This map is orientated eastward to show the areas of the Holy Land better. It is from Jesus Christ and the World of the New Testament by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Eric D. Huntsman, and Thomas A. Wayment (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2006), 61.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Saturday, February 14, 2015
NT #6 Bruce. Apostolic interpretations
Apostolic Interpretations re: New
Testament Lesson # 6
re: Matthew 10:39
“Our
service should be for the love of God and the love of fellowmen rather than for
personal advantage or any other lesser motive” including “hope of earthly
reward,” or even “the hope of an eternal reward”(Apostle Dallin H. Oaks, Oct 1984 CR).
re: John 20:19-21; Acts 1:22
“For an apostle it was indispensably necessary that he
should be able to testify as an eye witness to the resurrection of the Savior” (Apostle John Taylor, editor, Times and Seasons 4:67 [Nauvoo ,
IL 15 Feb 1843 ]:101; see also Acts 1:22 ).
“The very first act of the Twelve after
Christ's ascension was to choose a man from among those who had been eye
witnesses of Christ's resurrection… to take Judas' place…. Only such a one was considered eligible … to
be chosen as one of the Twelve Apostles.” (Apostle/President
David O. McKay, Oct. 1925 CR; Apr.
1966 CR.)
“[A
person] may be an Apostle but not one of the Council of the Twelve; whether
Paul was a member or whether he was not … he was an Apostle of the Lord Jesus
Christ and a witness of his resurrection” (Apostle
David O McKay, 1938, Gospel Ideals,
250; see also, e.g., 1 Corinthians 15:3-9).
“Your
ordination is not full and complete till God has laid His hand upon you…. If
the Savior in former days laid His hands upon His disciples … [w]e require as
much to qualify us …” (Charge given to
the Twelve Apostles by Elder Oliver Cowdery after he had ordained each of them
to that office, History of the Church
2:195.)
“God
hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the
Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to
bear them, for the day must come when no man need say to his neighbor, Know ye
that Lord; for all shall know Him … from the least to the greatest. How is this
to be done? It is to be done by … the other Comforter spoken of, which will be
manifest by revelation…. Now what is
this other Comforter? It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself; and … when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have … Jesus
Christ to attend him, or appear unto him … and even He will manifest the Father
unto him …” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 268; History of the Church 3:380, 381.)
“I know that Jesus lives; for
I have seen Him” (Apostle George Q. Cannon, Oct 1896 CR).
“I know the Savior lives; and
I know the Savior” (Apostle/President
Boyd K. Packer).
re: Matthew 10:40–41.
“A prophets reward” is “Exaltation”
which we receive “by accepting prophets … for what they are, [and] by obeying
their teachings” (Apostle Bruce R.
McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament
Commentary 1:337.)
Some Latter-day Apostolic Witnesses
“I found myself … in the dreams of
the night, in the temple… I was informed that I should have the privilege of
entering into one of those sacred rooms to meet a glorious Personage, and, as I
entered the door I saw seated on a raised platform, the most glorious Being my
eyes have ever beheld … He arose and stepped toward me with extended arms, and
He smiled as He softly spoke my name. If I shall live to be a million years old
I shall never forget that smile. He took me into His arms and kissed me, until
the marrow of my bones seemed to melt. When He had finished I fell at His feet,
and as I bathed them with my tears and kisses, I saw the prints of the nails in
the feet of the Redeemer of the world. The feeling that I had in the presence
of Him … to have His love, His affection and His blessing was such that if I
ever can receive that of which I had but a foretaste, I would give all that I
am, all that I ever hope to be, to feel what I then felt.” (Apostle Melvin
J. Ballard, see, e.g., Melvin J. Ballard,
Crusader for Righteousness, 66; Oct 1917 CR, 112.)
“I had a dream which I am sure was
from the Lord… I was in the presence of my Savior... He spoke no word to me, but my love
for him was such that I have not words to explain. I know that no mortal can
love the Lord as I experienced … unless God reveals it unto him. . . . [A]s a
result of that dream I [felt] that no matter what the gospel might entail … I
would do what I should be asked to do, even to the laying down of my life.” (Apostle George F. Richards Oct 1946 CR, 139; quoted in Faith Precedes the Miracle, 39-40.)
