Teachings from Luke 5:1 – 9:50
BIBLE DICTIONARY
LUKE
Mentioned three times in
the N.T. (Col. 4: 14; 2 Tim. 4: 11; Philem. 1: 24). He was also
the writer of the third Gospel and of the Acts. In all passages in the latter
book in which the first person plural is used (e.g., Acts 16: 10), we can assume
that Luke was Paul’s fellow-traveler. He was born of gentile parents, and
practiced medicine. He may have become a believer before our Lord’s ascension,
but there is no evidence of this. The identification of him with one of the
disciples to whom our Lord appeared on the way to Emmaus is picturesque but
historically unsupported. The first information about him is when he joined
Paul at
Luke and
Acts go together as a 2 part story, during Christ’s ministry and after his
death.
Luke was a
physician, a convert and an associate, traveling companion with Paul.
It is a
very well thought out story, based on facts, eye witness testimony, a Greek,
Gentile point of view, Different audience than Matthew or Mark, different
approach.
BIBLE DICTIONARY
GOSPELS
The word gospel
means good news. The good news is that Jesus Christ has made a perfect
atonement for mankind that will redeem all mankind from the grave and reward
each individual according to his/her works. This atonement was begun by his
appointment in the premortal world but was worked out by Jesus during his
mortal sojourn. Therefore, the records of his mortal life and the events
pertaining to his ministry are called the Gospels; the four that are contained
in our Bible are presented under the names of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The four Gospels are not so much biographies as they are testimonies. They do
not reveal a day-by-day story of the life of Jesus; rather, they tell who Jesus
was, what he said, what he did, and why it was important. The records of Matthew,
Mark, and Luke present a somewhat similar collection of materials and have
considerable phraseology in common, as well as similar main points, and thus
are sometimes labeled as the “Synoptic Gospels” (Meaning “see-alike”). Even so,
each is unique and has much detail that is not shared by the others. John’s
record is quite different from the other three in vocabulary, phraseology, and
presentation of events.
It appears from the internal evidence of each record that Matthew was written
to persuade the Jews that Jesus is the promised Messiah. To do so he cites
several O.T. prophecies and speaks repeatedly of Jesus as the Son of David,
thus emphasizing his royal lineage. Mark appeals to a gentile audience and is
fast moving, emphasizing the doings more than the sayings of the Lord. He
occasionally gives geographical and cultural explanations - necessary procedure
for non-Jewish readers (see Mark
2: 26; Mark 5: 41; Mark 7: 2-13, 34). Luke
offers his readers a polished literary account of the ministry of Jesus,
presenting Jesus as the universal Savior of both Jews and gentiles. He dwells
extensively on Jesus’ teachings and his doings. Luke is favorable toward the
gentiles and also gives more stories involving women than do the other records.
John’s account does not contain much of the fundamental information that the
other records contain, and it is evident that he was writing to members of the
Church who already had basic information about the Lord. His primary purpose
was to emphasize the divine nature of Jesus as the Only Begotten Son of God in
the flesh.
Though there are many similarities in each of the Gospels, there are also many
items that are found in one record only, making a study of all the records
necessary. Some of the more significant items that appear in but one record are
the following
Matthew only
Visit
of the wise men; the star in the east (Matt. 2: 1-12)
Mark
only
Jesus,
a carpenter (Mark 6: 3).
A young man wearing a sheet (Mark
14: 52).
Luke
only
Visits
of Gabriel to Zacharias and Mary (Luke
1)
Visit of the shepherds (Luke
2: 8-18).
Jesus at the temple at age 12 (Luke 2: 41-52).
The seventy (Luke 10: 1-24)
Jesus sweating blood (Luke
22: 44).
Jesus’ discussion with the thief on the cross (Luke 23: 39-43)
Jesus eating fish and honey after his resurrection (Luke 24: 42-43).
John
only
Turning
water into wine (John 2: 1-11)
Visit of Nicodemus (John 3:
1-10)
Woman at the well (John 4:
1-42).
Discourse on bread of life (John
6: 27-71)
Raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11: 1-56).
Washing of feet (John 13:
1-16)
Discourse about the Holy Ghost (John
14, 15, 16).
Promise of John’s tarrying on the earth (John 21: 20-24).
John’s
record is notable for what it does not contain. For example, it has no mention
of Jesus’ 40-day experience in the wilderness; of the Mount of Transfiguration;
of true parables; and of casting out evil spirits.
In summation, Mark has the least amount of unique material, being only about 7
percent exclusive; John has the greatest amount, being about 92 percent
exclusive. With the knowledge now available, it is not possible to create a
perfect harmony of the four Gospels, because the Gospel authors themselves do
not always agree on chronological matters. A possible harmony of the four
Gospels that is useful for study is given in the following tables, arranged, so
far as information permits, in chronological order
Both books
are letters to a Theophilus; Luke is sharing his testimony to him. There are more women mentioned in his
writings than any other gospel writer.
The Testimony of Luke
RICHARD LLOYD
ANDERSON
In 1961 the
oldest copy of Luke (P75) was published, in which the scribe added his note at
the bottom of the last chapter: "The Gospel According to Luke." This
was about A.D. 200. Then he moved down a few lines and started the next book
with the similar title, "The Gospel According to John." An
independent copy of John of the same age exists, with the same title at the
head. Thus the authorship headings were part of the Gospels as early as records
now exist. Evidence of four Gospels reaches back to mid second century, and
plural Gospels are indicated intermittently back to New Testament times. Anyone
starting a new record of Jesus, as the opening of Luke describes, would of
necessity distinguish his from records that had gone before. "According
to" is a Christian formula with only minor variation in the handscripts;
such essential unanimity suggests that "according to Luke" was on the
earliest copies of that Gospel.
Some very
significant things can be said about Luke, but the most prominent fact about
him is that he was not prominent. With normal early Christian modesty, he does
not directly name himself in his writings, nor is he mentioned except
incidentally in the New Testament. So a relatively obscure person consistently
appears as the author of Luke and Acts, the largest and most impressive block
of writing in the New Testament from a literary and historical point of view.
Contrary to the patristic debate that arose from the lack of "Paul"
within the book of Hebrews, alternative authors are not suggested for the
Gospel of Luke in the probings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers. For instance,
several decades before the P75 scribe made his oldest known copy, Irenaeus,
Bishop of Lyons, repeatedly named Luke and quoted from his Gospel in order to
expose the inconsistencies of heretics. History regularly speculates on what is
probable, but it is most responsible when dealing more realistically with what
is known. On the level of likelihood, a number of careful scholars ask about
the authorship of Luke: "If people were guessing, would they not be much
more likely to come up with an apostle?" And on the restricted question of
fact, Luke is the only author mentioned by the prominent church fathers and
important hand-written copies of the Gospel in the early Christian
centuries.
Paul
profiles Luke. Besides giving Luke's general greetings in two letters (Col.
4:14; 2 Tim. 4:11), the apostle was specific at the end of Colossians,
describing him as "the beloved physician" (Col. 4:14). While Christian
leaders regularly addressed their converts by "beloved," this term of
endearment applied to a fellow laborer amounts to a designation of intense
trust. Paul was most sensitive about who instructed the volatile branches, so
here he really designated Luke as an apostolic associate whose spiritual-and
historical-knowledge could be trusted. This relationship gives important color
to Luke's preface; he could record what apostles knew because he was their
intimate companion. Luke was also called "physician," a term used
only here outside the Gospels and clearly in a literal sense. If we did not
have a hundred pages of Luke's prose, what kind of physician he was might be in
doubt. But he reveals himself as a well-informed and careful thinker, qualities
that evidently characterized his training and profession. Ancient medicine was
obviously in its infancy by today's standards, but the best practitioners used
pragmatic science within the limits of their technology. When such a man turned
his whole attention to the Christian movement, he was in a unique position to
investigate the healings, including the greatest healing-Christ's
resurrection.
Paul adds a
third insight to Luke that is clear but not as obvious. Before noting the "beloved
physician" in his letter from
The other
reliable insights to Luke's life come from his writings, since Christian
traditions about him are late and carry no discernible link to the first
century. But looking at Luke through his Gospel is only half the story, for he
contributed two major books to the New Testament. Since he wrote the Gospel, he
also wrote the Acts of the Apostles, for its preface tells Theophilus that the
"former treatise" recorded Jesus' life to the resurrection and ascension.
(Acts 1:1-2.) Theophilus appears twice in the New Testament, on both occasions
in the prefaces tying Luke to Acts. Since this name basically signifies
"friend of God," this could be Luke's literary device for writing to
those who "feared God," the Gentile seekers who infiltrated the
Jewish synagogues in Acts and Josephus; "Theophilus" could also be a
well-educated Christian convert who merited "most excellent," a title
of social or administrative status. (Luke 1:3.) In either event, Acts clearly
continues the Gospel and adds significant insight into Luke and his purposes.
The two books are also welded together by a distinctive prose that favors
classical style and formal grammar not characteristic of other New Testament
writers.
While Acts
says nothing of Luke directly, there are autobiographical glimpses. The most
subtle is worth passing mention. Ante-Nicene fathers sometimes gave Luke's home
as
The more
definite data from Acts concerns Luke's "we" passages. Roman
historians of Luke's time typically begin their histories with no
identification and minimal personal comment, but occasionally inject
first-person observations into the body of their works later. Acts is normally
written with the descriptive pronouns of the third person: he, she, and they.
But in several significant sections Luke drops into we, identifying himself as
one of the party in Paul's travels. Thus Acts fits the three Roman epistles
that name Luke as Paul's companion, and it adds further times when "the
beloved physician" was with Paul. These "we" passages bring Luke
from Asia Minor to northern Greece after Paul left Antioch with the apostolic
revelation on duties of Gentile converts (Acts 16:10-13); they resume as Luke
left northern Greece and traveled with Paul's party to Jerusalem with the
Gentile welfare contributions. (Acts 19:5-15; 21:1-18.) They then dot the
narrative after Paul spent two years in
Sources and Time of Writing
Did Luke
remain in the Christian homeland while Paul stayed there in prison (about A.D.
59-61)? He virtually said that his mission was to attend Paul until freed.
Right after the appeal to
By the time
Luke wrote about his trip to
Luke wrote
about first arriving in
So Luke
worked with the double level of history and implied historical accuracy as he
next crafted his report of entering the city of
Most
scholars comment on the literary relationships of Luke and Acts, but the point
here is the relevance of the people in Acts for Luke as a biographer of Jesus.
The morning after arrival, "Paul went in with us unto James; and all the
elders were present." (Acts 21:18.)
Was meeting James the beginning of the historian's inquiries about Mary's
experiences in the miraculous events of Jesus' birth? Luke's is the only Gospel
that mentions them. One good result from Paul's subsequent arrest was that Luke
spent substantial time, if not all of his time, in the land of the Lord with
access to many individuals who had personal experiences with him. After naming
the above four people first met in
Luke's
contacts with Jesus' generation about A.D. 60 perhaps completed a process of
gathering information during the previous decade, when Luke is known to have
been a companion of Paul. The date when the physician wrote his two volumes on
Christian beginnings is not known. There are educated guesses, and this paper
will argue briefly for the earliest choice. However, the authenticity of Luke's
two records should not depend on whether they were written about A.D. 63, soon
after A.D. 70, or a decade beyond that. These later dates are claimed by a
majority of commentators but on highly debatable arguments of when early
Christian theology had evolved to Luke's point of view, or of how some details
of Jesus' prophecy against
Luke's Historical Reliability
To repeat,
Luke's date of composition should not affect the great historical value of that
Gospel. His preface gives the reason for this view, backed up by insights in
Acts and New Testament letters of the Christian historical process at work. A
modern translation better communicates Luke's introductory thoughts, and the
New International Version answers that purpose here: "Many have undertaken
to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as
they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and
ministers of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated
everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly
account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty
of the things you have been taught (Luke 1:1-4)."
Luke's goal
was verification. Records of Jesus already existed, one of which was surely
Mark. Other possibilities are the Gospel of Matthew and/or its predecessors
that officially collected the main teachings of Jesus, a subject beyond our
scope here. Buy why would Luke write another account after admitting that
several already existed? He obviously thought he could add something, and the
stated purpose of his account is to doublecheck earliest Christian events. Here
is a man of education insisting that the Christian story could stand up under
his own standards. "Investigated" is a preferred translation now, but on any
analysis Luke took pains to be independently informed about the founding story
and certified that it was correct.
This process
puts Luke at the second stage of information, which came from
"eyewitnesses and ministers of the word." "Minister"
(huperetes) was used in that period in the sense of an assistant or helper,
regularly applied to administrators of some status. So the strong implication
is that eyewitnesses are the apostles who in every Gospel have the commission
to carry the word or message to the world. Some scholars have sought to put
Luke at the third stage after eyewitnesses, getting his information from
anonymous Christian preachers who taught traditional stories to a later
generation. However, we have seen Luke picturing himself through the
"we" passages as in contact with the generation that knew Jesus.
Thus, as many scholars insist, the "eyewitnesses and ministers of the
word" are to be taken together. They were really those who knew Jesus
personally and who were also commissioned to preach the gospel. Luke opened
Acts with just such an example. Matthias was chosen as an apostle from the body
of those who walked with Jesus. (Acts 1:22-23.) Then he was given the second
status of an eyewitness invested with the preaching authority of the Twelve.
(Acts 1:25-26.) This eyewitness-apostle combination throws light on Luke's own
definition of those who had already written accounts of Christ's work. He later
recorded the same double description of Paul, qualified through his call and
vision to be "a minister and a witness." (Acts 26:16.) In the light
of these dual descriptions of the apostles Matthias and Paul,
"eyewitnesses and ministers of the word" in Luke's preface should be
seen as a combination term referring to the Galilean Twelve with personal
knowledge of Christ and delegated authority to testify of him. Thus Luke gives
two main ideas in his preface: that he was one step away from original
information from the first leaders, and that he could go back to those who
could verify written records.
Yet critical
New Testament scholarship is generally not satisfied with Luke's
straightforward testimony. Form criticism is heavily stressed by analysts
representing the academic establishment, though there are protests. In this
theory, authors of the Gospels merely
gathered up circulating stories that were remembered for their religious
message but had changed in the retelling. This skeptical approach attempts to
go behind the New Testament record by speculating about earlier forms of the
main stories about Jesus. But by distrusting the objectivity of the Gospels,
scholars have created a crisis of subjectivity. One expert on Luke reacts to
this intellectual maze: "It is notorious that today questions regarding
the ministry and teaching of the historical Jesus have become immensely complex
and difficult, so much so that some scholars (wrongly, in our opinion) have
despaired of ever answering them."
For this
reason the New Testament student will find many current books on the Gospels to
be shortsighted. Rather than read heavily in secondary literature, serious
students should define people and places with the aid of an up-to-date Bible
dictionary and mainly search the Gospels themselves, perhaps with the aid of a
harmony printed in parallel columns. Most commentaries and some Bible
dictionaries state theoretical positions as though they were proved. With the
New Testament as the base, one should develop insights and explanations that
are justified by the New Testament, for Luke had access to those who knew and
to the earliest records, each of which told a consistent story of the
miraculous powers of the Lord. One clear New Testament example of what was
available to Luke is 1 Corinthians. About A.D. 56 Paul wrote that letter,
predating Luke's Gospel and probably Mark's. The apostle opened his testimony
of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15) with language close to Luke's preface about
what was received from eyewitnesses before him. Paul listed resurrection
appearances (1 Cor. 15:3-7) and also summarized the Last Supper (1 Cor.
11:23-25). Both of these short histories harmonize with the Gospels that
appeared later. So evidence supports Luke's model of a settled historical
record rather than today's fashionable hypothesis of evolving oral
stories.
This is not
to say that Luke even attempted verbal photography or mechanical sequence. His
writing structure suggests that the "order" of his preface means
effective presentation, and his prose suggests that he valued artful
expression. But for the best ancient historians, such views did not place
rhetoric above accuracy: they sought excellence of form and content. This means
that Luke may have paraphrased, since he tended to avoid Jewish titles and
phrases that would not be understood by non-Jewish readers. But he clearly
stayed close to his sources, since he retold incidents from Mark with a
tendency to summarize but with care, and he quoted his Matthew source verbatim
in long sentences of agreement between those two Gospels. In fact, Luke's goal
of a new presentation was clearly limited by the historical framework already
established in writing a gospel. Since his events generally harmonize with
Matthew and Mark, the three are called "synoptic," taking a
"common view" of their material. Such correlated history sharply
distinguishes the canonical Gospels from second- and third-century compilations
that plagiarized and imitated them to serve the ends of Christian Gnosticism or
exaggerated piety. Luke's preface is backed up by a gospel that says by its
content that prior writings on Jesus told the truth but did not contain a
complete record of Jesus. Moreover, John wrote late in the first century with
Luke's same goals, to verify and supplement.
Scholars
study interrelationships of Matthew, Mark, and Luke under the label of the
"synoptic problem." Its solutions amount to seemingly endless
searching for their order of composition and ultimate sources. The majority
vote goes today for the two-document hypothesis, claiming that Mark came first
and was used by Matthew and Luke independently, together with mutual use of a
common collection of Jesus' sayings. But continuing books of dissent prove that
Mark before Matthew is not proved, though the existence of an early-sayings
source is suggested by historical and literary investigation. That fits Luke's
preface describing existing written sources plus additional personal investigation.
The latter produced his unique addition of two long chapters of family history
on the birth and youth of John the Baptist and Jesus, and also about ten middle
chapters that have a missionary theme in reporting Jesus' work in Gentile areas
bordering Israel.
Obviously
Paul's missionary companion to the Gentiles was interested in similar work in
the Savior's life. Each Gospel reflects not only Jesus but also special
interest in Jesus in the mind of each author. The pendulum swings high in this
area of study today, labeled by the question-begging term redaction criticism.
Since redaction is simply another word for editorial revision, the concept is
that the writers of Gospels took stories in general circulation and refashioned
them to support the evolved theological needs of a later church. Thus the
Gospels are supposedly compilations of religious folklore. They are "a
mixture of historical reminiscence, interpreted tradition, and the free
creativity of prophets and the evangelist." Thus it is now commonly said
that the Gospels tell us little about Jesus but much about the author of each
Gospel. As with many exaggerations, there is truth in the position, provided
the historical concern of the writer is balanced against the obvious fact that
every historian reveals himself in writing about others. But to deny Luke a
passion for accuracy is to contradict his prefaces and his Christian commitment
to truth. The extreme forms of redaction criticism write about Luke the
theologian instead of Luke the historian. This is a crude either-or fallacy,
for he was both.
Kent P.
Jackson and Robert L. Millet, eds., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 5: The Gospels,
p.99
There are
three accounts of Jesus healing the woman with chronic bleeding. Here the
synoptic authors reveal different points of view, but they also verify
Christian history by agreeing on a dozen main details of the miracle. With the
distantness of an official record, Matthew objectively stated that the woman
had been afflicted twelve years; with blunt personal details fitting Peter as
the source behind Mark, Mark's Gospel says that the woman had endured
physicians, "and had spent all that she had, and . . . rather grew
worse" (Mark 5:25-26); but Luke empathizes with both the woman and the
physicians: she "had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could
be healed of any" (Luke 8:43). Here there is definite but limited
injection of personality by each evangelist. Yet editing here is not modifying
details, but selective omission and selective comment. Different personalities
thus strengthened the historical record of Jesus, for Luke and John added many
tested incidents to the first writings. In doing so they served their personal
interests but also the cause of history.
The Contributions of Luke
Distinctive
features of Luke include: the detailed birth account, which correlates with
Luke's contact with Jesus' family; Luke's unique parables on love, which
correlate with his lack of sexual or racial bias, as well as Paul's
characterization of him as "beloved"; his insightful summary of the
Last Supper, which correlates with his probable contact with John, who was
there, and his close association with Paul, who gave us our earliest known
record of blessing the bread and wine (1 Cor. 11:23-25); the summary record of
Jesus' trial, which correlates with Luke's travels in the Empire and his sense
of the legal and political realities behind Pilate's moves; and finally, the
most detailed account of Christ's resurrection by the most informed early
Christian on psychology and physiology, the areas that Luke had practical
experience with as a physician. All of these contributions reflect the keen
interest of an individual inquiring at a time when first-generation memories
were broader than written records. The breadth of Luke's Gospel matches the
unusual journeys, probably visiting with traveling apostles and perhaps even
going to villages where miracles took place, such as Nain, where he gave the
touching sketch of Jesus' healing of the widow's son. Of course, it is not
known where Luke learned of the events that he alone reports, but it is known
that he insisted that information come to him accurately, whether from apostles
with Jesus or from participants in their homes.
This essay
makes no attempt to summarize Luke's Gospel. No explanation of it can take the
place of experiencing its impact through consecutive reading. Luke blended
documents and oral history into a powerful statement of the divinity of Christ.
In the words of Thucydides, the Greek pioneer of careful history, Luke produced
"a possession for all time." He insisted that he did not alter but
organized his stories after establishing them as true by personal inquiries.
The reader of this introduction to his introduction should have a feeling for
the man behind the third Gospel, and his commitment both to truth and to
Christ, who came to bring gospel truth. Luke's interests were broad, his spirit
tolerant, his mind inquisitive, his experiences international. He brought
a strength to the Christian witness as a
convert with special qualifications to examine who Jesus was and what he
did.
After John
later finished his Gospel, there were three apostolic testaments of Christ:
from Matthew, whose Gospel preserves the great discourses of the Master and no
doubt reflects Matthew's record-keeping abilities as a tax collector; from
Mark, whose detail of events consistently reflects personal knowledge, which,
according to traceable Christian tradition, came directly from Peter; from
John, who could say of himself and his fellow apostles, "We beheld his
glory" (John 1:14), and give the intimate details of divine love and power
displayed by the Lord. These three Gospels incorporate information and insights
on Jesus stemming from the inner circle. The problem with such incredible
events is that they reach so far beyond comfortable normality. But incredible
break-throughs in medical or scientific research are finally believed because
additional investigators can duplicate laboratory conditions and validate the
discoveries.
The
historical process has analogies here, as Luke reverified by going back to
observers. He was in the position of an accountant charged with making an
independent audit. The three other evangelists were Jewish, Palestinian, not
highly educated, and had direct contact with the Lord. Luke was a polished
outsider who had become a convert. Yet true education produces multiple
loyalties, and Luke was deeply educated or he would not have written the
polished preface that shows knowledge of the histories of his period, nor would
he have used the most extensive vocabulary of the New Testament and the most
literary style of any evangelist. The point is that Luke had seen the world,
had glimpsed much truth outside of a Christian context, and would not narrowly
commit himself to something questionable. That he saw the need of verification
in his preface shows that. So the strength of Luke's testament is the support
of the insider's story by an informed outsider. He was virtually the journalist
assigned to get at the bottom of an incredible event, the one whose writings
featured participants telling the world what it was and how it was.
Luke's
introduction shows that other accounts of Jesus were written before he
organized his own. And writing is a firm act of
preservation that guards against change. Since Luke's gathering process
preceded his writing, the autobiographical glimpses in Acts show that by A.D.
60 he was probing, comparing, and finding the consistency that he described in
the prologue of his Gospel. Paul's similar testimony was given at A.D. 56 in 1
Corinthians 15, insisting that all the apostles told the same story of Christ's
resurrection, the summit event in Luke's biography of Christ. Thus basic
records of the resurrection are clear by mid-century, a mere two decades after
it took place. At this time literacy and Christian conviction were at work to
publish private records and recollections, and Luke's Gospel was a part of that
process.
Those who
write family history rescue detail from oblivion. And Luke saved specifics on
the most significant individual of all history. Because of his concern and
discipline in writing, there is a clearer understanding of Jesus' private
meditations, personal compassion, and timeless challenges to all to believe, to
live with strict integrity and generous empathy, and to enter and sacrifice for
God's kingdom. Luke's ultimate authentication is his fuller record of the first
day of the resurrection. Reality is constructed from ingredients and
particulars, and Luke satisfied himself that Jesus returned that day not in the
minds, but in the sustained physical experiences of the apostles. The short
eight verses that establish this obviously came after many questions directed
to at least some of the ten who first stood together in Jesus' presence. Luke
recorded their conversation just before Jesus appeared their total shock at
seeing him, his firm assurance of comfort and identity, and his invitation to
examine his "flesh and bones," which they accepted. Only Luke added
the truth that Jesus ate before these overwhelmed associates in a final
assurance of materiality that they could not doubt. It is tempting to see the
physician's preoccupation with anatomy at a time when much about the body was
known. Luke's resurrection account reveals the same inquiring mind glimpsed in
the opening verses of his Gospel. Such a man probed Jesus' private life, public
works, teachings, miracles, and the ultimate miracle of conquering death. On
all of these he left his stamp of verification.
Postscript: Some Textual Issues in
Luke
The Gospels
are mutually illuminating, and studying them brings far more benefits than
studying any number of commentaries on them. Yet accurate understanding of
wording is a barrier in the King James Version, which uses a number of archaic
meanings not apparent in casual reading. The "GR" footnotes of the
recent Latter-day Saint edition of the Bible help; so do modern translations,
which also raise textual problems. Most modern versions choose the shorter Greek
readings on the general theory that pious scribes were prone to additions. On
the other hand, careless scribes tend to delete, a statistically more likely
case for the average manuscript difference, though each problem needs to be
settled on a case by case basis. The reader without Greek has a fuller
statement of these variant readings and a longer text in the New King James
Version. Yet most variants are doctrinally and historically insignificant,
though three main textual questions emerge in the sections of Luke most
commonly studied by Latter-day Saints. The King James Version rarely indicates
alternative readings because its translators used a traditional text without
notes on differences between manuscripts, many of which were more recently
discovered.
The first
variant in sequence is the vivid description of
The next relevant
textual problem concerns Jesus' prayer for his enemies on the cross:
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34.)
At first glance one remembers that Luke is the Gospel stressing both prayer and
forgiveness, for that evangelist added special parables and examples of
Christ's compassion, as well as produced the only note of Jesus' prayers at the
special occasions of his life-his baptism, temptation, choosing the Twelve, and
transfiguration. The earliest extra-biblical evidence for the incident is
Irenaeus, who about A.D. 180 quoted Christ's words of forgiveness that he
"exclaimed upon the cross." So even though these words do not appear
in the A.D. 200 copy of Luke, they were already attributed to Jesus by a bishop
who insisted that knowledge of Jesus came only through the four Gospels. Some
scholars think the prayer was deleted because forgiveness seemed to go against
Jesus' recent prophecy of the destruction of
The final
textual problem has a lesson attached to it. Luke obviously thought deeply and
apparently inquired carefully about the Lord's appearance to ten apostles on
the first day of the resurrection. Luke's account uses a progressive
heightening as Jesus led the disciples from one level of stunned realization to
the next. After the opening shock and assurances, Jesus extended his hands in
invitation to touch, followed by the natural crescendo of Luke's narrative:
"And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet."
(Luke 24:40.) However, a fifth-century Greek manuscript, labeled D, omitted
this verse and a number of others in the resurrection account of Luke 24. Since
D contains intriguing additions to Acts, Westcott and Hort developed a theory
that the omissions of this manuscript reflected an earlier shorter text.
Conservative scholars protested, but from about 1900 to 1960 this position
carried the day, resulting in the omission of Jesus showing his hands and feet
in both the Revised Standard Version and the New English Bible. In both cases a
footnote printed the verses as added by other manuscripts, a type of notation
that was misleading because only one known Greek manuscript deleted the verse
out of hundreds of significant ones that included it. Yet a majority of textual
scholars clearly supported the reasoning behind these deletions.
The
industrious LDS New Testament student, President J. Reuben Clark, Jr.,
protested such treatment in a compilation of conservative quotations and also
in a concise pamphlet. Calling the proponents of deletion "extreme
textualists," he lamented the doubt that had been projected to
"become the ruling text." His dissent was vindicated when the A.D.
200 copy of Luke was published in 1961, containing the verse wherein Jesus
showed the apostles his hands and feet, as well as the other segments of Luke
24 deleted in the atypical fifth-century manuscript. Scholarly opinion has
since reversed itself to the point that mainstream Joseph Fitzmeyer labels the
former Luke 24 deletions a fad. Thus the later committee translations have
included the verse where Jesus shows his
hands and feet. The whole episode sustains Luke's testimony of the physical
resurrection and serves as a warning that agreement of Bible scholars on any
theory is no substitute for evidence.
Notes
Richard
Lloyd Anderson is professor of ancient scripture and director of Bible research
in the
Footnotes
1. Victor
Martin and Rodolphe Kasser, Papyrus Bodmer XIV (Geneva: Bibliotheca Bodmeriana,
1961), p. 150 of the transcription, p. 61 of the photo supplement.
2. Victor Martin and J. W. B. Barns, Papyrus
Bodmer II, Supplement (Geneva: Bibliotheca Bodmeriana, 1962), p. 1 of the photo
supplement.
3. Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.1 and
3.10.1-4. Quotations from church fathers in this article may be found in
Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Grand Rapids,
Mich.: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1956). For a survey of early patristic comments
on Luke, see Daniel J. Theron, Evidence of Tradition (Grand Rapids, Mich.:
Baker Book House, 1958), pp. 41-65, 69-71.
4. Leon Morris, The Gospel According to St.
Luke (London: Inter-Varsity Press, 1974), p. 15.
5. The argument that Luke incorporated
another's diary is not convincing because of "the overwhelming linguistic
evidence that the author of the book was also the author of the diary."
(G. B. Caird, Saint Luke [New York: Penguin Books, 1963], p. 16.) Furthermore,
interjecting personal comments in a third-person narrative was a recognized
pattern in ancient literature, and Luke's preface shows that he followed the
polished practices of his day in presentation of his material.
6. For Luke's practice of giving typical cases
instead of exhaustive detail, see Richard Lloyd Anderson, Understanding Paul
(Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983), pp. 45-46, 48, 57, 61.
7. I have changed "servant" to
"minister" in this translation for reasons explained in the following
discussion.
8. Luke's verb means literally that he
"followed along" or "followed up," and the two connotations
here roughly reflect the modern debate that contained some hair splitting. The
preface represents Luke as coming after the eyewitnesses to certify to
Theophilus that information from them is correct. Since "follow" fits
into an investigation context, recent translations have Luke "go
over," "trace," or "investigate" the founding events.
For current comments, see E. Earle Ellis, The Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids, Mich.:
Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1975), p. 66; Joseph A. Fitzmeyer, The Gospel
According to Luke (I-IX) (Doubleday, 1981), pp. 296-97.
9. For a strong opinion on this pairing, see
I. Howard Marshall, The Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans Publishing
Co., 1978), p. 42: "The syntax demands that the eyewitnesses and servants
are one group of people." My argument is that Luke's vocabulary and
thought on succeeding apostles show an intent to combine the "eyewitnesses
and ministers of the word" of the preface. Rengstorf correctly sees Luke's
purpose in making the two groups the same, since the resulting expression
"establishes continuity between the preaching of Jesus and the history of
Jesus." (Gerhard Friedrich et al., Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament, trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1972] 8:543.)
10.
11. Norman Perrin, What Is Redaction Criticism?
(Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969), p. 75.
12. For a convenient reprinting of the
Peter-Mark information gathered by early second-century bishop Papias, see
Theron, p. 67 (quoting Eusebius), and also p. 45 for the "tradition of the
early elders" from Clement of Alexandria. See also S. Kent Brown,
"The Testimony of Mark," chapter 3 in this volume.
13. G. W. H. Lampe, commenting on Luke in
Matthew Black and H. H. Rowley, eds., Peake's Commentary on the Bible (London:
Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1962), p. 841.
14. Against Heresies 3.22.2.
15. Dialogue with Trypho 103.
16. Against Heresies 3.18.5.
17. Irenaeus is characterized by a number of
apparently naive arguments that there can be only four Gospels, but they are
really analogies because of his insistence that the imitation gospels of his
century contradict "the Gospels of the Apostles" (Against Heresies
3.11.9). Luke is expressly included in this terminology (ibid., 3.1), an
accurate statement in the sense that Luke's data came from apostles.
18. The detailed treatment is Why the King
James Version? (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1956).
19. "Our Bible," reprint of the 1954
pamphlet by J. Reuben Clark, Jr., in David H. Yarn, Jr., ed., J. Reuben Clark:
Selected Papers (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 1984), p.
89.
20. Fitzmeyer, pp. 130-31.
21. The following committee translations
include the verse: The Jerusalem Bible (1966), The New American Bible (1970),
The New International Version (1978), The New King James Version (1982).
Editors made no qualifying comment in these versions except for the last:
"Some printed New Testaments omit this verse. It is found in nearly all
Greek manuscripts." Compare the comment of Bruce M. Metzger on the application
of redaction criticism to ancient editorial decisions in copying the D-type
text of the Gospels: "Scholars have begun to give renewed attention to the
possibility that special theological interests on the part of scribes may
account for the deletion of certain passages in Western witnesses." (A
Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament [New York: United Bible
Societies, 1975], pp. 192-93.)
Kent P.
Jackson and Robert L. Millet, eds., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 5: The Gospels
He begins
with Christ’s birth, yet places strong emphasis on the mission and teachings of
John the Baptist as a forerunner to Christ.
House –
Ritualism –
Ritualism
of the law was more important than the righteousness of the heart.
John was
consecrated with the Nazarene vows, no wine, etc.
Luke
(Luke 4:14-30.)
14 ¶ And Jesus returned in
the power of the Spirit into
15 And he taught in their
synagogues, being glorified of all.
16 ¶ And he came to
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.
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
24 And he said, Verily I
say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
25 But I tell you of a
truth, many widows were in
26 But unto none of them
was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of
27 And many lepers were in
28 And all they in the
synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 And rose up, and thrust
him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city
was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30 But he passing through
the midst of them went his way,
Christ is
teaching in the synagogue, he reads Isaiah 61, and says it is him! Luke is using the Greek translation of the
Old Testament, called the Septuagint. In
Matthew’s account, his mother and family are in attendance. The people wanted miracles from him like they
heard about from Capernaum, but they didn’t believe him, in fact they tried to harm
him at the crest of the hill, but it wasn’t his time yet, and the scripture
said he walked through the midst of them.
He was
rejected by his own kind, yet he taught them true, correct doctrine, with power
and authority, verses 18-32. Heavenly
Father is referred to in verse 18.
Luke 5:1-11
– This is a story only Luke records, it is the calling of Simon (Peter) to the
apostleship. Christ focuses on him, as
an individual. Luke shows Peter as wishy
washy, strong with conviction one minute, weak the next. This all changes in Acts 2, when he has the
Holy Ghost and teaches with power and authority, unshakable like a rock
JST Luke
5:1-11
1
And it came to pass, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he
stood by the
2 And saw two ships standing on the lake; but
the fishermen were gone out of them, and were wetting their nets.
3 And he entered into one of the ships, which
was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land.
And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
4 Now, when he had done speaking, he said to
Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your net for a draught.
5 And Simon answering, said unto him, Master,
we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless, at thy word
I will let down the net.
6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a
great multitude of fishes; and their net brake.
7 And they beckoned unto their partners, who
were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came and
filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw the multitude of
fishes, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful
man, O Lord.
9 For he was astonished, and all who were with
him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken.
10 And so were also James, and John, the sons
of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not
from henceforth, for thou shalt catch men.
11 And when they had brought their ships to
land, they forsook all, and followed him.
Luke
BIBLE DICTIONARY
Called in the N.T. “the
country of the Gadarenes,”
The story
of the wicked spirits who are called Legion, who asked to be sent into the
bodies of pigs, could not have been a Jewish farmer, but a Gentile one. This is of course the 1st time the
scriptures refer to “deviled ham”!!
GEOGRAPHY, LANDSCAPES, AND ROADS
"They shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the
north, and from the south." (Luke 13:29.)
The word orient means east.
The most important direction for the ancient inhabitant of the
Most Semitic peoples, who included
the Hebrews, regarded east, where the sun rose, with directional priority,
though the ancient Egyptians viewed south-north as the paramount axis, since
the
It is something of a paradox, then,
that inhabitants of eastern Mediterranean countries (the
Alfred Edersheim, an authority on
Jewish tradition, wrote, "The star shall shine forth from the East, and
this is the star of the Messiah."fn "There came wise men from the
east to
Isaiah foresaw the coming of the
Messiah in the end of days and he asked, "Who is this that cometh from
"But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's
journey." (Luke 2:44.)
In early
Over a hundred years ago, after a
trip to the
Joseph and Mary took the
twelve-year-old Jesus to
On one occasion during his ministry,
Jesus, walking from
A "sabbath day's journey"
was the distance allowable to walk on the Sabbath, a rabbinical restriction
based on the Mosaic injunction "Let no man go out of his place on the
seventh day." (Ex. 16:29.) The maximum distance specified was two thousand
cubits (three thousand feet). It was about that distance from the city wall of
By the early Roman period, some Greek
measures were also in use. The furlong or stade was about six
hundred feet, the length of the race-track at
"When they had rowed about five
and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea." (John
6:19.) That distance in furlongs is fifteen to eighteen thousand feet, or three
to four miles, right out in the middle of the lake—all the more impressive when
they saw him walking on the water!
"Now
One other measure of distance is used
in the New Testament: the Roman mile. "Whosoever shall compel thee to go a
mile, go with him twain." (Matt. 5:41.) The Roman mile was familiar to all
travelers in Jesus' day. The Romans had already begun their vast network of
roads throughout the empire, which would eventually become the greatest road
system the world had ever known. They placed milestones at regular intervals
along the roads to constantly remind the populace of who ruled them. Hundreds
of those milestones have been found dating back to Roman Palestine. The Roman
mile was a thousand paces or about 4,860 feet—shorter than the modern mile.
"A certain man went down from
So begins one of the most familiar
stories in all the world's literature, the parable of the good Samaritan.
Without pause to reflect on the physical setting, most teachers and students of
the Bible will immediately launch into a philosophical or didactic analysis of
the text. However, in this case, as in most of the writings contained in the
Bible, there is an understood geographical setting that underlies the story and
events in it.
To the Jews,
So from the Galilee, the
The adverbs up and down
may not register any particular importance to Westerners accustomed to driving
vehicles in the modern world, but travel in the ancient world was arduous and
fraught with dangers and concerns. Elevation differences in the
When Jesus was in Cana of Galilee on
one occasion, a nobleman from
Returning to the parable of the good
Samaritan, we note that although it is only a story, it is true to all
geographical detail, especially the beginning note that the man had to walk
"down from Jerusalem to Jericho."
Just as biblical writers referred to
travel to
The reference to Philip going down
to the city of
"Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be
brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall
be made smooth."(Luke 3:5.)
The topography of the
The
From the coastal plain inland and
eastward, the hill country begins.
New Testament authors wrote five
times of a "high mountain." High mountains are, of course, defined in
terms of ancient Jewish geographic mentality, not in comparison with the
American Rockies or European Alps. The mountains are "high" compared
to the surrounding terrain. For instance, when the scripture says, "The
devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain" (Matt. 4:8), the
summit of the fault escarpment above the Jordan Rift Valley floor near Jericho
is acceptable as an "exceedingly high mountain" from the Judaeans'
point of view.
New Testament authors also wrote
three times of a "mountain apart." Reference to a "mountain
apart" usually signifies an occasion when Jesus needed to get away from
the crowds to spiritually rejuvenate himself or to participate in some private
communication with his Father. "When he had sent the multitudes away, he
went up into a mountain apart to pray." (Matt. 14:23.) "After six
days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into
an high mountain apart." (Matt. 17:1.) "He went out into a mountain
to pray, and continued all night in prayer." (Luke 6:12.) "He
departed again into a mountain himself alone." (John 6:15.)
Besides the Mount of Olives, Mount
Sinai, and
Another unnamed mountain was the site
of a post-resurrection appearance by Jesus to his apostles: "Then the
eleven disciples went away into
Jesus prophesied of tragic war that
would involve
Jesus may be suggesting that Judaeans
flee eastward through the wilderness, the usual course of flight, and find
safety in the mountain refuges on the edge of the wilderness, like
(D. Kelly
Ogden, Where Jesus Walked: The Land and Culture of New Testament Times
[Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1991], 3.)
We had a
long discussion concerning the Jewish reaction to Jesus. The Jews in
Luke
2:42-51 – The story of being 12 at his 1st Passover, teaching in the
temple to the elect Jews.
(JST Luke 2:41-50.)
41 Now his parents went to
Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
42 And when he was twelve
years old, they went up to Jerusalem, after the custom, to the feast.
43 And when they had
fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind, in
Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not that he tarried;
44 But they, supposing him
to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among
his kindred and acquaintance,
45 And when they found him
not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.
46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him
in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, and they were hearing him,
and asking him questions.
47 And all who heard him
were astonished at his understanding, and answers.
48 And when his parents
saw him, they were amazed; and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou
thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
49 And he said unto them,
Why is it that ye sought me? Knew ye not that I must be about my Father's
business?
50 And they understood not
the saying which he spake unto them.
Joseph and Mary also attended the
Passover in
(Gerald N.
Lund, Jesus Christ, Key to the Plan of Salvation [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Co., 1991], 51 - 52.)
The Boy Jesus Teaches the Doctors at the
The account of Jesus at the temple at
age twelve is recorded in Luke 2:41-50. In the King James Version Jesus was
"sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them
questions" (verse 46). The succeeding verse states that "all that
heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers." The record of
the event is strengthened in the Joseph Smith Translation, where Jesus was not
only sitting with the learned doctors, but "they were hearing him, and
asking him questions" ([Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible]. The
Holy Scriptures: Inspired Version.
This event, told only by Luke and in the
Joseph Smith Translation, is in harmony with the earlier passage we discussed
about Jesus' boyhood.
Both examples speak clearly of Jesus'
spirituality and unusual intellect and personality as a growing youth
approaching the time of his ministry.
(Robert J.
Matthews, Behold the Messiah [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1994], 186.)
His purpose
was to do the will of his Father, not his own will. This showed tremendous self control on his
part until the appointed time of his ministry.
Luke
(Luke 9:51.)
51
¶ And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he
stedfastly set his face to go to
The
miracles He performed show 2 things: Correct
doctrine – Power and Authority
The Mortal Messiah Leaves
(John 7:1-10; Luke 9:51-56)
Our Blessed Lord is now going to
leave his homeland forever. He will not again in mortality gaze upon those
rugged Galilean hills nor sail securely over the fish-filled waters of
Gennesareth. Nazareth and Nain, Capernaum and Chorazin, Bethsaida and
Magdala—cities of sin in which he has converted a few righteous souls—will not
again see his face or hear his voice. Their lepers will be left to suffer and
die in caves and tombs; their blind and deaf and lame shall neither see nor
hear nor walk; their dead bodies shall rot and decompose in their graves,
awaiting such a resurrection as they merit. But what is worse, sin-sick souls,
who might have gained spiritual health and life by heeding the words of Him who
came with healing in his wings, shall remain in their sins. It is a dark and
dreary day. The Son of God is leaving
Yes, the Son of God is leaving
Galilee to go to
This is an ironical statement, a
chiding challenge. John appends to it the explanation that "his
brethren" did not "believe in him." John also tells us that
Jesus was in Galilee and not in
Jesus replies: "My time is not
yet come: but your time is alway ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it
hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto
this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full
come." fn
Jesus' response means that he will
determine when to go to
But even then he will walk in a
troublesome way. When the time of his own choosing came to make the journey, he
"sent messengers," possibly some of the seventies, "before his
face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make
ready for him." Apparently all he sought was the normal hospitality—food, shelter,
and a place to lay his head—which by oriental standards was offered freely to
all who journeyed through any part of
But, Luke tells us, the Samaritans would "not receive him, because
his face was as though he would go to
"And when his disciples, James
and John"—two of the favored Three; two whose valiance knew no bounds; two
who were called the Sons of Thunder—saw that they would not receive him, they
said, "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and
consume them, even as Elias did?"
That James and John should propose
such a penalty for Samaritans who worshipped false gods—"Ye worship ye
know not what," Jesus had once said to them (John 4:22)—is far from
strange. Harsh and pitiless as it may sound in Christian ears, it was akin to
much that prevailed in the Mosaic system. When King Ahaziah lay at death's
door, he sent messengers to "enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron"
whether he should recover of his disease. The angel of the Lord, however, sent
Elijah "to meet the messengers of the king of
We can suppose that James and John
reasoned that these Samaritans who now rejected the true King of Israel,
because they worshipped Baalzebub the god of Ekron, as it were, were guilty of
as gross a crime as the Samaritans of old whose lives were taken by the fiery
flames from heaven. Further, they knew that the Messiah in whose presence they
then stood would, in fact, destroy all the wicked by fire at his second coming.
If the God of Israel destroyed his enemies by fire in days of old, and will do
so again in days to come, why not execute a like judgment upon them now? The
logic, though Mosaic and rational, was contrary to the new spirit of the new
age with its new gospel. Jesus' rebuke came enveloped in a fire of righteous
indignation:
Ye know not what manner of spirit ye
are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save
them.
