humans with accurate insight into the future. That being the case, one would hardly expect a pagan, idolatrous civilization to serve as a legitimate source for ascertaining the truth regarding the end of the world.

So what does the Bible say on the matter? Throughout the thousands of years of human history, bona fide representatives of the one true God frequently predicted future events with complete accuracy. The Old Testament is filled with prophecy and prediction concerning a host of historical occurrences—all of which came true as predicted (cf. Thompson, 2003). In stark contrast, however, the Bible goes out of its way to avoid setting a date for the end of the world. In fact, Jesus stated unequivocally the truth on the matter: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36, emp. added).

But why? Since the Bible contains hundreds of prophecies of future events, why would God refrain from giving signs, indicators, and predictions concerning the end of the world? For one thing, it would be unfair to do so, because it would give people living long before the end the advantage of knowing Jesus would not come in their day. It would be contrary to God’s nature since it would imply that He is partial.

Speaking in A.D. 30, Jesus stressed very firmly that, while there would be clear signs heralding the destruction of Jerusalem 40 years later in A.D. 70 by the Romans (Matthew 24:1-35), He was equally adamant that no such signs would mark the end of the world and His second coming (Matthew 24:36-25:46). In stark contrast, the return of Jesus and the end of the world will be comparable to Noah’s day:

But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be (Matthew 24:37-39, emp. added).

The return is also compared to the arrival of a thief: “[I]f the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:43-44, emp. added; cf. 2 Peter 3:10—“[T]he day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.”). Jesus further declared: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13). [NOTE: The quibble that suggests that Jesus merely meant that you cannot know the hour or day, but that you can know the year or the general time, sidesteps the force of these verses and evades the very point that Jesus was making, i.e., the time of the end is unpredictable and unknown to humans.]

Mayan Calendar Details

So what are the specific details surrounding the Mayan calendar? One must turn to the experts—the scholars who have spent their lives studying Mayan civilization. The fact is that they speak with one accord. The 2012 hype comes—not from the studied authorities of Mayan civilization—but, as noted by Susan Gillespie, University of Florida anthropologist, “from media and from other people making use of the Maya past to fulfill agendas that are really their own” (MacDonald, 2007). Maya archaeoastronomer and curator of the Florida Museum of Natural History, Susan Milbrath, explained: “It would be impossible [that] the Maya themselves would have known that” (MacDonald). What’s more, she says, “we have no record or knowledge that they would think the world would come to an end at that point” (emp. added).

The facts of the matter are that December 21, 2012 on the Mayan Long Count calendar is simply the day that the calendar will go to what scholars call the next “b’ak’tun” or cycle. Sandra Noble, executive director of the Mesoamerican research organization FAMSI, noted that “for the ancient Maya, it was a huge celebration to make it to the end of a whole cycle” (“The Long…,” n.d.). Hence, she considers the alleged December 2012 hoopla to be “a complete fabrication and a chance for a lot of people to cash in” (“The Long…”). The Mayan calendar simply shows the ancient Mayans’ fascination with ongoing “cycles of time”—with no indication that they even entertained the notion of the end of the world (Vance, 2012). Further, scholars have just recently discovered wall writings in Guatemala show Mayan calendars that go well beyond 2012 (Vergano, 2012; Potter, 2012).

Nothing New

Indeed, such sensational allegations are not new. Legion are the instances over the last 2,000 years in which individuals and groups have set “firm” dates for the end of the world. Consider a few. [NOTE: The following is taken from “Library of Date Setters…,” n.d.] Events leading up to the year A.D. 1000 were viewed by many as harbingers of the end. These included a solar eclipse in 968 that created panic in the German army of Emperor Otto I and Hailey’s Comet in 989. The decade preceding January 1, 1000 saw people giving their worldly goods to the poor, pilgrims massing in Jerusalem to meet Jesus, buildings left in disrepair, fields unplanted, and even criminals released from jails. Thirty years later, the approach of A.D. 1033 was believed by many to be the onset of the millennium, since they thought it marked 1,000 years since the crucifixion of Christ. A terrible famine struck France in 1030, together with an eclipse and a massive earthquake the same year, convincing many of an imminent end, eliciting penitential processions, including a mass pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

To Londoners in 1666, the end of the world must have seemed self-evident. In addition to the bubonic plague, which killed some 100,000 people, the Great Fire of London swept the city the same year. Since 1666 was a millennium (1,000 years) coupled with the mark of the beast (666), many were firmly convinced the end was near. In 1843, William Miller attracted much attention and many followers when he announced the return of Christ between 1843 and 1844. Though a spectacular meteor shower in 1833 was seen as a harbinger, the predicted date of March 21, 1843 passed without incident. In 1910, the return of Hailey’s Comet was again seen by some to be an indication of the end. Impetus was gained when the Earth actually passed through the comet’s gaseous tail. Charles Taze Russell, along with the establishment of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, commenced an end-times movement that has repeatedly set the time of the end, the first in 1914—with many to follow. With each failure, recalculations are made and theology is adjusted accordingly.

