If the Gospel Book of Mark Had Not Been Written, We Would Not Know That.....
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Posted:Nov 26, 2014 3:11 am
Last Updated:Mar 17, 2020 9:29 am 3084 Views
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Jesus looked around with indignation, being thoroughly grieved at the insensibility of their hearts.(Mark 3:5)
John and James were surnamed Boanerges (Mark 3:17)
[Bo-a-ner-ges-meaning- Sons of Thunder] A semitic expression found, with its translation, only in Mark. Jesus gave it as a surname to the sons of Zebedee, likely reflecting the fiery enthusiasm of these two apostles. (Luke 9:54) Unlike Simon's new name, Peter, Boanerges does not appear to have been commonly used.
the woman with a blood flow had spent all her resources (Mark 5:26)
Herodias was nursing a grudge against John the Baptizer and Herod stood in fear of John and kept him safe (Mark 6:19+20)
Jesus invited his disciples to rest up a bit (Mark 6:31)
the Pharisees washed their hands up to the elbow (Mark 7:2-4)
Jesus took the into his arms (Mark 10:16)
Jesus felt love for the young ruler (Mark 10:21)
Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Jesus privately (Mark 13:3)
a young man left his linen garment behind (Mark 14:51+52)
Furthermore, one of Jesus' illustrations and two of his miracles are found only in the book of Mark. (Mark 4:26-29; 7:32-37; 8:22-26)
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JOHN
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Posted:Nov 20, 2014 9:03 pm
Last Updated:Jan 12, 2015 6:55 pm 3194 Views
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Place Written: Ephesus or near
Completed: c. 98 C.E.
Time Covered: After prologue, 29-33C.E.
The Gospel records of Matthew, Mark and Luke had been circulating for over 30 years and had come to be treasure by first-century Christians as the works of men inspired by holy spirit. Now, as the close of the century neared and the number of those who had been with Jesus dwindled, the question may well have arisen, Was there still something to be told? Was there still someone who could, from personal memories, fill in precious details of the ministry of Jesus? Yes, there was. The aged John had been singularly blessed in his association with Jesus. He was apparently amoung the first of John the Baptizer's disciples to be introduced to the Lamb of God and one of the first four to be invited by the Lord to join him full-time in the ministry.(John1:35-39; Mark 1:16-20) He continued in intimate association with Jesus throughout his ministry and was the disciple "Jesus loved" who reclined in front of Jesus' bosom at the last Passover.(John 13:23; Matthew 17:1; Mark 5:37; 14:33) He was present at the heartbreaking scene of execution, where Jesus entrusted to him the care of His fleshly mother, and it was he that outran Peter as they sped to the tomb to investigate the report that Jesus had risen. (John 19:26+27; 20:2-4)
Mellowed by almost 70 years in the active ministry and charged with the visions and meditations of his recent lonely imprisonment on the isle of Patmos, John was well equipped to write of things he had long treasured in his heart. Holy spirit now energized his mind to recall and set down in writing many of those precious, life-giving sayings so that each one reading 'might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the of God, and that, because of believing, he might have life by means of Jesus' name." (John 20:31)
Christians of the early second century accepted John as the writer of this account and also treated this writing as an unquestioned part of the canon of the inspired Scriptures. Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus, Tertullian and Origen, all of whom were of the late second and early third centuries, testify to John's writership. Moreover, much internal evidence that John was the writer is to be found in the book itself. Obviously the writer was a Jew and was well acquainted with the Jews' customs and their land. (John2:6; 4:5; 5:2; 10:22+23) The very intimacy of the account indicates that he was not only an apostle but one of the inner circle of three - Peter, James and John- who accompanied Jesus on special occasions. (Matthew 17:1; Mark 5:37; 14:33) Of these, James (the of Zebedee) is eliminated because he was martyred by Herod Agrippa I about 44 C.E., long before this book was written. (Acts12:2) Peter is eliminated because he is mentioned along with the writer at John 21:20-24.
In these closing verses, the writer is referred to as the disciple "Jesus used to love," this and similar expressions being used several times in the record, though the name of the apostle John is never mentioned. Jesus is here quoted as saying about him: "If it is my will for him to remain until I come, of what concern is that to you?" (John 21:20,22) This suggests that the disciple referred to would long survive Peter and the other apostles. All of this fits the apostle John. It is of interest that John, after being given the Revelation vision of Jesus' coming, concludes that remarkable prophecy with the words: "Amen! Come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20)
Although John's writings themselves give no definite information on the matter, it is generally believed that John wrote his Gospel after his return from exile on the island of Patmos. (Rev. 1:9) The Roman emperor Nerva, 96-98 C.E., recalled many who had been exiled at the close of the reign of his predecessor, Domitian. After writing his Gospel, about 98 C.E., John is believed to have died peacefully at Ephesus in the third year of Emperor Trajan, 100 C.E.
