Classes - Benchley church of Christ

DW

January 17, 2018

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  • Figures of speech, continued
    • When should we take a word or phrase figuratively? (continued)
      • When a literal understanding contradicts known facts or common sense
        • John 3:3
        • John 10:9 – Jesus obviously was not a physical door
        • Matthew 8:22; Luke 13:22
    • When should we NOT take a word or phrase figuratively?
      • When a literal understanding simply contradicts our beliefs
        • This is dishonest. We can’t say something is figurative simply because we don’t want to believe it.
    • Which is more accurate?
      • The Bible means what is says.
      • The Bible means what it means.
    • Simile
      • Psalms 1:3
      • I Peter 5:8
    • Metaphor
      • Matthew 7:15
      • Matthew 26:26, 28
      • Luke 13:32
      • John 2:19
      • John 3:3
      • John 6:35
      • John 8:12
      • John 10:7, 9, 11, 14
      • John 11:11
      • John 15:5
      • Ephesians 6:17
    • Anthropomorphisms
      • Genesis 8:21
      • Genesis 9:15
      • Exodus 31:18
      • Deuteronomy 11:12
      • Job 40:9
      • Psalms 130:2
      • Jeremiah 7:13
      • Hebrews 4:13
      • Genesis 6:5-7
    • Not-but (a Hebrew method of comparison, emphasizing one thing but not necessarily condemning the other)
      • Mark 2:17
      • Mark 9:37
      • John 6:27
      • I Corinthians 1:17
      • Philippians 2:4
      • I Timothy 1:9
      • I Timothy 2:12
      • II Timothy 1:9
      • Titus 3:5
      • James 5:12
      • I Peter 3:3-4
      • I John 3:18
    • Hyperbole
      • Deuteronomy 1:28
      • Mark 10:25
      • John 3:26
      • John 4:29
    • Parable
      • Matthew 13:3-8
      • Luke 15:3-7
      • Luke 15:8-10
      • Luke 15:11-32
    • Metonymy (refers to something indirectly by using a related noun)
      • Genesis 6:11
      • Matthew 3:5-6
      • Matthew 10:34
      • John 1:29
      • John 3:16
      • Romans 5:9
      • I Corinthians 7:1
      • I Corinthians 11:26
      • Galatians 6:12

For further study, see also:

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Sermons - Benchley church of Christ

JJ

January 14, 2018

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  • Ecclesiastes 8:10
  • Those who do not fear God (Psalms 36:1)
    • Ecclesiastes 12:13
    • Hebrews 10:29-31
  • Those who live in the passions of the flesh (Ephesians 2:3)
    • Philippians 3:19
    • Colossians 1:23
  • Those who do not pay their debts (Psalms 37:21)
  • Those who refuse to show mercy (Matthew 18:23-32)
    • Luke 10:30-35
  • Those who harbor evil thoughts (Genesis 6:5)
    • Proverbs 23:7
    • Philippians 4:8
    • II Corinthians 10:4-5
  • Those who do not use their talents (Matthew 25:13-33)
  • The wicked are even sometimes those who come and go from the place of the holy (Ecclesiastes 8:10)

For further study, see also:

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DW

January 14, 2018

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  • Matthew 16:13
  • Introduction
    • We have 5,800 Greek manuscripts supporting the authenticity of the New Testament.
  • Tacity Annals, XV.44 (AD 110-120)
    • Hostile witness
    • Christ existed
    • Followers called Christians
    • Christians persecuted, but they spread anyway
  • Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars (AD 120)
    • Acts 18:1-2 (AD 49)
    • Possibly refers to the events of Acts 18.
  • Pliny the younger, Letter 96 (AD 110)
    • Mentions behavior of Christians at worship each week
  • Lucian of Samosota, The Death of Peregrine (AD 125-180)
    • Mocked Christians who followed a “crucified sage”
  • Mara bar Serapion, Letter (after AD 70)
    • Refers to Christ and His teaching
  • Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews (AD 93-94)
    • Born AD 37
    • Pharisee at 19
    • Later supported by Rome as a historian
    • Refers to condemnation of James, the brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55)
    • Favorable description of Jesus
  • Craig A. Evans
    • Pibicus, Greek Magical Papyrus
    • Silver phylactery from Beirut
    • Magic bowls
    • Latin curse inscription
    • Silver lamella
    • The “Jesus Cup”
      • Possibly the earliest known reference to Christ
    • Magicians at that time were trying to equate their power with Christ or call on Christ for their power. Jesus was already well known for His power.
      • Mark 9:38
      • Acts 19:13-16
  • Was Jesus real?
    • Christian writers
      • Clement of Rome 30-100 AD
      • Polycarp 69-155 AD
      • Ignatius 70-110 AD
      • Justin Martyr 100-165 AD
      • Quadratus 125 AD
      • Irenaeus 130-202 AD
      • Aristides
      • Clement of Alexandria
      • Tertullian
      • Origen

