Letters Not By Paul #BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . Letters Not by Paul As mentioned last time, Paul is believed to have written the majority of the letters in the New Testament—letters written to first-generation Christians, who were congregants at the seven original churches. But there are 8 other letters in the New Testament; letters which were written to a broader audience rather than to specific churches or individuals. They are: Hebrews: Anonymous authorship; likely an early sermon. This letter appears to be intended for people familiar with Jewish scripture—Jews who converted to Christianity. James: Traditionally attributed to James, the brother of Jesus. Addressed to "the twelve tribes in the dispersion," it targets Jewish Christians living outside of Judea, encouraging them to persevere through persecution and trials. In particular, it states that faith must be shown through a person’s conduct, and that faith without action was meaningless. 1 & 2 Peter: Two letters, traditionally attributed to Simon Peter (although acknowledged to have been written through a scribe, since Simon Peter was a fisherman and probably illiterate.) The letters are written to Christians in Asia Minor who were facing persecution, and they speak of the importance of suffering for the sake of righteousness. 1, 2, & 3 John: One longer letter and two very short ones, traditionally attributed to John the Apostle. The letters are addressed to the Christians in Ephesus, offering guidance and support. John emphasizes that believers should love one another, and he also refers to “deceivers” who have left the church. Jude: Traditionally attributed to Jude, the brother of Jesus. Jude urges followers to defend the faith and avoid false teachers. There are parts of Jude that are very similar to 2 Peter, implying that they were written using a common source. Why these letters? You may wonder why these particular letters were included in the New Testament. The decision about which materials should be included was made over many years and by several different Councils, coming to a final consensus in the 4th Century. The primary consideration was whether the letter was believed to have been written by an Apostle or a close associate; early church leaders regarded these letters as divinely inspired, rather than created on the writer’s own authority. So, the short answer is this: Certain letters are considered scripture because the early church leaders considered them scripture, and they were in a better position to judge. Next time: Revelation, the last Book of the Bible. All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

Letters of Paul #BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . Letters of Paul As we learned last time, Paul wrote much of the New Testament in the form of letters to the new Christian communities, and when you consider Paul’s extensive travels and his years of imprisonment, it is a miracle that these letters survived at all. But survive they did, and they bear interesting insight into the early Christian communities. The Corinthians were having unity problems (see 1 Corinthians chapter 1); the Thessalonians were being persecuted (see 1 Thessalonians chapter 1); and the Galatians were not following his instructions, which annoyed Paul to no end (see Galatians, chapter 1). Some notable excerpts from Paul’s letters: “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:7-8) “Admonish the idle, cheer the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with all. See that no one returns evil for evil; rather, always seek was is good for each other and for all. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing, in all things give thanks.” (1 Thess. 5:14-22) “Do not be misled; bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) “And now, these three remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13) “Tell the rich in the present age not to be proud and not to rely on as uncertain a thing as wealth but rather on God, who richly rewards us with all things for our enjoyment. Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works.” (1 Tim. 6:17) “I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example to those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” (1 Tim. 1:15-17) “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” (Colossians 3:23) And finally, on the eve of his execution, Paul wrote these words to his successor, Timothy: “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim. 4:6) The Council of Jerusalem: One of the early problems for Paul and the Apostles was exactly what it meant to be a “Christian,” as that term was first coined by the church at Antioch. Jesus himself was a Jew, but he gave no specific direction to the Apostles about how they were to go about complying with The Great Commission, other than naming Simon Peter as the leader the new church. Therefore, many argued that the Jewish Mosaic laws should be honored by any new non-Jewish Christians—circumcision, strict sabbath requirements, and dietary restrictions among them. Paul, along with Simon Peter and the other church leaders came together to discuss the matter at the Council of Jerusalem in 49 AD. (Acts 15; Galatians 2). Simon Peter agreed with Paul’s take on the matter, and decreed that Mosaic law needn’t be honored by followers of Christ. (Which is notable, because both Simon Peter and Paul were observant Jews). This decision was obviously instrumental in the rapid spread of the faith. Fun fact: Paul barely escaped from a riot in Ephesus because the silversmiths in that city were furious that no one was buying their idols anymore. (Acts 19:23) Next time: Letters not written by Paul All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

