Bible Study Thread: Luke

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The Trinity is said in the Beginning when God creates man -----

Genesis 1:26-28 (AMP)
26 Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image,


unsafe says ----we humans are also a tri-part being ----we are made in God's image -----



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Then why do you not consider the Jewish people "saved", unsafe? They have an older covenant with God than Christians do. There's no need to break one covenant with one bunch of people in order to establish another promise with another people. See, that's what I think God does - reaches out to people in language/manners with which they're familiar.
 
BetteTheRed -----posting you this from Got Questions this tells you -----God did not save the Jewish people ---God held the Jews in high esteem -----the Jews were sinners like all humans are ----they had to have blood sacrifices to cover their sin -----this only covered their sin for a period of time then they had to do this again ---if you or others believed God saved the Jews that is gave them salvation you are mistaken ---Jesus was in God's Plane from before the foundation of the earth -----the Jews had to be saved by and through believing in Jesus Christ and they didn't believe ------

Question: "What does it mean that the Jews are God’s chosen people?"

Answer: God’s Word affirms that the Jews are God’s chosen people: “You are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession” (Deuteronomy 7:6). From eternity past God knew that He would need to be born into the human race in order to save us from the spiritually dead condition that we were in (Ephesians 1—2; Genesis 3). God had planned from the beginning to be born into a very small nation or race of people called the Jews. The Old Testament tells the story of how God set about creating, distinguishing, and preserving that race.

The ultimate goal of God’s choice of the Jews as His chosen people was to produce the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who would be the Savior of the world. Jesus had to come from some nation or people, and God chose Israel. God first promised the Savior/Messiah after Adam and Eve sinned (Genesis 3). Later, God specified that the Messiah would come from the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Genesis 12). Later still, He narrowed the Messiah’s ancestry to the line of David (2 Samuel 7). Throughout their history, the people of Israel were aware of their “chosen” status before God (see 1 Kings 3:8; 8:53; Psalm 105:43; Isaiah 43:4; 65:9; and Amos 3:2).

The fact that God has an eternal future for Israel is evident in that five sixths of the Bible bears directly or indirectly upon them—Jesus being the central figure who brought the Jews and Gentiles together (Ephesians 2:14).

The fact that the Jews are God’s chosen people means that they have been held to a high standard.

From those who are given much, much is required (Luke 12:48), or as God said through one prophet, “You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins” (Amos 3:2).

Israel’s responsibilities have included keeping and preserving the Law (Joshua 22:5); being “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6); and bringing “renown and praise and honor” to the Lord (Jeremiah 13:11). Their high calling is straight from the God who chose them out of all the nations of the earth.



unsafe says ---The Jews Failed their end of the bargain there BetteTheRed -----they didn't believe Jesus was the Messiah ---the end
 
I have a lot of trouble with the notion of a God who will judge us based on whether or not we believed the right things.

Surely if there is to be judgement, it will be based on how we lived our lives, not on what we believed.

I am well aware scripture can be used to support either way of looking at things.

But lets get back to the text we are studying. Tomorrow we have the beautifully written and familiar birth narrative from Luke's gospel.
 
We can all read how we are saved ----What we believe doesn't matter when it comes to having eternal life -----what God says we need to believe to have eternal life Matters ----- If we don't want to obey the instructions to have eternal life that is our choice ----we can't blame God for our disobedience -----We have free will to choose life or death ----God did His part ----

unsafe Posting from Romans


Romans 10:9-10(AMP)
9 because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.
 
unsafe said:
Romans 10:9-10(AMP)
9 because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.
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Good examples of verses which argue for the importance of belief. There are others.

Here is a passage which stresses righteous behavior:

Matthew 25:31-46 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Judgment of the Nations
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
 
We have been on a bit of a tangent here with your topic starter participating.

Good thing I said in my OP I am not opposed to minor tangents. :)

If anyone would like to discuss belief, behavior and salvation any further, please start a new thread for it. Otherwise, I will keep the issue in mind for discussion when we reach a relevant passage in Luke.
 
Summary: Luke 2: 1 - 20

This is the wonderful story of the birth of Jesus. We see Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem, the city of David. Mary delivers her son and lays Him in a manger because there is no room for them at the inn.

There were shepherds in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. An angel appears and brings the good news of great joy. :angel2:

More angels appear, praising God. :angel2: :angel2: :angel2:

The shepherds travel to Bethlehem with haste. After seeing Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger, they tell others. All are amazed.

Mary treasures their words and ponders them in her heart. The shepherds continue to praise and glorify God.
 
