The trend today is to believe that it is okay to take Bible verse out of context. The rationale behind this way of thinking is that both Jesus and New Testament writers have done this.
But - have they?
In this paper, through close and indepth examination of Scripture verse, I will demonstrate that they indeed, have not taken Scripture verse out of context. I will in fact demonstrate that both Jesus and New Testament writers have applied the same original contextual meaning found in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament writings) to their current and present situation and purpose.
Once I have done this, my question to today's Christian will be: If Jesus and New Testament writers have indeed not taken Scripture verse out of context - can we? It would seem that the answer will be fairly obvious to the faith-centered Christian.
I will address this controversial issue of biblical context from the following four perspectives, concluding the work with a final section of present-day commentary geared to assist us in applying biblical context to our own day & culture.
| The Hebrew Scriptures, NIV | The Hebrew Scriptures in Context |
| The Temptation of Jesus Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. "Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' Matthew 4:1-4 Also Luke 4:1-4 Do Not Forget the Lord Manna and Quail | Jesus has been fasting for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert. He has been fasting for - hungering for - God's Word. Now, at the end of his fast, like the Israelites during their 40 years in the desert, he is also physically hungry. The devil tempts him to use his own power as the Son of God, to provide for himself by changing stones into bread. The devil is using Jesus' physical hunger for food, to sway him from his spiritual hunger for God. Jesus quotes the Scripture to demonstrate that he understands that, as God provided bread from heaven for the Israelites by His Word in the form of manna, so it is that God provides bread for him, spiritual bread. Jesus is not to be deterred (by his physical hunger) from the purpose of his fast (his spiritual hunger) to seek God's Word for himself. Moses has been instructing the people not to forget the Lord. He tells them that in the desert, the Lord humbled them in their hunger, so that He could feed them Himself with manna, which they had not known before. He reminds them that this manna came down to them from heaven by God's Word, to teach them that man cannot live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. We can see here that even Moses in referring back to this desert experience, has not taken the event out of context. |
| The Temptation of Jesus Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Matthew 4:5-7 Also Luke 4:9-12 Love the Lord Your God Water From the Rock | Jesus' response in quoting this Scripture verse indicates that he will not be tempted to force God's hand to provide for him, as the Israelites did by threatening Moses with rebellion and stoning, and as Moses did by striking the rock in his frustration. He will not put the Lord his God to the test. As well, in this Scripture verse, the devil takes Hebrew Scriptures out of context, Psalm 91:11-12, conveniently leaving out verse 11b from the psalm: "to guard you in all your ways", and thereby insinuating physical safety from stone, should Jesus cast himself down from the pinacle of the temple. |
| The Temptation of Jesus Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" Matthew 4:8-10 Also Luke 4:5-8 Love the Lord Your God | In Deuteronomy 5, Moses repeats to the Israelites the decrees and laws given them by God. He instructs them to love the Lord, to obey Him, to teach their children, and not to forget the Lord who brought them out of Egypt. He reminds them to serve God only and to take oaths only in his name. He instructs them not to follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around them. Jesus quotes the Scripture from Deuteronomy, mindful of all that the law implies (love the Lord, obey Him, teach the children, do not forget the Lord who brought the Israelites out of Egypt, serve God only, take oaths only in his name, do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around them) He tells the devil that he worships and serves only the Lord his God. |
| Murder You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Mt 5:21-22a You shall not murder. Ex 20:13 Adultery You shall not commit adultery. Ex 20:14 Divorce If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the Lord. Do not bring sin upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. Dt 24:1-4 Oaths Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. Lev 19:12 And Eye for an Eye ...eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot...Ex 21:24 Love for Enemies Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Lev 19:18 | The Fulfillment of the Law Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. Mt 5:17 Jesus is clear about his intent in addressing each of the laws: But he does something new. What was the letter of the law, through his words of teaching, now becomes the spirit of the law as he addresses each law in turn. Quoting each law directly from the Torah, he teaches about the law, bringing to his listeners new understanding, light, and consequently, freedom. Jesus is instructing the people concerning the Law handed down to them by God through Moses, just as Moses was instructing the people concerning the law handed down to them by God. Even the context of instructing the people is similar. |
