3-4-18 (Week 3, Day 4, Year 18)
PSALM 53 No one is righteous but we all need the forgiveness of God. God will restore the goodness of the people
(from THE MESSAGE OF THE PSALMS) by Walter Brueggemann, p 44-45) Psalm 53 is the same as Psalm 14. The fool is much more than a silly person. He is doing much more than “acting a fool,” He is being wicked of as Robert Alter translates nabal as scoundrel. The fool is a practical atheist. There is no focus in their life. God is still the ruler of the world. God (Yahweh) rules with solidarity with the poor. Humans cannot manage the world better than God.
MATTHEW 18: 1-35 THE FOURTH DISCOURSE. Douglas Hare in MATTHEW divides Chapter 18 into three sections. The first is CONCERN FOR THE LITTLE ONES (Matthew 18:1-14). The question: “Who is the greatest?” prompts Jesus surprising answer about children. What does it mean to “become like a child?” The believer becomes teachable like a child and also becomes completely dependent upon our Heavenly Father. The believer also humbles themselves to the lowest strata of society. There can be no doubt that children are important to Jesus. This means all humans are important to God. Jesus tells the parable about temptation to warn the followers to be disciplined. The parable of the lost sheep is shocking and hyperbolic. No shepherd should leave his flock to search for one lost sheep. One believer is as important as another. Our Heavenly Father will search for us no matter how far we stray.
The second section is DEALING WITH DESTRUCTIVE SIN (Matthew 18:15-20). This passage places responsibility upon the entire body of believers to bring to light offences which might destroy the church. Serious sin cannot be ignored. Action needs to be taken but verified by two or three witnesses.
The third section of the discourse is UNLIMITED FORGIVENESS (Matthew 18:21-35). Our Heavenly Father is a forgiving God. We are expected to be forgiving to others. We are not to seek revenge.
MATTHEW 18: 1-9 THE QUESTION ABOUT GENINUE GREATNESS WHO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE KINGDOM?
MATTHEW 18: 10-35 LIFE AND RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE CHURCH MATTHEW is the only Gospel writer to use the word for church (ekklesia). Forgiveness is the key to being the church. THE STORY OF THE LOST SHEEP(10-14) WHEN SOMEONE SINS AGAINST YOU (15-20) THE SERVANT WHO HAD NO MERCY (21-30)
GENESIS 35-36
GENESIS 35: 1-5 JACOB GOES TO BETHEL
GENESIS 35:6-15 JACOB’S RETURN TO BETHEL Jacob is named Israel. JACOB RETURNS TO BETHEL
GENESIS 35: 16-21 THE BIRTH OF BENJAMIN AND THE DEATH OF RACHEL
GENESIS 35: 22-26 CONCLUDING MATERIALS ON JACOB’S SONS AND ISAAC’S DEATH AND BURIAL RACHEL AND ISAAC DIE
GENESIS 36: 1-43 OVERVIEW OF THE DESCENDANTS OF ESAU AND PRIOR INBHABITANTS OF EDOM/SEIR
THE FAMILY LINE OF ESAU-Esau is also known as Edom
ACTS 18
ACTS 18: 1-17 PAUL IN CORINTH. PAUL GOES TO CORINTH. Paul makes a statement that he will preach to Gentiles. Luke relates two controversies in Corinth. The first Paul states that he is going to witnesses to the Gentiles as a mission. There is some difficulty between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians worshipping together in the synagogue. The second controversy deals with Jewish pressure be silence the preaching of Paul. This results in civil trouble with Roman officials. Aquila and Priscilla are introduced as co-workers in mission and trade with Paul. Paul is in Corinth for eighteen months. The best guess is from early 50 ACE to the summer of 51 ACE. If Aquila and Priscilla were in Rome prior to coming to Corinth before being expelled by Claudius in 49 ACE, then we can assume Christianity had been introduced in Rome sometime before 49 ACE.
ACTS 18: 18-23 END OF THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY AND BEGINNING OF THE THIRD. PRISCILLA AND AQUILA TEACH APOLLOS. Aquila and Priscilla moved to Ephesus. Paul preaches there. Is there a Jewish-Christian congregation there before Paul? From Ephesus Paul goes to Caesarea, maybe then to Jerusalem. He begins a third journey from Antioch to Galatia. These few sentences represent a considerable amount of travel and time.
ACTS 18: 24-28 APOLLOS IN EPHESUS