Paul of Tarsus #BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . Paul of Tarsus The Book after the Gospels is called The Acts of the Apostles (referred to as “Acts”) and it tells us what happened immediately after the Resurrection. We are told that Jesus stayed on earth for forty days, speaking to his followers and performing miracles. (Acts 1:3) At the end of this time, he gave the Apostles what is known as the Great Commission, instructing them “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) He then ascended into heaven, “and a cloud took him from their sight.” (Acts 1:9) Then, the same Simon Peter who’d denied even knowing Jesus during his trial gave a bold speech, condemning the people of Jerusalem for their role in the crucifixion and instructing them to “repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” (Acts 2:37-40). As a result, “about three thousand persons were added that day.” (Acts 2:41) It was an enormous number, considering the population of Jerusalem at the time was about 30,000. Indeed, the new religion started spreading amazingly fast—so fast, that the Emperor of Rome decided things were getting out of hand and issued his own commission: he sent Saul of Tarsus out to Judea to put a stop to it. Saul was a Roman citizen, but he was also a Jew who was educated in Jerusalem; therefore, he was a good choice to lead the persecution and crush this new religion before it threatened the empire. Saul commenced his work with relish, “Entering house after house and dragging out men and women, he handed them over for imprisonment.” (Acts 8:3) He is also described as overseeing the execution of St. Stephen, the very first Christian martyr. (Acts 8:1) Having got Jerusalem under control, Saul was traveling to Damascus, Syria, with the intention of bringing back the followers of Jesus in chains. (Acts 9:1-2) However, on this journey, “a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ He said, ‘Who are you, sir?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting’.“ (Acts 9:4-5) As you can imagine, this experience resulted in an abrupt change in attitude, and instead of wiping-out Christianity, Saul went down in history as its greatest evangelist. He changed his name to Paul and eventually sought-out the Apostles in Jerusalem—who could be forgiven for thinking it was some sort of trick. But he won over their trust, and commenced to spread the Gospel throughout the known world with extraordinary success. Over the next 14 years, he covered modern-day Israel, Syria, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—journeys totaling thousands of miles by sea and by foot. With shrewd insight, he helped to set-up the seven early churches in seven busy trading ports—Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, and Thessalonica—the better to spread the Gospel far and wide. He then spent the remainder of his life writing letters to these early communities, issuing advice and settling disputes. Also known as “epistles,” these letters make-up the bulk of the New Testament. When you hear someone refer to “Corinthians,” they are referring to a letter Paul wrote to the early Christian church in Corinth, Greece. Paul is also the reason the New Testament was originally written in Greek; Paul spoke Greek, which was the international language of trade at the time. The oldest book of the New Testament is 1 Thessalonians (addressed to the Christians in Thessalonica) which was written approximately 50 AD. Interestingly enough, Paul’s early letters pre-dated the Gospels themselves; the Gospel writers did not begin their work until approximately 60 AD—probably because the first generation was passing away, and it was decided that a record should be made. Of the 27 books in the New Testament, 13 or 14 are attributed to Paul, along with a large portion of Acts; therefore, he is responsible for about half the New Testament. Quite a turn-around, for the man commissioned with wiping-out those pesky Christians—and another compelling piece of evidence that Jesus was exactly who he said he was. Meanwhile, you can only imagine how annoying all this was to Rome. Paul was imprisoned seven times over these years, with many of his letters written from prison. Finally, around the year 64 AD he was executed in Rome—beheaded instead of crucified, which was a courtesy since he was a citizen of Rome. The unlikeliest of heroes, who—next to Jesus, himself—lived perhaps the most influential life in all of history. Next time: Paul’s Letters All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

The Resurrection #BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . The Resurrection Jesus was crucified on a Friday, and the Jewish sabbath begins Friday at sunset. The sabbath ended on Saturday night, and so the women who wished to anoint Jesus’ body pursuant to funeral rites had to wait until Sunday morning to seek access to his tomb. As is the case with much of the Gospels, the accounts of the Resurrection don’t always align, with Mark and Luke reporting that three women came to the tomb only to discover it empty. (Matthew 28:1-8; Luck 24: 1-3) John gives us a slightly different narrative which is of interest because—remember—there are scholars who believe the Apostle John is the same person who wrote the Gospel of John and is also the “John” who wrote the Book of Revelation. So, it is possible that John is telling the story as an eyewitness. He tells us that Mary Magdalene—a former prostitute and now a devout follower—came to the tomb early in the morning only to see that stone had been rolled away from the entry. In great distress, she then ran to fetch Simon Peter and John because she feared that someone had taken Jesus’s body. The two apostles raced to the tomb, with John arriving first but afraid to enter. Simon Peter then joined him, entered the tomb and saw that it was empty, with the burial cloth that had covered Jesus’ head rolled up separately from the cloths that had covered his body. (John 20:1-10) Meanwhile, Mary is outside weeping and a man asks her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She believes she is speaking to the gardener, and explains that she does not know what has happened to Jesus’ body. The man then says her name, and she realizes it is Jesus. He warns her not to touch him, but to go tell the others what she has seen. (John 20:11-18). Later, Jesus appeared to all the other disciples in the room where they’d been hiding. John tells us he came through a locked door and “stood in their midst,” showing them his wounds. (John 20:19-20, 26-27). He then said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (John 20:21) We are also told that Jesus appeared to other followers on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-43) and later to a crowd of more than 500 people. Paul, the Christian leader who wrote much of the New Testament, told the early church that most of those 500 people were still alive and could verify the resurrection. (1 Corinthians 15:6). So; did this really happen? If it did, Jesus is exactly who he said he was, and if it didn’t, Jesus is of little importance—there’s really no in-between, is there? But perhaps the strongest evidence is circumstantial in nature. In law, there are two kinds of evidence, direct and circumstantial. Oftentimes, direct evidence doesn’t exist and so a legal case has to be proven using circumstantial evidence—evidence that creates a reasonable inference. One example of circumstantial evidence is the behavior of a person around the time of an alleged act; for instance, if a thief was seen to go on a wild shopping spree shortly after the money went missing. In this case, the behavior of the persons is very compelling. The Apostles went from cowering in a room—afraid that they would be crucified next—to losing all fear of death, and going out to boldly proclaim the Gospel. And whatever happened to create this change of heart also inspired these provincial men to travel across the known world—from India to Africa to Europe—so as to spread their message. They were no longer afraid of death, and indeed, all were tortured to death save John, who went to prison instead. No one ever recanted. And meanwhile, Christianity spread like wildfire—despite some very serious efforts to crush it—with the result that it became the official religion of the Roman Empire some 300 years later. All the armies that ever marched and all the leaders that ever led—all put together—haven’t affected life on earth as much as this one itinerant preacher who briefly lived in an obscure backwater of the mighty Roman Empire. And on top of that, there’s the evidence of Paul of Tarsus—the unlikeliest hero of all—who we will discuss next time. All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

