This Commentary is based on 40+ years of daily Bible reading by the editor, comparing English translations with biblical languages, along with the work of respected scholars. Scripture passages often appear in the top portion of each post (most translator supplements are in [brackets]) Scroll down to see commentary in the numbered footnotes. Use the "search this blog" feature located in the side bar (top right) to find commentary on scripture passages or books of the Bible.
Luke Chapter 17
Luke Chapter 16
Luke Chapter 12 commentary
1: In the mean time when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people insomuch that they trode one upon another he began to say to his disciples First of all beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy 2: For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed neither hid that shall not be known 3: Therefore whatever you have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light and that which you have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops 4: And I say to you my friends Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do 5: But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear Fear him which after he has killed has power to cast into Gehenna yes I say to you Fear him[1] 6: Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings and not one of them is forgotten before God 7: But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered Fear not therefore you are of more value than many sparrows 8: Also I say to you Whoever shall confess me before mortals them shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God 9: But they who deny me before mortals shall be denied before the angels of God 10: And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man it shall be forgiven them but to them that blaspheme against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven 11: And when they bring you to the synagogues and to magistrates and powers take ye no thought how or what thing you shall answer or what you shall say 12: For the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say 13: And one of the company said to him Master speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me 14: And he said to him Man who made me a judge or a divider over you 15: And he said to them Take heed and beware of covetousness for a person's life consists not in the abundance of the things which they possess 16: And he spoke a parable to them saying The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully 17: And he thought within himself saying What shall I do because I have no room where to store my crops 18: And he said This will I do I will pull down my barns and build greater and there will I store all my fruits and my goods 19: And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have much goods laid up for many years take your ease eat drink and be merry 20: But God said to him you fool this night your soul shall be required of you then whose shall those things be which thou have provided 21: So are they that lay up treasure for themselves and are not rich toward God 22: And he said to his disciples[2] because of this I say to you Take no thought for your lives what you shall eat neither for the body what you shall put on 23: The life is more than food and the body is more than clothing 24: Consider the ravens for they neither sow nor reap which neither have storehouse nor barn and God feeds them how much more are you better than the birds 25: And which of you by worrying can add to your height one cubit 26: If you then be not able to do that thing which is least why take ye thought for the rest 27: Consider the lilies how they grow they toil not they spin not and yet I say to you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these 28: If then God so clothe the grass which is today in the field and to morrow is cast into the oven how much more will he clothe you O ye of little faith 29: And seek not ye what you shall eat or what you shall drink neither be ye of doubtful mind 30: For all these things do the nations of the world seek after and your Father knows that you have need of these things 31: But rather seek ye the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you 32: Fear not little flock for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom 33: Sell what you have and give alms [to the poor] provide yourselves bags which wax not old a treasure in the heavens that fails not where no thief approaches neither moth corrupts 34: For where your treasure is there will your heart be also 35: Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning [be ready] 36: And you yourselves like unto those who wait for their lord when he will return from the wedding that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately 37: Blessed are those servants whom the lord when he comes shall find watching truly I say to you that he shall gird himself and make them to sit down to eat and will come forth and serve them 38: And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so blessed are those servants 39: And this know that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come he would have watched and not have allowed his house to be broken through 40: Be ye therefore ready also for the Son of Man comes at an hour when you think not 41: Then Peter said to him Lord do you speak this parable to us or even to all 42: And the Lord said Who then are those faithful and wise stewards whom their lord shall make ruler over his household to give them their portion of food in due season 43: Blessed are those servants whom their lord when he comes shall find so doing 44: Of a truth I say to you that he will make them rulers over all that he has 45: But and if those servants say in their hearts, My lord delays his coming and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens and to eat and drink and to be drunken 46: The lord of those servants will come in a day when they look not for him and at an hour when they are not aware and will cut them in sunder [off] and will appoint them their portions with the unbelievers 47: And those servants who knew their lord's will and prepared not themselves neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes 48: But they that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes For unto whomsoever much is given of them shall be much required and to whom much has [been] committed of them they will ask the more 49: I am come to cast fire to the earth and what [I] desire [is] that [it be] already kindled [3] Malachi 4:1 50: But I have a baptism to be baptized with [first] and how I am pressed till it be accomplished 51: Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth I tell you No but rather division 52: For from now on there shall be five in one house divided three against two and two against three 53: The father shall be divided against the son and the son against the father the mother against the daughter and the daughter against the mother the mother in law against her daughter in law and the daughter in law against her mother in law Malachi 4:5-6 54: And he said also to the people When you see a cloud rise out of the west immediately you say There comes a shower and so it is 55: And when you see the south wind blow you say There will be heat and it comes to pass 56: You hypocrites you can discern the face of the sky and of the earth but how is it that you do not discern this time [4] 57: Yes and why even of yourselves judge you not what is right. 58: When you go with your adversary to the magistrate as you are in the way give diligence that you may be delivered from him lest he hale thee to the judge and the judge deliver you to the officer and the officer cast you into prison 59: I tell you [that] you shall not depart [from] there till you have paid the very last mite[5]
[1] If Jesus is referring simply to the
trash dump outside Jerusalem where the trash was burned (Gehenna), then there
is essentially no difference between God and those who can kill the body and
after that have no more that they can do. But he is not. Scripture confirms
that the Gehenna Jesus refers to is located in the heart of the earth (Hades)
and will break through to the surface of the earth to form the Lake of Fire on
the New Earth—Redemption: Bible Prophecy Simplified, by Jocelyn Andersen.
[2] Jesus’ disciples included more than
just the Twelve. They included the 70 he sent forth to preach and do miracles.
His disciples also included women who traveled with him and provided for him
out of their personal possessions and income.
[3] Luke 12:49-53 aligns perfectly with
Malachi chapter four
[4]
There was no excuse not to be expecting Messiah at that particular time. Daniel
9:25-26 gave them a time-line from Cyrus' command to restore and rebuild
Jerusalem to the Savior. The years could be counted. Anna and Simeon knew this.
They not only knew the scriptures, but they also knew by the Spirit, who they
were looking at when they saw SON OF MAN as an infant.
[5] For crimes we commit on earth and are
convicted of, the sentences served usually pay the debt society requires, and
have an end to them. But this is not the case in the sentence of eternal
punishment for those who reject the sacrifice made by Jesus when he died on the
cross for the sins of the world. Only
Messiah could pay the sin debt to God that was created at The Fall. And Christ
gave his life so that all who would come to him might live forever. This
passage also refutes the doctrine of Purgatory which implies that the sacrifice
of Christ is not complete unless a believer also pays penance for an
unspecified length of time after their death, by suffering in a place like hell
for their sins. It is not possible for any one to pay God anything that can
absolve themselves of sin. Jesus did that for us already—in entirety. When
unbelievers die, they go directly to a place of torment the Bible calls Hades or Gehenna. This condition of
suffering is forever. When a believer dies, they go directly to be with the
Lord in a place Jesus called Paradise and live in eternal joy. This blessing is
likewise forever.
Breastplate of Righteousness: Armor of God Eight
"...having on the Breastplate ofRighteousness;"
How do we put on the Breastplate of Righteousness?
Is it done by being the best, most obedient, Christians we can be according to the Word of God--by living, as much as possible, holy lives (as the scriptures command)?
The answer is no--a thousand times NO.
There are those who think this is possible though, and the scriptures denounce them as being in rebellion against God, because they go about attempting to establish their own righteousness and, because of that, refuse to submit to the righteousness that only God can provide.
Let's talk about this group for a moment (not referring to any particular sect or denomination but to general practices whoever the description may fit).
In Colossians 2:20-23 we read about some who are described as living by a set of man made rules (that is anything not specifically found in scripture), and even though they believe they are practicing godly self control (which we should all do), they are, in reality, worshipping their own will power.
The Prophet Isaiah said, "There is none righteous." Not even one. The very best righteousness, we can produce, is as a filthy (soiled--menstruous) rag, Isaiah 64:6.
Not a pretty picture is it?
But that's what the Bible says. So how in the world can we put on something the scriptures are clear that we can never, no matter how hard we try, attain?
There is one way--only one way--and that is through the awesome sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the only sinless man who ever lived.