How often the Lord's servants in all
ages—as they are pressed by prejudices, anxieties, rebuffs, and persecutions,
to curse rather than to bless—how often they must remind themselves of this
eternal truth: The gospel is given to save and not to damn, "For God sent
not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him
might be saved." (John 3:17.)
"And they went to another
village." Had he not but recently said to the seventies that when rejected
in one village or city they should go to another? And so shall it ever be until
that day when the judgment is set, and the books are opened, and the wicked
become as stubble, and the vineyard is cleansed by fire, and the lowly Messiah
comes again to reign in might, power, and dominion on earth for a thousand
years.
(Bruce R.
McConkie, The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary, 4 vols. [Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979-1981], 3: 111.)
Luke 10-14
July 9, 2003
Bruce had a
Q & A about the reading material; here are some of the scriptures people
had questions about.
Luke
10:1-12 – The proper methods of serving a mission.
(Luke 10:2-12.)
After these things the
Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face
into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
2 Therefore said he unto
them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray
ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into
his harvest.
3 Go your ways: behold, I
send you forth as lambs among wolves.
4 Carry neither purse, nor
scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
5 And into whatsoever
house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
6 And if the son of peace
be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
7 And in the same house
remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is
worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
8 And into whatsoever city
ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
9 And heal the sick that
are therein, and say unto them, The
10 But into whatsoever
city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of
the same, and say,
11 Even the very dust of
your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be
ye sure of this, that the
12 But I say unto you,
that it shall be more tolerable in that day for
Luke
10:12-15 – There were 3 cities in northern Galilee who rejected the mighty
works of the Savior.
BIBLE DICTIONARY
CHORAZIN
A town of Galilee, on
northern coast of the Sea of Galilee, in which some of our Lord’s might works
were done (of which no record is preserved), and which was rebuked for its unbelief
(Matt. 11: 21; Luke 10: 13).
Luke
Those Who Opposed Christ
Among the Jews at the time of Christ,
the source of divine authority was said to be the law of Moses and the oral
traditions that were also traced to Sinai. "And the Lord said unto Moses,
Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a
covenant with thee and with Israel" (Exodus 34:27). Thus the revelation of
Sinai was held to be of two parts: the written law and the commentary on that
which was written ("the tenor of these words"), which together were
to constitute God's covenant with his chosen people. It was held that the oral
law was faithfully transmitted from generation to generation in an unbroken
chain: "Moses received the Law from Sinai and committed it to Joshua, and
Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the Prophets; and the Prophets
committed it to the men of the Great Synagogue." fn
It was after the death of Christ and
his apostles that the oral tradition was first committed to writing in the
Mishnah and the Talmud. It was the oral tradition that made Pharisaism the
source of authority in official Judaism. It was tradition, not the law, by
which the rabbis made countless additions to the revelation of Sinai. The
traditions were born, at least such was the pretense, as a fence around the
law. They in turn gave birth to the scholarship of the rabbis, for only one
well learned in the law could divine the multitude of traditions. Jacob,
brother of Nephi, though a continent away, described by the Spirit of prophecy
this pattern of apostasy: "The Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they
despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things
that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which
blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath
taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which
they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it
God hath done it, that they may stumble" (Jacob 4:14).
It was not the law given on Sinai
that governed the people to whom Christ and his disciples preached but the
traditions that like wild vines had overgrown it. "The Law—not the Law in
its simplicity but the Law modified, transformed, distorted by Tradition—the
Law robbed of its essential significance by the blind zeal which professed to
defend it—became the centre of an abject servility. It came to be regarded as
the only means of intercourse with God, and almost as the substitute for God.
Immeasurable evils ensued. Piety dwindled into legalism. Salvation was
identified with outward conformity." fn Pharisaism reigned supreme. So
important did study of religious traditions become that it would yet be said by
one of the famed rabbis that God himself spent three hours a day studying
Torah. fn
The cycle of events is as easy to
identify as the cycle of the seasons. That which had been written by the finger
of God on Sinai was to govern the people, but someone must explain that which
had been written. What does the Law mean and how is it to be applied? The oral
tradition became the answer, giving definition and form to the law. Thus, what
began as a supplement to the law was gradually substituted for it, and because
the rabbis were the interpreters of tradition, they became the voice of God to
his people. Farrar said it well: "Claiming too much for the Law the Rabbis
left it too little. By adding to God's commandments so largely they also took
from them. By imposing additional restrictions they broke down proper
safeguards." fn
When scribes succeeded prophets,
tradition superseded priesthood, and revelation ceased. Liberty of thought was
abrogated by the trained religious leader who stood between his people and the
God of heaven. Instead of truth making people free, error made them slaves to
an unyielding orthodoxy. The rabbinic yoke was much larger and heavier than the
one forged by their Roman captors, for it dominated the whole existence of a
person, intruding into even the most trivial actions of daily life. Thus Christ
was rejected in the name of loyalty to the law that he himself had given as a
preparatory gospel for him. Faced with the choice between loyalty to their
traditions and hearkening to a Living Voice, the greater part of the people
chose tradition.
It may be difficult to determine
which is the most destructive to the soul, spiritual lethargy or excessive
zeal, though it can be said that the chances are greater that the lethargic
soul will awaken and correct his course than that the excessively zealous soul
will seek an appropriate spiritual balance. Having declared the principles of
salvation, the Savior warned: "And whoso shall declare more or less than
this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not
built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of
hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon
them" (3 Nephi 11:40).
Joseph Fielding McConkie, Here We
Stand [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1995], 13.)
Luke
10:30-37 – The Good Samaritan parable is an answer to a lawyer’s question. Jerusalem to Jericho is a 14 mile walk down
the ancient Roman Road; it has a 4000’ decent to it. The priest was going down the road, so he
must have finished his 1 week temple duty in Jerusalem, he won’t be back for 6
months, and the ritual cleansing in touching the man would have been a 1 week
process according to the Law.
BIBLE MAPS
Holy Land Elevations in Bible Times
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Don’t
misinterpret parables, or you can be teaching false doctrine. Look at the original story and the original
interpretation.
BIBLE DICTIONARY
PARABLES
(1)
Most teachers, especially Oriental teachers, have used some form
of parable in their instruction, but none so exclusively as Jesus at one period
of his ministry. During part of the Galilean ministry the record states that
“without a parable spake he not unto them” (Mark 4: 34). From our Lord’s
words (Matt. 13: 13-15;
Mark 4: 12; Luke 8: 10) we learn the
reason for this method. It was to veil the meaning. The parable conveys to the
hearer religious truth exactly in proportion to his faith and intelligence; to
the dull and uninspired it is a mere story, “seeing they see not,” while to the
instructed and spiritual it reveals the mysteries or secrets of the kingdom of
heaven. Thus it is that the parable exhibits the condition of all true
knowledge. Only he who seeks finds.
(2) The word parable is Greek in origin, and means a setting side by
side, a comparison. In parables divine truth is presented by comparison with
material things. The Hebrew word, mashal, which parable is used
to translate, has a wider significance, and is applied to the balanced metrical
from in which teaching is conveyed in the poetical books of the Old Testament.
See Matt. 13: 35.
(3) Interpretation of parables. It is important
to distinguish between the interpretation of a parable and the application of a
parable. The only true interpretation is the meaning the parable conveyed, or
was meant to convey, when first spoken. The application of a parable may vary
in every age and circumstance. But if the original meaning is to be grasped, it
is important to consider its context and setting. The thought to which it is
linked, the connection in which it is placed, the persons to whom it is addressed,
all give the clue to the right interpretation. Other rules of interpretation
are: (a) Do not force a meaning on subordinate incidents. (b) Do not regard as
parallel parables that are connected by superficial likeness of imagery. (c)
Bear in mind that the same illustration does not always have the same
significance - leaven, e.g., signifies a principle of good as well as a
principle of evil. (d) Remember that the comparison in a parable is not
complete, does not touch at every point. Thus, the characters of the unjust
judge or the unjust steward or the nobleman who went into a far country -
possibly referring to the infamous Archelaus - do not concern the
interpretation of the parable. The parable draws a picture of life as it is,
not as it ought to be, and compares certain points in this picture with
heavenly doctrine. (e) Observe the proper proportions of a parable, and do not
make the episode more prominent than the main line of teaching.
(4) Classification of parables. The greatest importance should be attached to
the grouping of the parables by the writers themselves. In Matthew three main
lines of teaching are illustrated by parables: (a) The Church of the future-
its planting and growth, internal and external, the enthusiasm for it, the
mingling within it of good and evil, the final judgment of it (ch. 13). (b) The
Jewish Church and nation, its history, and the causes of its fall (Matt. 21: 18-19, 23 -
22: 14). (c) The ministry of the Church in the parables given on the
Mark follows the lines of Matthew in (a) Mark 4: 1-34, and (b) Mark 12: 1-12; but in each
division fewer parables are reported, and in (b) one only. In (a), however,
occurs the one parable peculiar to this Gospel.
Luke also omits the parables given on the
(1) Prayer and earnestness in religious life (Luke 11: 5-8; Luke 16: 1-13; Luke 18: 1-8).
(2) Forgiveness and the love of God (Luke 7: 41-43; Luke 15).
(3) Reversal of human judgment, as to just and unjust (Luke 10: 25-27; Luke 12: 16-21; Luke 18: 9-14); rich and
poor (Luke 16: 19-31).
John has no true parables, but presents two allegories: the good shepherd (Luke 10: 1-16), and the
vine and the branches (Luke
15: 1-7).
Parables peculiar to each Gospel:
Matthew.
1. The tares.
2. The hidden treasure.
3. The pearl of great price.
4. The draw-net.
5. The unmerciful servant.
6. The laborers in the vineyard.
7. The two sons.
8. Marriage of the king’s son.
9. The ten virgins.
10. The talents.
Mark.
The seed growing secretly.
Luke.
1. The two debtors.
2. The Good Samaritan.
3. The importuned friend.
4. The rich fool.
5. The barren fig tree.
6. The lost piece of silver.
7. The prodigal son.
8. The unjust steward.
9. Dives and Lazarus.
10. The unjust judge.
11. The Pharisee and the Publican.
12. The ten pieces of money.
The parable of the ten pieces of money (minae) (Luke 19: 11-27) is an
interesting example of historical groundwork in a parable. (The reference is
possibly to the journey of Archelaus to
Luke 10:38-42 – The
story of Martha and Mary teaches us to live the gospel in our homes as well as
we live it in public. Don’t get wrapped up in ritual versus the Spirit.
(Luke 10:38-42.)
38 ¶ Now it came to pass,
as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named
Martha received him into her house.
39 And she had a sister
called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered
about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my
sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and
said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is
needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away
from her.
THE WORTH OF A SOUL (Luke 11-15)
KEITH H. MESERVY
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught:
"Happiness is the object and design of our existence." fn Lehi taught
his sons, "Men are, that they might have joy." (2 Ne. 2:25.) Since
Jesus came that we "might have life, and that [we] might have it more
abundantly" (John 10:10), it seems apparent that happiness as implied by
the abundant life is the goal of existence. Thus we would expect to find that
every generation would determine how best to be happy and would eagerly pass
that information on to the next generation. Each succeeding generation in turn
would discover more of the means to a happy life and would be happier than the
preceding one. Ours, then, being the latest in the series, should be happiest
of all.
Ironically, this does not follow.
Each generation regards itself as unique and its challenges as so novel that
all past solutions are out-moded and old-fashioned. Thus, each generation,
regarding anything from the past as unreliable, sets out anew to discover the
secrets of the happy life.
In this material world, values
tend to be material. Obtaining material possessions, gaining power and wealth,
and earning the plaudits of the world all appear to provide the key to success
and happiness. In the physical world, values tend to be physical. Each
human body arrives on earth with highly developed sensory equipment that hates
to be hurt and loves to feel good. Fully satisfying the pleasurable feelings of
the body by eating, drinking, and making merry, while at the same time avoiding
pain at any cost, would seem to epitomize happiness. Happiness, then, seems to
depend upon satisfying the here-and-now needs of a physical, material person.
But this easy, rational conclusion is
contradicted by Christ. He teaches us to trade the tangible but unreal world
for the intangible but real one—the eternal world of the soul. If souls are
meant to be happy, he says, caring for souls is of major importance. (D&C
18:10; Moses 1:39.) It takes good soul care, including a liberal investment of
time and talent, to save souls. Without this, souls can be lost or exchanged
for something of far less value.
At one point Jesus asked his
disciples what a person in this material world might give in exchange for his
soul. (Matt. 16:26.) Any self-respecting person might quake at the thought that
anything could be more highly valued than his soul; no one would knowingly
trade it. Unless one knowingly sacrifices or mistakes the shadow for the
essence, nothing can be more important than what is most
important—one's essence, one's being, one's soul. So any question about the
rate of exchange for souls must be a contradiction. But a soul may get lost in
the process of living. In living a life, choices are made that determine
whether one's soul is won or lost. The value, then, of the things chosen
establishes the exchange rate for a lost soul.
Obtaining the Goal Through Sacrifice
Luke 11 through 15 records several
things that Jesus did and said that show how to care for souls so they are not
exchanged. He was constantly valuing the nature of life and its experiences. He
emphasized the need for us to receive guidance throughout life, to seek God's
interests above all else, and to commit ourselves so intensely to the building
up of God's kingdom that we would pay whatever costs were necessary, including
making any sacrifice that had to be made, in order to inherit it. Those who
value life will study and follow his teachings carefully.
Wisdom to make good choices is to be
coveted, and Jesus at times contrasted the wise and the foolish souls who may
or may not have planned ahead and counted the cost of saving their souls.
"Which of you," said he, "intending to build a tower, sitteth not
down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it,
all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, this man began to build, and was
not able to finish." (Luke 14:28-30.)
Since choices are based upon one's
desires, then, by way of contrast, anything that stands between us and our
soul's desire must be hated. On one occasion Jesus rebuked his friend Peter
when Peter tried to convince him that his suffering need not be undertaken.
(Matt. 16:22-23.) Said Jesus, "If any man come to me, and hate not his
father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and
his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his
cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26-27.) Nothing
that life has to offer must deter a person from following Jesus, who declared:
"Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be
my disciple." (Luke 14:33.) All of this talk of sacrifice came in the
context of counting the cost of building the tower.
One value of the scriptures is that
they show the price others (for example, Abraham, Joseph, Saul, David, Solomon,
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus, Paul, Peter, Joseph Smith) were asked to pay for their
souls and how their lives turned out, depending upon whether or not they were
willing to pay it. As we read their stories, we are perhaps prone to ask, Am I
willing to pay a similar cost? And since none of us knows the specific costs
for building our own soul, each of us must walk humbly with God and keep
training continually for the call to perform, hoping that our strength to
execute our task will be adequate when the time for performance comes. Yea,
"blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so
doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he
hath." (Luke 12:43-44.) But not so the person who is slothful.
Those who clearly see their desired
goal will sacrifice whatever they must to reach it. How exciting it is during
athletic events to look at the jubilant faces and see the tears of joy and
relief on the faces of champions. How often young boys and girls who look at
them hope someday to be the same, and listen intently to individual stories as
they are told what is required to attain victory with its related honor. It
means the sacrifice of a normal life, often including painful injury, long and
grueling hours of practice when others are at play, frustration, heartache, and
sometimes failure. These are some of the prices that winners are willing to pay
because their hearts are set single-heartedly on reaching their goal.
Taking Jesus as our example, it is
clear that from the earliest day, the vision he had of the meaning of his life
and the intensity with which he kept that vision alive determined what he did.
He remembered who he was and why he was here, and he constantly made his
choices based on these considerations.
At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus began to
"shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto
Those souls who love light inevitably
turn toward the light and receive from God what they are and what they aspire
to be, "for intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth
wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light;
mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its
course and claimeth its own." (D&C 88:40.)
The Holy Ghost Comes Through Prayer
Those who want to know who they are
and why they are on the earth must turn to God. But God does not force his way
into the sovereign soul. He enters by invitation, and the invitation is sent by
personal prayer and sometimes by fasting. (D&C 63:64; 42:14.)
The disciples had heard Jesus pray
and had pled: "Lord, teach us to pray." (Luke 11:1.) He not only
provided a model prayer for them but also emphasized in the parable following
the prayer that those who desire God must seek him persistently and must not be
put off in their quest any more than was the eager householder, whose guests
dropped in on him at midnight when he had no means to satisfy their hunger. He
asked his neighbor for help, but his neighbor was in bed and refused to answer
the door even for friendship's sake. Persistent knocking, however, finally
produced the necessary results. (Luke 11:5-8.)
All parables are analogies, and
analogies have limitations. fn In this light, God is not a sleepy neighbor who cannot
go back to sleep until he answers the door. Neither does he respond, if the
request is all wrong, simply because of persistent pressure. The point here as
well as in the parable of the unjust judge (Luke 18:2-8) was "that men
ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1). Without persistence
the prayer would fail. The petitioner might be unready, his faith might be
inadequate on a given day, it might not be the right time in God's economy.
All righteous prayers are answered,
but in the due time of the Lord. There may be some delay until his time is due,
as a man well-stricken in years learned when Gabriel appeared to him and said:
"Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard." (Luke 1:13.) Though
the answer was much-delayed, the prayer was answered in God's time. This
experience says much about God's need and his timing. To become as God, a
person needs the power of the Holy Ghost. Through it, all other blessings are
possible; whether the person needs intelligence, personal power, priesthood power,
or testimony power, the Holy Ghost tailors the divine grace to each personal
request and need.
Jesus completed this parable by
showing how God, as a father, responds to his needy children. These children
hunger for righteousness more fully than does a loving parent, who, despite
imperfections, knows how to give good gifts to his or her children. "How
much more," then, "shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
them that ask him?" (Luke 11:13.) "And ye receive the Spirit through
prayer." (D&C 63:64.)
God blesses lives when his children
hear his message. How earnestly this simple but profound point comes out. When
someone exclaimed: "Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which
thou hast sucked," Jesus responded, "Yea rather, blessed are they
that hear the word of God, and keep it." (Luke 11:27-28.)
Seeking After Real Treasure
In discussing the value of life and
things of worth, we must distinguish between apparent and real worth. No one
who could have pearls wants baubles. And eyes and ears that see only the good
things of this world can deceive a person into thinking that such things are
the only good. It is precisely in these areas that Jesus provided heavenly
counsel to earthbound fellow residents. He identified things that God esteems
to be of great worth and that mankind tends to esteem lightly, as well as those
things that God esteems lightly that mankind tends to esteem highly. By
questioning the popular perceptions of reality, he questioned the nature of the
world as it really is and as it will be. Those who are honest with themselves
want to know the truth about themselves and the world in which they live.
Having made this world and all that
is in it,Jesus was well qualified to give advice about its nature and what is
of greatest importance. He knows who we are, why we are here, and where we are
going, what is temporal and eternal, what is true and false. He knows what we
can be. He is the truth, the way, and the life. Because those things most
desirable in this world are often least desirable to God, we are required to
sacrifice that which, in his eyes, is of little value in favor of that which is
of true worth.
What are life's baubles and what are
its pearls? What is real? When people die, they leave behind all of the material
that they have striven so hard to acquire in this world. At that point, there
must be not only a great sense of shock, but perhaps even bitterness, anger,
and resentment, that things work this way. How can things that have dominated a
lifetime be abandoned so casually? Why, in the divine accounting, is the
inventory of life wiped out without any apparent qualms?
But, we might ask, how can anyone
blame God when our own hearts are set on the wrong goal? Hasn't God always
counseled through his prophets and his Son Jesus that mortality is ephemeral?
Doesn't common observation show us that we can't take it with us? Shouldn't
that fact arouse us to ask for deeper meanings of life? Those who set out to
acquire wealth as their supreme value set out to build their lives without
finding out what the one who created them said about why life was given to
them. Are they careless or merely arrogant? Why do they assume that they know
better than God what will bring them joy? Ignorance of divine intent and of the
nature of eternity is no excuse. Why don't they ask so they could receive? How
important it is to see things as they are and not as we wish they were! How
important it is to be honest with ourselves as well as with God! The penalty
for ignorance applies forever. Now is the time to draw near to God and talk
about it.
To help us keep our perspective, Luke
relates an incident that occurred while the Savior was teaching the multitude.
Two brothers contested with each other over who would inherit their fair share
of their inheritance. When they asked Jesus to arbitrate their differences, he
gently reminded them how costly it is to souls to set their hearts on the
things of this world. He counseled them: "Take heed, and beware of
covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things
which he possesseth." (Luke 12:13-15.) He implied in this example that a
person could lose his soul by being obsessed with possessing life's abundance.
Then he related the parable about the
rich man who died and had to leave behind all of his hard-earned wealth. In
conclusion, he said, God told the unwise man: "Thou fool, this night thy
soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou
hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich
toward God." (Luke 12:20-21.)
Treasures in heaven—the wealth of
eternity—consist of such things as a strong testimony of the truth of the
gospel, love for God and his children, a loving family, good relationships with
neighbors, a life of service, and good character. These are things of the
heart. We can carry them over into the next world because they are stored in
our hearts. How foolish for individuals such as the foolish rich man to spend
the only mortal life they will ever have chasing after the things of this world
without any concern for what lies ahead! Why don't they know, as they climb the
ladder of success, that it is leaning against the wrong wall? If they were to
stop to pray about their goals, to seek counsel day by day in the living of
their lives, and humble themselves to respond to the divine Spirit, they might
succeed. But they seem never to find out what God's world is really like. They
are living out a fantasy, creating an illusion, building on sand. They are
never in the real world.
Things As They Really Are
Jesus' lessons seem hard but only
because of our limited perspective. Any sacrifices God imposes are apparent and
not real—a process merely of trading baubles for pearls, a nonsacrifice. On the
other hand, when the soul is saved, then any material or earthly thing that
interferes is not only of no value but is actually detrimental to growth of the
soul. And in the process of acquiring it, if the soul has suffered irreparable
damage, gaining it would be the real sacrifice. In this perspective, any
impediments to acquiring one's soul becomes hateful and repulsive rather than
highly desired.
To his disciples, Jesus emphasized:
Life has too great a value to spend it for full barns, gourmet foods, or
clothes with designer labels. God helps take care of the necessities. Have
faith; God looks after ravens, lilies, and even the grass of the field. If God
can "clothe the grass...how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little
of faith?" Therefore, "seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye
shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the
nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of
these things. But rather seek ye the
"Fear not, little flock; for it
is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and
give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens
that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:32-34.)
This challenge was warmly extended to the rich young man whom Jesus loved:
"If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the
poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me."
(Matt. 19:21.) He went away sorrowing because he had great riches. It is hard
for the rich to enter heaven—as hard even as for a camel to go literally through
the eye of a needle. "It is impossible," said the Savior, "for
them who trust in riches, to enter into the
In the world people may feel that
true indication of their worth is reflected in how much others value their life
or their influence. Jesus castigated those who sought for human recognition,
the upper seats in the synagogue, and greetings in public. And the Pharisees,
who set such a negative example, must not be allowed to spread their leavening
hypocrisy into the lives of the disciples. (Luke 12:1.) There is no hope for
hypocrites, rationalizers who lie to God, their neighbors, and themselves. They
are the real losers. All hidden motives and agendas will ultimately be made
known. Schemes made in darkness will all be brought to light, spoken from the
housetops and proclaimed in all ears. (Luke 12:2-3.)
Jesus' compassion can be seen in his
commitment to truth. Compassion might be defined as the right response to the
real needs of others, whether it be for mercy, healing, chastisement,
invitation, enlightenment, encouragement, rebuke, or a call to repentance. Each
response is based on real needs, and needs are based on things the way they
really are or the way they really will be. Jesus had the ability to look at all
things, including eternity, as they are, not as one wants them to be or hopes
they will be. Reality is always governed by law and order. To teach about reality
is to teach the truth.
We might suggest that real
blessedness, for Jesus, was to cope with or live in harmony with reality. Real
misery, on the other hand, was trying to reject or fight it. He taught people
how to see truth clearly, to overcome dishonesty, and to stop rationalizing.
Wherever he could get people to be honest enough to acknowledge a problem and
brokenhearted enough to accept a solution, he could teach them. He showed them
that sin is contrary to divine nature; that being hateful, giving offense,
being angry, being unjust, or lacking mercy goes against the nature of souls
and breaks down the order of things. Those who engage in such acts to find
happiness are inevitably frustrated in their attempt. Disharmony with reality
brings pain rather than joy, restlessness rather than peace, and disharmony
rather than unity.
The Value of Souls and of Repentance
Whoever fights reality ends up in a
state of despair.
The Prodigal Son
The ultimate justification for Jesus'
ministry and his willingness to give his life relates to his concern for those
who fail to face reality. If he makes the sacrifice and such individuals offer
no recognition, no confession of wrongdoing, and do not return to the Father,
for them his sacrifice was in vain. Part of God's great joy comes whenever
anyone who leaves him to walk in deviant paths decides to return and walk again
with him. He does not give up on those who reject truth or refuse to face
reality. He empathizes with their pain and despair and sets out to find them.
In reflecting on the importance of
being faithful to God, we have not emphasized the needs of the unfaithful
(which, to a certain extent, includes us all), and perhaps have raised the idea
that if a person has gone very far away from God, he has gone too far and there
may be no hope for him. But if Christ worked with the publicans and harlots
precisely because they could be reclaimed, it is clear that a new life is
possible. The alcoholic can regain his resistance and live soberly. The harlot can
purify herself through repentance and faith in Christ and live a virtuous life.
God challenges all of his children to live beyond themselves in Christ—to
overcome sinful tendencies, to live in harmony with truth and reality, and to
recognize the deeply ingrained needs each person has for integrity, truth, and
genuine bonds of love. Thus, the greatest joy in heaven comes when a soul turns
to God and faces life the way it really is—by accepting truth and living in
harmony with it.
That this is possible is illustrated
in the parable of the prodigal son. (Luke 15:11-32.) This is the account of a
young man who took his inheritance and "wasted his substance with riotous
living." When his degraded circumstances later brought him to an awareness
of his sins, he determined to return to his father and accept whatever grace
might be given him. The father greeted the son with open arms, demonstrating
the love of our Father in heaven for the soul that repents and returns. The
young man came back home, meaning that he turned away from his way of life and
repented, and returned to his father. Perhaps there is no more powerful picture
in all the scriptures than that of the father who runs to met his errant son
and who, upon meeting him, embraces and kisses him. What a sign of the depth of
the love our Father in heaven has for each of us and of his desire that we
return to him!
The practice of the
The principle still applies that
"whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will
rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and
intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he
will have so much the advantage in the world to come." (D&C
130:18-19.) The older, more faithful son will rise with all of the intelligence
he gained by his diligence and obedience; his younger brother, all things being
equal, will not have his advantage. On the other hand, if the older brother
becomes careless and decides that he has lived faithfully enough that he can
deviate somewhat, then his younger brother, by greater diligence, might pass by
him.
Conclusion
We are basically spiritual, and if
our spiritual needs are not met, then regardless of how many other physical and
material satisfactions we may have, we are not happy. There are several things
that Jesus did and said, as recorded in Luke 11 through 15, that illustrate his
concern for the soul and how to make it happy. He takes all of our needs into
consideration when he tells us about those things that are of most value. If we
accept him, we will repudiate those material things that appear to us to be of
value and will accept the intangibles that he tells us are really of greatest
worth. Commitment to him is commitment to deny ourselves those things that the
world views as important—physical pleasures and material acquisitions.
Sacrifice, by definition, is to deny
oneself. And sacrificing for God brings forth the blessings of heaven, though
it may lead to the ridicule of the world. Jesus sacrificed and was ridiculed,
though he insisted that he was the one who was in touch with reality. His eye
was single to the glory of the Father and he followed the Father implicitly,
making the necessary sacrifices along the way.
Those who make God the center of
their lives, who seek to know his will and follow it, and who are willing to
sacrifice and accept any subsequent persecution (a type of sacrifice) are
sustained with the conviction that they are doing the right thing. There is a
whispering in their souls that tells them they are of God and that God is with
them. They know that as long as they stay close to God, their souls are not for
sale or trade under any circumstances.
NOTES
Keith H. Meservy is associate
professor of ancient scripture at
Footnotes
1. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, p. 255.
2. See Richard D. Draper, "The
Parables of Jesus," chapter 17 in this volume.
(Kent P. Jackson and Robert L.
Millet, eds., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 5: The Gospels [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Co., 1986], 345.)
Luke 11:14-20 – Would
Satan divide his own house? Not hardly,
but he and his hosts are just as real now as they were then. We don’t discuss evil spirits taking over
someone’s body, but it happens. Acts
(Luke 11:14-26.)
14 ¶ And he was casting
out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out,
the dumb spake; and the people wondered.
15 But some of them said,
He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.
16 And others, tempting him,
sought of him a sign from heaven.
17 But he, knowing their
thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to
desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.
18 If Satan also be
divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I
cast out devils through Beelzebub.
19 And if I by Beelzebub
cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall
they be your judges.
20 But if I with the
finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the
21 When a strong man armed
keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
22 But when a stronger
than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his
armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
23 He that is not with me
is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
24 When the unclean spirit
is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding
none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
25 And when he cometh, he
findeth it swept and garnished.
26 Then goeth he, and
taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they
enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than
the first.
Luke 11:24-26 – It has
to be replaced with the Spirit of God.
Elder Oaks quote: Sin
and Suffering, BYU Fireside, Aug 5, 1990
Why is it necessary for us
to suffer on the way to repentance for serious transgressions? We tend to think
of the results of repentance as simply cleansing us from sin. But that is an
incomplete view of the matter. A person who sins is like a tree that bends
easily in the wind. On a windy and rainy day, the tree bends so deeply against
the ground that the leaves become soiled with mud, like sin. If we focus only
on cleaning the leaves, the weakness in the tree that allowed it to bend and
soil its leaves may remain. Similarly, a person who is merely sorry to be
soiled by sin will sin again in the next high wind. The susceptibility to
repetition continues until the tree has been strengthened.
When a person has gone
through the process that results in what the scriptures call a broken heart and
a contrite spirit, the Savior does more than cleanse that person from sin. He
also gives him or her new strength. That strengthening is essential for us to
realize the purpose of the cleansing, which is to return to our Heavenly
Father. To be admitted to his presence, we must be more than clean. We must
also be changed from a morally weak person who has sinned into a strong person
with the spiritual stature to dwell in the presence of God. We must, as the
scripture says, "[become] a saint through the atonement of Christ the
Lord." (Mosiah 3:19.) This is what the scripture means in its explanation
that a person who has repented of his sins will "forsake them."
(D&C 58:43.) Forsaking sins is more than resolving not to repeat them.
Forsaking involves a fundamental change in the individual.
King Benjamin and Alma both
speak of a mighty change of heart. King Benjamin's congregation described that
mighty change by saying that they had "no more disposition to do evil, but
to do good continually." (Mosiah 5:2.)
Luke 11:27-34 – As great
as Mary is, she can’t save any of us, only her Son Jesus Christ can save us,
the sign of Jonah was that we can live again; the sign of Christ was the
Resurrection.
(Luke 11:27-34.)
27 ¶ And it came to pass,
as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice,
and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps
which thou hast sucked.
28 But he said, Yea
rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
29 ¶ And when the people
were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they
seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the
prophet.
30 For as Jonas was a sign
unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
31 The queen of the south
shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn
them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of
Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
32 The men of Nineve shall
rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they
repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is
here.
33 No man, when he hath
lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel,
but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
34 The light of the body
is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of
light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of
darkness.
Christ declares himself,
but the people were blind to see who he actually was.
Glory of God = Eternal
Life, that is our goal and purpose in being here.
Luke 7:36-43 – You have
to understand Eastern eating habits to understand this story. They didn’t sit to eat, but reclined with
their head inward by the table and their feet pointing outward, away from the
table. People’s feet were filthy from
the dirt, dust and waste on the roads.
The woman was totally submissive in her treatment of the Savior. Simon did not wash the Lord’s feet and the
Savior noticed his lack of manners to his guest. The Lord told a parable comparing who should
be forgiven most. Those who were
forgiven of the greater sin had the most gratitude and love for Him.
(Luke 7:36-50.)
36 ¶ And one of the
Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the
Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
37 And, behold, a woman in
the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in
the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at his feet
behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them
with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with
the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee
which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man,
if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is
that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40 And Jesus answering
said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master,
say on.
41 There was a certain
creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other
fifty.
42 And when they had
nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them
will love him most?
43 Simon answered and
said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him,
Thou hast rightly judged.
44 And he turned to the
woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house,
thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears,
and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss:
but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 My head with oil thou
didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto
thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom
little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her,
Thy sins are forgiven.
49 And they that sat at
meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins
also?
50 And he said to the
woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
Christ was critical of
his host, which showed bad manners, but Christ didn’t care, he wanted to make a
point to his host, she repented, you have not!
In verse 50, because of her faith
she was forgiven, not her love
for Jesus.
Luke 12:1-8 – Don’t fear
those who can kill the body, fear those who can kill the spirit, like the
media! If I tolerate sin without
condoning it, than I agree with the action.
Stand up and be counted. If I am
numb, then I am past feeling, ouch!
(Luke 12:1-9.)
1 In the mean time, when
there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that
they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all,
Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2 For there is nothing
covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
3 Therefore whatsoever ye
have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have
spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
4 And I say unto you my
friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more
that they can do.
5 But I will forewarn you
whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast
into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
6 Are not five sparrows
sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
7 But even the very hairs
of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than
many sparrows.
8 Also I say unto you,
Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess
before the angels of God:
9 But he that denieth me
before men shall be denied before the angels of God.
If God notices the
sparrows of the field or the hairs of my head, then he also knows and cares for
me. Election of grace, the Savior also
stands up for us.
Melvin J. Ballard
There was a group of
tested, tried and proven souls before they were born into the world and the
Lord provided a lineage for them. That lineage is the House of Israel, the
lineage of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their posterity. Through this lineage
were to come the true and tried souls that had demonstrated their righteousness
in the spirit world before they came here. We came through that lineage. Our
particular branch is the House of Joseph through his son Ephraim. That is the
group from whence shall come the majority of the candidates for celestial
glory. (Three Degrees of Glory, p. 20)
George Q. Cannon
Hence, as it is a great
advantage to be born in the covenant, it is but reasonable to suppose that
noble spirits will seek the opportunity to come into families where they will
have all the blessings and promises which pertain to the covenant. The Latter-day
Saints will undoubtedly become a great people, for God has made promises to
them, and this will be one of the means by which their greatness will be
developed. (Gospel Truth, 2:87)
Luke 12:49-58 – We
aren’t here to pacify, but to teach true doctrine. Prophets teach true doctrine without worrying
if they offend someone or not. Choices
need to be made, it is all or nothing, there is no middle ground, you are
either for the
Matthew 26:7-13 – This
story is in all 4 Gospels, it was required to be included by the Savior in
verse 13. Mary was preparing Christ for
burial. The ointment cost 1 years salary
for an average worker of the times, see John 12:3-6, Judas thought it a
waste. Bruce said there was much more to
this story than we know. The ordinance
of washing of feet was performed by the Savior on the apostles, special witnesses,
perhaps. Mary was spiritually in tune
with what was going to happen to the Lord.
(Matthew 26:7-13.)
7 There came unto him a
woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his
head, as he sat at meat.
8 But when his disciples
saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this
waste?
9 For this ointment might
have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
10 When Jesus understood it,
he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work
upon me.
11 For ye have the poor
always with you; but me ye have not always.
12 For in that she hath
poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.
13 Verily I say unto you,
Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there
shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper
In baptism, we take upon ourselves
the name of Christ (2 Nephi 31:13), becoming "Christians" or
"anointed ones." The baptismal covenant is renewed in the sacrament,
when we again take upon us the name of Christ by symbolically eating his flesh
and blood and receiving the promise of his spirit (D&C 20:77; Moroni 4:3).
This is what Jesus meant when he spoke of eating his flesh and drinking his blood
(John 6:47-58). Anthropologists have often noted how, in various cultures
throughout the world, people believe that by eating the flesh of certain
animals, one can take on the character of those animals. Among cannibals, the
eating of human flesh is done not for nourishment but in an attempt to gain the
strength of the slain enemy. Thus, eating Christ's flesh symbolically gives us
his qualities.
Because olive oil is also used as a
food, it is not surprising to see it associated with the bread and wine (or water)
of the sacrament. This association is also due to the fact that the sacrament
is a renewal of the baptismal covenant, as is clear from the prayers offered on
the bread and wine or water. fn One Nag Hammadi text refers to "the bread
and the cup and the oil." fn The same text continues:
Spiritual love is wine and fragrance.
All those who anoint themselves with it take pleasure from it. While those who
are anointed are present, those nearby also profit (from the fragrance). If
those anointed with ointment withdraw from them and leave, then those not
anointed, who merely stand nearby, still remain in their bad odor. The
Samaritan gave nothing but wine and oil to the wounded man. It is nothing other
than the ointment. It healed the wounds, for "love covers a multitude of
sins." fn
The presence of the sacrament
(eucharist) at the time of baptism, along with anointing, in early Christian
practice, continues to be reflected to some extent today. For example, in the
Roman Catholic Church, it is believed that, at a certain point in the mass,
when the prayer calling for the descent of the Holy Ghost on the eucharist has
been completed, the Holy Ghost is present on the altar. The Holy Ghost, of
course, is generally connected with baptism, since water baptism is sealed by
confirmation and receiving of the Holy Ghost. fn But its presence at the time
of the sacrament is also confirmed in the Latter-day Saint sacramental prayer,
where there is a promise of the Spirit to all who eat and drink. Again, this is
because the sacrament is a renewal of the baptismal covenant.
Interestingly, at the last supper,
Jesus associated the sacrament with the washing of feet, which is a part of the
washing and anointing ceremony fn (John 13:1-5; see also D&C 88:140-41).
Not long before that special meal, he had been anointed at
The connection between the sacrament
and anointing with oil and receiving the garment and the new name is found in
the pseudepigraphic story of Joseph and Aseneth. At one point, Joseph speaks of
the man who will "eat blessed bread of life and drink a blessed cup of
immortality and anoint himself with blessed ointment of incorruptibility."
fn
Prior to her conversion, Aseneth
receives a blessing from Joseph. Laying his right hand on her head, he declares
for her:
And let her eat your bread of life,
and drink your cup of blessing, and number her among your people, that you have
chosen before all (things) came into being, and let her enter your rest which
you have prepared for your chosen ones, and live in your eternal life for ever
(and) ever. fn
Receiving the bread and the cup of
the sacrament of the Lord's supper, in this story, is symbolic of conversion to
the Lord and of being chosen to eternal life. Anxious to learn the meaning of
Joseph's words, Aseneth prays, and the Lord sends to her his chief angel. The
messenger declares to her:
Behold, from today, you will be
renewed and formed anew and made alive again, and you will eat blessed bread of
life, and drink a blessed cup of immortality, and anoint yourself with blessed
ointment of incorruptibility. . . . And your name shall no longer be called
Aseneth, but your name shall be City of
Thus, along with rebirth, the emblems
of the sacrament and anointing, the young woman received a new name. So, too,
in early Christianity, proselytes were given new names, as are Jewish
proselytes and babies christened in various churches. An interesting feature of
the story of Aseneth is that it was the angel who bestowed the new name, as in
several biblical stories. fn
(Stephen D. Ricks and John W. Welch,
eds., The Allegory of the Olive Tree: The Olive, the Bible, and Jacob 5
[Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research
and Mormon Studies, 1994], 452.)
Bruce taught an
interesting thought concerning Judas.
His belief was that Judas was not a Son of Perdition for eternity, since
he did not have the gift of the Holy Ghost in mortality, and did not glory in
his betrayal, but felt such remorse that he committed suicide. Granted his action was despicable and at the
time he must have had the feelings of Perdition, but at one time or another
don’t we have the same feelings? Satan
and Cain gloried in their wickedness in fighting against the
The question frequently arises
regarding the eternal status of Judas Iscariot. Was he a son of perdition as we
understand that title? President Joseph F. Smith observed: "Now, if Judas
really had known God's power, and had partaken thereof, and did actually 'deny
the truth' and 'defy' that power, 'having denied the Holy Ghost after he had
received it,' and also 'denied the Only Begotten,' after God had 'revealed him'
unto him, then there can he no doubt that he 'will die the second death.'
3 Ne 27 32"That Judas did
partake of all this knowledge—that these great truths had been revealed to
him—that he had received the Holy Spirit by the gift of God and was therefore
qualified to commit the unpardonable sin, is not at all clear to me. To
my mind it strongly appears that not one of the disciples possessed sufficient
light, knowledge nor wisdom, at the time of the crucifixion, for either
exaltation or condemnation; for it was afterward that their minds were opened
to understand the scriptures, and that they were endowed with power from on
high; without which they were only children in knowledge, in comparison to what
they afterwards become under the influence of the Spirit." (Gospel
Doctrine p. 433, see also p. 20.) Elder Bruce R. McConkie has
likewise written: "Jesus' ministry where the Twelve are concerned
has succeeded. He has cared for the spiritual well-being of the souls entrusted
to him. Only Judas has been lost; and even he, though a son or follower of
Satan, who is perdition, as we have heretofore seen, is probably not a son of
perdition in the sense of eternal damnation." (Mortal Messiah 4:112-13;
see also pp. 198, 202.)
(Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert
L. Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 4 vols. [Salt
Lake City: Bookcraft, 1987-1992], 4: 184.)
Bruce also spent some
time on Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer which is incomplete, see Luke
11:2-4. The JST finishes the rest of the prayer. Many Protestant denominations use this
version over the one in Matthew 6:9-13.
Luke’s version leaves off the part which states: For
thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen
(JST Luke 11:1-4.)
1 And it came to pass, as
Jesus was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said
unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2 And he said unto them,
When ye pray, say, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done as in heaven, so in earth
3 Give us day by day our
daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins;
for we also forgive every one who is indebted to us. And let us not be led unto
temptation; but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom and power. Amen.
Luke 15-19 and Prayer
BIBLE DICTIONARY
PUBLICANS
Men who bought or farmed
the taxes under the Roman government were called publicani. The name is
also used to describe those who actually collected the money, and who were
properly called portitores. Both classes were detested by the Jews, and
any Jew who undertook the work was excommunicated. Many of the tax-gatherers in
Galilee would be in the service of Herod, and not of
FIT FOR THE KINGDOM (Luke 16; Matthew
18-20)
LARRY E. DAHL
The Parable of the Rich Man and
Lazarus
Luke is the only Gospel writer who
records the parable of the rich man and the beggar named Lazarus. (Luke
16:19-31; JST, Luke 16:20-36.) Among the important messages of the parable are
the following:
1. Life does not cease at the death
of the mortal body.
2. All persons are accountable to God
for what they choose to do with their earthly lives.
3. "That which is highly
esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." (Luke 16:15.)
4. It is a serious matter in the eyes
of God for those with means to ignore or disdain those in need.
5. At death all persons will reap
rewards or punishments according to their works.
The Prophet Joseph Smith helped us
understand what prompted the parable and also the unrighteousness of the
Pharisees to whom it was given. Luke 16:20-23 in the Joseph Smith Translation
adds the following information to the account in the King James Version:
Why teach ye the law, and deny that
which is written; and condemn him whom the Father hath sent to fulfil the law,
that ye might all be redeemed? O fools! for you have said in your hearts, There
is no God. And you pervert the right way; and the kingdom of heaven suffereth
violence of you; and you persecute the meek; and in your violence you seek to
destroy the kingdom; and ye take the children of the kingdom by force. Woe unto
you, ye adulterers!
And they reviled him again, being
angry for the saying, that they were adulterers. But he continued, saying,
Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery; and
whosoever marrieth her who is put away from her husband, committeth adultery.
Verily I say unto you, I will liken you unto the rich man.
It is clear from these verses that
the Savior was scolding the Pharisees for more than being selfish with material
wealth. They were also being selfish and hypocritical, even abusing spiritual
opportunities to the detriment of both those who looked to them for spiritual
sustenance and those who were concerned about the
Of these two rewards,
Now, concerning the state
of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known
unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed
from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or
evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.
And then shall it come to
pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of
happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where
they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.
And then shall it come to
pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have
no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil
works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them,
and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer
darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this
because of their own inquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.
Now this is the state of
the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful
looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they
remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of
their resurrection. (
In describing hell, or the status of
one who does not repent but dies an enemy to God, the prophet-king Benjamin
taught: "The demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a
lively sense of his own guilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the presence
of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which
is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever."
