Jan 8 2014

The Conception of John the Baptist

Nowhere in the Bible but the Gospel of Luke are we told about the events leading to the birth of John the Baptist. Though certainly not predicted for as long of a time as the birth of the Lord Jesus Himself, it had been anticipated for hundreds of years – at the very least, since the time of Malachi (Malachi 4:5), which most scholars place at about the middle of the 5th century B.C.

English: Herod the Great Suomi: Herodes Suuri (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Verse 5 opens with “in the days of Herod, king of Judea…” There tends to be some confusion as to which Herod the Bible refers to between the gospels and the Book of Acts. This one is the one known as “Herod the Great.” He was the vassal king of Judea by virtue of his relationship with the Roman government and the favor he found with Octavius. He was born in Edom (Greek “Idumaea”) and thus a descendant of Esau. His family converted to Judaism, and he referred to himself as a Jew. The main portion of his reign was from 37 B.C. to his death in 4 B.C.

John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, is said in the same verse to be “of the division of Abijah.” The number of priests was extremely large, and they were organized into 24 divisions. Each division would have one of their priests serve in the temple twice per year – the question of who served being decided by casting lots. But none was allowed to burn incense more than once in their lifetime – some never at all. This was Zechariah’s once in a lifetime event – in more ways than one.

Imagine Zechariah’s excitement as he contained himself with the expected dignity and reverence when he entered the temple and approached the altar of incense to perform the task that he had likely been anticipating for a great length of time. But as he did so, there appeared an angel of the Lord, and his excited happiness was immediately changed to overwhelming fright! But the angel uttered words to put him at ease that would change not only his mood (once more), but his life – forever! Though he knew his wife, Elizabeth, to be barren, he was told that they would have a child, and that his name would be John.

Zechariah & the angel (Photo credit: Lawrence OP)

John, the angel told Zechariah, would not drink wine or strong drink, and would be great before the Lord “in the spirit and power of Elijah,” turning many people back to God and make them ready for “the Lord.” Significant also in verse 15, the angel said that “he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” For us as Christians, this is just one of a few passages that should forever put to rest any question of whether an unborn baby is a person!

Zechariah’s doubt, when he asked how he could know this would really happen, knowing that Elizabeth was beyond child-bearing years, was met with a rebuke that would cause him to be mute until the child was born. The angel, who we learn here was named Gabriel, informed him that he stands in the presence of the Lord, and was sent by God to give Zechariah this good news. This is only the second of the angels we read about in scripture that is mentioned by name (the other being Michael, in Daniel 10:21 and Jude 1:1-9. Revelation 8:2 tells of seven such archangels that stand before God.

Zechariah finishes his service in silence, making signs to those who were inquisitive at his delay inside the temple for so long, and then went home. Elizabeth, we are told in verse 24, did conceive in the following days, and kept herself hidden from public view for 5 months.

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Luke here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 1 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility. When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.

Jan 7 2014

Luke’s First Prologue to Theophilus

Gospel Book, Title page to the Gospel of Luke, Walters Manuscript W.528, fol. 116r (Photo credit: Walters Art Museum Illuminated Manuscripts)

The Gospel According to Luke is one of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), so named because they all include similar material concerning the Lord Jesus – whereas John is much different. The fact that Luke was the author is well-supported by early church tradition, and we find arguments to the contrary without merit. It is generally accepted to have been written in the early to mid-60’s. The book is addressed to “Theophilus,” who we can assume to be a Gentile (Greek, the name suggests, as it is assumed that Luke is as well). Considering the way that Luke addresses him in verse 3, it is supposed that he might be some sort of government official – likely a man of some means as well. The first four verses of chapter one tell us a great deal about what we can expect from the Book of Luke:

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”

The first part tells us that even before Luke had started writing this book, a great deal had already been written by others of the events he was writing about. Many hold that the Gospel of Mark was one of those accounts. Possibly. Best estimates by many scholars suggest a time in the mid-50’s for the writing of Mark. As for Matthew, scholars and early church figures (such as Irenaeus of Lyons) indicate that it was written when both Peter and Paul were alive. So it could possibly have been one of those writings as well. But since Luke refers to “many” narratives, it would seem that there were several written by non-inspired sources as well.