The Crucifixion #BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . The Crucifixion Crucifixion was a brutal death, meant to send a warning to others: don’t cross Rome, or you will be made to suffer, and suffer mightily. Although the crucifixion of Jesus is the most famous example of this type of execution, the Romans had been using it for hundreds of years. Essentially, the method of execution was slow suffocation. The nailing to the cross in itself was not life-threatening, but it forced the victim to lift up his chest to take a breath, and eventually—after several days—he would be too exhausted to do so. (And oftentimes the soldiers would break the victim’s legs so as to hasten the process.) The cross would be on public display, bearing a sign that proclaimed the crime. In Jesus’ case, the sign read “This is Jesus, King of the Jews” since he hadn’t been executed for any recognized capital crime. (Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:25; Luke 23:33; John 19:18) To add insult to injury, the condemned criminal would be forced carry his cross-beam to the place of execution—the route being called Via Delorosa, which you can still see marked on the streets of Jerusalem to this day. Every year, many Christian pilgrims retrace Jesus’ steps, and the crowds are especially large on Good Friday. It is interesting that all four Gospels give a detailed, hour-by hour account of the crucifixion. We are told that Jesus kept falling as he walked the Via Delorosa, and so the Roman guards enlisted an onlooker to carry his cross—Simon of Cyrene. (Luke 23:26) All four Gospel writers tell us that Jesus was crucified on a Friday. He was raised up on the cross at 9 o’clock in the morning and died at 3 o’clock in the afternoon—unusually fast for such an execution. (Mark 15:25-34) He was crucified between two criminals, and the Gospel of Luke gives us an interesting insight: one criminal lambasts Jesus, wondering why he won’t save them, but the other rebukes the first, and asks, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus tells him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43) We are told that the earth reacted to Jesus’ death; darkness covered the land for three hours, and the curtain in the temple was torn in two. (Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44) The Gospel of Luke then tells us there was a member of the Sanhedrin named Joseph of Arimathea, and that he’d disagreed with the Council’s actions. Joseph went on his own to ask Pilate for custody of Jesus’ body, and permission was granted. Joseph then wrapped the body in linen-cloth before placing it in a tomb cut in the rock, “one in which no one had yet been buried.” (Luke 23:50-54) Next time: The Resurrection All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

Gethsemane, the Arrest and the Trial #BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . Once their Passover meal had concluded, Jesus and the Apostles went over to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. This short time in the Garden is marked by Jesus’ anguish and submission to God’s will. Jesus instructed the Apostles to stay awake and pray while he stayed at a small distance, praying alone. In profound distress, he expressed his human desire to avoid the coming suffering: "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39) Despite his repeated pleas to the disciples to stay vigilant, he found them sleeping, and noted that "the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mark 13:41.) One of the Apostles, Judas Iscariot, then led a group of Sanhedrin, temple guards, and a Roman cohort over to arrest Jesus, identifying him by a pre-arranged signal in the form of a kiss. (Mark 13:48-55) The Roman officers arrested Jesus, although one of Jesus's Apostles attempted to stop them with a sword and cut off an ear. The Gospel of John specifies that this was Simon Peter (John 17:10), and Luke adds that Jesus healed the wound. (Luke 22:51) Jesus rebuked the violent act: "Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take the sword shall perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52) Immediately following his arrest, a religious trial began before Annas, the former high priest, and then before Caiaphas, the current high priest, as well as before the Sanhedrin. During these proceedings, Jesus was accused of blasphemy for declaring himself the Messiah and Son of God, and the council condemned him to death (Matthew 26:63–66). However, since the Jewish authorities lacked the power to carry out capital punishment, they brought Jesus before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea. Once before Pilate, the charges were then reframed to be political: Jesus was accused of inciting rebellion by claiming to be King of the Jews, and by forbidding tax payments to Rome—the two charges most likely to catch Roman displeasure. (Luke 23:2). It seems clear that Pilate was reluctant to fall-in with their plans, however; initially he found Jesus not guilty, and was going to release him (Luke 23:4) This enraged the Jewish authority, and so Pilate promptly passed the buck; because Jesus was from Galilee, he decided to send him to Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, who was also in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. (Luke 23:6-8) For his part, Herod hoped that Jesus would perform a miracle, but when Jesus refused to speak, Herod angrily sent him back to Pilate. (Luke 23:6–12). Again, Pilate told the crowd he didn’t find Jesus guilty of a capital crime; he would only flog and release him. But the crowd was adamant, and so Pilate made one last attempt; it was the custom at Passover to release one prisoner: “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” But the crowd insisted that Barabbas, a rebel leader, should be released instead. And so, Jesus was condemned to death. Fun fact: The Apostles had scattered, fearing they’d meet the same fate as Jesus. Simon Peter, however, hung around the courtyard when all this back-and-forth was taking place. Recognizing his accent, several people accused Simon Peter of being with Jesus, but—just as Jesus had predicted—Simon Peter denied knowing Jesus on three different occasions. Next time: The Crucifixion All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

