Revelation 6 - 14

Bible Dictionary - Revelation of John - The second part, Rev. 4–22, deals with things yet future for John, things that had not yet come to pass. It begins with John’s time and continues to the end of the world. Note Rev. 4:1: “I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” Accordingly, it offers a sort of panoramic view of events through the ages—of Apostasy, Restoration, Judgment, and Millennium.


Apostasy and Restoration. Apostasy and Restoration are relatively gradual events. Compare the setting and the rising of the sun. It does not become dark or light all at once (see D&C 45:29)

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/revelation-of-john?lang=eng

New International Version - Revelation is a distinctive type of literature—Revelation is apocalyptic, a kind of writing that is highly symbolic. A distinctive feature is the frequent use of the number seven (52 times). There are seven beatitudes, seven churches, seven spirits, seven golden lamp stands, seven stars, seven seals, seven horns and seven eyes, in last week’s readings. This week we have seven trumpets, seven thunders, seven signs, seven crowns, seven plagues, seven golden bowls. And there will be more groupings in sevens through the end of the book. Symbolically, the number seven stands for completeness.

Thomas Wayment: The book helped shape the identity of a community that felt persecuted, and the life of the faithful as described in the book is one of persecution with a hope in eventual redemption. 

Adam Miller - Mormon, pg. 36, 37

“The world is perpetually passing away because it is, simultaneously, perpetually beginning. The end of the world is ongoing because God’s work of creating the world is ongoing. God not only created the world (in the past tense), he is continually creating the world (in the present tense). New lives and forms of life surge forth and old lives and forms of life pass away, each dependent on the other. 

Given that there is no end to God’s work and glory, his creative work may never conclude. In this case, the world will only continue to grow from one grace and glory to the next—with the flip side being that, for as long as God continues to re/create the world, the world will also continue to end. Every new act of creation will, at minimum, impose itself as the partial loss of what came before. Every new world will unfold, inescapably, as the passing away of the old. We will always find ourselves, at least in part, in the same position as Mormon: witnesses to the end of the world.

Christian discipleship is the work of willingly participating in the re/creation of the world. It’s the work of willingly participating in the world’s passing away. And this willing participation is what consecrates the world’s passing and renders it sacred. A disciple’s job is to continually inherit the new worlds that God is creating (now, today) by continually sacrificing (again) our claims to the old.”

Richard D. Draper - "Teaching the Book of Revelation: Five Considerations"

https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-14-no-1-2013/teaching-book-revelation-five-considerations

“As mysterious as the book of Revelation appears, it can be understood and taught with success. There are a number of good Latter-day Saint commentaries that the teacher will find helpful. It is important that the book of Revelation not be skipped because John’s work gives added details on three important subjects. The first and most important is the witness of the nature of our Savior and his work, especially dealing with his role in the last days. The second is the book’s exposure of the great enemies of the last days and their objectives and work. Having this knowledge serves as a warning to the modern Saints and helps them know what to prepare for and what to avoid. The third is a general outline of how history will flow through the millennial era, but especially just before the Second Coming.”

Major Events 

First Seal - The creation and fall of Adam and Eve; the ministry of Enoch and the translation of his city into heaven (Revelation 6:1–2) 

Second Seal -  Noah and the flood (Revelation 6:3–4) 

Third Seal - Ministries of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses; the Exodus; rule by “judges” (Revelation 6:5–6)

Fourth Seal - Rule by kings; the division of the kingdom; the conquering of the kingdoms (Revelation 6:7–8) 

Fifth Seal - The birth, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; the establishment of his Church and the ministry of the apostles; martyrdom of the apostles; the apostasy (Revelation 6:9–11) 

Sixth Seal - Continuation of the apostasy; restoration of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith; signs of the times manifest (Revelation 6:12– 17; 7:1–8) 

Our Day: “The Saturday Evening” of Time

Renaissance and Reformation - Industrial Revolution - Joseph Smith’s Ministry - Church Becomes World Church - Saints Prepare for Christ - Great Calamities Worldwide - Zion Fully Established

Seventh Seal - Wars, plagues, and desolation; second coming (Revelation 8:1–19:21) 

The earth is celestialized (Revelation 21:1– 22:6)

The Earth’s Sabbath

Final Destruction - Christ comes to Reign as King of Kings - Earth Receives Paradisiacal Glory - Satan Bound - Millennial Era of Peace and Love - Earth Celestialized at Close of Millennium

The Sixth Seal -  The Earth has a spirit - tagged scriptures

Revelation 6:12 - 17:

The cosmos/universe reacts to men’s sins. 

From Richard Draper: "The cosmos really does react to events on earth, and the earth itself reacts through great convulsions."

Richard D. Draper, Opening the Seven Seals: The Visions of John the Revelator. Page 72.

Q: In verses 16 and 17 - What is the fear?

Wayment: Their fear is not being covered by the white robe (Revelation 3:18)

Revelation 7: 13 - 17 

Living in a fully repentant state - Richard Draper: Millions will prevail during this time of trial because they heeded the warnings and prepared themselves. “In this state, they “serve him day and night in his temple.” They perform ceremonies associated with God’s sanctuary—they serve and are served in return.

“In this light, the most important work for the Saints of the sixth seal is the establishment of Zion by faithfulness, diligence, and especially purity. Missionary work must spread, temple work increase, and righteousness flow out of the homes and into the communities of the Saints. In this way God will have a people “prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion” (Doctrine and Covenants 136:31). 

Richard D. Draper, Opening the Seven Seals: The Visions of John the Revelator. Page 88.

Revelation 13

Richard D. Draper - "Teaching the Book of Revelation: Five Considerations"

https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-14-no-1-2013/teaching-book-revelation-five-considerations

"This condition has been carefully orchestrated by the dragon and the land and sea beasts over the ages, and it has now reached full flower. The result is that evil has been able to impose itself on the earth dwellers because of their growing indifference and ambivalence toward the good. They are willing victims of a growing normalization of aberrant behavior. They have been seduced by the ideological sophistry that the false lamb spews through all forms of media—the “image” the inhabitants of the earth willingly created for it (see 13:14). As a result, their love has waxed cold and, along with it, their ability to feel, to sympathize, and to empathize with that which is good. Being touched by nothing, they can be reached by nothing, and therefore saved by nothing, not even the terrible beating of “the army of the horsemen,... having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone,” who killed “the third part of men.” No, they will not choose to repent, for they have been sealed Satan’s.

The real issue in Revelation is one of worship. Taking on the beast’s mark (see Revelation 13:16) does not refer to tattoos or electronic implants. It connotes, rather, spiritual devotion to the beast. Insight into the significance of the mark comes from the fifth-century BC Greek playwright Sophocles, who warned of the charagma echidnēs, that is, “the serpent’s bite,” which was the means by which the snake secreted its poison into a person."

Revelation 14:6 “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the  everlasting gospel to preach . . ." 

Moroni drawing - Brian Kershisnik

Merry Christmas! We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, January 11, 2024. 

Revelation 1-5

FOLLOW HIM PODCAST 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bt8tPSr4hM 

His explanation regarding the history of the Book of Revelation starts at the 6:30 minute mark. 

NUMBERS

“Near Eastern literature, not just Hebrew, reveals a fondness for using numbers to communicate ideas. Why certain numbers became laden with symbolic meaning is unknown; in most cases this arose in prehistoric times and is now lost to us. Interestingly, there is a general consistency across the cultures to the meaning of certain numbers. That is not to say that numbers are never used as numbers. Certainly they mostly signify only literal quantity, however, in certain contexts they express ideas. This is the case in Revelation. One should interpret numbers just as the other symbolic representations. Fortunately, they are used consistently. For example the numbers 4, 7, 12, and 1000 denote aspects of wholeness, or completeness: the first to the world, the second to totality or perfection, the third to priesthood and the last to superlative greatness.”