As a perfect, sinless, man, he took the punishment that should have been ours--every bit of it.
Because he did that, the Bible says we are made righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21).
If that is the case, if we have truly been given the righteousness we need, through the sacrifice of Christ, then why are we commanded to put on something the scriptures say we already have?
Could it be, because we forget that fact?
It is critical that we remember it, for in the heat of the battle, our enemy--the accuser of the brethren--loves to remind us of what sinful wretches we are. But if we listen to the accuser--we will be defeated by destructive emotions of guilt and shame.
The Word of God says, "Be STRONG in the Lord...." How do we put on that strength? The Bible tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. But how can we be full of joy and strong in the Lord if we are wallowing in unbelief and sin concerning the righteousness we have been freely given by our Savior?
We must remember that fact and TRUTH are not always synonymous.
Yes, the fact is that we are sinful. But the TRUTH is... (remember the first piece of armor that must be in place, Truth?) that the blood of Jesus Christ has covered our sin, and through him, by some unfathomable miracle, we are made clean and righteous.
So, "Come, let us reason together saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Isaiah 1:18
Luke Chapter 11: Prayer Faith Spiritual Warfare
Ephesian 6:15 Shodding our Feet: Armor of God Nine
We are not told to shod our feet with the Gospel of Peace....
Rather we are told to shod our feet with the "preparation of" the gospel of peace.
These are two completely different things.
Those who teach that we should shod our feet with the gospel of peace often misrepresent what this means and preach an unscriptural gospel of peace, love, and unity at the expense of contending for the faith. The Bible does not teach that, and Jesus never taught it. In fact, Jesus said that he did not come to bring peace but a sword...
When he comes the second time, he will bring peace, but only after he militarily defeats all of his enemies.
So what in the world does it mean to shod our feet with the "preparation of..." the gospel of peace?
Here it is in a nutshell:
Always "be prepared" to tell the good news of man's peace with God.
Are we always prepared to share Christ?
If we are not always prepared to tell the good news of man's peace with God, then there is a serious gap in our armor. That is the messages the angels were broadcasting the night Christ was born.
Glory to God! Peace on earth! Good Will to men!
The "peace" on earth they were referring to, is only available through Christ, who was born that night. Personal peace comes only through the good news of Messiah's death, his burial, and his resurrection. Only when we know Jesus personally, by being born again, can we hope to have peace with God. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ will also ultimately bring peace to the entire earth.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 is the gospel. The good will the angels referred to, on the night Christ was born, is the demonstration of a love so powerful that God made a way to allow mankind (who had been a natural enemy of God ever since the Fall) to come close to Him, and to have peace with Him--again--through the blood of Jesus' cross (Colossians 1:20-22).
God's will towards all mankind is only good.
Shodding our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace is part of our armor and victory against a foe much stronger than we can ever hope to be apart from Christ and the supernatural weapons he gives us.
There are those who shamelessly ridicule soul winners as spiritually deficient and undeveloped as Christians. They are accused of being the lowest, most pathetic of all among the Body of Christ. But soul winning is a critical part of successful spiritual warfare and personal victory when under any kind of enemy attack. Aside from an evil desire to keep people from eternal life, no wonder the enemy fights so hard against soul winning.
The scriptures say, "They that win souls are wise." It is no coincidence that soul winning is listed among the top three pieces of the Armour of God. God arms us strategically. He is out to give us the greatest advantage possible.
By following his instructions, we not only get an edge over enemy maneuvers--we WIN.
Ephesian 6:15 Shodding our Feet: Armor of God Nine
We are not told to shod our feet with the Gospel of Peace....
Rather we are told to shod our feet with the "preparation of" the gospel of peace.
These are two completely different things.
Those who teach that we should shod our feet with the gospel of peace often misrepresent what this means and preach an unscriptural gospel of peace, love, and unity at the expense of contending for the faith. The Bible does not teach that, and Jesus never taught it. In fact, Jesus said that he did not come to bring peace but a sword...
When he comes the second time, he will bring peace, but only after he militarily defeats all of his enemies.
So what in the world does it mean to shod our feet with the "preparation of..." the gospel of peace?
Here it is in a nutshell:
Always "be prepared" to tell the good news of man's peace with God.