From behind a tree in the Garden
of Gethsemane
“All at
once the circumstances seemed to change... [I]t was after the crucifixion, and
the Savior, with the three Apostles… were about to depart and ascend into
Heaven…. I ran [and] fell at his feet, clasped Him around the knees, and begged
Him to take me with Him. I shall never forget the kind and gentle manner in
which He raised me up, and embraced me…. I felt the very warmth of his body, as He held
me in His arms and said in tenderest tones: ‘No, my son; these have finished
their work; they can go with me; but you must stay and finish yours.’ .… I besought him fervently: ‘Promise me that
I will come to you at the last.’ Smiling sweetly, He said: ‘That will depend
entirely upon you’….
“…. I had never thought of being an
Apostle, or of holding any other office in the Church, and it did not occur to
me even then. Yet I know that those sleeping Apostles meant me. I had been
‘asleep at my post.’ But from that hour, all was changed. I was never the same
man again. I did [nothing thereafter] to the neglect of the Lord's work. I held
that first and foremost; all else was secondary.”
(Apostle Orson F. Whitney, quoted by
President Spencer W. Kimball in his book Faith
Precedes the Miracle, 26-27.)
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
NT #6 Bruce. Study questions
Study/Discussion Questions for N.T. Lesson
#6
(Drawn mainly from
the Class Member Study Guide and the Teacher’s Manual)
Jesus began his mortal
ministry by reading a passage from Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth 4:16 –19). What was this passage about?
Luke 4:21) When Jesus finished reading the passage,
what did He testify?
How can we strengthen our testimonies
of that truth?
“Apostles are called to do
what Jesus himself did in the synagogue in Nazareth
Matthew 9:36–38
Mark 3:14
Matthew 16:19
What do the scriptures say about the 1st Apostles' backgrounds? (See Luke 5; also “The Original Twelve Apostles" posted by Alison.)
Luke 6:12–13)
How did Jesus know who to call to be
His first Apostles?
How should people be chosen to serve
in Church callings today?
Matthew 10:39 ) Who should not
be our focus as we fulfill our callings?
Who should be?
What blessings are promised to those who follow the
Apostles?
(See Matthew 10:40–41)
How have you been blessed by following the counsel of
an Apostle?
Ephesians 4:11–13) How long will the Church need to
have Apostles?
How do the Apostles today help us achieve these
purposes?
John 20:19–21) What about Jesus are Apostles special
witnesses of?
(See also Acts 1:22 )
Sunday, February 1, 2015
NT Lesson #5--Alison
Lesson 5: “Born Again”
John 3:1–22 and John 4:1–42
Quotes:
Elder Bednar—“We are
instructed to “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny [ourselves]
of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32), to become
“new creature[s]” in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17), to put
off “the natural man” (Mosiah 3:19), and to
experience “a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more
disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2). Please note
that the conversion described in these verses is mighty, not minor—a spiritual
rebirth and fundamental change of what we feel and desire, what we think and
do, and what we are. Indeed, the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ entails
a fundamental and permanent change in our very nature made possible through our
reliance upon “the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8). As we choose
to follow the Master, we choose to be changed—to be spiritually reborn.”[1]
C S Lewis : “People often think of Christian morality as a kind of
bargain in which God says, ‘If you keep a lot of rules I’ll reward you, and if
you don’t I’ll do the other thing.’ I do not think that is the best way of
looking at it. I would much rather say that every time you make a choice you
are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into
something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a
whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly
turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish
creature…Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the
other.”[2]
James E. Talmage: “Nicodemus was given to understand that his worldly
learning and official status availed him nothing in any effort to understand
the things of God; through the physical sense of hearing he knew that the wind
blew; by sight he could be informed of its passage; yet what did he know of the
ultimate cause of even this simple phenomenon? If Nicodemus would really be
instructed in spiritual matters, he had to divest himself of the bias due to
his professed knowledge of lesser things.”[3]
Henry B. Eyring Facebook post: "A few days ago, I met in my office with a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to discuss work on increasing the spirit and the power of the Sabbath to build faith in Jesus Christ. As I later pondered this conversation, I felt that faith in Jesus Christ is built more by acting than by listening, even when the teacher or speaker has the power of the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost testifies of our Heavenly Father and of the Savior with the purpose of moving us to repent and to keep commandments. Those are actions. It is the actions to pray, repent, and keep the commandments that build faith in the hearts of disciples of Jesus Christ."