(Mosiah 2:38.) Joseph Smith added: "A man is his own tormenter and his own
condemner. Hence the saying, They shall go into the lake that burns with fire
and brimstone. The torment of disappointment in the mind of man is as exquisite
as a lake burning with fire and brimstone. I say, so is the torment of
man." fn
Such was the state of the spirit of
the rich man of the parable after he died and was buried. In contrast, Lazarus
was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom, or into a "state of rest,
a state of peace, where [he could] rest from all [his] troubles, and from all
care, and sorrow." (
What was the gulf that separated
Lazarus and the rich man and prevented Lazarus from helping? That they could
see and converse with one another seems obvious. The Prophet Joseph taught that
"the righteous and the wicked all go to the same world of spirits until
the resurrection." fn He also said, however, that within that spirit world
there are "bounds, limits, and laws by which [wicked spirits] are governed
or controlled." fn In the same world of spirits, the state of righteous
spirits is very different from the state of wicked.
President Joseph F. Smith was
privileged to see the world of spirits in vision. (D&C 138.) He saw the
Savior visit the spirit world between his crucifixion and resurrection, and
organize the righteous spirits to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ there. He
saw that the gospel was to be preached to "all the spirits of men"
(v. 30), "all who would repent of their sins and receive the gospel"
(v. 31), "those who had died in their sins without a knowledge of the truth,
or in transgression, having rejected the prophets" (v. 32), "the
unrighteous as well as the faithful" (v. 35), even to "all the dead,
unto whom he could not go personally, because of their rebellion and
transgression" (v. 37). "Where these [the wicked spirits] were,
darkness reigned, but among the righteous there was peace." (V. 22.) That
he met with the righteous but did not (the record even says "could
not") go personally among the wicked, and the statement "where these
were," both indicate that there is some physical separation of the
righteous and the wicked in the world of spirits. However, it is not clear
whether that separation is because of bounds, limits, and laws, or by choice.
(See D&C 88:38.)
It seems certain that one aspect of
the gulf was that the rich man did not at that time have the opportunity to
sooth his torments with the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. However,
Christ's mission to the spirit world bridged that gulf, giving all the
opportunity to hear the gospel and relieve their sufferings by conforming their
minds, hearts, and actions to it—all this made possible by the power of the
atonement. That the rich man and others like him can overcome their torments by
hearing and accepting the gospel in the spirit world seems clear. Their
ultimate destiny will depend upon what level of law they did and can abide.
(See D&C 88:21-24.) Perhaps the gulf in the parable referred to the fact
that at that time Lazarus was not permitted to help the rich man by taking him
the gospel. It might also mean that the rich man was suffering the natural,
inevitable, irrevokable consequences of wickedness—a gulf that neither Abraham
nor Lazarus, even if they desperately wanted to, could bridge for the rich man.
He had to work it out himself. (See 1 Ne. 15:28-29; 2 Ne. 1:13; Alma 26:20;
Hel. 5:12.)
There is another intriguing principle
in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Not wanting his brothers yet on
earth to suffer as he was suffering, the rich man implored Abraham to send
Lazarus to warn them. Abraham replied that the rich man's brethren had Moses
and the prophets, to which the rich man responded, "Nay, father Abraham:
but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent." (Luke 16:30.)
The parable then has Abraham speaking an eternal truth, which is difficult for
many to accept: "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will
they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." (Luke 16:31.) Contrary
to popular notion, seeing is not necessarily believing. Knowledge, even
testimony born of the Spirit, does not guarantee faith. James wrote that even
the devils believe and tremble, but have not faith to keep the commandments of
God. (James 2:19.) Laman and Lemuel experienced repeated demonstrations of the
power of God, yet they did not believe or have faith sufficient to submit to
his will. (See 1 Ne. 3:29-31; 7:16-20; 16:37-39; 17:45-55; 18:8-21; 2 Ne.
5:1-7.)
Faith comes as a gift from God to
those who hear Moses and the prophets and who have enough real intent to
honestly experiment with the principles of the gospel. (See
The last few verses of the parable
may have been intended to direct the Pharisees (and perhaps later readers of
the parable) to a careful study of Moses and the prophets, an invitation to be
among those who are blessed because they believe without seeing. (See John
20:24-29.)
Becoming Heirs of Eternal Life
The contents of Matthew 18:20 fit
nicely under the theme: "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven?" (Matt. 18:1), and "What good thing shall I do, that I may
have eternal life?" (Matt. 19:16).
Anyone who is truly concerned about
what is required to qualify for eternal life in the kingdom of heaven must
confront the challenges of Jesus' teachings.
Become As a Little Child
References: Matthew 18:1-6; 19:13-15. See also Mark 9:33-37; Luke
9:46-48; JST Matthew 18:1-5; JST, Mark 9:30-35; JST Luke 9:46-48.
The apostles had been reasoning
together about who would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ( Luke 9:46.)
Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, "called a little child unto him, and set
him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be
converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom
of heaven." (Matt. 18:2-3.)
What does it mean to be converted?
And what does it mean to become as little children? To be converted means to be
changed. Alma testified: "Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women,
all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of
God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness,
being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; and thus they become new
creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of
God." (Mosiah 27:25-26.) In being thus changed, or converted, we become
"children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he
hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through
faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and
his daughters." (Mosiah 5:7.)
There is another sense in which those
who gain eternal life must become as little children. "Little children are
whole" (Moro. 8:8) and "innocent before God" because of the
atonement (D&C 93:38). All who enter the kingdom of heaven must apply the
atoning blood of Jesus Christ through repentance and obedience to become whole
and innocent as are little children, "for no unclean thing can dwell
there." (Moses 6:57.)
The Savior's statement that we must
become as little children, then, was a call to become his children,
whole and innocent before God, "submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of
love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon
him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19.)
Seek First the
References: Matt. 18:7-14; Mark 9:43-50; JST Matthew 18:6-14; JST, Mark
9:40-50.
"If thine eye offended thee,
pluck it out, and cast it from thee." (Matt. 18:9.) "If thy hand or
thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee." (Matt.
18:8.) Matthew 18:9 in Joseph Smith Translation explains that "a man's
hand is his friend, and his foot, also; and a man's eye, are they of his own
household." (JST, Matt. 18:9.)
What is the message? It seems clear
the Lord is teaching that seeking the
What would wrench heartstrings more
than to be torn between the kingdom of heaven and a dearly loved family member,
friend, or leader? Yet the possibility exists, and if we are faced with such a
difficult situation, the right choice is clearly given for us.
But the instruction does not end
here. As if anticipating that some may use (or abuse) this principle as an
excuse to ignore, reject, or give up on one who has "become a
transgressor" (JST, Mark 9:46), or who has "gone astray," the
Savior taught the parable of the lost sheep. (Matt. 18:12-14.) If we honor
agency, it may be ultimately necessary for us to choose between the kingdom and
a loved one. However, for now, until the ultimate choice must be made, we are
to do all we possibly can to bring them to understand and live the saving
principles of the gospel. As we contemplate priorities, it is important to
remember the Savior's promise that if we seek the kingdom of God first, all
other considerations will fall into place (see Matt. 6:33)—a comforting thought
in connection with a rather difficult doctrine.
Forgive Others
References: Matthew 18:15-17, 21-35.
The necessity of forgiving others in order
to be forgiven is a recurring theme in scripture. The Lord instructed that we
pray, "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Matt. 6:12),
and emphasized the point by adding, "For if ye forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not
men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses"
(Matt. 6:14-15).
In our own dispensation it has again
been made clear that we are to forgive others: "Wherefore, I say unto you,
that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his
trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the
greater sin. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is
required to forgive all men." (D&C 64:9-10.) It is also clear that we
are to forgive again and again, even seventy times seven. Though numbers are
used in the Lord's response to Peter's question of "how oft?" (Matt.
18:21), the underlying principle is the same as that taught in Doctrine and
Covenants 98:39-48, Mosiah 26:29-30, and Moroni 6:8—we should forgive as often
as people repent and seek forgiveness with real intent. Some special
instructions are given in Doctrine and Covenants 98:41-48 concerning those who
repeatedly sin against us and do not repent.
There is a point of special
significance in the parable of Matthew 18:23-35, which a twentieth century
reader who is not familiar with the value of a talent and a pence may miss.
That point is that the debts we owe to each other are a mere pittance compared
to the debt we all owe to the Savior and our Heavenly Father. The servant of
the king owed the king ten thousand talents, while the fellowservant
owed the king's servant one hundred pence. One pence equaled a denarius,
which was the value of one day's pay. It took six thousand pence to equal one
talent. Therefore, the debt of the king's servant to the king was sixty million
pence, while the fellowservant's debt to the king's servant was a mere one
hundred pence—a six hundred thousand to one comparison. After being freely
forgiven for such an overwhelming debt, how utterly silly was the servant's
refusal to forgive another such a comparatively tiny obligation.
As we are tempted to hold grudges
toward or withhold forgiveness from each other, and at the same time appeal to
the heavens for forgiveness of our sins, perhaps we should remember this
powerful lesson about pence and talents.
"Cleave unto [Your Spouse] and None Else" (D&C 42:22)
References: Matthew 5:31-32; 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12; JST Matthew 5:35-36;
JST, Mark 10:1-10.
"Is it lawful for a man to put
away his wife for every cause?" (Matt. 19:3.) Also, is it lawful for a
woman to put away her husband for every cause? The Lord's response was
disturbing to those who listened then, and is also disturbing to many who read
it now.
The Pharisees who asked the question
were not honestly seeking to know gospel standard in reference to divorce. They
were tempting the Savior—pitting his anticipated teachings (he had earlier
spoken of divorce in the Sermon on the Mount—see Matt. 5:31-32) against the
teachings of Moses, an acknowledged prophet. (Mark 10:2-4.) In essence, they
were asking Jesus, "Why are you teaching a different standard than the
prophet Moses taught?" A similar question might be asked today: "Why
are church members now permitted to divorce, seemingly for every cause, and
marry others in the holy temples without charges of adultery?"
Perhaps the answer to both questions
lies in the words "hardness of your hearts" both in Moses' day and
our own. Jesus explained, "Moses because of the hardness of your hearts
suffered [allowed] you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was
not so." (Matt. 19:8.) The Savior then stated God's intention ("from
the beginning") that marriages were not to be dissolved, "except it
be for fornication" (the Greek word translated into English as fornication
clearly means sexual immorality), indicating that those who divorce for lesser
reasons and then marry another are guilty of adultery. That is hard doctrine in
a world where divorce "for every cause" is becoming more and more
common. The question still presses: Why are such things allowed in the Church
of Jesus Christ? Are we not supposed to be in but not of the world? Elder Bruce
R. McConkie taught:
Divorce is not part of the gospel
plan no matter what kind of marriage is involved. But because men in practice
do not always live in harmony with gospel standards, the Lord permits divorce
for one reason or another, depending upon the spiritual stability of the people
involved. In ancient
It appears that when the people are
unprepared or unwilling to live the higher law (the celestial law, the intended
standard "from the beginning") the Lord allows them to have a lesser
standard, a "schoolmaster law." (Gal. 3:24.) But even strict
obedience to the schoolmaster law is not the goal, nor is it sufficient to
exalt us. (See Mosiah 3:13-17; 12:31-37; 13:28-35.) The schoolmaster is to
"bring us unto Christ." It is a temporary measure, a minimum
standard, to keep us tethered to the
But are there not divorces in which
one of the partners is an innocent victim? If such an innocent victim
remarries, is it considered adultery in the eyes of the Lord under the highest
law (that is, "whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit
adultery"—Matt. 19:9)? One of the foundation principles of the gospel of
Jesus Christ is that all persons "will be punished for their own sins, and
not for Adam's transgression." (Article of Faith 2.) Some of the instruction
given by the Savior about divorce and adultery was not given in an open forum,
but "in the house" (Mark 10:10) after the public exchange. Do we have
record of all that was discussed in this more private setting? What might he
have said to those honestly seeking the truth about the question of innocent
victims?
Mark's account is somewhat helpful.
Notice that in Mark 10:11-12, the charge of adultery is assigned only to the
marriage partner who put away his or her spouse. No charge of adultery is
mentioned in reference to the one who was being put away: "Whosoever shall
put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a
woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth
adultery."
Is sexual immorality the only justifiable
reason for divorce in the eyes of the Lord? Again, if this question had been
put to the Savior "in the house" by those truly wanting to do what is
right, how would he respond? Thankfully, God has provided means whereby we can
seek and know the will of heaven. We have a living prophet and apostles who
hold the keys of the kingdom. We have additional Church leaders, and we have
personal prayer. Joseph Smith taught: "This is the principle on which the
government of heaven is conducted—by revelation adapted to the circumstances in
which the children of the kingdom are placed." fn Through his appointed
leaders, God will continually reveal his will and direct his people on how to
apply gospel principles "to the circumstances in which the children of the
kingdom are placed," generally and individually. And through personal
revelation, the Lord will confirm the rightness of following those leaders.
That is the appointed way to resolve searching questions about divorce, and
other things not explicitly clarified in the scriptures. Of all of us it
requires listening ears, honesty, humility, and obedience.
What Lack I Yet?
References: Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30; JST Matthew
19:26; JST, Mark 10:26; JST Luke 18:27.
Although these verses deal with a
rich young man and his particular spiritual nemesis, there is a broader
principle inherent in this encounter. It is interesting to compare this
incident with another recorded in Luke 10:25-37. Both incidents begin with the
same basic question posed to the Savior: "What good thing shall I do, that
I may have eternal life?" (Matt. 19:16) and "What shall I do to
inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25). The answers, however, were
customized. The rich young man needed instruction about not trusting so much in
wealth; the lawyer evidently needed to be taught the importance of loving his
neighbor. How sad that the young man, who had kept so many of the commandments
from his youth up, would allow his love of riches to stand between him and
eternal life. Elder McConkie taught:
We might well ask, "Isn't it
enough to keep the commandments? What more is expected of us than to be true
and faithful to every trust? Is there more than the law of obedience?"
In the case of our rich young friend
there was more. He was expected to live the law of consecration, to sacrifice
his earthly possessions, for the answer of Jesus was: "If thou wilt be
perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven: and come and follow me."
As you know, the young man went away
sorrowful, "for he had great possessions." (Matt. 19:16-22.) And we
are left to wonder what intimacies he might have shared with the Son of God,
what fellowship he might have enjoyed with the apostles, what revelations and
visions he might have received, if he had been able to live the law of a
celestial kingdom. As it is he remains nameless; as it might have been, his
name could have been had in honorable remembrance among the saints forever. fn
Jesus taught: "It is easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the
With the question of whether the rich
can gain eternal life settled, Peter asked what blessings he and others who had
"forsaken all" and followed Christ could expect. (Matt. 19:27.) The
Savior's response was a reassurance that all righteousness and sacrifice will
be amply rewarded both now and in the hereafter, but it was also a caution,
even a warning, to Peter against focusing unduly on comparative rewards and
status:
"There is no man that hath left
house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or
lands, for my sake and the gospel's, but he shall receive a hundredfold now in
this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and
lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come, eternal life. But there are
many who make themselves first, that shall be last, and the last first. This he
said, rebuking Peter." (JST, Mark 10:28-31.)
The issues and principles illuminated
here are as alive and necessary today as they were in Jesus' day. Perhaps they
have special meaning today, inasmuch as we have been repeatedly taught that
affluence, luxury, and ease are a subtle and very difficult tests of
faithfulness that currently face many saints. President Harold B. Lee
explained: "We're tested and we're tried. Perhaps we don't realize the
severity of the tests we're going through. In the early days of the Church,
there were murders committed, there were mobbings. The Saints were driven out
into the desert. They were starving, they were unclad, and they were cold.
We're the inheritors of what they gave to us. But what are we doing with it?
Today we're basking in the lap of luxury, the like of which we've never seen
before in the history of the world. It would seem that probably this is the
most severe test of any we've ever had in the history of this Church." fn
President Ezra Taft Benson has added:
"Ours then seems to be the toughest test of all for the evils are more
subtle, more clever. It all seems less menacing and it is harder to detect.
While every test of righteousness represents a struggle, this particular test
seems like no test at all, no struggle and so could be the most deceiving of
all tests. Do you know what peace and prosperity can do to a people—it can put
them to sleep." fn
If affluence is not the problem for
an individual, perhaps he or she could ask, "What lack I yet?"
Not Where We Serve, but How
References: Matthew 20:1-34; JST Matthew 20:1-34.
What lessons did the Savior want his
disciples (then and now) to learn from the parable of the laborers in the
vineyard, and from his response to the mother of James and John that they be
granted special place in the kingdom of heaven? Considering the introduction to
and the summary statement of the parable is helpful. Jesus introduced the
parable with this statement: "But many that are first [or as it is
expressed in JST, Mark 10:30: "many who make themselves first"] shall
be last; and the last shall be first." (Matt. 19:30.) He concluded,
"So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many are called, but
few chosen." (Matt. 20:16.) It seems that the words first and last
have double meanings as used here: (1) sequence—some were sent to labor first,
and others last, and (2) position or greatness—some who have high position or
opportunity or reputation in this life may not be looked upon with the same
favor in the next life, and some who are considered lowly here may receive high
station there.
To sit at Christ's right or left in
the kingdom of heaven is not given as a favor to an influential mother, nor
because of high earthly calling (James and John were apostles), nor on the
basis of how long one serves (even though a person has "borne the burden
and the heat of the day"—Matt. 20:12). That high place is given to those
"for whom it is prepared of my Father." (Matt. 20:23.)
And for whom is it prepared? The
parable teaches that it is prepared for those who willingly contract to labor
in the vineyard, having faith that the Lord will reward them "whatsoever
is right." (Matt. 20:4, 7.) It is interesting to note that except for the
laborers hired first, the laborers went to work without negotiating wages. It
is also interesting to consider the reason those hired in the eleventh hour
were not laboring before: "Because no man has hired us." (Matt.
20:7.) They were willing, even anxious to work. They only lacked opportunity.
The Lord of the vineyard is mindful of all the laborers and can see that each
is sent appropriately to labor when and where and for how much. If he has a
spot that he wants us to tend, he will see that we get there, either with the
help of or, if need be, in spite of other laborers involved. "Therefore,
let every man stand in his own office, and labor in his own
calling; and let not the head say unto the feet it hath no need of the feet;
for without the feet how shall the body be able to stand? Also the body hath
need of every member, that all may be edified together, that the system may be
kept perfect." (D&C 84:109-110, emphasis added.) "Wherefore, now
let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is
appointed, in all diligence." (D&C 107:99; emphasis added.)
In addition to the parable, Jesus
explained to the disciples that it is not position but disposition—the
disposition to serve—that qualifies one to sit at his right or left in the
kingdom of heaven: "Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your
minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even
as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give
his life a ransom for many." (Matt. 20:26-28.)
The spirit of this important
principle was captured by President J. Reuben Clark: "In the service of
the Lord, it is not where you serve but how. In the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, one takes the place to which one is duly called, which place
one neither seeks nor declines." fn
Conclusion
"What good thing shall I do, that
I may have eternal life?"
There are many requirements to
qualify for eternal life. Luke 16 and Matthew 18 through 20 address some
important ones. As we begin to recognize those things we yet lack, we are
compelled to cry with the two blind men, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou
Son of David." (Matt. 20:30.) For we are all as dependent upon the Savior
for eternal life as they were for their sight. In our strivings to serve and to
better ourselves we would do well to remember King Benjamin's counsel: "See
that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite
that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient
that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all
things must be done in order." (Mosiah 4:27.)
NOTES
Larry E. Dahl is associate professor
of Church history and doctrine and director of Doctrine and Covenants research
in the
Footnotes
1. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, p. 357.
2. Ibid., p. 310.
3. Ibid., p. 208.
4. Ibid., p. 150.
5. John Taylor, Journal of
Discourses 24:264.
6. Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal
New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-73),
1:547.
7. Ezra Taft Benson, Speeches of
the Year (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, 1975), pp. 304-5.
8. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph
Smith, p. 256.
9. Bruce R. McConkie, Conference
Report, April 1975, pp. 75-76.
10. Harold B. Lee, address to Church
employees, Salt Lake Tabernacle, December 13, 1973.
11. Ezra Taft Benson, address to
Regional Representatives, September 30, 1977.
12. J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Conference
Report, April 1951, pp. 153-54.
(Kent P. Jackson and Robert L.
Millet, eds., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 5: The Gospels [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Co., 1986], 357.)
We had a discussion on
Luke 15 as a chapter of rebuke, and Luke 16 as a chapter of teaching those who
wanted to hear the Savior and learn from Him.
Luke 16:1-15 – The
Unjust Steward is a parable about people who have good qualities but are
misdirected in their uses. The people of
the world can be very hard working for the riches of the world and are far more
diligent then those of us striving toward spiritual riches. The Lord is saying that we should work just
as hard for the
This is a misunderstood
parable
(Luke 16:1-15.)
1 And he said also unto
his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same
was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
2 And he called him, and
said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy
stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
3 Then the steward said
within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the
stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
4 I am resolved what to
do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their
houses.
5 So he called every one
of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest
thou unto my lord?
6 And he said, An hundred
measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and
write fifty.
7 Then said he to another,
And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said
unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
8 And the lord commended
the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world
are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
9 And I say unto you, Make
to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail,
they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
10 He that is faithful in
that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the
least is unjust also in much.
11 If therefore ye have
not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the
true riches?
12 And if ye have not been
faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your
own?
13 ¶ No servant can serve
two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he
will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
14 And the Pharisees also,
who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
15 And he said unto them,
Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts:
for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
The Unjust Steward
The Lord has placed upon this earth
"enough and to spare" (D&C 104:17), and we must understand the
proper use of that abundance with which he has blessed us. Though overheard by
the Pharisees, the parable of the unjust steward was addressed specifically to
Jesus' disciples. This parable does not preach repentance to the wicked but
challenges righteous followers of Christ to greater growth as they are
instructed regarding their stewardship in earthly things.
"There was a certain rich man,
which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his
goods.
"And he called him, and said
unto him, how is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of thy
stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
"Then the steward said within
himself, what shall I do? For my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I
cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
"I am resolved what to do, that
when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
"So he called every one of his
lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my
lord?
"And he said An hundred measures
of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write
fifty.
"Then said he to another, And
how much owest thou? And he said An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto
him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
"And the lord commended the
unjust steward because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are
in their generation wiser than the children of light" (Luke 16:7Luke
16:1-8).
The term oikonomos, or steward,
literally means "one who manages a household" fn and was also used to
refer to the manager of a large estate or even a public administrator. Elder
Talmage explains, "The steward in the story was the duly authorized agent
of his employer, holding what we would call the power-of-attorney to act in his
master's name." fn
The steward is not being dismissed
because he has been cheating the owner, but because he has been handling his
master's goods wastefully. The same word is used in the parable of the prodigal
son who "wasted his substance with riotous living" (Luke
Because the steward is being
dismissed, he must hand over the account, or record, of his stewardship. Now
that he will be out of a job, he wonders what he can do in the future. His idea,
of course, is to use his stewardship to benefit those who are in debt to his
master so that they will be more kindly disposed towards him and more likely to
welcome him into their homes when his stewardship has come to an end.
The master of the steward actually
commends his cunning. The word translated "wisely" can also mean
"shrewdly" or "intelligently." This phrase is problematic.
One scholar notes that "no parable in the Gospels has been the subject of
so much controversy as this." fn The debate stems from the praise of the
steward's master in light of the steward's charging the creditors less than
their full debt in his own selfish interest.
This parable is based on the world's
way of doing business. Jesus is not telling us to handle our business affairs
this way, but he is using the dealings of the business world to illustrate an
eternal principle. The master in this parable is a shrewd businessman, and he
recognizes that the steward has made a shrewd business move to protect his
personal future. The strategy is so shrewd that he cannot help but
admire it.
The moral of the story seemingly
praises worldliness. The word generation means "family" or
"clan." "The children of this age are more prudent in relation
to their own clan (i.e., people of their own kind) than are the children of
light." fn Here the Savior divides mankind into two groups, the family of
the world and the family of light. He points out that the children of the world
are more astute in using their temporal stewardship to procure their temporal
security than are the children of light in using their temporal stewardship to
procure their eternal security. Elder Talmage explains it this way:
"Our Lord's purpose was to show
the contrast between the care, thoughtfulness, and devotion of men engaged in
the money-making affairs of earth, and the half hearted ways of many who are
professedly striving after spiritual riches. Worldly-minded men do not neglect
provision for their future years, and often are sinfully eager to amass plenty;
while the 'children of light,' or those who believe spiritual wealth to be
above all earthly possessions, are less energetic, prudent, or wise." fn
In our world, many men of affairs will single-mindedly devote their
lives to bettering their worldly status. Should not the "children of
light" be equally focused on the values of eternity? The Savior goes on to
add this ironic admonition: "And I say unto you, Make to yourselves
friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive
you into everlasting habitations" (Luke 16:9).
Mammon is an Aramaic word meaning riches
(see Bible Dictionary). The word translated "fail" means "come
to an end." The Savior is telling us that we must learn to use the riches
of the world to create eternal friends. Just as the steward used this earth's
goods to relieve those in debt to his master, thus gaining temporal friends who
would welcome him into their homes when his job ended, the children of light
must learn to use this earth's goods to bless those indebted to the Savior (all
mankind). Then, when our years have come to an end, they will welcome us into
everlasting habitations. Elder McConkie puts it this way: "Ye saints of
God, be as wise and prudent in spiritual things as the unjust steward was in
worldly things. Use the things of this world—which are God's and with reference
to which you are stewards—to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and heal the
sick, always remembering that when ye do any of these things unto the least of
one of these my brethren, ye do it unto me. By such a course, when your money
is gone and your life is past, your friends in heaven will welcome you into
eternal mansions of bliss." fn
In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Jacob also teaches that the proper
use of wealth is not for self but for others. He indicates that we must first
love each other enough to share our wealth equally. Then we must seek for the
We must remember that using this world's goods to bless others is not
restricted to giving to the poor. As we provide food and shelter in the
righteous raising of children, resources for missionary and temple work,
education for those who could not have it otherwise, or anything that helps
others become better people, brings them back to God, and helps them fulfill
their potential, we are fulfilling the intent of this parable.
The Savior then concludes his lesson
in stewardship:
"He that is faithful in that
which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is
unjust also in much.
"If therefore ye have not been
faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true
riches?
"And if ye have not been faithful
in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
"No servant can serve two
masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will
hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon"
(Luke
We must learn that riches and the
material objects of this world have no intrinsic value unless we learn to use
them for eternal purposes. If we are unable to learn to use the riches of the
earth in this way, "who will commit to your trust the true riches?"
Elder McConkie counsels: "If you earthly stewards are not faithful in
handling the wealth of the world which the Lord has entrusted to you, using it
for the furtherance of his purposes, why do you think he will commit to you
kingdoms and thrones and eternal riches hereafter. For he that is faithful over
an earthly stewardship will be faithful over kingdoms and dominions in the
world to come, but he that is unjust and does not use his wealth aright here,
would be unjust in administering eternal riches." fn
Moreover, the word translated
"servant" actually means "slave." This passage literally
reads, "No slave can be a slave to two masters." This distinction is
important because it is quite conceivable that a servant could be a servant to two
different people, each hiring him for a portion of his time. Being a slave,
however, implies total submission to one master. The intended lesson is that
one either learns to consecrate the riches of this earth to serve God or he
becomes enslaved by those riches. There is no middle ground.
In the Book of Mormon, Nephi
specifically forbids the quest for riches as an end in themselves by saying
that "the laborer in
"The Lord has blessed us as a
people with prosperity unequaled in times past. The resources that have been
placed in our power are good and necessary to our work here on the earth. But I
am afraid that many of us have been surfeited with flocks and herds and acres
and barns and wealth and have begun to worship them as false gods, and they
have power over us. Do we have more of these good things than our faith can
stand? Many people spend most of their time working in the service of a
self-image that includes sufficient money, stocks, bonds, investment
portfolios, property, credit cards, furnishings, automobiles, and the like to guarantee
carnal security throughout, it is hoped, a long and happy life. Forgotten is
the fact that our assignment is to use these many resources in our families and
quorums to build up the
"As the Lord himself said in our
day, 'They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man
walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own God, whose image is in
the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which
waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall
fall' (D&C 1:16; italics added.). . . .
"To set aside all these great
promises in favor of a chest of gold and a sense of carnal security is a
mistake in perspective of colossal proportions. To think that he has settled
for so little is a saddening and pitiful prospect indeed; the souls of men are
far more precious than this." fn
(Bruce A. Van Orden and Brent L. Top,
eds., The Lord of the Gospels: The 1990 Sperry Symposium on the New
Testament [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1991], 157.)
Luke 12:13-15, 16-21 – Elder
The same discourse is contained in
Luke 12, where the Lord makes it clear that he is speaking to the whole church,
not just to the apostles; here, however, he explains things even more fully as
yet another parable: he tells the story of a man who was very provident and who
did gather into barns and made himself very rich and secure for the
future the way we would all like to be. "The ground of a certain rich man
gave forth plentifully: And he thought within himself [being very far-sighted],
saying, what shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits [he
was expanding—a growing economy]? . . . This I will do: I will pull down my
barns, and build greater [bigger and better]. . . . And I will say to my soul,
Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years [now you can retire
and take things easy for a while]; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of
thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" (Luke
12:16-20). They won't be yours anymore; you take nothing with you. It is
certain. You are free to choose treasures in heaven or treasures on
earth, but you cannot have both. In this life men are free to go after what
they please, just as they are free to break all the commandments of God, if
they choose which millions do every day. (Note that the sacred principle of
free agency does not sanctify the ways men choose to use it, though this
is often taken as a justification for seeking after riches.)
When a rich man felt horribly
deprived in his afterlife, Abraham spoke to him from on high and said,
"Son [for he was a son of Abraham—a member of the Church], remember
that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil
things [he was a beggar—we do not like beggars in our Latter-day Saint
community]: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. . . . There is a
great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot;
neither can they pass to us that would come from thence" (Luke
Note it well—on this very matter of
whether to seek riches or not, the scriptures have spoken so clearly and so
much that we are out of order in asking for more revelation on the subject. We
are already swamped with instruction; we have to maneuver skillfully to avoid
it. No doubt the five brothers would immediately protest that the scriptures
are being quoted "out of context." That is what the populations think
today. When we can use that argument, what do we do? When I took up the first
version of the new Topical Guide to the scriptures and turned to the heading
"riches," lo and behold, there was nothing on the subject—the word
was not even there. I had to assume that this was a deliberate omission, since
the word riches is a very convenient topical handle, and it occurs no
less than sixty-one times in our modern scriptures. It is hardly possible that
all sixty-one times could be put out of context! Why was such an important item
left out? (In more recent editions, it has been included.)
"Treasures" is there, an ambivalent term that can be either good or
bad but is mostly spiritual—"riches" is the bottom line, and one has
only to read the passages found under that label in ordinary concordances to
learn that what modern revelation has to say about acquiring riches is anything
but encouraging to those who do it.
(Hugh Nibley, Approaching Zion,
edited by Don E. Norton [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation
for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1989], 132 - 133.)
Mormon 8:35-37 –
(Mormon 8:35-37.)
35 Behold, I speak unto
you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath
shown you unto me, and I know your doing.
36 And I know that ye do
walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not
lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine
apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all
manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become
polluted because of the pride of your hearts.
37 For behold, ye do love
money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your
churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.
Luke
We spent a lot of class on prayer,
Bruce used Luke 11:2-9, that we should have persistence in prayer. We should pray for the coming of the kingdom,
verse 2.
(Luke 11:2-9.)
2 And he said unto them,
When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3 Give us day by day our
daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins;
for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into
temptation; but deliver us from evil.
5 And he said unto them,
Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say
unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6 For a friend of mine in
his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7 And he from within shall
answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with
me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8 I say unto you, Though
he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his
importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
9 And I say unto you, Ask,
and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you.
Luke 18 – The Widow and the Unjust
Judge
PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS TO PREVAIL IN DAY OF VENGEANCE AT HIS COMING
Date:
In what has come to be known as the
"Parable of the Unjust Judge," or the "Parable of the
Importuning Widow," Jesus taught how the prayers of the Saints will
finally prevail in the day of His coming. (See Luke 18:1-8.)
Of this parable, Elder Bruce R.
McConkie wrote: "He Jesus is not here speaking of the simplistic principle
that earnest and repetitious importuning will eventually be heard and answered,
though this may be true in some cases. It is not a matter of an importunate
widow gaining redress from an unjust judge because of her insistent pleadings,
and that therefore those who pray to Him who is just will have their petitions
granted if they earnestly and everlastingly importune at the throne of grace.
Prayers are answered when there is faith; faith is founded on truth and can
only be exercised in harmony with the plan of heaven. Only those petitions
which are just and right are granted. Rather, this parable, as we shall see,
teaches that if the Saints will continue to importune in faith for that which
is right, and because their cause is just, though the answers to their prayers
may be long delayed, yet, finally, in the day of vengeance when He judges whose
judgment is just, when He comes again to rule and reign, the faithful shall be
rewarded.
" 'Men ought always to pray, and
not be faint,' Luke says in introducing the parable, meaning that the
disciples, the Saints of God, the children of Zion, the members of that kingdom
which is the Church, ought to importune everlastingly for the success and
triumph of their cause because their cause is just and right.
“‘There was in a city a judge, which
feared not God, neither regarded man.'
"These introductory words have a
ring of reality to His hearers, for such all too frequently was the case with
those non-Jewish judges in
“‘And there was a widow in that city;
and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
“‘And he would not for a while: but
afterward he said within himself, though I fear not God, nor regard man;
“‘Yet because this widow troubleth
me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' “(Luke
18:3-5.)
Elder McConkie wrote: "The
widow's plea is for the magistrate to make legal inquiry; to call in him who
has wronged her; to set things right and let justice be done. The judge's sole
concern is expediency: what is the political thing to do; how he can benefit
most from the case; why not grant the petition and be free of the annoyance of
repetitious importunings.
“‘And the Lord said, hear what the
unjust judge saith.
“‘And shall not God avenge his own
elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?'
"This parable is one of
contrasts. If an evil magistrate, caring nothing for a poor widow, will finally
adjudge her case, how much more shall the Judge of all the earth, who loves His
Saints, finally, in the day of vengeance at His coming." (The Mortal
Messiah 3:287-288.)
(Prayers of the Saints To Prevail in
Day of Vengeance at His Coming, LDS Church News, 1995, 04/29/95.)
The widow represents the
Church of that time, and the judge represents the
In our prayers we are
supposed to be persistent, but we aren’t to nag Him on material or our worldly
ambitions. The Savior clearly taught:
that we are to pray for the Kingdom, and to learn and do the will of the
Father, D&C 50:29-30, 46:30, 88:64,
3 Nephi 18:20, Moroni 7:26, whatever is good, right expedient, and in
the Spirit.
D&C 64:32 – Elder
Oak’s talk on “Timing”
(Doctrine and Covenants
64:32.)
32 But all things must
come to pass in their time.
Timing
Elder Dallin H. Oaks
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Ensign, Oct. 2003, pp. 10 ff
A devotional address given on 29
January 2002 in the
The most significant
academic talks I heard during my service at BYU had one common characteristic.
Instead of providing new facts or advocating a particular position, as many
lectures do, the most significant talks changed the listeners' way of thinking
about an important subject. Though I am a devotional speaker rather than a
lecturer on an academic subject, I am going to make that same attempt today. I
will attempt to change some listeners' ways of thinking about an important
subject--the matter of timing.
I begin with a story I heard
many years ago at the inauguration of a university president. It illustrates
the importance of timing in university administration. One university president
had come to the end of his period of service, and another was just beginning.
As a gesture of goodwill, the wise outgoing president handed his young
successor three sealed envelopes. "Hold these until you have the first
crisis in your administration," he explained. "Then open the first
one, and you will find some valuable advice."
It was a year before the new
president had a crisis. When he opened the first envelope, he found a single
sheet of paper on which were written the words "Blame the prior
administration." He followed that advice and survived the crisis.
Two years later he faced
another serious challenge to his leadership. He opened the second envelope and
read: "Reorganize your administration." He did so, and the
reorganization disarmed his critics and gave new impetus to his leadership.
Such later the now-seasoned
president encountered his third major crisis. Eagerly he opened the last
envelope, anticipating the advice that would provide the solution for his
troubles. Again he found a single sheet of paper, but this time it read,
"Prepare three envelopes." It was time for new leadership.
The familiar observation
that "timing is everything" surely overstates the point, but timing is
vital. We read in Ecclesiastes:
To every
thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck
up that which is planted; . . .
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; .
. .
[A] time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; . . .
[A] time to keep silence, and a time to speak. [Ecclesiastes 3:1--2,
4--5, 7]
In all the
important decisions in our lives, what is most important is to do the right
thing. Second, and only slightly behind the first, is to do the right
thing at the right time. People who do the right thing at the wrong time
can be frustrated and ineffective. They can even be confused about whether they
made the right choice when what was wrong was not their choice but their
timing.
I. The Lord's Timing
My first point on the
subject of timing is that the Lord has His own timetable. "My words are
sure and shall not fail," the Lord taught the early elders of this
dispensation. "But," He continued, "all things must come to pass
in their time" (D&C 64:31--32).
The first principle of the
gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith means trust--trust in God's
will, trust in His way of doing things, and trust in His timetable. We should
not try to impose our timetable on His. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell has said:
The issue for us is
trusting God enough to trust also His timing. If we can truly believe He has
our welfare at heart, may we not let His plans unfold as He thinks best? The
same is true with the second coming and with all those matters wherein our
faith needs to include faith in the Lord's timing for us personally, not just
in His overall plans and purposes. [Even As I Am (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1982),
93]
More recently, during last
April conference, Elder Maxwell said: "Since faith in the timing of the
Lord may be tried, let us learn to say not only, 'Thy will be done,' but
patiently also, 'Thy timing be done'" (CR, April 2001, 76; or
"Plow in Hope,"Ensign, May 2001, 59).
Indeed, we cannot have true
faith in the Lord without also having complete trust in the Lord's will and in
the Lord's timing.
Among the persons who violate
this principle are those who advocate euthanasia. They are trying to take an
essential matter that we understand to be determined only by God and accelerate
its occurrence according to their own will or preference.
In our service in the Lord's
church we should remember that when is just as important as who,
what, where, and how.
For a vivid illustration of
the importance of timing we can look to the earthly ministry of the Lord and
His succeeding instructions to His Apostles. During His lifetime the Lord
instructed the Twelve Apostles not to preach to the Gentiles but "rather
to the lost sheep of the house of
As this example shows,
continuing revelation is the means by which the Lord administers His timing. We
need that revelatory direction. For example, many of us or our descendants will
doubtless participate in the fulfillment of prophecies about the building of
the city of
We prepare in the way the
Lord has directed. We hold ourselves in readiness to act on the Lord's timing.
He will tell us when the time is right to take the next step. For now, we
simply concentrate on our own assignments and on what we have been asked to do
today. In this we are also mindful of the Lord's assurance: "I will hasten
my work in its time" (D&C 88:73).
People who do not accept
continuing revelation sometimes get into trouble by doing things too soon or
too late or too long. The practice of polygamy is an example.
The importance of the Lord's
timing is also evident in His dietary laws. The Lord gave one dietary direction
to ancient
The Lord's timing also
applies to the important events of our personal lives. A great scripture in the
Doctrine and Covenants declares that a particular spiritual experience will come
to us "in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own
will" (D&C 88:68). This principle applies to revelation (see Oaks,
"Teaching and Learning by the Spirit," Ensign, March 1997, 11)
and to all of the most important events in our lives: birth, marriage, death,
and even our moves from place to place.
Here is an example from the
life of a prominent pioneer ancestor of many in this audience. Anson Call was
in the initial exodus from Nauvoo. He and his family crossed
After traveling more than
130 miles through what is now
What is the meaning of this
pioneer experience? It is not enough that we are under call, or even that we
are going in the right direction. The timing must be right, and if the time is
not right, our actions should be adjusted to the Lord's timetable as revealed
by His servants.
The Lord's timing is often
revealed in this way. Several years ago President Hinckley announced the
construction of a large number of new temples, essentially doubling the number
of operating temples of the Church from about 50 to about 100 in just a few years.
Having additional temples has always been the direction to go, but until the
prophet of the Lord signaled this as a major initiative, no one could have
properly urged such a sudden and dramatic increase for the Church and its
people. Only the Lord's prophet could move the whole Church west. Only the
Lord's prophet could signal the Church to double its operating temples in just
a few years.
In my conference talk last
October I gave another illustration--the importance of following the Lord's
timing with those we try to interest in hearing the gospel message. Proclaiming
the gospel is His work, not ours, and therefore it must be done on His timing,
not ours. There are nations in the world today that must hear the gospel before
the Lord will come again. We know this, but we cannot force it. We must wait
upon the Lord's timing. He will tell us, and He will open the doors or bring
down the walls when the time is right. We should pray for the Lord's help and
directions so that we can be instruments in His hands to proclaim the gospel to
nations and persons who are now ready--persons He would have us help today. The
Lord loves all of His children, and He desires that all have the fulness of His
truth and the abundance of His blessings. He knows when groups or individuals
are ready, and He wants us to hear and heed His timetable for sharing His
gospel with them.
II. The Agency of Others
The achievement of some
important goals in our lives is subject to more than the timing of the Lord.
Some personal achievements are also subject to the agency of others. This is
particularly evident in two matters of special importance to young people of
college age--missionary baptisms and marriage.
Last summer Sister Oaks and
I were in
I reminded the missionaries
that some of our most important plans cannot be brought to pass without the
agency and actions of others. A missionary cannot baptize five persons this
month without the agency and action of five other persons. A missionary can
plan and work and do all within his or her power, but the desired result will
depend upon the additional agency and action of others. Consequently a
missionary's goals ought to be based upon the missionary's personal agency and
action, not upon the agency or action of others.
But this is not the time to
elaborate on what I told the missionaries about goals. Instead I will share
some other applications of the principle of timing, giving illustrations from
our personal lives.
III. Applications to Our
Lives
Someone has said that life
is what happens to us while we are making other plans. Because of things over
which we have no control, we cannot plan and bring to pass everything we desire
in our lives. Many important things will occur in our lives that we have not
planned, and not all of them will be welcome. The tragic events of September
11th and their revolutionary consequences provide an obvious example. Even our
most righteous desires may elude us, or come in different ways or at different
times than we have sought to plan.
For example, we cannot be
sure that we will marry as soon as we desire. A marriage that is timely in our
view may be our blessing or it may not. My wife Kristen is an example. She did
not marry until many years after her mission and her graduation. Older singles
have some interesting experiences. While she was at her sister's place to
celebrate her fiftieth birthday, her sister's husband shared something he had
just read in a newspaper. "Kristen," he said, "now that you are
a single woman over 50, your chances of marrying are not as good as your
chances of being killed by a terrorist."
The timing of marriage is
perhaps the best example of an extremely important event in our lives that is
almost impossible to plan. Like other important mortal events that depend on
the agency of others or the will and timing of the Lord, marriage cannot be
anticipated or planned with certainty. We can and should work for and pray for
our righteous desires, but, despite this, many will remain single well beyond
their desired time for marriage.
So what should be done in
the meantime? Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ prepares us for whatever life
brings. This kind of faith prepares us to deal with life's opportunities--to
take advantage of those that are received and to persist through the
disappointments of those that are lost. In the exercise of that faith we should
commit ourselves to the priorities and standards we will follow on matters we
do not control and persist faithfully in those commitments whatever happens to
us because of the agency of others or the timing of the Lord. When we do this,
we will have a constancy in our lives that will give us direction and peace.
Whatever the circumstances beyond our control, our commitments and standards
can be constant.
Sometimes our commitments
will surface at unexpected times and be applied in unexpected circumstances.
Sometimes the principles we have taught to others come back to guide our own
actions when we think we don't need them anymore. A personal experience
illustrates this reality. Most Latter-day Saint parents know the importance of
giving their children reminders as they go out on a date. I did this with our
children, and I think they heeded my counsel. During the time I was getting
acquainted with Kristen, when I left the house to meet her, one of my children
said to me with a twinkle in the eye: "Now Dad, remember who you
are!"
The commitments and service
of adult singles can anchor them through the difficult years of waiting for the
right time and the right person. Their commitments and service can also inspire
and strengthen others. The poet John Greenleaf Whittier wrote of this in his
wonderful poem "Snow-Bound," which contains this description of a
dear aunt who never married:
The
sweetest woman ever Fate
Perverse denied a household mate,
Who, lonely, homeless, not the less
Found peace in love's unselfishness,
And welcome whereso'er she went,
A calm and gracious element.
[John
Greenleaf Whittier, "Snow-Bound: A Winter Idyl," in Snow-Bound:
Among the Hills: Songs of Labor: and Other Poems (Boston; New York:
Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1898), lines 352--57]
Wise are those who make this
commitment: I will put the Lord first in my life and I will keep His
commandments. The performance of that commitment is within everyone's
control. We can fulfill that commitment without regard to what others decide to
do, and that commitment will anchor us no matter what timing the Lord directs
for the most important events in our lives.