| The Calling of Matthew On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:12-13 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, With what shall I come before the Lord | Hosea and Micah address the issue of Israel's turning to the pagan religions around them. The prophets instruct Israel to turn to the Lord, and away from idolatry, injustice, rebellion and empty ritualism. In the same way, Jesus is responding to the Pharisees' question about eating with sinners and tax collecters. The oral law has become an idol, and Jesus instructs them to look further than the multitude of rules that extend to every detail of worship and life - to exercise mercy, rather than sacrifice. |
| For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'" Mt 10:35-36 For a son dishonors his father, | Micah prophesies to Israel, addressing the social ills and injustice of his day. Because of Israel's sin, God will visit her, and households will be divided because of Him. Micah 7:4 Jesus sees the same thing happening in his day. Matthew 9:36 tells us that the people were harrassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus sends out the twelve disciples to the people of Israel. They, like Micah, Jesus says, will see division in Israel where Jesus and his message is concerned. |
| This is the one about whom it is written: 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' Mt 11:10 Also: Luke 7:26-27 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord who you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty. | The temple has been rebuilt, yet no one prospers. The people have turned away from God, and the priests have profaned the altar by their false sacrifice. Malachi speaks of a messenger who will come to prepare the way, and of the one who will come to his temple, the one they desire, the messenger of the covenant. In the days of Jesus the temple has also been rebuilt. The situation is the same: the people are like sheep without a shepherd; the teachers of the law, the Pharisees put burdens on the people. Jesus speaks of John the Baptist as the messenger who has prepared the way before him; Jesus is the one who was to come, the messenger of the covenant, the one they desire. The temple is his own body. |
| Lord of the Sabbath He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread - which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. Matthew 12:3-8 Also: Mark2:23-27, Luke 6:3-5 David at Nob For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, | David was escaping from Saul, who wanted to kill him. Because they were hungry, Ahimelech the priest gave consecrated bread to David and his companions, which according to the law, was not lawful, only for priests. For doing this, 85 priests and the town of Nob were killed. It is the Sabbath. Jesus and his disciples are hungry, and so they pick heads of grain to eat. The Pharisees tell Jesus that it is not lawful to do this on the Sabbath - it is considered "work". Jesus tells them that they do not understand the words of Scripture concerning mercy, otherwise they would not have condemned the innocent - he and his disciples who were to be persecuted, just as the priests of Nob were. - David, through whose line the Jews know the Messiah will come, ate with his companions the consecrated bread from the house of God. This is only lawful for priests, and in the eyes of the Pharisees, David is highly esteemed. Just as David, their esteemed King, was able to enter the temple and eat the consecrated bread with his companions, so too now Jesus with his disciples can on the Sabbath pick heads of grain to eat. Jesus uses this Scripture to teach that he is Lord of the Sabbath. |
| The Sign of Jonah For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgemnt with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater that Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgement with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. Matthew 12:39-42 But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights. Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me. The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. | Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the bowels of a fish, so, too, Jesus would be in the tomb for three days and three nights, for the message that he was bringing to the world. Jesus then prophesies that at the judgment, both those who repented at Nineveh & the Queen of the South, who listened to Jonah and to Solomon respectively, will condemn those who are not listening to Jesus now. For he is greater than Jonah, and his wisdom exceeds Solomon's. |
| The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. The Renewal of the Covenant The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people." Isaiah's Commission 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; | Deuteronomy: Moses is speaking to the people about the terms of the covenant the Lord commanded him to make with the Israelites in Moab, in addition to the covenant the Lord had made with them at Horeb. Mark: Jesus too, in the context of teaching people, has been speaking to the people about the law, instructing them further as well concerning various issues in their law, divorce, adultery, etc. Deuteronomy: Moses then makes a clear statement to the Israelites: "But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear." Dt 29:4 We must not see this in a negative sense. Moses is simply stating a Truth. Mark: In response to the disciples question as to why he speaks to the people in parables, Jesus makes the same clear statement: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand." Mt 13:13b Again, we must not see this in a negative sense. Jesus is simply answering the disciples' question. Deuteronomy: Moses reminds the people of all that they have seen the Lord do for them. He reminds them that they must be faithful, or suffer the consequences. Blessings and curses for obedience are outlined to them, all is clear. Moses reminds the people that the Lord had