Henry B. Eyring Facebook post: "A few days ago, I met in my office with a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to discuss work on increasing the spirit and the power of the Sabbath to build faith in Jesus Christ. As I later pondered this conversation, I felt that faith in Jesus Christ is built more by acting than by listening, even when the teacher or speaker has the power of the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost testifies of our Heavenly Father and of the Savior with the purpose of moving us to repent and to keep commandments. Those are actions. It is the actions to pray, repent, and keep the commandments that build faith in the hearts of disciples of Jesus Christ."
For information on the Samaritans, see the post entitled
“Intertestamental Period and Jewish Groups in Israel.”
Introduction
For these chapters, Jesus and his disciples make the journey from
Galilee to Jerusalem and back. In Jesus’s time, Archeleaus was the son of Herod
the Great who ruled Judea and Samaria until he was replaced by Roman
procurators (governors) like Pontius Pilate; Herod Antipas was the son of Herod
the Great who ruled Galilee; Philip was the son who ruled the region east of
Galilee (see the chart in “Political situation in Jerusalem since the Old
Testament.” Jesus had already started His Galilean ministry, so news of some of
His teachings would have reached the Sanhedrin. Compounded with His cleansing
of the temple and declaration that “Destroy this temple and in three days I
will raise it up,” curiosity and trepidation would have been high among the
ruling class.
Nicodemus—a member of the Sanhedrin (high
court), a Pharisee, and a ruler of the Jewish people. He stood up for Jesus when the Pharisees were conspiring against him:
Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number,
asked, "Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out
what he has been doing?" (John 7:50–51, NIV). He helped Joseph of
Arimathea take Jesus's body down from the cross and lay it in a tomb, at great
risk to his safety and reputation. Nicodemus also donated 75 pounds of
expensive myrrh and aloes to anoint Jesus's body after Jesus died.
John 3
Nicodemus was a good man, much like Alma the Elder hearing Abinadi in
the court of King Noah. But he was a politician, so he sought Jesus out by
night, rather than openly. Again, like Abinadi, Jesus chides Nicodemus for
displaying ignorance of things he should know, “Art thou a master of Israel,
and knowest not these things? . . . If I have told you earthly things and ye
believe not, how shall ye believe, if I
tell you of heavenly things?” (John 3:10, 12).
Question:
Cast your minds back to your baptism and then think about where you are
now. How have you been “born again”?
Last week on the lesson on repentance, the importance of baptism of
water and of the spirit was emphasized. Elder Packer said: “Remember what
Joseph Smith said: ‘You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not
done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by
water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other
half—that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost.’[4] . . .
You can receive this great blessing—to become familiar with the still, small
voice and learn that this voice will tell you all things that you must do. The
word we use to describe this communication is promptings, the way we feel.
These promptings can come many times, through many experiences. That is the
voice of the Lord speaking.”[5]
Question: How does rebirth in the spirit help
you endure the slings and arrows of life?
3:16–20
Atheists deny the existence of God, but also throw out examples of
suffering by children as evidence of a cruel God if He were to exist. In these verses,
we see that God is Love and Light. His Love counteracts evil, and His Light
dispels the darkness. By sending His Only Begotten Son to effect the Atonement,
our Heavenly Father provides a way to overcome suffering and, eventually death.
John 4
The Samaritan Woman at the Well—Because she came to Jacob's Well which is near the
foot of Mount Gerizim, it is likely that she lived in Sychar, a village that in
the Old Testament was known as Shechem and is near the Palestinian city of
Nablus today. Usually, women drew water early in the morning, but Jesus was
resting there "about the sixth hour," around noon (John 4:6). It is
possible that she had been ostracized from her own people, as well as the Jews
because of her having had five husbands and was currently living with a man not
her husband.[6]
After dealing with baptism by water (John 3:5), we now turn to an
explanation of living water. Our outward bodies are refreshed and cleansed by
water; our inner bodies are also refreshed and cleansed by water. And our
spirits are nourished and purified by living water. Jesus, prefiguring the
Sacrament, is the Bread of Life and Living Water.