Do you see the difference
between committing to what you will do, in contrast to trying to plan
that you will be married by the time you graduate or that you will earn at
least X amount of dollars on your first job?
If we have faith in God and
if we are committed to the fundamentals of keeping His commandments and putting
Him first in our lives, we do not need to plan every single event--even every
important event--and we should not feel rejected or depressed if some
things--even some very important things--do not happen at the time we had
planned or hoped or prayed.
Commit yourself to put the
Lord first in your life, keep His commandments, and do what the Lord's servants
ask you to do. Then your feet are on the pathway to eternal life. Then it does
not matter whether you are called to be a bishop or a Relief Society president,
whether you are married or single, or whether you die tomorrow. You do not know
what will happen. Do your best on what is fundamental and personal and then
trust in the Lord and His timing.
Life has some strange turns.
I will share some personal experiences that illustrate this.
When I was a young man I
thought I would serve a mission. I graduated from high school in June 1950.
Thousands of miles away, one week after that high school graduation, a North
Korean army crossed the 38th parallel, and our country was at war. I was 17
years old, but as a member of the Utah National Guard I was soon under orders
to prepare for mobilization and active service. Suddenly, for me and for many other
young men of my generation, the full-time mission we had planned or assumed was
not to be.
Another example: After I
served as president of BYU for nine years, I was released. A few months later
the governor of the state of
I had my 69th birthday last
summer and was vividly reminded of that important plan. If things had gone as
we planned, I would now be submitting papers to serve a mission with my wife
June.
Four years after we made
that plan I was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles--something we never
dreamed would happen. Realizing then that the Lord had different plans and
different timing than we had assumed, I resigned as a justice of the Supreme
Court. But this was not the end of the important differences. When I was 66, my
wife June died of cancer. Two years later--a year and a half ago--I married
Kristen McMain, the eternal companion who now stands at my side.
How fundamentally different
my life is than I had sought to plan! My professional life has changed. My
personal life has changed. But the commitment I made to the Lord--to put Him
first in my life and to be ready for whatever He would have me do--has carried
me through these changes of eternal importance.
Faith and trust in the Lord
give us the strength to accept and persist, whatever happens in our lives. I
did not know why I received a "no" answer to my prayers for the
recovery of my wife of many years, but the Lord gave me a witness that this was
His will, and He gave me the strength to accept it. Two years after her death,
I met this wonderful woman who is now my wife for eternity. And I know that
this also was the will of the Lord.
I return to the subject with
which I began. Do not rely on planning every event of your life--even every
important event. Stand ready to accept the Lord's planning and the agency of
others in matters that inevitably affect you. Plan, of course, but fix your
planning on personal commitments that will carry you through no matter what
happens. Anchor your life to eternal principles, and act upon those principles
whatever the circumstances and whatever the actions of others. Then you can
await the Lord's timing and be sure of the outcome in eternity.
The most important principle
of timing is to take the long view. Mortality is just a small slice of
eternity, but how we conduct ourselves here--what we become by our actions and
desires, confirmed by our covenants and the ordinances administered to us by
proper authority--will shape our destiny for all eternity. As the prophet
Amulek taught, "This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God"
(
Why waste your time, your
talents, your means, your influence in following something that will perish and
pass away, when you could devote yourselves to a thing that will stand forever?
For this Church and kingdom, to which you belong, will abide and continue in
time, in eternity, while endless ages roll along, and you with it will become
mightier and more powerful; while the things of this world will pass away and
perish, and will not abide in nor after the resurrection, saith the Lord our
God. [CR,
June 1919, 37]
I pray that each of us will
hear and heed the word of the Lord on how to conduct ourselves in mortality and
set our standards and make our commitments so that we can be in harmony and in
tune with the timing of our Father in Heaven. I testify of Jesus Christ, our
Savior, whose Church this is, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Persecution will come in
our time in 2 ways:
1.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God
2.
Traditional Family
Structure and Values
Keep parables in context,
don’t stretch the meaning!
Luke
Parable of the Pounds
(Luke 19:11-28; JST Luke 19:11, 14, 17, 23-25)
Jesus has set his face like flint to
go to
This, however, is not what all
And so now we find Jesus and his
party, and a great host of Passover pilgrims, plodding onward from
A certain nobleman went into a far
country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten
servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I
come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a messenger after him, saying, We
will not have this man to reign over us.
This is a story that friends and foes
alike will ponder in their hearts. Hearing it, they will recall the numerous
"noblemen" who left
And it came to pass, that when he was
returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be
called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much
every man had gained by trading.
Then came the first, saying, Lord,
thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well done, thou good
servant; because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority
over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord thy pound hath gained five
pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
And another came, saying, Lord,
behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared
thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not
down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth
will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man,
taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then
gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have received
mine own with usury?
And he said unto them who stood by, Take from
him the pound, and give it to him who hath ten pounds.
Each servant has a like endowment and
a like responsibility. It is with the elders and seventies as it is with the
apostles. Each receives the Holy Priesthood; each is called to minister for the
salvation of men; each takes upon himself the covenant and rejoices in the oath
of the priesthood; and each has power to work out his own salvation and gain
eternal reward if true and faithful in all things. As it turns out, the
respective labors of each determine his kingdom and dominion in the day of his
Lord's return. The power to work in the kingdom here becomes the power to rule
in the kingdom hereafter. As to the slothful servant, who did no labor here, he
enjoys no dominion hereafter. His pound is given to the one who can make the
best use of it—it shall go "to him that hath ten pounds." Such is the
surprise of his hearers at this decision that they interrupt Jesus to say,
"Lord, he hath ten pounds." Our Lord's response is:
For I say unto you, That unto every
one who occupieth, shall be given; and from him who occupieth not, even that he
hath received shall be taken away from him.
Service is essential to salvation!
Labor in the vineyard or be damned. Those who receive the Holy Priesthood must
magnify their callings; they must use the priesthood to teach the gospel, to
perform ordinances, and to work miracles, as Jesus did; otherwise they have no
reward.
But those mine enemies, which would
not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
Jesus' enemies—worldly people; those
who do not heed the voice of his servants; those who reject him and his gospel;
those who will not have him to rule over them—they shall be slain at his
coming. "And the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the
Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the
prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people." (D&C
1:14.) It shall be "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with
his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God,
and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory
of his power." (2 Thes. 1:7-9.)
Such is the eternal intent; such is
the long-term meaning of the parable. But for that generation of Jews there was
to be an immediate application of the curse pronounced upon those who would not
have him to rule over them; who proclaimed, "We have no king but
Caesar"; who said, "Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he
said, I am King of the Jews"; who after he ascended into heaven continued
to exhibit violent hostility against the infant Church—upon that generation of
Jews the curse was to fall with unslaked fury. True, "The parable was one
of many-sided application; it indicated His near departure from the world; the
hatred which should reject Him; the duty of faithfulness in the use of all that
He entrusted to them; the uncertainty of His return; the certainty that, when
He did return, there would be a solemn account; the condemnation of the
slothful; the splendid reward of all who should serve Him well; the utter
destruction of those who endeavoured to reject His power." (Farrar, p.
525.)
"But as regards His 'enemies,'
that would not have Him reign over them—manifestly, Jerusalem and the people of
Israel—who, even after he had gone to receive the Kingdom, continued the
personal hostility of their 'We will not that this One shall reign over us'—the
ashes of the Temple, the ruins of the City, the blood of the fathers, and the
homeless wanderings of their children, with the Cain-curse branded on their
brow and visible to all men, attest, that the King has many ministers to
execute that judgment which obstinate rebellion must surely bring, if His
authority is to be vindicated, and His Rule to secure submission."
(Edersheim 2:467.)
"And when he"—the Nobleman
who will reign as King in a future day—"had thus spoken," Luke tells
us, "he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem," allowing his hearers
to ponder and marvel at the gracious words they had heard.
Footnotes
1. As I have written elsewhere with
reference to the statement that a position on his right hand or on his left was
not his to give: "Certainly it is Christ's to give, for he has all power
(Matt. 28:18) and all judgment is committed to the Son. (John 5:22.) Rather:
'It is not mine to give as a matter of favoritism; it can be given only in accordance
with justice. To sit on my right hand or on my left is not mine to give, except
to them for whom it is prepared according to the Father's will, and the Father
and I are one.'" (Commentary 1:566.)
(Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal
Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary, 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book
Co., 1979-1981], 3: 321.)
Acts 1-5
Physical Resurrection
Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost
July 30, 2003
I was late for class because we went
to Camille’s wedding reception
Bruce was discussing the Apostolic
Fathers when I came in, he mentioned Clement of Alexandria, Polycarp, and
Origen as great teachers who tried to teach true doctrine as best they could,
without having revelation and priesthood authority. The Catholic Church excommunicated Origen 200
years AFTER his death for heresy in teaching (to them) false doctrine.
He also discussed C. Wilford Griggs thoughts
on the validity of the book: Secret Gospel of Mark, he believed it to be
genuine. Bruce took a class by him while
teaching at BYU.
One of the most interesting of these
new documents was discovered several decades ago by Professor Morton Smith. fn
The document is a fragment of a letter of Clement of Alexandria who lived from
about A.D. 150-213 and who is generally considered an "orthodox"
Christian. In this letter Clement quotes a fascinating passage from a
previously unknown work he calls the Secret Gospel of Mark. Although
nothing is known for certain about the date, authorship, or provenance of this Secret
Gospel of Mark, the following is a summary of the current evidence and
scholarly hypotheses:
Author: Clement claims the document was
written by Mark the Evangelist. Most modern scholars feel that the document is
an early second-century pseudepigraphic gospel. fn
Date: For the Secret Gospel of Mark
to have been quoted by Clement, it must have been in existence by at least A.D.
150. Morton Smith provides convincing evidence that it probably dates to the
late first or early second century, an hypothesis that is generally accepted
today. fn If it was actually written by Mark, it could not have been written
much later than about A.D. 80. It is important to note that many scholars
believe that they can establish that the canonical Gospel of Mark was
literarily dependent on, and therefore written after, the Secret Gospel of
Mark. fn Hans-Martin Schenke believes that "this apocryphal version of
Mark from Alexandria would by no means have been an enlargement of our Second
Gospel; rather, our Gospel [of Mark] would have been a purified abridgement of
the Alexandrian apocryphon," and may represent an old tradition which
"reflect[s] a historical event." fn John Crossan agrees that the Secret
Gospel of Mark "is independent of [the Gospels of] John . . . [and] of
Mark. . . . Dependence, in fact, is in the opposite direction, from Secret Mark
to John and Mark." fn In other words, there is good evidence that the
material in the Secret Gospel of Mark represents Christian ideas from
the first century A.D.
Provenance: Clement says that the document was written
in
In summary, the Secret Gospel of
Mark is an Egyptian Christian document of uncertain authorship, written
sometime in the late first or early second centuries A.D.
The following passage is part of the
only extant fragment from the Secret Gospel of Mark, which tells the
story of what happened to Lazarus after he was raised from the dead by Jesus:
And they [Jesus and the Apostles]
come into
This passage provides us a very clear
description of Jesus performing a secret initiation ritual called the
"Mystery of the
A. There was a period of six days of
preparation, with the initiation taking place on the seventh day. This waiting
period may be coincidental, but in its ancient setting probably represents a
period of some type of ritual purification. fn
B. The "Mystery of the
C. Instruction in the "Mystery
of the
D. The "Mystery of the
2. This ritual system was
transmitted through Peter to Mark the Evangelist, who brought the ritual system
to
As for Mark, during Peter's stay in
Rome he wrote [an account of] the Lord's doings, not, however, declaring all
[of them], nor yet hinting at the secret [ones], but selecting those he thought
most useful for increasing the faith of those who were being instructed. But
when Peter died as a martyr, Mark came over to
This fascinating passage implies the
following:
A. Clement believed that Jesus taught
secret teachings which were not recorded in the New Testament. fn
B. There existed a document in
C. In addition to the written
teachings in Mark's Secret Gospel, there were other secret oral
teachings known to Clement as the "Hierophantic Teaching of the
Lord."
D. These most secret oral teachings
were only for "those who are being initiated into the Great
Mysteries," which were somehow related to an "innermost sanctuary . .
. hidden by seven [veils]."
Thus, if Clement's report is
accurate, by at least A.D. 180 in
The discovery of this new letter by
Clement has now clearly shown that Clement did not see these mysteries in an
allegorical sense as has often been previously assumed, but had in mind actual
secret initiation rituals which he believed to have been instituted by
Christ himself.
Schenke also sees the importance of
this new evidence of early secret Christian initiation rituals:
How may it be explained that in
(John M. Lundquist and Stephen D.
Ricks, eds., By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley
on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday, 27 March 1990, 2 vols. [Salt Lake
City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon
Studies, 1990], 1: 205.)
It is an interesting exercise to read
some of the early Christian literature.
We are very unique in the Christian
world for our teachings, yet as Luke states in Acts 1:30, we are supposed to
teach things pertaining to the
Bruce briefly told of W.W. Phelps as
a newspaper editor in NY and his anti-Mason views, how the Book of Mormon
converted him.
"UNTO ALL NATIONS"
(Acts)
ROBERT J. MATTHEWS
The book of Acts covers a period of
about thirty years and is a continuation of the Gospel of Luke. It is a sequel
to the Gospels and was written by Luke to tell what the leaders of the Church
did after Jesus' ascension into heaven, especially in missionary work among the
Gentiles. (Acts 1:1-2.) Luke was a Gentile and was the natural one to write
about missionary work among the Gentiles because he was there when it all
began.
Acts is a dramatic and moving story
about how the early church taught the gospel of Jesus Christ first to the Jews,
next to the Samaritans, and then to the Gentiles. Considerable preparation,
conditioning, and struggling were required of many Jewish members of the church
before they were willing to accept Gentiles by virtue of the gospel without the
law of Moses. Many Jewish Christians vigorously insisted that a Gentile had to
become a Jew before he could become a Christian. The whole matter of gentile
converts had to be dealt with not only in terms of doctrine but also in terms
of culture and emotion.
Acts and the writings of Paul are
firsthand accounts of how this was done gradually, a half step at a time,
within the framework of the established authority of the priesthood and the
administration of the church. We also get an insight into the cultural and
emotional resistance that had to be overcome within the church in order for the
gospel of Jesus Christ to be extended to the Gentiles, specifically to the
Greeks and the Romans. The word gentiles means "the nations, and
eventually came to be used to mean all those not of the house of
Since Luke had a specific purpose in
writing about missionary work, he did not give an account of all of the Twelve,
but he selected those things basic and necessary to the development of his
particular theme. Thus, Acts 1 through 8 tells about calling a new member to
the Quorum of the Twelve, extensive conversion among the Jews, appointing seven
men to administer welfare activities, taking the gospel to the Samaritans and
others, and the preaching of Peter and John. These early chapters are
interesting by themselves, but they are especially important as a foundation
for understanding properly the middle chapters (Acts 9-15), which deal
primarily with the conversion of Paul and the entry of Gentiles into the Church,
and the later chapters (Acts 16-28), which give an account of Paul's work as
the Apostle of the Gentiles. The major portion of Acts deals with Paul and his
travels and does not equally represent the labors of the original Twelve. Luke
was writing, not a general church history, but a recitation of how the gospel
was made available to the Gentiles. The Acts of the Apostles is not the title
given to the work by Luke himself and is not an accurate description of the
contents. The earliest manuscripts do not bear this title; the book was
originally called simply Acts.
Some casually think of the book of
Acts as history and of the Epistles as doctrine, but this classification is too
simplistic. All of the books are rich in both history and doctrine: there is
much doctrine in Acts and much history in the Epistles. These writings
demonstrate the diligent efforts of the church leaders in proclaiming the
gospel of Jesus Christ to both Jew and Gentile. The brethren were determined
and enthusiastic, alive with the spirit of missionary work and the testimony of
Jesus. They knew they had the most important message in the world for their
day, and they proceeded to give it.
Jesus' Forty-day Ministry
During the forty-day period following
his resurrection, the Savior visited frequently with the Twelve, "speaking
of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3) and giving
instructions concerning their ministry to "the uttermost part of the
earth" (Acts 1:8), which they were to accomplish after receiving the Holy
Ghost.
It is probable that during this
forty-day period the church was organized into quorums and various offices. The
four Gospels contain no reference to a complex church organization during
Jesus' mortal ministry and tell only of a Quorum of the Twelve (Luke 6:12-16)
and the seventy (Luke 10:1-17). A similar situation is seen with the church in
this dispensation, in which the offices of bishop, seventy, patriarch, Quorum
of the Twelve, and First Presidency were added years after the original organization.
Increased Missionary Effort
When the Twelve were sent on missions
during the ministry of Jesus, they were instructed to go only to the people of
When Matthias was appointed to fill
the vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve created by the death of Judas Iscariot,
Peter explained that the office of apostle is to be a special witness for the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. This responsibility is conspicuous in the
subsequent preaching of the Brethren. (See Acts 1:21-22; 2:32; 3:15; 4:33;
5:29-32.) Within a few months, thousands were brought into the church, notably
on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41, 47) and in similar conversions through the
preaching of the gospel by the Twelve (Acts 4:4; 6:7). Peter, who had been
given the keys of the presidency, took the lead in all of these events. He
indicated that most, if not all, of the Twelve had earlier been followers of
John the Baptist. (Acts 1:21-22.) This discipleship is consistent with John's
mission to prepare a people for Christ. It would be good economy for John to
begin the preparation of those who would later become the Twelve by teaching
them their first lessons in the gospel.
Although the membership of the Church
was almost completely of Jewish lineage at the time of these early events, it
is evident that a number of people of Gentile lineage soon came into the church.
For example, the people who had gathered at
When the Holy Ghost came upon the
Twelve on the day of Pentecost, they spoke with new tongues. But even more
significant, the Holy Ghost caused a great change in their hearts. This change
is especially noticeable in Peter because we have more information about his
activities than about the activities of the other members of the original
Twelve. On the night prior to Jesus' crucifixion, Peter is characterized as
fearful and hesitant. (John 18:15-27.) But after the day of Pentecost he is
bold and forthright, not fearing the Jewish council, imprisonment, or death.
(Acts 2-4.) This change can be attributed to the effect of the Holy Ghost,
which purifies, emboldens, strengthens, comforts, and in every way prepares a
servant of the Lord for the work that is required of him. He is born again.
Although many scriptures illustrate
Peter's forthright witness of Jesus, perhaps the best known is his testimony
before the Jewish Sanhedrin, when he was arrested for healing a lame man and
for preaching the resurrection of the dead through Jesus. (Acts 4:8-12.) This
witness was an official testimony of Peter and John to the highest Jewish
court. Other aspects of Peter's testimony of Jesus include a strong emphasis
that (1) Jesus is the Son of God, (2) he has been raised from the grave (Acts
2:24, 31-36; 3:13-15), (3) he was heir to the throne of David (Acts 2:29-32),
(4) he was the prophet spoken of by Moses (Acts 3:20-24), and (5) God had made
him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36; 5:29-32; 10:38-42).
The Administrative Organization Is Enlarged
As church membership increased, it
became necessary to increase the number of administrative offices. One of these
offices was established because of a problem in the distribution of food and
clothing to the Grecian widows. (A Grecian was not a Greek but a Jew who spoke
Greek. These Grecians were generally Jews of the Diaspora and were not
indigenous to
Because seven men were appointed,
some have wondered if their office is analogous to that of the seven Presidents
of the First Quorum of the Seventy in the church today. This analogy appears
unlikely since the seven were especially appointed to serve tables, whereas the
calling of a seventy is to preach the gospel. It is probably only coincidental
that this group consisted of seven men. At this point many editions of the
Bible contain a heading identifying these seven men as deacons. This heading is
an interpretation by the editors and translators and is not part of the biblical
text itself. The English word deacon, however, comes from the Greek diakonos,
meaning a servant or an assistant. Although these seven men were assistants,
their calling should not be equated with the ordained office of deacon in the
Aaronic Priesthood.
Luke does not give us an account of
the work of these seven men in their assignment to serve tables. He does,
however, follow the activities of two of the seven, Stephen and Philip, in
preaching the gospel to nonmembers. It might be that Stephen and Philip were
called to do missionary work in addition to the welfare assignment, or they may
simply have been reassigned. In the church today, most calls to service are
temporary, and a person is likely to serve in several different callings in the
period of a few years. Thus, a man who was once Presiding Bishop might later
become a member of the Twelve; one serving as a bishop might be called as a
stake president. Nothing suggests that the seven men who were called and set
apart to assist in the daily ministration of food were to remain in that
capacity for the remainder of their lives. Had Stephen and Philip remained in
their original callings, we might have heard nothing further of them since it
was their preaching activities that caused Luke to provide a detailed account
about them.
The Preaching of Stephen
Stephen is described as "a man
full of faith and of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 6:5) and "full of faith
and power" (Acts 6:8). He performed miracles, and his hearers "were
not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake." (Acts
6:10.) He was taken before the Sanhedrin and was accused of having said that
"Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place [
Under the law of Moses, stoning was
the prescribed punishment for blasphemy. (Leviticus 24:11-16; Acts 6:11-13.)
Stephen was stoned, not for his preaching, nor even for his scolding of the
people, but for saying he had had a vision of the Father and the Son. He was
stoned for proclaiming that he had received revelation. Stephen foreshadowed
the work of Paul and is the earliest person mentioned in the New Testament to
imply that the law of Moses was fulfilled and that its rites and customs should
come to an end.
The Preaching of Philip
Luke states that at the same time as the
death of Stephen there was a great persecution of Christians throughout Judea
and
Philip went to
Philip's activities represented a new
dimension in the missionary work because the gospel was now being deliberately
taken to other people—people who already had the law of Moses. Up to now,
non-Jews were taught incidentally as part of the mission to the Jews; but now
missionary work was being done overtly among non-Jewish people, fulfilling the
second step of missionary work outlined in Acts 1:8.
The mission to the Samaritans, the
offspring of Israelites intermarried with other people, was also a new
dimension in the missionary outreach, for the Samaritans were a people who were
partly of
The distinction between the powers of
the Aaronic and the Melchizedek priesthoods is illustrated in Philip's
preaching and baptizing at
The Conversion of Saul of
Saul was born in
As a young man Saul persecuted the
Christians from city to city and observed the stoning of Stephen at
Saul was later healed of his
blindness and baptized by Ananias, a disciple at
Three years after his conversion,
Saul went to
Because some in
There is a discrepancy in the reports
of Saul's vision on the road to
Ananias was probably the presiding
officer of the church in
Though Saul had seen and talked with
the glorified, resurrected Jesus and had been healed of his physical blindness
by a servant of the Lord, he still had to be baptized of water for the
remission of sins to remedy his spiritual blindness. This ordinance is required
of all, no matter how many other spiritual experiences and manifestations they
may have had. (See Acts 9:17-19; 22:12-16.)
Ananias was reluctant to go to Saul,
even though the Lord had asked him to. But the Lord could see what Ananias
could not: Saul's potential for future service. (Acts 9:13-16; cf. 1 Sam. 16:7.)
The Lord could see what Saul was capable of becoming. Men and women are called
to the service of the Lord, not as a reward for what they have already done,
but for what they are able to do in the future if given the proper opportunity.
The Lord said that Saul was a chosen vessel and would yet suffer much for the
sake of Jesus. (Acts 9:10-16.) Saul was suited by temperament, training,
lineage, and experience to serve the Lord at a time when the church was about
to reach out to the Gentile world. He was a Jew by lineage, trained as a
Pharisee, learned and strict in the law of Moses and the traditions of his
fathers, a Roman citizen politically, acquainted with the ways of the Greeks,
reared in the Gentile city of Tarsus, and skilled in both the Hebrew and Greek
languages. Above all, he had a determined, dedicated soul. His greatest asset
was a capacity to love both man and God. For the thirty years remaining to him,
he gave the Lord his complete devotion.
The Prophet Joseph Smith described
Saul as being "about five feet high; very dark hair; dark complexion; dark
skin; large Roman nose; sharp face; small black eyes, penetrating as eternity;
round shoulders; a whining voice, except when elevated, and then it almost
resembled the roaring of a lion. He was a good orator, active and diligent,
always employing himself in doing good to his fellow man." fn
Cornelius—Another New Dimension
Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian
band, was a devout, God-fearing man with a good reputation among the Jews; but
he was not a proselyte to Judaism. That is, he had not been circumcised. While
fasting and praying, Cornelius was visited by an angel who told him to send for
Peter, who would tell him what he should do. Cornelius was living in the
seacoast town of
Cornelius sent messengers to contact
Peter, who, hearing of the situation and being instructed by the Spirit,
started for
When Peter returned to
It was noted earlier that there were
persons of Gentile lineage in the church as early as the day of Pentecost,
several years before the conversion of Cornelius. What makes Cornelius and his
household unique is that the earlier Gentiles were all proselytes to
Judaism; Cornelius and his group were apparently the first nonproselytes and
uncircumcised Gentiles to be baptized into the church.
Opening the door of the gospel to the
Gentiles was another new dimension of missionary activity and the third step
outlined in Acts 1:8. All previous conversions were of persons who held to the
law of Moses and practiced circumcision. Even Paul's dramatic entrance into the
church did not entail a new type of procedure, but Cornelius's entry signified
a new day. It is important that it was Peter, the presiding officer of the
church holding the keys of the kingdom, who began the proselytizing effort
among the Gentiles. Only through the President of the Church does the Lord make
such changes as the one involving Cornelius.
There is another significant feature
of priesthood procedure in the account of Cornelius's conversion. The angel did
not preach the gospel to Cornelius but directed him to Peter. The angel had
sufficient knowledge, but it was not his calling to preach among mortals at
that time. Peter was the living mortal administrator with the commission to
take the gospel to men on the earth.
A similar circumstance is seen with
the Lord's visit to Saul on the road to
Many have supposed that Cornelius was
an exception to the order of heaven—that he received the gift of the Holy Ghost
before baptism, whereas all others had to wait until after baptism. The wording
of Acts 10:45 leads to this misconception. The Prophet Joseph Smith said
Cornelius was not an exception and did not receive the gift of the Holy Ghost
until after his baptism. fn
Activity at
Although Peter had opened the door
for the Gentiles to come into the Church, missionary work proceeded slowly
among them at first. Many Christians went forth throughout the cities of
There is a faulty translation in the
King James Version of Acts 11:20. The text states that the missionaries at
Barnabas was probably selected for
the assignment at
Paul's First Missionary Journey
Saul and Barnabas stayed at
When Barnabas and Saul returned to
The missionaries then visited the
cities in reverse order and returned to Antioch of Syria. The mission had
lasted perhaps a year, and the brethren had traveled over fourteen hundred
miles—a small thing in our day, but a considerable accomplishment by sailboat
and by foot through rough terrain. The probable date of the journey is A.D.
47-48.
There were two notable personal
developments for Saul on this journey. The first is that while in
On their first visit to each place,
the missionaries preached and baptized. On the return journey, they
"ordained elders in every church." (Acts 14:23.) These actions give a
clue to missionary procedure and show that the church was organized with local
priesthood leaders.
The Council at
The rapid influx of Gentile converts
to Christianity in
The action of the
The decision of the
The Nephites in
This imperviousness happened in other
matters also. When the Lord tried to tell the Jews of his other sheep, they
were not receptive and therefore were denied the understanding they might have
had. The receptive Nephites gained the understanding. (See 3 Ne. 15:16-24; 16:4.)
Since circumcision was originally the token of the covenant that God made with
Abraham, the Jews of New Testament times looked upon it as the badge of their
faith. Failing to understand that the token, but not the covenant, was done
away in Christ, they doggedly pursued the old custom and missed the spiritual
advancement they could have had by listening to Jesus, Peter, Paul, and the
others.
From Paul's epistle to the Galatians,
we learn interesting historical facts about the
Although Paul was opposed to
circumcision as essential for salvation and he emphatically declared that it
was not needful for Titus to be circumcised (Gal. 2:1-3), soon after the
Jerusalem council Paul circumcised the young Timothy before taking him as a
companion on the second mission (Acts 16:1-3). This action provides an insight
into Paul's thinking. He saw a difference between necessity and convenience.
With Titus, the question was whether or not circumcision was essential for
salvation; thus, Paul opposed it. With Timothy it was a matter of rendering him
acceptable to the non-Christian Jews where he would do missionary work. Paul
was willing to allow circumcision as a concession, but not as a requirement, so
that the Jews would be willing to listen to Timothy teach the gospel. This
distinction reveals something of Paul's mind and method.
Paul's Travels among the Cities of the Empire
The
The chief areas of Paul's missionary
activity throughout the Empire include visits to large centers of population,
such as
Paul's three major missionary
journeys and his trip to
1. First Missionary Journey.
(Acts 13-14.) He began and ended at Antioch of Syria, traveling approximately
fourteen hundred miles, probably in A.D. 47-48.
2. Second Missionary Journey.
(Acts 15:36-18:22.) He began and ended at Antioch of Syria, traveling a
distance of approximately three thousand miles, probably in A.D. 51-53.
3. Third Missionary Journey.
(Acts 18:23-21:15.) He began at Antioch of Syria and ended at
4. Journey to
5. The Contemplated Journey from
At
After his third missionary journey,
Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin in
When the Roman governor Festus was
unable to ascertain what charges the Jews brought against Paul, he imprisoned
him at
The book of Acts closes with Paul in
custody in
Summary
Acts is a stirring recitation of
major missionary accomplishments first among the Jews, then among the
Samaritans, and finally among the Gentiles. It shows the role of the president
of the church in handling major changes in policy and church developments. Acts
chronicles the outreach of the church in half steps as the leaders testified of
the resurrection of Jesus, implemented the gospel, and struggled with the cultures,
prejudices, and weaknesses of the people. It shows that in spite of opposition,
the Lord had men he could depend on, men who dared to bring about his purposes
in an uncooperative and unfriendly world.
Notes
Robert J. Matthews is professor of
ancient scripture and dean of Religious Education at
Footnotes
1. Joseph Smith, Teachings of the
Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book, 1976), p. 336.
2. Ibid., p. 180.
3. Ibid., p. 265.
4. Ibid., p. 199.
(Robert L. Millet, ed., Studies in
Scripture, Vol. 6: Acts to Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co.,
1987], 24.)
Acts 2 – The Holy Ghost is found
throughout the book of Acts.
Pentecost - Fifty
days (Lev. 23: 16) after
the Feast of the Passover, the Feast of Pentecost was kept. During those 50
days the harvest of corn was being gathered in. It is called (Ex. 23: 16) “the feast of
harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours” and (Deut. 16: 10) “the feast of
weeks.” The feast lasted a single day, which was a day of holy convocation (Lev. 23: 21); and the
characteristic rite was the new meal offering, that is, two loaves of leavened
bread made of fine flour of new wheat. Special animal sacrifices were also made
(Lev. 23: 18) and freewill
offerings (Deut. 16: 10).
The festival was prolonged in later times, and huge numbers of Jews attended
it. Of this the narrative in Acts 2
is sufficient proof. It had the same evil reputation as the Feast of the
Passover for tumults and massacres. We have no record of the celebration of
this feast in the Old Testament.
BIBLE DICTIONARY
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
This book, as stated in
its opening words, is the second of a two-part work written to Theophilus. The
first part is known to us as the book of Luke. The early part of Acts records
some of the major missionary activities of the Twelve Apostles under the direction
of Peter during the time immediately following the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ. The last half of the book outlines some of the travels and
missionary work of Paul. It is evident that the book of Acts is not intended to
be a comprehensive history of the early Church, but is mainly a recitation of
the early missionary efforts and the important opening of missionary activity
to peoples other than the Jews. A brief outline of the book is foreshadowed by
Jesus’ words in Acts 1: 8,
“Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
1. “In
We are shown how on two critical occasions the Sanhedrin refused to accept the
testimony of the Brethren. The first occasion arose out of the arrest of Peter
and John for preaching in the temple after healing the lame man (Acts 3: 1 - 4: 4). The
second occasion was in consequence of the large number of converts coming into
the Church (ch. 5) and resulted in a formal rejection of the apostolic
doctrines (Acts 5: 17-42).
2. “In all Judaea and in
3. “Unto the uttermost part of the earth.” This portion also falls into three
phases. The first (Acts
9: 32 - 11: 26) contains the opening of the door for the worldwide
extension of the gospel. This was done by the baptism of Cornelius (Acts 10: 1 - 11: 18) at
Caesarea, and also the establishment of the Church in
Although the book of Acts tells us of the preaching of only a few of the
original members of the Twelve (namely Peter, James, and John) we conclude that
the other apostles were also actively bearing testimony of Jesus Christ and
establishing the Church in whatever lands they could reach. Perhaps they
visited in the areas east, north, and south of
Physical Resurrection was
taught throughout the book. We decide
what type of resurrection we will obtain, celestial, terrestrial or telestial
or outer darkness. The quality of an
individual’s resurrection is highly conditional.
For example, the ONLY way
to receive a celestial resurrection is to receive all of the ordinances for
salvation and keep those covenants.
BIBLE DICTIONARY
RESURRECTION
The resurrection consists
in the uniting of a spirit body with a body of flesh and bones, never again to
be divided. The resurrection shall come to all, because of Christ’s victory
over death. Jesus Christ was the first to be resurrected on this earth (Acts 26: 23; 1 Cor. 15: 23; Col. 1: 18; Rev. 1: 5; cf. Matt. 27: 52-54). Others
had been brought back from death, but were restored to mortality (Mark 5: 22-43; Luke 7: 11-17; John 11: 1-45), whereas a
resurrection means to become immortal, without blood, yet with a body of flesh
and bone.
All will not be raised to the same glory in the resurrection (1 Cor. 15: 39-42; D&C 76), nor will all come forth
at the same time (see 1 Cor.
15: 23; Alma 40: 8).
Christ was first; the righteous have precedence over the wicked, and come forth
in the first resurrection, whereas the unrepentant sinners come forth in the
last resurrection (cf. Rev.
20: 5-13).
The N.T. gives ample evidence that Jesus rose with his physical body: He ate
fish and honey (Luke 24:
42-43); he said he had flesh and bones (Luke 24: 39); the people
touched him (Luke 24:
39-40; John 20: 25-29);
the tomb was empty (Luke 24:
2-3; John 20: 1-10);
and the angels said he had risen (Mark 16: 1-6).
One of the most fundamental doctrines taught by the Twelve was that Jesus was
risen from the tomb, with his glorified, resurrected body, as in Acts 1: 21-22; Acts 2: 32; Acts 3: 15; Acts 4: 33. To obtain a
resurrection with a celestial, exalted body is the center point of hope in the
gospel of Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus is the most glorious of all
messages to mankind.
Latter-day revelation confirms the reality of the resurrection of Christ and of
all mankind, as in Alma
11: 41-45; Alma 40: 1-26;
3 Ne. 11; D&C 76; Moses 7: 62.
Bruce went into detail on
the various capacities we obtain depending on what kingdom we receive because
of our actions here on earth.
Bruce R. McConkie
Two great resurrections
await the inhabitants of the earth: one is the first resurrection, the
resurrection of life, the resurrection of the just; the other is the second
resurrection, the resurrection of damnation, the resurrection of the unjust.
(John 5:28-29; Rev. 20; D. & C. 76.) But even within these two separate
resurrections, there is an order in which the dead will come forth. Those being
resurrected with celestial bodies, whose destiny is to inherit a celestial
kingdom, will come forth in the morning of the first resurrection. Their graves
shall be opened and they shall be caught up to meet the Lord at his Second Coming.
They are Christ's, the firstfruits, and they shall descend with him to reign as
kings and priests during the millennial era. (D. & C. 29:13; 43:18;
76:50-70; 88:97-98; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:3-7.)
"And after this
another angel shall sound, which is the second trump; and then cometh the
redemption of those who are Christ's at his coming; who have received their
part in that prison which is prepared for them, that they might receive the
gospel, and be judged according to men in the flesh." (D. & C. 88:99.)
This is the afternoon of the first resurrection; it takes place after our Lord
has ushered in the millennium. Those coming forth at that time do so with
terrestrial bodies and are thus destined to inherit a terrestrial glory in
eternity. (D. & C. 76:71-80.)
At the end of the
millennium, the second resurrection begins. In the forepart of this
resurrection of the unjust those destined to come forth will be "the
spirits of men who are to be judged, and are found under condemnation; And
these are the rest of the dead; and they live not again until the thousand
years are ended, neither again, until the end of the earth." (D. & C.
88:100-101.) These are the ones who have earned telestial bodies, who were
wicked and carnal in mortality, and who have suffered the wrath of God in hell
"until the last resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb, shall
have finished his work." (D. & C. 76:85.) Their final destiny is to
inherit a telestial glory. (D. & C. 76:81-112.)
Finally, in the latter
end of the resurrection of damnation, the sons of perdition, those who
"remain filthy still" (D. & C. 88:102), shall come forth from
their graves. (2 Ne. 9:14-16.) "Then is the time when their torments shall
be as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever;
and then is the time that they shall be chained down to an everlasting
destruction, according to the power and captivity of Satan, he having subjected
them according to his will. Then, I say unto you, they shall be as though there
had been no redemption made; for they cannot be redeemed according to God's
justice; and they cannot die, seeing there is no more corruption." (
Joseph Fielding Smith
In section 88 of the
Doctrine and Covenants, we are taught that there is a difference in the kinds
of resurrection. Some will be raised with celestial bodies; some with
terrestrial bodies, and some with telestial bodies; and yet others will be
raised with bodies without any qualification or power of glory, and these will
be sons of perdition. Read verses 17-33. (Doctrines of Salvation,
Bruce R. McConkie
Telestial law is the law
of evil, carnality, and corruption. Those who so live develop telestial bodies,
which can stand telestial glory, which is found in a telestial kingdom.
Terrestrial law is the law of decency and uprightness from a worldly
standpoint. Those who conform to this higher order thereby create for
themselves terrestrial bodies, which in turn can stand terrestrial glory and go
to a terrestrial kingdom. Celestial law is the law of the gospel; it is the law
of Christ. It calls upon men to forsake the world and rise above every carnal
and evil thing. It calls upon men to repent and be baptized and receive the
sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit of God. It requires that they become new
creatures of the Holy Ghost. Only those who so live acquire thereby celestial
bodies; only such bodies can stand celestial glory, and this glory is found
only in a celestial kingdom. Since the final destiny of this earth is to become
a celestial globe, it thereby becomes the ultimate and highest heaven for all
the faithful who have lived on its surface. (The Millennial Messiah, pp.
697-698)
D & C 88 is a very
important section that discusses the various resurrections that will take
place.
F = Family, which will
be found only in the highest degree in the
I = Individual, which
will be the inhabitants of all the other kingdoms, see D & C 132:15-17,
they ARE NOT part of the family of God.
Resurrection of Just –
Celestial and Terrestrial kingdoms
Resurrection of Unjust –
We worship Father
because of who he is, the author of the Plan of Salvation, much more of course.
We worship Christ because
of our gratitude for the Atonement and his representation of the Father.
Mortality prepares us
for the Millennium; the Millennium prepares us for the highest degree in the
Celestial kingdom. There is a lot of
work to do, think of it as further training.
The Greek word for wind
and the Holy Ghost is the same, you can’t SEE it, but you can FEEL their
presence.
Acts 2:2-11 – The Holy
Ghost burns out our imperfections due to sin, also, the purpose of speaking in
tongues is to communicate the gospel.
Picking Apostles on web
site, talks by Pres. Tanner and Pres. Faust, Priesthood section
The Keys That Never
Rust
Elder James E. Faust
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Ensign, Nov. 1994, 72-74
A few months ago, my beloved
Ruth, Elder Holland and his sweet Patty, and I accompanied a group into the
fascinating old city of
Today I speak of keys other
than those of metal. The keys I speak of never rust. These are the keys of life
and salvation in the
The Prophet also stated:
"The Priesthood is everlasting. The Savior, Moses, and Elias, gave the
keys to Peter, James, and John, on the mount, when they were transfigured
before him" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph
Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1970], p. 158; see also Matt.
17:1-3). Peter, James, and John conferred the keys of the kingdom of God upon
the Prophet Joseph and ordained him to be an Apostle and a special witness of
the name of the Savior and to bear the keys of his ministry (see D&C
27:12-13). Keys that pertain to the gathering of
Prior to the martyrdom, no
doubt with a sense of foreboding, the Prophet Joseph prepared for his death.
President Joseph Fielding Smith states:
"The Prophet declared
that he knew not why, but the Lord commanded him to endow the Twelve with these
keys and priesthood, and after it was done, he rejoiced very much, saying in
substance, 'Now, if they kill me, you have all the keys and all the ordinances
and you can confer them upon others, and the powers of Satan will not be able
to tear down the kingdom as fast as you will be able to build it up, and upon
your shoulders will the responsibility of leading this people rest.' " (Joseph
Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [Salt
Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-56], 1:259)
After learning of the deaths
of the Prophet Joseph and the Patriarch Hyrum, Wilford Woodruff reports his
meeting with Brigham Young, who was then the President of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles, as follows: "I met Brigham Young in the streets of
When Brigham Young returned
to Nauvoo, Sidney Rigdon, who had been a Counselor to Joseph Smith, challenged
the leadership of Brigham Young and the Apostles. Said Brigham Young to the
Saints in meeting assembled, "If the people want President Rigdon to lead
them they may have him; but I say unto you that the Quorum of the Twelve have
the keys of the
Brigham Young, as the
President of the Quorum of the Twelve, subsequently became the President of the
Church, following the Prophet Joseph Smith. So it was with President Howard W.
Hunter following the death of President Ezra Taft Benson. As President Joseph
Fielding Smith wrote:
"There is no mystery
about the choosing of the successor to the President of the Church. The Lord
[page 73] settled this a long time ago, and the senior apostle automatically
becomes the presiding officer of the Church, and he is so sustained by the
Council of the Twelve which becomes the presiding body of the Church when there
is no First Presidency. The president is not elected, but he has to be
sustained both by his brethren of the Council and by the members of the
Church"(Doctrines of Salvation, 3:156).
On the fifth of June 1994,
the Quorum of the Twelve, of which President Hunter was then President,
collectively holding all of the keys of the kingdom, convened in the
The keys given by the Savior
to Peter, James, and John, and given by them to the Prophet Joseph, have not
rusted. They will open all spiritual doors of the dispensation of the fulness
of times. They are now exercised by President Howard W. Hunter, his Counselors
in the First Presidency, and the Quorum of the Twelve, who serve under the
direction of the First Presidency.
How long will these keys
last? President Wilford Woodruff stated:
"When the Lord gave the
keys of the
"I say to the
Latter-day Saints the keys of the
There is only one head of
this church, and he is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the head of all. Under him
stands President Howard W. Hunter, the man whom the Lord has selected to stand
at the head of the Church, with his Counselors in the First Presidency and the
Quorum of the Twelve. All other organizations in the Church are subordinate to
those who have these keys.
Why are these spiritual keys
so important? These spiritual keys hold "the right to enjoy the blessing
of communication with the heavens, and the privilege and authority to
administer in the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to preach the
gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of
sins"(Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Co., 1939], p. 142). Keys of the ministering of angels are the
right of the Aaronic Priesthood (see D&C 13; D&C 107:20). The higher
Melchizedek Priesthood "holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even
the key of the knowledge of God" (D&C 84:19). To be efficacious and
valid, every act in the Church must be performed under the authority of the
keys at the appropriate time and place, and in the proper manner and order. The
authority and power to direct all of the labors of the
Why is it so necessary to
follow those who have the keys of the priesthood? That principle has guided
this church and its people since the beginning, and it is a principle of
revelation. Among the members of the Church have been the living oracles of
God, who have held the keys to direct this holy work. Without prophets, seers,
and revelators, the Church and the
Valdesius, a citizen of
This valiant band, who came
to be known as Valdensians or Vaudois, were viewed by their contemporaries as
dangerous dissenters. Over the centuries, they were "burned at the stake,
buried alive, stoned, … hanged, herded into … disease-laden dungeons, [and]
pursued … over rocks and crags and icy mountains"(Archibald F. Bennett,
"The Vaudois Revisited," Improvement Era, Jan. 1948, p. 12).
Yet they clung on tenaciously, turning back whole armies of tyrants, to
preserve their precious heritage of faith in the early Apostles, who held the
keys that never rust.
In 1655 their overlord, the
Duke of Savoy, issued an edict that they were to renounce or be massacred. The
ensuing slaughter at last awakened the conscience of some of their neighbors,
one of whom was John Milton, the great English poet. Repulsed by this evil
deed, he penned his sonnet "On the Late Massacre in
Avenge, O
Lord, thy slaughtered saints, whose bones
Lie scatter'd on the Alpine mountains cold (ibid).