provided for them during the forty years in the desert. Then, In Deuteronomy 29:29, he tells the people that "the secret things belong to God", but that God has revealed to them all that they need to enable them and their children to follow His law; they have seen the wonders He has done for them. Over the centuries, the Lord sends prophets in the form of Isaiah and Ezekiel, who rebuke the people for their rebellion in turning to the gods of the people around them. The Truth as written in Deuteronomy has now become prophetic word - not because God has made it happen - but because the people have hardened their hearts, they have turned away from God. Mark: Jesus teaches the people using parables. He then tells the disciples that the word of Isaiah has been fullfilled in the people, because they have closed their eyes and hardened their hearts. Again, we must not look at this with a defensive attitude. Verse 13:15b holds such promise. If only! This tells us that if the people do "otherwise" - in other words, unharden their hearts and open their eyes - they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts. And then, if they would turn, Jesus would heal them. It is their choice. It is a promise. Mark: When alone with his disciples, Jesus explains the parables - "the secret things of God" spoken of in Deuteronomy 29:29. The disciples have chosen to listen to Jesus. And it is Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, who is revealing to them the "secret things of God". They will hear the secrets of the kingdom. Those who choose their own way, by hardening their hearts, will not hear the Truth. They will not see, they will not hear, they will not understand, they will not be healed. The prophets and righteous men longed to hear the secrets of the Kingdom, but they did not. Conclusion: As Jesus is the Truth - the Word made flesh & filled with the Holy Spirit - "the secret things that belong to the Lord our God" as written in Deuteronomy 29:29, are now revealed to the Disciples, as Jesus explains the parables to them. And today, through Jesus, the Holy Spirit reveals to us the "secret things that belong to the Lord our God" - should we so choose. We also have the choice: to see; to hear; to understand with our hearts; to turn and be healed. Or not. |
| Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' he is not to 'honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 'these people honor me with their lips, Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Anyone who curses his mother or father must be put to death. The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth And now this admonition is for you, O priests. If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name," says the Lord Almighty, "I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me. | Jesus quotes Isaiah, calling the Pharisees, the teachers of the law, into account for breaking the Law in Exodus concerning parents. They have put in place a man-made rule (Korban) to give them an excuse not to take care of their parents. They nullify the Word of God for the sake of their own rules. Similarly, Isaiah had warned Jerusalem, the priests, against their empty rituals and traditions, against their worship, which is rules taught by men. Isaiah prophesies in verses 9 to 12, that they will not be able to understand the Word of God, not even their prophets or seers. And this has now happened. |
| Divorce "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." Matthew 19:4-6" Also Mark 10:2-9 So God created man in his own image, He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man". For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. If a man takes a wife and, after lying with her, dislikes her and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, "I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity," then the girl's father and mother shall bring proof that she was a virgin to the town elders at the gate... If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the Lord. Do not bring sin upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. | Moses renewed the covenant with the people - adding terms given by God to the covenant - in addition to the Commandments given at Horeb. Among these terms were provisions made for divorce in the case of unfaithfulness, adultery. Deuteronomy 22:13-30 outlines provisions and clearly protects both male and female in various situations of unfaithfulness. Jesus reminds the Pharisees that according to Genesis when a man and a woman are united, they are one flesh. He tells the Pharisees that the law about divorce was added, because the people's hearts were hard; they were not faithful to each other in marriage, and outlines to protect the innocent parties were needed. Jesus tells his disciples that those who can accept this - that man and woman become one flesh - should accept this. Those who are exempt are: eunuchs born or made that way, and those who have renounced marriage for the kingdom. |
| "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a 'den or robbers.'" Matthew 21:13 Also: Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46 These I will bring to my holy mountain Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord. | Jeremiah proclaims the word of the Lord at the gate of the Lord's house in Jerusalem, the temple. He speaks against the ways and actions of the people: their social injustice, worship of false gods, stealing, murder, adultery, perjury, burning incense to Baal - and then coming to worship before the Lord in his house. The Lord has been watching! He declares. Those who do justice, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, who keep their hand from evil, who choose to keep the covenant, who bind themselves to the Lord, whether eunuch, foreigner, these the Lord will bring to his holy mountain, these he will give joy in his house of prayer. The chief priests and the teachers of the law have allowed the temple in Jerusalem to become a market place. Jesus is the one who is "watching"! He drives the money changers and vendors out. And he teaches the people, using the words of Jeremiah and Isaiah. As written in Isaiah 56, those who do justice, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, who keep their hand from evil, who choose to keep the covenant, who bind themselves to the Lord, whether eunuch, foreigner, these the Lord will bring to his holy mountain, these he will give joy in his house of prayer. And the whole crowd is amazed at his teaching. |
