Getting it Right with Jesus

Introduction

Sections on this page:

What’s in the Title

While the words Getting it Right with Jesus can convey many things, I mean them to entail three dynamic elements:

    triangle
  1. Understand refers to the comprehension of the information and teaching about the man Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Bible. Without right understanding, the other two elements will fail.
  2. Accept refers to the deliberate choice of the individual disciple to get into and stay in a lifelong relationship with Jesus. It is a commitment openly declared in the act of baptism into the name of Christ. Without reasoned acceptance, going forward will not happen.
  3. Imitate refers to the doing, saying and being things in the same way Jesus did, said and was. It is a student talking like his teacher, a servant copying his master, a follower walking in the steps of his leader, a disciple behaving like his lord. Without specific action by which the resemblance is made clear and growth demonstrated, Jesus is not imitated.

To be like Jesus, to follow in his steps, to replicate his example, is the calling of the individual disciple. Yet the context of the community of believers, the church, the ecclesia, must also be recognized. Interaction between believers is essential to manifest Jesus in their midst as well as to the world. The apostle Paul encouraged disciples in the city of Corinth to “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ”. He also wrote to the believers at Ephesus about developing “to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” He was arguing for the need to have unity in the “one body” of Christ. It was important for members to realize how gifted individuals were integral to the ecclesia, so that the “whole body” would grow up the right way into Christ. Here’s the relevant excerpt:

Eph 4: 11 And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love.

In summary, Getting it Right with Jesus is:


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What’s in it for You

Listen to what Jesus said to his disciples, for his words can apply to you as well:

Mt 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men.” 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? 27 For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done.

What is Jesus teaching in this passage? What is his final appeal?


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Worth the Pursuit

The resurrected Jesus is the center of Bible Christianity. Does it make sense for his professed disciples to make sure they understand who this man was and is? Yes!

The decision to want to rightly understand Jesus will take a person on an investigation that never ends. It will absolutely intrigue his/her mind and engage his/her soul. A man or woman can never live a normal life again after truly knowing the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus was sent from God to save mankind from our natural selfishness and folly. He is also the man appointed by God to judge the world in righteousness. Since our present life and future existence are at stake, is it worth the effort to investigate these assertions? Of course!

The seeker will learn that Jesus has “the words of eternal life”, which include things like “count the cost” and “whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple”4. His disciples are assured that along with persecutions for doing right, they will reap good things “a hundredfold now in this time … and in the age to come eternal life”5. Jesus told the truth. Discipleship is hard. But he gave his followers power to do and to overcome6. Some would be put to death for preaching Christ. But he assured them that in losing their life, they would find it!7 You had to be fully convicted to follow Jesus.

Jesus is a man who delivered. How did he do it? He wants you to establish and keep a relationship with him. How do you do it? Jesus expects his disciples to imitate him. How is that done? This workbook will answer all three questions.


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Genesis of this Workbook

The best way to understand Jesus is to read his life story for yourself. That story is masterfully told by God in what continues to be the world’s best-selling book – the Bible. The Bible is often called God’s Book. For those who believe that God inspired men to write down His message, the text is regarded as Holy Scripture8. So if you want to really learn about Jesus, go right to the text yourself. Read it9. Then make a study of it.

Writing down what makes sense is a good way to reinforce understanding. It also helps to use charts and diagrams to clarify connections and confirm meanings. That’s the process I followed. It made sense to start with the resurrection of Jesus since it is the foundation fact of Bible Christianity. Then the task became one of determining how the major aspects of Jesus’ life fit around this core fact. In my study, 10 subject areas emerged as a logical sequence. Along with 2 complementary information areas, they formed a meaningful ‘big picture’ or framework for understanding Jesus.

Since I am a visual learner and my work profession has been Information Systems, I developed a flow diagram. Then for each of the ten subject areas, I added valid10 supporting Bible passages. This Diagram [shown 3 pages earlier] became the nucleus of a series of talks given at a Pentecostal church in 2005. It has now evolved into the primary content of this workbook. You are encouraged to make your own notes on the workbook pages and turn it into your personal resource manual.


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Challenge to the Reader

This workbook makes bold claims as to what is truly taught in Scripture about Jesus, and by implication, what is erroneously taught. This would be presumptuous were it not for the several Bible texts quoted in support of those claims. My challenge to the reader is this: determine whether the references are relevant and the logic is sound. If you are convinced by the evidence and your own reasoning, then accept your conclusion and its implications. This might mean discarding your misconceptions and the start of changing your behavior.