In 1850,
Elder Lorenzo Snow of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints ascended a very high mountain near LaTour to visit
the Vaudois of the
For the
strength of the hills we bless thee,
Our God, our fathers' God;
Thou hast made thy children mighty
By the touch of the mountain sod.
(Hymns, 1985, no. 35.)
John Daniel
Malan was the first of the Vaudois to be baptized on October 27, 1850, followed
by the families of the Cardons, Stalles, Beuses, Pons, Malans, Gaudins,
Chatelains, and many others. Some were in the first handcart companies to come
to the
I strongly counsel all who
have membership in this church to follow the teachings and counsel of those who
now have the keys as prophets, seers, and revelators. They are the ones who
will inspire us to deal with the vicissitudes of our time. I plead with all not
to try to selectively invoke gospel principles or scripture to wrongly justify
spiritual disobedience, or to separate themselves from the responsibilities of
covenants and ordinances contrary to the counsel of those who have the
prophetic voice in the Church. The scriptures and doctrines of the Church are
not, as Peter warned, "of any private interpretation" (2 Pet. 1:20).
Great temporal and spiritual
strength flows from following those who have the keys of the
As we conclude this historic
conference, I am pleased to testify to the world of a very significant matter.
As a special witness of the Lord Jesus Christ, I verify that among those who
hold the keys of the
Acts
Acts 5 – The couple kept
a portion back, they lied and were selfish.
Like in our own homes, we are to teach harmony in our homes, no
fighting!
The early Christian
Church failed because of division, not being united in doctrine and teaching.
Telling a lie is a
telestial act, a very serious sin, it creates disunity, and we have a double
standard in the world, 1 Corinthians 1:10-12, D & C 76:98-103.
We have tolerance for
people but we do not tolerate sin, D & C 1:31.
Apostate Christianity is
more acceptable to the world than Mormonism is.
BIBLE DICTIONARY
PETER
Rock
Brother of Andrew (John 1: 40) and son of Jonah
(Matt. 16: 17); also
known as Simeon (Acts 15: 14;
2 Pet. 1: 1) or Simon;
originally a fisherman of
Other events connected with his life: his denial (Matt. 26: 33-35, 58,
69-75; for parallel passages in the other Gospels, see the Harmony under Gospels); at the
resurrection (Mark 16: 7; Luke 24: 12, 34; John 20: 2-7; 1 Cor. 15: 5); with our Lord
by the Sea of Galilee (John 21);
in Jerusalem after Pentecost (Acts 2
- 5); with Simon Magus (Acts
8: 14-24); at Lydda and Joppa (Acts 9: 32-43); with
Cornelius (Acts 10 - 11: 18);
in prison (Acts 12: 1-19);
at the Jerusalem conference (Acts
15: 7-11; Gal. 2: 7-9);
and at Antioch (Gal. 2: 11
ff.). From his epistle we learn (1 Pet. 5: 13) that he worked
in
Peter was one of the greatest of men. It is true that the N.T. recounts some
mortal weaknesses, but it also illustrates that he overcame them and was made
strong by his faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord honored Peter by selecting him to
hold the keys of the kingdom on earth (Matt. 16: 13-18), and it
was upon the holy mount that Peter received these keys from the Savior, Moses,
and Elias (Elijah) (Matt.
17: 1-12). Peter was the chief apostle of his day; and after the death,
resurrection, and ascension of the Savior, it was Peter who called the Church
together and acted in the office of his calling as the one who possessed the
keys of the priesthood (Acts 1:
2). It was through Peter’s ministry that the gospel was first opened up to
the gentiles (Acts 10 - 11).
In the latter days Peter, with James and John, came from heaven and literally
conferred the Melchizedek Priesthood and the keys thereof upon Joseph Smith and
Oliver Cowdery. This took place in May or June 1829, near Harmony,
BIBLE DICTIONARY
PAUL
The life and work of the
great apostle Paul is recorded at considerable length in the Acts and the
epistles. It is only possible to indicate here a few of the chief facts. He was
known in early life as Saul; his Latin name Paul is first mentioned at the
beginning of his gentile ministry (Acts 13: 9).
He belonged to Tarsus, in Cilicia (Acts 9: 11); was a Pharisee
and a pupil of Gamaliel (Acts
22: 3); was active in the persecution of Christians (Acts 8: 3; Acts. 26: 10; Gal. 1: 13; Philip. 3: 6); and took part
in the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts
7: 58; Acts 8: 10).
He started for Damascus for the purpose of further persecution (Acts 9: 1) and on the road saw
a vision of the Lord Jesus, which changed the whole current of his life (Acts 9: 4-19; Acts 22: 7; Acts 26: 14; Gal. 1: 15-16). After his
baptism by Ananias (Acts 9: 18),
he retired into Arabia (Gal. 1:
17), and then returned to
The meaning of being
humble is to be submissive to higher authority.
You should know if you are humble.
M E R I D I
A N M A G A Z I N E
Lesson 28
"We Are Witnesses"
Acts 1-5
By Bruce Satterfield
Brigham Young
University-Idaho
The opening chapters of the Acts of
the Apostles form an introduction to the second part of a two-part work written
by Luke. These two works, the Gospel of
Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, were written to someone named
Theophilus. Though most likely a real
person, it has been suggested that Theophilus may have been a pseudonym to
protect the individual from various persecutors. In any event, Theophilus appears to be a
gentile who most likely made Luke’s writings available to other interested
readers. Luke also was a gentile. This connection formed a bond between Luke
and Theophilus influencing much of what Luke wrote about.
Themes in Luke-Acts
Luke had several interests which
governed his writing. A close
examination of Luke-Acts reveals that these interests form themes that are
laced throughout Luke writings. It is of
value to briefly examine each theme in order to better understand the purpose
of Luke’s writings and therefore see more clearly why Luke recorded the events
of Acts 1-5. The following are a list of
themes found in Luke-Acts:
·
Perhaps the overarching theme in Luke’s writings is his interest is the
universality of the gospel. Apparent
throughout Luke-Acts is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is intended for all
mankind, not just for the Jews.
·
Closely connected the universality of the gospel is a second interest: a
concern for minorities and those looked down upon in Jewish society. Through the pages of Luke’s works, we see the
Savior and the Apostles concerning themselves with the poor, women, gentiles,
and Samaritans. In fact, there are more
references to women in Luke’s writings than nearly any other place in the
standard works.
·
A focus on individuals. As one reads
through Luke-Acts, note the number of individuals referred to either by name or
incident.
·
The importance of the Holy Ghost permeates Luke’s writings. Though more pronounced in Acts, a close
reading of the Luke’s works shows the necessity of receiving the gift of the
Holy Ghost in order to make the necessary commitment and change in a person’s
life. Further, through the revelation
that comes through the Holy Ghost, the early Christian Church was guided.
·
Luke is interested in showing the importance and power of prayer. More than the other gospel writers, Luke
demonstrates both the Savior’s teachings and example of prayer.
·
Luke seems very concerned with the dangers of wealth.
·
Luke demonstrates the joy and happiness the gospel brings to the life of
individuals. Such words as “joy”,
“gladness”, and “rejoice” are found on nearly every page of Luke-Acts.
An important,
yet subtle, theme found in Luke-Acts is
The
physical resurrection of Christ is another theme that is important to
Luke. As will be noted, the resurrection
was not a well-accepted concept in the world in which Luke wrote. Yet the resurrection is the sign of the reality
of Christ and his mission.
The Theme of Resurrection and the
Ascension of Christ
Keeping these themes in mind, I will discuss a
few insights into some of the important aspects of Acts 1-5. The opening chapter of Acts centers on two
stories: the ascension of Christ (1:4-11) and the calling of Matthias to
replace the vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve occasioned by the suicide of
Judas (1:15-26).
Organizationally, Luke uses the story
of the ascension of Christ as a vehicle to establish the structure of Acts
which is carefully organized around the theme of the universality of the
gospel. The structure is given in verse
eight. Here the Savior tells the
Apostles that “ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Theologically, the story of the
ascension continues the theme of the physical reality of the resurrection of
Christ. In his gospel, Luke recorded the
very important incident of the Savior’s appearance to the Twelve Apostles after
His crucifixion. The Apostles were
troubled by what they saw and supposed it was a spirit and not the physical
Lord. But the Savior said: “Why are ye
troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I
myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me
have.” They touched His physical
resurrected body and learned for themselves of its reality (23:36-40).
That Jesus is still in a physical, resurrected
state is made clear in the story of the ascension. Having taken the Twelve to the
The world in which Luke and
Theophilus lived was very much influenced by Greek or Hellenistic culture. This created a formidable challenge for the
early Church, particularly regarding the doctrine of physical
resurrection. Richard Draper explains:
“The Hellenistic mind‑set found the idea of a resurrection strange
indeed. Many a Greek or Roman would have
had little difficulty believing that a god had sired a son, for their
mythologies supported the idea. Also,
belief in prophecy and portents was widespread, as were reports of miracles and
those who performed miracles. The idea
that a mortal could become as the gods was not difficult for many to accept,
and there were precedents for both men and gods dying and coming back to life.
“But the idea that a mortal could
rise from the dead and enter eternal life with a physical body had little
precedent. Much of the Hellenistic world
denied the reality of any kind of resurrection, let alone a physical one. The Greek rejection of the physical body made
the idea of a resurrection of that body abhorrent. Some believed that mortals had been
resuscitated from death, but these isolated incidents were a mere postponing of
eventual death. There simply was no room
in the Hellenistic world view for belief in any kind of a general resurrection
at the end of world history.”[i][i]
As a result of the Hellenistic
mentality, many early Christians rejected the idea of the resurrection while
believing in other Christian doctrines and ideals. But the resurrection was central to
Christianity. In his gospel, Luke
recorded the Savior saying to the Jews, “This is an evil generation: they seek
a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet”
(Luke 11:29). Of course the sign of
Jonas has reference to the prophet Jonah who was in the belly of a whale for
three days. Likewise, Christ would be
buried for three days after his crucifixion but would come forth on the third
day as a physical resurrected being. His
resurrection would be the sign of the reality of His atoning mission.
Luke is bold indeed in his
writings. Speaking so clearly and
forthright regarding the resurrection of Christ is a testimony of his
conversion to the truth of the message and mission of Jesus Christ.
The theme of the Savior’s
resurrection continues throughout the rest of Acts (see 2:22-36; 4:1-2, 33;
17:16-33; 23:6-10; 24:10-21; 26:1-29).
In fact, the next story in Acts 1, filling the vacancy in the Quorum of
the Twelve, carries the resurrection theme forward. When the Twelve met to replace
Beyond this story, the scriptures say
nothing more regarding Matthias. Later legends
place him among the seventy who had been called by the Lord in Luke 10. These accounts also give two different
versions of his death. As a consequence,
it is impossible to know how reliable legend may be regarding him. It appears that one of the reasons Luke
records this story is to continue the resurrection theme.
The Theme of the Holy Ghost and the
Day of Pentecost
The incidents of the Savior’s
ascension and the calling of Matthias both allude to the theme of the Holy
Ghost. Before the ascension, the
Apostles ask the Lord if he was to restore the kingdom to
It is apparent in the Gospel of Luke
that the Apostles thought the messianic role of the Savior was to immediately
restore the kingdom to
It seems the reason why the Apostles
failed to grasp the full mission of Jesus was they lacked the doctrinal
understanding that can only come through the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Savior had taught the Twelve that when
they received the gift of the Holy Ghost, “he will guide [them] into all truth”
(John 16:13). “By his power,” Bruce R.
McConkie wrote, “men may know the truth of all things.”[ii][ii] Likewise, Joseph Fielding Smith taught that
“the power to understand and clearly comprehend the revelations of the Lord
will be given” those who have received the gift of the Holy Ghost.”[iii][iii]
Because the Apostles lacked the gift
of the Holy Ghost, they were not capable of fully comprehending the restoration
of neither the
The Day of Pentecost plays a pivotal
role in Luke’s writings. As the gift of
the Holy Ghost descended upon the Twelve, they became changed men. This is best evidenced by the example of
Peter. Luke is careful to record several
stories in Luke-Acts about Peter that demonstrate the change that comes upon
him after receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.
This is seen in contrasting the Peter of Luke’s gospel with the Peter of
Acts.
In the Gospel of Luke, Peter appears
unstable in his commitment to Christ and the gospel–at times strong with
conviction and at other times weak and fearful.
For example we see the strength of Peter when the Savior asked the
Apostles “whom say ye that I am?” Peter
promptly responded, saying, “The Christ of God” (Luke 9:20). On another occasion, Peter declared to Jesus,
“Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.” But the Savior, knowing Peter’s unsteadiness
without the gift of the Holy Ghost, warned: “I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall
not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me”
(Luke 22:33-34). The bitter prophecy
came true within a few hours. In the
courtyard of the palace where the Savior was tried before members of the
Sanhedrin, onlookers recognized Peter as a disciple of Christ. Frightened, Peter adamantly claimed that he
did not know who Jesus was (see Luke 22:54-60).
The Day of Pentecost changed Peter
forever. On that day, the Twelve “were
all filled with the Holy Ghost” (2:4).
With the reception of the Holy Ghost came attending spiritual gifts
including the gift of boldness. In Acts
2-5, several stories are recorded revealing a new Peter who was bold and
undaunting. He taught the gospel openly
with power and authority and without fear (see 2:5-36; 3:12-26). He healed the sick (3:1-11; 5:14-16),
administered the church organization (4:32-5:12), and boldly faced the personal
threats of the Sanhedrin without flinching (4:5-21; 5:26-42). Indeed, as a result of receiving the gift of
the Holy Ghost, Peter was a changed man.
He now was the fisher of men the Lord promised him he would be (see Luke
5:1-11).
Other Themes
As the themes of resurrection and Holy
Ghost play an important part in Acts 1-5, so other interests important to
Luke’s writings are also located within these chapters. The following are examples.
Luke’s interest in prayer is seen in see in
Acts 1 where the Church members gathered in the upper room (where the Last
Supper was held) and “continued with one accord in prayer and supplication”
(1:14). Though prayer was practiced in
private, the Apostles continued to go to the
The theme of the joy of the gospel
exemplified in a number of places in Acts 1-5.
Peter quotes David’s word wherein David said: “Therefore did my heart
rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine
Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou
shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance” (2:26-28). Another example of joy is seen as the Church
members often ate together “with gladness and singleness of heart” (2:46). Again, after the Apostles were miraculously
freed from prison, they returned to the gathered members of the Church
“rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (5:41).
One more example.
Conclusion
The chief interests that govern
Luke’s writings are clearly seen in Acts 1-5.
But it must be clear that these themes continue throughout the rest of
the Acts of the Apostles. When viewed in
connection with their counterparts Luke’s gospel, these themes prove to be
powerful in their message: a message Luke intended his reader to receive. The reader who keeps these interests in mind
when reading Luke’s writings will be greatly benefited.
Acts Chapters 6-10
We had a quick review,
starting in Acts 1:8.
Acts 6 – Introduction to
Stephen >>> Introduction to Paul.
Witnesses against an
individual were the ones to carry out the sentence, even a death sentence.
- The convicted was taken to a cliff or hill, at
least the height of 2 men, where they were pushed off; if that didn’t kill
them, step 2.
- The 1st witness dropped a large rock
on the person’s chest, on their heart; if that didn’t do the trick, step
3.
- Everyone at the scene throws rocks at the
person.
Acts 26:9-12 – Paul
tells his story to King Agrippa, his persecution of the Saints and his
conversion story.
In Acts
Bruce feels that Paul was an apostle, even a
member of the 12. Ephesians 2:19-22,
BIBLE DICTIONARY
APOSTLE
The word means “one sent
forth.” It was the title Jesus gave (Luke 6: 13) to the twelve
whom he chose and ordained (John
15: 16) to be his closest disciples during his ministry on earth, and whom
he sent forth to represent him after his ascension into heaven. The calling of
an apostle is to be a special witness of the name of Jesus Christ in all the
world, particularly of his divinity and of his bodily resurrection from the dead
(Acts 1: 22; D&C 107: 23).
Twelve men with this high calling constitute an administrative council in the
work of the ministry. When a vacancy occurred with the death of Judas Iscariot,
Matthias was divinely appointed to that special office as a member of the
council (Acts 1: 15-26).
Today twelve men with this same divine calling and ordination constitute the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints.
The title was also applied to others who, though not of the number of the
original twelve, yet were called to serve as special witnesses of the Lord.
Paul repeatedly spoke of himself as an apostle (Rom. 1: 1; 1 Cor. 1: 1; 1 Cor. 9: 1; Gal. 1: 1). He applied the
titles to James, the Lord’s brother (Gal. 1: 19), and also to
Barnabas (1 Cor. 9: 5-6;
cf. Acts 14: 4, 14). The
New Testament does not inform us whether these three brethren also served in
the council of the Twelve as vacancies occurred therein, or whether they were
apostles strictly in the sense of being special witnesses for the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Jesus is referred to as an apostle in Heb. 3: 1-2, a designation
meaning that he is the personal and select representative of the Father.
Callings evolve in the
Church, priesthood and ordinances do not change, A of F #6.
Be careful saying that
Peter, James and John were the 1st Presidency of the
It has the same
priesthood, keys and ordinances.
Doctrine does not change, nor ordinances, but methods change.
Acts 6:5 – Proselyte
BIBLE DICTIONARY
PROSELYTES
Men of gentile birth who
had been incorporated into the Jewish church. The ceremony of admission
included circumcision, baptism, and a sacrifice. They were expected to observe
the whole Mosaic Law. Proselytes of this kind were probably few in number,
though the Jews showed great zeal in their efforts to gain them (Matt. 23: 15). In addition
to these there were attached to most Jewish synagogues a number of “God-
fearing” or “devout” gentiles, who attended the services, but only observed
part of the ceremonial law, and who were regarded as outside the Jewish church.
There are many references to men of this kind in the N.T. (e.g., Acts 10: 2, 22; Acts 13: 16, 26, 43, 50;
Acts 16: 14; Acts 17: 4, 17; Acts 18: 7).
The entry of a “Godfearer” or “devout” man into the Christian church caused
considerable commotion among the rigid Jews in the church, since the
“Godfearers” had not been circumcised as had the proselytes. Thus the joining
of Cornelius was momentous event (Acts
10 - 11), whereas the status of a proselyte such a Nicolas (identified in Acts 6: 5) is barely mentioned.
Acts
Paul was a good man,
very different than
Paul’s humility and
conversion:
Acts 9:1-2 Acts 26:4-5 strictly obedient to his religion
Acts 9:3-5 Acts 26:13-15 light brighter then the Sun
Acts 9:6 Acts 26:16 humble, changed, submissive to the
Lord
Paul’s repentance, a
change of heart and attitude, he adopted a new view, Metenoeo
Acts
(Acts 10:43-48.)
43 To him give all the
prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall
receive remission of sins.
44 ¶ While Peter yet spake
these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45 And they of the
circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter,
because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46 For they heard them
speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47 Can any man forbid
water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as
well as we?
48 And he commanded them
to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain
days.
Paul was very smart, a
man of the world, he was the one to take the gospel to his world, better
prepared then Peter and the others. No
slam, just the truth of the matter.
2 Corinthians 12:1-6 –
He was taught by God, not by man.
2 Corinthians (ca. A.D. 57)
For the purposes of this study, one
particular aspect of 2 Corinthians is significant. This is the letter in which
Paul was most revealing of himself, his problems, and his actions. Among the
Corinthians were some who had attacked Paul's doctrine and his dedication to
the work of the Lord. Paul felt that the situation was serious enough that he
needed to defend himself by speaking frankly in his own behalf. Against his own
better judgment he boasted of his sacrifices in behalf of the gospel. He told
of his beatings, imprisonments, stonings, shipwrecks, pain, hunger, and thirst,
and of his visions and revelations (2 Corinthians 11:23-27; 2 Cor.
12:612:1-12). Paul chastised himself for mentioning those things, stating that
he was speaking foolishly in doing so (2 Corinthians 11:21, 23). Yet as a
representative of the Lord and as the one who had brought the gospel to the
readers of the letter, Paul knew that he had an obligation to defend his own
integrity and that of his message. If the Corinthian saints rejected Paul, the
messenger who brought them the gospel, what would prevent them from rejecting
the message as well? His fears appear to have been well-founded. Already they
were being taught "another Jesus, whom we have not preached" (2
Corinthians 11:4), and among them were "false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ" (2 Corinthians
11:13).
(John M. Lundquist and Stephen D.
Ricks, eds., By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley
on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday, 27 March 1990, 2 vols. [Salt Lake
City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon
Studies, 1990], 1: 99.)
1 Corinthians 11:23-27 –
The earliest writing of the Last Supper, before the 4 gospels. How did he get it? He was taught by the Holy Ghost, see chapter
2.
BIBLE DICTIONARY
PAULINE EPISTLES
Paul's 14 epistles found
in our present N.T. were written to members of the Church who already had some
knowledge of the gospel. They are not evangelistic; rather, they are regulatory
in nature. The arrangement is neither chronological, geographical, nor
alphabetical, but by length, in descending order from the longest (Romans) to
the shortest (Philemon). This is the case except with the epistle to the
Hebrews, which was placed last because some have questioned whether or not it
was written by Paul. The dating and chronological grouping of the epistles as
presented below is approximate, but seems consistent with the known facts.
An advantage in studying the epistles in chronological order is that the reader
sees the differences in the types of problems the Church encountered as the
years passed and circumstances changed. Early membership was mostly Jewish, and
problems included questions about the law of Moses. Later, when the gentile
membership had increased, problems involved items of Greek philosophy. Early
persecution was from the Jews and the Judaizers. Later persecution came from
the Roman government. These things are visible in the epistles not by sharp
distinction, but by the gradual shift of emphasis.
Paul's epistles may be divided into four groups
1. 1 and 2 Thes. A.D. 50, 51
2. 1 and 2 Cor.,
3.
4. Titus,
1 and 2 Tim, A.D. 64, 65
1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians,
Romans.
These epistles were written between A.D. 55 and 56; 1 Cor. toward the end of
Paul's three years' stay at
Epistles to the Corinthians.
Analysis of 1 Corinthians
1. Salutation and Thanksgiving (1 Cor. 1: 1-9).
2. Rebuke of the
a. The spirit of partisanship and insubordination (1 Cor. 1: 10 - 4: 21).
b. The case of impurity (1
Cor. 5: 1-13; 1 Cor. 6:
9-20).
c. The lawsuits (1 Cor. 6:
1-9).
3. Paul's reply to inquiries made by them as to
a. Marriage (1 Cor. 7: 1-40).
b. Meat offered to idols (1
Cor. 8: 1 - 11: 1).
c. The order of worship, with special reference to the Lord's Supper and the
use of spiritual gifts (1 Cor.
11: 2 - 14: 40). This section contains 1 Cor. 12: 31 - 13: 13) a
magnificent description of love, the greatest in the trio of things that abide
forever.
4. Doctrine of the resurrection -
a. Of Christ (1 Cor. 15:
1-19).
b. Of the dead (1 Cor.
15: 20-34).
c. Degrees of glory (1
Cor. 15: 35-58).
5. Directions about a collection for the Christian poor at
Soon after writing the first epistle Paul was driven from
Analysis of 2 Corinthians
1. Salutation and thanksgiving (2 Cor. 1: 1-11).
2. Personal, arising out of the report of Titus.
a. His own movements and feelings toward the
b. The characteristics of the Christian ministry as exemplified by true
apostles (2 Cor. 3: 1 - 6:
10).
c. An account of the impression produced on his own mind by the report of Titus
(2 Cor. 6: 11 - 7: 16).
3. Welfare collection for the churches of
4. Assertion of his own position as an apostle (2 Cor. 10: 1 - 12: 10).
5. Conclusion (2 Cor. 12: 11
- 13: 14).
.John
Paul’s zeal gets him
into trouble, Barnabas helps him out as a traveling companion, picks him up in
Paul’s Witness to the
Early History of Jesus’ Ministry
Richard Lloyd Anderson
Paul and Eyewitnesses
But the New Testament contains a
different information model about Christ, and Paul is the first one known to
state it. Because he never hints of personal experience with Jesus, the apostle
is clearly at the critics' stage two. In 1 Corinthians he reviews the
conversion of southern Greeks as he carefully argues for the Resurrection. Paul
makes a sharp distinction between his vision and the first appearances of
Christ to the Galilean apostles and their associates, naming five occasions
when the resurrected Lord was seen by them (1 Corinthians 15:5-7). Here Paul is
really defining his mentors for the earthly Christ, as he stresses the
Atonement and Resurrection: "For I delivered unto you first of all that
which I also received" (1 Corinthians 15:3). Information about Christ's
appearance to Peter certainly came from Peter himself, because Paul tells about
spending two weeks with the chief apostle three years after the conversion
vision (Galatians 1:18), and they counseled together at Jerusalem and Antioch
afterward (Acts 15; Galatians 2:11-14). Information about Christ's appearance
to James clearly came from James, because Paul tells about visiting James not
very long after the conversion vision (Galatians 1:19), and they counseled
together at
In 1 Corinthians, Paul refers to his
first preaching in
This is exactly the viewpoint of the
author Luke, honored in Paul's letters as a trusted companion. To remove his
name from the Gospel that has his byline in the earliest manuscripts is
equivalent to erasing authorship from the best Roman and Greek histories.
Because later apocryphal writings falsely claimed to have been written by
leading Christians, the traditional authors of many New Testament books are
widely questioned today. But second-century papyrus copies exist of the books
of Matthew, Luke, and John with their names in headnotes or afternotes. fn
There is also a major fragment of an important second-century list of approved
books, broken at the beginning but naming Luke and John as writing the "third"
and "fourth" Gospels. This list sought to clarify which books were
historically authentic: "There are also many others which cannot be
received in the General Church, for gall cannot be mixed with honey." fn
Luke has low New Testament visibility and is not a likely name for adding
prestige to a pseudo-Gospel. Indeed, the books known to be in the latter
category have obvious agendas and/or contents that do not integrate with
events, topography, geography, and culture in the real world. The four Gospels
are impressive for their factual framework accompanying the life and teachings
of Christ.
A book on Luke's preface (Luke 1:1-4)
would of course do it more justice than the few comments possible here. That
preface contradicts redactional theory by subtracting those not knowing Jesus
from the source level of the Gospels. First for Luke are the
"eyewitnesses," the Galilean Twelve who shared events with Jesus
"from the beginning." Luke's second stage is preserving the Christian
epic in writing. The following language from the New Revised Standard Version
reflects most current translations: Because the eyewitnesses "handed on to
us" their knowledge of the founding events, "many have undertaken to
set down an orderly account." Luke then writes "after investigating
everything carefully from the very first." The result is what the King
James Version correctly calls "certainty" that the record of Christ
is reliable.
In my view, Luke penned this preface
no later than A.D. 63, less than a decade after 1 Corinthians. Even if Luke
wrote later, this missionary companion of Paul stood in his shoes as having had
contact with important witnesses of the ministry of Jesus, which is a great
part of the meaning of "investigating everything carefully from the very
first." As Paul's associate, Luke here names Paul's sources of information
about Christ—observers and possibly their writings.
Luke's preface leads away from
speculative models and straight to basic biography. Paul's letters from Rome
mention Luke's being there with him in the early sixties, which verifies the
Acts picture of Luke's going to Rome with Paul after two years in Israel. fn
That underlines the critical insight from 1 Corinthians 15 already discussed.
Prominent apostles and brothers of the Lord mingled with converts during the
middle third of the founding century. Writing 1 Corinthians about A.D. 57, Paul
appeals to common knowledge that "other apostles" were travelling
with their wives, naming Peter and "the brethren of the Lord," a term
that undoubtedly includes James and Jude (1 Corinthians 9:5; Matthew 13:55).
Peter was slain about 67; James, the Lord's brother, was slain in 62; his
brother Jude wrote his letter perhaps a decade later; the originally prominent
James of Zebedee was killed about 44; and responsible Christian sources report
his brother John exercising apostolic supervision in
Besides those documented apostles,
other leading Christians, including relatives of the Lord and prominent women,
lived to see some or all of the synoptic Gospels written. If one survived
childhood in the ancient world, one's longevity would on average trail current
levels by ten years or so. Yet the question of sources for the Gospels
continues to be discussed in a vacuum. A recent book by Utah scholars estimates
that Mark's Gospel was composed about A.D. 65 to 70, admits that not all
"personally acquainted" with Jesus had died but muzzles anyone
remaining: "A generation had passed and firsthand information was no
longer available." fn
Paul would not have written such
depressing lines. From known beginnings about A.D. 50, his epistles have a
constant theme of "get it right," with occasional appeals to Jesus.
As we have already discussed, Paul basically told the Corinthians that he was
reviewing resurrection appearances that he "received" from the
Galilean eleven (1 Corinthians 15:3-7). History from those who saw and heard is
being preserved before our eyes in the Corinthian correspondence. To settle
insensitivity about the sacrament, the apostle reviews how Christ established
that ordinance, with narrative and words very close to those reported by Luke
and prefaced by Paul's source: "For I have received of the Lord that which
also I delivered unto you" (1 Corinthians 11:23). This rather full record
is evidently not "received of the Lord" from direct revelation, but
from the Lord through apostles present in the upper room—the pattern of
"that which I also received" from observers in the later resurrection
chapter (1 Corinthians 15:3). At a minimum, the apostle is in contact with
other apostles and writing bits of their oral history.
In my judgment Hebrews is from Paul
and was definitely written before the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. fn
Referring to the earthly teachings and trials of Jesus, this book confirms the
observer-to-author process in Luke's preface. In Hebrews, the things
"spoken by the Lord" came face to face from "them that heard
him" (Hebrews 2:3).
Written between A.D. 50 and 63 Paul's
messages to churches are a public block against changes. They refer to Christ's
Davidic credentials, the Last Supper, Jewish and Roman trials, crucifixion,
burial, and resurrection appearances. Because references to Christ's life are
spontaneously given throughout the apostle's letters, they indicate that Paul
had a working knowledge of the Lord's ministry. Further, the apostle merely
refers to events rather than explaining them, expecting his readers to
understand incidental references to the career of the Savior. This point is
pivotal in understanding why the apostle does not more often name Jesus as his
source. A common body of knowledge makes powerful allusions possible without
the clumsy ritual of naming the Lord and designating a given teaching. Today's
public writings, for example, are filled with catch-phrases on human rights
without naming the Constitution or the Fifth or Fourteenth Amendments.
Similarly, Paul's direct references to Christ show that there is a constant
between-the-lines appeal to Christ's authoritative message when the Savior's
words are loosely paraphrased or even condensed as concepts. Mentioning Christ
as source could indicate apostolic revelation instead of Jesus' Jewish
ministry, but major doctrinal revelations were well known and openly described
(Galatians 1-2). So when Paul names the Lord for authority, the apostle alerts
modern readers to look for words or precepts possibly given during Christ's
preaching in
Paul's Direct Citations of Jesus
Paul's intent to quote or rephrase
teachings from Jesus' mortal ministry is clearer in some examples than others.
While the more skeptical subtract a half dozen of the traditional fourteen
letters, most of Paul's important paraphrases of Jesus are in the earlier books
not generally challenged: Romans, 1 Corinthians, and 1 Thessalonians. My
approach, however, is documentary, relying on second-century manuscript
evidence and second- and third-century writings, and I judge that Paul wrote
all of the traditional fourteen letters.
First Corinthians 15:3-7
The microgospel of 1 Corinthians has
already been discussed, with Paul's retrospect on first teaching his converts
"that which I also received" about Christ's atonement and
resurrection. By mentioning the Lord's appearance to Peter, James, and the
Galilean eleven, Paul discloses major sources of information, and it is known
that he had contact with them. This appeal to firsthand evidence indicates
reliable oral history, though Paul might have possessed early lists of
resurrection appearances. Luke's Gospel also contains the first appearances on
Paul's list—to Peter and then to the Twelve (Luke 24:33-36). Moreover, part of
"that which I also received" was "that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures." This wording is close to Christ's own
explanations in Luke on how the suffering and resurrection fulfilled scripture
(Luke 24:26-27, 45-46). This also connects with Paul's Corinthian narrative of
the Lord's words in the upper room—"my body, which is broken for you"
(1 Corinthians 11:24). "Died for our sins" agrees with the synoptic
account of the Last Supper (Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20) but is closest to Matthew's
wording of the cup representing Christ's blood "shed for many for the
remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28). Not only does Paul testify that Church
leaders agree on Christ's sacrificial atonement but the apostle may be relaying
the Lord's own words.
First Corinthians 11:23-25
As detailed earlier, in 1 Corinthians
11 Paul reviews Christ's actions and words in establishing the sacrament and
says, these "I have received of the Lord." Because Paul's account is
so particularized, he is likely presenting narration originating from the
apostles rather than from personal revelation. He is tapping the synoptic
record at an early point, with Christ's words in establishing the sacrament
almost identical to those appearing later in Luke's Gospel: "This is my
body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. . . . This cup is
the new testament in my blood" (1 Corinthians 11:24-25; see also Luke
22:19-20). This correlation indicates either careful memorization or a
document. Luke's preface explains that such words were obtained by his contact
with those present at the Last Supper. Yet Paul wrote them down much earlier as
common knowledge, "received" in the same process as the apostolic
testimony of the Resurrection that Paul relayed in the same letter.
First Corinthians 7:10-11, 25
The frequent possibility that
Christ's words are behind Paul's words is shown when the apostle gives his own
command but quickly clarifies that it is really the command of the Lord:
"Let not the wife depart from her husband . . . and let not the husband
put away his wife." Between these two directives there is a caution about
remarriage not necessarily from Jesus, because Paul jots ideas within ideas. As
he does in the passage on the sacrament, the apostle gives an early form of
synoptic teachings. These interrelated Gospels summarize Jesus' direction on
divorce, with Luke lacking a context but Matthew and Mark reporting the
situation when Jesus answered the Pharisees' question on the subject. Only
Matthew gives a permitted divorce initiative for males in cases of adultery,
and only Mark gives a generalized rule against divorce for men and also women
(Mark 10:11-12). Paul's dual instruction from the Lord resembles the
male-female warning in Mark. Finally, Paul drops the question of divorce and
addresses the problem of when to marry, about which the apostle remarks,
"I have no commandment of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 7:25). The four
Gospels are also silent on this point, which underlines Paul's broad knowledge
in directly citing Jesus—when the letters directly refer to Christ's teachings,
we usually find the equivalent words of Jesus in the Gospels. This practice
suggests that the apostle designed his Church messages to remind Christians of
a fairly defined body of information about the Lord. fn
First Corinthians 9:14
The New Testament contains several
equivalent command terms. Paul uses one of them in a long answer to
faultfinding Corinthians as he insists that he has the right to be supported as
a missionary but does not demand it: "Even so hath the Lord ordained that
they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel" (1 Corinthians
9:14). Paul first quoted Old Testament scripture on support of the priests and
then evidently added the directions of Jesus about missionaries. These words
broadly summarize the charge to the Seventy to rely on the people for food
(Luke 10:5-7) and the short form of this same instruction to the Twelve in Matthew
(10:10), with only a terse suggestion in Mark (6:8). But Paul's main argument
is the authority of the apostleship (1 Corinthians 9:1)—he is probably
appealing to knowledge that Jesus directed support for the Twelve, as indicated
in Matthew, where Christ's missionary instructions close by saying that he
"made an end of commanding his twelve disciples" (11:1).
First Thessalonians 4:15-5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-15
"For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord" opens a series of Thessalonian parallels to Jesus' most
featured discourse in the Gospels, the prophecy of the Second Coming and of
extended events that would precede it. On the
Paul's first letter to the
Thessalonians unwittingly fed expectations of an early second coming in
explaining the accompanying resurrection. So Paul wrote again to clarify prior
events. Both letters follow distinct blocks of material in Jesus' Olivet
discourse. These correlations show that the introductory "by the word of the
Lord" really means his known teachings. "By" correctly
translates the Greek preposition en, usually a simple "in" in
the sense of location, but the New Testament very often displays an
"instrumental" meaning—here "by means of the word of the
Lord." The context of dependence is so strong that the New Jerusalem Bible
clarifies the idea: "We can tell you this from the Lord's own
teaching" (1 Thessalonians 4:15).
A broad pattern links Matthew 24 to
the Thessalonian letters. Paul's first epistle to the Thessalonians counters
their confusion on personal immortality by describing what would come:
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven . . . with the trump of
God" (1 Thessalonians 4:16), which follows Matthew's version of the Olivet
prophecy: "They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven .
. . with a great sound of a trumpet" (24:30-31). Although the trumpet is
mentioned only in Matthew, it is part of detail shared with Mark on the angels
calling forth God's "elect" from heaven and earth when Christ appears
(Matthew 24:30-31; Mark 13:26-27). Paul uses this as the essential message:
"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Paul continues
by reminding the Thessalonians that discussion of "the times and the
seasons" is unnecessary: "For yourselves know perfectly that the day
of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2).
Though Luke has this comparison elsewhere (12:39-40), the Olivet discourse
begins with questions on the time of the coming and ends in Matthew with
several parables, one of which pictures the thief coming in the most unexpected
vigil (24:43-44). In each synoptic Gospel, Jesus closes the prophecy with the
warning to stay awake and "watch," adding the counter example of
drunkenness in Matthew and Luke. And Paul closes his minidiscourse by these
verbal reflections of "watch," adding that drunkenness is for the
worldly (1 Thessalonians 5:4-7). The sequence of the synoptic prophecy and
Paul's survey is the same. And Paul starts with "the word of the
Lord" and reminds them that they already "know perfectly" how
the appearance of Christ will surprise the world. It seems the basic Olivet
discourse was available to Paul and his converts, probably in written form
because of the duplicated detail and order, together with several striking
words. Luke's "unawares" (21:34) is the same word in Greek as Paul's
"sudden" (1 Thessalonians 5:3), though the idea is vivid in each of
the triple Gospels. Significant parallels to Paul's writings appear in more
than one Gospel or in Matthew alone.
Second Thessalonians settles the
false expectation of Christ's quick return, and evidence of Paul's authorship
does not lag far behind that of the first letter. Though Paul's follow-up
letter is questioned, that debate has much to do with academic shock at the
vivid picture of Satan's approaching power. To correct false enthusiasm for an
immediate Second Coming, the apostle again parallels the Olivet prophecy for
major events preceding the Lord's return. Thus Paul's second letter to the
Thessalonians concentrates on the era of wickedness that Jesus predicted before
coming again.
Removing some important
misconceptions will highlight the parallels. First, Paul's labels for the
coming evil power are too spectacular for mere mortals—the high titles for the
ruling "man of sin . . . the son of perdition" (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
resemble terminology for Satan at that period, and they should be seen as
naming God's chief competitor behind the scenes. Second, Paul's image of the
arrogant pretender in God's temple has little to do with the
As Paul explains what must precede
the Second Coming, the parallels are striking, especially in Matthew. Though
conservative commentators tend to see a compressed period of evil just before
the Second Coming, Christ in Matthew predicts the era of "false
prophets" right after the apostles were killed (24:9-11) and restates the
point by positioning "false Christs, and false prophets" right after
the first-century fall of Jerusalem (24:24). Then "iniquity shall
abound" (24:12), and Paul uses the same word for the beginning of
fulfillment in his day: "the mystery of iniquity doth already work"
(2 Thessalonians 2:7).
So Paul follows the substance and
timetable of the Olivet prophecy. With allowance for Paul's imagery, the
processes are the same: "Many," Jesus said, would aspire to take his
place, "saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many" (Matthew 24:5;
see also Mark 13:6; Luke 21:8); the evil one, Paul said, would aspire to take
the place of God, "shewing himself that he is God" (2 Thessalonians
2:4). Paul's forthcoming "signs and lying wonders" (2 Thessalonians
2:9) match Christ's predicted "signs and wonders" from counterfeit
prophets in the Olivet prophecy (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22).
This does not exhaust the interplay
of words and ideas between Matthew 24 and the Thessalonian correspondence. They
are full counterparts in event and stage, once it is seen that Paul has
extracted the religious future without repeating Christ's extensive commentary
on persecution, wars, and signs of His coming. These earliest known letters of
the apostle were sent about twenty years after Jesus outlined the stages
between the first and the second comings. And Paul quite certainly used a full
record of the prophecy corresponding to the present Matthew 24. It is even possible
that Matthew's Gospel was already written and carried by certain leaders.
Moreover, the Olivet discourse is not dependent on Paul, for he introduced the
advent theme by relying on the existing "word of the Lord."
Romans 14:14
Paul appeals for more charity for
others among Jewish converts with rigid dietary convictions and then insists,
"I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean
of itself." The apostle adds that a thing is unclean if one thinks it is
so; on its face his explanation of the idea he attributes to the Lord.
"Nothing unclean of itself" is quite close to Mark's report of the
Savior's judgments on ritual purity: "There is nothing from without a man,
that entering into him can defile him" (7:15). The parallel is closer in
Greek, where defile is the verb meaning "to make unclean or
common." Current translations of Romans 14:14 favor "persuaded in the
Lord Jesus," though the Greek preposition en ("in") is
regularly instrumental, meaning here "through" or "because of the
Lord Jesus." In any event, Paul's idea is quite clear—reflection on Jesus'
viewpoint, which is learned through Jesus' words, has convinced the apostle
that objects do not cause impurity of themselves. Paul could be brief on this
sensitive subject only if it was well-known that the Lord took a strong stand
on overdone purification. In this central clash of opinion between Paul and
defenders of the Mosaic dietary law, one of Paul's weapons was paraphrasing
Jesus.
Romans 12:14-19; 14:10
In addition to the Olivet prophecy
and John's discourse on the Last Supper, one very significant address should
resonate in New Testament letters—the Sermon on the Mount. It has the lead
location in Matthew as Jesus' declaration of Christian standards for those who
became "disciples" (Matthew 5:1) by repenting and accepting the
"gospel of the kingdom" (Matthew 4:23). For this purpose,
restatements would be necessary for waves of converts. The teachings in
Matthew's chapters 5 through 7 are primarily found in the Sermon on the Plain
in Luke 6, but other fragments appear in Luke in different settings. This
arrangement leads some to assume that Matthew as-sembled scattered sayings of
Jesus. Yet Luke is a skilled writer by ancient standards that stressed logical
as much as chronological order. For the interest of the reader, he perhaps
reported a concise version of this important sermon and placed some sections
elsewhere by topic. Or did the Master Teacher use repetition so regularly that
both views are true—an original broad manifesto of principles followed by
systematic segments in various teaching moments? His unsurpassed mind was
perfectly capable of organizing an effective moral overview instead of leaving
that task to chance. And a unified image of this superb sermon emerges through
the lens of the letters, particularly Romans: "The ethical admonitions of
this and other New Testament letters, whether Paul's or not, bear a marked
resemblance to the ethical teaching of Christ recorded in the Gospels. They are
based, in fact, on what Paul calls 'the law of Christ' (Gal. 6:2; cf. 1
Cor. 9:21). In particular, an impressive list of parallels can be drawn up
between Romans 12:3-13:14 and the Sermon on the Mount. While none of our
canonical Gospels existed at this time, the teaching of Christ recorded in them
was current among the churches—certainly in oral form, and perhaps also in the
form of written summaries." fn
Paul closes his epistle to the Romans
with several chapters of personal instruction instead of the briefer
admonitions found in other church letters. But Romans is the one epistle sent
to an important area where Paul had not preached. That explains his obvious
drive to review authoritative standards with Saints who had not heard him. The
closing chapters of Romans use Christ's teachings and Christ's example in
several ways; the strongest of Paul's indirect allusions to Christ's teachings,
the summary of the Lord's laws of love, is recorded in Romans 13:8-10.
The last part of Romans 12
corresponds to the last part of Matthew 5 with a series of close relationships
on the subject of nonretaliation. Although some content also reflects Luke's
Sermon on the Plain, the style of expression follows Jesus' as reported by
Matthew. Paul opens the subject with: "Bless them which persecute you:
bless, and curse not" (Romans 12:14). In the longer traditional text of
Matthew, the parallel is: "Bless them that curse you . . . and pray for
them which . . . persecute you" (5:44), which is a bit closer to Paul's
key words than Luke's similar report, "Bless them that curse you, and pray
for them which despitefully use you" (Luke 6:28). In Romans 12:17 the
apostle restates this theme, which is clearer in literal translation:
"Returning evil for evil to none, providing good things before all
men." "Providing good things" has a close parallel in 1
Thessalonians: "See that none render evil for evil . . . but ever follow
that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men" (5:15). In a
word, repay those doing you evil, not with evil, but with good. Matthew has the
close model for the above negative command: "Resist not evil"
(Matthew 5:39); this form is lacking in Luke, though both Gospels give examples
from Jesus on how to return good for evil. And some key words of Matthew's
version are in this section of Romans following the Sermon on the Mount. Paul's
"live peaceably" (Romans 12:18) could also be translated "bring
peace" and definitely correlates with Jesus' beatitude for
"peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9); Paul's warning against anger (Romans
12:19) is closely related in Greek to Jesus' warning against anger (Matthew
5:22). This subtle coloring supplements the close comparisons to a well-defined
section of the Sermon on the Mount.