Richard D. Draper, Opening the Seven Seals, The Vision of John the Revelator

REVELATION

“The Spirit left it up to John to translate what he comprehended into human language, but the vision did not come to him that way. The physical senses were superseded by those of the Spirit. Indeed, Spirit communicated directly with spirit through forms, images, and impression. In this way nothing was lost in the interchange. Unfortunately, John did not have that same privilege when he wrote. He had to use the language of his readers to make plain his testimony. To make up the difference, John used early symbolism through which a weak, yet somewhat effective, understanding of what he grasped may be conveyed.”

Richard D. Draper, Opening the Seven Seals, The Vision of John the Revelator

THE VISION OF THE SON OF MAN

Read Revelation 1:9-20 and consider the following questions.

1. How did the revelation occur? or How was he called to this work?

2. What directions does John receive?

3. What do these vs. teach us about Jesus Christ? What symbols does John use and what do they mean?

4. What descriptors does Christ use about himself to reassure John? What events do these phrases reflect?

PROMISES TO THE ONE WHO CONQUERS 

2: 7 eat from the tree of life

2:9 receive the crown of life; be not hurt by the second death

2:17 be given hidden manna and a white stone with new name 

2:26 given authority over nations; given the morning star

3:5 clothed in white clothing; have name in the book of life forever 

3:12 make the person a pillar in the temple of my God

3:21 be granted to sit with me in my throne, as I sat with my Father

GOD’S POWER

“The Seer focuses on God’s splendor and tries to describe and impress this upon his reader: light sparkling, radiating, and scintillating in hues of deep green and blood red. John combines the colors symbolizing life and death and has them radiating from the one who is the God of both. By this means the mind’s eye beholds the unmistakable testimony of divine power—God is dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no natural man has ever seen or can see.”

“A rainbow radiates out from and encircles the royal seat, sign of the covenant between God and Noah, suggesting that his judgement does not eclipse his mercy. But John does not give us a prismatic bow; it shimmers of but one hue, green, suggesting that life overarches all God is and all He does. The presence of the rainbow is most important. There is to be no triumph for God’s sovereignty at the expense of his mercy, and it warns us not to interpret the visions of disaster that follow as though God had forgotten his promise to Noah.”

“In his attempt to capture the power of the rays and currents that flowed from the throne, John adopted the imagery of a great storm. The word translated ‘voices’ in the KJV could well be translated as sounds, tones, or noises. These mighty phenomena symbolize divine power, majesty, and glory that almost overwhelm the beholder. Lightening, thunder, and noises also combine to give another aspect of the authority of God.”

Richard D. Draper, Opening the Seven Seals, The Vision of John the Revelator

THE SLAIN LAMB

“Through this powerful symbol, Revelation underscores the central theme of the New Testament: victory through sacrifice. The Lamb prevails not by sovereign might but by sacrifice grounded in love. He is worthy because he purchases God’s people with his own blood.

With this imagery, John does more than invest the Savior with the attribute of deity; he redefines omnipotence. Often felt to describe God’s power of unlimited coercion, the Seer reveals its true nature as the power of infinite persuasion, the invincible strength of self-sacrificing love.

By the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood, the Savior acted to bring about the Atonement, and he continues to minister its saving power in the world. This is the central deed in the scroll of destiny, for all history pivots on this one act. It alone allowed for the complete fulfillment of the Father’s will.”

Richard D. Draper, Opening the Seven Seals, The Vision of John the Revelator

WHAT IS THE POINT?

“The focus of Revelation—the core around which everything revolves—centers on the issue of authority. Who really overmasters the world? Is it the political institutions? the powers of evil? or God? To the faithful few, struggling against external pressure and deadly persecutions and being buffeted by alternate voices, the message of Revelation with its omnipotent, wrath-filled yet caring God, must have brought comfort and hope with the promise of victory.

The course of history John presents stressed the ultimate, rather than the immediate triumph of goodness over evil, and the call was for the Saints to work out their salvation in the present and to place their trust in God who was not yet ready to expose his mastery over history. The Saints had to exercise faith through a hope that made no demands upon the present.

Even today, an aspect of faith is a willingness to allow God to operate in his own way in the present, to take what comes, and continue strong. John’s readers have to accept the agony of the present as travail necessary to bring into being a glorious future. He wrote a message of testimony and hope.”

Richard D. Draper, Opening the Seven Seals, The Vision of John the Revelator

HOPE

Hope doesn't preclude feelings of sadness or frustration or anger or any other emotion that makes total sense. Hope isn't an emotion. Hope is not optimism...Hope is a discipline...we have to practice it every day. 

Mariame Kaba 

1 - 3 John & Jude

                                                      “Jehovah Creates the Earth” by Walter Rane

Messages: God is Light. God is Love. God is Truth.

"This article is an attempt to step beyond the merely symbolic understanding of light to see if “the glory of God” might be found in a familiar setting, at least provisionally. “Easter in ordinary,” as one scholar has put it, suggesting that the sacred may be inscribed in the commonplace." David A. Grandy, "Physical Light and The Light of Christ." https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/physical-light-and-the-light-of-christ/

 “. . . the word ‘light’ is often used in a symbolic fashion in the scriptures.” I certainly agree, but it strikes me that behind its symbolic meanings, light is something in and of itself. At least that is the intuition that motivates this article, and if this intuition is correct, it would seem that the study of light should be spiritually rewarding, particularly in view of the profound significance that scripture ascribes to light. For example: “The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth” (D&C 93:36).” 

David A. Grandy, "Physical Light and The Light of Christ." https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/physical-light-and-the-light-of-christ/

We have experienced seeing or feeling the light of Christ in others—How much spiritual energy does it take to exude His light? What does it take to have that spiritual energy?

"When the gift of the Holy Ghost is obtained, we have within us access to the complete source of spiritual energy to bring the Light of Christ to its full brightness in our soul; thus making us like God, who is light (see 1 John 1:5). Once the Holy Ghost is with us and powering radiation from the Light of Christ, the only thing keeping us from turning into our own spiritual spotlight is our “natural man” (Mosiah 3:19), which causes resistance to God (analogous to the resistor in the light bulb circuit). We need more faith, obedience, submissiveness, and, most succinctly, we need to have our “eye single to [God’s] glory” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:67). Drawing closer to God reduces our resistance to the Holy Ghost and increases the brightness of the Light of Christ radiating from within us."

Franklin, Aaron D.. The Spiritual Physics of Light: How We See, Feel, and Know Truth (p. 55). RSC, BYU, and Deseret Book Co. Kindle Edition.

“God has created man with a mind capable of instruction, and a faculty which may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to the light communicated from heaven to the intellect; and . . . the nearer man approaches perfection, the clearer are his views, and the greater his enjoyments, till he has overcome the evils of his life and lost every desire for sin; and like the ancients, arrives at that point of faith where he is wrapped in the power and glory of his Maker, and is caught up to dwell with Him.” Joseph Smith.  (History of the Church, 2:8).

https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/content/teacher-of-gods-truth?lang=eng

James

 BIBLE PROJECT VIDEO THE BOOK OF JAMES

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/james/

JAMES 1:5 AND JOSEPH SMITH

“During a religious meeting he was pointed to the scripture that changed the way he read the Bible. He was looking for the method to forgiveness in the Bible. He was hoping for clear directions.

After reading James 1:5, he realized that the Bible is not an archive of all the answers to every question. It is a book about people who asked God for wisdom and received. It is a book that shows how to seek and receive answers from God. And when he gets that it changes everything.

