Synoptics - or Synoptics Gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke are "seen together" because they share the same-but-different content.
It is always best to see two versions of the same material. Mark can be very short but also more detailed and lengthy.
Each Gospel has its own character as books and also harmony with the other two.
The apostates (academics who no longer believe the Scriptures) are known to invent new theories that reject the divinity of Christ, the Trinity, faith in Christ, and anything that irritates their very sensitive thoughts. Most universities, even community colleges have religion departments where only atheists can teach - even part-time. Those with tenure are quite outspoken. Seminaries and denominational colleges are rife with rationalism and a "higher level of understanding."
John's Gospel is quite different and was clearly written to share the perspective of the "disciple Jesus loved." Yes, the apostates deny that too - and place John's Gospel at 300 years later.
KJV Matthew 8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
KJV Matthew 9:21For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.9:22But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
Forgiveness
KJV Psalm 130 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.
2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
3 If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
7 Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Mark 3:29
But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Grace
Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
Ps 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
John 1:16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
1:17
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
KJV Matthew Rom 3:22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: - The Greek clearly says the faith belonging to Jesus three times. He had faith.
Luther, was born in 1483 and died in 1546. He favored the Small Catechism and the Galatians commentaries (shorter and longer).
1. He was well trained could have become a leading figure.
2. The storm threatened his life (sword cut) and he pleaded for mercy, became an Augustine monk and priest.
3. He was urged to earn a doctorate in Biblical studies, which slowly dissolved his Medieval training and Roman Catholic rituals.
4. He kept what was Biblical and discarded papal dogma over time.
5. The printing press started its own revolution, in all languages. Profitable - for others.
6. He argued from the Bible and emphasized the sermon as central to Christian growth.
Melanchthon was born in 1497 and died in 1560. He was the author/editor of the Augsburg Confession and the Apology. He also wrote the Treatise on the Pope.
1. Melanchthon was considered the greatest language scholar after Erasmus.
2. His character was just as irenic as Luther's was polemical.
3. The two worked closely together, which is clear with Melanchthon's work in the Book of Concord.
Chemnitz was born in 1522 and died in 1586. He was the senior editor of the Book of Concord, 1580.
1. He studied under Luther and Melanchthon.
2. Oddly, he cast horoscopes for a wealthy man, which gave him access to all the ancient Christian authors, invaluable for his battles with Rome and the sects.
3. After Melanchthon's death, Chemnitz began to pull the Lutherans (Evangelicals) together.
4. Chemnitz was widely ignored and probably still is, but his books are available in English.
5. He is most famous for the Book of Concord and the Examination of the Council of Trent.
1. Justification by Faith is clearly taught in Genesis 15:6. Abraham believed the the Promises of God, and that was counted as righteousness, the same words used by Paul in Romans 4.
KJV Genesis 15:6 - 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
2. Roman Catholicism teaches faith plus works. They also teach grace is perfected by love (works).
3. The Old Testament is filled with Promises about the Savior, so those who believed were also counted as righteous.
4. Abraham throughout the New Testament is the Father of Faith, and Romans 4 is very concise about what this means.
Romans 4 - The Example of Abraham's Faith, Note John 8
KJV Romans 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted [imputed] unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted [imputed] for righteousness.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Very Important Transition
5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peacewith God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
The next Reformation Seminary lecture is today at 11 AM - Justification by Faith.
New Testament Greek lessons will start, God willing, next week. That will be in addition to the two lectures per week scheduled (Tuesday and Thursday at 11 AM).
I have 21 years of teaching online education, three different schools - and earning a master's degree in adult education as well. I expect to have a regular place for Greek, on a weekly basis, but the scheduled times may move around.
Thinking out loud, I may put Greek lessons on another YouTube channel.
1. KJV Daniel 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
2. The Son of Man is frequently used by Jesus in the Gospels. Scholars are divided - the modernist, rationalist scholars assume that the Son of Man is different from Jesus. One British professor was published, her argument stating that there are two individuals in the Son of Man, Jesus distancing Himself from that title. She took that back later and was snt to the Third World to teach. The modernists even argue that Jesus was only teaching His humanity since they do not believe His divinity.
3. The modernists or rationalists view such titles as mythical, which also applies to the miracles, which are either mythical or have mysterious effects of the human mind. The Historical Critical Method rejects anything stemming from God, and that has been the basis for most denominations since the 1930s. Objective Faithless Justification is a version of the HCM, and OFJ.
WikiPedia - German theologian Rudolf Bultmann sees the phrase not as one genuinely used by Jesus but as one inserted by the early Church,[11] [Always the excuse in current "scholarship."]
Ezekiel - Son of man is used 93 times referring to the prophet.
And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
22:15
And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
22:16
And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
22:17
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
22:18
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
1. KJV Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (God commanded - the Son executed the command. Creating light preceded the division of light and day.) Genesis 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
2. The First Gospel - KJV Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Roman Catholic bogus translation - her heel - Douay Rheims Genesis 3:15 I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel. Mary and Elijah and "the foot shaped cloud." Mt. Carmel. 1 Kings 18:44. Thus Carmelites are considered the most hold order.)
3. KJV Genesis 32:22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. 23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. 30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
4. KJV Isaiah 53
5. KJV Psalm 22
6. KJV Daniel 3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
NIV Daniel 3:25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
Genesis 1:2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Psalm 104:30Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Mat 4:1Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
John 3:5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John 16:13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
He is there at the Creation, not only in Genesis 1 (Let there be...assumes the Second Person) but more openly in John 1 - all things were created through Him, and nothing was created apart from Him).