As to Ephesus or its vicinity as the place of writing, the historian Eusebius (c. 260-342 C.E.) quotes Irenaeus as saying : "John, the disciple of the lord, who had even rested on his breast, himself also gave forth the gospel, while he was living at Ephesus in Asia." * That the book was written outside Palestine is supported by its many references to Jesus' opponents by the general term, "the Jews," rather than "Pharisees," "chief priests," and so forth. (John 1:19; 12:9) Also, the Sea of Galilee is explained by its Roman name, Sea of Tiberias. (John 6:4; 7:2; 11:55) The place of his exile, Patmos, was near Ephesus, and his acquaintance with Ephesus, as well as with the other congregations of Asia Minor, is indicated by Revelations Chapters 2 + 3.
*(The Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius, V, VIII, 4)
Bearing on the authenticity of John's Gospel are important manuscript finds of the 20th century. One of these is a fragment of John's gospel found in Egypt, now known as the Papyrus Rylands 457(p52), containing John 18:31-33, 37, 38, and preserved at the John Rylans Library., Manchester, England. As to its bearing on the tradition of John's writership at the end of the first century, the late Sir Frederic Kenyon said in his book The Bible and Modern Scholarship, 1949, pg 21: "Small therefore as it is, it suffices to prove that a manuscript of this Gospel was circulating, presumably in provincial Egypt, where it was found, about the period A.D. 130-150. Allowing even a minimum time for the circulation of the work from its place of origin, this would throw back the date of composition so near to the traditional date in the last decade of the first century that there is no longer any reason to question the validity of the tradition."
John's Gospel is remarkable for it s introduction, which reveals the Word, who was "in the beginning with God," as the One through whom all things came into existence. (John 1:2) After making known the precious relationship between Father and , John launches into a masterly portrayal of Jesus' works and discourses, especially from the viewpoint of the intimate love that binds in union everything in God's great arrangement. This account of Jesus' life on earth covers the period 29-33C.E., and it is careful to make mention of the four Passovers that Jesus attended during his ministry, thus providing one of the lines of proof that his ministry was three and a half years in duration. Three of these Passovers are mentioned as such. (John 2:13; 6:4; 12:1; 13:1) One of them is referred to as "a festival of the Jews," but the context places it shortly after Jesus said there were "yet four months before the harvest," thus indicating the festival to be the passover, which took place about the beginning of the harvest
The good news "according to John" is largely supplementary; 92% is new material not covered in the other three Gospels. Even so, John concludes with the words: "There are, in fact, many other things also which Jesus did, which, if ever they were written in full detail, I suppose, the world itself could not contain the scrolls written." (John 21:25)
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Letters of John
John, the beloved apostle of Jesus Christ, had a strong love for righteousness. This helped give him a keen insight into the mind of Jesus. We are therefore not surprised that the theme of love dominates his writings. He was no sentimentalist, however, for Jesus referred to hm as one of the "Sons of Thunder." (Mark 3:17)
In fact, it was in defense of truth and righteousness that he wrote his three letters which are placed toward the end of the Bible, for the apostasy foretold by the apostle Paul had become evident. John's three letters were indeed timely, for they were an aid in strengthening the early Christians in their fight against the encroachments of "the wicked one." (2thess 2:3+4; 1John 2:13+14; 5:18+19)
Judging from the contents, these letters belong to a period much later than the Gospels of Matthew and Mark - later, also than the missionary letters of Peter and Paul.
Times had changed.
There is no reference to Judaism, the big threat to the congregations in the days of their infancy, and there does not appear to be a single direct quotation from the Hebrew Scriptures.
On the other hand, John talks about "the last hour" and the appearance of "many antichrists." (1John 2:eighteen)
He refers to his readers by expressions such as "my little " and to himself as "the older man." (1John 2:1, 12+13, 18, 28; 3:Seven, 18; 4:4; 5:21; 2John 1; 3John 1)
All of this suggests a late date for his thee letters. Also, 1John 1:3+4 seems to indicate that John's Gospel was written about the same time.
It is generally believed that John's three letters were completed about 98 C.E., shortly before the apostle's death, and that they were written in the vicinity of Ephesus.