Northing is more consistent and more poignant in Joseph’s first vision narrative than the epiphany of James 1:5. He comes back to that all the time. That first revelation that he could read the Bible differently and go to God himself was a huge shift in his thinking. It was not coming out of his culture. He had to get that from God and the Bible on his own.”

Steven Harper, The First Vision: A Joseph Smith Papers Podcast, Episode 2

WISDOM

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Various Authors. Zondervan NIV Study Bible: Updated Edition (Kindle Locations 94011-94019). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

“In the Garden story, good and evil are found on the same tree, not in separate orchards. Good and evil give meaning and definition to each other. If God, like us, is susceptible to immense pain, He is, like us, the greater in His capacity for happiness. The presence of such pain serves the larger purposes of God’s master plan, which is to maximize the human capacity for joy, or in other words, ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.’ He can no more foster those ends in the absence of suffering and evil than one could find the traction to run or the breath to sing in the vacuum of space. God does not instigate pain or suffering, but He can weave it into His purposes. God’s power rests not on totalizing omnipotence, but on His ability to alchemize suffering, tragedy, and loss into wisdom, understanding, and joy.”

Givens, Terryl; Fiona Givens. The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life . Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition

Life is hard. Trials and hardships are paradoxical gifts which can produce endurance and shape our character.

God can do amazing work inside our suffering and help us become perfect.

He wants us to live an integrated life. Most of us live fractured lives and are more compromised than we want to admit.

God’s mission is to make us whole and begins with the gift of wisdom which is the ability to see hardships through a new perspective.

When we realize our humble and frail place before God we are forced to chose between anxiety and trust.

True wisdom is choosing to believe that God is good despite circumstances.

TRANSFORMATIVE STRUGGLE

“The worst thing is to live life in a way that requires no transformative struggle from ourselves and that makes no difference for good in the lives of others.”

Melissa Inouye, Sacred Struggle: Seeking Christ on the Path of Most Resistance

A LOST SHEEP by Melissa Inouye

https://www.wayfaremagazine.org/p/a-lost-sheep

Hebrews 7 - 13

 Hebrews

Author: Don’t know. Apollos, Barnabas, and Priscilla are the names mentioned.

Audience: Expected to have a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament scriptures and stories. Jewish Christians. This community was facing persecution because of their belief in Jesus. 

Message: To early Church members who faced persecution, the author of Hebrews gave two important messages that can help us when we are afraid: stay confident, and remember past miracles.

Jesus is superior to all—to ancient prophets, to angels, to Moses, and to Aaron and the priestly succession descendants from Aaron. Jesus is sufficient for all.

Not written as a letter but more like a sermon or essay.

Written 62-70 AD 

John Hilton: The author of the Book of Hebrews wrote to a group of Christians who had endured extreme persecution because of their belief in Christ. For example, an ancient Roman historian recorded that in 64 AD, “[The Emperor] Nero . . . inflicted the most exquisite tortures on . . . Christians. . . . Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt.” https://johnhiltoniii.com/teaching-helps-for-come-follow-me-hebrews-7-13/

David Holland: “What Jesus said to those disciples is you have to be spiritually prepared to be a leader and a source of divine power in the lives of the people that you serve. Well, the whole message of the restoration, that is this dispensation, is that this is applicable to all of us. One of the most beautiful symbols in this regard is the symbolism of the endowment. There was once an era for much of God’s work in the world where there was one High Priest on the face of the earth. One High Priest designated by certain vestments and certain clothing items, and we live in a dispensation when every woman and man who passes through the temple wears the robes of the High Priesthood and is ordained to be a priestess or a priest. So you take this sort of ancient world in which these gifts were reserved to a very small number, and the restoration just blows that up. And we wrestle as a people, and we wrestle for good reason; we have our own painful history with how expansive we have been with those offerings of authority and leadership. And we are still in the middle of that; we are still in that process. But at the core of it, something remarkable has happened with the restoration where that singular High Priest is now represented by women and men across the kingdom.” 44:14 - 45:57

David F. Holland, BYU Maxwell Institute Podcast - November 17, 2020 (related to Holland’s work on Moroni).  https://mi.byu.edu/mip-bti-holland/

Hebrews 10:17-25, 32, 35-36, 38-39

The first message was to stay confident. We read, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. . . . Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. . . . Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. . . . We are not of them who draw back. 

Multiple times the author of Hebrews says, “Don’t let your fear cause you to give up. Yes, things are hard; yes, it looks bad now; but don’t quit. Things will work out.”

“Call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions” Hebrews 10:32

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. . . .

. . . If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. . . .

. . . We are not of them who draw back unto perdition. [Hebrews 10:35–36, 38–39

The One High Priest

The office was usually a lifetime calling and, when rightly appointed, was by revelation from God, “as was Aaron.” 

The office was filled by 28 different men between 37 B.C. and A.D. 68. Since the latter year the office has ceased to exist among the Jews, but they were in apostasy long before that time.

The epistle to the Hebrews discusses at some length the manner in which Jesus Christ is the great High Priest, of whom all the others were pre-figures.

Bible Dictionary

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/high-priest?lang=eng

https://architecturerevived.com/clothing-ancient-israels-sacred-temple/

Priest's Vestments: The priest’s vestments consisted of four parts — headpiece, sash, tunic, and linen breeches. The high priest’s vestments consisted of eight pieces — the four belonging to the priest plus an ephod (or “special apron”), a robe of the ephod, a breastplate, and a golden plate of the headpiece (see Exodus 29:5–6). The Exodus text does not mention footwear. The texts may suggest a possible order of putting on clothing for the priests (see Leviticus 8:13) and the high priests (see Leviticus 8:7–10).

The scriptures disclose several symbols that are attached to the sacred vestments worn by priests and high priests in the ancient temple. Each piece of clothing used a variety of symbols to point individuals toward divine actions and attributes. When the symbols of the sacred vestments are considered as pieces of a whole, it becomes clear that they serve as a path of increased spirituality, ultimately pointing individuals toward a greater understanding of and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ.

https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/ancient-sacred-vestments-scriptural-symbols-and-meanings/

“Your garment is symbolic of the veil [of the temple]; the veil is symbolic of the Lord Jesus Christ. So when you put on your garment, you may feel that you are truly putting upon yourself the very sacred symbol of the Lord Jesus Christ—His life, His ministry, and His mission, which was to atone for every daughter and son of God.”

President Russell M. Nelson

Allen D. Haynie

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/allen-d-haynie/meeting-jesus-in-the-house-of-the-lord/

“When we see the temple garment, we can see a piece of clothing that we commonly wear. Or we can see a coat of skins, representing Christ’s Atonement. Or we can see the veil of the temple, a symbol of the sacrificed body of Jesus Christ. When we see the Savior in our temple garments, it can change the way that we view and treat them. It can also increase the power we feel from the Lord in our daily lives.”