English: The evangelist portrait from the Gospel of Luke (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Next, Luke indicates that people who were either eyewitnesses to the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, or who had been brought into teaching the gospel, had related many of the events to him – and to others – already. But note also that his reference to eyewitnesses in verse 2 is in the context of those who were “from the beginning.” Luke had been thorough in his research, as well as in his writing, but he had the advantage of living in precisely the right time, when he could benefit from the accounts and information from so many who were there through it all.

Finally, Luke tells Theophilus that he wanted to write an “orderly” account of these things for him so that he might “have certainty” about the things he had been taught. That tells us that Theophilus, if not already a Christian, had received some instruction concerning Jesus Christ. And that brings us back around to several things we can put into the context of the statement Luke made in verse one, referring to “a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us.” As Luke began writing this, the Lord had long ago risen and ascended into heaven. The day of Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2, had come and gone, and the church had been established. And, as one Gentile is writing to another quite literally about the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can deduce that Cornelius and his family had already been converted (Acts 10). It is also quite likely then, that the Jerusalem Conference (or Jerusalem Council) of Acts 15 had also taken place.

In our next look at Luke chapter one, we will take a closer look at the parents of John the Baptist.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Jan 6 2014

Introducing the Books of Chronicles – not what you might think

Map showing the Kingdoms of Israel (blue) and Judah (orange), ancient levant borders and ancient cities such as Urmomium and Jerash. The map shows the region in the 9th century BCE. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This year, we will read the Books of 1 and 2 Chronicles, along with Luke and Acts. It should not be a surprise that these 2 Old Testament books seldom get very close attention. After all, they just repeat what is contained in part of Samuel and Kings, right? Well, not so fast. It’s true that some passages from Samuel and Kings are contained in Chronicles, and some are even word for word. But certainly, that does not apply to the entire books – and there is more to it than that.

So what is the difference? To start with, the Books of Kings are written chiefly from the perspective of the northern kingdom of Israel, ending with the fall of Judah and the beginning of the Babylonian captivity. The Books of Chronicles are written primarily for the exiles who have returned from captivity (and of course, for us as well). There is much contained in Chronicles that is not written anywhere else, and much more attention is paid to the southern kingdom. In fact, the northern kings are rarely mentioned outside the context of their interaction with the southern kingdom.

Before going into too much more detail about the Books of Chronicles, let us provide a few tips for reading 1 Chronicles – which is where we start the year. First, it is important to point out that most of the first 9 chapters contain almost exclusively genealogies – beginning with Adam, all the way to the post-exilic period. Why? A couple of reasons.

The chief reason is that the Lord wanted the people to have this information documented very well for those returning from exile so that there would be no confusion as to lineage when questions arose concerning such matters as who could serve as a Levitical priest. Secondly, there is much information in these genealogies that explain things that we might not otherwise know. For example, we read much in the Book of Joshua about the Jebusites and the Amorites. But where did they come from? The answer is in the first 14 verses of 1 Chronicles chapter one.

Destruction of Jerusalem under the Babylonian rule. Illustration from the Nuremberg Chronicle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So tip #1 when reading these first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles is to remember that your natural inclination will be to hit the “fast forward button” and move ahead. That’s OK, but when you let yourself do that, skim through and make a note of any names or places you may remember being mentioned elsewhere for further investigation. With this easy schedule, you may want to look further into it.

Tip #2: Don’t get impatient and move too far ahead in the schedule of 1 Chronicles. We are just reading less than 30 verses per day – many times, even less than 10! Let God’s word work in you. Remember 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Tip #3: Our daily blog will alternate between a focus on Luke and on the Books of Chronicles. We will do our best to give meaning and understanding to some of the details of these genealogies until we get through them. Once we do, the reward in the following chapters will be well worth the wait.