That the First of John was actually written by John the apostle is indicated by its close resemblance to the fourth Gospel, which he unmistakably wrote., e.g., he introduces the letter by describing himself as an eyewitness who has seen "the word of life...., the everlasting life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us," expressions strikingly similar to those with which John's Gospel opens.
Its authenticity is attested by the Muratorian Fragment and by such early writers as Irenaeus, Polycarp and Papias, all of the 2nd century C.E. (The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol 2, 1982, edited by G.W. Bromiley, ps. 1095-6)
According to Eusebuius (c. 260-342 C.E.), the authenticity of First John was never questioned. (The Ecclesiastical History, III, xxiv, 17.)
However, it is to be noted that some older translations have added to chapter 5 the following words at the end of verse 7 and the beginning of verse 8: "In heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth." (King James Version)
This text is not found in any of the early Greek manuscripts and has obviously been added to bolster the Trinity doctrine.
Most modern translations, both catholic and protestant, do not include these words in the main body of the text. (1John 1:1+2)
John writes to protect his "beloved ones," his "young ," against the wrong teachings of the "many antichrists" that have gone out form amoung them and that are trying to seduce them away from the truth. (1John 2:Seven, 18)
These apostate antichrists may have been influenced by Greek philosophy, including early gnosticism, whose adherents claimed special knowledge of a mystical sort form God. (New Bible Dictionary, second edition, 1986, edited by J.D. Douglas, ps. 426, 604)
Taking a firm stand against apostasy, John deals extensively with three themes: sin, love and the antichrist.
His statements on sin, and in support of Jesus' sacrifice for sins, indicate that they(the antichrists) were without sin and had no need of Jesus' ransom sacrifice.
Their self-centered "knowledge" had made them selfish and loveless, a condition that John exposes as he continually emphasizes true Christian love.
Moreover, John is apparently combating their false doctrine as he expounds that Jesus is the Christ, that he had a prehuman existence, and that he came in the flesh as the of God to provide salvation for believing men. (1John 1:Seven-10; 2:1+2; 4:16-21; 2:22; 1:1+2; 4:2+3, 14+15)
John brands these false teachers plainly as "antichrists" and he gives a number of ways in which the of God and the of the devil can be recognized. (1John 2:18, 22; 4:3)
Since no particular congregation is addressed, the letter was evidently intended for the entire Christian association. The lack of a greeting at the beginning and a salutation at the end would also indicate this.
Some have even described this writing as a treatise rather than a letter.
The use of the plural "you" throughout shows that the writer directed his words to a group rather than to an individual.
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The Second of John is short - it could have been written on a single sheet of papyrus - but it is full of meaning.
It is addressed "to the chosen lady and to her ."
Since "Kyria" (Greek for lady) did exist as a proper name at the time, some Bible scholars feel that an individual by that name was being addressed.
On the other hand, it is thought by some that John was writing to a Christian congregation, referring to it as "the chosen lady."
This may have been done in order to confuse persecutors.
In that case, the greetings of "the of your sister" mentioned in the last verse would be those of the members of another congregation.
So the second letter was not intended to be as general in scope as the first, for it evidently was written either to an individual or to one particular congregation. (2John 1)
There is no reason to doubt that John wrote this letter as the writer calls himself "the older man."
This certainly fits John not only because of his advanced age but also because, as one of the "pillars" (Gal 2:9) and the last surviving apostle, he was truly an "older man" in the Christian congregation.
He was well-known, and no further identification would be required for his readers.
His writership is also indicated by the similarity in the style to that of the first letter and John's Gospel.
Like the first letter, the second letter appears to have been written in or around Ephesus, about 98 C.E.
Concerning the Second and Third John, McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia, 1981 reprint, Vol. IV, p 955 comments: From their general similarity, we may conjecture that the two epistles were written shortly after the 1st Epistle from Ephesus. They both apply to individual cases of conduct the principles which had been laid down in their fullness in the 1st Epistle."
In support of its authenticity, the letter is quoted by Irenaeus, of the 2nd century, and was accepted by Clement of Alexandria, of the same period. (New Bible Dictionary, second edition, 1986, edited by J.D. Douglas, p 605) Also, John's letters are listed in the Muratorian Fragment.
As was true of First John, the reason for this letter is the onslaught by false teachers against the Christian faith,
John wants to warn his readers about such ones so they can recognize them and stay clear of them, while continuing to walk in the truth, in mutual love.
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The Third of John is written to Gaius, a faithful Christian whom John truly loved. The name Gaius was a common one in the days of the early congregation. It appears four times in other parts of the Christian Greek Scriptures, referring to at least three and probably four different men. (Acts 19:29; 20:4; Rom 16:23; 1Cor 1:14)
There is no information available that would definitely identify the Gaius to whom John wrote with any of these others.