5–6—it was unusual to travel from Jerusalem to Galilee through Samaria,
yet Jesus did not avoid the Samaritans (the parable of the Good Samaritan is a
prime example).
Read John 4:14 “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give
him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a
well of water springing up into everlasting life” and D&C 63:23 “But unto
him that keepeth my commandments I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and
the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting
life.”
Question: What do these two scriptures mean to
you?
John 4:24, God is a Spirit! See the JST: “For unto such hath God
promised his Spirit; and they who worship him must worship in spirit and
truth.” Firstly—our true selves are our spirits—that doesn’t change even though
we inhabit first a mortal, then an exalted body. Secondly, what does it mean to worship in spirit and truth? (C S Lewis
quote).
Unlike Nicodemus (as far as we know), the Samaritan woman went back to
her village and, like the shepherds, told everyone she knew about the Savior
and brought them to Him, where they gained their own testimony of His divinity.
Enough came and besought Him that He stayed there with them for two days, much
to the consternation of His disciples.
[1]
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/ye-must-be-born-again?lang=eng
[2]
C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, book
3 ch. 4.
[3]
Jesus the Christ at https://www.lds.org/manual/jesus-the-christ/chapter-12?lang=eng.
[5]
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2006/08/the-gift-of-the-holy-ghost-what-every-member-should-know?lang=eng.
[6] Olsen, Women of
the New Testament, 219–25.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Sunday, January 25, 2015
The Original Twelve Apostles
The Twelve Apostles
Simon Peter
Peter was a fisherman, the
brother of Andrew and, with James and John, comprised the first “First
Presidency.” Pres. Kimball said, “Peter was a diamond in the rough—a diamond
that would need to be cut, trimmed, and polished by correction, chastisement,
and trials—but nevertheless a diamond of real quality. The Savior knew this
apostle could be trusted to receive the keys of the kingdom.”[1]
Peter was crucified upside down.
Andrew
Also a fisherman, Andrew
was the brother of Simon Peter and had been a disciple of John the Baptist.
James the son of Zebedee
Also known as James the
Greater (to distinguish him from both “James the Less” who was an Apostle, and James
who was the author of the Epistle of James and Jesus’s brother), James, a
fisherman, was brother to John and in the first presidency. He and John were
nicknamed “sons of thunder.” He was the first of the original Twelve to be
martyred in AD 44, having been sentenced to death by sword by Herod Agrippa.
John
Author of the Gospel and
the Book of Revelation, he was known as John the Beloved. He was the brother of
James and together they were known as the “sons of thunder.” He is reported to
have died of old age in Ephesus.
Philip
Philip was also a disciple
of John the Baptist first and came from Galilee. Little is known about him, but
he did recruit Nathanael.
Nathanael (believed to be Bartholomew)
Recruited by Philip,
Nathanael became a disciple after the Lord revealed He had seen him sitting
under a fig tree. He is reported to have been crucified upside down, like
Peter.
Matthew (Levi)
Writer of the Gospel,
Matthew was a tax collector whose call is documented in Matthew 9.
Thomas
Unfortunately nicknamed
“Doubting Thomas” because of his insistence to see the marks in the Savior’s
hands before he would believe that Jesus had been resurrected, Thomas was
nonetheless a true and dedicated Apostle.
James the Less
James was the son of
Alphaeus—very little is written about him in the New Testament other than he
was one of the Twelve Apostles.
Simon the Zealot
Other than this title for
him, virtually nothing is known about this Simon, other than he was chosen by
the Lord to be an Apostle.
Thaddeus or Jude
Again, very little known
about him. He is also known as “Judas,” not to be confused with Judas Iscariot,
and is a brother of one of the James’s—probably James the Less.
Judas Iscariot
Because of his surname,
Iscariot, it is possible he came from Kerioth which was near Hebron. It can be
assumed that early on he was with the other Apostles when they performed
miracles. Later, though, he was found to be a thief and a traitor. He hanged
himself after betraying the Savior.