The Holy Spirit teaches these matters to us through the Scriptures, preaching, and teaching.
"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards [house managers] of the mysteries of God." 1 Corinthians 4:1 KJV.
The mysteries are those doctrines taught by the Holy Spirit, which are not based on human wisdom and logic, but based on the Spirit's teaching through the Scriptures. A house steward does not own anything but is charge of managing the owner's house perfectly, not slovenly, selfishly, lazily, or drunkenly. That is why pastors and teachers are not allowed to make up their own version of the Christian Faith. We have endured 150 years of "great theologians" like Barth, Tillich, Bultmann, etc invent their heavily edited version of the Savior.
The Son and the Father are together in the Creation, with the Spirit hovering over Creation and teaching us in the Scriptures.
The Son is also part of the expulsion of the orchard thieves in Genesis 3:15 and also Eve's hope in KJV Genesis 4:1. And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. (Hebrew - literally, gotten a man-child__the Lord). The Hebrew makes it an apposition - as if saying, I have given birth to a boy__the Lord. They were promised the Savior and she thought her firstborn was the Savior.
The Son is portrayed throughout the Old Testament, which shocks some people, no doubt because some "professors" deny the Messianic Promises in Psalms (CPH NIV OT) and elsewhere.
Jesus is unique because the Son took on our flesh and frailties, born of the Virgin Mary. He is also unique because the Two Natures, once together, have never been apart and will never be apart. Incarnation means God in the flesh.
However, the divine nature of Christ is never limited by His human nature, so He is where He wills, such as in the locked upper room and the elements of Holy Communion.
Everything about His human nature is beneficial to us because He is just like us, only divine and without fault.
Examples of His anguish include trembling at the tomb of Lazarus, KJV John 11:34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? 38 Jesus therefore again groaning [trembling or moved with anger, difficult to translate] in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
The humanity of Christ teaches us with great clarity that the Son of God allowed Himself to be captured, insulted, slugged, whipped, and forced to carry His cross, nailed on it the most cruel way possible, and raised up to suffer slowly and die. Those who deny the Two Natures of Christ simply reject the Gospel and Jesus as their Savior.
That error has repeated ever since the so-called scholars chose to embrace the false codices (Sinaiticus and Vaticanus) and produce the polluted paraphrase Bibles - like the RSV, NIV, ESV, NRS, Beck, etc. The mainline seminaries, including the Lutheran ones, reject Justification by Faith in Christ and bray that every single person in the world is born forgiven, without faith in Him.
So bad, ELCA denied it but also used it in their crumbling seminaries.
The ALPB Online Ovaltines promote the work of these clowns.
Next lecture - The Two Natures of Christ. Wednesday, 7 PM Central, Zoom.
Apologetics - Defense of the Gospel - The Two Doctrinal Attacks
The Virgin Birth
KJV Isaiah 7:14 - 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
RSV - 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman[a] shall conceive and bear[b] a son, and shall call his name Imman′u-el.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.
The Ending of Mark's Gospel - Mark 16:9-20
New NIV - [The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.]
RSV -
Mark 16:20Some of the most ancient authorities bring the book to a close at the end of verse 8. One authority concludes the book by adding after verse 8 the following: But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this, Jesus himself sent out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. Other authorities include the preceding passage and continue with verses 9–20. In most authorities verses 9–20 follow immediately after verse 8; a few authorities insert additional material after verse 14
Christian News(Otten/Hale) - The same excuses as above.
ESV - [Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.][a]
NRSV -
Mark 16:8Some of the most ancient authorities bring the book to a close at the end of verse 8. One authority concludes the book with the shorter ending; others include the shorter ending and then continue with verses 9–20. In most authorities verses 9–20 follow immediately after verse 8, though in some of these authorities the passage is marked as being doubtful.
The Fall of Constantinople scattered Greek artists and scholars. Erasmus became Europe's first Greek scholar. Luther learned Greek and Melanchthon became Europe's great scholar in Greek. Guess which Bible is closest to Luther's...the KJV. Tyndale is directly associated with the Luther circle of scholars, though much remains unknown.
Knowledge of Greek came just in time for the Reformation.
Today - 11 AM - Apologetics - Without Apologizing 10 AM Central
Oops! I did not run the recording.
Zoom > I will have a new Zoom AND recording tomorrow at 11 a.m. Central.
1 Peter 3:15 - 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
15 κυριον δε τον θεον αγιασατε εν ταις καρδιαις υμων ετοιμοι δε αει προς απολογιαν (apologian) παντι τω αιτουντι υμας λογον περι της εν υμιν ελπιδος μετα πραυτητος και φοβου
Apologetics means defending the faith, not apologizing for faith.
1. Use the brighter passages to illuminate the darker ones. Canaanite woman. Matthew 15:21.
2. Compare the parallel passages for details.
3. Take advantage of parables with explanations. Matthew 13 and Mark 4.
4. Translations are commentaries. Stick with the best one - KJV/Luther's.
5. Avoid most commentaries, most of the time.
6. Learning Greek is very helpful. It is a joke at most seminaries.
7. A Greek New Testament word can be googled with "Thayer" for explanations.
8. Pay attention to Jesus' responses to the opposition.
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