John Hilton

https://johnhiltoniii.com/teaching-helps-for-come-follow-me-hebrews-7-13/

Hebrews 1-6

PAUL

“The life of the Apostle Paul is a part of the history of the world, and cannot be detached from it. We cannot explain that history without admitting the fact that he lived, and that he exerted an important influence in making the world what it has been, and what it is, and what it is to be. No great mind is ever made which does not affect and mold the future. Homer still sings; Demosthenes still pleads for liberty; Socrates still speaks to men; Solon and Lycurgus still live in the laws of nations; and even the ancient warriors still affect the destiny of mankind. Saul of Tarsus has influenced more minds than they; and any one of them would be less missed in the history of the world than he would be. If all the results of his living could be taken into the account, it would probably be found that no man of that age—orator, soldier, philosopher, statesman, poet, or legislator—did as much to affect the permanent condition of the world in future times as he did. The influence of most of those who were his contemporaries was limited to a particular country; his influence has extended far already over the nations of the earth, has been augmenting constantly since his death, and will live on to the end of time. When their names shall all die away, his will remain in fresh and ever-enduring and ever-enlarging vigor. In eighteen hundred years, there has not been a generation which has not been influenced by him.”

https://www.biblestudytools.com/classics/barnes-scenes-in-life/death-of-the-apostle-paul.html

HEBREWS THEME AND PURPOSE

“The author’s purpose is to persuade the audience not to turn from Christianity toward Judaism or toward a more conservative Jewish Christianity but to endure hardship, recognize the superiority of Jesus Christ, rely on him as sacrifice and high priest, draw on the examples of faith found in the Old Testament, and avoid apostasy.”

Lincoln H. Blumell, Frank F. Judd Jr., and George A. Pierce https://rsc.byu.edu/new-testament-history-culture-society/hebrews-general-epistles

CONDESCENSION OF JESUS

“The wonder of the Lord’s condescension is most meaningful when we contemplate how far He descended. The irony of the Jews’ rejection of Him pierces more deeply when we contemplate who He had been for them before He came to earth.

For example, before the Lord Omnipotent came to earth, He was known as the Creator of all things from the beginning. Contrast that with the Jews’ query, ‘Is not this the carpenter?’ The Creator of all things became a carpenter.

Similarly, consider the contrast between ‘Shepherd’ and ‘Lamb.’ In the Old Testament the Lord was called the ‘Shepherd of Israel.’ Isaiah described Him as the One who gathers His lambs with His arm. In His earthly life, that lamb-gathering Shepherd became God’s Lamb, sacrificed for Israel and for the whole world.

Consider this difference. Before Jesus came to earth He was called ‘the Father of heaven and earth.’ On earth He was mistaken as ‘the son of Joseph.’

When the Israelites were finally ready to enter the promised land, it was Jehovah who stopped the River Jordan and made it stand in its place so His people could cross on dry ground. Contrast His power in performing that miracle with His humility when, as Jesus of Nazareth, He was immersed by John in the same River Jordan.

In ancient Israel, Jehovah spared thousands and thousands of firstborn sons on the night of the Passover. When He came to earth in the flesh, Jesus raised from the dead the only son of a widow.”

https://site.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2011/12/the-condescension-of-jesus-christ

MORALISTIC THERAPEUTIC DEISM

As Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton explained, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism "is about inculcating a moralistic approach to life. It teaches that central to living a good and happy life is being a good, moral person. That means being nice, kind, pleasant, respectful, responsible, at work on self-improvement, taking care of one's health, and doing one's best to be successful." In a very real sense, that appears to be true of the faith commitment, insofar as this can be described as a faith commitment, held by a large percentage of Americans. These individuals, whatever their age, believe that religion should be centered in being "nice"--a posture that many believe is directly violated by assertions of strong theological conviction.

In addition, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism presents a unique understanding of God. As Smith explains, this amorphous faith "is about belief in a particular kind of God: one who exists, created the world, and defines our general moral order, but not one who is particularly personally involved in one's affairs-- especially affairs in which one would prefer not to have God involved. Most of the time, the God of this faith keeps a safe distance."

Consider this remarkable assessment: "Other more accomplished scholars in these areas will have to examine and evaluate these possibilities in greater depth. But we can say here that we have come with some confidence to believe that a significant part of Christianity in the United States is actually [only] tenuously Christian in any sense that is seriously connected to the actual historical Christian tradition, but is rather substantially morphed into Christianity's misbegotten step-cousin, Christian Moralistic Therapeutic Deism."

They argue that this distortion of Christianity has taken root not only in the minds of individuals, but also "within the structures of at least some Christian organizations and institutions."

How can you tell? "The language, and therefore experience, of Trinity, holiness, sin, grace, justification, sanctification, church, . . . and heaven and hell appear, among most Christian teenagers in the United States at the very least, to be supplanted by the language of happiness, niceness, and an earned heavenly reward."

https://albertmohler.com/2005/04/11/moralistic-therapeutic-deism-the-new-american-religion-2

1 and 2 Timothy; Titus; Philemon

Image: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Paul-the-Apostle

 1 and 2 Timothy; Titus; Philemon

Chronological Order: 

Philemon - 62-63 AD

First Timothy – 65 AD

Titus – 65 AD

Second Timothy – 66 AD

Philemon 1-25 - From Slave to Brother

Meaning of the name Onesimus: useful, profitable

Q: Why is this letter included in our canonized scripture?

Scripture Citation Index - Philemon is the least quoted book of scripture in our canon of scriptures - 7 times

General Conference - Elder Renlund and Elder Condie - 4 from Joseph Smith

Philemon 1:1,9, whose only desire is to do the Lord’s will. Nothing more. Nothing less. And nothing else.

Philemon 1:6 - By acknowledging that every good thing comes from Jesus Christ, we will communicate our faith more effectively to others.

Philemon 1:9 - Joseph Smith Your humble servant, Joseph Smith, Jun., a prisoner for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake - quoted by Joseph Smith many times in his writings

Paul shows a soft heart and a sense of humor in his personal letter to Philemon on behalf of a runaway slave, Onesimus. The letter reads like something out of Shakespeare. One can actually hear the dialogue right down to the name Onesimus. Philemon, a fellow Christian, has been wronged by his former slave through possibly a financial issue or work not done, and Paul writes, urging Philemon to take him back without penalty. Paul has converted Onesimus, whom he considers like a son. He asks Philemon to forgive and accept Onesimus back into his household, and if he is still irritated about whatever loss he incurred, to put it on Paul’s tab. Paul reminds Philemon in a good-natured way that he owes Paul. The beautiful statement is that despite being a runaway slave, Paul considers Onesimus “a brother beloved.” There is much in Paul's letter to Philemon that relates to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His payment of our debt. 

1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus 

Modern-era scholars have questioned the authorship of the Pastoral Epistles because they use a significant number of words that are not found in Paul’s other letters. The style of writing is markedly different from Paul’s other writings. However, each of the three letters also specifically refers to Paul as author. The doctrinal position is about the same—someone may have gathered Paul’s known writings and composed them as representations of what Paul counseled Timothy and Titus to do while noting that he did not likely write them in the same way he wrote his other letters. (Thomas Wayment).

Authorship: The questions in this book won’t be concerned with authorship. They will assume that the Christian tradition is correct in assuming that the Gospels, Acts, the letters, and Revelation were inspired by the Holy Ghost and authentically testify of Jesus Christ. In that case, questions of authorship are less important. As we study, our question will be, “What do these materials say to believers, and, in particular, what do they say to me?” James Faulconer

1 Timothy 6:16 - “no man hath seen, nor can see” Joseph Smith’s First Vision is a favorite target of critics of the LDS Church. Evangelical critics in particular, such as Matt Slick of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, seek to discredit the First Vision on biblical grounds. (Look at JST 1 Timothy 6:16)

Q: How would you respond to someone who quoted you this scripture in relation to the First Vision?

“God the Father dwells behind a curtain or veil of unapproachable light and glory, which is not penetrable by the eyes of unaided mortal man. Only in rare instances of grace is a mortal strengthened by God’s power to the point that he or she can pass through this barrier and endure the vision of God. Paul’s doxological description of God’s transcendence over man in 1 Timothy 6:16 should be interpreted in that context. God is capable of revealing his physical self to man. Such was the case with Moses and other ancient prophets, and such was the case with Joseph Smith.”