The Last Supper #BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . The main Jewish authority during this time was the Sanhedrin; a legislative and judicial council which was composed of 71 members, including the High Priest, chief priests, elders, and scribes. Many of tahe Sanhedrin’s powerful members were very unhappy with Jesus’ teachings, and considered them blasphemy. Under Roman rule, however, the Sanhedrin's power was significantly restricted—especially when it came to matters of capital punishment. The Sanhedrin could pass death sentences, but could not carry them out without Roman approval. For their part, the Romans didn’t concern themselves with petty local disputes—especially religious disputes. The Romans tended to be concerned about only two things: whether taxes were being paid, and whether an insurrection was being plotted. Therefore, the Sanhedrin had to try to convince the local Roman Governor—Pontius Pilate—that Jesus had told his followers not to pay taxes and that he considered himself the King of the Jews and thus a rival to Roman rule. Both claims were false, of course, but were guaranteed to catch the Governor’s attention. (Luke 23:2) Jesus and his disciples had traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover holiday, and indeed, The Last Supper was their Passover celebration. We are told that Jesus withdrew to a “large upper room” with his apostles to hold the seder meal. (Mark 14:15; Matthew 26:18) During the ritual, we are told Jesus did three significant things: (1) He washed his disciples’ feet. Judea was a dusty place, and so as a matter of course servants would wash their guests’ feet upon entering a house. To the apostles’ surprise, Jesus himself knelt to begin washing his disciple’s feet. Simon Peter objected, claiming such a task was beneath him. (John 13:8) But Jesus replied, “If I, therefore, the master and teacher have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” (John 13:14-16). It was a clear lesson about the humble service he expected them to do for others—with no nonsense about thinking they were too important to do even the most mundane of tasks. (2) He established the Eucharist, or Holy Communion. “Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying: ‘This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.’” (Luke 22:19-20) (3) He gave the disciples The Great Commandment: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples; if you have love for one another.” (John 13:31-33) During the meal, Jesus also predicted that one of his apostles would betray him, and he also said that before the cock crowed the following morning, Simon Peter would deny knowing him three times. (Matthew 26:20; John 13:38) Simon Peter vehemently denied this, and declared that he would die for Jesus. Fun Fact: the Easter holiday moves around on the calendar because the Last Supper was a Jewish Passover meal, and Jewish holidays operate on a lunar calendar. Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox (which also moves around slightly, but is usually March 20). Therefore, Easter Sunday can be anytime within a four-week period, which is the lapse of time from one full moon to the next. Next week: Gethsemane, the Arrest and the Trial. All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

#BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . Miracles We can conclude that Jesus must have been a compelling speaker, but we can also assume that much of his fame came from the news that he was performing miracles. As I mentioned last time, word must have spread like wildfire—especially when the miracles were directed toward healing the sick. He would have been mobbed, and indeed, we are told that he would often instruct the healed person not to say anything, just as he did with the blind man of Bethsaida. (See: Mark 1:40; 1:43; 7:36; Matthew 9:30; Luke 8:56) We are also told that—to bypass the crowds—one paralyzed man had resourceful friends, who lowered the man on a mat through an opening in the roof. (Mark 2:1-12) Therefore, we can easily assume that it must have been a chaotic scene, whenever Jesus went out in public. Publicly, many of the Jewish religious leaders were opposed to Jesus, but in private it may have been a different story. We are told that a leader of the synagogue named Jairus threw himself at Jesus’ feet and begged him to heal his twelve-year-old daughter—which Jesus did. (Luke 8:41-56). And even after Jesus’ arrest, King Herod was “greatly pleased” to see him, hoping that he’d perform a miracle. (Luke 23:8) Interestingly enough, it seems that oftentimes the miracles depended upon the strength of the recipient’s faith, and where there was no faith there were no miracles. Compare Jesus’ words to a blind man in Mark 10:52 (“Go your way; your faith has saved you”) to Matthew 13:58 (“And he did not do many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.") And perhaps the most famous example is that of the Roman centurion, an important soldier in the conquering army who—surprisingly—came to ask Jesus to heal his servant. When Jesus agreed to go with him, the centurion said it wouldn’t be necessary: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed." Jesus replied: “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.” (Matthew 8:5-13) Other well-known miracles: Water into wine: Jesus’ first recorded miracle, when he attended a wedding in Cana. The hosts had run out of wine, and Jesus’ mother prompted him to help them out, even though he was reluctant to show his power as yet. Mom knows best, though. (John 2:1-11) The Feeding of the Five Thousand: this miracle is the only one to appear in all four Gospels; Matthew 14:13–21, Mark 6:31–44, Luke 9:12–17, and John 6:1–14. The event occurred when a large crowd had followed Jesus to a remote area where there was little food. Using five loaves of bread and two fish, Jesus multiplied the food to feed approximately 5,000 men (plus women and children), and we are told there were twelve baskets of leftovers. Raising Lazarus from the Dead: Jesus heard word that Lazarus, one of his friends, was very sick in a nearby town. By the time he arrived, however, the man had died and been in the tomb for four days. Before the crowd of mourners, Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out, and he did, still wrapped in his burial cloths. (John 11:1–44) Walking on Water: After feeding the five thousand, Jesus sent the apostles by ship back to the other side of the Sea of Galilee while he remained behind to pray. Night fell, and the apostles’ ship was caught in a fearsome storm. Fearing for their lives, the men then saw Jesus, walking toward them on the water. They were frightened, thinking that they were seeing a ghost, but Jesus told them not to be afraid, entered the ship, and the storm subsided. (John 6:1-14) Fun fact: The Jewish leaders at the time criticized Jesus for performing miracles on the Sabbath, and used this as a pretext in their plot to kill him. (John 5:1-18). Next week: The Last Supper All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

#BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . The Double-Miracle at Bethsaida You may recall that Zaccheus had to climb a tree to see Jesus over the crowds—and the crowds were growing bigger every day. Why was this? Jesus was preaching a Gospel that resonated with a lot of people, of course, but aside from that, he was also performing miracles. In particular, we are told that he was healing the sick, and there are many instances in the four Gospels where a person was cured—forty-two altogether, along with references to other miracles which were not recorded. You can see how this would be a huge draw—there was a high mortality rate in Judea; suddenly you hear that this Jesus person is curing the sick, and so you are naturally desperate to see if he can heal your loved one, too. In fact, even his supposed enemies were willing to ask for a miracle, as we will see in the next post. It is also understandable if you are highly skeptical of the whole premise. Miracles, really? More like lucky coincidences, or the power of persuasion, maybe; very hard to believe someone was walking around performing miracles. But then again, there’s the blind man of Bethsaida. The Gospel of Mark tells us that when Jesus arrived at Bethsaida, he was presented with a man who’d been born blind, and was asked to heal him. Jesus drew the man to a private place, and laid hands on his eyes—but then there was some confusion, because the man could see, but he could not see clearly: “I see people looking like trees and walking.” Jesus then touched the man a second time, and then he could see everything distinctly. (Mark 8:22–26) Why was this significant? Because in modern times we have learned that the eyes may look, but it is the brain that sees. For example, think of the “fool the eye” displays that are so popular; if you stare at a moving spiral for 30 seconds then look away, your visual world is now transformed by your brain so that stationary objects seem to bulge and move. But then—very quickly—your brain switches back to a world where objects are once again stationary. Other examples include: (1) you “see” things in your dreams; (2) you are not aware of your blind spots, even though they are always there (3) some people have visual hallucinations, where they “see” things that are not there. But more to the point, modern medicine has advanced to the point where in some situations, people who’ve been blind can regain their sight. But we’ve also learned that it is not as simple as it sounds. An early case was Michael G. May (born 1954) who regained partial vision after a pioneering corneal transplant. But the doctors were surprised to find that he had no intuitive grasp of depth perception—as people walked away from him, he perceived them as literally shrinking in size. May also had trouble differentiating complex shapes, dimension and orientations of objects, and it took a period of adjustment for his brain to comprehend what he was seeing. Newborn babies must go through this same type of adjustment, but they don’t have the means to tell us about it and so it was an unknown phenomenon—and besides, it seemed so obvious that you see with your eyes; no one knew about the brain’s role. So; Jesus performed a second miracle for the man born blind, helping his brain to sort it all out so that—we are told—suddenly, the man could see everything clearly. The Gospel writers at the time had no idea about any of this—they only know that Jesus performed a second miracle because the first one, for reasons unknown, did not “take.” Which seems a fairly strong argument that it actually happened, doesn’t it? Next time: Miracles All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

#BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . Forgiveness and the Golden Rule We discussed how there are two basic tenets in Jesus’ teachings: There is an eternal life in paradise waiting for us if we follow the right path, and we should do our utmost to help each other follow that path. With respect to the second part—doing our best to help each another—Jesus gave us what is known as the Golden Rule: “Do to others what you would have them to do you.” (Matthew 7:12: Luke 6:31) He then spelled-out clearly what is expected, notably in Luke 6:27: “. . love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. . .” This was yet another radical idea—you must love those who hate you, and bless those who wrong you? This seems an almost impossible request—we’re only human, after all, and our natural reaction is to seek retribution. But Jesus goes on to point out: “For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them and lend expecting nothing back, then your reward will be great. . .” (Luke 6:33) We are also asked to be examples: “You are the light of the world. . .just so, your light must shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:13) There are millions of unsung heroes—those who have forgiven even the most heinous wrongs quietly and without fanfare, but here are three more famous examples: Pope John Paul II and his assassin. In May 1981, Pope John Paul II was the victim of an assassination attempt by a Muslim radical. The Pope nearly died, and never fully recovered from the attack. As soon as he was well enough, he visited his attacker in prison and the two spoke quietly for about twenty minutes. “What we talked about will have to remain a secret between him and me,” the Pope said as he emerged from the cell. “I spoke to him as a brother whom I have pardoned and who has my complete trust.” Immaculee Ilibagiza survived the 1994 Rwandan genocide by hiding for 91 days with seven other women in a tiny 3-by-4-foot bathroom at a Hutu pastor's home. During this ordeal, she lost her mother, father, and two brothers to the violence. She went on to become a motivational speaker and best-selling author on the topic of forgiveness, and later founded an orphanage for African children. Louis Zamperini: An Olympic runner and bombardier who survived nearly three years of brutal torture in Japanese POW camps, Zamperini later visited his captors to offer forgiveness—although his chief tormentor refused to meet with him. Next week: The double-miracle at Bethsaida and what it means. All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

Murder in Mistake now available in audiobook. Many thanks to my wonderful narrator @rachaneelumayno 🥰