Circumstances surrounding the formal establishment of the modern state of Israel in May of 1948 unleashed a flood of endless predictions, speculations, and allegations that continue to this day—all claiming the end is near. These include Hal Lindsey (Late Great Planet Earth, 1970); Ron Reese (“In the Twinkling of an Eye”); Moses David (The Children of God); the True Light Church; Walter Simmons (The Day of the Lord, 1978, The Final Warning Sign); Bill Maupin (Lighthouse Gospel Tract Foundation); Edgar Whisenant (“Rapture in Rosh Hashanna”); David Koresh and the Branch Davidians; John Hinkle (Christ’s Church, Los Angeles); and Harold Camping (Are You Ready?). And of course, Y2K unleashed a whole new round of doomsday conmen who proposed everything from massive natural disasters (e.g., Jack Van Impe), to WWIII, and worldwide shutdown of computer systems.

While most of these would-be prophets have claimed affiliation with Christianity, the non-Christian community has had its own share of prognosticators—including the Harmonic Convergence predicted by New Age proponents in 1987; California psychic Sheldon Nidle, who predicted 16 million space ships would converge on Earth in 1996; the International Association of Psychics in 1997, who claimed that 92% of their 120,000 members had the same end-time vision; a Russian scientist who, relying on Nostradamus prophecies, predicted the end in 1997 in the form of a shifting of the Earth’s axis, causing massive flooding and the arrival of aliens; the Sacerdotal Knights of National Security who predicted an alien invasion November 11, 1997; psychic Edgar Cayce who alleged the end in 1998 with massive disruption to the Earth; psychic Charles Criswell King who predicted the end in 1999; and many, many others. In fact, the present hype surrounding the Mayan calendar comes largely from New Age writers misinterpreting the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar (cf. Lawrence Joseph’s Apocalypse 2012: A Scientific Investigation Into Civilization’s End; spiritual healer Andrew Smith’s The Revolution of 2012: Vol. 1, The Preparation; and Daniel Pinchbeck’s 2012; see “The Truth About…,” n.d.).

Gamaliel rightly warned his contemporaries concerning those who would lead people astray 2,000 years ago:

For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed (Acts 5:36-37).

Even regarding the signs that Jesus said would precede the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, He warned: “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it” (Matthew 24:23, emp. added). Why? Jesus said, “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:27). Similarly, when God brings about the end of time, no one will need any input from any other human to know of its occurrence; the end will be so cataclysmic that it will be evident to all (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).

While the world may well end this month—it will not be due to the Mayan calendar or any other would-be prophet knowing it. But do not take the scholars word for the truth about the Mayan calendar. Just wait until 11:00 p.m. December 21 to see for yourself. When the alleged end fails to materialize, rather than breathe a sigh of relief and go on your merry way, you would do well to turn to the Bible for the unchanging truth and solid rock of God’s Word. We are again reminded of the unerring words of the Savior of the world in His assessment of His return:

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect (Matthew 24:42-44, emp. added).

Are you ready?

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle (2007), Behold! The Word of God (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).

“Library of Date Setters for End of the World” (no date), http://www.bible.ca/pre-date-setters.htm.

“The Long and Short Count ‘Mayan Calendar,’” Spanish Institute of Merida, http://www.simerida.com/courses/longandshortcalendar.php.

MacDonald, G. Jeffrey (2007), “Does Maya Calendar Predict 2012 Apocalypse?” USA Today, March 27, http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2007-03-27-maya-2012_n.htm.

“New Mayan Calendar Artifacts Discovered” (2012), June 29, FoxNews.com, http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/06/29/new-mayan-calendar-artifacts-discovered/#ixzz22WYnFYg8.

Potter, Ned (2012), “Oldest Known Maya Calendar Found; No Signs of 2012 Doomsday,” ABC News, May 11, http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/05/oldest-known-maya-calendar-found-no-signs-of-2012-doomsday/.

Thompson, Bert (2003), In Defense of the Bible’s Inspiration, /pdfs/e-books_pdf/idobi.pdf.

“The Truth About the ‘Mayan Calendar,’” Spanish Institute of Merida, http://www.simerida.com/courses/mayancalendar.php.