All that we know of Gaius is that he was a member of a Christian congregation, that he was a special friend of John's and that the letter was addressed to him personally, for which reason the word "you" appears always in the singular.
Since the style of the opening and closing greetings is the same as that of Second John and the writer again identifies himself as "the older man," there can be no question that the apostle John also wrote this letter. (2John 1)
The similarity of contents and language also suggests that it was written, as in the case of the other two letters, in or near Ephesus, about 98 C.E.
Because of its brevity, it was seldom quoted by early writers, but along with Second John, it is to be found in early catalogues of the inspired Scriptures. ( See chart "Outstanding Early Catalogs of the Christian Greek Scriptures," p 303)
In his letter John expresses appreciation for Gaius' hospitality shown toward travelling brothers, and he mentions some trouble with a certain ambitious Diotrephes.
The Demetrius mentioned seems to be the one who brought this letter to Gaius, so it is possible he was sent out by John and was in need of Gaius' hospitality on his journey, which the letter should secure.
As in the case of Gaius, we know nothing about Diotrephes and Demetrius beyond what we read here.
The letter gives an interesting glimpse of the close international brotherhood of the early Christians.
Amoung other things, this included the custom of receiving hospitably those travelling "in behalf of the name," although these might not be personally know to their hosts. (3John 7)
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I sure hope you have all enjoyed these essays giving back ground information on the Gospel writers and why they are included in the Biblical canon..
I personally found them very helpful in my studies.
Yours,
Katidid.
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The Rise And Fall Of "the Ships of Tarshish"
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Posted:Nov 19, 2014 4:45 pm
Last Updated:Nov 19, 2014 4:46 pm 3175 Views
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"The ships of Tarshish crossed the seas for your trade." - Ezekiel 27:25 (The New Jerusalem Bible)
The ships of Tarshish helped make King Solomon rich. The people who built them influenced the development of the Greek and Roman alphabets. They also founded a city that gave its name, Byblos, to the most influential book ever published.
Who built and sailed the ships of Tarshish? How did the ships get their name? And how do events involving these people and their ships attest to the accuracy of the Bible?
Lords of the Mediterranean
The Phoenicians built the vessels that came to be known as the ships of Tarshish. Phoenicians had already become expert seamen about a thousand years before the time of Christ. Their homeland was a narrow strip of coast that more or less corresponds to modern-day Lebanon. Other nations occupied the land to the north, east and south. To the west lay the vast Mediterranean Sea. To gain wealth, the Phoenicians looked to that sea.
The Phoenician seamen gradually built a thriving merchant fleet. As profits grew and technology advanced, they constructed larger ships that could handle longer voyages. After reaching Cyprus, Sardinia, and the Balearic Islands, the Phoenicians followed the North African coastline in a westerly direction until they reached Spain.
Phoenician shipwrights built boats 30 meters long. These ocean going vessels were apparently called "ships of Tarshish" since they could undertake the 4,000-kilometer journey from Phoenicia to southern Spain, the possible location of Tarshich. (Over time, the term "ships of Tarshish" came to signify a type of ship, one capable of long sea voyages)
The Phoenicians may not have been bent on ruling the world, only on making money from it. They did so by establishing trading posts. As traders, however, they become the lords of the Mediterranean.
Beyond the Mediterranean
In their quest for profit, Phoenician explorers ventured into the Atlantic Ocean. Their ships continued to hug the southern coast of Spain until they came to an area called Tartessus. About the year 1100 B.C.E., they founded a city that they called Gadir. This port , now known as Cadiz, Spain, became one of the first large cities of Western Europe.
The Phoenicians traded salt, wine, dried fish cedar, pine, metalwork, glass, embroidery, fine linen, and cloth dyed the famous Tyrian purple. What wealth did Spain have to offer in return?
Southern Spain proved to be the Mediterranean's richest source of silver and other valuable metals. Regarding Tyre, the principle port of the Phoenicians, the prophet Ezekiel said: "You did business in Spain and took silver, iron, tin and lead in payment for your abundant goods." (Ezekiel 27:12) Today's English Version
The Phoenicians discovered a seemingly inexhaustible supply of these minerals near the river Guadalquivir, not far from Cadiz. The same minerals are still extracted from this area, now called Rio Tinto. These mines have been producing high-quality ore for some three thousand years.
