Bible studies: onward to the new covenant (which is really the old covenant)
I'm debating whether I should respond to the comments left on my Yuletide stories. Not being able to answer them for a week has left me feeling a bit distant. (I did post replies to the two intended recipients.)
It's a new year! It always takes a bit of time for that to feel real to me. At church we switch our curriculum for Sunday School at the beginning of a new year, so now I have that closure on 2010/start for 2011 feeling. We're doing the New Testament this year, and it occurs to me that I might benefit from a bit of processing on what we go over in class.
Therefore... I'm aiming for a monthly post. It might be more often, but once a month is the minimum expectation I'm setting for myself. I have no goal at this point other than making myself write something I liked and/or learned. (I'm not aiming to make this of interest to anyone but me, though if someone else does find some enjoyment, yay! I'm not planning on locking the entries, but I'll put them behind a cut.)
So this week we had the transition from Old Testament to New Testament, and I'm a bit sad to leave Isaiah behind. Yeah, it's weird: Isaiah is frequently incomprehensible to me, but some parts I love so much that I wade through anyway.
There's a nice link between the two. Isaiah 61:1-3:
1The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
When Isaiah is (mostly) comprehensible, there's a loveliness to his words. Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning.
The link to the New Testament comes from the book of Luke, chapter 4, verses 16-21:
16 And he [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
This is early in Christ's ministry. He's proclaiming himself to the the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies. The reaction of the people?
22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?
23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
Yup. That's how it's going to go.
We also read from John chapter 1:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
It's interesting to me how many meanings this can have. I find reassurance from this that there was a plan from the beginning, and that Jesus Christ had a role in the plan from the beginning as well.
And thus endeth my own brief thoughts. I'm going to try reading ahead of time next week. (Missed doing that this time around.)
This is the outline for the rest of January:
week 2: Matthew 1, Luke 1
week 3: Matthew 2, Luke 2
week 4: Matthew 3-4, John 1:35-51
week 5: John 3-4
Huh. I'm not sure if my userpic is appropriate or vaguely sacrilegious... *laughs*
Posted at Dreamwidth: http://rose-griffes.dreamwidth.org/194742.html. Comment where you wish.
It's a new year! It always takes a bit of time for that to feel real to me. At church we switch our curriculum for Sunday School at the beginning of a new year, so now I have that closure on 2010/start for 2011 feeling. We're doing the New Testament this year, and it occurs to me that I might benefit from a bit of processing on what we go over in class.
Therefore... I'm aiming for a monthly post. It might be more often, but once a month is the minimum expectation I'm setting for myself. I have no goal at this point other than making myself write something I liked and/or learned. (I'm not aiming to make this of interest to anyone but me, though if someone else does find some enjoyment, yay! I'm not planning on locking the entries, but I'll put them behind a cut.)
So this week we had the transition from Old Testament to New Testament, and I'm a bit sad to leave Isaiah behind. Yeah, it's weird: Isaiah is frequently incomprehensible to me, but some parts I love so much that I wade through anyway.
There's a nice link between the two. Isaiah 61:1-3:
1The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
When Isaiah is (mostly) comprehensible, there's a loveliness to his words. Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning.
The link to the New Testament comes from the book of Luke, chapter 4, verses 16-21:
16 And he [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
This is early in Christ's ministry. He's proclaiming himself to the the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies. The reaction of the people?
22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?
23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
Yup. That's how it's going to go.
We also read from John chapter 1:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
It's interesting to me how many meanings this can have. I find reassurance from this that there was a plan from the beginning, and that Jesus Christ had a role in the plan from the beginning as well.
And thus endeth my own brief thoughts. I'm going to try reading ahead of time next week. (Missed doing that this time around.)
This is the outline for the rest of January:
week 2: Matthew 1, Luke 1
week 3: Matthew 2, Luke 2
week 4: Matthew 3-4, John 1:35-51
week 5: John 3-4
Huh. I'm not sure if my userpic is appropriate or vaguely sacrilegious... *laughs*
Posted at Dreamwidth: http://rose-griffes.dreamwidth.org/194742.html. Comment where you wish.