Vance, Erik (2012), “Mayan Calendar: World Will Not End In December 2012, Expert Says,” Scientific American, July 8, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/08/mayan-calendar-world-will_n_1655135.html.

Vergano, Dan (2012), “Newly Discovered Mayan Calendar Goes Way Past 2012,” USA Today, http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/story/2012-05-08/maya-apocalypse-calendar-2012/54879760/1.

"THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW" The Olivet Discourse - I (24:1-28)

 

"THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW"

The Olivet Discourse - I (24:1-28)

INTRODUCTION

1. A challenging passage in the Bible is Jesus' discourse on the Mount of Olives...
   a. Given shortly after He left the temple with His disciples
   b. Recorded in Mt 24:1-51; Mk 13:1-37; Lk 21:5-36
   c. Commonly referred to as "The Olivet Discourse"
   -- Our focus will be primarily on Matthew's account - Mt 24:1-51

2. It's difficulty is apparent as one considers the diversity of interpretations offered...
   a. Some maintain that it is entirely about events preceding the
      Lord's second coming
   b. Others say that it is entirely about events related to the
      destruction of Jerusalem which occurred in 70 A.D.
   c. Yet many believe it contains reference to both of these events

3. Even those who say it refers to both events differ as to when a
   particular event is being described in Matthew's account...
   a. Some say that verses 4-28 refer to the destruction of Jerusalem,
      and verse 29 begins the discussion about the Lord's second coming
      (cf. J. W. McGarvey, The Four-Fold Gospel)
   b. Others contend that verse 35 begins talking about the second coming
   c. Others say Jesus switches back and forth throughout the discourse

4. I have trouble with Mt 24 describing both events in the light of Lk 17...
   a. Where Jesus is talking about "one of the days of the Son of Man" - Lk 17:22-37
      1) Note:  He alludes to the fact there is more than one "day of the Son of Man"
      2) I.e., the Lord will come in judgment in ways prior to His
         final coming at the Last Day
   b. In the discourse of Lk 17, Jesus uses language similar to Mt 24,
      but in ways that do not allow for a simple division of Mt 24,
      either at verse 29 or 35; notice...
      1) Lk 17:26-29 is parallel to Mt 24:37-39 (found after verses 29,35)
      2) Yet Lk 17:31 is parallel to Mt 24:17-18 (found before verses 29,35)
      3) And then Lk 17:34-36 is parallel to Mt 24:40-41 (found after verses 29,35)
   -- If Jesus is describing just one event in Lk 17 (which I believe
      He is), then He is likely describing just one event in Mt 24

[At this time, I view "The Olivet Discourse" in Mt 24 as depicting the
destruction of Jerusalem which occurred in 70 A.D., though it certainly
foreshadows His second coming.  To see why, let's start with...]

I. THE SETTING OF THE OLIVET DISCOURSE

   A. THE WORDS OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE...
      1. His parables depicting Israel's rejection of Him, and its consequence
         a. The parable of the two sons - Mt 21:28-32 (cf. v.31-32)
         b. The parable of the wicked vine dressers - Mt 21:33-46 (cf. v.42-45)
         c. The parable of the wedding feast - Mt 22:1-14 (cf. v.7-9)
      2. His condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees
         a. Who would fill up the measure of their fathers' guilt - Mt  23:29-32
         b. Who kill, crucify, scourge, and persecute the prophets,
            wise men, and scribes He would send to them - Mt 23:33-34
         c. Upon whom the blood of all the righteous would come, upon
            that very generation - Mt 23:35-36
      3. His lamentation over Jerusalem
         a. The city who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her - Mt 23:37a
         b. The city unwilling to accept the love shown her - Mt 23:37b
         c. Whose house would be left desolate - Mt 23:38-39

   B. THE PROPHECY OF JESUS ABOUT THE TEMPLE...
      1. After his disciples were showing Him the buildings of temple - Mt 24:1
      2. Declaring that not one stone would be left upon another - Mt  24:2

   C. THE QUESTIONS OF THE DISCIPLES...
      1. In Mark's gospel, two questions are asked - Mk 13:4
         a. "When will these things be?"
         b. "What will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?"
      2. In Luke's gospel, the two questions are similar - Lk 21:7
         a. "When will these things be?"
         b. "What sign will there be when these things are about to take place?"
      3. In Matthew's gospel, the second question is worded differently- Mt 24:3
         a. "When will these things be?"
         b. "What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
      4. Observations regarding these questions:
         a. Matthew wrote his gospel for a Jewish audience
            1) He likely recorded the questions as asked by the
               disciples, who presumed the destruction of temple would
               mean His coming and the end of the age
            2) Jewish readers of the gospel would likely have the same conception
         b. Mark and Luke wrote their gospels to Gentiles
            1) To avoid possible misunderstanding by non-Jewish 
               readers, they worded the disciples' questions to reflect
               what the discourse is actually about
            2) I.e., the destruction of the temple and the sign when
               its destruction would be imminent

[When the setting leading up to "The Olivet Discourse" is carefully
considered, the subject of Jesus' words become clear.  The destruction
of the temple is the matter under consideration, not the second coming
of Christ.  Now let's proceed to examine more closely...]