With the Spanish-Phoenician shipping line firmly established, the Phoenicians claimed a monopoly on Spanish silver. The silver flooded into Phoenicia and even into nearby Israel. King Solomon of Israel formed joint business ventures with Phoenician King Hiram. As a result, in Solomons's day silver was counted as "nothing at all" (1Kings 10:21) (Solomon's "fleet of ships of Tarshish" collaborated with Hiram's fleet, probably operating out of Ezion-geber and trading in the Red Sea and beyond(1Kings 10:22)
Although the Phoenicians became successful merchants, they could be ruthless. Reportedly, they sometimes lured people aboard ship on the pretense of showing them their wares, only to enslave them. In time, they even turned on their former trading partners, the Israelites, and sold them into slavery. Hence, Hebrew prophets predicted the destruction of the Phoenician city of Tyre. These prophecies were finally fulfilled by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. E (Joel 3:6; Amos 1:9+10) This destruction marked the end of the Phoenician era.
The Phoenician Legacy
Like all good business men, the Phoenician traders put their agreements in writing. They used an alphabet very similar to ancient Hebrew. Other nations saw the advantages of the Phoenician alphabet. With modifications, it became the basis for the Greek alphabet, which in turn was the forerunner of the Roman script, one of the most widely used alphabets today.
In addition, the important Phoenician city of Byblos became a center for the distribution of papyrus, the precursor of modern paper. The use of papyrus in writing encouraged the development of books. In fact, the English word for the world's most widely distributed book, the Bible, is derived from the name Byblos. Indeed, the historical record of the Phoenicians and their ships build a confidence that the Bible is firmly rooted in fact.
I found this to be such a good articled that fills in many points of interest in the reading of Bible accounts.
Katidid.
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Was The Flood Of Noah's Day Really Global?
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Posted:Nov 19, 2014 3:29 pm
Last Updated:Nov 22, 2014 3:19 am 3607 Views
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The Noachian Flood occurred more than 4,000 years ago. So there are no eyewitness survivors on Earth to tell us about it. However, there is a written record of that catastrophe, which states that the flood waters covered the tallest mountain of that time.
The historical document reads: "The deluge went on for forty days upon the earth....And the waters overwhelmed the earth so greatly that all the tall mountains that were under the whole heavens came to be covered. Up to fifteen cubits(about 6.5meters) the waters overwhelmed them and the mountains became covered. (Genesis 7:17-20)
Some may wonder if the story of the whole earth being covered with water is a myth or at least an exaggeration. Not at all! Indeed, to some extent the earth is still flooded. Seawater covers about 71% of the earth's surface. So in reality the flood waters are still here and if glaciers and polar ice caps were to melt, the sea level would rise to cover cities like New York and Tokyo.
Geologists studying the landscape of the northwestern United States believe that as many as 100 ancient catastrophic floods once washed over the area. One such flood is said to have roared through the region with a wall of water 600 meters high, travelling at 105 kilometers an hour - a flood of 2,000 cubic kilometers of water, weighing more than 2 trillion tons! Similar findings have led other scientists to believe that a global flood is a distinct possibility.
For those who believe that the Bible is God's Word, though, a global flood is more than a possibility. It is a fact. Jesus said to God: "Your word is truth" (John 17:17) The apostle Paul wrote that God's will is that "all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth." (1Tim. 2:3-4) How could Paul teach followers of Jesus the doctrinal truth if God's Word contains myths?
Not only did Jesus believe that the Flood took place but he also believed that it was global. In his great prophecy about his presence and the end of this system of things, he likened those events to the time of Noah. (Matt. 24:37-39) The apostle Peter also wrote about the flood waters in Noah's day: "By these means the world of that time suffered destruction when it was deluged with water." (2Peter 3:6)
If Noah was a mythical figure and a global flood a fable, the warnings of Peter and Jesus for those living in the last days would be meaningless. Instead of serving as a warning, such ideas would befuddle a person's spiritual senses and endanger his chances of surviving a tribulation greater than the Noachian Flood. (2Peter 3:1-7)
In speaking about His abiding mercies for His people, God said: "Just as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more pass over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not become indignant toward you nor rebuke you."
As surely as the Noachian Flood did overwhelm the earth, so God's loving-kindness will be with those trusting in Him. (Isaiah 54:9)
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Water Supply In Bible Times.
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Posted:Nov 18, 2014 6:27 pm
Last Updated:Nov 18, 2014 9:55 pm 3206 Views
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In Bible times, people made extraordinary efforts to locate reliable sources of water, Abraham and Isaac dug wells near Beer-Sheba to ensure that they had sufficient water for their households and flocks. (Genesis 21:30+31; 26:18)
Shallow wells often dried up during the long, hot summers. To provide a dependable water supply, a well had to be deep. (Proverbs 20:5)
One well in Lachish is 44 meters deep. Another well, located in Gibeon, is over 25 meters deep and 11 meters wide. Digging that well required the removal of some 3,000 tons of rock!