To “get it right with Jesus” requires (1) the right understanding, (2) accepting the demands of a life of discipleship and (3) then living like Jesus. The Bible provides all the necessary information on these three dynamic elements. Establishing a relationship with God through belief in Jesus puts a person on the path to eternal life. Jesus taught:

Mt 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Shocking words? Yes, Jesus meant them to be. This is truth spoken to change your life.


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Structure of the Workbook

Let me explain the structure of the workbook:


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Prompts

When you encounter the following icons in the body of the text, you are being prompted to take the recommended action.

Bible icon

This icon prompts you to read the Bible passage yourself.

Bible icon

This icon encourages you to further examine the details.

Bible icon

This icon prompts you to write down your own notes.

Bible icon

This icon prompts you to write out your answers to the Questions.


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Triangles

The mini-triangles in the left margin are meant to indicate that the text to the right is especially important to Understand (U), Accept (A) and/or Imitate (I). Thus the triangle might indicate any one or combination of U, A or I, as follows:

Triangle A Triangle AI Triangle AU Triangle AIU Triangle I Triangle IU Triangle U

Remaining Sections

There are three more sections in this Introduction:

  1. An explanation of the Diagram and the logic behind the flow sequence.
  2. A discussion on God’s Word being truth, Jesus being the key witness.
  3. An explanation of the layout used for the following 10 Chapters.

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1. Diagram Explanation

A Framework for Understanding Jesus

Getting it Right with Jesus Diagram

The subject of the entire diagram is Jesus. The source of information is the Bible text. The associations drawn are deduced from the evidence found in the text.

The best way to understand the diagram is to see how and why its various components were identified and put together. For ease of reading, the brief explanation is made without citing any Bible references, which will be provided in the chapters that follow.

[1] First, let’s start with the fact of the Resurrection. This historical event about the man Jesus is vindication of his teaching, the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, and the demonstration that Jesus really was and is the Son of man and Son of God whom God raised from the dead.

[2] To be raised from the dead means that Jesus was dead. To die is to stop living. The breath of life [spirit] left Jesus when he died on the cross. That spirit11 went back to God who gave it, as happens with every other creature on earth that dies. There was a dead body on the cross, which was taken down and put in a tomb. Jesus, as a person, ceased to exist. In short, body minus spirit = a lifeless person or dead body.

The dead body of Jesus on the cross also symbolized the victory of Jesus over sin12.

[3] To have died means that Jesus was once alive. Like the first man Adam, Jesus had a body that had a life force13 in it and as such, was considered a living being (person, soul). Jesus was alive in exactly the same way, no more, no less, than every other human being that has existed. In short, body plus spirit = a living person.

For an intense 3½ years, he preached the good news of God and went about doing good. Jesus healed people physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. Because he loved them, and because he loved his Father, Jesus lay down his life for his friends and prayed for his enemies14. His enemies would kill him, but his friends would see him alive again.

[4] To be alive as a human being means that Jesus was born of a woman. Jesus was uniquely conceived by the power of God [the Holy Spirit] in the womb of a virgin named Mary. Thus Jesus inherited his human nature from Mary, and called himself “the Son of man”. Because God was his actual Father, Jesus is also “the Son of God” from birth.

[5] Being like any other man, Jesus could be tempted. Unlike any other man, he never gave in to temptation, i.e., he never sinned. Since he was human, Jesus was mortal, i.e., he could die. Like other men, he did die; he was murdered by crucifixion. Jesus never sinned, but grew in total obedience to his Father. It was ‘impossible’ for him to remain dead in the tomb. Per God’s promises15 and intervention, Jesus rose from the dead and was given eternal life. In direct contrast to the physical, flesh-and-blood body that he once had, Jesus was given a spiritual body, which is immortal16 and incorruptible17. He is still a man—not now with human nature—but with God’s divine nature.

Note: so far, what applied to Jesus in #4, 3 & 2 is certainly the present human experience today. As for #1 & #5, believers have the hope of the Resurrection and being given a body like Jesus’ glorious body. For the believer then, what Jesus was and did is meant for us to identify with and imitate; he is literally an example that can be followed.

[6] Since a spiritual body can be seen, Jesus appeared to many people after his resurrection. It made sense that Jesus would show himself alive again to his followers and apostles. So after he was risen, Jesus revealed himself to the faithful women, had a private talk with Peter, came to the men in locked rooms, invited a doubter to touch him, walked & ate with Cleopas and made & served breakfast on the beach for his disciples. Twelve men18 would be specific witnesses to the fact of the resurrection. And Jesus made special appearances to Stephen and Paul.