| "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "Have you never read, 'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.'?" Matthew 21:16 From the lips of children and infants | A psalm acknowledging the Lord's Glory and the dignity of man. And to make the enemy and the revengeful cease, the Lord has ordained praise from the mouths of children and infants. Jesus has cleared the temple area, and he now heals the blind and lame who come to him. The children are shouting in the temple area an expression that means, "Save!" The chief priests and teachers of the law are indignant. Jesus quotes the Scripture to show that God Himself has ordained praise for this work of healing that they, the "enemy and the revengeful", are scoffing at. |
| Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Matthew 21:42-43 Also: Mark 12:10-11, Luke 20:17-18 The stone the builders rejected | This is a psalm of thanksgiving for deliverance in battle. The situation of the Psalmist had been desperate, but God has given him victory. He asks permission to be admitted at the temple gates through which only the qualified may enter. God has delivered him, when others had given him up. Jesus is teaching in the temple courts. The chief priests and the elders of the people are questioning his authority. He does not answer them directly, but through 2 parables, tells of the consequence of their unbelief and unrepentance: Those they believed unworthy, tax collectors and prostitutes, are entering the kingdom ahead of them; the kingdom will be taken from them and given to a people who will produce its fruit They have not believed John; they have come from a long line of those who have not accepted the words of the prophets. They have trusted in their own man-made rules and traditions. Now Jesus, the living stone, is here. And they reject him, too. But he is the Cornerstone; he comes in the name of the Lord and the Lord has done this; the fruit of the kingdom of God will come from another place. From those who believe. These are the qualified who may enter. |
| "But about the resurrection of the dead - have you not read what God said to you, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' He is not the God of the dead but of the living. Matthew 22:31-32 Also: Mark:1226-27, Luke 20:37-38 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." | The Israelites are suffering in bondage in Egypt, and they cry out to the Lord. God hears their groaning, and remembers his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His Word endures. He calls Moses, and Moses says "Here I am". v4b God tells Moses who He is, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. Through Moses, God will deliver his people. The Sadducees say there is no resurrection. They have no hope for any kind of afterlife. They come to Jesus and ask him a non-sensical question about resurrection in order to trap him. Jesus tells them that they are in error because they do not know the Scriptures. Then he teaches them the truth about the resurrection using the Scriptures: the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, their God, is the God of the living,not the dead. Now the people crowds learn that there is a resurrection. |
| While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says, 'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.' If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions. Matthew 22:41-46 Also: Mark 12:35-37, Luke 20:41-44 The Lord says to my Lord: | Son of David is a Messianic title. The Pharisees believed that the Messiah, the Deliverer, will come from the line of David. In the psalm, David speaks of the Lord who has set his Lord at the Lord's right hand. God will give David's Lord dominion over his enemies; they will be a footstool for his feet. In this situation, the Pharisees are Jesus' enemies; they are trying to catch him in his words. Jesus clarifies for the Pharisees that the Lord cannot be David's son, if he refers to him as his Lord. From that day on, his enemies stopped asking him questions. No one dared. The Father is making them a footstool for his feet. |
| Immediately after the distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' Matthew 24:29 Also: Mark 13:24-27 When you see the 'abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong - let the reader understand - then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. The stars of heaven and their constellations All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven'. In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. | Jesus is prophesying about the signs of the End of the Age, as did Isaiah and Daniel against Babylon and the nations. These things are yet to come. The Lord will come with power and glory. |
| Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' Matthew 26:31 "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, | Zechariah contains many Messianic passages. In Zechariah 12:10a, we read, "They will look on me, the one they have pierced." We read that on that day, a fountain will be opened to the house of David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. Zec 13:1. False prophets will be removed. The man who is close to the Lord, the shepherd, will be struck down, and the sheep will scatter. This is the night Jesus will be betrayed. He will die to pay the price for all the sins of the world. And the disciples will desert him. Even Peter will deny him 3 times. |
| And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' Mark 9:47-48 And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind. | Isaiah has been speaking of the vindication of true believers, the rebirth of Jerusalem, and the fate of the wicked. A magnificent climax: God's people, like the new creation will endure forever. Then, the final reminder of the eternal punishment of the wicked. Jesus is speaking about the reward for welcoming believers, for welcoming him, for working in his name. Finally, the consequences for causing a believer to sin. Warnings of hell. |
| One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:28-31 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord. | In Deuteronomy, Moses is renewing the covenant with the people, and has given them the terms of the covenant as directed by the Lord. Here now is the heart of the matter: Love the Lord Your God. In Leviticus, Moses gives the people the laws as directed by God to help them be a holy people, to help them in their worship life. In this chapter, various laws are given with this word from the Lord: "Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." v1 Jesus has been debating the law with the Sadducees, and has given a good answer. One of the teachers of the law, seeing that he has answered well, asks him, of all the commandments, which is the most important. The man agrees with Jesus' response, and adds that to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. Jesus, seeing that he has answered wisely, says to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." The man's response brings him near to the reality of the Lord's Word in Leviticus 19:1, "Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." |
| The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.' Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:17-21 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, | In Isaiah 60, Isaiah speaks of the glorious restoration of Jerusalem. Risen Zion welcomes her children home; the new Jerusalem will be rebuilt by foreigners; once forsaken, Zion will be exalted; God's glory will perpetually illumine the joyful city. Isaiah 61 recalls the Servant Songs. God sends his prophet to bring encouragement to the exiled and oppressed; all nations will see God's faithfulness and his blessings. Jesus has returned to Galilee in the power of hte Spirt, and news about him has spread through the whole countryside; he teaches in their synagogues and everyone is praising him. His ministry work has begun. Jesus reads the Scripture, recalling the Servant Songs. God has sent him to bring encouragement to the exiled and oppressed; all nations will see God's faithfulness and his blessings through the ministry work of Jesus. Through this Scripture, Jesus is stating his mission as he begins his ministry work. |
| "I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed - only Naaman the Syrian." Luke 4:24-27 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." Then the word of the Lord came to him: "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." So he (Naaman) went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. | Ahab, King of Israel, has done more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. The Lord directs Elijah to leave and provides for him miraculously in Sidon through a widow there. He also raises her son from the dead. The king of Aram sent Naaman, a Syrian officer, to the king of Israel with a letter, asking that he be cured of leprosy. Elisha directed Naaman, a Syrian officer to wash himself seven times in the Jordan; he was healed. Jesus was in Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised him. Then the people ask, "Isn't this Joseph's son?" Jesus recalls Elijah and Elisha, 9th century prophets who struggled against baal worship. He reminds the people that because of apostacy and unbelief, there was drought and famine in the land, and their great prophets were led by God to minister elsewhere. The people realize that he is speaking of them. They drive him out of the town...which is what happened to the prophets. Jesus will minister elsewhere. |
| It is written: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors'; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment. Luke 22:37 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, | Isaiah 52-53 speaks of a downtrodden Jerusalem, now told to arise. The Lord will bring victory and peace. The Servant will be redeemed. By his suffering, he will restore people to God; he will suffer silently; he will be unjustly condemned, executed, and buried. Through his suffering, God will judge sin, bring mercy to sinful man, and blessings to many. Jesus has celebrated a last meal with his disciples. He speaks to them about service and authority. He is among them as one who serves. He will confer on them a kingdom and they will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. He tells Peter he will deny him. He tells them to now equip themselves with a sword. He has told them what he must suffer. Now the time is coming when he will be taken, numbered with the transgressors. |
| Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!'" Then 'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" "For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?" Luke 23:28-31 The high places of wickedness will be destroyed - | As Hosea prophesied to Israel of the coming destruction; so Jesus prophesied to the women of the coming distress. Hosea's Israel was prosperous and in sin; Jerusalem still had Jesus with them, but they wanted to kill him. |