We will complete this introduction to the Books of Chronicles this week and begin our study of Luke’s gospel as well.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

All of my comments in this blog are solely my responsibility. When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules used by this blog can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.

Jan 5 2014

Update – Luke, Acts, and Chronicles!

English: the first page of the Gospel of Luke (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s official. We decided to map out a reading schedule for the blog ourselves this year. The schedule for January has been posted here on the “Schedules” page. We will read a chapter a week of the Gospel of Luke (24) chapters, and then about June, we will start reading the Book of Acts (28 chapters). In addition, we will read 1 and 2 Chronicles (a total of 65 chapters) this year. Why the Book of Chronicles? Due to an unfortunate placement in our Bibles just after 1 and 2 Kings, these two books are probably the most neglected books of the bible – next to Revelation. Since some of the text in 2 Samuel and in the Books of Kings is contained word for word, most of us get to Chronicles and figure – why read that again?

Well, surprise! the Books of Chronicles are actually very unique in their perspective, and contain much more than a mere repetition of other passages. In fact, our first blog of this year’s schedule (to be published in a couple of hours) will focus on an introduction to Chronicles that we hope you will find informative and helpful.

English: I took photo with Canon camera. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We will begin the first week with Luke chapter one and the first chapter of 1 Chronicles! The best part is that the pace of reading necessary to keep up with this schedule is quite easy. Although there will be weeks when we may cover 20 to 30 verses per day, on the average, it will only take 15 verses per day to read these four books this year!

Finally, a reading plan that practically anyone can keep up with! 15 verses per day, and you get the whole story of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord, followed by the details of how the Apostles carried out the commission he gave to them. And all the while, you will learn much of the history of God’s people from the time of Saul, then David, all the way to the end of the Babylonian exile!

And on Sundays, we will be focusing on other New Testament books, the subject of apologetics, and (we feel most importantly) ways to enrich your prayer life. We invite you to join us this year in what we feel will be a very enlightening year of reading and commentary in God’s word

/Bob’s boy

Jan 5 2014

A Year in Luke’s Writings! – 2014 Reading Plan

Father reads the Scriptures from a scroll to his family as the mother prepares food to eat.

Once again, this year we will be following someone else’s reading plan, and once again, it is singularly special! It was not finished at the time of this writing, but I will post the schedule on the “Schedules” tab as soon as I get it.

Here is what I can tell you about it. We will be spending the entire year studying the Book of Luke and the Book of Acts. The plan’s designer appropriately calls it “Cause and Effect.” We will be reading at the pace of a chapter a week. An easy schedule? Perhaps, but some of the chapters are quite long, and there is no shortage of material to study.

First, 24 chapters of Luke – all focused on the life, death, burial, and Resurrection of the savior, Jesus the Christ. And 28 chapters of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles – from the first gospel sermon ever to the imprisonment of Paul in Rome. It is going to be another great year in God’s word, I can promise you! And we will start tomorrow!

Science museum, Vancouver

But, as our regular readers know, since our reading plans are 5 days per week, we have always done something different on Sundays. And 2014 will be no exception. We will still be writing on various subjects and about several different books of the Bible throughout the year. But we will be doing two things on a fairly regular basis.

First, we will have more frequent articles centered on the subject of Apologetics- articles designed to help the christian strengthen his or her faith in God’s word, and hopefully, help prepare to comply with 1 Peter 3:15: “…always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…”

Throughout the wilderness journey, Moses talked to the Lord, often begging Him for help in leading the Israelites.

Secondly, we will try to devote one Sunday article per month to the subject of prayer – the other half of our communication with the Lord. In doing so, it is our hope that we can improve our ability to pray more effective prayers that are pleasing to the Lord and beneficial to those we pray for – and pray with. With God’s help, we hope this will also be an aid to men who often are called upon to lead public prayers in church services and elsewhere.

We hope and pray that these new items on our agenda for 2014 will help us all to grow spiritually in the coming year. We hope you will join us in this effort!