“Can a Man See God? 1 Timothy 6:16 in Light of Ancient and Modern Revelation”

James Stutz

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 8 (2014)

Titus 1:2 - “before the world began” 

“One of the important doctrines in this chapter is the doctrine of pre-mortality (verse 2). Few, if any, Christian religions in the world today teach that we had a premortal existence before coming to earth. Jeremiah 1:5 teaches the same doctrine.”

Thessalonians

THESSALONICA

“It would be useful to just talk about this place, because it is unique. Today it's Thessaloniki, but it's one of the longest continuously inhabited parts of the Roman Empire, and founded by a Macedonian king named Cassander who named it after his wife, Thessalonike, meaning the victory of Thessaly.

It's situated in an interesting spot. It's on the north shore of a beautiful, large, deep, well-protected harbor. It sits at the foot of a mountain. Going immediately north are trade routes into Europe, and it straddles a very important Roman highway,

It also has this really interesting history. Through its rises and falls in Roman history, it ends up being granted the status of a free city, which is really significant in Rome. Probably the most practical thing that comes from that was, it was tax-free. They didn't have to pay Imperial tax. And they were self- governing. They didn't have a Roman procurator, they didn't have Roman policing, via Roman military. They governed themselves via a town council.

They really cherished this status and the privileges that they got from being a free city. There was a sense there, that in order to maintain this independence and this liberty, they have to show great loyalty to the emperor. Public meetings would begin with the offering of a pinch of incense to the emperor. They were expected to do it regularly, personally, but also, anytime they gathered as a municipality,

there would be some emperor worship. Of course, this is really hard for the Jewish people there, and those who will become Christian. Much of the difficulty the new Christians are going to experience there, is the notion that because they worshiped another ‘emperor’ they could be a threat to the status of the city.”

Dale Strum, Follow Him Podcast, Episode 43

1 Thessalonians Chapter 1

“Let’s be brave. Let’s give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to win. Let’s be an example to the rest of the believers. Let’s rediscover then, the joy of receiving God’s word, let’s be inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit. And let us, in this community, find a work of faith, and a labor of love, and let us put our hearts to it even in the midst of a very challenging situation. For we do have a steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. And that hope is a threat to evil everywhere. If nothing else, we are learning from our present situation that the ministry and mission of the church is less inside of it’s walls than it is outside of it’s walls. And probably we should have learned this a long time ago.”

Reverend Wayne Sawyer, https://thomastonbaptist.org/2020/11/10/a-work-of-faith-a-labor-of-love-and-a-steadfastness-of-hope/

SUFFERING

“In the Garden story, good and evil are found on the same tree, not in separate orchards. Good and evil give meaning and definition to each other. If God, like us, is susceptible to immense pain, He is, like us, the greater in His capacity for happiness. The presence of such pain serves the larger purposes of God’s master plan, which is to maximize the human capacity for joy, or in other words, ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.’ He can no more foster those ends in the absence of suffering and evil than one could find the traction to run or the breath to sing in the vacuum of space. God does not instigate pain or suffering, but He can weave it into His purposes. God’s power rests not on totalizing omnipotence, but on His ability to alchemize suffering, tragedy, and loss into wisdom, understanding, and joy.”

Givens, Terryl; Fiona Givens. The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life . Deseret Book Company. Kindle Edition.

WHY CHURCH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?__s=6h0a9vfnbd9bo5mi4sd5&v=bdVo3UgNjaQ&feature=youtu.be

Philippians and Colossians

 

The Assumption of the Virgin by Francesco Botticini (1475–76) at the National Gallery London shows three hierarchies and nine orders of angels, each with different characteristics. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assumption_of_the_Virgin_(Botticini)

John Hilton

Philippians 2:6-11

"Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians was written in approximately 60 AD. Many scholars believe that a portion of this epistle was an early Christian hymn or poem. If this is correct, then Philippians 2:6-11 is one of the earliest Christian messages. Anglican scholar N. T. Wright notes that “the poem consists of three three-line stanzas, and the line in the middle, as it were, holds its arms out in both directions. . . . The poem is clearly telling the story of Jesus with the cross at its center.”

https://johnhiltoniii.com/teaching-helps-for-come-follow-me-philippians-and-colossians/

When Enos received forgiveness for his sins, he poured out his whole soul for the welfare of the Lamanites. Harris categorizes this selfless consecration as a form of kenosis, expanding on the traditional Christological definition. Kenosis comes from the Greek word κενόω, “to empty.” In New Testament theology, kenosis primarily refers to a facet of Christology, derived from Philippians 2:5–11, which describes Christ’s condescension into mortality. Kenosis conveys how Jesus Christ, a fully divine being, nonetheless “emptied” himself of certain divine qualities to become like man. This extreme condescension ultimately enabled Christ to become exalted above all. This has led to vigorous debate in Christian history as to the exact nature and extent of this “emptying.” Because Philippians 2:5 invites readers to emulate Jesus Christ in this way, Harris seems to extend the concept of kenosis to any “emptying of power that increases power.”

"Itty Bitty Books with Big Lessons:
Enos, Jarom, Omni by Sharon J. Harris"

Reviewed by Jasmin Gimenez Rappleye

https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/itty-bitty-books-with-big-lessons-enos-jarom-omni/

Colossians 1:16 “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”

“(in traditional Christian angelology) the fifth-highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy.” Oxford Reference. https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100346109

Fifth-highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy

Highest orders. Seraphim · Cherubim · Thrones 

Middle orders. Dominions · Virtues · Powers 

Lowest orders. Principalities · Archangels · Angels

Jesus certainly participated in the creation of all created things—but He worked with preexisting chaotic materials. The angelic ranks of "thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers" were also created by Christ, for these beings did not assume their angelic status or form without divine creative power, even though some aspect of their "intelligence" pre-dated God's creative acts in their behalf.

https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Question:_Does_Colossians_1:16_teach_that_Jesus_created_all_things_out_of_nothing%3F

Angels are of various types and perform a variety of functions to implement the work of the Lord on earth. They exist as a part of the whole family in heaven. All people, including angels, are the offspring of God. There are several types and kinds of beings, in various stages of progression, whom the Lord has used as angels in varying circumstances. 

Dionysius, who purports the existence of nine angelic orders called choirs, one of which is called archangels. In the literature of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an archangel is a chief angel, holding a position of priesthood authority in the heavenly hierarchy. Discussion of specific positions or functions in the celestial hierarchy beyond the scriptures cited above is conjectural.

Angels in Encyclopedia of Mormonism by Oscar W. McConkie.

https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/node/534

Colossians 2:4

Paul’s point is that even though the arguments seem to make sense (sound reasonable), they are in the end false. Paul is not here arguing against the study of philosophy or serious thinking per se, but is arguing against the uncritical adoption of a philosophy that is at odds with a proper view of Christ and the ethics of the Christian life. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians%202&version=NET

Colossians 2:20-23 - Asceticism 

"Instead, Paul advocated, “put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:14-16). Paul knew that internal conversion would lead to positive external Christian works, while external religion may simply be the manifestation of skin-deep conversion." Thomas Wayment, From Persecutor to Apostle.

Ephesians - Video from Class

 Here is the video shown in class--starting at the 20:24 mark:

Ephesians

We will be holding class next week even though it is October break for the schools. Reading for next week is Philippians and Colossians.

PREDESTINED

“Greek makes no distinction between foreordain and predestine. The two words have taken on nuanced meanings in theological discussions which are foreign to Paul’s writing and Paul uses the word in a sense of preplanning or preparing. These verses (5-6) promote the ideal that God foreordained the saints to follow him in order that they would praise his grace. Although this statement simplifies the complexity of righteousness and a life in Christ, it highlights the importance of grace.