Are we always prepared to share Christ?
If we are not always prepared to tell the good news of man's peace with God, then there is a serious gap in our armor. That is the messages the angels were broadcasting the night Christ was born.
Glory to God! Peace on earth! Good Will to men!
The "peace" on earth they were referring to, is only available through Christ, who was born that night. Personal peace comes only through the good news of Messiah's death, his burial, and his resurrection. Only when we know Jesus personally, by being born again, can we hope to have peace with God. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ will also ultimately bring peace to the entire earth.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 is the gospel. The good will the angels referred to, on the night Christ was born, is the demonstration of a love so powerful that God made a way to allow mankind (who had been a natural enemy of God ever since the Fall) to come close to Him, and to have peace with Him--again--through the blood of Jesus' cross (Colossians 1:20-22).
God's will towards all mankind is only good.
Shodding our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace is part of our armor and victory against a foe much stronger than we can ever hope to be apart from Christ and the supernatural weapons he gives us.
There are those who shamelessly ridicule soul winners as spiritually deficient and undeveloped as Christians. They are accused of being the lowest, most pathetic of all among the Body of Christ. But soul winning is a critical part of successful spiritual warfare and personal victory when under any kind of enemy attack. Aside from an evil desire to keep people from eternal life, no wonder the enemy fights so hard against soul winning.
The scriptures say, "They that win souls are wise." It is no coincidence that soul winning is listed among the top three pieces of the Armour of God. God arms us strategically. He is out to give us the greatest advantage possible.
By following his instructions, we not only get an edge over enemy maneuvers--we WIN.
Spiritual Wickedness in High Places: Armor of God Seven
Well what exactly does that mean?
To determine that and correctly identify this particular enemy, let's look at what the term "wickedness" means.
That's a given you say? Everyone knows what wickedness means! That may be true in a general sense, but how about in a specific biblical sense? Exactly what is it that the Biblical writer is trying to tell us about wickedness?
To find out what a Biblical word means, we can't go to Webster's Dictionary. We need a Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. In the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (the original Strong's--not the new updated or the strongest Strong's), the Greek word translated "wickedness" in Ephesians 6:12 means: depravity, malice, plots, sins, hurtful, evil, degeneracy, calamitous, diseased, ill, guilt.
As if the above isn't enough, the root words the word "wickedness" is taken from mean: toil, anguish, starving, indigent.
This spiritual wickedness we fight against encompasses the entire spectrum of evil--anything that can be possibly be conceived of.
But what about the high places? What is this referring to?
The high places mean exactly that. The word translated "high," means: above, sky.
The scriptures reveal that evil spirits do indeed inhabit the high places (which include the sky--the earth's atmosphere and even the space surrounding this earth--possibly even this entire galaxy and beyond).
That is one of the reasons the "heavens" will need to be made new along with the earth.
The heaven that will be made new is the one that is corrupted by sin--this earth's atmosphere and the surrounding space that is presently inhabited by fallen angels--not the sinless Heaven God inhabits.
If we did not have God's promise that we are provided with powerful weapons with which to fight such powerful spiritual enemies, we would be miserable indeed.