Luke and Matthew place Jesus' caution
against judging near the end of their versions. Paul uses a similar location
and a form close to Christ's speech: "But why dost thou judge thy brother?
or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the
judgment seat of Christ" (Romans 14:10). As already discussed, these
questions are embedded in a long correction about being overcritical because of
Jewish dietary rules, with Jesus cited on nothing being unclean of itself
(Romans 14:14). In this chapter on attitude, the Sermon on the Mount parallel
is strongly felt: "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what
judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged" (Matthew 7:1-2). This phrasing
corresponds to Paul's dual form just quoted—caution on judging now, as well as
a prophecy of future judgment. But in Luke's pattern, one technically will not
be judged if he does not judge (6:37), a step away from the coming judgment
found in Matthew and Romans. Moreover, Paul confronts his readers with
questions in the same style as Jesus, who follows "Judge not" with
cross-examination on why we see only the faults of others (Matthew 7:3-5).
Paul's parallels conform in content and wording to two sections of Matthew's
report of the Sermon on the Mount.
Romans 13:8-10
"Love one another: for he that
loveth another hath fulfilled the law. . . . and if there be any other
commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love
is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:8-10). Though Paul does not name
Christ in this passage, he reasons from the teachings of Jesus that love is the
overarching precept. Paul's own evaluation of love begins and ends this pointed
passage on charity: "love is the fulfilling of the law." Fulfilling
in Greek essentially means "completion"—love is the purpose of all
revealed laws and the crowning result of obeying them. Then Paul backs up this
main concept with two silent citations of Jesus. In full form, Romans 13:8-10
names five of the Ten Commandments, adding that loving one's neighbor permeates
the rest. fn The apostle did not need to identify the Savior's use of this Old
Testament imperative. Nor did he need to mention Christ behind his second
supporting saying: "Love one another" was given at the Last Supper as
a "new commandment" by which all would "know that ye are my
disciples" (John 13:34-35).
Although John's Gospel was not yet
circulated, the eleven apostles at the Last Supper were morally obligated to
share Christ's instruction on this supreme principle. This was done afterward
in the letters of Peter (1 Peter 1:22) and John (1 John 3:11). But those
faithful stewards no doubt declared Christ's "new commandment" to
"love one another" in the churches long before Paul used those
phrases in Romans. And the same is true for "love thy neighbour as
thyself," Jesus' revitalized injunction from Leviticus 19:18. In Mark's
Gospel, Jesus said no commandments were more important than loving God and
loving neighbor (12:28-31). But Matthew reported the more profound perspective
found Romans. Jesus had concluded: "On these two commandments hang all the
law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:40). Jesus did not merely list the two
in top position: he said the entire law reflected or expressed them. That is
Paul's meaning in explaining the second commandment: his Greek says literally
that "every other commandment is summed up" in the saying to love
one's neighbor as oneself. The summary of charity in the epistle to the Romans
brings together Christ's two main instructions on love.
Paul as a Historian of Jesus
The preceding eight examples are
segments of letters, and some include several instances of Paul referring to
Christ's teaching. These verbal-doctrinal parallels are usually accompanied by
an express reference to the Lord, but such a reference is not always required
for us to be confident that Paul relies on sources from Christ. Today's writer
may quote Shakespeare and squarely say so or without much ado quote phrases
that the aware will recognize. Thus Paul's pattern of openly quoting the Lord
should alert us to many silent references to Jesus' teachings that were
commonly known and appear in our Gospels. In fact, Paul's mention of Jesus does
not always indicate him as a source. Paul may name the Lord because the apostle
speaks with Christ's authority (1 Corinthians 14:37) or because the Lord's life
is a model to follow (Romans 15:3-7). The preceding eight examples are
impressive partly because they name the Lord or an earlier source and partly
because they mirror Jesus' teaching with some complexity. Shared words may
reflect only a common culture; however, relationships are shown not by terms
alone but by shared phrases, sentence syntax, and sequence and uniqueness of
idea. After that, the direction of the relationship must be assessed. And Paul
answers that question several times by insisting that knowledge of Jesus has
come down to him.
Recent publications show how much
this subject interests religious scholars, but I have cut my own path and will
simply compare another researcher's conclusions: "We have ascertained over
twenty-five instances where Paul certainly or probably makes reference or
allusion to a saying of Jesus. In addition, we have tabulated over forty
possible echoes of a saying of Jesus. These are distributed throughout all of
the Pauline letters, though 1 Corinthians and Romans contain the most. . . .
Echoes of Jesus' sayings are discernible in all the major themes of Paul's
theology. . . . Paul also provides hints of his knowledge of the narrative
tradition of Jesus' passion, his healing ministry, his welcoming sinners, his
life of poverty and humble service, his character and other aspects." fn
In short, there is a "Gospel
according to Paul" embedded in his letters. Like Luke's, it stems from
contact with the Galilean "eyewitnesses" (Luke 1:2), who answered
Jesus' call, marvelled at his miracles, and listened intently to his public
sermons and private dialogues. The historic ministry of prominent apostles to
Mediterranean lands shows both zeal toward and capability at communication. fn
Were they articulate enough to carry knowledge of Jesus to new areas but
lacking in power to write memoirs of him or see that such were written? Paul
knew the apostles who knew Jesus. And Paul's presentation of Jesus' life and
teachings in his letters has the scope, if not the detail, of the other
Gospels. This apostle's comments combine to make up an abstract of Jesus'
ministry. It is unedited, but it forms a blueprint of the synoptic Gospels,
reflecting their own stress on the final days—the sacrament as the key to the
meaning of Christ's suffering, the condemnation and his crucifixion, the
reality of his resurrection, with names of witnesses to whom he appeared.
Paul's framework includes Christ's comments on Jewish practices of ritual
cleanliness and on divorce as well as a fragment of Jesus' missionary
instruction to the first Twelve. And there are salient parts of the Sermon on
the Mount, the laws of love, and Christ's testimony of his return in power as
part of two main segments of the Olivet prophecy. For details one reads the
Gospels, but Paul authenticates their overall narrative of Jesus and his basic
teachings. fn
The early "Gospel according to
Paul" can be compiled as a document because the apostle occasionally says
he is reporting what Jesus said or did, furnishing written evidence that is far
stronger than literary inferences behind widely accepted theories like the
precise limits of assumed source "Q," the priority of Mark, or the
early oral period with highly volatile images of Jesus. The "Gospel
according to Paul" is also historically sound because it is datable.
Paul's explicit references to Christ's teachings begin as early as his
correspondence is preserved—in the Thessalonian letters from about A.D. 50, followed
by recurrent references to Jesus' ministry in 1 Corinthians and the
attributions and allusions in Romans about A.D. 58. Furthermore, Paul's first
inside knowledge of the Jewish Jesus came much earlier than the apostle's first
known expressions of that knowledge. It is glibly said that Paul transformed
the historic Jesus into the divine Christ, but the problem is in how experts
frame the issue rather than in Paul's own records. The apostle's testimony is
consistent—he first learned of the resurrected Christ through the vision on the
road to
Matthew, James, and the Book of Mormon
Matthew unexpectedly emerges in my
analysis with the greatest number of specific equivalents to Paul's words of
the Lord. In the New Testament lists of the apostles, only one appears by
profession, "Matthew the publican" (Matthew 10:3). His career in
Papias said this about the
publican-apostle: "So then, Matthew compiled the oracles in the Hebrew
language; but everyone interpreted them as he was able." fn Commentaries
widely discount this early reference because Matthew's Gospel seems to have
been written in Greek rather than translated from Hebrew or its cousin language
of Aramaic. Details cannot be discussed here, but the early Church went through
a Hebrew period before reaching out to the Greek-speaking eastern
Evidence of early records of Jesus is
not strange to Book of Mormon readers, where the resurrected Savior said on his
first appearance: "And I command you that ye shall write these sayings
after I am gone" (3 Nephi 16:4). This instruction was repeated throughout
his American advent: "Write the things which ye have seen and heard, save
it be those which are forbidden" (3 Nephi 27:23). And much as he did in
the early ministry recorded in Matthew, the descended Christ first proclaimed
his divinity, called for repentance and baptism for entrance to "the
Yet the Book of Mormon supports the
structural integrity of this sermon as recorded in Matthew. Stated another way,
the Sermon on the Mount in the first Gospel is a significant test of the
Nephite record. If a "Matthew-editor" created a late, nonhistorical
speech, as some experts suppose, one might argue that Joseph Smith copied a
faulty model. But Paul's letters in the fifties are the test. We have seen
Romans 12 reproduce the thoughts and significant vocabulary of a section near
the close of Matthew 5; Romans 14 does the same thing with the faultfinding warnings
at the beginning of Matthew 7. In addition, the epistle of James paraphrases
many more thoughts and lines of the mountainside sermon in Matthew. For
authenticity of James, one can choose between the affirmative judgment of
ancient Christians who were highly sensitive about forgeries, or modern
assumptions that a lack of early quotation by name throws doubt on its
authorship. According to the early historian Eusebius, the author of the New
Testament epistle is James, the brother of the Lord, and there is very early
information on his martyrdom in A.D. 62. fn A number of scholars accept this
identification, are impressed with the absence of Jewish-Gentile problems, and
therefore think James composed his letter before the beginning of Paul's
gentile missions in about 44. Thus James' extensive use of the Sermon on the
Mount shows it was available in some form even before Paul wrote the epistle to
the Romans. James shows strong individuality and piety, with constant use of
the Old and New Testaments: "There are more parallels in this epistle than
in any other New Testament book to the teaching of our Lord in the
gospels." fn
The goal of James is clarifying the
righteousness that is the thrust of the Sermon on the Mount. Though not naming
Jesus as his source, this quotation-oriented author heavily uses Jesus'
teachings found in the synoptic Gospels. About two dozen equivalents impressed
W. D. Davies, and about three dozen impressed Peter Davids. fn Two dozen from
their combined lists have survived my judgment, based on correlations of
phrasing and distinctive idea, and they follow the trend observed by
Davids—James reflects the structure of Matthew's Sermon on the Mount more than
Luke's Sermon on the Plain. fn In my calculations, the distinctive
verse-resemblances between James and the Gospels fall into these categories:
thirteen are shared by Matthew and Luke; eight unique to Matthew; two shared by
Matthew and Mark; one unique to Luke. fn James does use some striking language
found in the short sermon in Luke, but more often he follows Christ's language
in Matthew. For instance, there is close quotation by James (5:12) of the
Lord's command (Matthew 5:33-37) not to make daily honesty depend on special
oaths—not to swear by heaven or by earth but to make promises with a simple yes
or no. And James closely reflects Christ's beatitude on the merciful receiving
mercy (Matthew 5:7), switching to negative phrasing that those showing no mercy
will receive judgment instead of mercy (James 2:13).
What emerges is the early authority
of the extensive discourse in Matthew over Luke's compressed counterpart. In my
calculations, twenty verses correlate in James and Matthew's Sermon on the
Mount: ten in chapter 5, three in chapter 6, and seven in chapter 7. fn So
James has used representative sections of Christ's full sermon in Matthew. How
much of the epistle reflects the sermon? The answer is implicit in Massey
Shepherd's conclusion that James depended on Matthew "for the presentation
of his themes." fn But these views should be read with awareness that
James cites little else in Matthew but the Sermon on the Mount: "The
number and extent of the Matthean parallels to James . . . are impressive; for
they relate to every single section of the Epistle, and to almost every major
theme." fn
Though current scholars tend to see
only "the unwritten Jesus tradition" behind these correlations, fn
James uses words, distinctive thoughts, and selection from all parts of the
longer discourse. More than spontaneous memory is at work here. Scholars favor
oral tradition because of the loose nature of many parallels. But casual
rephrasing is also consistent with using a well-known record. Structure and
particulars in James indicate he is basically following the same version of the
Sermon on the Mount used in the Gospel of Matthew. This and the Romans-Matthew
correlations make memory alone an unlikely tool for these complex agreements of
language, concept, and structure. Because Paul and James independently point to
a record of the sermon made before their epistles were written, credibility is
added to Papias' information that Matthew kept a Jewish-language record of the
"oracles," the "authoritative words" of the Lord. The
Savior's thorough explanation of the moral law of his kingdom was preserved in
historical systems on both hemispheres. There is great integrity in the
literary structures and the doctrines within them in the Book of Mormon.
Paul's Witness in Summary
Paul's visions of Christ become an
either-or trap for those who claim the apostle paid no attention to the Lord's
earthly life. But at every period of writing, the epistles speak of both the
mortal ministry and the exalted Jesus. A middle example precedes the Savior's
words on the sacrament: "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of
Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). Paul has just explained his empathy for
others in a context of exempting Greeks from the Jewish dietary code and here
makes the point that he is following the doctrinal model of his Master.
Christ's example has not faded in the next sentence: "Hold to the
traditions, just as I delivered them to you" (1 Corinthians 11:2; literal
translation mine). Paul soon repeats "deliver" in restating his
earlier public preaching about the Savior's appearances after the Resurrection:
"For I delivered unto you . . . that which I also received" (1
Corinthians 15:3). Such language throughout 1 Corinthians calls up both
doctrines and deeds of Jesus—in chapter 15, atonement for sin as well as
resurrection of the body. And Paul insists on common preaching: "Therefore
whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed" (1
Corinthians 15:11). This fifties headline reveals corporate teaching about the
close of Jesus' mortal ministry—Jesus' suffering at the end and his physical
return afterwards.
The convert-apostle periodically
draws on general knowledge of the man of
The corporate apostleship carried the
burden of preserving authentic knowledge of the Lord. Paul is early,
accessible, and an example of the teaching methods of his colleagues. He
periodically makes Christ the teacher, giving glimpses of the Savior's ministry
to inspire or solve problems. This documented process has no time slot for
anonymous teachers tinkering with the real Jesus. The New Testament Church
operates by administrative and doctrinal authority. Most of the Galilean Twelve
lived through Paul's period, and when observed, they are using Christ's earthly
ministry as the norm in conversion and correction, though their preserved
letters are few. James essentially adapts the Sermon on the Mount. And other
apostles stress Christ's ministry, as shown by Peter's challenge to
"follow his steps" (1 Peter 2:21) and John's repeated segments of the
Last Supper discourse (1 John). While the apostles lived, wandering preachers
with wandering stories were not in control. The full origin of proto-Gospels
and present ones is not known, but by using facts about Jesus that reliably
came to him, Paul has inserted datable history in his letters. These show that
the midcentury Church had stable and specific knowledge of Jesus' major
teachings—that its testimony that Jesus was the divine Christ was already firm
and founded on broad information from witnesses who walked with him.
Notes
1. My memories of Sidney B. Sperry
reach back nearly this far, to his going out of his way to welcome a searching
student to Brigham Young University and taking time for counseling and personal
Hebrew tutoring in years afterward. He left a legacy of commitment to research
and faith in the restored gospel.
2. See the weaving of recollections
in Gerald Parshall, "Theirs But to Do and Die," in U.S. News and
World Report, 23 May 1994, 71-81.
3. Donald Guthrie, New Testament
Introduction, 4th ed. rev. (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1990),
128-29.
4. See Eusebius, Ecclesiastical
History 3.24.5-8, for specific earlier information on this point.
5. For the dating of John's Gospel
near the end of the first century, see Richard Lloyd Anderson, "The First
Presidency of the
6. Stephen E. Robinson, "Bible
Scholarship," in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, ed. Daniel Ludlow, 4
vols. (New York: Macmillan, 1992), 1:112.
7. For approximate dates in Paul's
life, see Richard Lloyd Anderson, Understanding Paul (Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book, 1983), 393-97.
8. Norman R. Petersen,
"Introduction to the Gospels and Acts," Harper's Bible Commentary
(San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1988), 948.
9. Joseph A. Fitzmyer, A
Christological Catechism, 2d ed. (New York City: Paulist Press,
1991), 15.
10. Johannes Munck, The Acts of
the Apostles, The Anchor Bible (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1967),
xxxiii-xxxiv.
11. Fitzmyer, Christological
Catechism, 66.
12. Richard N. Soulen, Handbook of
Biblical Criticism, 2d ed. (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1981), 73.
13. Ibid., 165.
14. Fitzmyer, Christological
Catechism, 21.
15. Ibid., 14.
16. Ibid., 23.
17. Ibid., 25.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.
20. "The Gospel according
to" is the title formula in the manuscripts noted. For data on Luke and
John, see Richard Lloyd Anderson, "The Testimony of Luke," in Kent P.
Jackson and Robert L. Millet, Studies in Scripture, Volume Five: The Gospels
(Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1986), 88. For data on Matthew, see Martin
Hengel, Studies in the Gospel of Mark (Philadelphia: Fortress Press,
1985), 66 n.3.
21. Daniel J. Theron, Evidence of
Tradition (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book, 1958), 111. Theron gives the
full translation of the Muratorian Canon, which is well dated by reference to
second-century individuals and shows Christian hostility to invented books by
naming several and criticizing their heretical sources.
22. For specifics on contact with
James, the Lord's brother, and others in
23. Acts 12:1-2 gives the execution
of James, John's brother, at just before the death of his persecutor, Herod
Agrippa, which is dated at A.D. 44 in Josephus; for the stoning of James, the
Lord's brother, soon afterthe death of the governor Festus at 62, see Eusebius,
Ecclesiastical History 2.23; for the deaths of Peter and Paul near the
end of Nero's reign at 68, see Anderson, Understanding Paul, 362-65; for
the historical ministry of John at the end of the century, see Irenaeus, Against
Heresies 3.1.1, 3.3.4, and Anderson, "First Presidency of the Early
Church," 20-21.
24. Obert C. Tanner, Lewis M. Rogers,
and
25. See Anderson, Understanding
Paul, 197-201, including the photograph of the last page of Romans in the
earliest manuscript (second century) of Paul's letters, in which Hebrews is
copied between Romans and 1 Corinthians.
26. Yet no record was made of all of
the Lord's words, as the close of John's Gospel says. "It is more blessed
to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35) is directly attributed to the Lord
by Paul, though it does not appear in the Gospels. For non-Gospel words of
Jesus, early citations are far more reliable than the postapostolic collections
of sayings that were compiled and colored to support deviant doctrines.
27. For fuller discussion, see
Anderson, Understanding Paul, 85-87.
28. F. F. Bruce, The Letter of
Paul to the Romans, 2d ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing, 1985), 212-13.
29. When the rich young ruler asked
about requirements for salvation, Jesus quoted several of the Ten Commandments,
those with social obligations. Although the three synoptic Gospels agree thus
far, in Matthew Jesus adds the Leviticus 19:18 direction to love neighbor as
self (Matthew 19:18-19). Paul does the same thing in the Romans passage under
discussion, another of many ties to Matthew's Gospel.
30. Seyoon Kim, "Jesus, Sayings
of," in Gerald F. Hawthorn and Ralph P. Martin, eds., Dictionary of
Paul and His Letters (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 490.
For the chart "Possible Echoes of Sayings of Jesus," see 481. The
considerable recent bibliography on 491-92 shows that the topic of Paul's
historical access to Jesus' ministry is to be taken seriously. For instance,
the studies of David Wenham are listed, some of which have intriguing insights.
31. For comments on the writing
environment of early Christianity, see Richard Lloyd Anderson, "Types of
Christian Revelation," in Neal E. Lambert, ed., Literature of Belief
(Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1981), 64-65.
32. For the similar judgment of a
scholar trained in classical sources, see F. F. Bruce, The New Testament
Documents, 5th rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing, 1987), chap. 6, "The Importance of Paul's Evidence,"
76-79.
33. Eusebius had Papias' writing and
quotes the material summarizedhere in Ecclesiastical History 3.39.1-4.
Eusebius adds his own theory that Papias names two Christians named John and
could not have known the apostle. Yet Papias lived in the area and period of
the apostle.
34. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History
3.39.16. The translation is literal and agrees with my interpretation of
the meaning of the Greek text; it comes from the edition of Hugh Jackson Lawlor
and John Ernest Oulton, Eusebius (London: S.P.C.K., 1954), 1:101.
35. D. A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo, and
Leon Morris, An Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Mich.:
Zondervan Publishing, 1992), 73.
36. Sidney B. Sperry, Our Book of
Mormon (Salt Lake City: Stevens and Wallis, 1947), 185.
37. For the identification of
Eusebius and his quotation of the much earlier accounts of James' martyrdom,
see Anderson, "First Presidency of the
38. Guthrie, New Testament
Introduction, 729.
39. For lists of verses in James
modeled on Jesus' teachings in the synoptic Gospels, see W. D. Davies, The
Setting of the Sermon on the Mount (Cambridge: University Press, 1964),
402-3; and Peter H. Davids, The Epistle of James, New International Greek
Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing,
1982), 47-48.
40. See Davids, Epistle of James,
48: "Of the 36 parallels listed, 25 are with the Sermon on the Mount and 3
others with the Sermon on the Plain."
41. Matthew-Luke parallels:
James 1:2 with Matthew 5:11-12 and Luke 6:23; James 1:5 with Matthew 7:7 and
Luke 11:9; James 1:17 with Matthew 7:11 and Luke 11:13; James 1:22 with Matthew
7:24 and Luke 6:46-47; James 1:23 with Matthew 7:26 and Luke 6:49; James 2:5
with Matthew 5:3, 5 and Luke 6:20; James 3:12 with Matthew 7:16 and Luke
6:44-45; James 4:2 with Matthew 7:7 and Luke 11:9; James 4:9 with Matthew 5:4
and Luke 6:25; James 4:10 with Matthew 23:12 and Luke 14:11 and 18:14; James
4:11-12 with Matthew 7:1 and Luke 6:37; James 5:2 with Matthew 6:19-20 and Luke
12:33; James 5:10 with Matthew 5:11-12 and Luke 6:23.
Unique Matthew parallels: James 1:4
with Matthew 5:48; James 2:10 with Matthew 5:19; James 2:13 with Matthew 5:7;
James 3:18 with Matthew 5:9; James 4:8 with Matthew 5:8; James 4:13-14 with
Matthew 6:34; James 5:9 with Matthew 5:22; James 5:12 with Matthew 5:34-37.
Matthew-Mark parallels: James 1:6 with Matthew 21:21 and
Mark 11:23-24; James 2:8 with Matthew 22:39 and Mark 12:31.
Unique Luke parallel: James 5:1 with Luke 6:24-25.
42. See previous note for chapter
numbers in Matthew.
43. Massey H. Shepherd Jr., "The
Epistle of James and the Gospel of Matthew," Journal of Biblical
Literature 75 (1956): 47.
44. Ibid.
45. Davids, Epistle of James,
49.
46. See Theron, Evidence of
Tradition, 111, and note 21 above.
(The Apostle Paul, His Life and His
Testimony: The 23d Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Co., 1994], 8.)
Acts 11-15
There was a question on
idol worship at the temples of other gods, Acts
1 Corinthians 8:6-9 –
One God, one Jesus Christ, and Paul asked the people who they serve. The temples in the large cities had feasts to
their particular god. Members who didn’t
believe in what was being taught showed up anyway for the feast! Others saw them there and misinterpreted
their actions, it gave a wrong impression.
Do you buy the unused
meat or eat the sacrificed food from such activities? NO, see 1 Corinthians 10:25-28, 1
Thessalonians 5:22 avoid the appearance of evil.
Acts 13:13, 15:37-41 –
Paul’s relationship with John Mark was not good, it caused a bitter contention
between Barnabas and Paul. Mark was
young and wasn’t prepared for the rigors of missionary work.
BIBLE DICTIONARY
MARK
Also called John; son of
Mary, who had a house of considerable size in Jerusalem (Acts 12: 12); cousin (or
nephew) of Barnabas (Col. 4: 10);
accompanied Paul and Barnabas from Jerusalem (Acts 12: 25) and on their
first missionary journey, deserting them at Perga (Acts 13: 5, 13);
accompanied Barnabas to Cyprus (Acts 15: 37-39); with
Paul at Rome (Col 4: 10; Philem. 1: 24); with Peter
at Babylon (i.e., probably at Rome) (1 Pet. 5: 13); with Timothy
at Ephesus (2 Tim. 4: 11).
His gospel (see Gospels)
was possibly written under the direction of Peter. His object is to describe
our Lord as the incarnate Son of God, living and acting among men. The Gospel
contains a living picture of a living Man. Energy and humility are the
characteristics of his portrait. It is full of descriptive touches that help us
to realize the impression made upon the bystanders. Tradition states that after
Peter’s death, Mark visited
There was a loose
priesthood organization at the time; it was different in method then ours of
today. It wasn’t as complete as ours
today. It seems from early writings that
Bishops ran the show in various cities; they did the day to day work of the
ministry. So, when the apostles died the
authority and keys died with them. The
question came up of who is in charge?
So, it came down to who ordained who to be a Bishop. Not the Lord’s way or course.
BIBLE DICTIONARY
MINISTRY
The work of the ministry
is to do the work of the Lord on the earth - to represent the Lord among the
people, preach the gospel, and administer the ordinances thereof. The chosen
servants and appointed officers in the
Bruce went into a long
discussion on our authority today, we aren’t perfectly organized yet
either. Heavenly Father tolerates our
weaknesses. The way the church is setup
presently is not scriptural, wards are not scriptural, only quorums and stakes
are mentioned. Bishops wear 2 hats, what
is the role of a High Priest Group Leader, etc, study D&C 107.
Priesthood Authority
Aaronic Priesthood Melchizedek Priesthood
Bishop
Apostle
Priest
Seventy
Teacher
High Priest
Deacon
Patriarch
Elder
Jacob 5:73 – The
branches and root are equal in strength.
Elder Packer May, 1990 Conference talks on the budget change for the
Church. The change wasn’t about
finances, but about activities that take youth and adults away from the
home. Activities became more important
than the family. Activities DO NOT SAVE, teaching correct doctrine
and receiving ordinances save.
Acts 13:2 – The guiding
influence of the Holy Ghost is throughout the book, the Holy Ghost is directing
the work.
Activities have their
place, but they DO NOT replace the
family. We don’t remove parents or
children from the home. Programs
eliminate inspiration, which is what we need to teach the doctrines of the
Lord’s gospel.
Priesthood quorums need
to effectively do their duty, D&C 77:11.
Bishops wear 2 hats, temporal and spiritual. Quorums exist to help parents do their job.
Father – King and Priest
– Teaching Ordinances
Lawgiver – Temporal
concerns in the Home.
Mother – Queen and
Priestess – She has the same role as the father, think of the temple!
Moses 4:22 – Adam was
called to rule, President Kimball thought the word preside was a better word to
describe the management of a home. His
example was Heavenly Father, our example is the same. Now it is seen as a negative, as a natural
man, brute, not kind in the home.
If parents used the Holy
Ghost then good (perfection) comes.
A question came up on
the 144,000 High Priests in the scriptures; Bruce said it was a way for John to
describe the size of the church and priesthood holders in the last day. A number multiplied by 12, it was a number of
emphases, describing the gathering in the last days.
Revelations 2:8-11 –
Their trial will be short in duration, and you will die in the end! You can only die physically once, but
spiritual death is eternal, best to avoid that one!
Robert Millet wrote the
following:
Must Every Person Living on Earth Hear the Gospel Before the Lord Can
Come?
In November 1831 the early elders of
the Church were authorized to preach the gospel: "Go ye into all the
world, preach the gospel to every creature, acting in the authority which I
have given you, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost" (D&C 68:8). "For, verily, the sound must go forth
from this place into all the world, and unto the uttermost parts of the
earth—the gospel must be preached unto every creature, with signs following
them that believe" (D&C 58:64). It is true that every person must have
the opportunity to hear the gospel, either here or hereafter. Eventually
"the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it
has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and
sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the
Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." fn
Not all, however, will have that
privilege as mortals, and not all will have that privilege before the Second
Coming. Jesus had spoken to the Twelve about the last days as follows:
"And again, this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world,
for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come, or the destruction
of the wicked" (Joseph Smith-Matthew
"That is a significant statement
that puts in perspective the preaching of the gospel to the world. Yes, we can
go on the radio; we can proclaim the gospel to all nations by television or
other modern invention. And to the extent that we can do it, so be it, it's all
to the good. But that's not what is involved. What is involved is that the
elders of Israel, holding the priesthood, in person have to trod the soil, eat
in the homes of the people, figuratively put their arms around the honest in
heart, feed them the gospel, and baptize them and confer the Holy Ghost upon
them. Then these people have to progress and advance, and grow in the things of
the Spirit, until they can go to the house of the Lord, until they can enter a
"The way we become kings and
priests is through the ordinances of the house of the Lord. It is through
celestial marriage; it is through the guarantees of eternal life and eternal
increase that are reserved for the Saints in the temples. The promise is that
when the Lord comes he is going to find in every nation and kindred, among
every people speaking every tongue, those who will, at that hour of his coming,
have already become kings and priests. . . . All this is to precede the Second
Coming of the Son of Man." fn
The revelations declare:
"Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight, for the hour
of his coming is nigh—when the Lamb shall stand upon Mount Zion, and with him a
hundred and forty-four thousand, having his father's name written on their
foreheads" (D&C 133:17-18). This group of 144,000 are high priests
after the holy order of God, men who have themselves received the promise of
exaltation and godhood and whose mission it is to bring as many as will come
into the Church of the Firstborn, into that inner circle of men and women who
have passed the tests of mortality and have become the elect of God. fn I have
often thought that the 144,000 high priests called in the last days to bring
men and women into the Church of the Firstborn (see D&C 77:11) is a
symbolic reference: in that day of division, of unspeakable wickedness and
consummate righteousness, temples will dot the earth, be accessible to the
Lord's covenant people everywhere, and thus the fulness of those temple
blessings will be sealed upon millions of the faithful Saints worldwide by
those holding those transcendent powers.
(Leon R. Hartshorn, Dennis A. Wright,
and Craig J. Ostler, eds., The Doctrine and Covenants, a Book of Answers:
The 25th Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co.,
1996], 218.)
Acts 16-20
Bruce wanted to highlight some
points from last week’s lesson.
Acts 9:36-43 – Peter is in Joppa and
raises Tabitha from the dead. Joppa was
a very important port in OT times but was not used in NT times. Herod built a brand new port 33 miles north
at Caesarea Marintina.
Joppa – Old – Peter – Israelite
BIBLE DICTIONARY
JOPPA
(modern
A town on the southwest
coast of
BIBLE DICTIONARY
An important seaport town
of Palestine, on the main road from Tyre to Egypt, 33 miles north of Joppa, and
about 60 miles from Jerusalem. Rebuilt by Herod the Great, it was the official
residence of Festus, Felix, and other Roman procurators of
Acts 10 – Peter was shown a vision
that the gospel was to go to all people, the Gentiles.
Acts 11:22-30 – Barabas travels
north to Antioch to pick up Paul in Tarsus, There were 2 cities of Antioch in
that time.
BIBLE DICTIONARY
(1) In
(2) In Pisidia, a Phrygian city in the Roman
In verses 28-29, it indicates a
famine in the area before the destruction comes.
Bruce described 3 ways the Lord
warns of impending Judgment, D&C 45:18-24, 3 Nephi 1-11.
- Voice of the Lord’s servants, since 1830
- Natural disasters to get people’s attention, to cause
us to repent
- Voice of the Lord himself
Bruce thinks the 7th seal
has been opened and 2 of the warnings have begun, fire, heat, and famine.
Fire and Desolation Poured Out during Seventh Seal
Rev 8 1Q. What are we to understand
by the sounding of the trumpets, mentioned in the 8th chapter of Revelation? A.
We are to understand that as God made the world in six days, and on the seventh
day he finished his work, and sanctified it, and also formed man out of the
dust of the earth, even so, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will
the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man, and judge
all things, and shall redeem all things, except that which he hath not put into
his power, when he shall have sealed all things, unto the end of all things;
and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels are the preparing and
finishing of his work, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years—the
preparing of the way before the time of his coming." (D. & C. 77:12.)
Rev 8 1Thus our Lord is not destined
to return when the seventh thousand years first commences. Plagues,
destruction, fire, bloodshed, war, and desolation—all of incomparable power and
degree—are to sweep the earth after the opening of the seventh seal and before
the Second Coming. These are announced in the 8th and 9th chapters of
Revelation.
Rev 8 11. According to the
apparent chronology set forth in Section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants,
there shall be a great sign in heaven (verse 93); then shall come the
destruction of the great and abominable church (verse 94); and then:
"There shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour; and
immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is
unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled; And
the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and be
caught up to meet him." (D. & C. 88:93-96.)
Rev 8 1 what is meant by the half
hour of silence has not yet been revealed. If it is to be reckoned on the basis
of "the Lord's time" of 1000 years to a day, the duration would be
some 21 of our years. (Abra. 3:4; 2 Pet. 3:8.)
Rev 8 2 Rev 8 3Rev 8 42-4. The
saints on both sides of the veil join in worshipping the Lord. The saints on
earth pray, while the angels’ burn incense on a golden altar before the throne
of God, an act of devotion patterned after similar rites in ancient
Rev 8 22. The seven angels] an
apocryphal statement speaks similarly: "I am Raphael, one of the seven holy
angels which present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before
the glory of the Holy One." (Tobit 12:15.)
Rev 8 5 The hot coals, taken from the altar and
cast down to earth, symbolize the judgments of God to be rained down upon the wicked
during the opening part of the seventh seal.
Rev 8 7 Rev 8 8Rev 8 9Rev 8 10Rev 8
11Rev 8 127-12; (and chapter 9)] Most of the plagues and destructions,
here announced for the early days of the seventh seal, are of such a nature
that they (speculatively!) could be brought to pass in large part through
atomic warfare.
Rev 8 7 Hail and fire mingled with
blood] Of the nation that shall rise to fight his people in that day, the
Lord says: "And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood;
and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are
with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone."
(Ezek. 38:22.) By these means a third of all the trees and green grass on earth
are to be destroyed. The plague of hail and fire rained upon Pharaoh's
Rev 8 8 Rev 8 98-9. Unbelievable
upheavals of nature and the unloosing of near unlimited power shall bring to
pass the destruction of a third part of all life in and on the oceans of the
world! (Jer. 51:25; Amos 7:4.) Perhaps the turning of the waters of
Rev 8 10 Rev 8 1110-11. Could
this be atomic fallout which shall poison a third of the drinking water of the
earth?
Rev 8 12 as, perhaps,
symbolized by the "thick darkness in all the
Rev 8 13 and these are but the
beginning of that which is to be as wickedness is swept away to prepare the
Lord's footstool for his personal habitation
(Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New
Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 3:
499.)
Act 13 – Paul’s 1st
mission, they had a lot of success along with persecution. Paul was stoned and was dead, but was blessed
and revived, see verses 19-20, was he thinking of Stephen?
Act 15 – The conference in
THE
Robert J. Matthews
Robert J. Matthews is
professor emeritus of ancient scripture at
The fifteenth chapter of the book of
Acts in the New Testament tells of a high-level council meeting in
THE NEW TESTAMENT RECORD
The complete title of the New
Testament book of Acts is "The Acts of the Apostles." It is generally
understood to have been written by Luke and is in reality a sequel to the book
of Luke. Both the book of Luke and the book of Acts are addressed to an
acquaintance named "Theophilus" (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1). Acts refers to
the book of Luke as the "former treatise" of "all that Jesus
began both to do and teach" (Acts 1:1), whereas the book of Acts itself
deals with the work, growth, and development of the Church after the ascension
of Christ.
Although each member of the Twelve is
mentioned at least once in Acts, the book deals initially with the ministry of
Peter, James, and John and records at great length the conversion and ministry
of Paul. It is a record of the "acts" not of all the apostles but of
only a few and especially of Paul. Acts is in truth a short account of the
missionary outreach of the Church to the Jews in
Even though our present New Testament
does not contain a record of it, there can be no doubt that many, if not all,
of the Twelve traveled extensively in giving missionary service. Jesus
commanded the Twelve to go unto all nations, teaching and baptizing them
(Matthew 28:19-20). Tradition and apocryphal sources suggest that the original
apostles were true to their commission and traveled throughout Africa,
I believe there is a reasonable
explanation for that narrow focus. The New Testament is a record of the work
and preaching of living prophets and apostles who went forth with priesthood
authority to build up and regulate the Church of Jesus Christ in their day, the
first century after Christ. Most of the writings and records of travel of those
early authorized brethren have not been preserved for later generations, yet
the missionary records of Paul, Peter, and John have been. Could it be that
those records in particular were preserved for the benefit of the Restoration?
Perhaps the Lord, knowing among what people the restoration in the latter days
would need to begin, preserved the sacred records that dealt with the
establishment of the Church in southern Europe, from where it moved throughout
Europe, the British Isles, and
Most of the settlers in early North
America came from the countries of
I believe the Lord preserved what he
did in the New Testament because it was that part of the history and doctrine
of the early Church that would be most usable and serviceable in establishing
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the dispensation of the
fulness of times. The Lord knew and designed that it should be among those
people in
EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE
As noted earlier, the causes that
produced the Jerusalem Council did not develop in a vacuum. The need for such a
council was the consequence of several doctrinal and cultural factors that had
been at work among both Jews and Gentiles for centuries. It will be necessary
to review the activities of the Church as recorded in Acts 1 through 15 to
understand the thrust and direction of the early Church and see what led to the
council itself. Following is a summation of significant events.
Jesus ascends into heaven from the
Mount of Olives, having told the Twelve not to extend their ministry beyond
One week after the ascension of Jesus
to heaven, at the annual feast of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost descends on the
Twelve, and they speak in tongues to people of many nations. Gathered at
It is of particular importance that
the record states that those who came from those fifteen nations were Jews and
proselytes, which means that not all were Jewish by lineage but some were
gentile converts to Judaism (Acts 2:10). The term proselytes in the New
Testament always means gentile converts to Judaism. Certainly some of the three
thousand converted to the Church on the day of Pentecost would have been from
among the proselytes and thus the first persons of gentile lineage to join the
Church in the meridian dispensation. Jesus had instructed the Twelve, when they
were starting on their first missions more than two years before, not to go
among the Gentiles or the Samaritans at that time (Matthew 10:5). Hence, Church
members up till then were exclusively Jewish. But note this important fact:
even though individuals of gentile lineage now came into the Church, they had
all previously converted to Judaism, which meant complying with the practice of
circumcision, eating kosher food, offering sacrifice, and honoring the Sabbath
day in proper Jewish style. Although Greek, Galatian, or Roman in lineage, they
were Jews in religion.
Acts 3 through 6 deals with the
ministry of the Twelve among the Jews in and around
Stephen, one of the seven, is accused
of having taught that Jesus would destroy
Philip, another of the seven,
baptizes many men and women in
Saul is converted to Jesus Christ by
a personal visit in which he sees, hears, and converses with the resurrected
Lord (Acts 9). Paul proclaims his testimony of Christ in the synagogues of
Peter, having been directed by a
vision and the voice of the Spirit, baptizes Cornelius and his family at
This is the first clear case of a
Gentile's coming into the Church without having first complied with the law of
Moses through circumcision and so forth. The conversion and baptism of
Cornelius in this manner is thus a major step—a full step—in extending the
Church missionary system. It is very significant that the Lord brought about
this new procedure through Peter, who as the senior apostle of the Church can
exercise all the priesthood keys and holds the proper office through which such
direction from the Lord should come.
Many Jewish brethren in the Church
complained to Peter about that direct process for gaining membership in the
Church, but he answered their criticism with a recital of the vision, the
angel, the voice of the Spirit to him, and the manifestation of the Holy Ghost
to Cornelius and his family before their baptism (Acts 11). Cornelius did not
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost before baptism, for such is contrary to the
order of the kingdom. What he did receive before baptism was the witness of the
Holy Ghost, as the Prophet Joseph Smith explained: "There is a difference
between the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Cornelius received the
Holy Ghost before he was baptized, which was the convincing power of God unto
him of the truth of the Gospel, but he could not receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost until after he was baptized. Had he not taken this sign or ordinance upon
him, the Holy Ghost which convinced him of the truth of God, would have left
him. Until he obeyed these ordinances and received the gift of the Holy Ghost,
by the laying on of hands, according to the order of God, he could not have
healed the sick or commanded an evil spirit to come out of a man, and it obey
him." fn
Even after the landmark conversion of
Cornelius, with Peter, the Lord's anointed, directing this phase of the
missionary outreach, some Jewish members of the Church refused to accept the
change, and they preached the gospel to "none but unto the Jews only"
(Acts 11:19). Nonetheless the way was opened for Gentiles to come into the
Church without becoming Jews first. At Antioch of Syria, a great gentile city
about three hundred miles north of Jerusalem, so many Gentiles joined the
Church that the Brethren in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch to oversee the
change that was taking place. Barnabas was a good diplomatic choice: he was a
Levite by lineage, was reared in
Acts 12 deals with the martyrdom of
James, one of the three most senior apostles and the brother of John.
Administrative activities are also discussed in this chapter.
Saul, Barnabas, and John Mark at
Paul and Barnabas establish branches
of the Church, ordain elders in each of the cities they visit, and then return
to
When word of the success of Paul and
Barnabas reaches certain Church members in and around Jerusalem, these Judean
brethren, much concerned, go to Antioch on their own, without authorization
from the Twelve or any of the presiding Brethren of the Church, and declare to
the gentile Church members at Antioch that "except ye be circumcised after
the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1). Thus the problem is
clearly stated: Is obedience to the law of Moses with all its attendant
performances required for salvation, now that Jesus Christ has made the
Atonement?
Let me digress a moment to explain
the great emphasis on circumcision, for it may seem to us today an odd matter
for early Church members to have been fighting about. Circumcision is a very
old practice among mankind, even among non-Jewish peoples, but the Lord Jehovah
appointed it the token of the covenant he made with Abraham (Genesis 17). This
covenant was to extend throughout Abraham's posterity, and through this
covenant the blessings and promises of God's favor were to be realized
throughout time and eternity. Circumcision was the badge, the sign of
identification, showing that one was a believer in the true God and in the
covenant. That token was continued in the law of Moses. The manner in which the
word circumcised is used throughout the book of Acts and the epistles is
generally as a one-word representation for the entire law of Moses; hence when
the Jewish members of the Church insisted that Gentiles be circumcised, they
meant that the Gentiles should obey all of the law of Moses. But back to the
events at
Paul and Barnabas are contending with
the brethren from
The question is threefold:
1. Did Jesus Christ by his earthly
ministry and atonement fulfill the Law of Moses with its multitudinous
ordinances and performances? And if so,
2. Do converts from among
non-Israelite peoples have to obey the law of Moses to become baptized members
of the Church of Jesus Christ? And
3. Should Church members, Jew and
Gentile, have their sons circumcised as a requirement for salvation?
The settlement of this threefold
question would affect how believers regarded Christ's mission, what missionary
procedures were implemented, and what would be the practice of every family in
the Church with respect to their sons for generations yet unborn.
THE
When Paul and Barnabas arrived in
After much disputing in the council,
Peter declared the baptism of Cornelius and others by his hand. He reminded the
congregation that the conversion of the Gentiles was the work of God and that
God "put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by
faith." He also stated that the "grace of the Lord Jesus Christ"
(Acts 15:7-11) would save both "us and them," affirming the truth
that our works are insufficient without God's grace.
After Peter's testimony, the
"multitude" in the council listened as Barnabas and Paul told of the
"miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them"
(Acts
"The apostles and elders and
brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in
"Forasmuch as we have heard,
that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting
your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave
no such commandment:
"It seemed good unto us, being
assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved
Barnabas and Paul,
"Men that have hazarded their
lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
"We have sent therefore Judas
and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
"For it seemeth good to the Holy
Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary
things;
"That ye abstain from meats
offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from
fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye
well" (Acts
Upon arriving in Antioch of Syria,
the Brethren assembled a multitude of Church members, read the epistle, and
exhorted the people, who "rejoiced" at the news (Acts
Such is the report of the proceedings
of the council recorded in Acts 15. We learn from Paul's later epistle to the
Galatians the significant information we would not otherwise have that Paul
went up early to Jerusalem to confer privately with the Brethren to learn of
their views and to make certain they agreed with what he and Barnabas had done
in receiving the Gentiles, "lest by any means I should run, or had run, in
vain" (Galatians 2:2). This private meeting is probably the one referred
to in Acts 15:4-5, but Paul's epistle gives it a clearer focus by expressing
his motive for speaking with the Brethren in private.