The concept of the administration of the fullness of time refers to the idea that God had a plan for a certain time or age to administer it according to his will.”

Thomas A. Wayment, The New Testament, A Translation for Latter-day Saints, pg 341

 DISPENSATION

“The term dispensation is translated from the Greek oikonomia, which is the common root for our modern term economy. By our standards, economy is generally defined as the ‘management of affairs’ and as such fits nicely with other earlier translations of oikonomia, rendered ‘administration’ or ‘stewardship.’ By understanding the historical meaning of dispensation, we quickly see that Paul’s emphasis was not on a period of time per se but on the economy or administration of a time.

Paul creates a mutual dependence between mysteries and the administration of the fulness of times. In other words, we see that mysteries are revealed for (or by) the administration so all things can be gathered in one.”

“Without the revelation of mysteries, it is apparent that the ‘fulness of times’ could not come to pass. The type of administration that could bring about such unparalleled results is exposed with further review of the term oikonomia. The literal translation of oikonomia is ‘house-distributor’ or ‘overseer.’ Thus, it is by the house- distributor or overseer that the restoration and revelation of all things in the fulness of times will transpire. Throughout the history of man, prophets have been recognized as the Lords servants and overseers.

Thus, the administration that will bring about the fullness of times is through authorized stewards who manage the affairs of Gods house.”

Matthew O. Richardson, Ephesians: Unfolding the Mysteries through Revelation

BELONGING

“Belonging is being part of something bigger than yourself. But it’s also the courage to stand alone, and to belong to yourself above all else.”

Dr. Brené Brown.

Institute is Back!

 

We can’t wait to discuss Paul’s writings with you! See you in two weeks. Same time, same location.

Matthew 19–20; Mark 10; Luke 18

SOURCES:

Brown, S. Kent. “The Rich Young Ruler and the Parable of the Unjust Steward.” The Testimony of Luke. https://www.byunewtestamentcommentary.com/the-rich-young-ruler-and-the-parable-of-the-unjust-steward/#more-1336

Brown, S. Kent. “The Twelve.” The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ: From Bethlehem through the Sermon on the Mount. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Thomas Wayment

Chadwick, Jeffrey R. “What Jesus Taught the Jews about the Law of Moses.” The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ: From Bethlehem through the Sermon on the Mount. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Thomas Wayment

“Disagreements for the Sake of Heaven.” Video. The Padres Center for Judaism and Conflict Resolution. January 7, 2015.

Eubank, Sharon. “A Letter to a Single Sister (and anyone else who is longing to belong).” Ensign Magazine. October 2019. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2019/10/a-letter-to-a-single-sister?lang=eng

Faulconer, James. The New Testament Made Harder. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1085&context=mi

Smith, Julie M. The Gospel According to Mark. https://www.byunewtestamentcommentary.com/jesus-teaches-about-wealth-mark-1017-31/

Wayment, Thomas A. The New Testament: A Translation for Latter-day Saints.

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Jesus Teaches about Marriage and Divorce 

Matthew 19:3-12

Mark 10:2-12

Footnote, pg. 204: “The KJV use of the word “tempting” in Matthew 19:3 fails to accurately represent the event. The Greek verb in this passage (pierazo) is more properly rendered as “test, try, or prove.” The Pharisees in Matthew 19 had not come to tempt or entrap Jesus. They had come with a legitimate question and wished to assess His position. His immediate, respectful, and detailed response indicates that He took their inquiry seriously.”

Kent Brown.

"Fitting into a Church focused on family can also be challenging. But the reality is that a majority of Church members do not live in perfect family situations. I’m not sure anyone lives in that perfect, ideal family. So why keep the emphasis? Because family is our destiny, and we are on this earth to learn the skills of strong family relationships, no matter what our own situation is.” 

Sharon Eubank.

Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai were two early Jewish schools of thought, or "houses" (beit, from Hebrew bayit, means "house of"), named after Hillel and Shammai, leading sages of Jerusalem in the latter half of the first century bce and in the early first-century ce.

“On this issue, too, Jewish opinion was divided. Among the Pharisees, according to the Mishnah (record of the oral tradition), the strict academy of Shammai felt that marriage was so important that a man could utilize the law’s divorce passage only if his wife was guilty of “a matter of sexual impurity”—meaning adultery or other unfaithful acts of physical sexuality. But the more pragmatic academy of Hillel took the usually loose view that a man might divorce his wife for any cause at all, even if she ruined food in cooking it.”

“On this occasion, to the astonishment of His own disciples (since His positions more often paralleled those of Hillel), Jesus’ ruling was nearly identical to the earlier position of Shammai: “Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall

marry another, committeth adultery” (19:9). In His interpretation of the law of Moses on this matter, the Master deliberately emphasized the primary importance of marriage over any pragmatic benefits of a divorce obtained too easily.” 

Jeffery R. Chadwick

Wayment footnote: Matthew 19:10-12 Jesus may have been referring to the Essenes when he said that some have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom.

Essenes (Escenes) is a member of an ancient Jewish ascetic sect of the 2nd century BC–2nd century AD in Palestine, who lived in highly organized groups and held property in common. The Essenes are widely regarded as the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Ascetic - practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.

The Rich Young Ruler 

Matthew 19:16-22 - 

Mark 10:17-31 - 10:21 Mark alone adds that Jesus loved him.

Luke 18:18-30 - Different points of emphasis, such as the connection between perfection and obedience and the departure of the man. Luke records only that the man became sad, but he does not depart from Jesus.

In the economic reality of Jesus’ time, there was no path to wealth except to defraud others: “In the localized zero-sum economy of agrarian Palestine, there was little chance one could become rich without having defrauded people along the way.” It would have been nearly impossible to become wealthy without collaborating with Rome, so Jesus is inviting this man to focus on a different kingdom. Without saying a word, the man’s face falls, and he walks away. His reaction contrasts with Jesus, who looked at him and loved him; he shows his lack of love for Jesus by being unwilling to follow him. He is . . . a wealthy man who attempts to engage in mutual flattery. 

Julie M. Smith

Footnote: John A. Tvedtnes debunked the explanation that the “eye of the needle” was a gate to Jerusalem through which a camel could enter, but only on its knees, by explaining that a camel’s anatomy would not permit this. He suggested one of two possibilities for understanding this verse: either that the word originally used was “rope” or that this was “deliberate hyperbole,” which, he notes, was characteristic of Jesus’ speaking style specifically and of his environment in general. He concludes that “all three possible explanations of Matthew 19:24—the gate, the rope, and the Jewish figure of speech—have been mentioned by prominent Latter-day Saint leaders. In any event, the idea is clear—riches can become a serious stumbling block to a person seeking eternal life.” John A. Tvedtnes, “I Have a Question,” Ensign 15 (March 1985): 29.

Julie M. Smith

Matthew 19:24 - “Many stories have been told to indicate that the “eye of the needle” is a small postern gate that was opened at night when the city gate had been shut and that a camel could get through it provided it had been fully unloaded. It is a nice story but not true in biblical terms. The eye of a needle refers to a surgeon’s needle. In both Matthew 19 and Matthew 23, the point was that the camel was the largest animal with which people of the day were familiar. Jesus was using the term much as we would use the word elephant as the largest creature in our experience. Jesus may also have used the camel as an illustration because it was ritually unclean.” 

James Faulconer

The Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge

Luke 18:1–8 - This parable is unique to Luke

Wayment: Footnote - The parable and comments on it treat the topic of endurance in prayer. Jesus indirectly confronts the issue of praying without receiving an answer. This parable is unique to Luke. Compare the interpretation of this parable in Doctrine and Covenants 101:81-92.