/Bob’s boy

Jan 3 2014

Philippians 4 – Whatever is Honorable

In this last chapter of the epistle, Paul’s affection for the people of Philippi comes through clearly, calling them his “joy and my crown” in verse one. His first congregation in Europe was still strong and he was certainly proud of them, and the great hope of salvation for them surely brought him joy in his confinement. Appealing to them to “stand firm thus in the Lord,” he uses no less than four terms of endearment. Although not naming the nature of the disagreement, he addresses two women, Euodia and Syntyche, by name asking them to mend their differences. He had evidently done much work in Philippi aided by them, as well as someone named Clement.

On Paul’s Second Missionary Journey, Paul and Silas were imprisoned at Philippi. But when God freed them with an earthquake, the Philippian jailer tried to kill himself (Acts 16:16-40).

The rest of this chapter contains so much wisdom and so many familiar verses that they hardly need comment at all, yet they certainly cannot be ignored here. Beginning with the words that make up the totality of a familiar hymn, he tells them to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” The intentional repetition is significant, as the words to follow are intended to encourage them to live their lives in a joyous manner that demonstrates to the world what righteous living does for those who live it – as well as how it reflects to others around them (us).

First, there is the peace that the righteous can have in their relationship with the Lord:

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.
The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

And he extends that further with the righteous living that will inspire and capture the hearts of wayward souls:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence,
if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things,
and the God of peace will be with you.

Paul closes the letter by thanking them for their concern, for their support, and for the gifts they sent with Epaphroditus. Seeking to put their minds at ease about him, Paul then gives the following inspiring words that we all would do well be able to honestly use to describe our own attitudes in the face of adversity:

I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.
In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret
of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

That last line, most often taken out of context, is not meant to imply that we can always be on top of the world no matter what. Rather, it lets us know that with the Lord’s help, we can get through the times when life may not be going so well.

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”

‘Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog. All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility. When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.

Jan 2 2014

Philippians 3 – The Prize of the Upward Call

This chapter of the epistle begins with Paul telling the brethren to “rejoice in the Lord,” continuing his encouragement. Then he begins his typical “beware” admonition. This time, however, he speaks of “dogs” and evildoers, and then a clever mention of “mutilators of the flesh.” All three of these refer to the same group of people – Judaizers. This is a faction of the Christian movement who, despite what Paul and the other apostles have made clear, were still teaching others that circumcision was still necessary – in particular, to force such teaching on Gentiles. This was causing problems in the church in many places, and Paul wanted to make sure the brethren at Philippi were vigilant to “nip it in the bud.”

Philippi forum

Paul tells them that “we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.” What he means is that the faithful Christians are the new children of Abraham. Referring to these Judaizers as “dogs” is intentionally ironic, as Gentiles were often so called by Jews in times past. It is in verse 4 that he refers to their unjustified pride, noting that if anyone has reason for “being confident in the flesh,” he himself does. He then recounts all of the things that he had always placed a high value on in his life. He was a Jew, circumcised on the eighth day according to the law of Moses. He was from the tribe of Benjamin, had been a Pharisee, and righteous and blameless under the law – a respected Hebrew among Hebrews.

Noting that he had lost all of those things he had valued, he now counts them as rubbish that he may know Christ, become like Him in His death, and attain the resurrection of the dead. It is with this in mind that he urges them to stand fast in the face of their enemies and trials, and press on to that goal.

‘Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Jan 1 2014

The Book of Acts Tops 2013

Wishing you a Happy and Blessed New Year!

The annual report for Bob’s Boy’s Christianity Blog has been released, and we want to share the unexpected results with you. In 2013, our readers connected from a total of 129 different countries!

But the congratulations are not for us, but for YOU! You visited us for one reason alone – you are interested in God’s word through His Scriptures! You weren’t looking for contests, gimmicks, or even glamour. YOU are proof positive that His word will endure forever! The busiest day of the year was March 3rd with 1,313 views. The most popular post that day was Acts 18 – Paul In Corinth.

The Top 5 other favorites:

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone from every country who visited this blog in 2013!

Here’s an excerpt from our report:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 14,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 5 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.