Category Archives: Bible Study

Christmas Characters – The Gospel Writers

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I have written a Christmas post on Matthew and Luke, so these are further reflections on their work.

Matthew– (I also have a post on the three list of fourteen names in Matthew.) Scholars have said that Matthew’s genealogy is Joseph’s family tree, in part because it includes Solomon.  But it makes since because the focus is really on Joseph and his dreams/part of the story.  However, the probable source still was Mary!  She was the only eyewitness to these events. 

Mark– Mark/Peter are the only writers who do not include a narrative about Jesus’ birth or linage.  I believe that Mark witnessed much of the ministry of Jesus (I think he was the boy who supplied the fish and bread for the feeding of the five thousand and lost his clothes in the Garden.)  If Mark was the first Gospel written I could understand why it was started with John the Baptist, they got right to the ministry.  But to not down play the book Mark does confirm John the Baptist’s story and that Jesus “came from Nazareth”.  

Luke– The focus person in Luke’s Christmas story is Mary and her part of the tale.  So, it makes sense that the genealogy in 3:21 is Mary’s.  Her line comes through Nathan (also a child of “Uriah’s wife”).  Luke should also be the source for the year we chose for Jesus’ birth.  The two timestamps here are 2:1 (Caesar Augustus) and 3:1 (15thyear of Tiberius).  Augustus ruled until 14 A.D., he also helped the spread of the Gospel by continuing the building of the Roman road system.  

John– he also tells the Christmas story but from a different point of view.  Jesus’s genealogy is the most important one; it has God and Jesus the Word and Light.  John also talks about John the Baptist just like the other three Gospels. 1:4 is a different take on the Star and the angels.  In between all of this comes accomplishments that Jesus and John did before the symbolic baptism/parting of the Red Sea. 

Light and Dark #3 – Darkness then Light

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Matthew 10: 27 (NIV) What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.

This verse is part of the instructions Jesus gave the disciples before He sent them out to be light! There will be dark times, they may be times of trial that we are enduring, or they could be chosen study times when you rise before the sun comes up.  Just because it is dark does not mean that Jesus is not with you.  Work to open up to Him and know what He wants you to get from the experience.  

In Light and Dark #2, I mentioned a pattern that God uses – dark then light.  He brought this into play when He created time.  Genesis 1 – the evening and the morning make up a day. (See Time and Biblical Calendar) This is how the Jews mark their day and one part of this concept is that we start our day with rest and finish with work.

FURTHER THOUGHT:  Exodus 10: 21 says that the darkness could be felt!  #6205 in the Hebrew part of Strong’s is used for “thick” darkness.  What would that feel like? Describe what that would mean to you.

∞Father, thank you for the dark times and the light times.  Help us to use them to know and spread Your Word. 

Light and Dark #2 – Darkness

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The opposite of light, misery, shadow, a covering, all of these and more thoughts use darkness as a descriptor. DARKNESS, in most sermons, is a bad thing and is usually anti-God.  The problem with this thought is God created darkness and uses it for His purposes.  It is, however, associated with the devil and evil, negative things, so carefully read the verse and the context. 

By my count, there are fifteen words in the Old and New Testament for the word darkness. There are other words for dark and night.  Job has the most references to darkness and is where darkness becomes/is a negative thing. Most references in Genesis to Deuteronomy on darkness are not negative or evil but refer to what surrounds God.

Exodus 20:21 (NIV) – The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.  This idea is used several times to tell us that God hid from the people/us in darkness.  In the Strong’s that word is #6205 and is translated for us as thick darkness.  # 2822 is frequently the word used for darkness because of how it is used in verses; it can carry negative connotations. My thought on why God would hide in darkness is because of the unapproachable light He lives in. (See the other post that is listed in Light and Dark)

Genesis 1:2 uses #2822 for darkness.  (This post is not for a commentary on Creationism.)  The BIG point I want to make is God started with darkness!  He then called for LIGHT and separated them.  (I will use this idea in the following post.)  This verse can take a different direction if you put in the other thoughts associated with darkness.  

In Genesis 1: 4, 6, 7, 14 the NIV uses the word separate, KJV can use the word divide.  In the Strong’s it is number #914.  This word, to me, is a serious word. It is used about Aaron and his family and how they were to be different than the other Israelites.  To divide light and dark, day and night is a very clear separation.

FURTHER STUDY: Use a concordance to compare the three different words for “darkness” that is used in Job 10.

The Bible and Science – Light and Dark

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Job 38: 19 – 20 (NIV)

19 “What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?
20 Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths to their dwellings?

Light and darkness! Two themes that are used frequently in the Bible.  I have written eight posts in this series on light (I will link them below.) but none on the two of them.  As I write this the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays will start in just a few days.  Our community has a “Festival of Lights” that they will begin soon.  Many religions have a time when they celebrate LIGHT. As Christians, we know that the light is Jesus.  The Apostle John starts his Gospel and 1 John with that thought – Jesus is the Light. John also warns about walking/fellowshipping with darkness.

In the passage, God is questioning Job and verses 19 and 20 contain questions 12 – 15 (Yes, I numbered God’s questions, by my count, there are 68 of them in the NIV.). The imagery is awesome!  God has a place/room where He keeps true light and true dark.  Now, we could conclude that the question is about day and night, but what if there is a room where “real” light and dark are stored.  Our day and night are just part of the “Shadowland” version of light and dark. (Shadowland is a C. S. Lewis concept.)  Okay back to my thought.

I will not presume to answer God’s question but our night is earth’s shadow.  Earth is the cause of our night.

  • Father, thank you for the times we have to rest.  May we not live in the shadow of earthly things but always walk in the LIGHT.

Other post about light:

Lighthttps://ificouldteachthebible.com/2013/02/02/the-bible-and-science-light/

Light #2 https://ificouldteachthebible.com/2013/02/13/the-bible-and-science-light-2/

Light #3https://ificouldteachthebible.com/2013/02/27/the-bible-and-science-light-3/

Infraredhttps://ificouldteachthebible.com/2013/03/02/the-bible-and-science-infrared-light/

Lightninghttps://ificouldteachthebible.com/2013/12/29/lightning-consider-gods-wonders/

Lightning #2 https://ificouldteachthebible.com/2013/12/31/lightning-2-the-bible-and-science/

Lightning Then Thunderhttps://ificouldteachthebible.com/2014/01/22/lightning-then-thunder-the-bible-and-science/

Following the Lighthttps://ificouldteachthebible.com/2018/03/10/following-the-light/

A Comparison of Thoughts on the Order of the New Testament

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This comparison started out as a search about Titus.  I was curious about his physical locations and how they corresponded to Paul’s life and his writings.

Every resource that I list will tell you these are approximations, as we are not sure of their order or dates when they were written. Few sites offer why they put them in that order but they seem close. 

The graphs are pictures so the links do not work.  A Google search on the order of the New Testament will give you these and many others.  

I do like the bible-history site even though they seem to have left out Luke and Jude.  They place the Books in context with history.