“Persistence stood as a chief attribute in Jesus’ teachings on prayer. For example, in a series of lessons on praying, Luke drew the obvious conclusion when he wrote that Jesus “spake a parable unto them . . . that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Luke 18:1 In the parable that followed, a widow persistently, relentlessly sought proper redress from a judge. She so wearied him with her endless pleadings that he finally took action on her behalf, an illustration of the virtue of persistence (Luke 18:2-7). In addition, in Jesus’ eyes, humility joined persistence as an attribute that moves heaven. 

Kent Brown

Luke 12-17; John 11

 OUR PRESENT TIME

“What a time we live in and yet the Savior's saying, Yeah, you know a lot. But do you discern the times that are going on? Do you understand what is right and wrong anymore? When I look at our times, I say, well, what is the times? We are confrontational. We are judgmental, we are canceling.

Am I discerning my time, the spirit of my time, the problems of the time? Am I losing the anchor that is, what is right, what is wrong? What is moral? What is ethical? What isn't? What is the meaning of life? What is the right way to live? How do we interact with people in our relationships?”

Dr. Michael Wilcox, Follow Him Podcast

THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

“Change can be painful. It’s more pleasant to remain in homeostasis–not too hot, not too cold. We’re often tempted to freeze an ideal image of ourselves in our mind and suppose that the only work left for us to do is stick to what we know. But we can’t grow this way.

As children, we were raised knowing who we were and where we came from. And that learning continues to serve us in good stead. But we now realize the story is continually unfolding. Revelation is still ongoing. The depths of God’s mysteries are unsearchable.

Our static self-image is too small a place to live in now–a playhouse we’ve outgrown where we’re hunched over and constantly banging our head on the low ceiling. We can enter the Father’s mansion, where there are countless rooms to unlock; new aspects of our self to discover.”

Thomas McConkie, "A Subtle Pilgrimage”

 JEWISH POWER

“The Sanhedrin was the high court of the Jews. In New Testament times it was made up of three kinds of members: chief priest, elders and teachers of the law. Its total membership numbered 71, including the high priest, who was the presiding officer. Under Roman jurisdiction the Sanhedrin was given a great deal of authority, but it could not impose capital punishment.

In all four Gospels the Pharisees appear as Jesus’ principal opponents throughout his public ministry. But they lacked political power, and it is the chief priests who were prominent in the events that led to Jesus’ crucifixion. Here both groups are associated in a meeting of the Sanhedrin. They did not deny the reality of the miraculous signs, but they did not understand their meaning, for they failed to believe.

Caiaphas, a Sadducee was concerned with political expediency, not with guilt and innocence. He believed that it was better for one man, no matter how innocent, to perish than the whole nation to be put in jeopardy.”

New International Version Study Bible

PARABLES

“Parables are designed to teach us that we're maybe not doing everything that we should be doing. Maybe we're not thinking the way we should be thinking. They're not aimed at the intellect, they're aimed at the conscience. And it's important to realize that because sometimes, we doctrinalize some of the parables, and I don't think that's what the Savior meant. They're aimed at not the intellect, but the conscience, to help us live better.”

Dr. Michael Wilcox, Follow Him Podcast

PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED

The size, height and bushiness of the mustard tree provided a place of refuge, protection, shelter and habitation for the birds of heaven. In each case, the New Testament texts use some form of the Greek verb kataskenao to describe the birds of heaven making their home in the branches of this tree. Metaphorically, this word can describe birds building nests, but the word signals much more than that. With the word skene—meaning tent, booth, tabernacle, shelter, or lodging— kataskenao literally means putting up a tent, especially in the sense of an army making a camp. So Jesus’s text could read that the birds of the heavens ‘tabernacle there.’ They made camp there, as Israel had made camp with the tabernacle of the Lord as they sought refuge and shelter in the wilderness.”

John and Jeannie Welch, “The Parables of Jesus,” pg. 71-72

John 7 - 10

Christ and the Woman taken in Adultery, drawing by Rembrandt 

SOURCES

Faulconer, James. The New Testament Made Harder. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1085&context=mi

Holzapfel, Richard Neitzel. “The Family of Jesus.” The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ: From the Transfiguration Through the Triumphal Entry. Edited by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Thomas Wayment.

Huntsman, Eric D. ”The Gospel of John," in New Testament History, Culture, and Society: A Background to the Texts of the New Testament, ed. Lincoln H. Blumell (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2019), 204-321.

https://rsc.byu.edu/new-testament-history-culture-society/gospel-john

Lane, Jennifer C. “From Opposition to Hostility.” The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ: From the Transfiguration Through the Triumphal Entry. Edited by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Thomas Wayment.

Olson, Camille Fronk. Women of the New Testament. pg. 167.

Strathearn, Gaye. "Johannine Christology through the Lens of Three of Its Dialogues" in Thou Art the Christ: The Son of the Living God, The Person and Work of Jesus in the New Testament, ed. Eric D. Huntsman, Lincoln H. Blumell, and Tyler J. Griffin (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2018), 153–174.

https://rsc.byu.edu/thou-art-christ-son-living-god/johannine-christology-through-lens-three-its-dialogues

Van Dyke, Blair G. ”Miracles of Jesus in the Gospel of John" Religious Educator 9, no. 3 (2008): 15–30  https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-9-no-3-2008/miracles-jesus-gospel-john

Wayment, Thomas A. “The Woman Taken in Adultery and the History of the New Testament Canon.” The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ: : From the Transfiguration Through the Triumphal Entry. Edited by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Thomas Wayment.

Welch, Rosalynde Fransden. Ether: A Brief Theological Introduction.

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“. . . we should view as a gift, not a liability, scripture’s high-maintenance demand that we grapple for its meaning over and over. There is paradoxical value in scripture aging out of its original language and context. It is only in the wrestle to clothe an ancient text in a different language, to reframe its potential meanings for a new time or place, that the book grabs hold of the reader and gets under the skin. That our religious community’s interpretation of scripture changes over time is a sign of spiritual vitality, not decline. That we trudge through the same books of scripture on a never-ending four-year curriculum cycle should be, paradoxically, an opportunity for new vision, not tedium. Among the several channels of continuing revelation streaming between God and his people, we should include scripture itself—not as a glassed-in repository of original truth, but as a hands-on site of emergent intention. Our interpretive practice should attend to “translations” both conceptual and linguistic, as well as to originals. Scripture’s center of gravity lies in the present, not in the past.” Rosalynde Welch, Ether: A Brief Theological Introduction, pg. 67.

Gospel of John

Wayment - Structure/organization - suggested “that it is a two-part work divided nearly equally into a “book of signs” (1:1-12:50) and a “book of glory” (13:1-20:31)

John 7:1-5

Q: In verse 1, what is John referring to with the phrase “these things”? 

John 7 "Joseph Smith Translation does not provide any additional insights about Jesus’ family.” Holzapfel pg. 368

Q: Why do they want him to go to Judea? What are the brothers asking Jesus to do? Does verse 5 shed any light on their advice? How do the brothers understand Jesus’s work? 

One of the brothers, James, will later not only become a Christian but will be the head of the Church in Jerusalem and is the James of James 1:5. 

John 8:1-11

“ . . . the story was not originally part of the Gospel of John and was likely not written by the author of the Gospel of John.” Wayment. pg. 374

“ . . the story was introduced into the canon because it had always been part of the oral traditions about Jesus’ life but had never been recorded by any of the evangelists.” Wayment pg. 383

Q: What are your thoughts about the story of the woman taken in adultery? 