The Teachings of Jesus: Significant Encounters #BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . Jesus taught by example, too. In these three Bible stories, he has a significant encounter with someone who would have been considered unworthy by the people of that time. (1) The Samaritan Woman at the Well. The Gospel of John recites the longest conversation anyone had with Jesus in the Bible. It is mid-day, and Jesus is resting alone at a well while his Apostles had gone to buy food. A Samaritan woman approaches to draw water, and we know immediately that she is an outcast among her own people, since she is alone at the well at midday—the women of the village would all come together to draw water in the morning, before it got hot. Jesus asks her to give him a drink, and she is astonished for two reasons: first, that a man would speak to a woman, and second, that a Jew would speak to a Samaritan. She voices her surprise, and he tells her that if she knew who she was speaking with, she would be the one asking him for living water. She is understandably confused by this reference—noting that he doesn’t even have a bucket—and in the ensuing conversation it almost seems as though he is gently teasing her. He then reveals that he is aware she has had five husbands, and is currently living with a man not her husband. Astonished yet again, she declares that he must be a prophet, but Jesus reveals that instead, he is the Messiah. It is important to understand that—at this point—he hasn’t told even the Apostles that he is the Messiah. From our present-day perspective, it is hard to imagine just how shocking this encounter was. Indeed, the gospel tells us that when the Apostles returned, they were “amazed that he was talking to a woman.” For her part, she left to go boldly into her village and ask everyone to come and listen to Jesus. The Gospel then tells us that the Samaritan village invited him to stay with them for two days. (John 4:4-42) (2) The Woman Caught in Adultery. The Jewish religious leaders had become hostile to Jesus, since he was attracting a large number of followers while preaching a radical ministry. Therefore, they tried to discredit him in public and saw just such a chance with a woman caught in adultery. The scribes and Pharisees brought the woman before Jesus, asserting that she must be stoned to death according to Mosaic Law. If he agreed, it would publicly contradict his ministry of forgiveness and mercy, but if he disagreed, they could bring a charge against him for disobeying the law. But Jesus only replied, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." One by one, her accusers left. Jesus then asked the woman, “Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” He told her, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” (John 8:1-11) (3) Zacchaeus the Tax Collector. Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector in Jericho, and tax collectors were thoroughly hated because they became wealthy by taking money from their fellow Jews to hand over to the equally-hated Romans. We are told that—because Zacchaeus was short—he climbed a sycamore tree to see over the crowds as Jesus passed by. When Jesus reached the tree, he called out, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” As could be imagined, this shocked the crowd, who were unhappy that Jesus would consort with such a sinner. In response, Zacchaeus immediately pledged to give half of his possessions to the poor and repay fourfold anyone he had cheated. (Luke 19:1-10). Fun fact: When asked about these questionable encounters, Jesus replied, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:16) Next time: Forgiveness and The Golden Rule All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

#BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . The teachings of Jesus: The Parables As I mentioned in the overview, what Jesus taught was a radical reconfiguring of the religious beliefs of the day. To make it more understandable, he used parables—stories that are similar to fables in that they illustrate a moral lesson. Here are a few of the more famous: The Workers in the Vineyard. A vineyard owner (representing God) hires a few day-workers from the town square early in the morning. He hires more at midmorning, at noon, in the early afternoon, and toward the end of the day. When it comes time to pay them, however, he pays everyone the same amount. The early-morning workers are outraged, since the latecomers shouldn’t be paid as much—and they complain bitterly about the unfairness of this. The owner answers, “My friend, I am not cheating you, did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Are you envious because I am generous?” (Matt. 20:1-16 The Prodigal Son. A father had two sons, and the youngest demanded his inheritance early so he could go off on his own. He promptly spent all the money on loose women and gambling, and wound-up starving and having to tend pigs. Thinking that he may as well go home and ask if he could tend his father’s pigs, he returned home. But instead of being angry, the father rejoiced to see him, and arranged a massive party to celebrate. The oldest son, upon seeing this, had a similar reaction to the early day-workers in the parable above; this was completely unfair—he’d served his father faithfully but he’d never had a party thrown for him. The father tells him, “My son, you are here with me; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because this brother was dead and has come back to life again; he was lost and has been found.” (Luke 15:11-32) The Good Samaritan. To better understand this parable, it is important to know that Samaritans (residents of Samaria) were very much looked down upon by the Jews of the time, and that Jews studiously avoided any contact with them. A lawyer was listening to Jesus teach that we should love our neighbor as ourselves, and he asked, “But who is my neighbor?” In response, Jesus told the following parable: A traveler was set upon by robbers, who beat him and left him for dead on the side of the road. A priest passed by but did not stop, and a Levite (a member of tribe of Levi, who performed religious duties for the Jews) crossed the road to avoid the victim. But a Samaritan saw the victim, and loaded him up on his donkey so as to take him to the nearest inn. The Samaritan bound his wounds, and then paid the innkeeper to nurse the man, promising to check-in on his return journey in the event more money was needed. Jesus asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The lawyer replied, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:25-37) Lazarus and the Rich Man. There was a rich man who feasted every day, but at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, who longed to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died but was sent straight to hell. The rich man called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am suffering torment in these flames.’ But Abraham said, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus received what was bad; but now he is comforted here and you are tormented.’ So the rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, father – send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. He can warn them so that they don’t come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.’ But the rich man protested, ‘Oh no, father Abraham—but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Abraham replied to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’” [Note: IRONY ALERT] (Luke 16:19-31) Fun fact: the Gospel of Luke contains twenty-four Parables, while the Gospel of John contains none. Next time: The Teachings of Jesus: Significant Encounters All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

#BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . The Teachings of Jesus: Overview Because there’s a lot to discuss, I will divide Jesus’ teachings into three parts: Overview, The Parables and Significant Encounters. So, let’s start with the Overview. Basically, it comes down to two main concepts: (1) Keep your eyes on the prize; you are here on earth for the blink of an eye, but there’s a forever waiting for you and it’s going to be wonderful—don’t lose sight of it. (2) With #1 in mind, let’s help each other get there. These two concepts are repeated multiple times by Jesus; you can see them laid-out plainly in the Lord’s Prayer. (Matt. 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4). You can also see them in Luke 10:25–28: A lawyer asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The answer: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” (Repeated at Mark 12:28-31 and Matt. 22:37-40) It’s hard to overstate how radical these two concepts were—the Jewish Torah does not propose an afterlife. And—up to that time—it was considered a blessing to be successful and wealthy; God loved you, which was why you had been given a life of ease. But Jesus turned that idea upside-down when he recited the Beatitudes: Blessed are the meek; the peacemakers; the clean of heart; the merciful; the poor in spirit. (Matt. 5:3-12) And the idea that we should love and serve our enemies with the same fervor that we love and serve our neighbors was unheard of; again, there was the general feeling that God must love you best if you were successful at clobbering your enemies. But Jesus taught that every person is of infinite value to God, regardless of their background, status, or past. (“Even the hairs on your head have all been counted.” Luke 12:7) He emphasized that God’s love and salvation are available to all—rich and poor, sinners and outcasts—because "the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10) Therefore we should forgive others, not be envious, and humbly serve the least of society—the hungry, the homeless, the imprisoned—as if we were serving Jesus himself. (Matt. 6:14–15; 25:31–46) Two simple concepts, but not so simple to put them into practice, right? So Jesus very helpfully gave us examples—The Parables, which we will look at next time. All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

#BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . The Apostles Little is known of Jesus’ early life, and we are given very few personal details. Instead, the gospel writers decided to focus exclusively on what Jesus said and did, with minimal interpretation or commentary—leaving us to draw our own conclusions. One thing Jesus did early in his ministry was gather twelve Apostles to assist him—ordinary men, who were minding their own business and unaware that they were about to become more famous than they could ever imagine. Gospel accounts vary, but in the Gospel of Matthew we are told that Simon and Andrew were fisherman on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus called out to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matt.4:19) We are told that the two didn’t hesitate: “At once, they left their nets and followed him.” (Matt.4:20) Jesus then came to another set of brothers, John and James, who were also fisherman, working with their father. “He called to them and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.” (Matt.4: 21) These two sets of brothers—Simon and Andrew, James and John—tended to be the core of the Apostles, and were present at all major events. Jesus would designate Simon as the head Apostle, naming him “Peter” which is the Greek translation for “rock.” (It would be “Kepha” in the original Aramaic language.) Jesus told Simon, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.” (Matt 16:18) Once again, we are given an unlikely hero, because Simon Peter tended to have a temper, tended to argue with Jesus, and famously ran away when Jesus needed him most. Yet the nickname was borne out, because Peter redeemed himself—courageously leading the church in the early days until he also was crucified. One of the apostles, Matthew, was a tax collector, and it is important to remember that tax collectors were hated with the heat of a thousand suns, since they collected taxes on behalf of the Roman oppressors and tended to cheat their fellow countrymen while they were at it. Yet, we are told: “. . .he saw a man named Matthew, sitting at the customs post. He said to him, ‘Follow me,’ and he got up and followed him.” (Matt. 9:9) It’s interesting, isn’t it? That an itinerant preacher with no worldly goods spoke to these men and they left their lives and families without a backward glance. It is a good example of what the Gospel writers did in reciting this history: this is what happened; make of it what you will. The scriptures provide few details about the other Apostles listed in Matt. 10:1-4: Philip, Nathaniel, Bartholomew, Thomas, James the lesser (called this to avoid confusion with John’s brother, James the greater), Thaddeus and Judas Iscariot. And rounding up the twelve, we are given another unlikely hero—Simon the Zealot, in that the Zealots were the terrorist faction of the day; ultra-religious Jews that regularly took-up arms against the Romans. The Apostles earned their immense fame mainly from what they did after the Resurrection—and indeed, their behavior lends credence to the truth of the Resurrection itself: they went from eleven terrified men (eleven because Judas Iscariot had committed suicide), hiding in an attic for fear the Romans would come after them, too—to men who went forth to the four corners of the known world, fearlessly preaching the Gospel. All but one wound-up getting tortured to death for their trouble, and yet they never faltered. So; something happened to change their minds, there in that attic. As the Gospel writers invite—you may draw your own conclusions. Fun fact: St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome was thus named because—according to tradition—Peter was buried beneath its high altar after his crucifixion in 64 AD. No one knew if this was actually the case, though—it seemed unlikely that anyone could collect his body, if Peter was crucified as an enemy of Rome. Then in 1939, excavations beneath St. Peter’s Basilica unearthed a complex network of catacombs beneath the structure, including a burial casket of bones labeled “Petros Eni”—Peter is here. Forensic examination showed the bones belonged to a robust man of 60-70 years, which was consistent with Peter at the time of his death. Next week: The Ministry: what Jesus taught. All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

#BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . John the Baptist As I’ve mentioned, John the Baptist was the first prophet to appear after a 400-year drought, and he is mentioned in all four Gospel accounts, which is a rare feat. So; who was he, exactly? Luke tells us that when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was to have a baby, he also told her that her relative Elizabeth (who was advanced in years) was also pregnant (Luke 1:36). Mary went to visit Elizabeth for an undisclosed period of time during their pregnancies. (Luke 1:39-45) We can thus assume that John and Jesus were related, and about the same age. Luke also tells us “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” John the Baptist appeared in the Judean desert as an itinerant preacher. (Luke 3:1) Matthew and Mark describe him as a hermit, clothed in camel hair and existing on a diet of locusts and wild honey (Matt 3:4; Mark 1:6). John preached “A baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3). He became enormously popular, so that “All the country of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem” went out to be baptized by John in the River Jordan (Mark 1:5). Due to his massive following, John was asked if he was the Messiah—the Anointed One of God, come to save the Jews—but John rather famously disclaimed, saying that there was one coming after him, and that John was not worthy to unfasten the thongs on his sandals. (Luke 3:16; John 1:26-27) Jesus himself was baptized by John in the Jordan, even though John humbly claimed it was Jesus who should be baptizing him. (Matt 3:13) John then got thrown into prison because he rebuked Herod, the local ruler, due to the fact the man had married his sister-in-law and such a marriage was unlawful. Despite himself, Herod would visit the prophet’s cell: “When he heard him speak, he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him.” (Mark 6:20) Herod’s wife, however, was very unhappy about John’s rebuke and plotted with her teenaged daughter (Herod’s stepdaughter) to have John killed. The girl danced for Herod and his dinner guests one night, and Herod was so pleased with the entertainment that he said to her, “Ask of me whatever you wish, and I will grant it to you.” (Mark 6:22) Prompted by her mother, the girl asked for the head of John the Baptist. Herod rather reluctantly granted her wish, and sent the executioner to bring the prisoner’s head on a platter. (Mark 6:26-28) Matthew tells us that when Jesus heard about John’s death, “he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.” (Matt 14:13) Fun fact: Four different places currently claim to enshrine the head of John the Baptist; (1) the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria; (2) the Residenz Museum in Munich, Germany (3) the Church of San Silvestro in Rome, Italy and (4) the Amiens Cathedral in France, which was built for the sole purpose of housing John’s head. (Supposedly, a Crusader carried it back from Constantinople in 1206.) Another fun fact: Actor Michael York did a compelling portrayal of John the Baptist in Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth. Next time: The Apostles All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

Murder in Mistake now available in kindle and print. tinyurl.com/2sz3wrm5

#BasicBible #BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study . . . The Gospels Four books start out the New Testament, each a different account of the life of Jesus: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The word “gospel” translates to “good news.” Interestingly enough, these four accounts often do not align—with the birth and resurrection narratives serving as prime examples. Traditionally, Matthew and John were considered eyewitness accounts but scholars tend to believe that none of the four were actual eyewitnesses, mainly because the Gospels were written well after the fact, with the earliest being the Gospel of Mark in 65 AD. (Remember, Jesus was crucified about 33 AD) It was only as the eyewitness generation began to pass away that the Gospel writers decided they’d better write it down. Here’s a brief rundown of each: The Gospel of Matthew was written in Syria about 85 AD. No one is certain who Matthew was, but his Gospel is packed with the most information. It is believed he was writing for a Jewish community due to his emphasis on the law of Moses. The Gospel of Mark was written first, around 65 AD, and is the shortest. It is believed that Mark was St. Peter’s translator. Both Matthew and Luke seem to have used Mark’s Gospel as their template, and many portions are copied word-for-word. Mark is believed to be a foreigner, in that he tends to make mistakes when it comes to geography and appears to be writing for a non-Jewish community. The Gospel of Luke was written about 90 AD. He was a physician who traveled with St. Paul, and was not Jewish. His is called the “universal gospel” because he directed his writings toward the poor and toward foreigners. He mentions women more than the other three. The Gospel of John was written around 90-95 AD. It does not follow Mark’s template, but instead uses imagery to great effect (e.g., light; living water.) John omits many of the miracles, and also omits the baptism, the parables, and the trial. Many people argue that the writer of this Gospel was also John the Apostle (and thus an eyewitness) as well as the writer of the Book of Revelation. It is possible, if he was a young teen during Jesus’ life and lived to be quite old. The only common stories in all four Gospels are the feeding of the five thousand, and John the Baptist, which is who we will cover next. All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com

#BasicBible # BibleStudy When you’re curious, but not enough to join a Bible study. . . New Testament Intro To recap, we’ve just gone through a few thousand years of Old Testament, focused mainly upon the history of the Israelites—their triumphs and their defeats. But now we’re starting at the year zero with the New Testament, which covers only about 100 years and focuses on the story of Jesus—who He was, and what happened after He died. The New Testament takes up approximately 400 years after the Old Testament ends. The New Testament can be divided into four parts: (1) The Gospels (four different books that describe the life of Jesus; what He did and what He said) (2) The Acts of the Apostles (A book that details what His followers did immediately afterward) (3) Twenty-one letters, which are actual letters written to the early Christian colonies, giving them instructions and advice. Fourteen are believed to be written by St. Paul. (4) Revelation, the last book of the Bible, which contains a lot of imagery and end-times predictions. It is important to remember that Jesus himself wrote nothing down. We know very little about his early life, and he didn’t start his ministry until he was about thirty years old. He lived in a small, obscure town—a backwater of the mighty Roman Empire—until he was put to death at age thirty-three for causing too much of a ruckus. Yet twenty centuries have come and gone, and He remains the central figure for much of the human race. All the emperors, all the kings, all the presidents, all the prime ministers—all of them combined together—have not affected life on earth as much as this one man. So, let’s find out about Him. Next time, The Gospels All previous posts are archived at AnneCleeland.com