II. THE OLIVET DISCOURSE

   A. WHAT WILL "NOT" BE THE SIGN...
      1. Be careful that none deceive you, claiming to be the Christ - Mt 24:4-5
      2. Don't be troubled by wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilence - Mt 24:6-8
         a. Such things will come, but the end (destruction of the
            temple) is not yet
         b. They are only the beginning of sorrows (not the sign of the end)
      3. Anticipate persecution and hard times - Mt 24:9-13
         a. You will be killed and hated for His name's sake
         b. Many will be offended, betray one another, and hate one another
         c. False prophets will deceive many
         d. The love of many will grow cold because of lawlessness
         e. But he who endures to "the end" will be saved -- "the end" refers here:
            1) Not to the second coming (implying one must live until Christ comes again)
            2) Nor to the destruction of Jerusalem (implying once one
               has survived that event, one's salvation is secured)
            3) But to the end of one's life - cf. Re 2:10
      4. The gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world- Mt 24:14
         a. As a witness to all the nations
         b. Then the end (the destruction of the temple) will come
            1) This would end the Jewish sacrifices, and other remnants
               of OT worship
            2) That which was nailed to the cross, abolished by Jesus'
               death, would pass away - cf. Col 2:14-17; Ep 2:14-16; He 8:13
         -- Was the gospel preached to all nations prior to the
            destruction of the temple?  Note what Paul wrote prior to
            70 A.D. - Ro 10:16-18; Col 1:23

   B. WHAT WILL BE THE SIGN...
      1. The "abomination of desolation" - Mt 24:15; Mk 13:14
         a. Standing in the holy place (the holy city Jerusalem)
         b. As foretold by Daniel - cf. Dan 9:26-27
      2. When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies - Lk 21:20
         a. Luke therefore explains the "abomination of desolation"
         b. In 70 A.D., Roman armies surrounded and besieged Jerusalem
            prior to destroying it and the temple
      -- Thus Jesus answers the disciples' question:  "What sign will
         there be when these things are about to take place?"

   C. WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU SEE THE SIGN...
      1. Those in Judea are to flee to the mountains - Mt 24:16-22
         a. Don't delay by going to your homes and getting your clothes
         b. It will be a difficult time for pregnant and nursing mothers
         c. Pray that your flight be not in winter (when travel is
            difficult) or on the Sabbath (when city gates are closed to travel)
         d. For there will be "great tribulation", though shortened for
            the elect's sake
            1) Luke specifies the nature of this tribulation - Lk 21:23b-24
            2) A Jewish general taking captive by the Romans just prior
               to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 offered this summary:
               a) All the calamities which had befallen any nation from
                  the beginning of the world were but small in 
                  comparison with those of the Jews
               b) In the siege of Jerusalem, no fewer than 1,100,000
                  perished (it was during the time of the Passover,
                  when more than 3,000,000 Jews were assembled)
               c) In surrounding provinces 250,000 were slain
               d) 97,000 were taken captive, some killed by beasts in
                  Roman theaters, some sent to work in Egypt, others sold as slaves
               -- Flavius Josephus, Jewish Wars (as quoted in Barnes
                  Commentary on Matthew)
            3) The "elect" were Christians, spared by a shortened siege
               a) The Jews in the city engaged the Romans in battle
               b) Titus, the Roman general, being called to return to
                  Rome, proceeded to end the siege and stormed the city
                  (Barnes Commentary)
      2. Don't be misled by false christs and false prophets - Mt 24:23-28
         a. Even those who show great signs and wonders to deceive
         b. For the coming (judgment) of the Son of Man will be like
            lightning across the sky
            1) Do not expect to find Him in the desert or in inner rooms
            2) When He comes in judgment, it will be swift - cf. Lk 17: 22-24
         c. Where the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered
            1) Alluding to Jerusalem surrounded by armies
            2) This is the "sign" to warn them it is time to flee
               Jerusalem and Judea!

CONCLUSION (Part One)

1. So far, all this depicts a local, escapable judgment...
   a. Where Jesus warned those in Judea of what is to come
   b. Where they are given a sign to let them know when to flee
   -- Indeed, many believe that up to verse 29 (or 35), Jesus is
      foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem (and its temple) that
      did occur in 70 A. D.