“When Jewish leaders brought to stand before Jesus a woman won they had found in the very act of adultery, their plan was to test Jesus with the hope of framing a charge against him. That they used the woman merely as a prop by which to advance their scheme highlights the second-class status of women and, in particular, of women accused of breaking the law of Moses in their society. No one even spoke to the woman, let alone asked her for an explanation. In fact, she appears in the story as a silent, helpless victim of whatever ruling men chose to inflict on her. The story is told to showcase the wisdom and mercy of Jesus in contrast to the vindictive and hypocritical attitudes of the men who concocted the trap. Considered an example of the application of Christ’s teachings for sinners generally, further analysis renders unforgettable the story of this unnamed woman and its message of hope for all.”Dr. Camille Fronk Olson

Q: What is the trap? 

“The members of the Sanhedrin were the only Jews who held the legal right to make decisions regarding the law; and in many instances, their powers to make decisions and carry out sentences were limited because they were subject to Roman rule. In this instance, Jesus’ opponents asked Him to make a decision that He could not legally make according to Jewish law. Moreover, the tension of the situation was compounded because it took place within the walls of the temple—where a directive to stone someone by one who has no authority to make such a decision could be viewed as treasonous.” 

Thomas Wayment

pg. 386

“This is not in any sense a pardon, nor is our Lord condoning an adulterous act. He does not say, ‘Go in peace, thy sins are forgiven thee.’ He merely declines to act as a magistrate, judge, witness, or participant of any kind in a case that legally and properly should come before an official tribunal of which he is not a member.” Elder Bruce R. McConkie.

Q: What purpose did it serve for Jesus to stoop down in the exchange with the Pharisees and scribes?

Q: What may be a similar posture today and when might taking such a stance prove wise?

 Verse 10 - “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?” 

He stands up - a sign of respect - Woman with a capital W is a term of endearment. 

Q: What would these two actions mean to her? (Standing up and calling her Woman)

JST: John 8:11 “And the woman glorified God from that hour, and believed on his name.”

Q: What is important about this dialogue between this woman and Jesus Christ?

John 9:1-7; 8-12; 13-17; 18-23; 24-27, 39-41 

“The emphasis in the story might be on the necessity of anointing rather than on the making of clay from spittle. Compare Moses 6:35-36, where Enoch anoints his own eyes with clay, washes them, and subsequently sees spiritual things.” Wayment footnote pg. 184

Moses 6:35-36, footnote in 35 “clay” to look at reference back to John 9.

Q: What do you think about the emphasis on anointing rather than on the making of clay? Why might it be a necessity?

Neighbors: John 9: 8-12

Pharisees: John 9:13-17

Parents: John 9:18-23 - missed opportunity to testify 

“I do not typically engage in conversations about sensitive topics like politics and religion.  I listened as some of the moms shared that they went to church as children, but did not really believe in organized religion, and did not plan to raise their children with any specific beliefs. They didn't know if anyone still deeply believed in God or Jesus once they became an adult, beyond perhaps what they were taught as a child. I did not interject, but listened intently, wondering if I had the courage to speak up about my beliefs. After all, I had another two days to spend with the group, and it would have been easier to let it lie. 

As I sensed the conversation was about to go in a different direction, my heart began to race and I felt an overwhelming urge to say something about my faith. Even though I was not sure how my comments would be received, I blurted out, "I believe in Jesus Christ." I went on to describe how I was raising my children in the Catholic Church, as I had been, that I regularly attended Mass and my faith was important to me. As I waited for a response, I tried to evaluate their expressions to get some sense as to what they might say. Fortunately, the women kindly said they respected my opinion and perspective, and we continued on to the next topic. Nothing more was said that weekend about the subject, but I felt relieved that I had made this integral part of my identity known to the group. 

 

I will never forget the feeling that overcame me at that moment when I could have easily let the opportunity pass to share my faith in Jesus Christ with others. Though small, this experience gave me the courage to speak up more about my faith, despite the fear of rejection or confrontation. My faith has only grown deeper since then, and I have become more confident and comfortable in discussing the "taboo" topic of religion. I hope and pray that speaking up, even among a small group of new friends, had a positive impact and shared the message of Jesus Christ.”

Kathleen Lochridge 

Questioning: John 9:24-27

“As annoying as all these questions must have been, they served a purpose because they apparently caused the man to move beyond the sensory overload that the miracle must have stimulated and forced him to reflect more deeply on what had happened to him. Their unrelenting questioning had, I think, triggered an unintended consequence. Not only had the man now acknowledged that Jesus was a prophet, their questioning had enabled him to recognize that Jesus could not be the sinner that the Pharisees had categorized him as. He was beginning to raise his sights and see differently from the other “earthly” people who peppered him with questions. He was now using the light that only Jesus could provide to illuminate his path, and so he said, “Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind? If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.” This increasing spiritual sight that he was gaining resulted in the Pharisees casting him out, but it also opened a door.” 

Gaye Strathearn

Q: What door do you think it opened?

The blind man was cast out - who else was cast out?

Jesus and the healed man: John 9:35-38

Q: How can being cast out ever be a good thing?

Jesus and the Pharisees: John 9:39-41

“The miracle that John wants his readers to understand in this story is not limited to the man receiving his physical sight, as impressive as that miracle was. The Pharisees had always had their physical sight, yet they could not “see” who Jesus was. The real miracle was that the man received his spiritual sight, which enabled him to break free from his earthly shackles and “see” who Jesus really was: not just a man, or even a prophet, but his God.”

Gaye Strathearn

Q: What door do you think it opened?

The blind man was cast out - who else was cast out?

Jesus and the healed man: John 9:35-38

Q: How can being cast out ever be a good thing?

Jesus and the Pharisees: John 9:39-41

“The miracle that John wants his readers to understand in this story is not limited to the man receiving his physical sight, as impressive as that miracle was. The Pharisees had always had their physical sight, yet they could not “see” who Jesus was. The real miracle was that the man received his spiritual sight, which enabled him to break free from his earthly shackles and “see” who Jesus really was: not just a man, or even a prophet, but his God.”

Gaye Strathearn

Q: What are some truths we learn from his story? 

“In the case of the man born blind, it seems reasonable to conclude that a new creation was essential. The miracle likely necessitated the creation of cells, tissues, and nerves that were either present but had never functioned or were altogether absent due to birth defects.

It is also significant that Jesus commanded the man to go to the pool of Siloam to wash the clay from his eyes. The word Siloam in Hebrew is rendered Shiloh and is one of the ancient titles of Jehovah. The word means “a messenger sent forth with authority.” In the end, the blind man was able to see only after he submitted his will to Christ, the authorized messenger sent from the presence of God.” 

Blair Van Dyke

John 10 - Jesus is the Good Shepherd 

John 10:10

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” 

“In his Discourse on the Good Shepherd, Jesus had testified, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (10:10). Meaning “to an extent remarkable or extraordinary,” abundantly refers to a richer, deeper life such as that suggested by the good wine of Cana, the living water of Samaria, or the flowing rivers promised by Jesus. It suggests a spiritual quality of life here on the earth that anticipates the everlasting life promised by the death and resurrection of Jesus.

In John, Jesus stresses that such life is available here and now, a concept called realized eschatology. Eschatology is literally the “study of the end,” and usually eschatology is future, referring to the blessed state that will accompany the end of the world and the advent of God’s kingdom. Yet Jesus at times speaks of our future state as if it can be realized now.”

Eric Huntsman

Q: In what ways do these stories teach us about living abundantly?

Q: How will we respond to the dialogue that Jesus seeks to have with us? 

Q: How will we allow Jesus to stretch our minds, and take us out of our comfort zones so that we can at least begin to see and understand heavenly things?