Who the Greatest Is, and an Outsider Expels Demons

Bible Study series: Luke 9:46-50. People who seem to do the works of the kingdom are not far off. But please note. He was expelling demons in the name of Jesus, not a false god. Don’t discourage them. Instruct them in the full gospel.

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The Purpose of Parables and the Parable of Soils (Sower), Explained

Bible Study series: Luke 8:9-15. Are you hungry enough to dig into God’s word to mine its truths? Will you stay with your faith or walk away? Will you let Satan steal the word from your heart? Your soul is at stake.

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Jesus Teaches His Kingdom Citizens to Love Their Enemies

Bible Study series. Luke 6:27-36. In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus issues a summons or call to radical discipleship. Have you done anything radical or countercultural, like giving money to your church, when your accountant says not to? Do you know someone who has given all for Jesus, to the point of martyrdom? What is your story?

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Jesus Retreats and Then Preaches in Judean Synagogues

Bible Study series: Luke 4:42-44. Apparently he withdrew to rest and pray, but then the crowds found him and wanted to keep him for themselves. But he told them about his mission. A nice  two-verse summary.

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Jesus Proclaims the Spirit Is upon Him and Anoints Him for Service

Bible Study series: Luke 4:16-21. I love these verses because they show that Jesus was called and anointed of the Spirit to help people. We are too.

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Angels Celebrate Birth of Jesus and Shepherds Are in Awe

Bible Study Series: Luke 2:8-21. The incarnation (Jesus becoming a human) is a time of celebration and awe. It has been called the greatest miracle.

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The Birth of Jesus Is Foretold

Bible Study Series: Luke 1:26-38. “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you.” Mary was puzzled by Gabriel’s announcement, but she responded with obedience. She surrendered herself to God’s will, no matter how strange it seemed at first.

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“Some Shall Not Experience Death until They See Son of Man Coming”

Was Jesus a failed prophet? Matt. 16:28, Mark 9:1, and Luke 9:27 say that some standing there with Jesus would not experience death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. How can that be true, when the Second Coming has not happened in the past two thousand years (and counting)? The answer will surprise you because it goes beyond the “standard” one.

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What Jesus Told High Priest and Sanhedrin Now Makes Sense

Was Jesus a failed prophet? Critics seem to think so because he told Caiaphas the high priest and the Sanhedrin (the highest court and council of Judaism) that they would see him coming, sitting in clouds of glory.

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Jairus’s Daughter in Three Gospels: Do the Differences ‘DESTROY’ the Truth of the Story?

There are definitely differences in the three accounts of Jairus’s daughter being raised from the dead, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But do these differences blind us to the central truth of the story?

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Jesus Calls Certain Disciples in Four Gospels. Do the Accounts Contradict?

Are the four Gospel writers all that clumsy, or do they employ the story teller’s art to narrate the story of these disciples from the writers’ own point of view?

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Why Did Luke Switch the Sequence in the Temptation Passages?

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13. The second and third temptations were switched in Luke Gospel from the sequence in Matthew’s Gospel. Hostile critics and readers pounce on the differences and conclude that the Gospel are unreliable. Are the critics right?

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Was Luke’s Report about a Worldwide Census Wrong?

Luke records that Caesar ordered a worldwide census, during the governorship of Quirinius, in Syria (Luke 2:1-2). Critics have spotted some chronological problems. Luke may have been wrong. Is the problem solvable with sound reason and historical digging?

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A Misunderstood Biblical Command: “Don’t Judge!”

This is an easy-to-follow word study of key terms in the New Testament and a close look at Matthew 7:1-5. Let’s understand what it really means in context. (I updated this post.)

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Luke 17:22-37: Taken Away = Rapture?

What do those verses about being taken away and left behind really teach? The answer may shock many people who have been taught only one viewpoint. I also briefly look at Matthew’s version.