Luke 10 commentary
1: After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place where he himself would come Malachi/Isaiah 2: Then he said to them The harvest truly is vast but the laborers are few Pray you therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he would send forth laborers into HIS harvest 3: Go your ways behold I send you forth as lambsprey among wolvespredators [1] 4: Carry neither wallet [2] nor [begger’s or provision] bag [3] nor [extra] shoes and greet no one [4] 1 Kings 13:1-24 along the way [5] 5: And into whatever household you enter first say Peace be to this home [6] Num 6:24-26 John 14:27 6: And if the Children of Peace be there your peace shall rest upon it If not it shall turn to you again Isaiah 54:10 Jer 16:5 7: And in the same house remain eating and drinking such things as they give [7] For the laborer is worthy of their hire Go not from house to house [8] 8: And into whatever city you enter and they receive you eat such things as are set before you 9: And heal the sick that are there and say to them The Kingdom of God is come near to you 10: But into whatever city you enter and they receive you not go your ways out into the streets of the same and say [9] 11: “Even the very dust of your city which clings to us we do wipe off against you Nevertheless you be sure of this that the kingdom of God has come near to you” Proverbs 25:28 12: And I say to you that it shall be more tolerable in that day [10] for Sodom than for that city 13: Woe unto you Chorazin! Woe unto you Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which have been done in you they had a great while ago repented sitting in sackcloth and ashes 14: But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment Revelation 20:11-15 than for you 15: And you Capernaum which are exalted to [the] heavens ouranou shall be thrust down to hades G86 16: They that hear you hear me And they that despise you despise me And they that despise me despise the one commissioning me [11] 17: And the seventy returned again with joy saying Lord even demons diamonionsG1140 are subject unto us through your name 18: And he said to them I beheld Satan as lightning [12] fall from Heaven Isaiah 14:12-13 19: Behold I give to you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the dynamis Mark 5:30 of the enemy Matthew 17:19-21 and nothing shall by any means hurt you [13] 20: Nevertheless in this rejoice not that the spirits pnuemata are subject to you but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven 21: In that hour Jesus greatly rejoiced in the spirit pnuemati and said I thank you O Father Lord of Heaven and earth that you have hid these things from the wise and the learned [14] and has revealed them to babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in your sight 22: All was surrendered to me The Son of Humanity by hypo G5259 my Father The Godhead Luke 1:32-35 [15] and no one knows who the Son is but the Father and who the Father is but the Son and to whom the Son will reveal The Father/The Godhead/YHWH 23: And he turned himself toward his disciples and said privately Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see 24: For I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which you see and have not seen them and to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them1 Peter 1:10-12 25: And behold a certain lawyer stood up and tested him saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life 26: He asked him What is written in the law nomo/nomos how readest thou 27: And he answering said You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself 28: And he said to him You have answered right This do and you shall live 29: But he determined to justify himself said to Jesus And who is my neighbor [16] 30: And Jesus answering said A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves who stripped him of his clothing and wounded him and departed leaving him half dead 31: And by chance there came down a certain priest that way and when he saw him he passed by on the other side 32: And likewise a Levite when he was at the place came and looked on him and passed by on the other side 33: But a certain Samaritan as he journeyed came where he was and when he saw him he had compassion on him 34: And went to him and bound up his wounds pouring in oil and wine and set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him 35: And the next day when he departed he took out two pence and gave them to the host and said unto him Take care of him and whatever you spend more when I return I will repay you 36: Which now of these three do you think was neighbor to him that fell among the thieves 37: And he said He that shewed mercy on him Then said Jesus to him Go and you do the same 38: Now it came to pass as they went that he entered into a certain village and a certain woman named Martha received him into her home 39: And she had a sister called Mary who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word [17] 40: But Martha was distressed with much serving and came to him and said Lord do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone command her therefore that she help me 41: And Jesus answered and said to her Martha Martha you are anxious and troubled about many things 42: But one thing is needful and Mary has chosen that excellent portion which shall not be taken away from her
[2] No wallet! Can you imagine? Jesus sent them forth with only the clothes on their backs and a cloak for cold weather and for at night.
[3] Christian ministries are among the biggest group of beggars on earth. Do they go anywhere without their beggar’s bag/offering plate? One notable minister who never asked for a penny was George Mueller. Cory Ten Boom eventually adopted Mueller’s method of going only to God with her financial needs.
[4] Stay focused on your task. Do not allow yourselves to be distracted or adversely influenced from your assignment. For this purpose, keep to yourselves until you arrive at your destination.
[5] See verse :1. Where Jesus gave the seventy advance directives as to which cities they were to go to. He sent them in pairs and instructed them not engage in conversation with anyone until they arrived at their destination.
[6] This is an authoritative peace bestowed on the seventy. They had the power both to give and withdraw it. When Jesus said, “My peace I leave with you…,” was he leaving that peace only to the ones he was speaking to at the time, or did he leave his peace to all his children—The Children of Peace?
[7] What? No expensive hotels or restaurants?