Reflection: Luke 2: 1 - 20

The birth of Jesus is such a joy-filled story in Luke.

One thing I notice for the first time is the shepherds traveling with haste to see Jesus. The Christmas story was compelling for them and it remains so for us two millennia later.

What a wonderful tale to contemplate today!
 
It always seems to amaze me that the people geographically closest to the event had no inkling what was going on; but the shepherds outside of town, some distance away, got the news in spectacular fashion. I always wondered why others didn't hear the racket the angels must have caused...
 
Redbaron said:
It always seems to amaze me that the people geographically closest to the event had no inkling what was going on; but the shepherds outside of town, some distance away, got the news in spectacular fashion. I always wondered why others didn't hear the racket the angels must have caused...
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Something else I have never considered before. Christmas cards always show the angels as sweet & gentle but the appearance of the first one terrifies the shepherds. And you are right, the multitude of them probably made quite a racket.

Could this be a story about how we so often don't see or appreciate what is right in front of us?

I am reminded of the Zen koan, "Look for what you are missing in what you have already."
 
Luke 2 (GW)
Jesus Is Born
2 At that time the Emperor Augustus ordered a census of the Roman Empire. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All the people went to register in the cities where their ancestors had lived.

4 So Joseph went from Nazareth, a city in Galilee, to a Judean city called Bethlehem. Joseph, a descendant of King David, went to Bethlehem because David had been born there. 5 Joseph went there to register with Mary. She had been promised to him in marriage and was pregnant.

6 While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have her child.

7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger because there wasn’t any room for them in the inn.



unsafe says ---This was no accident ------ this verse 7 is very spiritually important ------the manger here is an animal feeding trough ---this is so important ----Jesus is our feeding trough in this life and the next for all believers ----Jesus is our Spiritual bread of life ----Jesus is the word and the word feeds us with the right kind of Faith to receive and believe that Jesus is lord and that He came to save us from our sinful selves ----He came to feed us the right spiritual food to give us Spiritual eternal bliss and keep us from the pit of eternal torment that we humans created for ourselves by our disobedience to God and His Word

With out Jesus in us we are just a heap of flesh wandering around this earth with no spiritual righteous direction ----we serve self not God -----everything we do should give God the Glory but without Christ in us we serve the god of this word Satan ------

Right Faith ---that is Saving Faith brings right action ---right action brings right results ------right results directs us to eternal life not death -------

Very important piece of scripture here in verse 7 of Luke 2

Thanks be to God for sending His only Son to save those who accept His Free gift of Salvation -----Grace makes available Salvation ---Faith takes it in and receives Christ in us ------Jesus was Born for this purpose ------we receive it by Faith not by works ------
 
Redbaron said:
It always seems to amaze me that the people geographically closest to the event had no inkling what was going on; but the shepherds outside of town, some distance away, got the news in spectacular fashion. I always wondered why others didn't hear the racket the angels must have caused...
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I have always read it that the angels were more of a vision than an event. They appeared to the shepherds but were, perhaps, invisible to others. Why? Perhaps God had some purpose in alerting them only.

Of course, if this is all myth, then there were no shepherds or angels. The question becomes what the story means and tells us about Jesus and his birth.
 
Mendalla said:
Of course, if this is all myth, then there were no shepherds or angels. The question becomes what the story means and tells us about Jesus and his birth.
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This was sort of the conclusion I was headed for. Either that, or the past's stories of angelic encounter have become equivalent to the present's stories of alien abduction. Or something like that.
 
But there is a point Luke makes... as I recall, being a shepherd was rather low on the socio-economic scale of things. Maybe the good news of great joy (which would be to all people) was especially meant for the ignored, overlooked and forgotten ones?
 
unsafe said:
7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger because there wasn’t any room for them in the inn.

unsafe says ---This was no accident ------ this verse 7 is very spiritually important ------the manger here is an animal feeding trough ---this is so important ----Jesus is our feeding trough in this life and the next for all believers ----Jesus is our Spiritual bread of life ----Jesus is the word and the word feeds us with the right kind of Faith to receive and believe that Jesus is lord and that He came to save us from our sinful selves ----He came to feed us the right spiritual food to give us Spiritual eternal bliss and keep us from the pit of eternal torment that we humans created for ourselves by our disobedience to God and His Word
Click to expand...
Thanks for your post unsafe. This interpretation is a new one for me. I have always understood laying the babe in the manger to be symbolic of the Holy Family's poverty. But there is no reason it can't have more than one meaning.

I sang the carol "Away in a Manger" for many years before realizing a manger was actually a food trough.
 
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