Another important factor we learn
from this Galatian epistle is that Paul and Barnabas took Titus, a young
gentile convert probably from
The Galatian epistle also helps us
determine the date of the council. In chapter 1 Paul tells of his conversion to
Jesus Christ; in chapter 2 he tells of going to
THE
As forward reaching and beneficial as
the decision by the Jerusalem Council was, it was only a half step forward in
the progress of the Church. For one thing, the council did not decisively
declare an end to the law of Moses. The announcement part of the epistle sent
from the council does not use the words "law of Moses" nor declare
its fulfillment or its final and absolute end as a practice in the Church.
Furthermore, the epistle was addressed not to all members of the Church but
only to the gentile members in
Why would the Brethren have been so
ambiguous and nondeclarative? They seem to have said as little as they could
about the matter. Perhaps they hoped to avoid dividing the Church and
alienating the strict Jewish members. Likewise, they would not have wanted to
invite persecution from nonmember Jews. James seems to have had that in mind
when, after announcing the moderate decision, he said to the council: "For
Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the
synagogues every sabbath day" (Acts
The decision of the council was
favorable to Paul, Barnabas, Titus, and the Gentiles who were already in the
Church and who would yet join, but it also left the Jewish members free to
continue the practice of the Law of Moses if they cared to do so. The council
did not say that the Gentiles could not or must not practice the Law of Moses,
but only that they need not do so for salvation. By wording the decision in the
way they did, the Brethren probably avoided a schism in the Church and no doubt
also avoided the ire that would have come from the Jews had the decision been
stronger. There must have been many who would have preferred a stronger
declaration, but the Brethren acted in the wisdom requisite for their
situation.
Not long after the council adjourned,
when Paul was on his second mission, he wanted Timothy, a Greek convert at
Lystra, to accompany him. Because Timothy's mother was a Jew and his father a
Greek, he had not been circumcised. Paul therefore circumcised him so that he
would be more acceptable to the Jews among whom he would do missionary work.
That may seem contradictory to Paul's standards, but it is fairly simple: the
action was expedient because of Jewish tradition and culture but it was not
necessary for Timothy's salvation.
The effects of the moderate decision
of the council were far-reaching and long lasting. Ten years later, when Paul
returned to Jerusalem at the end of his third mission among the Gentiles of
Greece and Turkey (Galatia and Asia), he was greeted by the Brethren, who
rejoiced at his great success among the Gentiles of the Roman empire but
cautioned him about preaching strong doctrine, especially about the law of
Moses, in Jerusalem. Even a decade after the council, Jewish members of the
Church in
"And they are informed of thee
that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses,
saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after
the customs.
"What is it therefore? The
multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
"Do therefore this that we say
to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
"Them take, and purify thyself
with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and
all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are
nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
"As touching the Gentiles which
believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save
only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood,
and from strangled, and from fornication.
"Then Paul took the men, and the
next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the
accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be
offered for every one of them" (Acts
There is no question that Peter and
the other Brethren knew that the Law of Moses was fulfilled. The doctrinal
question was settled. The law was no longer a requirement for salvation now
that Jesus had made the Atonement. Missionary work among the gentile nations
could go forth directly and without impediment. But there was a conflict
between culture and doctrine. The Brethren were clear on the matter, but
long-standing culture and tradition persisted among many Jewish members of the
Church even after the doctrinal question had been settled. Latter-day
revelation leaves no doubt that the law of Moses was fulfilled in Christ (3
Nephi 15:4-5;
In like manner today there may be
points about which the doctrinal foundation is clear but about which tradition
or custom or the ways of the world are so strong that the Brethren hope, as did
the New Testament leaders, that the Holy Ghost will eventually cause the adherents
to forsake tradition, academic popularity, and peer pressure for the word of
God. Perhaps the theory of organic evolution, some political and economic
issues, the doctrine of election as pertaining to the Abrahamic covenant, and
several other points are in this category requiring time to elapse and changes
to occur before definitive pronouncements can be made beyond what is already in
the revelations. At any rate, the book of Acts gives our present generation an
informative model of how both members and nonmembers react when revelation
confronts tradition and long-standing custom. Only living prophets could
correctly handle the situation then. Only living prophets can do so now.
Notes
1. See William Byron Forbush, Fox's
Book of Martyrs (Philadelphia: Universal Book and Bible House, 1926), 1-5;
M. R. James, The Apocryphal New Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press,
1969), 14-15n., and such geographic areas as Persia and India as are listed in
the index).
2. Joseph Smith, Teachings of the
Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book, 1976), 199.
(The Apostle Paul, His Life and
His Testimony: The 23d Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Co., 1994], 93.)
Themes from Acts are Joy – Prayer – Holy Ghost – Conflict.
Deuteronomy 28:64-67 – Without
understanding the Plan of Salvation there isn’t JOY in your life. There is no purpose of mind, there is sorrow
of mind.
Our actions fall into 2 camps:
Law of Increasing Returns Law of Decreasing
Returns
The more time you put into an The more time you put into an
activity, the greater the
reward
activity the less is the reward
JOY PLEASURE
The gospel brings increasing returns
the more involved you become. Paul had a
fullness of joy because he was fully involved.
If we aren’t experiencing joy in the
gospel, then we aren’t fully committed to it.
It’s like having one hand on the gospel door and the other hand on the
door of the great and spacious building.
Bruce has a topic on the site called Maintaining Priorities, Pres.
Benson, and Elder Maxwell.
These quotes come from the website
titled “Dangers of Superficial Church Membership”.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
Many years ago, large
packs of wolves roamed the countryside in
We do not have to protect
ourselves from wolf packs as we travel the road of life today, but, in a
spiritual sense, we do face the devious wolves of Satan in the forms of
temptation, evil, and sin. We live in dangerous times when these ravenous
wolves roam the spiritual countryside in search of those who may be weak in
faith or feeble in their conviction. In his first epistle, Peter described our
"adversary the devil, as a roaring lion [that] walketh about, seeking whom
he may devour." (1 Pet. 5:8.) The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith that
"enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb." (D&C
122:6.) We are all vulnerable to attack. However, we can fortify ourselves with
the protection provided by a burning testimony that, like a bonfire, has been
built adequately and maintained carefully.
Unfortunately, some in
the Church may believe sincerely that their testimony is a raging bonfire when
it really is little more than the faint flickering of a candle. Their faithfulness has
more to do with habit than holiness, and their pursuit of personal
righteousness almost always takes a back seat to their pursuit of personal
interests and pleasure. With such a feeble light of testimony for protection,
these travelers on life's highways are easy prey for the wolves of the
adversary. ("Spiritual Bonfires of Testimony," Ensign, Nov.
1992, p. 34)
Elder Neal A. Maxwell
From Men and Women of
Christ:
If we enlist and take the
Savior's yoke upon us we "shall find rest unto [our] souls" (Matthew
Strange as it seems, a
few of the partially yoked, undeservedly wearing the colors of the kingdom, are
just close enough to the prescribed path and process to be able to observe in
others some of the visible costs of discipleship. Sobered by that observation,
they want victory without battle and expect campaign ribbons merely for
watching; but there is no witness until after the trial of their faith (see
Ether 12:6).
These same Church members
know just enough about the doctrines to converse superficially on them, but
their scant knowledge about the deep doctrines is inadequate for deep
discipleship (see 1 Corinthians
From "Overcome ...
Even As I Also Overcame":
Events and circumstances
in the last days make it imperative for us as members of the Church to become
more grounded, rooted, established, and settled (see Col. 1:23; Col. 2:7; 2
Pet. 1:12). Jesus said to His disciples, "settle this in your hearts, that
ye will do the things which I shall teach, and command you" (JST Luke
Some Church members,
alas, are neither reconciled to the will of God nor are they sufficiently
settled as to their covenants. . . .
Some give of their time
yet withhold themselves, being present without giving of their presence and
going through the superficial motions of membership instead of the deep
emotions of consecrated discipleship.
Some try to get by with
knowing only the headlines of the gospel, not really talking much of Christ or rejoicing
in Christ and esteeming lightly His books of scripture which contain and
explain His covenants (see 2 Ne. 25:26).
Some are so proud they
never learn of obedience and spiritual submissiveness. They will have very
arthritic knees on the day when every knee shall bend. There will be no gallery
then to play to; all will be participants!
Maintaining Church
membership on our own terms, therefore, is not true discipleship.
Real disciples absorb the
fiery darts of the adversary by holding aloft the quenching shield of faith
with one hand, while holding to the iron rod with the other (see Eph.
Joseph Smith
The things of God are of
deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn
thoughts can only find them out. Thy mind, O man! if thou wilt lead a soul unto
salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost heavens, and search into and
contemplate the darkest abyss, and the broad expanse of eternity--thou must
commune with God. How much more dignified and noble are the thoughts of God,
than the vain imaginations of the human heart! (History of the Church
3:295)
We had a long discussion on Control
– No Control and Influence on others. I
can only control myself; I can only control my responses to other things, which
show less anger, less frustration.
D&C 121:34-46 – Principles of
Righteousness, reproving at times with sharpness is not anger but precision and
clarity at the problem. “Unrighteous
Dominion” H. Burke Petersen Ensign July 1989.
Teachings
Concerning
Fatherhood and
Priesthood
___________________
Final Judgement Based Upon Our Becoming Good Fathers
Dallin H. Oaks
From
such teachings we conclude that the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of
a sum total of good and evil acts-what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of
the final effect of our acts and thoughts-what we have become. It is not enough
for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and
covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some
heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to
become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become. . . .
Now
is the time for each of us to work toward our personal conversion, toward
becoming what our Heavenly Father desires us to become. As we do so, we
should remember that our family relationships-even more than our Church
callings-are the setting in which the most important part of that development
can occur. The conversion we must achieve requires us to be a good husband
and father or a good wife and mother. Being a successful Church leader is not
enough. Exaltation is an eternal family experience, and it is our mortal family
experiences that are best suited to prepare us for it. (Ensign, Nov.
2000, pp. 32-34; emphasis added)
Our Role as Father is a Type of Heavenly Father
Joseph F. Smith
We
further believe that the rights of fatherhood in all faithful worthy men are
paramount, and should be recognized by all other men holding positions or
calling in the Priesthood. To make this idea plainer we will say, as an example
of our idea, we do not consider it proper in a bishop or other officer to
suggest that the son of such a man (the son himself not being the head of a
family, but living with his father) be called upon a mission without first
consulting the father. The Priesthood was originally exercised in the
patriarchal order; those who held it exercised their powers firstly by right of
their fatherhood. It is so with the great Elohim. This first and strongest
claim on our love, reverence and obedience is based on the fact that he is the
Father, the Creator, of all mankind. Without him we are not, and consequently
we owe to him existence and all that flows therefrom--all we have and all that
we are. Man possessing the holy Priesthood is typical of him. (Gospel
Doctrine, p.147)
Fatherhood is a Calling
Ezra Taft Benson
My
dear brethren, I am grateful to be here with you in this glorious assembly of
the priesthood of God. I pray that the Spirit of the Lord will be with me and
with you as I address you on a most vital subject. This evening I would like to
speak to the fathers assembled here and throughout the Church about their
sacred callings.
I
hope you young men will also listen carefully, inasmuch as you are now
preparing to become the future fathers of the Church.
Fathers,
yours is an eternal calling from which you are never released. Callings in the
Church, as important as they are, by their very nature are only for a period of
time, and then an appropriate release takes place. But a father's calling is
eternal, and its importance transcends time. It is a calling for both time and
eternity. . . .
Remember
your sacred calling as a father in
Priesthood Holders Emulate the Fatherhood of Christ
James E. Faust
Holding
the priesthood means following the example of Christ and seeking to emulate his
example of fatherhood. It means constant concern and caring for one's own flesh
and blood. The man who holds the priesthood is to honor it by eternally
cherishing, with absolute fidelity, his wife and the mother of his children. He
is to extend lifelong care and concern for his children, and their children.
["Father, Come Home," Ensign, May 1993, p. 36]
Priesthood and Righteousness
D&C 121:34-46
34
Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
35
Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire
to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson--
36
That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of
heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled .
37
That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover
our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or
dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of
unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the
Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the
authority of that man.
38
Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks,
to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.
39
We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of
almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they
will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
40
Hence many are called, but few are chosen.
41
No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the
priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness,
and by love unfeigned;
42
By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without
hypocrisy, and without guile--
43
Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then
showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast
reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;
44
That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.
45
Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of
faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy
confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the
priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
46
The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging
scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting
dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and
ever.
Gordon B.
Personal
worthiness becomes the standard of eligibility to receive and exercise this
sacred power. It is of this that I wish to speak tonight.
I
begin by reading to you from the Doctrine and Covenants, section 121:
"The
rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven,
and . . . the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the
principles of righteousness.
"That
they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our
sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or
dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of
unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the
Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the
authority of that man" (D&C 121:36-37).
That
is the unequivocal word of the Lord concerning His divine authority. What a
tremendous obligation this places upon each of us. We who hold the priesthood
of God must stand above the ways of the world. We must discipline ourselves. We
cannot be self-righteous, but we can and must be decent, honorable men.
Our
behavior in public must be above reproach. Our behavior in private is even more
important. It must clear the standard set by the Lord. We cannot indulge in
sin, let alone try to cover our sins. We cannot gratify our pride. We cannot
partake of the vanity of unrighteous ambition. We cannot exercise control, or
dominion, or compulsion upon our wives or children, or any others in any degree
of unrighteousness.
If
we do any of these things, the powers of heaven are withdrawn. The Spirit of
the Lord is grieved. The very virtue of our priesthood is nullified. Its
authority is lost.
The
manner of our living, the words we speak, and our everyday behavior have a
bearing upon our effectiveness as men and boys holding the priesthood.
Our
fifth article of faith states: "We believe that a man must be called of
God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority,
to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof."
Even
though those in authority lay hands upon our heads and we are ordained, we may
through our behavior nullify and forfeit any right to exercise this divine
authority.
Section
121 goes on to say: "No power or influence can or ought to be maintained
by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by
gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
"By
kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without
hypocrisy, and without guile" (D&C 121:41-42).
Now,
my brethren, those are the parameters within which this priesthood must find
expression. It is not as a cloak that we put on and take off at will. It is,
when exercised in righteousness, as the very tissue of our bodies, a part of us
at all times and in all circumstances.
And
so, to you young men who hold the Aaronic Priesthood, you have had conferred
upon you that power which holds the keys to the ministering of angels. Think of
that for a minute.
You
cannot afford to do anything that would place a curtain between you and the
ministering of angels in your behalf.
You
cannot be immoral in any sense. You cannot be dishonest. You cannot cheat or
lie. You cannot take the name of God in vain or use filthy language and still
have the right to the ministering of angels. (Ensign, May 2002, p. 52)
Unrighteous Dominion
H. Burke Peterson
In
the order of heaven, the husband has the authority to preside in the home. That
issue is not subject to review. How he presides, however, is subject to review,
and to correction, if necessary.
Sometimes
a husband may believe that his role as head of the house gives him a right to
be exacting and to arbitrarily prescribe what his wife should do. But in a home
established on a righteous foundation, the relationship of a man and a woman
should be one of partnership. A husband should not make decrees. Rather, he
should work with his wife until a joint decision palatable to both is
developed.
A
man needs to understand that his power to influence his wife or children for
good can only come through love, praise, and patience. It can never be brought
about by force or coercion.
Many
women carry heavy burdens raising children and attending to household
responsibilities. They often accomplish near-miracles in balancing all the
demands made upon them. A husband who is critical of his wife and communicates
censure for what hasn't been done rather than thanks for what has been done
fosters discouragement. But if he will give a word of praise or offer a little
help, he will see his wife try ever harder to do her part. Criticism has a
negative influence on the feelings of love for and interest in one's spouse.
Women need love, affection, and emotional support from their husbands.
Paul
has counseled, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the
church, and gave himself for it." (Eph. 5:25.) In commenting on this
counsel, President Kimball provided this important insight:
"Can
you think of how [Christ] loved the church? Its every breath was important to
him. Its every growth, its every individual, was precious to him. He gave to
those people all his energy, all his power, all his interest. He gave his
life--and what more could one give? … When the husband is ready to treat his
household in that manner, not only his wife but also his children will respond
to his loving and exemplary leadership. It will be automatic. He won't need to
demand it. …
"Certainly
if fathers are to be respected, they must merit respect: If they are to be
loved, they must be consistent, lovable, understanding, and kind--and they must
honor their priesthood." (Men of Example, pamphlet, Salt Lake City: Church
Educational System, 1973, p. 5.)
Authority and Power in the Priesthood
Some
brethren do not understand that there is a marked difference between priesthood
authority and priesthood power. The two terms are not necessarily synonymous.
Authority in the priesthood comes by the laying on of hands by one having the
proper authority. However, according to revelation from the Lord, power in the
priesthood comes only through righteous living. In the scriptures we are told:
"The
rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven,
and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the
principles of righteousness.
"That
they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our
sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or
dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of
unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the
Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the
authority of that man." (D&C 121:36-37.)
This
power from heaven is the power to bless, to strengthen, to heal, to comfort, to
bring peace to a household. To lift and encourage is priesthood power. To those
who learn how to develop this power will come the promises described in
Doctrine and Covenants 132:20-21:
"Then
shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from
everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above
all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because
they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.
"Verily,
verily, I say unto you, except ye abide my law ye cannot attain to this
glory." [D&C 132:20-21]
Inherent
in the "law" spoken of in these verses is the principle of righteous
dominion. Consider the Lord's description of a man of power as contained in
Doctrine and Covenants 121:41-42. This description is directed specifically at
the priesthood, but anyone in authority, particularly husbands and fathers,
would do well to adopt these principles. [D&C 121:41-42]
The
Man of Power is one who presides--
•
By persuasion. He uses no demeaning words or behavior, does not manipulate
others, appeals to the best in everyone, and respects the dignity and agency of
all humankind--men, women, boys, and girls.
•
By long-suffering. He waits when necessary and listens to the humblest or
youngest person. He is tolerant of the ideas of others and avoids quick
judgments and anger.
•
By gentleness. He uses a smile more often than a frown. He is not gruff or loud
or frightening; he does not discipline in anger.
•
By meekness. He is not puffed up, does not dominate conversations, and is
willing to conform his will to the will of God.
•
By love unfeigned. He does not pretend. He is sincere, giving honest love
without reservation even when others are unlovable.
•
By kindness. He practices courtesy and thoughtfulness in little things as well
as in the more obvious things.
•
By pure knowledge. He avoids half-truths and seeks to be empathetic.
•
Without hypocrisy. He practices the principles he teaches. He knows he is not
always right and is willing to admit his mistakes and say "I'm
sorry."
•
Without guile. He is not sly or crafty in his dealings with others, but is
honest and authentic when describing his feelings.
Reproving With Sharpness
Another
misunderstood and misused scripture is Doctrine and Covenants 121:43, which
reads, "Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy
Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom
thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy." [D&C 121:43]
Perhaps
we should consider what it means to reprove with sharpness. Reproving with
sharpness means reproving with clarity, with loving firmness, with serious
intent. It does not mean reproving with sarcasm, or with bitterness, or with
clenched teeth and raised voice. One who reproves as the Lord has directed
deals in principles, not personalities. He does not attack character or demean
an individual.
In
almost every situation in which correction is required, private reproof is
superior to public reproof. Unless the whole ward is in need of a reprimand, it
is better for a bishop to speak to the individual rather than to use the
collective approach. Similarly, a child or spouse has the right to be told
privately of mistakes. Public correction is often cruel or, at the least,
misguided.
Brigham
Young gave us a key to making righteous reproof possible:
"If
you are ever called to chasten a person, never chasten beyond the balm you have
within you to bind up. … When you have the chastening rod in your hands, ask
God to give you wisdom to use it, that you may not use it to the destruction of
an individual, but to his salvation." (In Journal of Discourses,
9:124-25.)
Each
husband, each father, should ask some questions of himself to see if he may be
on the borderline of unrighteous dominion:
1.
Do I criticize family members more than I compliment them?
2.
Do I insist that family members obey me because I am the father or husband and
hold the priesthood?
3.
Do I seek happiness more at work or somewhere other than in my home?
4.
Do my children seem reluctant to talk to me about some of their feelings and
concerns?
5.
Do I attempt to guarantee my place of authority by physical discipline or
punishment?
6.
Do I find myself setting and enforcing numerous rules to control family
members?
7.
Do family members appear to be fearful of me?
8.
Do I feel threatened by the notion of sharing with other family members the
power and responsibility for decision making in the family?
9.
Is my wife highly dependent on me and unable to make decisions for herself?
10.
Does my wife complain that she has insufficient funds to manage the household
because I control all the money?
11.
Do I insist on being the main source of inspiration for each individual family
member rather than teaching each child to listen to the Spirit?
12. Do I often feel angry and critical toward
family members?
If
the answer to any of these questions is yes, then we may need to evaluate our
relationship with our family members. For one who holds the priesthood, the
best test as to whether he is trying to control the lives of family members can
be found by examining his relationship with the Lord. If a man feels a
reduction or withdrawal of the Holy Ghost (manifested by contention, disunity,
or rebellion), he may know that he is exercising unrighteous dominion.
("Unrighteous Dominion," Ensign, July 1989, pp. 8-11)
My response should be:
The world may go to hell, but I don’t have to go with it!
Acts 16:3 – Timothy needs to be
circumcised in order to get into the synagogue and teach PR work.
Acts 19:2-7 – John taught that along
with baptism came the gift of the Holy Ghost.
The person who baptized these folks didn’t teach that, so they must have
been taught by an apostate, Paul then rebaptized them and gave them the gift of
the Holy Ghost.
Acts
WALKING IN NEWNESS OF LIFE: DOCTRINAL
THEMES OF THE APOSTLE PAUL
Robert L. Millet
Robert L. Millet is dean of Religious
Education and professor of ancient scripture at
It is given to but few to wield a
more powerful influence over Christian history than to Saul of Tarsus, the
persecutor who became a prophet, the Pharisee who became the Apostle to the Gentiles.
The life and teachings of the apostle Paul stand as bright reminders of the
power of Christ to transform the souls of men and women, to remake the human
heart, and to re-focus one's misdirected zeal into the way of the Master. When
the risen Lord appeared in vision to Ananias of Damascus and instructed him to
send for the stricken and blinded Saul, Ananias answered: "Lord, I have
heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at
Jerusalem: and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that
call on thy name." The response that followed bespeaks the Redeemer's
insight into the wonders that would be done at Paul's hand: "Go thy way:
for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and
kings, and the children of
Other chapters in this volume discuss
the early life, edu-cation and training, and conversion of Saul. I will
consider briefly some of the more significant doctrinal messages from his
epistles. Many of those are, in the language of Simon Peter, "things hard
to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do
also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:16). I
begin with the testimony that the message of Paul was a proclamation of the
gospel—Jesus Christ and him crucified—and that he was no more the originator of
Christianity (as some foolishly suppose) than Abraham was the originator of the
everlasting covenant. Further, as F. F. Bruce observed: "Paul himself is
at pains to point out that the gospel which he preached was one and the same
gospel as that preached by the other apostles—a striking claim, considering
that Paul was neither a companion of Christ in the days of His flesh nor of the
original apostles, and that he vigorously asserts his complete independence of
these." fn And yet Paul knew as Peter knew. He knew as Thomas knew. And
what he knew—whether from the teachings of Stephen, from the other apostles,
from his own study of the Old Testament with new eyes, or by means of personal
revelation—he taught. And he taught with a power, a persuasion, and a holy zeal
known only to those who, like Alma and the sons of Mosiah, have gone from
darkness to light and whose whole soul yearns to lead others to that same light.
"All Have Sinned"
One cannot fully appreciate the need
for medicine until one is aware of a malady. One does not pant after the
cooling draught until one has nearly died of thirst. In the same way, as
President Ezra Taft Benson observed, people do not yearn for salvation in
Christ until they know why they need Christ, which thing they cannot know until
they understand and acknowledge the Fall and its effects upon all mankind. fn
The atonement of Jesus Christ is inextricably and eternally tied to the fall of
Adam and Eve. To teach the Atonement without discussing the Fall is to teach
the Atonement in the abstract, to lessen its impact, to mitigate its
transforming power in the lives of men and women. Thus the apostle Paul began
at the beginning; he laid stress where it needed to be. Quoting the Psalmist,
he affirmed: "There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that
understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good,
no, not one" (Romans 3:10-12; compare Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3).
Though we as Latter-day Saints do not
subscribe to the belief held by many in the Christian world about the depravity
of humankind, yet the burden of scripture, including the New Testament, is that
there was a Fall and that it does take a measured toll on all humanity. Paul
taught plainly that men and women must be extricated and redeemed from the
Fall. Because our first parents partook of the forbidden fruit, death and sin
entered the world. We are, as God taught Adam in the earliest ages,
"conceived in sin," such that when children "begin to grow up,
sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter, that they may know
to prize the good" (Moses 6:55). In the words of Lehi, God revealed to the
ancients that all persons "were lost, because of the transgression of
their parents" (2 Nephi 2:21). Truly, "because of the fall our
natures have become evil continually" (Ether 3:2).
We do not believe that there is sin
in the sexual act, so long as it is undertaken within the bonds of marriage.
Nor do we subscribe to the belief in the inability of men and women even to
choose good over evil. To say that we are conceived in sin is to say, first of
all, that we are conceived into a world of sin. But, more significantly, it is
to declare that conception is the vehicle, the means by which a fallen nature,
what we know as mortality or what Paul calls "the flesh," is
transmitted to all the posterity of Adam and Eve. The revelations declare that
little children are innocent, not because they are that way by nature but
rather because Christ's atonement declares them to be so (
"All have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God," Paul wrote to the Romans (Romans 3:23). In speaking
of life before coming unto Christ, Paul further taught: "For when we were
in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were not according to the law, did
work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. . . . For I know that in
me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with
me"—that is, to do what is right is in my heart—"but to perform that
which is good I find not, only in Christ." (JST Romans 7:5, 19). Herein
lies the solution to the problem of the Fall: though all of us are subject to
sin and to the pull of the flesh, there is hope for liberation through Jesus.
The Son of God has "delivered us from the power of darkness"
(Colossians 1:13). He truly "hath abolished death, and hath brought life
and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10).
Justification by Faith
The scriptures are consistent in
their declaration that "no unclean thing can enter into [God's]
kingdom" (3 Nephi 27:19). In theory there are two ways by which men and
women may inherit eternal life. The first is simply to live the law of God
perfectly, to make no mistakes. To do so is to be justified—pronounced
innocent, declared blameless—by works or by law. To say that another way, if we
keep the commandments completely (including receiving the ordinances of
salvation), never deviating from the strait and narrow path throughout our
mortal lives, then we qualify for the blessings of the obedient. And yet we
have just attended to the terrible truth that all are unclean as a result of
sin. All of us have broken at least one of the laws of God and therefore
disqualify ourselves for justification by law. Moral perfection may be a
possibility, but it is certainly not a probability. Jesus alone trod that path.
"Therefore," Paul observed, "by the deeds of the
law"—meaning the law of Moses, as well as any law of God—"there shall
no flesh be justified in his sight" (Romans 3:20; compare 2 Nephi 2:5).
The second way to be justified is by
faith, for the sinner to be pronounced clean or innocent through trusting in
and relying upon the merits of him who answered the ends of the law (Romans
10:4; compare 2 Nephi 2:6-7). Jesus, who owed no personal debt to justice, is
that Holy One who can now "claim of the Father his rights of mercy which
he hath upon the children of men" (
The means by which the Savior
justifies us is wondrous indeed. It entails what might be called the great
exchange. It is certainly true that Jesus seeks through his atoning sacrifice
and through the medium of the Holy Spirit to change us, to transform us from
fallen and helpless mortals into "new creatures in Christ." But there
is more. Jesus offers to exchange with us. In his epistle to the Philippians,
Paul speaks of his eagerness to forsake the allurements of the world in order
to obtain the riches of Christ. "I count all things but loss," he
said, "for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I
may win Christ"—and now note this important addition—"and be found in
him, not having mine own righ-teousness, which is of the law, but that which is
through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith"
(Philippians 3:8-9). Paul's point is vital: justification comes by faith, by
trusting in Christ's righteousness, in his merits, mercy, and grace (Romans
10:1-4; compare 2 Nephi 2:3; Helaman 14:13; D&C 45:3-5).
Though our efforts to be righteous
are necessary, they will forevermore be insufficient. Paul teaches a profound
truth—that as we come unto Christ by the covenant of faith, our Lord's
righteousness becomes our righteousness. He justifies us in the sense that he
imputes—meaning, he reckons to our account—his goodness and takes our sin. This
is the great exchange. To the Corinthians Paul explained that "God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto
them. . . . For he [God the Father] hath made him [Christ the Son] to be sin
for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in
him" (2 Corinthians 5:19, 21). As Paul explained elsewhere, Christ
"hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for
us" (Galatians 3:13; compare Hebrews 2:9). Sidney Sperry thus spoke of
being justified as a matter not only of "acquittal" from guilt and
sin but also of "being regarded as 'righteous' in a future Divine
judgment." fn Those who enter the gospel covenant and thereafter seek to
do their duty and endure to the end the Lord "hold[s] guiltless" (3
Nephi 27:16; compare D&C 4:2). It is not that they are guiltless in the
sense of never having done wrong; rather, the Holy One removes the blame and
imputes—accounts or decrees to the repentant sinner, the one who comes unto
Christ by covenant—His righteousness. "For as by one man's
disobedience"—the fall of Adam—"many were made sinners, so by the
obedience of one"—Jesus Christ—"shall many be made righteous"
(Romans 5:19).
One Protestant theologian, John
MacArthur, has written: "Justification may be defined as an act of God
whereby he imputes to a believing sinner the full and perfect righteousness of
Christ, forgiving the sinner of all unrighteousness, declaring him or her
perfectly righteous in God's sight, thus delivering the believer from all
condemnation. . . . It is a forensic reality that takes place in the court of
God." fn MacArthur also explained: "Justification is a divine verdict
of 'not guilty—fully righteous.' It is the reversal of God's attitude toward the
sinner. Whereas He formerly condemned, He now vindicates. Although the sinner
once lived under God's wrath, as a believer he or she is now under God's
blessing. Justification is more than simple pardon; pardon alone would still
leave the sinner without merit before God. So when God justifies He imputes
divine righteousness to the sinner. . . . Justification elevates the believer
to a realm of full acceptance and divine privilege in Jesus Christ." The
harsh reality is that "the law demands perfection. But the only way to
obtain perfect righteousness is by imputation—that is, being justified by
faith." fn "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into
this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God"
(Romans 5:1-2). Since all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, we
are "justified only by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus," or in other words, "justified by faith alone without the deeds
of the law" (JST Romans 3:24, 28). The comforting message of the gospel is
that Jesus the Messiah has, "according to his mercy," offered to save
us, "by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which
he shed on us abundantly . . . ; that being justified by his grace, we should
be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:5-7).
Salvation by Grace
As we are all aware, the theological
debate between whether we are saved by grace or by works has continued for
centuries. In reality, it is a meaningless argument that radiates more heat
than light. Perhaps because Latter-day Saints have been so hesitant to
acknowledge any virtue in the argument that we are saved by grace alone, some
of us have not taken the apostle Paul seriously enough; sadly, we have too
often robbed ourselves of sacred insights, understanding, and comfort to be
found not only in the New Testament but also in the Book of Mormon.
Paul certainly understood that the
works of righteousness are necessary to our salvation. He taught that God
"will render to every man according to his deeds" (Romans 2:6). Of
course we must receive the ordinances of salvation. Of course we must strive to
live a life befitting that of our Christian covenant. Of course we must do all
in our power to overcome sin, put off the natural man, and deny ourselves of
all ungodliness. These things evidence our part of the gospel covenant. They
allow us, in fact, to remain in the covenant with Christ, even as we
occasionally stumble and fall short of the ideal. The question is not whether
good works are necessary—they are. As we have already observed, they are not
sufficient. The harder questions are, In whom do I trust? On whom do I rely? Is
my reliance on Christ's works, or do I strive to save myself?
Paul asked: "What shall we say
then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if
Abraham were justified by the law of works, he hath to glory in himself; but
not of God. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was
counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him who is justified by the law of
works, is the reward reckoned, not of grace, but of debt. But to him that
seeketh not to be justified by the law of works, but believeth on him who
justifieth not the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (JST
Romans 4:1-5). Abraham's faith—his willingness to believe the promises of God,
trust in Jehovah's power to accomplish what to him seemed impossible, and thus
to sacrifice Isaac—was what gained him the approval of the Almighty. It is with
us as it was with Abraham; if in fact we are saved by our deeds and our merits
alone, then we might have something about which to boast, namely that our own
genius, our own resources, our own righteousness were what allowed us to bound
into glory.
It isn't that Paul believed that only
those who do not work receive eternal life but rather that those who labor,
knowing their own fallibility and limitations, never trust in their own works.
Paul taught what James taught—that true faith is always manifest in righteous
works (James 2) and that one who relies wholly on the merits of Christ, who has
faith in him, will evidence that faith through noble actions and Christian
conduct. To argue that we are saved by our works is to argue that Christ's
atoning mission was unnecessary. "I do not frustrate the grace of
God," Paul wrote, "for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ
is dead in vain" (Galatians 2:21). John MacArthur has suggested that the
word grace makes an acronym for a glorious concept—"God's Riches At
Christ's Expense." fn
"How else could salvation
possibly come?" Elder Bruce R. McConkie asked. "Can man save himself?
Can he resurrect himself? Can he create a celestial kingdom and decree his own
admission thereto? Salvation must and does originate with God, and if man is to
receive it, God must bestow it upon him, which bestowal is a manifestation of
grace. . . . Salvation does not come by the works and performances of the law
of Moses, nor by 'circumcision,' nor by 'the law of commandments contained in
ordinances'. . . , nor does it come by any good works standing alone. No matter
how righteous a man might be, no matter how great and extensive his good works,
he could not save himself. Salvation is in Christ and comes through his
atonement." fn
New Creatures in Christ
Paul taught that to come unto Christ
is to enter into a new realm of existence, a spiritual realm. It is to forsake
death and come unto life, to put away evil and darkness and learn to walk in
righteousness and light. "Know ye not," Paul asked the Romans,
"that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into
his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as
Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the
likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin
might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Romans
6:3-6).
The new life in Christ entails a new
energy, a new dynamism, a new source of strength and power. That power is
Christ. So often people simply go through the motions, do good and perform
their duties but find little satisfaction in doing so. One Christian writer
offered this thought: "There are few things quite so boring as being
religious, but there is nothing quite so exciting as being a Christian!
"Most folks have never
discovered the difference between the one and the other, so that there are
those who sincerely try to live a life they do not have, substituting religion
for God, Christianity for Christ, and their own noble endeavors for the energy,
joy, and power of the Holy Spirit. In the absence of reality, they can only
grasp at ritual, stubbornly defending the latter in the absence of the former,
lest they be found with neither!
"They are lamps without oil,
cars without gas, and pens without ink, baffled at their own impotence in the
absence of all that alone can make man functional; for man was so engineered by
God that the presence of the Creator within the creature is indispensable to
His humanity. Christ gave Himself for us to give Himself to us! His presence puts
God back into the man! He came that we might have life—God's life!
"There are those who have a life
they never live. They have come to Christ and thanked Him only for what He did,
but do not live in the power of who He is. Between the Jesus who 'was' and the
Jesus who 'will be' they live in a spiritual vacuum, trying with no little zeal
to live for Christ a life that only He can live in and through them." fn
The disciples of Jesus must strive to
do what is right. They should do their duty in the Church and in the home, even
when they are not eager to do so. They cannot just leave the work of the
kingdom to others because they have not been changed and reborn. But that
doesn't mean they must always remain that way. Each of us may change; we can
change; we should change; and it is the Lord who will change us. Coming unto
Christ entails more than being cleansed, as important as that is. It entails
being filled. We speak often of the importance of being cleansed, or
sanctified. It is to have the Holy Spirit, who is not only a revelator but a
sanctifier, remove filth and dross from our souls. We refer to this process as
a baptism by fire. To be cleansed is essential, but to stop there is to stop
short of great blessings. Paul presents the idea of (in a sense) nailing
ourselves to the cross of Christ—nailing our old selves, the old man of sin. He
wrote: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Galatians
2:20).
This is a new life in Christ. To the
Ephesian Saints Paul wrote: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man
should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good
works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them"
(Ephesians 2:8-10). To the Hebrews he said: "Now the God of peace, that
brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good
work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight,
through Jesus Christ" (Hebrews 13:20-21). When we have been filled, the
Spirit is with us and Christ comes to dwell in us through that Spirit. Then our
works begin to be motivated by that Holy Spirit and they are no longer our
works; they are his works.
The risen Lord said to the Nephites
that certain things were required before his church would be truly his Church:
it must have his name, and it must be built upon his gospel. If these two
conditions are met, then the Father would show forth his own works in it (3
Nephi 27:5-10). How? Through the body of Christ, through the members of the
Church. The Father's Spirit motivates them to greater righteousness. It is not
expected that we "go through the motions" all our lives. There can
come a time when the Spirit changes our motives, desires, and yearnings, and we
begin to do works the way God would do them, because he has now begun to live
in us through that Spirit.
On one occasion Paul wrote:
"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence
only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear
and trembling." If we stop our reading there, and that's usually where we
stop, we wonder about the phrase "work out your own salvation." How?
There's not a person living on this earth that can work out his own salvation,
at least not without divine assistance. There aren't enough home teaching
visits; there aren't enough cakes and pies to be delivered to the neighbors;
there aren't enough prayers to be uttered for a person to work out his own
salvation. But Paul didn't stop there: "For it is God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13). The
works are the Lord's works through us, and thus we are doing not our works but
his works.
Through the atonement of Christ we do
more than enjoy a change of behavior; our nature is changed. "Therefore,
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Isn't that what
the angel taught King Benjamin—that the natural man is an enemy to God and will
stay that way unless and until he yields himself to the enticings of the Holy
Spirit? (Mosiah 3:19). John Stott explained: "We may be quite sure that
Christ-centredness and Christ-likeness will never be attained by our own
unaided efforts. How can self drive out self? As well expect Satan to drive out
Satan! For we are not interested in skin-deep holiness, in a merely external
resemblance to Jesus Christ. We are not satisfied by a superficial modification
of behaviour patterns. . . . No, what we long for is a deep inward change of
character, resulting from a change of nature and leading to a radical change of
conduct. In a word we want to be like Christ, and that thoroughly,
profoundly, entirely. Nothing less than this will do." fn
Elder Glenn Pace put it this way:
"We should all be striving for a disposition to do no evil, but to do good
continually. This isn't a resolve or a discipline; it is a disposition. We do
things because we want to, not just because we know we should. . . . Sometimes
we overlook the fact that a spiritual transformation or metamorphosis must take
place within us. It comes about through grace and by the Spirit of God,
although it does not come about until we have truly repented and proven
ourselves worthy. . . . My conclusion is that we will not be saved by works if
those works are not born of a disposition to do good, as opposed to an
obligation to do good." fn That, of course, is what President Ezra Taft
Benson meant when he taught that although the world deals in externals, the
Lord works from the inside out. fn
Bob George, a Protestant writer,
described the spiritual transformation this way: "Being made into a new
creation is like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Originally an earthbound
crawling creature, a caterpillar weaves a cocoon and is totally immersed in it.
Then a marvelous process takes place, called metamorphosis. Finally a totally
new creature—a butterfly—emerges. Once ground-bound, the butterfly can now soar
above the earth. It now can view life from the sky downward. In the same way,
as a new creature in Christ you must begin to see yourself as God sees you.
"If you were to see a butterfly,
it would never occur to you to say, 'Hey, everybody! Come look at this
good-looking converted worm!' Why not? After all, it was a worm. And it
was 'converted.' No, now it is a new creature, and you don't think of it in
terms of what it was. You see it as it is now—a butterfly." fn
The Fruit of the Spirit
The apostle Paul declared that one
mark of true discipleship, one significant evidence of our growth into the new
life in Christ, is the degree to which we enjoy the fruit of the Spirit. In
three different books of scripture the Lord discusses the gifts of the
Spirit—such things as discernment, tongues, interpretation of tongues,
administration, prophecy, healing, and so forth. In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul
suggested that the gifts of the Spirit are intended to enhance, build up, and
make perfect the body of Christ, meaning the Church. They are for the good of
the Church and kingdom. In addition, Paul spoke of the fruit of the Spirit. In
Galatians 5, he contrasted the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit:
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,
variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders,
drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I
have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21).
There is a natural birth and there is
a spiritual birth. The natural birth comes with mortality, and the natural
birth creates the natural man. The spiritual birth comes later. The natural
birth has its own set of fruits, or works. Paul mentioned several of them. The
spiritual man or woman brings forth his or her own fruits. "But the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's
have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the
Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-25).
Some of the gifts we know as the
gifts of the Spirit may have begun to develop within us before we came here. fn
Many aptitudes, capacities, and talents may thus come quite naturally for us.
For some, the gift of speaking or the gift of teaching come naturally, and
these are spiritual gifts. For others, discernment or wisdom is an integral
part of their lives. But there are people who are wonderful speakers and poor
Christians. There are people who do remarkable things in the classroom and
hurtful things outside the classroom. Talk to their family, secretary, staff,
or co-workers. The gifts of the Spirit are one thing; the fruit of the Spirit,
another. Patience, mercy, meekness, gentleness, longsuffering, and of course,
charity, or the pure love of Christ—these characterize men and women who have
begun to live in Christ. Such persons are simply more Christlike. Elder Marion
D. Hanks frequently asked a haunting question, one that strikes at the core of
this matter of being Christlike. He would inquire: "If you were arrested
and were to be tried for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to
convict you?"
The interesting thing about the fruit
of the Spirit is that attitudes and actions do not seem to be situational. In
other words, a person is not just very fruitful in the Spirit only while the
sun shines, pleasant and kindly only when circumstances are positive. Rather,
those who enjoy the fruit of the Spirit feel "love for those who do not
love in return, joy in the midst of painful circumstances, peace when something
you were counting on doesn't come through, patience when things aren't going
fast enough for you, kindness toward those who treat you unkindly, goodness
toward those who have been intentionally insensitive to you, faithfulness when
friends have proved unfaithful, gentleness toward those who have handled you
roughly, self-control in the midst of intense temptation." fn
Not All
Once Christ came into his life,
nothing was quite the same for Saul of Tarsus. The scriptures, our Old
Testament, were a new book to him. He saw the life and ministry of Jesus Christ
in and through all things, and he became a witness that all things bear
testimony of the Redeemer (Moses 6:63). Paul knew, for example, that the
gathering of
In bearing witness of Christ, Paul
drew upon the prophetic promise that through Abraham's seed all humanity would
be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:1-7; JST Genesis 17:11-12). "Now to Abraham
and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many;
but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ" (Galatians 3:16). Paul's
point might be restated as follows: although it is certainly true that through
Abraham's seed all nations would be blessed—meaning that through his endless
posterity the blessings of the gospel, the priesthood, and eternal life would
be dispensed to the world (Abraham 2:8-11)—the ultimate fulfillment of the
Abrahamic promise came through the One who was truly the Chosen Seed, Jesus of
Nazareth, son of David and thus son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1-16).
Paul also taught that many of the
performances and ordinances of the ancients (animal sacrifice being the most
obvious) had their fulfillment and thus ultimate meaning in Christ and his
redemption. For example, circumcision was given originally as a token of God's
covenant with Abraham, a commandment that male children were to be circumcised
at eight days as a reminder that because of the Atonement little children are
not accountable until they are eight years old (JST Genesis 17:11-12).
"For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly," he wrote,
"neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a
Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the
spirit" (Romans 2:28-29). Stated another way, "in Jesus Christ
neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which
worketh by love" (Galatians 5:6). Truly, in Christ we "are
circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of
the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: buried with him in
baptism, wherein also [we] are risen with him through the faith of the
operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead" (Colossians 2:11-12).
In short, Paul's message to those who
took pride and license in their lineage was clear. He declared boldly that it
is a blessed privilege to be a chosen people, to be heirs to the adoption, the
glory, the covenants, and the promises (Romans 9:4). But true heirship is to be
secured through adoption into the family of the Lord Jesus Christ. "For
there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over
all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name
of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:12-13). "For ye are all the
children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there
is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one
in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs
according to the promise" (Galatians 3:26-29; compare Colossians 3:11).
A Name above All Others
Paul affirmed that Jesus Christ
transcends all things, is superior to the gods of the pagans, has preeminence
over the mystical deities of the Gnostics, and is, under the Eternal Father,
the One before whom all creatures bow in humble reverence. Paul wrote to the
Ephesians that he did not cease to "give thanks for you, making mention of
you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
him." The apostle then added that the Father's power had been
"wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his
own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power,
and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world,
but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and
gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the
fulness of him that filleth all in all" (Ephesians 1:16-17, 20-23).