2. It certainly does not fit a worldwide, inescapable judgment...
   a. As will characterize the second coming of Christ
   b. As Paul and Peter taught Christians throughout the Mediterranean
      world - cf. 1Th 5:2-3; 2Th 1:7-10; 2Pe 3:10-12

3. Our next study will continue "The Olivet Discourse", starting with verse 29...
   a. Which certainly sounds like the second coming of Christ
   b. But is it?  Or was Jesus still describing events pertaining to
      the destruction of Jerusalem?

Eusebius (ca. 300 A.D.) in his "Ecclesiastical History" wrote that
Christians heeded the warnings of Jesus in Matthew 24, and fled 
Jerusalem when it was surrounded by the Roman army.

May we likewise heed the words of Jesus and not be misled by false
prophets and false christs, not be troubled by wars, famines,
pestilence, earthquakes, or even persecution, but endure to the end by
remaining faithful to Him, and look forward to His final coming at the
Last Day!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

The other side of Jesus by Gary Rose

This picture will be a revelation to many, for Jesus is not only the humble messenger of God, but he is the Lion of the tribe of Judah as well. He is gentle with those who love him, but to those who reject or oppose him, harsh in judgment. The Scripture says...

Psalm 2 ( World English Bible )

¹ Why do the nations rage,
and the peoples plot a vain thing?
² The kings of the earth take a stand,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against Yahweh, and against his Anointed, saying,
 ³ “Let’s break their bonds apart,
and cast their cords from us.”
⁴ He who sits in the heavens will laugh.
The Lord will have them in derision.
⁵ Then he will speak to them in his anger,
and terrify them in his wrath:
⁶“Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.”
⁷I will tell of the decree.
Yahweh said to me, “You are my son.
Today I have become your father.
⁸ Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance,
the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.
⁹ You shall break them with a rod of iron.
You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
¹⁰ Now therefore be wise, you kings.
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
¹¹ Serve Yahweh with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
¹² Give sincere homage to the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish on the way,
for his wrath will soon be kindled.
Blessed are all those who take refuge in him.

See also- Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Matthew 17:1-5; Matthew 28:18-20

2 Thessalonians 1 ( World English Bible )

 ³  We are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you towards one another abounds;  

⁴ so that we ourselves boast about you in the assemblies of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you endure.  

⁵ This is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you also suffer.  

⁶ Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you,  

⁷ and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,  

⁸ giving vengeance to those who don’t know God, and to those who don’t obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus,  

⁹ who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,  

¹⁰ when he comes to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired among all those who have believed (because our testimony to you was believed) in that day. 

See also- Revelation 19:11-16 and 20:11-15

Revelation 5 ( World English Bible )

1 I saw, in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a book written inside and outside, sealed shut with seven seals.

2 I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals?”

3 No one in heaven above, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look in it.

4 And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look in it.

5 One of the elders said to me, “Don’t weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome; he who opens the book and its seven seals.”

(see also, Isaiah 11:1-5; Genesis 49:9-10)

The Lion of the tribe of Judah has the power to dispense judgment on every human being that has walked the face of the Earth. For those who have been cleansed by his shed blood - forgiveness and eternal life, but for those who have rejected Jesus and have not obeyed his word – destruction.

Fear can be a good thing, if it motivates a person to do the right thing. Make no mistake, Jesus is to be feared. Love, honor and obey what Jesus has told us to do to be saved from the consequences of our sin. Let Jesus save you and live forever with HIM in heaven. Your choice, your future!

 

Bible Reading for September 14 and 15 by Gary Rose

 

Bible Reading for September 14 and 15

World  English  Bible

Sept. 14

Psalms 68-70

Psa 68:1 Let God arise! Let his enemies be scattered! Let them who hate him also flee before him.

Psa 68:2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

Psa 68:3 But let the righteous be glad. Let them rejoice before God. Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.

Psa 68:4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Extol him who rides on the clouds: to Yah, his name! Rejoice before him!

Psa 68:5 A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

Psa 68:6 God sets the lonely in families. He brings out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.

Psa 68:7 God, when you went forth before your people, when you marched through the wilderness... Selah.

Psa 68:8 The earth trembled. The sky also poured down rain at the presence of the God of Sinai-- at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

Psa 68:9 You, God, sent a plentiful rain. You confirmed your inheritance, when it was weary.

Psa 68:10 Your congregation lived therein. You, God, prepared your goodness for the poor.

Psa 68:11 The Lord announced the word. The ones who proclaim it are a great company.