The Samaritan woman who came to draw water from Jacob's fountain told Jesus: "The well is deep." The water level there was perhaps 23 meters below the ground. (John 4:11)
Cisterns were another source of water in the ancient Middle east. These underground chambers collected rainwater that fell from October to April. Channels were cut into the hillside to direct the runoff into the cisterns. the Israelites hewed out large cisterns to store water. (Chronicles 26:10)
To draw water from wells and cisterns was, and still is, hard work. Women like Rebekah and Jethro's daughters performed a vital service by drawing water every day for the families and livestock. (Genesis 24:15-20; Exodus 2:16)
I found this information to be very interesting and aided my understanding of peoples' situations when I read Bible accounts.
Katidid.
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Are You Aware That......
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Posted:Nov 18, 2014 6:14 pm
Last Updated:Nov 20, 2014 12:38 am 3206 Views
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 Centuries Before the shape of the earth was indicated by Columbus and Magellan, the Bible stated that this planet is not flat but spherical?
Isaiah 40:22
Long before astronauts had a glimpse of the earth hanging in empty space, the Bible pointed out that it is suspended upon nothing?
Job 26:Seven
At least 2,500 years before English physician William Harvey discovered the circulatory system in the human body, the Bible referred to the heart as a fountain or source, of life?
Proverbs 4:23
Some 3,000 years ago, the bible described in simple terms the earth's water cycle as part of the ecosystem that makes life on earth possible?
Ecclesiastes 1:Seven
During their wilderness trek, the Israelites were instructed to take great care when disposing of human waste. Considering the size of the camp this may well have been a tiresome chore but it helped to prevent many diseases.
Deuteronomy 23:12-14
The Israelites were also commanded to wash or destroy any item that had come into contact with a dead body and although they may not have understood the reasons for this they were, again, helped to avoid infection and disease.
Leviticus 11:32-38
Isn't it amazing that these scientific facts were touched on in the Bible long before humans came to understand or discover them?
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Why Did Zechariah Fortell The Destruction Of Trye Long After It Had Been Destroyed By The Babylonian
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Posted:Nov 18, 2014 5:19 pm
Last Updated:Nov 18, 2014 5:21 pm 3148 Views
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Ancient Tyre, situated on the Mediterranean Coast, actually consisted of two parts. One was on the mainland and the other was on an island.
At one time, inhabitants of Tyre were friendly to the Israelites. Later, though, Tyre became prosperous and began to defy Jehovah God to the point of stealing the gold and silver from His people and selling some of them into slavery. (Joel 3:4-6) This brought Jehovah's adverse judgement.
Through His prophets, Jehovah foretold that Tyre would fall at the hands of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, who brought his forces to Tyre after he destroyed Jerusalem in 706 B.C.E. (Isaiah 23:13+14; Jer. 27:2-7; Ez. 28:1-19) Facing defeat, the people of Tyre escaped with their possessions to the island city. The Babylonians left the mainland city in ruins.
Nearly 100 years later, Jehovah inspired His prophet Zechariah to pronounce His judgement against Tyre: "Look! Jehovah Himself will dispossess her, and into the sea He will certainly strike down her military force; and in the fire she herself will be devoured." (Zech. 9:3+4)
In 332 B.C.E., the island city met destruction at the hands of Alexander the Great, thus fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy.
To accomplish that, Alexander constructed an 800-meter-long causeway from the mainland to the island, using the wood and stones from the ruins of old Tyre. This too, was foretold by Ezekiel. (Ez. 26:4, 12)
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Did You Know? How Much Gold Did King Solomon Own?
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Posted:Nov 16, 2014 12:46 am
Last Updated:Mar 17, 2020 9:30 am 4476 Views
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The Scriptures say that Hiram, king of Tyre, sent 4 tons of gold to Solomon, the queen of Sheba gave him a similar amount, and Solomon's fleet brought over 15 tons of gold from Ophir. "The weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year amounted up to six hundred and sixty six talents of gold", or more that 25 tons. (1Kings 9:14, 28; 10:10, 14) Is this plausible? How big were royal gold reserves in antiquity?