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The Lord’s Supper in Synoptic Gospels + Church Traditions

We cannot answer all the questions in this overview, but we can exegete the Lord’s Supper in its original context in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This post also looks very briefly at 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 and 11:23-34 and John 6:35-59. Then, what do various churches teach about the Lord’s Supper (or Communion or Eucharist)? I am here to learn. I updated this post with information that startled me. I also learned something new from Exodus 12:14. Once more I updated this post!

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Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 and 17 in Parallel Columns Are Finally Clear

These chapters are on Jesus’s discourse about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (AD 70) and then the Second Coming, which has not happened yet 2000 years later (and counting). Looking at the chapters side by side clarifies what he really taught. I updated this post.

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‘Revenge’ in the Old and New Testaments: Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth

Does the Old Testament demand literal retaliation for a wrong? Should an eye or a tooth be gouged or knocked out—physically? What about the teaching of Jesus? Does he raise our vision to a higher calling? How do we forgive a tort or a physical injury? How do we get compensated for damages?

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Luke’s Birth Narrative: Pagan Myth or Sacred Story?

Many claim that the birth narratives in the Gospels–here the third Gospel–were merely  reshaped copies of Greco-Roman myths. True?

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Reconciling Matthew’s and Luke’s Genealogies: Mission: Impossible?

Some scholars say they are irreconcilable, while others say reconciling them is not so difficult. I favor plausible harmonization. It’s all in the family. Bonus: see the American family “the Roosevelts” in a chart for parallels.

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Luke 24

In this chapter, Jesus is resurrected. The women visit the tomb and find it empty. The women are the first evangelists. Jesus dialogues with his uncle Cleopas, brother to Joseph, on the road to Emmaus. Then Jesus appears to the other disciples and shows them his hands and feet and eats in front of them. He commissions them but tells them to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father. Finally he ascends into heaven in front of them.

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Luke 23

In this chapter, Jesus is brought before Pilate; then he is escorted to Herod, who was in town. The crowds shout that Jesus must be crucified. Pilate delivers him over to them. Jesus is crucified, and the one insurrectionist who was crucified with him asked Jesus would remember him after they die. Jesus dies, after he entrusts his spirit to his Father. Joseph of Arimathea buried him. The women who followed him from Galilee were there at the crucifixion and the burial. Please see the table of events during Passion week.

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Luke 22

In this chapter, Judas betrays Jesus; the Last Supper and New Covenant are instituted; the disciples dispute over who is the greatest; Jesus predicts Peter’s betrayal, which happens. Jesus prays on Mount of Olives. The beginning of his trial takes place. He is hit and mocked. And the council sentences him to death. (See table of events during Passion Week, at the end).

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Luke 21

The widow’s generous gift is announced; Jesus predicts wars and persecutions and the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. He teaches the lesson of the fig tree and all the trees and says the destruction shall happen in his generation. He then says that the Son of Man is coming back (later). He warns his disciples to watch and not get intoxicated.

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Luke 20

Jesus has already entered Jerusalem. The authority of Jesus is challenged; he tells the Parable of the Wicked Tenants; he renders his verdict on paying taxes to Caesar; he replies to the challenge by the Sadducees on the resurrection; he says the son of David is the Lord of David; Jesus rebukes the teachers of the law. See the table of events during Passion Week.

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Luke 19

In this chapter: Jesus and Zacchaeus have a conversation; Jesus tells the Parable of the Ten Minas (or Parable of the Pounds); he makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, weeping over the city; he cleanses a part of the temple. See a table of events during the Passion Week, at the end.

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Luke 16

Jesus teaches the Parable of the Prudent (or Dishonest) Manager. Then he says the law and the prophets were until John the Baptist, and the Law is still in effect. And he then issues his brief teaching on divorce. Finally, he tells the story or the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

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Luke 13

Jesus tells the Israelites to repent or perish like the ones whom Pilate slaughtered or like those workers on whom a tower fell. He tells the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree. He delivers a woman from a disabling spirit. He tells the short illustration of the mustard seed and leaven. He tells people to enter by the narrow door. Finally, he laments over Jerusalem.