Psa 68:12 "Kings of armies flee! They flee!" She who waits at home divides the spoil,

Psa 68:13 while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of a dove sheathed with silver, her feathers with shining gold.

Psa 68:14 When the Almighty scattered kings in her, it snowed on Zalmon.

Psa 68:15 The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains. The mountains of Bashan are rugged.

Psa 68:16 Why do you look in envy, you rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign? Yes, Yahweh will dwell there forever.

Psa 68:17 The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.

Psa 68:18 You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among men, yes, among the rebellious also, that Yah God might dwell there.

Psa 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, even the God who is our salvation. Selah.

Psa 68:20 God is to us a God of deliverance. To Yahweh, the Lord, belongs escape from death.

Psa 68:21 But God will strike through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness.

Psa 68:22 The Lord said, "I will bring you again from Bashan, I will bring you again from the depths of the sea;

Psa 68:23 That you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies."

Psa 68:24 They have seen your processions, God, even the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.

Psa 68:25 The singers went before, the minstrels followed after, in the midst of the ladies playing with tambourines,

Psa 68:26 "Bless God in the congregations, even the Lord in the assembly of Israel!"

Psa 68:27 There is little Benjamin, their ruler, the princes of Judah, their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

Psa 68:28 Your God has commanded your strength. Strengthen, God, that which you have done for us.

Psa 68:29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem, kings shall bring presents to you.

Psa 68:30 Rebuke the wild animal of the reeds, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples. Being humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations that delight in war.

Psa 68:31 Princes shall come out of Egypt. Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out her hands to God.

Psa 68:32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth! Sing praises to the Lord! Selah.

Psa 68:33 To him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old; behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.

Psa 68:34 Ascribe strength to God! His excellency is over Israel, his strength is in the skies.

Psa 68:35 You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people. Praise be to God!

Psa 69:1 Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck!

Psa 69:2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold. I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

Psa 69:3 I am weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail, looking for my God.

Psa 69:4 Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. I have to restore what I didn't take away.

Psa 69:5 God, you know my foolishness. My sins aren't hidden from you.

Psa 69:6 Don't let those who wait for you be shamed through me, Lord Yahweh of Armies. Don't let those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, God of Israel.

Psa 69:7 Because for your sake, I have borne reproach. Shame has covered my face.

Psa 69:8 I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's children.

Psa 69:9 For the zeal of your house consumes me. The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

Psa 69:10 When I wept and I fasted, that was to my reproach.

Psa 69:11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.

Psa 69:12 Those who sit in the gate talk about me. I am the song of the drunkards.

Psa 69:13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, in an acceptable time. God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation.

Psa 69:14 Deliver me out of the mire, and don't let me sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.

Psa 69:15 Don't let the flood waters overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up. Don't let the pit shut its mouth on me.

Psa 69:16 Answer me, Yahweh, for your loving kindness is good. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, turn to me.

Psa 69:17 Don't hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress. Answer me speedily!

Psa 69:18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it. Ransom me because of my enemies.

Psa 69:19 You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor. My adversaries are all before you.

Psa 69:20 Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; for comforters, but I found none.

Psa 69:21 They also gave me gall for my food. In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.

Psa 69:22 Let their table before them become a snare. May it become a retribution and a trap.

Psa 69:23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can't see. Let their backs be continually bent.

Psa 69:24 Pour out your indignation on them. Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them.

Psa 69:25 Let their habitation be desolate. Let no one dwell in their tents.

Psa 69:26 For they persecute him whom you have wounded. They tell of the sorrow of those whom you have hurt.

Psa 69:27 Charge them with crime upon crime. Don't let them come into your righteousness.

Psa 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous.

Psa 69:29 But I am in pain and distress. Let your salvation, God, protect me.

Psa 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Psa 69:31 It will please Yahweh better than an ox, or a bull that has horns and hoofs.

Psa 69:32 The humble have seen it, and are glad. You who seek after God, let your heart live.

Psa 69:33 For Yahweh hears the needy, and doesn't despise his captive people.

Psa 69:34 Let heaven and earth praise him; the seas, and everything that moves therein!

Psa 69:35 For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah. They shall settle there, and own it.

Psa 69:36 The children also of his servants shall inherit it. Those who love his name shall dwell therein.

Psa 70:1 Hurry, God, to deliver me. Come quickly to help me, Yahweh.

Psa 70:2 Let them be disappointed and confounded who seek my soul. Let those who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.

Psa 70:3 Let them be turned because of their shame Who say, "Aha! Aha!"

Psa 70:4 Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation continually say, "Let God be exalted!"