An ancient inscription, which scholars judge as credible, states that Pharoah Thutmose III of Egypt (2nd millennium B.C.E.) presented some 13.5 tons of gold to the temple Amun-Ra at Karnak,. During the 8th century B.C.E., the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III received over 4 tons of gold in tribute from Tyre, and Sargon II of Macedonia (359-336 B.C.E.) is reported to have extracted more than 28 tons of gold each year from the mines of Pangaeum in Thrace.
When Philip's Alexander the Great (336-323B.C. E) captured the Persian city of Susa, he is said to have taken some 1,180 tons of gold from it and almost 7,000 tons from the whole of Persia.
So when compared with these reports, the Bible's description of King Solomon's gold is not exaggerated.
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Did you know? Why were the Jews so widely scattered by the time of Jesus?
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Posted:Nov 16, 2014 12:33 am
Last Updated:Nov 16, 2014 12:36 am 3192 Views
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When Jesus told a group of listeners that where he was going they could not come, the Jews asked themselves: "Where does this man intend going....? He does not intend to go to the Jews dispersed amount the Greeks....does he?(John 7:32-36) Not long after Christians missionaries preached the good news amount Jews dispersed throughout the Mediterranean basin (Acts 2:5-11; 9:2; 13:5,13+14; 14:1; 16:1-3; 17:1; 18:12,19; 28:16+17)
This dispersion, or Diaspora, arose because the Jews were exiled from their homeland by conquering nations - first by the Assyrians, in 740B.C.E., then by the Babylonians, in 607B.C.E. Only a remnant of the exiles ever returned to Israel. (Isaiah 10:21+22) The rest remained scattered.
Hence, in the fifth century B.C.E., Jewish communities were found in the 127 jurisdictional districts of the Persian Empire. (Esther 1:1; 3:8) Jewish efforts to win converts to Judaism meant that, in time, a large number of people came to have some knowledge of Jehovah and of the Law that He gave to the Jews. (Matthew 23:15) Jews from many lands were present in Jerusalem for the Festival of Pentecost in 33C.E., at which they heard the good news about Jesus. (Acts 2:1-11) Therefore, the dispersion of Jews throughout the Roman Empire contributed to the rapid spread of Christianity.
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LUKE
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Posted:Nov 14, 2014 4:50 am
Last Updated:Mar 17, 2020 9:31 am 3957 Views
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Place Written: Caesarea
Writing Completed: c. 56-58 C.E.
Time Covered: 3 B.C.E. - 33 C.E.
The Gospel of Luke was written by a man with a keen mind and a kind heart and this fine blend of qualities, with the guidance of God's spirit, has resulted in an account that is both accurate and full of warmth and feeling. In the opening verses, he says, "I resolved also, because I have traced all things from the start with accuracy, to write them in logical order to you." His detailed, meticulous presentation fully bears out this claim. Luke 1:3
Although Luke is nowhere named in the account, ancient authorities are agreed that he was the writer. The Gospel is attributed to Luke in the Muratorian Fragment (c. 170 C.E.) and was accepted by such second-century writers as Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria. Internal evidence also points strongly to Luke. Paul speaks of him at Colossians 4:14 as "Luke the beloved physician," and his work is of the scholarly order one would expect from a well-educated man, such as a doctor. His fine choice of language and his extensive vocabulary, larger than that of the other three Gospel writers combined, make possible a most careful and comprehensive treatment of his vital subject. His account of the prodigal is regarded by some as the best short story ever written.
Luke uses more than 300 medical terms or words to which he gives a medical meaning that are not used in the same way (if they are used at all) by the other writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures.* For example, when speaking of leprosy, Luke does not always use the same term as the other. To them leprosy is leprosy, but to the physician, there are different stages of leprosy, as when Luke speaks of "a man full of leprosy." Lazarus, he says, was "full of ulcers." No other Gospel writer says that Peter's mother-in-law had "a high fever" (Luke 5:12; 16:20; 4:38) Although the other three tell us of Peter's cutting off the ear of the slave of the high priest, only Luke mentions that Jesus healed him. (Luke 22:51) It is like a doctor to say of a woman that she had "a spirit of weakness for eighteen years, and she was bent double and was unable to raise herself up at all." And who but "Luke the beloved physician" would have recorded in such detail the first aid rendered to a man by the Samaritan who "bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine upon them: ? (Luke 13:11; 10:34)
*The Medical Language of Luke, 1954, W.K.Hobart, pages xi-xxviii.