[1]
Spencer W. Kimball, “Peter, My Brother,” Brigham Young University Speeches of
the Year (July 13, 1971), 2.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
NT Lesson #4—Bruce Lott
N.T. #4: “Prepare Ye the Way of the
Lord”
Matthew 3:1–4:17
Matthew 3:1–4:17
re: Matthew 3:1–12; Luke 3:11
What did John the Baptist preach in
preparation for Christ’s coming?
What are the elements of
repentance that brings forgiveness?
(See, e.g., 2 Cor. 7:10; Matt.
3:6; 6:14 ; D&C 1:32; Mosiah 4:26 ; 7:33 .)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
re: Matthew 3:8, please see Moroni
What are the fruits of repentance?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
re: Matthew 3:11
“Baptism in water is the introductory ordinance of the
gospel and must be followed by baptism of the Spirit in order to be complete” (Bible
Dictionary).
“The baptism of water, without the baptism of fire … is
of no use. They are necessarily and inseparably connected…. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is
good for nothing without the other half—that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church:
Joseph Smith, 90, 95.)
What is complete baptism?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
President
Boyd K. Packer has said: “[T]here are two parts to baptism--baptism by water
and baptism by fire.” When teach about baptism we should “always” include both
parts. For example: “When you are eight years old,
you can be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost.” (“The Gift of the Holy Ghost: What Every Member Should Know,” Aug 2006 Ensign.)
Did John the Baptist practice this principle taught by
President Packer?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
“[T]he
baptism of fire by the Holy Ghost … cleanses, heals, and purifies the soul” (Elder David A. Bednar, October
2007 CR).
President Lorenzo Snow said: “[Some] weeks after I was
baptized [in water]…. I began to reflect upon the fact that I had not obtained
[the baptism of the Holy Ghost] and I began to feel very uneasy. I … left the
house and wandered around through the fields under the oppressive influence of
a gloomy, disconsolate spirit…. At length, realizing that the usual time had
come for secret prayer, I … knelt as I was in the habit of doing…. I had no
sooner opened my lips in an effort to pray, than … the Spirit of God descended
upon me, completely enveloping my whole person, filling me from the crown of my
head to the soles of my feet, and O the joy and happiness I felt! … It was a
complete baptism--a tangible immersion
in … the Holy Ghost.” (Teachings of
Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, 59, 61.)
Elder
Joseph L. Wirthlin told of a member friend who “had prayed often and long” to
receive the baptism of fire and had nearly given up on receiving it. “One
morning, while pondering the scriptures, he felt something surge through his
body from the top of his head to the bottoms of his feet. ‘I was immersed in a feeling of such intense
love and pure joy’ he said, ‘there was no room in me for any other sensation.’”(April 2003 Conference Report [CR].)
What is the baptism of fire?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
“For the gate
by which ye should enter is
repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by
fire and by the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 31:17).
“Baptism
by immersion in water is the introductory ordinance of the gospel, and must be
followed by baptism of the Spirit in order to be complete... [T]hen cometh a remission of your sins by
fire and by the Holy Ghost” (President
James E. Faust April 2001 CR).
“We
must be baptized by immersion in water” and “also be baptized by and immersed in the Spirit… and then cometh
a remission of sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost” (Elder David A. Bednar April 2006 CR.)
What is baptism by immersion for the remission of
sins?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
re: Matthew 4:3
“Satan was not simply tempting
Jesus to eat” but to use “His divine powers for selfish purposes” (Elder Howard W. Hunter, Oct 1976 CR). “There was nothing wrong with the Lord's providing
food by miraculous means. … [H]e would later multiply loaves and fishes so that
thousands could eat.” (Elder Dallin H.
Oaks, Pure in Heart, 18.) But Jesus always “acted out of love and compassion for
[others… H]e would not turn stones into bread to appease his own ... gnawing
hunger born of forty days of fasting—yet for others, whose needs were less and
whose hunger was but one day old, he would exercise his own divine power” (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah 2:349).
What would have been wrong with Jesus heeding Satan’s “first
temptation”?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt. 4:4,7,10) What did
Jesus’ responses to Satan’s temptations have in common?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt. 4:
17 ) What did Jesus preach in preparation for the kingdom
of heaven?
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