Psa 70:5 But I am poor and needy. Come to me quickly, God. You are my help and my deliverer. Yahweh, don't delay.

 

Sept. 15

Psalms 71-73

Psa 71:1 In you, Yahweh, I take refuge. Never let me be disappointed.

Psa 71:2 Deliver me in your righteousness, and rescue me. Turn your ear to me, and save me.

Psa 71:3 Be to me a rock of refuge to which I may always go. Give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

Psa 71:4 Rescue me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

Psa 71:5 For you are my hope, Lord Yahweh; my confidence from my youth.

Psa 71:6 I have relied on you from the womb. You are he who took me out of my mother's womb. I will always praise you.

Psa 71:7 I am a marvel to many, but you are my strong refuge.

Psa 71:8 My mouth shall be filled with your praise, with your honor all the day.

Psa 71:9 Don't reject me in my old age. Don't forsake me when my strength fails.

Psa 71:10 For my enemies talk about me. Those who watch for my soul conspire together,

Psa 71:11 saying, "God has forsaken him. Pursue and take him, for no one will rescue him."

Psa 71:12 God, don't be far from me. My God, hurry to help me.

Psa 71:13 Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed. Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me.

Psa 71:14 But I will always hope, and will add to all of your praise.

Psa 71:15 My mouth will tell about your righteousness, and of your salvation all day, though I don't know its full measure.

Psa 71:16 I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord Yahweh. I will make mention of your righteousness, even of yours alone.

Psa 71:17 God, you have taught me from my youth. Until now, I have declared your wondrous works.

Psa 71:18 Yes, even when I am old and gray-haired, God, don't forsake me, until I have declared your strength to the next generation, your might to everyone who is to come.

Psa 71:19 Your righteousness also, God, reaches to the heavens; you have done great things. God, who is like you?

Psa 71:20 You, who have shown us many and bitter troubles, you will let me live. You will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.

Psa 71:21 Increase my honor, and comfort me again.

Psa 71:22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God. I sing praises to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.

Psa 71:23 My lips shall shout for joy! My soul, which you have redeemed, sings praises to you!

Psa 71:24 My tongue will also talk about your righteousness all day long, for they are disappointed, and they are confounded, who want to harm me.

Psa 72:1 God, give the king your justice; your righteousness to the royal son.

Psa 72:2 He will judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.

Psa 72:3 The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people. The hills bring the fruit of righteousness.

Psa 72:4 He will judge the poor of the people. He will save the children of the needy, and will break the oppressor in pieces.

Psa 72:5 They shall fear you while the sun endures; and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.

Psa 72:6 He will come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.

Psa 72:7 In his days, the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.

Psa 72:8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.

Psa 72:9 Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him. His enemies shall lick the dust.

Psa 72:10 The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

Psa 72:11 Yes, all kings shall fall down before him. All nations shall serve him.

Psa 72:12 For he will deliver the needy when he cries; the poor, who has no helper.

Psa 72:13 He will have pity on the poor and needy. He will save the souls of the needy.

Psa 72:14 He will redeem their soul from oppression and violence. Their blood will be precious in his sight.

Psa 72:15 They shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba. Men shall pray for him continually. They shall bless him all day long.

Psa 72:16 There shall be abundance of grain throughout the land. Its fruit sways like Lebanon. Let it flourish, thriving like the grass of the field.

Psa 72:17 His name endures forever. His name continues as long as the sun. Men shall be blessed by him. All nations will call him blessed.

Psa 72:18 Praise be to Yahweh God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.

Psa 72:19 Blessed be his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and amen.

Psa 72:20 This ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse.

Psa 73:1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

Psa 73:2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had nearly slipped.

Psa 73:3 For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Psa 73:4 For there are no struggles in their death, but their strength is firm.

Psa 73:5 They are free from burdens of men, neither are they plagued like other men.

Psa 73:6 Therefore pride is like a chain around their neck. Violence covers them like a garment.

Psa 73:7 Their eyes bulge with fat. Their minds pass the limits of conceit.

Psa 73:8 They scoff and speak with malice. In arrogance, they threaten oppression.

Psa 73:9 They have set their mouth in the heavens. Their tongue walks through the earth.

Psa 73:10 Therefore their people return to them, and they drink up waters of abundance.

Psa 73:11 They say, "How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?"

Psa 73:12 Behold, these are the wicked. Being always at ease, they increase in riches.

Psa 73:13 Surely in vain I have cleansed my heart, and washed my hands in innocence,

Psa 73:14 For all day long have I been plagued, and punished every morning.

Psa 73:15 If I had said, "I will speak thus;" behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

Psa 73:16 When I tried to understand this, it was too painful for me;

Psa 73:17 Until I entered God's sanctuary, and considered their latter end.