[7] Jesus appeared to his disciples to provide them more than just proof that God had raised him to eternal life. He fulfilled the promises he made prior to his death by passing along Holy Spirit power to the apostles, and by providing further information about himself and the Kingdom of God. He gave specific instructions to go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation, adding that “I am with you always, to the close of the age”19. The gift of the Holy Spirit was manifested in apostolic preaching, teaching and healing, as well as in the various gifts given to various members for the care and growth of the church20. Jesus empowered the individual to know and obey him, and by that relationship helped him/her overcome sin and stand for the truth of God.

[8] When Jesus ascended into heaven after 40 days of many proofs confirming that he really was the immortalized Christ21, he was not abandoning his disciples. In the role of high priest, at the Father’s right hand, Jesus was still a real presence in their lives and ‘would be with them always’. As a man made perfect through suffering, Jesus is able to sympathize with the weaknesses, trials and challenges of believers. His work as a mediator22 and comforter23 started in the first century and continues today.

[9] Jesus repeatedly said that he would return, i.e., be coming back to earth. There will be three keys things to do: raise his dead friends24, judge the world in righteousness25, and restore the Kingdom to Israel. At what is sometimes called the Second Coming, Jesus will play the roles of judge26 and king27. As judge, Jesus will evaluate both living and the resurrected dead, some of whom will be given spiritual bodies like his, and some will be rejected and receive eternal death28. As king, Jesus will establish the throne of God in Jerusalem and will rule over all the earth.

[10] The Return of Jesus brings a new world order to a revitalized ‘new earth’29 that is filled with justice, righteousness, truth and peace. In fulfillment of Bible prophecy, Jesus’ reign of 1000 years30 will rejuvenate a world rid of wicked mankind and will teach God’s way to the surviving mortal population. At the end of that time, Jesus will have totally destroyed sin and death, and will subject himself to God one more time, so that “God may be everything to every one”31.

Jesus taught his disciples to pray to the Father in this way: “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. So the Christian hope is not only for the resurrection to everlasting life, but for a Kingdom to rejoice in. This Kingdom on earth32 is literally the reward that Jesus promised his disciples: “the meek shall inherit the earth”. Thus understanding what Jesus is still doing and will do at his Second Coming is a matter of life and death for anyone who wants to share in that reward.

[11 & 12] The relationships that Jesus had and has with his Father, the angels, and with humankind, are important to understand so that we can relate to them. To see how Jesus obeyed the laws of God is likewise important. The prophecies about and by Jesus are utterly fascinating. Their prediction and outworking are the mark of a Divine author. Their existence and fulfillment are ‘certainties’ written down for us to read and hear, to convince those who might not believe, and to encourage those who are convicted in belief to remain steadfast until the end.

This completes the explanation of the 12 subject areas depicted in the Diagram.


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2. God’s Word is Truth

God’s Word is truth, because Jesus said so (Jn 17:17).

Scripture is trustworthy because Jesus said it cannot be broken (Jn 10:34).

The Old Testament [OT] of the Bible is credible because Jesus cited it as a reliable witness on par with the words of John the Baptist, the miracles Jesus had performed, and the voice of God Himself (cf. Jn 5:33-37, 10:31).

In particular, Jesus made it clear that he believed in the early stories in Genesis such as the creation account, Noah’s global flood, and the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Since Jesus endorsed the historical reality of the Genesis record, the first book of the Christian Bible, his followers should do likewise.

The evidence, strength and implications of these claims are discussed in the next several paragraphs.

Claim #1

Jesus believed in God’s creation. This claim is supported by the following statements33 by Jesus:

  1. And alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! Pray that it may not happen in winter. For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will be (Mk 13:17-19).
  2. But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female’ (Mk 10:5-6).
  3. “And to the angel of the church in La-odice’a write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation’” (Rev 3:14).

#1 & 2 clearly indicate that Jesus believed in and based his teaching on the Genesis account of creation, while #3 [spoken by a resurrected Lord = Jesus is alive!] reinforces the point that God is the Creator, Jesus himself being created by God.

So What:

Triangle AIU
  • In the debate about Intelligent Design vs. Evolution, Jesus would definitely be an outspoken advocate for Intelligent Design. He in fact would be called a ‘creationist’.
  • The person who asserts to be a follower of Christ’s teaching would share his belief that the God of the Bible is the Creator of heaven and earth, all life therein, and mankind in particular. God made man and woman for a purpose, established a personal relationship with them, and gave them “life and breath and everything”34.
  • A Christian is also a creationist based on faith, as understood in the following text: “By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear” (Heb 11:3). This faith is not blind, but based on reason that eagerly searches out and examines all kinds of information from all sources, one of which is the Bible record, and another of which is the realm of Science. Debate is not over the existence of data and ‘facts’, but on the interpretation of the data and ‘facts’.