[8] Where the scriptures speak plainly, there is no need to wonder about what we should do, no need to pray about what we should do. This passage is for ministers of the gospel, for those sent forth by the Spirit of the Living God to bring the good news of humanity’s peace with our Creator through the sacrifice of Christ. When we travel for Jesus, we do not charge for accommodation, but rather accept food, shelter, and fellowship with the Children of Peace who invite us to stay in their homes. But what if their home is small, simple, with only plain food and accommodation, and during the course of our stay, we are invited by someone else to stay at their larger, fancier, home…with tastier and more abundant food? Jesus said, Don’t do it!
[9] Something needs to said here, about placing too much confidence in scholarship. Reference it yes. Generally respect it, yes. Do not readily discard it, when mistakes are found—and there are many—but do not automatically take anyone’s scholarship, definitions, or commentary as Holy Writ. One example of thinking and researching for ourselves is found in the Strong’s definition of the simple word, “say,” as used in Luke 10:10. The word is translated correctly but it is wrongly defined in the Strong’s Concordance, as shown on the Blue Letter Bible website. Bible students and researchers read there, that the Greek primary verb, eipon/eipate G2036 (the word appears in 51 different forms—usually translated as say or said) is used only in the definite past tense. As we see in Luke 10:10, this is not true. Jesus used this word while instructing his followers what to say in future statements. We should make the effort to clarify and accept or reject scholarly definitions as we seek to understand the truths of God’s Word. The vast resources contemporary Bible students have at their disposal is more comprehensive than at any time in history. But take care that we do not read our Bibles strictly through the lenses and filters of favorite teachers, scholars, or commentators.
[10] At the end of the 1000 years there will be one more resurrection and one more judgement. This is where the inhabitants of these cities will be judged. Jesus specifically mentions witnesses who rise up against them at this judgement, such as the Queen of Sheba (ancient Sheba was possibly located in Africa or in what is now modern Saudi Arabia). This will be the only judgment where a second death takes place. The reason those at The Great White Throne Judgment suffer death twice is, because after they have endured the agony of complete separation from the presence and power of God, after they have lost all hope of salvation when their physical life here on earth ended, their bodies will be raised for a final judgment. During this judgment, they will once again come into the presence and power of God—only to be cast from his presence…to die a second time (Revelation 20:12-14). Redemption: Bible Prophecy Simplified, One Way Press, 2008
[11] HIERARCHY IN THE GODHEAD? No! ALL of the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Jesus in physical form. Jesus is fully God and fully human, not a half and half hybrid like the mythical Hercules. To atone for sin and defeat death, the living God, the Creator. The Most High, The Aleph-Tav Genesis 1:1 / Alpha-Omega Revelation 1:8,11 , chose to became his creation. As the Creator, Jesus—The WORD John 1:1—is subordinate to no one. As a human, Jesus is an obedient Son.
[12] The symbol of Satan falling from Heaven, the lightening bolt, is commonly used among those involved in the occult. Some who own companies often apply it as logo’s, knowing full well what it means. Toy companies use it. Clothing companies use it. It is widely used in a great variety of products these days. Because of the occult meaning deliberately applied to the symbol of the lightening bolt, some believers choose not to associate themselves with it.
[13] When Jesus said “…nothing shall by any means hurt you,” he is referring to deliverance ministry. He is referring to the serpents, scorpions, and all the power of the enemy that will manifest through those they oppress. An example of this is the demoniacs that terrorized every one who came near them, except Jesus. Another example are the sons of Sceva, who did not know Jesus, yet tried to cast out devils in his name, and the devils, through one man, overcame all seven of them.
[14] The esteemed and highly educated religious leadership of Jesus’ day, did not perceive the time of their visitation. They roundly rejected him and looked down their noses at those personally chosen by him. Doesn’t that seem to hold true, even for today? The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Worldly credentials do not qualify any to represent the Most High God in any area of service. In fact, many institutions of higher learning, including seminaries undermine the faith of those who seek degrees. The majority of those Jesus called and sent forth, did not possess degrees of higher learning. But when God calls, he equips, and God forbid that those in positions of authority, in 501c3 organizations among others, silence those God has called to be heard within his Body.