Psa 73:18 Surely you set them in slippery places. You throw them down to destruction.

Psa 73:19 How they are suddenly destroyed! They are completely swept away with terrors.

Psa 73:20 As a dream when one wakes up, so, Lord, when you awake, you will despise their fantasies.

Psa 73:21 For my soul was grieved. I was embittered in my heart.

Psa 73:22 I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you.

Psa 73:23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand.

Psa 73:24 You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

Psa 73:25 Who do I have in heaven? There is no one on earth who I desire besides you.

Psa 73:26 My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psa 73:27 For, behold, those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you.

Psa 73:28 But it is good for me to come close to God. I have made the Lord Yahweh my refuge, that I may tell of all your works. 

 

Sept. 14

1 Corinthians 10

1Co 10:1 Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

1Co 10:2 and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

1Co 10:3 and all ate the same spiritual food;

1Co 10:4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.

1Co 10:5 However with most of them, God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

1Co 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

1Co 10:7 Neither be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."

1Co 10:8 Neither let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell.

1Co 10:9 Neither let us test the Lord, as some of them tested, and perished by the serpents.

1Co 10:10 Neither grumble, as some of them also grumbled, and perished by the destroyer.

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

1Co 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn't fall.

1Co 10:13 No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1Co 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

1Co 10:15 I speak as to wise men. Judge what I say.

1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, isn't it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn't it a sharing of the body of Christ?

1Co 10:17 Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread.

1Co 10:18 Consider Israel according to the flesh. Don't those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?

1Co 10:19 What am I saying then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?

1Co 10:20 But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I don't desire that you would have fellowship with demons.

1Co 10:21 You can't both drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You can't both partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons.

1Co 10:22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

1Co 10:23 "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are profitable. "All things are lawful for me," but not all things build up.

1Co 10:24 Let no one seek his own, but each one his neighbor's good.

1Co 10:25 Whatever is sold in the butcher shop, eat, asking no question for the sake of conscience,

1Co 10:26 for "the earth is the Lord's, and its fullness."

1Co 10:27 But if one of those who don't believe invites you to a meal, and you are inclined to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no questions for the sake of conscience.

1Co 10:28 But if anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," don't eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience. For "the earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness."

1Co 10:29 Conscience, I say, not your own, but the other's conscience. For why is my liberty judged by another conscience?

1Co 10:30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced for that for which I give thanks?

1Co 10:31 Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

1Co 10:32 Give no occasions for stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the assembly of God;

1Co 10:33 even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved.

Sept. 15

1 Corinthians 11

1Co 11:1 Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.

1Co 11:2 Now I praise you, brothers, that you remember me in all things, and hold firm the traditions, even as I delivered them to you.

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.

1Co 11:4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head.

1Co 11:5 But every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled dishonors her head. For it is one and the same thing as if she were shaved.

1Co 11:6 For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.

1Co 11:7 For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man.

1Co 11:8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man;

1Co 11:9 for neither was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.

1Co 11:10 For this cause the woman ought to have authority on her head, because of the angels.

1Co 11:11 Nevertheless, neither is the woman independent of the man, nor the man independent of the woman, in the Lord.

1Co 11:12 For as woman came from man, so a man also comes through a woman; but all things are from God.

1Co 11:13 Judge for yourselves. Is it appropriate that a woman pray to God unveiled?

1Co 11:14 Doesn't even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him?

1Co 11:15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a covering.

1Co 11:16 But if any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither do God's assemblies.

1Co 11:17 But in giving you this command, I don't praise you, that you come together not for the better but for the worse.

1Co 11:18 For first of all, when you come together in the assembly, I hear that divisions exist among you, and I partly believe it.

1Co 11:19 For there also must be factions among you, that those who are approved may be revealed among you.

1Co 11:20 When therefore you assemble yourselves together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat.

1Co 11:21 For in your eating each one takes his own supper first. One is hungry, and another is drunken.

1Co 11:22 What, don't you have houses to eat and to drink in? Or do you despise God's assembly, and put them to shame who don't have? What shall I tell you? Shall I praise you? In this I don't praise you.

1Co 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread.

1Co 11:24 When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me."

1Co 11:25 In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me."

1Co 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

1Co 11:27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord's cup in a manner unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup.

1Co 11:29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn't discern the Lord's body.

1Co 11:30 For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep.

1Co 11:31 For if we discerned ourselves, we wouldn't be judged.

1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are punished by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

1Co 11:33 Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait one for another.

1Co 11:34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest your coming together be for judgment. The rest I will set in order whenever I come.