Claim #2

Jesus taught Noah’s flood as reality and the destruction of Sodom in Lot’s time as a fact. This assertion is easily proven by the following words by Jesus:

  1. “As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man” (Mt 24:37-39).
  2. “As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of man. They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all” (Lk 17:26-27).
  3. Likewise as it was in the days of Lot—they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom fire and sulphur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—so will it be on the day when the Son of man is revealed. On that day, let him who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away; and likewise let him who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife” (Lk 17:28-32).

The first two passages of Scripture are obviously talking about the same thing, but they were spoken on different occasions and in different contexts. #1 is part of a prophecy made by Jesus to his followers, in answer to their question “what will be the signs of your coming and the end of the age?” (Mt 24:3). #2 is part of instruction to Christ’s disciples immediately following a confrontation with the Pharisees35 who were asking to know when the Kingdom of God was coming (Lk 17:20). On both occasions, Jesus explicitly referenced Noah and the flood as the basis of his argument and appeal.

As for #3, Jesus specifically cites the story of Lot as an object lesson for his hearers.

So What:

Triangle AIU
  • The teaching in #1 & 2 reveals that Jesus was treating Noah as a historical person who really existed, and the flood as a literal fact which “destroyed them all”, words that effectively summarize the results of global flood. That the flood was global is based on a straightforward reading of the Genesis 6:11-9:17 record, where the recurring idea is that God was bringing a deluge of water “to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall die” (Gen 6:17 cf. 7:4, 19-13, 8:21, 9:15).
  • Lot and the event of the destruction of Sodom are brought in as supporting evidence for the teaching about Noah. It reinforces the assertion that an historical person in a catastrophic event36 is the basis of Jesus’ argument.
  • Therefore, those people who would put the story of Noah or Lot into the category of ‘myth’ or ‘allegory’, are taking a position completely opposite to that of Jesus. Since Jesus’ thinking is right, their thinking is wrong.

Claim #3

Jesus treated the patriarchs of the nation of Israel – the men named Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – as real people to whom God made great and precious promises. Check out these statements by Jesus:

  1. “There you will weep when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out” (Lk 13:28).
  2. “But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him” (Lk 20:37-38).
  3. They answered him,’ Abraham is our father’. Jesus said to them, ‘If you were Abraham’s children, you would do what Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God; this is not what Abraham did’ (Jn 8:39-40).

#1 is part of Jesus’ preaching to his listeners, one of whom asked the question, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” (Lk 13:23). #2 is part of Jesus’ reply to the Sadducees about “those who say there is no resurrection” (Lk 20:27). #3 is part of Jesus’ argument with the Pharisees, who were challenging his credentials as a teacher; they had said to him “you are bearing witness to yourself; your testimony is not true” (Jn 8:13).

So What:

Triangle AIU
  • The evidence is abundant and clear that Jesus regarded Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as important people who really existed, and that the facts about them were points to be made in an argument. Furthermore, Jesus obviously used Moses as a trustworthy historian.
  • Those who heard Jesus’ argument were themselves Bible students, who were wrong in their own understanding and application of Scripture. Truth is in the text, but there is still a need to rightly interpret that text.
  • Critical importance is placed on the resurrection. Faithful dead men need to be made alive again to inherit the land of promise which is on earth. They do not enjoy that inheritance now, since they are dead37; but their resurrection to eternal life is certain, because Jesus said so.

When it comes to the rest of the OT, Jesus cited the law, the prophets, and the psalms in general, as being source records of prophecies concerning himself38. He also cites the lives of Jonah, Solomon, Zechariah, and the writings of David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel39. Given such explicit testimony by a man who did not sin or lie, we can regard the OT Scripture as a reliable and authoritative source of information.

When it comes to the believability of the New Testament [NT] record, we read there the ‘reported’ sayings of Jesus, which have already been cited as proof for his unwavering belief in the OT Scripture. Logically, if you cannot trust the integrity and accuracy of the NT [gospels, Acts, letters and the book of Revelation], then the case for the OT Scripture being ‘truth’ is lost. However, the evidence for the reliability of the New Testament section of the Christian Bible is solid and quite trustworthy. Investigate the evidence for yourself40.

Conclusion

Search for yourself

Using Jesus as the primary witness for the truth and relevance of OT Scripture, the argument is solid and sure. The case for the reliability of NT Scripture is asserted to be likewise. Therefore, in the chapters that follow, I will confidently cite the whole of Scripture as a trustworthy source of information.