Many of the ancients believed that
names held power and that to know the name of a deity was to possess power with
or over it. Paul let it be known that Christ was the name above all other names
and that salvation, the greatest of all the gifts of God, was to be had only in
and through that holy name. "Let this mind be in you," he pleaded
with the Philippian Saints, "which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in
the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself
of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also
hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in
earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:5-11;
compare Ephesians 3:15).
The united testimony of the apostles
and prophets is that God the Eternal Father has delivered us from the power of
darkness and "translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we
have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: who is the
image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature"—meaning, all
creation—"for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that
are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he
is before all things, and by him all things consist. . . . For it pleased the
Father that in him should all fulness dwell" (Colossians 1:13-17, 19;
compare Hebrews 1:1-3). Thus in adoration and worship, Elder Bruce R. McConkie
wrote: "The name of Jesus—wondrous name—the name in which the truths of
salvation are taught; the name in which the ordinances of salvation are
performed; the name in which miracles are wrought, in which the dead are raised
and mountains moved;
"The name of Jesus—wondrous
name—the name by which worlds come rolling into existence; the name by which
redemption comes; the name which brings victory over the grave and raises the
faithful to eternal life;
"The name of Jesus—wondrous
name—the name by which revelation comes and angels minister; the name of him by
whom all things are and into whose hands the Father hath committed all things;
the name of him to whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confess in that
great day when the God of Heaven makes this planet his celestial home." fn
Conclusion
I love the apostle Paul. I love his
personality—his wit, his charm, his firmness, his unquestioned allegiance to
the Christ who called him. I love his breadth, his vision, his flexibility, and
his capacity to be "all things to all men" (1 Corinthians 9:22). And,
most important, I love his doctrine—particularly as revealed in his epistles,
the timely but timeless messages in that regulatory correspondence by which he
set in order the branches of the Church. Jesus of
As he closed his last epistle, Paul
said: "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at
hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the
faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but
unto all them also that love his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:6-8). The
"chosen vessel" (Acts 9:15) ran the race of life and did all he had
been commanded to do, namely, open the eyes of the people far and wide to the
gospel of Jesus Christ and "turn them from darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan unto God, that they [might] receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance
among them which are sanctified" (Acts 26:18). And surely his was a
glorious reunion with the Master whose name he had declared and whose gospel he
had defended. In Christ Paul found a newness of life, and through Christ Paul
inherited the greatest of all the gifts of God—that life which is eternal and
everlasting.
Notes
1. F. F. Bruce, The New Testament
Documents: Are They Reliable? (Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing, 1960), 79.
2. Ezra Taft Benson, A Witness and
a Warning (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1988), 33.
3. Sidney B. Sperry, Paul's Life
and Letters (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1955), 176.
4. John F. MacArthur, The Gospel
According to Jesus, rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing,
1994), 197.
5. John F. MacArthur, Faith Works:
The Gospel According to the Apostles (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1993),
89-90.
6. Ibid., 57.
7. Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal
New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1965-73),
2:499-500.
8. W. Ian Thomas, Foreword to Classic
Christianity, by Bob George (Eugene, Oreg.: Harvest House Publishers,
1989), n.p.
9. John Stott, Life in Christ
(Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1991), 109; emphasis in original.
10. Glenn L. Pace, Spiritual
Plateaus (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1991), 62-63.
11. Ezra Taft Benson, "Born of
God," Ensign, Nov. 1985, 6.
12. George, Classic Christianity,
78.
13. Bruce R. McConkie, A New
Witness for the Articles of Faith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985), 4,
34, 359.
14. Charles Stanley, The
Wonderful, Spirit-Filled Life (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1992),
108.
15. Bruce R. McConkie, The
Promised Messiah (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1978), 300.
(The Apostle Paul, His Life and
His Testimony: The 23d Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Co., 1994], 130.)
Acts
M E R I D I
A N M A G A Z I N E
Lesson 32
“Live In the Spirit"
Acts 18:23-20:38; Galatians
By Bruce
Satterfield
We have often been told as members of
the Church that the most important thing we can have in this life is the gift
of the Holy Ghost. For example, in a
First Presidency Message, President Ezra Taft Benson said to the Church: “The
most important thing in our lives is the Spirit.”[iv][i] Likewise, Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught in
General Conference: “To have the continuous companionship of the Holy Ghost is
the most precious possession we can have in mortality.”[v][ii]
Indeed, the gift of the Holy Ghost is
one thing that distinguishes the true and living Church from among all other
churches. After an interview with Martin
Van Buren, president of the
The first effect of receiving the gift
of the Holy Ghost is being “quickened in the inner man” (Moses 6:65) or
spiritual rebirth (John 3:1-5). Through
the gift of spiritual rebirth one becomes spiritually alive or sensitive to
spiritual things. Spiritual rebirth sets
one on the path of righteousness. But
“spiritual rebirth is the very beginning of righteousness.”[vii][iv] Joseph Smith taught that one must “grow up in
[God], and receive a fullness of the Holy Ghost” (D&C 109:15).
Each member of the Church who grows
up in God and incrementally gains a fullness of the gift of the Holy Ghost will
experience several necessary capacitating gifts from the Spirit. The scriptures record some of these gifts as
a remission and sanctification of sin (see 2 Ne. 31:17; 3 Ne. 27:20), spiritual
guidance and direction (see 2 Ne. 32:1-5; D&C 8:2-3), enriching testimony
(see John 15:26; 1 Cor. 12:3; 3 Ne. 28:11; D&C 20:27; 42:17), increased
understanding of doctrine taught in scripture and from the Lord’s servants (see
John 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:10-15; Moroni 10:5; D&C 11:13), increased joy (see
D&C 11:13), and effective ability to teach (see 2 Ne. 33:1; D&C
50:13-23).
Apollos
As I have noted in an earlier
article, the Holy Ghost is one of Luke’s main themes found in both the Gospel
of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. In
Acts 18:23 -20:38, we see that the Apostles of the early Christian church
placed a premium importance on Holy Ghost as a sign of a true Christian. This section begins with a story about a
Christian convert from
Luke informs us that he taught
“diligently the things of the Lord” (18:25), probably meaning that Apollos
argued that Christ had fulfilled the messianic expectations found in the Old
Testament. But Luke also states that
Apollos only knew of the baptism of John (Acts 18:25). Therefore, his knowledge of the Holy Ghost
would have been woefully lacking. Paul’s
close associates, Aquilla and Priscilla, heard Apollos’ teachings and took him
aside and “expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” (18:26). Apparently, Apollos responded positively to
the enlightened teachings he received from this honored couple.
Paul and the Disciples of John
Continuing the Holy Ghost theme, Luke
records that after a brief visit to Jerusalem, Paul returned to Ephesus in Asia
Minor to continue the work he had briefly begun some months before (see Acts
18:18-21).
Arriving in
Bothered by their reply, Paul asked,
“Unto what then were ye baptized?” To
which they said, “Unto John’s baptism.”
Paul immediately realized that they had been taught and baptized by an
imposter for John the Baptist always informed his disciples of the coming of
the Holy Ghost through the ministry of Christ.
Paul said to the ill-informed disciples, “John verily baptized with the
baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him
which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” Having taught them the correct way, “they
were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Then Paul “laid his hands upon
them” blessing them with the gift of the Holy Ghost. Immediately, “the Holy Ghost came on them;
and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (19:1-6).
“Live in the Spirit”
Clearly taught in the stories of
Apollos and the disciples of John at
To the saints in
The yoke of Paul referred to was the
stranglehold of the ritualism inherent in the Law of Moses. An unintended side effect of the Law of Moses
was ceremonialism–“which had caused spirituality to wither almost to death in
the hearts of the people.”[viii][v] When a member of the Church is given to
ritualism–or even living the gospel by habit or tradition–the purity of intent
that is required to live the gospel at its highest is most often lost. Such ceremonialism had become a yoke of for
the Jews.
Joseph B. Wirthlin warned,
“Unfortunately, some in the Church may believe sincerely that their testimony
is a raging bonfire when it really is little more than the faint flickering of
a candle. Their faithfulness has more to do with habit than holiness . . .”
When habit or tradition governs the behavior of a member of the Church, he or
she has lost the liberty of living the gospel with pure intent. The gospel becomes a burden to be carried
rather than a means of liberating the soul.
In such a person, the fire of the Holy Ghost has little place. Without that fire, the natural man begins to
take over what it has lost when the recipient was first converted to the
gospel. Therefore, Elder Wirthlin
states, “their pursuit of personal righteousness almost always takes a back
seat to their pursuit of personal interests and pleasure. ”[ix][vi]
With this in mind, Paul taught, “Walk
in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” He stated
further, “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the
flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the
things that ye would” (5:16-17).
Paul describes the fruit of living
after the manner of the flesh as, “Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, idolatry, , hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such
like.” Not a happy list! Paul states clearly, “they which do such
things shall not inherit the
In contrast to the appalling fruits
of living after the manner of the natural man, Paul cites the fruits of the
living after the manner of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance.” He concluded, “If we live
in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (5:22-25).
“Walk in the Spirit”
What does it mean to “walk in the
Spirit”?
First, it means to subdue the natural
man. Of this, Elder Bruce R. McConkie
stated: “To worship the Lord is to walk in the Spirit, to rise above carnal
things, to bridle our passions, and to overcome the world.”[x][vii] This is precisely what the Savior
taught. Said he, “If any man will come
after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me”
(Luke 9:23). Likewise,
Second, to walk in the Spirit means
to take the sacrament with pure intent, having examined ourselves regarding the covenant made at
baptism to keep ALL of God’s commandments (see 1 Cor. 11:28). The promise of taking the sacrament worthily
is that we will “always have his Spirit to be with” us (D&C 20:77,
79). Therefore, to walk in the Spirit
means to keep all of God’s commandments, not just some. We cannot pick and choose which commandments
we want to keep. In the October 1973
General Conference, Elder Theodore M. Burton spoke of the commitment which
should have towards the gospel in these words: “When I speak then of total
commitment, I do not refer to a momentary dedication which comes from being
filled with the Spirit of God only on certain occasions such as in this
conference. I refer to a daily or
continuing spirit of devotion and dedication which comes from keeping all the
commandments of God every day. We must
not pick and choose which commandment of God we will or will not obey. Every
one is important.”[xii][ix]
Third, to walk in the Spirit means to
come to know the word of God as taught in the scriptures and from His servants
and then apply those words to our lives rather than try to find exception to
their teachings. Such application of
teachings properly comes through the Holy Ghost. In General Conference, Elder Dallin H. Oaks
taught: “When we teach gospel doctrine and principles, we can qualify for the
witness and guidance of the Spirit to reinforce our teaching, and we enlist
the faith of our students in seeking the guidance of that same Spirit in
applying those teachings in their personal lives.”[xiii][x]
Fourth, to walk in the Spirit is to
strive to become one with God and Christ.
It is, as Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught, “to take the Lord’s side on
every issue. It is to vote as he would
vote. It is to think what he thinks, to
believe what he believes, to say what he would say and do what he would do in
the same situation. It is to have the mind of Christ and be one with him as he
is one with his Father.”[xiv][xi]
Fifth, to walk in the Spirit means to
be loyal to God and His prophets at all times and in all circumstances. Loyalty is one of the great tests of
mortality. President George Q. Cannon
once stated: “We have got to be watchful, for I tell you God has sent us here
to test us and to prove us. We were true in keeping our first estate. The
people that are here today stood loyally by God and by Jesus, and they did not
flinch. If you had flinched then, you would not be here with the Priesthood
upon you. The evidence that you were
loyal, that you were true and that you did not waver is to be found in the fact
that you have received the Gospel and the everlasting Priesthood. Now you are in your second estate, and you
are going to be tested again. Will you
be true and loyal to God with the curtain drawn between you and Him, shut out
from His presence, and in the midst of darkness and temptation, with Satan and
his invisible hosts all around you, bringing all manner of evil influences to
bear upon you? The men and the women that
will be loyal under these circumstances God will exalt, because it will be the
highest test to which they can be subjected.”[xv][xii]
The blessing of such loyalty is an
outpouring of the Spirit. Elder Loren C.
Dunn taught: “We keep the commandments because they are the laws that govern
the Spirit. The Spirit in turn will
sanctify us, condition us spiritually, and eventually prepare us to live in the
kingdom where God is. Hence the
scripture: ‘They who are not sanctified through the law which I have given unto
you, even the law of Christ, must inherit another kingdom’ (D&C 88:21). The
laws that govern the Spirit are nothing more nor less than the laws that govern
the Church. In addition, there is also
an outpouring of the Spirit for those loyal to and willing to uphold the
prophet and others who have been called to preside.”[xvi][xiii]
You Reap What You Sow
Paul taught the Galatians, “For
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (6:7). Essential to reaping the fruits of the Spirit
is the necessity of enduring to the end.
By nature, the fruits of the harvest come only after the long season of
growth. The farmer that is steadfast in
watering, nurturing, and weeding his crops will eventually reap the
harvest. Without such patient endurance,
all is lost.
Likewise, the fruits of the Spirit come
from patient continuance in righteous living.
Those who stumble along the way will lose the beneficial fruits of the
harvest of spiritual gifts. An important
part of walking in the Spirit is to help others walk in the Spirit. Paul urged the Galatian saints to help any
who has stumbled to be restored to the faith.
“Brethren,” he wrote, “if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are
spiritual [i.e., live and walk in the Spirit], restore such an one in the spirit
of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (6:1).
He warned that if one does not repent
of their sinful condition, they will reap an unfortunate future. Said he: “For he that soweth to his flesh
shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the
Spirit reap life everlasting.” He
concluded, “let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap,
if we faint not” (6:7-9).
Conclusion
What Luke and Paul have taught
regarding the necessity of the keeping and maintaining the Spirit has been
given in our day by living prophets.
President Ezra Taft Benson taught the Church: “One sure way we can
determine whether we are on the strait and narrow path is that we will possess
the Spirit of the Lord in our lives.” He
then said, “Having the Holy Ghost brings forth certain fruits. The Apostle Paul said that ‘the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, [and] temperance.’ (Gal. 5:22–23).”
President Benson gave counsel as to
how to get and retain the Spirit: “Ponder the significance of the
responsibility the Lord has given to us. The Lord has counseled, ‘Let the
solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds.’ (D&C 43:34.) You cannot do
that when your minds are preoccupied with the cares of the world. Read and study the scriptures. The scriptures
should be studied in the home with fathers and mothers taking the lead and
setting the example. The scriptures are to be comprehended by the power of the
Holy Ghost, for the Lord has given this promise to His faithful and obedient:
‘Thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things.’ (D&C 42:61).”
Then quoting President Spencer W.
Kimball, President Benson said: “The following statement by President Spencer
W. Kimball illustrates how we may develop more spirituality in our lives: ‘I
find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems
that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far,
far away. If I immerse myself in the
scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns. I find myself loving more intensely those
whom I must love with all my heart and mind and strength, and loving them more,
I find it easier to abide their counsel.’ ” President Benson concluded, “That
is great counsel which I know by experience to be true.”[xvii][xiv]
I testify that keeping and
maintaining the Spirit of the Lord in our lives is essential for true
happiness. Living and walking in the
Spirit brings a joy and contentment found in no other way. May God bless you in
your endeavor to walk in the Spirit the rest of the days of your mortal
probation.
Discourses of Paul
In the Book of Acts
Acts 20:22 – Paul was determined to
go to Jerusalem, the small “s” shows it is by his own spirit and not the Holy
Ghost, where his determination comes from.
Also
The
The Jews hated Paul because he was
one of them and left. He taught the law
was fulfilled by Christ, their religion and traditions were finished! Also, the Jews from
Paul takes on the Nazarene vow as a
PR move requested by James the Lord’s brother.
There was a lot of tightrope walking happening here. Numbers 6 tells what you have to do to take
this particular vow.
BIBLE DICTIONARY
NAZARITE
A consecrated man
A man under a vow to
abstain from wine, from any cutting of the hair, and any contact with the dead
(Judg. 13: 5; Judg. 16: 17; 1 Sam. 1: 11; Amos 2: 11, 12; for full
regulations see Num. 6). The vow
might be lifelong, or for a short, definite period.
We also discussed the politics of
the time, Felix, Festus and Agrippa.
Paul Appeals to Caesar
Falsely imprisoned, with no specific
or substantial charge against him, Paul declines to go willingly back to
But why? Why all this imprisonment?
Why these repeated mock-like-trials before one ruler after another—all to no
avail as far as freeing the innocent Paul is concerned. Why does not the Lord
send an angel to deliver his apostle, as he did when Peter was imprisoned by
Herod? (Acts 12:1-19.)
Clearly it is the design of Deity to
use Paul's imprisonment as the means of taking the testimony of Jesus to the
great and the mighty of the world. The gospel is for the poor and for the
privileged. It is to be "proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the
ends of the world, and before kings and rulers." (D. & C. 1:23.) What
matters it that Augustus sits amid Roman might and splendor, with the power of
life and death over millions of people, yet his hope, if any, of peace here and
eternal life hereafter, is in the hands of the prisoner of Christ who, though
in bonds, has eternal power from on high. How better could the witness of the truth
be borne to Felix, Festus, Agrippa, and Augustus, with all their court retinues
forced to give ear? Compare Acts 11:19-26.
1. Festus] Porcius Festus succeeded
Felix as Procurator of Judea in about 58 A. D.
2-3. How intense is the hatred and
bitterness of the Jews! Two years after Paul's arrest in
9. Festus, seeking to placate the
Jews, is here suggesting that Paul go to
13-22. That Paul's bonds were the
result of religious bigotry and superstitution and were without legal warrant
is shown clearly by Festus' recitation to King Agrippa.
(Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New
Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 2:
199.)
BIBLE DICTIONARY
HEROD
The following
genealogical table shows the relationship between the various members of the
Herodian family mentioned in the N.T.
Select a Scripture Reference
The Herodian families were Idumaeans by birth, but had become converts to the
Jewish faith. Their object was to found, under the protection of
After a reign of nine years Archelaus was deposed by Augustus, and Judaea was
attached to the Roman
The Sermons by Paul
Think of the audiences Paul is
addressing, he tailors each talk specifically to the audience; he also doesn’t
shy away from declaring his witness of Jesus Christ to each group. Jews get one message, Gentiles another.
Acts 13:14-43 – This is his 1st
discourse and it is given in
Question: Why is Paul giving a history lesson to the
Jews, using the words of the Prophets and not the Law?
Answer: Luke shows us that Christ is resurrected, so
all that Paul teaches is true, verse 39, the law is dead, but Christ is alive
and forgives, the law does not forgive.
Bruce answered a question about
verse 34, “sure mercies of David”. Isaiah 22:23, 55:1-3 symbolized Christ’s
mercy, and the sealing power, Revelations 3:7.
Bruce said it has to do with the resurrection and having your calling
and election made sure.
What Are the Sure Mercies of David?
King David's story is one of the
saddest in all history. In his youth and in the forepart of his reign as king,
he was faithful and true, a man after the Lord's own heart. (1 Sam. 13:13-14.)
His throne and kingdom were established with power and became the symbol of the
future throne and kingdom of the Son of David. But in the matter of Uriah and
Bathsheba he fell; adultery stained his soul, and innocent blood dripped from
his hands. In tears he sought forgiveness, which, because of Uriah's murder,
was not forthcoming.
David knew he had forfeited his claim
to eternal life and the continuation of the family unit in the realms ahead.
Yet he importuned the Lord for such blessings as he still might receive. And
though a just God could no longer confer upon his erring servant the fulness of
that reward which might have been his, yet according to the great plan of
mercy, which causes the resurrection to pass upon all men, he could bring him
up eventually to a lesser inheritance. His soul need not be cast off eternally
to dwell with Lucifer and those who are in open and continuing rebellion
against righteousness. True, because of his sins, he had cast his lot with the
wicked "who suffer the vengeance of eternal fire," and "who are
cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God, until the fulness of
times, when Christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet, and shall
have perfected his work." (D&C 76:105-6.) But in that day when death
and hell deliver up the dead which are in them (Rev. 20:13), David and his
fellow sufferers shall come forth from the grave. Because he was a member of
the Church and had entered into the new and everlasting covenant of marriage
and then had fallen into sin, the revelation says of him: "He hath fallen
from his exaltation, and received his portion." (D&C 132:39.)
Implicit in this historical recitation of what David did to lose his
salvation, and in the doctrinal laws which nonetheless guaranteed him a
resurrection and a lesser degree of eternal reward, are two great truths: (1)
That the Holy One of Israel, the Holy One of God, the Son of David, would die
and then be resurrected; and (2) that because he burst the bands of death and
became the first-fruits of them that slept, all men also would be resurrected,
both the righteous and the wicked, including saints who became sinners, as was
the case with David their king.
These two truths became known as and were called "the sure mercies
of David," meaning that David in his life and death and resurrection was
singled out as the symbol to dramatize before the people that their Holy One
would be resurrected and that all men would also come forth from the grave.
David knew and understood this and wrote about it. So also did Isaiah, which
means the principle was known and taught in ancient Israel; and both Peter and
Paul made it the basis of persuasive New Testament sermons, in which they
identified the Holy One of Israel as that Jesus whom they preached.
Speaking of his own resurrection and
that of his Lord, David wrote: "My flesh also shall rest in hope,"
meaning, 'My body shall come forth from the grave,' "For thou wilt not
leave my soul in hell," meaning, 'My spirit shall not remain in hell
forever, but shall be joined with my body when I am resurrected.' Death and
hell shall thus deliver up dead David who is in them. Then David came forth
with the great Messianic pronouncement, "Neither wilt thou suffer thine
Holy One to see corruption" (Ps. 16:7-11.) That is, 'The Holy One of
Israel shall come forth in his resurrection before his dead body is permitted
to decay and become dust.'
With accusing words, Peter charged
his fellow Jews with taking "Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God
among you by miracles and wonders and signs," and causing him to be
"crucified and slain" by wicked hands. But God hath raised him up,
Peter testified, "having loosed the pains of death." Then Peter
quotes the whole of that Messianic message with which we are now dealing, doing
so with some improvement over the way it is recorded in the Old Testament.
Peter says: "For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always
before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh
shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt
thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the
ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance."
This prophecy means, Peter says, that
David "spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in
hell, neither did his flesh see corruption." Then the Chief Apostle bears
testimony of the fulfillment of the prophecy. "This Jesus hath God raised
up," he says, "whereof we all are witnesses. . . . Therefore let all
the house of
Lest his hearers be left in doubt,
however, as to David's personal state, the Chief Apostle says, "Let me
freely speak unto you of the patriarch David that he is both dead and buried,
and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. . . . For David is not ascended
into the heaven." (Acts 2:22-36.) Further, David has not yet been
resurrected, for he is numbered with "the spirits of men who are to be
judged, and are found under condemnation; and these are the rest of the dead; and
they live not again until the thousand years are ended, neither again, until
the end of the earth." (D&C 88:100-101.)
Isaiah recorded the Lord's invitation
that men should come unto him, believe his word, live his law, and be saved.
Part of the invitation was couched in these words of Deity: "Incline your
ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an
everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have
given him for a witness to the people." (Isa. 55:1-4.) That is to say: To
all who will believe in him, the Lord of heaven will make the same covenant
that he made with David, in that they too will know of their Messiah's
resurrection, and that the souls of all men are thereby raised from the grave.
David had the promise that he would be saved from death and hell, through
Christ, and all the faithful could have that same assurance, though, as here
expressed, David is made the illustration, the "witness," the symbol
of these great truths.
Paul preached that of David's seed
"hath God according to his promise raised unto
Having so taught and testified, Paul
followed the same course we have seen Peter pursue; he turned to David and his
great Messianic utterance about the resurrection, but he wove in also Isaiah's
statement about the sure mercies of David. "As concerning that he raised
him up from the dead," Paul said, "now no more to return to
corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.
Wherefore he said also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One
to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the
will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption." (Acts 13:22-37.)
(Bruce R. McConkie, The Promised
Messiah: The First Coming of Christ [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co.,
1978], 283.)
Acts 17:22-34 – Paul goes to
Question: Who is God?
Answer: He doesn’t need a building to come and visit,
he is closer to you than you realize.
Paul brings up the resurrection and some mock and others simply leave. But others believe Paul and join the church.
Acts 22 – Paul teaches in
Question: How could a man who was a Pharisee, a zealous
Jew, becomes a Christian?
Answer: He relates his conversion story on the way to
Acts 26 – 3 times Luke shares Paul’s
conversion story with us, chapters 9, 22, and 26. King Agrippa happens to be in town while Paul
is examined before Festus, he wants to hear Paul for himself, and as a devote
Jew, he will understand Paul’s message.
Again, he doesn’t teach from the Law of Moses but from the words of the
prophets, verse 20, works meet for
repentance.
PAUL AMONG THE RHETORICIANS: A MODEL
FOR PROCLAIMING CHRIST
Gary Layne Hatch
Gary Layne Hatch is assistant
professor of English at
In his essay from the 1987 Sperry
Symposium, Richard P. Anderson set up an exclusive opposition between rhetoric,
the art of persuasion, and revelation. He took as his text Paul's speech at the
Areopagus (Acts 17:15-34) to show how Paul the apostle addressed himself to the
people of
Other Latter-day Saint speakers have
made the same opposition between rhetoric and revelation, some even more
forcefully than
The harshest of all Latter-day Saint
critics of rhetoric has been Hugh Nibley. His most famous article on the
subject is called "Victoriosa Loquacitas: The Rise of Rhetoric and the
Decline of Everything Else." (I have been told that Nibley considers this
essay one of his favorites.) The ostensible subject of this essay was the
corruption and decadence of the Roman empire during the period in the history
of rhetoric known as the "Second Sophistic," a period extending
roughly from the death of Cicero in 43 B.C. and the great civil war that ended
the Republic through the reigns of the Caesars to the fall of the empire in
A.D. 410. According to Nibley, this period was so corrupt that even the
teachers of rhetoric had some concerns about the subject: "Everywhere the
ancients give us to understand that rhetoric is their poison, that it is
ruining their capacity to work and think, that it disgusts and wearies them,
and that they cannot let it alone, because it pays too well and, having
destroyed everything else, it is all they have left of remembered grandeur."
fn
Despite this uneasiness, many of the
ancients argued in defense of rhetoric, indicating to Nibley "the
awareness that there is something basically wrong about the thing. No one
denied, of course, that rhetoric could be abused . . . but the question was
whether it was bad as such, by nature. That was a disturbing question which
could hardly be asked of an honest trade." fn Even if rhetoric has a good
side (which he denied), Nibley maintained that there exists a "fatal
Gresham's Law by which bad rhetoric, art, and education, like bad money, will
always force the better product out of circulation." fn After describing
how rhetoric ruined the Roman empire and the early Christian church, Nibley
gave a brief but impressive survey of rhetoric in the Near East to show how
rhetoric contributed to the decline of that civilization as well. Indeed,
Nibley suggested that the rise of rhetoric will lead to the decline of any
civilization: "Like the passions and appetites it feeds on, rhetoric is
one of the great constants in human history. Because it is a constant, nothing
can tell us better the direction in which a civilization is moving or how far
it is along the way. Like the residue of certain radioactive substances,
rhetoric, leaving an unmistakable mark on all that it touches, may yet prove to
be the surest guide to the history of our own times." fn As is typical of
Nibley in many of his historical studies, he wrote with an eye to contemporary
problems: he saw parallels between the Second Sophistic and our own time and
hoped that his readers would recognize those he considered to be the
intellectual descendants of the Sophists.
What then is the status of rhetoric?
Is it, as
The period in the history of rhetoric
known as the Second Sophistic takes its name from the revival of Greek rhetoric
in the manner of the Older Sophists, such as Gorgias and Protagoras. This
period, as we have said, began around the time of the death of
The period of the Second Sophistic
covered about the same period as another major movement in the
At any rate, however he learned it,
Paul was familiar with the rhetoric of the Second Sophistic.
Paul also showed an awareness of
rhetorical techniques in his speech before Felix, when he stood accused by the
Roman rhetorician Tertullus. Ananias and the elders of the Jews who accused
Paul brought with them before Felix "a certain orator named
Tertullus" (Acts 24:1). Tertullus delivered his speech to Felix, and then
Paul followed with his account of the events. The word used in the Greek New
Testament for orator is rhetor—a rhetorician. The Jews knew that
to argue their case before the Roman judges they needed someone trained in
Roman rhetoric.
Little is known about him, but
Tertullus was probably a typical product of rhetorical education during the
Second Sophistic. He seems to have been a professional public speaker who
argued legal cases for a fee. He knew the conventions and manner of speaking at
the Roman court. His Latin name indicates that he may have spoken Latin and was
probably a Roman citizen. In his speech, Tertullus aligned himself with the
leaders of the Jews and claimed to be an eyewitness to the events, but that was
probably a rhetorical strategy. Speaking as an eyewitness would give more
credibility to him as a speaker and more immediacy to the events he narrated.
fn In other words, Tertullus was a rhetorical "hired gun," as Paul
implied in his response.
Although brief, Tertullus' speech to
Felix followed the conventions of a Roman legal oration. Such a judicial speech
usually began with a proem, or exordium, which sought to obtain
the attention of the audience and goodwill or sympathy toward the speaker. Then
came a narration of the facts, or background information, and the proposition
that the speaker wished to prove, often with a partition of it into
separate headings. The speaker then presented his arguments in the proof,
followed by a refutation of opposing views; here he might incorporate a digression,
often a relevant examination of motivations or attendant circumstances. Finally
came an epilogue, or peroration, which summarized the argument
and sought to arouse the emotions of the audience to take action or make
judgment. fn
Tertullus' speech contained many of
those features. He began with a proem, in which he attempted to win the
goodwill and approval of Felix by flattering him in conventional terms. Felix
must have heard many similar introductions from such speakers as Tertullus.
Such flattery was the Roman equivalent of clearing one's throat before
beginning to speak (see Acts 24:2-4). Tertullus praised Felix for his
"worthy deeds" and apologized for troubling one who is so busy
keeping the peace, with such a matter. He thanked Felix for his
"clemency" in allowing him to speak. Tertullus emphasized that Paul
had violated the very values that Felix was supposed to preserve, particularly
the "great quietness" so important to Roman governors in the
provinces. The first sentence in the speech is a well-crafted, elaborate
periodic sentence. The main clause was delayed to the end of the sentence so
that Tertullus could build rhetorically to a climax to demonstrate his
linguistic skill, further adding to his credibility with Felix.
The next section of the legal oration
is the narration of the facts and the proposition. Tertullus reported the
evidence against Paul (see Acts 24:5-8) and ended by inviting Felix to examine
Lysias to establish the truth of what he said. Tertullus chose arguments that
would be particularly effective for his audience. He implied that Lysias was
wasting Felix's time in bringing Paul before him and that Felix should return
Paul to the Jews, who "would have judged [him] according to [their]
law" (Acts 24:6). The leaders of the Jews were not really concerned about
Paul's being "a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the
world," but Tertullus knew that as a Roman governor charged with keeping
the peace, Felix, like Pontius Pilate, would be moved by this claim.
Paul showed his awareness of Greek
rhetoric in his response. He avoided the flattery and stylistic flourishes of
Tertullus, but he followed the same rhetorical form. Paul began his speech with
a proem addressed to Felix but without the flattery (see Acts 24:10). Paul
acknowledged Felix's position as judge but also pointed out that his accusers
had hired someone to speak for them rather than speaking for themselves. If
Paul spoke well, that would help his own credibility while damaging that of
Tertullus and the leaders of the Jews. Moreover, Paul used a simple but elegant
periodic sentence in contrast to Tertullus' elaborate periodic sentence.
Paul then related the facts of the
case as they occurred, answering the charges made against him. Kennedy analyzed
the rhetorical qualities of Paul's defense: "Paul denies that he has
engaged in disputation or stirred up a crowd (12) or that he has profaned the
temple (18). He begins with a short and respectful proem, couched in a good
classical Greek periodic sentence (10), which he follows with an equally short
narration (11) and proposition (12). Some use is made of Greek proverbs (14,
26). The rest of the speech is devoted to proof, with no epilogue. Paul admits
belonging to 'the way' (14), which was not known to be illegal, and claims that
he had purified himself before entering the temple (18), that the accusation is
not being made by those who witnessed the incident (19), and that it is not
specific (20), but he admits that he did speak of the resurrection of the
dead." Kennedy further noted that because Paul offered no proof, he must
have been relying on his "confident candor" and a presumption of
innocence to convince Felix. fn It may also be that the author of Acts recorded
a summary, or precis, of the two speeches without the particular proofs.
Acts 24:14-16 may be a digression,
for Paul related his faith in what is written in the Jewish scriptures and
described his own pure motives. As is true of most digressions in classical
oratory, this digression only seems irrelevant or unrelated. Paul made a
concession to Felix by admitting that he did belong to "the way" but
also established his belief in the traditional Jewish scriptures and in a
resurrection. He was careful to point out that his accusers held the same
belief. Finally, he declared his pure motives and clear conscience. When he
ended his speech by saying that all he did was state his belief in the
resurrection of the dead (a fact that could be confirmed by Lysias or other
eyewitnesses), he trivialized the case brought against him by the Jews and made
them appear to be wasting Felix's time, thus turning one of Tertullus'
arguments upon itself. It appears that Paul's argument prevailed, for though he
was held for further questioning, he was not imprisoned or punished in any way
and was not released to the Jews.
Despite his familiarity with
rhetorical conventions and his success as a speaker, Paul was highly critical of
the practices of the Second Sophistic. He distinguished between his preaching
and the "enticing words of man's wisdom" (1 Corinthians 2:4). Paul
encouraged his readers to seek God and Christ "in whom are hid all the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge. . . . lest any man should beguile you with
enticing words" (Colossians 2:3-4). He then wrote, "Beware lest any
man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men,
after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" (Colossians 2:8).
But those comments must be understood in the context of Paul's time. What he
knew as rhetoric, or oratory, was the rhetoric of the Second Sophistic, a
rhetoric characterized by manipulation, deceit, stylistic excess, and elaborate
performance, a rhetoric that has now come to be called "sophistry."
Statements by Brigham Young, Hugh Nibley, and James E. Talmage must also be
understood according to what they would have considered rhetoric.
The scriptures give a clear warning
against sophistry, the intentional deceit and manipulation of others through
specious reasoning and hypocritical emotional appeals. But the scriptures do
not indict rhetoric altogether, if by rhetoric we mean influencing
"thinking and behavior through the strategic use of symbols." fn For
Sherem, there is Jacob; for Nehor, Gideon; for Korihor and Zeezrom, Alma; for
Tertullus, Paul. Those men of God also used the power of language to respond to
sophistry and to promote the gospel of Christ. Indeed, the scriptures abound in
examples of those who use the power of language for good. In other words, I
believe one should not judge all rhetoric, all persuasive discourse, by the
practice of the Second Sophistic.
What then is the difference between
the rhetoric of Paul and the rhetoric of Tertullus? Part of Paul's persuasive
ability came from the power of his message and his calling as an apostle. There
is a power in truth that conveys power to the speaker, and Heavenly Father
often confers such power on those he has called to do his work. The scriptures
attest to the power of that kind of rhetoric. Mormon observed that "the
preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which
was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than
the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them" (Alma 31:5). An
event in the life of the prophet Enoch provides another great example of the
power of the word of God. When Enoch was chosen by the Lord to speak to the
people, he complained that he was "slow of speech" and hated by the
people. The Lord responded, "Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I
will give thee utterance" (Moses 6:31-32). Enoch obeyed, and the Lord's
promise was fulfilled: "And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led
the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake
the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even
according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their
course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all
nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the
power of the language which God had given him" (Moses 7:13).
Another difference between the
rhetoric of Paul and the rhetoric of Tertullus lies in the manner in which
language was used. Tertullus and other Roman rhetoricians were trained to use
language as power without regard to the purposes of that power. The
scriptures teach that the power of language should be governed by the
principles of priesthood power. Section 121 of the Doctrine and Covenants was
given to Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail at a time when the Church was using
rhetorical means to seek redress for what the Saints had suffered in
Another essential difference between
the rhetoric of Paul and the rhetoric of Tertullus lies in the role each
created for the speaker and the audience. Prophets and other effective teachers
of the gospel pay close attention to their audience, adapting their message to
the needs of their listeners. Enos indicated that he chose his examples and
arguments to match the telestial nature of those he was addressing: "And
there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and prophesying of
wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of
death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God,
and all these things—stirring them up continually to keep them in the fear of
the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great
plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to
destruction" (Enos 1:23).
Missionaries are familiar with the
way in which Ammon and Aaron adapted their preaching to the needs of the
Lamanites (Alma 17-18; 22). Jacob, who had hoped to preach "the pleasing
word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul," instead spoke
harsh words that enlarged "the wounds of those who are already wounded"
(Jacob 2:8-9). Isaiah was instructed to "make the heart of this people
fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes—lest they see with their
eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be
converted and be healed" (2 Nephi 16:10). Christ also adapted his messages
to the needs of his audience, drawing upon commonplace examples for his
parables and addressing his disciples and apostles in a more direct manner than
he addressed the world. Our Father in Heaven adjusts the language he uses to
suit the occasion, his purpose, and the needs of his audience. For example, in
his preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord stated: "Behold, I am
God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my
servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might
come to understanding" (D&C 1:24). Nephi said that the Lord
"speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their
understanding" (2 Nephi 31:3).
But teachers of the gospel ought to
limit the appeals they are willing to make to gain the ear of an audience. They
should refrain from creating a role for themselves or others that is
inconsistent with the example of Jesus Christ. The ethos, the speaker or
writer's representation of himself, is in a sense always a fiction, a creation
of the writer's language; similarly, the speaker or writer creates with
language a role for the audience to take. If the role the teacher creates for
himself and for his audience truly is consistent with the gospel, then the
Spirit can testify to the truth of the message. If the audience assumes the
role created for them by the teacher, a role that is consistent with the
example of Christ, then the teacher and the audience identify with each other
and emulate Christ. Perhaps that is one way of understanding Doctrine and
Covenants 50:11-12, 17-22:
"Let us reason even as a man
reasoneth one with another face to face.
"Now, when a man reasoneth he is
understood of man, because he reasoneth as a man; even so will I, the Lord,
reason with you that you may understand. . . .
"Verily I say unto you, he that
is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter,
in the Spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other
way?
"And if it be by some other way
it is not of God.
"And again, he that receiveth
the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?
"If it be some other way it is
not of God. Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he
that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached
by the Spirit of truth?
"Wherefore, he that preacheth
and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice
together."
Even though Paul used some of the
techniques from his training as a Roman rhetorician, he did not flatter Felix
in the same way that Tertullus did for the same reason that he could not deny
the facts of what happened in the riot at the temple: Paul could not create a
role for himself or for Felix that was out of harmony with his mission as an
apostle.
That the scriptures may seem to
support the practice of certain types of rhetoric does not necessarily justify
the study of an art of rhetoric. Few of the prophets and apostles received any
type of formal rhetorical education: their eloquence came from their testimony
of Christ and the power of the Spirit. Yet the scriptures do not necessarily
exclude an art of rhetoric either. In fact, the formal study of rhetoric can be
not only useful but even beneficial to the followers of Christ, as long as we
remember that "there is no substitute for revelation." fn
We can all become better teachers,
speakers, and writers by learning some of the arts of rhetoric. Even though the
Spirit ultimately changes a person's heart, knowing how to analyze an audience
and adapt language to the needs of that audience can create an environment in
which the Spirit can be felt. In addition, although the Spirit ultimately bears
witness, the arts of rhetoric may help us to make the best presentation we
possibly can, allowing the Spirit to affirm what we have said. Certainly, no
formal training is required to be a missionary or a teacher. All that is
required is a testimony of Christ, worthiness, a desire to serve, and a call. But
in the presentation of the gospel message—in creating roles for ourselves and
our audiences that are consistent with the example of Christ—there is still a
lot of room for making different types of appeals and presentations in adapting
the message to the values and knowledge of the particular audience. The Church
recognizes that missionaries will be more effective if they learn to make the
best presentation possible. As a result, missionary training centers have been
established, in part, to teach the arts of language and rhetoric. And without
doubt, the spirituality of our sacrament meetings would increase and the
efficacy of our teaching would improve if members of the Church understood more
about the principles of effective public speaking.
Understanding something about
rhetoric can also help us interpret and evaluate the rhetoric of others.
Rhetorical criticism may help us detect the abuses of rhetoric. If the Nephites
had been better rhetorical critics, they might not have been so easily deceived
by Sherem, Nehor, Zeezrom, and Korihor. If we ourselves were better rhetorical
critics, we might not be as susceptible to con artists or false teachers and
prophets. Rhetorical criticism can help us to understand the words of the
prophets and can make us better readers of the scriptures. I know from my own
experience as a teacher at the
A final justification for learning the
arts of rhetoric is that much of the communication we encounter each day is not
explicitly religious: letters to the editor, business letters, memos, job
interviews, town meetings, business transactions, motivational speeches,
television programs, advertisements, and so on. Rhetoric can help us
communicate effectively with one another in all types of situations in which we
are not called upon to teach and testify of Christ. In many such instances, God
leaves us to our own abilities, expecting us to develop our talents.
When we follow a divine model for
persuasion—gentleness, meekness, love unfeigned, without hypocrisy or
guile—then we grow closer to God: we emulate him and, in the process, worship
him. Following that divine model gives us the freedom to place the art of
rhetoric within the context of the gospel of Christ, adding an ethical
dimension to rhetoric, without which rhetoric is a dangerous tool indeed.
Notes
1. Richard P. Anderson,
"Rhetoric versus Revelation: A Consideration of Acts 17:16-34," in The
New Testament and the Latter-day Saints: The Proceedings of the 15th Annual
Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, ed. John K. Carmack (Orem, Utah: Randall Books,
1987), 36-37.
2. James E. Talmage, in Conference
Report, Apr. 1914, 93.
3. Brigham Young, in Journal of
Discourses, 26 vols. (London: Latter-day Saints' Book Depot, 1854-86),
8:53.
4. Hugh Nibley, "Victoriosa
Loquacitas: The Rise of Rhetoric and the Decline of Everything Else," Western
Speech 20 (1956): 57; see also Hugh Nibley, The Ancient State, vol.
10 of The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book
and F.A.R.M.S., 1991), 243-86.
5. Nibley, "Victoriosa
Loquacitas," 62.
6. Ibid., 66.
7. Ibid., 76.
8. James J. Murphy, "The End of
the Ancient World: The Second Sophistic and Saint Augustine," A
Synoptic History of Classical Rhetoric, ed. James J. Murphy (Davis, Calif.:
Hermagoras, 1983), 177.
9. Tacitus, as cited in Murphy,
"The End of the Ancient World," 178-79; see also Tacitus, Dialogues,
Agricola,
10. Seneca, as cited in Murphy,
"The End of the Ancient World," 179; see also Seneca the Elder, Suasoriae,
trans. W. A. Edward (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1928).
11. Nibley, "Victoriosa
Loquacitas," 59.
12. Robert Brownrigg, Who's Who in
the New Testament (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993), 268.
13.
14. Although many take
"Areopagus" to refer to "Mars Hill," the word may refer to
the Royal Stoa in the northwest corner of the marketplace (agora), where
a "Council of the Areopagus" judged religious crimes. George A.
Kennedy, New Testament Interpretation through Rhetorical Criticism
(Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1984), 129. For the mythic
origins of the Council of the Areopagus, see Aeschylus' Eumenides, the
third play in the Oresteia.
15.
16. Compare William Shakespeare's
imitation of the classical oration in Mark Antony's speech from Julius
Caesar. The exordium begins, "Friends, Romans, countrymen," act
3, scene 2, line 73. See The
17. Kennedy, New Testament
Interpretation through Rhetorical Criticism, 131.
18. The Codex Brezae, the important
"Western Text" of Acts, suggests that
Tertullus was Jewish and that the
Romans were preventing Paul from receiving the punishment that Tertullus
believed he deserved (Acts 24:6-7). This identification of Tertullus with the
Jews does not appear in any of the other New Testament texts. Harper's Bible
Dictionary, ed. Paul J. Achtemeier (New York: Harper and Row, 1985), 1036.
19. Kennedy, New Testament
Interpretation through Rhetorical Criticism, 23-24.
20. Ibid., 136.
21. Douglas Ehninger, Contemporary
Rhetoric: A Reader's Coursebook (Glenview, Ill.: Scott, Foresman, 1972), 3.
22. Hugh Nibley, The World and the
Prophets, vol. 3 of The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley (Salt Lake
City: Deseret Book and F.A.R.M.S., 1987), 116.
23. E. W. Bullinger, Figures of
Speech Used in the Bible (1893; reprint,
24.
(The Apostle Paul, His Life and
His Testimony: The 23d Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book Co., 1994], 62.)
The main focus of Luke is the literal resurrection of Christ; this is
the sign of a true Christian. The Living
Christ!