When did Luke write his Gospel? Acts1:1 indicates that the writer of Acts (who was also Luke) had earlier composed "the first account," the Gospel. Acts was most probably completed about 61 C.E. while Luke was in Rome with Paul, who was awaiting his appeal to Caesar. So the Gospel account was probably written by Luke in Caesarea about 56-58 C.E., after he returned with Paul from Philippi at the end of Paul's third missionary journey and while Paul was waiting two years in prison at Caesarea before being taken to Rome for his appeal. Since Luke was there in Palestine, during this time he was well situated to 'trace all things from the start with accuracy' concerning the life and ministry of Jesus. Thus, Luke's account appears to have preceded Mark's Gospel.
Luke was not, of course, an eyewitness of all the events he records in his Gospel, not being one of the 12 and probably not even a believer until after Jesus' death. However, he was very closely associated with Paul in the missionary field. (2Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24) So, as might be expected, his writings shows evidence of Paul's influence, as can be seen by comparing their two account of the Lord's Evening Meal. (Luke 22:19+20 and 1 Cor. 11:23-25) As a further source of material, Luke could have referred to Matthew's Gospel. In 'tracing all things with accuracy,' he would be able personally to interview many eyewitnesses of the events of Jesus' life, such as the surviving disciples and possibly Jesus' mother. We can be sure that he left no stone unturned in assembling the reliable details.
It becomes clear on examining the four Gospel accounts that the writers do not simply repeat one another's narratives, nor do they write solely to record. Luke's account is most individualistic in its treatment. In all. 59 percent of his Gospel is unique with him. He records at least six specific miracles and more that twice that number of illustrations that are not mentioned in the other Gospel accounts, devoting one third of his Gospel to narrative and two thirds to the spoken word; his Gospel is the longest of the four. Matthew wrote primarily for the Jews, and Mark for non-Jewish readers, especially the Romans. Luke's Gospel was addressed to the "most excellent Theophilus" and through him to other persons, both Jews and non-Jews. He particularly notes the prophetic words of Simeon that Jesus would be the means of "removing the veil from the nations," and tells that "all flesh will see the saving means of God." (Luke 3:38; 2:29-32; 3:6)
Throughout his writing, Luke proves to be an outstanding narrator, his accounts being well arranged and accurate. These qualities of accuracy and fidelity in Luke's writings are strong proof of their authenticity. A legal writer once observed: "While romances, legends and false testimony are careful to place events related in some distant place and some indefinite time, thereby violating the first rules we lawyers learn of good pleading, that 'the delaration must give time and place,' the Bible narratives give us the date and place of the things related with the utmost precision."+ In proof he cited Luke 3:1+2:
"In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was district ruler of Galilee, but Philip his brother was district ruler of the country of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was district ruler of Abilene, in the days of chief priest Annas and of Caiaphas, God's declaration came to John the of Zechariah in the wilderness." There is no indefiniteness here as to time or place, but Luke names no less than seven public officials so that we can establish the time of the beginning of John's ministry and that of Jesus.
+ A Lawyer Examines The Bible. 1943, I.H. Linton, page 38.
Luke also gives us two pointers for fixing the time of Jesus' birth when he says, at Luke 2:1+2,: "Now in those days a decree went forth from Caesar Augustus for all the inhabited earth to be registered; (this first registration took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria)," This was when Joseph and Mary went up to Bethlehem to be registered, and Jesus was born while they were there". We cannot but agree with the commentator who says: "It is one of the most searching tests of Luke's historical sense that he always manages to achieve perfect accuracy."^ We must acknowledge as valid Luke's claim to have 'traced all things from the start with accuracy.'
^Modern Discovery and the Bible, 1955, A. Rendle Short, page 211.
Luke also points out how the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures were accurately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He quotes Jesus' inspired testimony on this (Luke 24:27, 44) Further, he accurately records Jesus' own prophecies concerning future events, and many of these have already had remarkable fulfillments in all their foretold detail. For example, Jerusalem was surrounded by siegeworks of pointed stakes and perished in a frightful holocaust in 70 C.E., just as Jesus foretold. (Luke 19:43+44; 21:20-24; Matt. 24:2) The secular historian Flavius Josephus, who was an eyewitness with the Roman army, testifies that the countryside was denuded of trees to a distance of about ten miles to provide stakes, that the siege was four and a half miles long, that many women and died from famine, and that more than 1,000,000 Jews lost their lives and 97,000 were taken captive. To this day, the Arch of Titus in Rome portrays the Roman victory procession with spoils of war from Jerusalem's temple.# We can be sure that other inspired prophecies recorded by Luke will be just as accurately fulfilled.
#The Jewish War, V, 491-515 (xii, 1-4); VI, 420 (ix, 3)
I sure hope you've enjoyed this wonderful background story on one of our most beloved of Brothers.
Yours,
Katidid.
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