[15] When THE MOST HIGH became one of his human creations, the entire Godhead was involved in the conception of Jesus, not just the “first person of the Trinity,” of which there is no such thing as the first, second, or third person of the Godhead. Those are blasphemous hierarchical terms denoting order of existence, a procession of creation. If such were true, the chronological and hierarchical phrase, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, regulates the Holy Spirit to a subordinate position, when the false doctrine of the subordinate son clearly places Jesus last in the so-called hierarchy.
There is no hierarchy within the Godhead, and Jesus is not a created being, nor is he the “eternal” son. He did not become the Son, until he entered the Kosmos, when he was conceived by the Jewess, Miriam. That is called the incarnation. The incarnation happened when THE GOD became a man—IMMANUEL, THE GOD WITH US. This was foretold, explained, and declared Psalm 2:7, John 1:1,14, 1:5-6, Hebrews 1:5-6. YHWH ELOHIYM, The Godhead, became human when the Holy Spirit came upon Miriam, and she was over-shadowed by THE HIGHEST Colossians 2:9.
Prior to The Almighty’s incarnation as a human, Jesus existed in eternity as THE WORD. THE WORD was GOD, and Isaiah even called Jesus the Father.
Through some unfathomable miracle, Jehovah/YHWH became a human. Miriam was told her child would be called IMMANUEL—THE GOD With us. THE GOD is YHWH, the Godhead. The Holy Spirit came upon Miriam, and and the power of THE HIGHEST (YHWH/The Godhead) over-shadowed her, and that is why that Holy Thing that was born of her was called the Son of God Luke 1:31-35.
[16] This lawyer obviously had issues with prejudice. Among the Jews of Jesus’ day, Samaritans were considered fair game for discrimination, the lowest of the low as they were viewed as hybrid, “mongrel” Jews who had defected from traditional Judaism, so it was a Samaritan Jesus chose to illustrate neighborly kindness and God’s way of judging others by personal behavior and not by race or nationality. He also illustrated those who were considered the epitome of righteousness could actually be just the opposite. It is personal behavior and not position or title that makes one friend or foe. Our hearts and behavior are what matter to God, but if the behavior must come from a pure heart of love Psalm 51:13-19.
[17] The issue of Martha and Mary has long been characterized as a struggle between those who are spiritual—the Marys—and those who are not—the Martha’s. In one aspect this is correct, but the larger point, the elephant in the room, so to speak, is gender-role aspect of this story. This is huge, because without the gender-role aspect, Martha would have had no problem with what Mary was not doing. There would have been no point to make. Yet, this been completely ignored by Christian scholarship.
It is important to note that the nature of work is not the real divide between the Mary’s and the Martha’s. The real divide is the perception of what that work should be based on ones gender. The perception of what constitutes a woman’s “place” in ministry and society, was the driving force behind Martha’s complaint against her sister. This wrong perception harms both women and men. Many men excel in the kitchen, love it, and do not feel called in the least into traditional Christian ministry.
In this scene, we see a woman, stepping out of her “place” in society to sit with the men, learning at the feet of the master. And Martha found this extremely agitating. It is likely that Martha already had plenty of help in the kitchen, because that’s what women do. It is also likely that she simply resented the fact that Mary did not seem to be bothered in least that she wasn’t helping Martha and the other women “do what women do.”
This scenario continues to play out in Christian gatherings today, where men feel little or no pressure to do anything but enjoy the events, while cultural pressure is still brought to bear on women to “be in the kitchen,” cooking, cleaning, making sure everything runs smoothly for everyone else.
For some women, possibly even for most women, this is a labor of love. It comes naturally for them. They are good at it and enjoy it. It is truly a ministry for them. But for others, it is not the same. There are women who are called to sit at the master’s feet and their ministry falls into the category of what has always been considered the realm of men. It is interesting that, at this particular gathering, there is no record of the men complaining to Jesus about Mary’s presence at his feet.
It is also interesting, that though Jesus put down the idea of gender “roles” when he gently rebuked Martha for trying to take the “better thing” from her sister, Christian scholarship regulates this passage to strictly a women’s argument about spiritual women -Vs- not spiritual women. But there is no evidence that Martha was not a spiritual woman, only that she was totally sold out to the cultural norm of her day, that held men and women to strict gender-roles and unequal standards of behavior and morality. Jesus did not hold to these norms and bluntly said so.