For further study, see also:

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Classes - Benchley church of Christ

JJ

January 14, 2018

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  • James 4:11-5:10
  • James 4:11 – See John 7:27. This is not a blanket prohibition on judging others. It is a prohibition on evil judgment (judging not by God’s standards). If we could not judge at all, we could not preach repentance to anyone because we could not judge any of their actions to be sinful.
  • James 4:13-16 – Leaving the Lord our of our plans and out of our life is arrogance and sin. We must instead humble ourselves.
  • James 4:17 – When you understand what God requires of you, but do not do it, it is sin.
  • James 5:1-8 – Compare I Timothy 6:10. The love of money is the beginning of many types of evil. Being wealth is not in itself sinful. The warnings here are against those who have misused their wealth and mistreated others.
  • James 5:7-8 – The “coming of the Lord” here could be referring to God coming in judgment against the rich men in James 5:1-6 – not about the Second Coming of the Lord. The first few verses of this chapter also seem to confirm this by indicating that punishment for these wicked wealthy men was already starting.
  • James 5:10 – See Hebrews 11:32-38.

For further study, see also:

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Classes - Benchley church of Christ

DW

January 10, 2018

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  • Context and harmony, continued:
    • Hebrews 13:4 – “Marriage is a holy institution. Any marriage is acceptable to God.”
      • Context – Hebrews 13:1-7 – The context itself forbids fornication and adultery.
      • Harmony – Matthew 19:5-9; Luke 16:18
      • Conclusion – It is possible for a marriage to not be approved by God. Adultery in particular is repeatedly denounced as sin. Marriage is always described as one man and one woman.
  • Figures of speech
    • What Jesus said (John 2:19-21) vs. what they heard (Mark 14:58; 15:29-30)
    • Exodus 5:22-23
    • Matthew 10:26 – “Take eat. This is my body.” Jesus was standing there with them, so it could not have been His actual body. Also, drinking blood was prohibited by the Law of Moses, so Jesus would have been encouraging them to break the law.
    • Dangers of figurative language
      • Taking figurative language literally.
      • Taking literal language figuratively.
    • Matthew 16:5-12
    • John 16:25
    • Psalms 23:4 – hyperbole
    • Mark 10:25
    • Understand a passage literally unless there is a good reason not to.
    • II Peter 2:22
    • When should we take a word or phrase figuratively?
      • When it is said to be figurative
        • Galatians 4:24
        • John 2:18-22
        • Revelation 1:20; 5:8
        • Acts 2:16-21; Matthew 4:12-17 – Old Testament figurative prophecy is often explained in the New Testament.
      • When a literal understanding contradicts another passage
        • Remember to harmonize!
        • Mark 1:5; Luke 7:29-30 – The lawyers and Pharisees had not been baptized by John, so we know that “all” in Mark 1:5 didn’t literally mean all, but “a lot” or “most.”
        • Luke 14:26; Ephesians 5:25; Matthew 5:44
      • When it matches a pattern of figurative language in other passages.
        • I Peter 3:3 – “not-but” passage
        • Genesis 17:1 – “walk” is figurative
        • Isaiah 9:2 – “light” is figurative

For further study, see also:

Questions or comments? Join our Discord server for further study.

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