At the same time, I urge you the reader to look up, read and examine the verse(s) for yourself, to see if the passage41 has been correctly quoted, understood and applied.


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3. Format for Chapters 1-5

Each of the next 10 chapters in the workbook has the same layout. It is designed to follow the standard steps followed in “making an argument” for the validity and rightness of the Claim.

The Bible References are objective source material which can be examined for relevance and support with respect to the Claim.

The Points are the statements of fact and logic, which reflect reasonable interpretation of the Bible text.

So What extracts the implications made in Points in terms of right Scripture understanding and correct life application, first to Jesus and then to his disciples.

Conclusion is a summary of the findings, and the implied impact on the reader’s thinking and doing.

Questions are intended to challenge the status quo of the reader’s mindset.

Further Examination urges the reader to consider digging into certain topics and issues that arose in the Chapter. Specific reference to Appendix information may appear here.

End Notes are my additional comments intended to clarify or expand upon the wording or assertion being made in the main body.

Make your own notes.

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End Notes

  1. Whatever these words mean, they require ongoing action, and far more than a simple declaration of belief. [back]
  2. E.g., “abundance” in Jesus begins now, in this life (Jn 10:10, Mk 10:30, Mt 13:12, Phil 4:12) [back]
  3. Vanity & striving after the wind is the conclusion found in Eccl 1:1-18, 2:1-26, 3:19, 4:4, 5:10, 9:9-10 [back]
  4. Jn 6:68, Lk 15:27-28 [back]
  5. Mk 10:29-30 [back]
  6. Mt 7:14, 6:33, Rev 3:8-12 [back]
  7. Mt 10:21, 39 [back]
  8. I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. As such, it is the source authority for my arguments.
    [back]
  9. Choose a reputable translation [actual meaning of the word], which is based on the available Hebrew and Greek text. While a paraphrase [idea of the words] may read easier, realize that you are getting farther away from the original language. [back]
  10. Here, “valid” means that the verse or passage contains the term or point of the topic being discussed; it also is taken “in context”, i.e., the verses before and after are considered when determining the meaning [back]
  11. The spirit is not the soul, i.e., not the person; upon death, the person (soul) ceases to exist [back]
  12. Jn 3:14-15, 12:30-33 [back]
  13. Life force = spirit, breath, wind [back]
  14. Lk 23:34, cf. Mt 5:44 [back]
  15. There was a Divine obligation that formed the basis of Peter’s argument in Acts 2:.30: God had sworn with an oath to David that the fruit of his loins He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne. It was for this reason, Peter argues, that he was not left in the grave nor did his flesh see corruption. It was God’s covenant oath made to the fathers that effected Christ’s resurrection. [back]
  16. Immortal means ‘cannot die’ [back]
  17. Incorruptible indicates ‘cannot sin’ [back]
  18. Acts 1:22 [back]
  19. Mt 28:20 [back]
  20. Church = the body of Christ, Jesus being its head [back]
  21. Christ = Messiah, the anointed one of God [back]
  22. Mediator = explains and represents God to us [back]
  23. Comforter = comes alongside to make strong [back]
  24. Jesus ‘friends’ who are asleep in the grave [back]
  25. This righteousness includes the wicked being destroyed [back]
  26. Is judge because he is the Son of man [back]
  27. Is king because he is the Son of God [back]
  28. Death = non-existence forever [back]
  29. 2Pet 3:13, Rev 21:1 [back]
  30. Jesus will reign with his co-ruling apostles and other faithful disciples who have been made immortal [back]
  31. 1Cor 15:28 [back]
  32. What is in heaven with God and Jesus comes down as part of the Return [back]
  33. Quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible; the “Bible” is also called “God’s Word” or known as the “Holy Scriptures”. [back]
  34. Acts 17:25 [back]
  35. Jewish religious authorities [back]
  36. Catastrophic for those unprepared [back]
  37. Dead in the grave and not existing in some form elsewhere [back]
  38. Lk 24:25-27.44-46, as spoken to the apostles just after his resurrection [back]
  39. Mt 12:41, 6:28, 23:35, 22:43, 13:14, 24:24:15 [back]
  40. For example, “The NT documents, are they reliable” – by F.F. Bruce, Bantam Books, 1968 [back]
  41. There are many translations to choose from, but virtually all versions have a word choice that generally communicates the same message or idea. When variation is significant, the translators usually provide notes as to why they chose the words they did. You can decide who makes the best case. [back]