| No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' John 6:45 All your sons will be taught by the Lord, | Isaiah's word is a song of assurance to Israel; God is faithful, He will call them back; the covenant is everlasting; they will be taught by God. Jesus speaks of God the Father, who calls us back by drawing us to Jesus; Jesus will raise us up on the last day, the covenant is everlasting, and he who believes has everlasting life; Jesus is the living bread that came down from heaven, he lives because of the Father; the one who feeds on Jesus will live because of him; Jesus is teaching the people; many turn away because they find the teaching hard. |
| On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." John 7:37-38 The Lord will guide you always; Come, all you who are thirsty, | True fasting, according to Isaiah, is sharing what we have with those around us, setting the oppressed free, sharing our food with the hungry, providing the poor wanderer with shelter, clothing the naked, and not turning against our own flesh and blood; then will our righteousness shine, and God hear us when we call, and turn to us and provide for all our needs. Jesus comes to the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles, a joyful celebration of the Lord's blessing of the harvest. The last day is an offering of Water reminiscent of the water that came forth from the rock in the desert; Jesus is the living water; when we believe in him, he comes to live in us, and his life flows from us to those around us, streams of living water. |
| Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'? If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came - and the Scripture cannot be broken - what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? John 10:34-36 I said, 'You are "gods"; | The psalmist in a vision sees God in a great assembly, a council. God is judging the pagan "gods" of the earth: they support the wicked; they do not help the weak, the fatherless, the poor, the oppressed, the needy. Because of their injustice, they will perish like mere human beings. The psalmist prays to God to render judgment. Jesus has just told the Jews that he and the Father are one v29-30; He is the Son of God. As they threaten to stone him for blasphemy, he reminds them of the Psalmist's words: God has spoken to the idolatrous of the earth, referring to them as "gods". Certainly he can call the one He has sent into the world, the one He has set apart, His own, God's Son. |
| I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.' John 13:18 Even my close friend, whom I trusted, | The Psalmist begins his prayer for healing with an act of faith: the Lord will restore him from his bed of illness. In his cry for mercy, he speaks of his enemies who are glad that he is ill and who are saying that he will not recover; even a close friend has turned against him. Jesus knows what is ahead, yet he knows that his Father will honor him. "Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God." v3 |
| He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.' John 15:23-25 Let not those gloat over me Those who hate me without reason | The Psalmist prays for deliverance from personal enemies; they repay him evil for good. Those whom Jesus has spoken to have no excuse for their sin: he has spoke to them; they have seen the miracles. As he is in the Father and the Father in him, "He who hates me hates my Father as well." v23 |
| The Hebrew Scriptures, NIV | Old Testament Context |
| For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." Romans 1:17 | |
| You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." Romans 2:23-24 | |
| What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak | |
| What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; | |
| If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about - but not before God. What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Romans 4:2-3 | |
| Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, | |
| As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He (Abraham) is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed - the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Romans 4:17 | |
| Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Romans 4:18 | |
| What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from the law, sin is dead. Romans 7:7-8 | |
| Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; | |
| It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring. For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son." Romans 9:6-9 | |
| Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad - in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls - she was told, "The older will serve the younger." Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." Romans 9:10-13 | |
| What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. Romans 9:14-18 | |
| What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath - prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory - even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one," and, "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.' Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: | |
| As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Romans 9:33 | |
| Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these
things will live by them." Romans 10:5 | |
| But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down) "or 'Who will descend into the deep?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming. Romans 10:6-8 |
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