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Luke 12

Jesus says to beware of leaven of Pharisees. Don’t fear those who can kill only the body, but fear the one, who, after our death, has the authority throw us into Gehenna. Acknowledge Christ before men. He tells the Parable of the Rich Fool. He tells us not to be anxious about food and clothing or drink. We must be ready, for the Son of Man can come at any time. Jesus came to bring division, not peace. We must interpret the times. Settle with your accuser before you get to a magistrate (a reference to impending judgment).

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Luke 11

Jesus teaches the Lord’s Model Prayer. He is accused of his power coming from Beelzebul. Return of unclean spirits; true blessedness is for those who hear the word of God and keep it. The sign of Jonah; the light is in you because Jesus’s message has entered. Woe pronounced on Pharisees and legal experts.

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Luke 10

In Luke 9:51, Luke informed us that Jesus set his face like a flint toward Jerusalem, a major turning point. He winds his way there gradually. In this chapter, Jesus sends out the seventy-two. He pronounces woes on unrepentant towns. The seventy-two return. Jesus rejoices in his Father’s will. He tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan. He visits Martha and Mary.

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Luke 9

Jesus sends out the twelve apostles. Herod is perplexed by him. Jesus feeds five thousand. Peter confesses Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus foretells his own death. We are called to take up our cross daily and follow him. The Mount of Transfiguration happens. He heals a boy with an unclean spirit. Jesus again foretells his own death. The disciples debate who the greatest is. Anyone not against them is for them. A Samaritan village rejects Jesus. It cost a lot to follow him. In v. 51, he sets his face like a flint toward Jerusalem, so this chapter has a major turning point. It now enters the Travel Narrative, but it is the slow route to get there.

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Luke 8

This is a rich and full chapter. Women of Galilee support Jesus and travel with him. He tells the Parable of the Sower and then the purpose of parables. (I also offer an alternative free translation of the Parable of the Sower, based on some interesting grammar.) Do not hide a lamp under a container. Jesus’s mother and brothers are the ones who do the will of God. He calms a storm. He delivers a man with a legion of demons. He heals a woman with an issue of blood and heals Jairus’s daughter.

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Luke 5

Jesus calls the first disciples, notably Peter. Jesus cleanses a leper. He forgives the sin of a paralytic and heals him, claiming God’s authority and prerogative to do so. The Pharisees and teachers of the law object to his ability to forgive sins. Jesus calls Levi. Questions about fasting: John’s disciples fast; Jesus’s disciples do not.

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Luke 4

Jesus overcomes Satan. Jesus begins his ministry. The Spirit of the Lord is upon him. He is rejected at Nazareth. They try to throw him off a cliff, but he walks away. He goes to Capernaum and delivers a man with an unclean spirit. He heals Simon’s mother-in-law and many others. The people try to keep him from leaving, but he says he must preach the good news of the kingdom elsewhere.

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Luke 2

In this chapter: the birth of Jesus; the shepherds see angels; Jesus is circumcised; he is presented at the temple; Simeon sings his brief song of praise; the family returns to Nazareth. The boy Jesus, during the feast of Passover, dialogues with religious scholars, and they marvel. His parents lost track of him and looked everywhere. He increased in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man. See the table of parallels between Gen. 11-21 and Luke 1:5-2:52. Luke’s birth narrative does not come from paganism, but from Scripture.

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Quick Reference to Jewish Groups in Gospels and Acts

This is quick reference guide to religious and political Jewish groups who appear in the Gospels and the Book of Acts.

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Luke 21:5-33 Predicts Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple

By far, Luke 21:5-33 clearly demonstrate that these verses, which parallel Matt. 24:4-35 and Mark 13:5-31, are an extended prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and not the Second Coming. It is best to read those verses in their own context and in light of Old Testament apocalyptic passages. Then we can have clarity. Please view the photos of the Arch of Titus and the Jewish Menorah, at the end.

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Works Cited

Here is a list of the principal works referenced or used at this site. More will be added as time goes on, so please check back.

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