Adoptionism. This was one of the early views of Jesus' relation to deity. It basically asserted that Jesus was a normal human in every way and was adopted in a special sense by God at his baptism (cf. Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11) or at His resurrection (cf. Rom. 1:4). Jesus lived such an exemplary life that God, at some point, (baptism, resurrection) adopted Him as His "son" (cf. Rom. 1:4; Phi. 2:9). This was an early church and eighth century minority view. Instead of God becoming a man (the Incarnation) it reverses this and now man becomes God!

It is difficult to verbalize how Jesus, God the Son, pre-existent deity, was rewarded or extolled for an exemplary life. If He was already God, how could He be rewarded? If He had pre-existent divine glory how could He be honored more? Although it is hard for us to comprehend, the Father somehow honored Jesus in a special sense for His perfect fulfillment of the Father's will.

Alexandrian School. This method of biblical interpretation was developed in Alexandria, Egypt in the second century a.d. It uses the basic interpretive principles of Philo, who was a follower of Plato. It is often called the allegorical method. It held sway in the church until the time of the Reformation. Its most able proponents were Origen and Augustine. See Moises Silva, Has The Church Misread The Bible? (Academic, 1987)

Alexandrinus. This fifth-century Greek manuscript from Alexandria, Egypt includes the Old Testament, Apocrypha, and most of the New Testament. It is one of our major witnesses to the entire Greek New Testament (except parts of Matthew, John, and II Corinthians). When this manuscript, which is designated "A," and the manuscript designated "B" (Vaticanus) agree on a reading, it is considered to be original by most scholars in most instances.

Allegory. This is a type of Biblical interpretation which originally developed within Alexandrian Judaism. It was popularized by Philo of Alexandria. Its basic thrust is the desire to make the Scripture relevant to one's culture or philosophical system by ignoring the Bible's historical setting and/or literary context. It seeks a hidden or spiritual meaning behind every text of Scripture. It must be admitted that Jesus, in Matthew 13, and Paul, in Galatians 4, used allegory to communicate truth. This, however, was in the form of typology, not strictly allegory.

Analytical lexicon. This is a type of research tool which allows one to identify every Greek form in the New Testament. It is a compilation, in Greek alphabetical order, of forms and basic definitions. In combination with an interlinear translation, it allows non-Greek reading believers to analyze New Testament Greek grammatical and syntactic forms.

Analogy of Scripture. This is the phrase used to describe the view that all of the Bible is inspired by God and is, therefore, not contradictory but complementary. This presuppositional affirmation is the basis for the use of parallel passages in interpreting a biblical text.

Ambiguity. This refers to the uncertainty that results in a written document when there are two or more possible meanings or when two or more things are being referred to at the same time. It is possible that John uses purposeful ambiguity (double entendres).

Anthropomorphic. Meaning "having characteristics associated with human beings," this term is used to describe our religious language about God. It comes from the Greek term for mankind. It means that we speak about God as if He were a man. God is described in physical, sociological, and psychological terms which relate to human beings (cf. Gen. 3:8; I Kgs. 22:19-23). This, of course, is only an analogy. However, there are no categories or terms other than human ones for us to use. Therefore, our knowledge of God, though true, is limited.

Antiochian School. This method of biblical interpretation was developed in Antioch, Syria in the third century a.d. as a reaction to the allegorical method of Alexandria, Egypt. Its basic thrust was to focus on the historical meaning of the Bible. It interpreted the Bible as normal, human literature. This school became involved in the controversy over whether Christ had two natures (Nestorianism) or one nature (fully God and fully man). It was labeled heretical by the Roman Catholic Church and relocated to Persia but the school had little significance. Its basic hermeneutical principles later became interpretive principles of the Classical Protestant Reformers (Luther and Calvin).

Antithetical. This is one of three descriptive terms used to denote the relationship between lines of Hebrew poetry. It relates to lines of poetry which are opposite in meaning (cf. Pro. 10:1, 15:1).

Apocalyptic literature. This was predominantly, possibly even uniquely, a Jewish genre. It was a cryptic type of writing used in times of invasion and occupation of the Jews by foreign world powers. It assumes that a personal, redemptive God created and controls world events, and that Israel is of special interest and care to Him. This literature promises ultimate victory through God's special effort.

It is highly symbolic and fanciful with many cryptic terms. It often expressed truth in colors, numbers, visions, dreams, angelic mediation, secret code words and often a sharp dualism between good and evil.

Some examples of this genre are (1) in the OT, Ezekiel (chapters 36-48), Daniel (chapters 7-12), Zechariah; and (2) in the NT, Matthew 24; Mark 13; II Thessalonians 2 and Revelation.

Apologist (Apologetics). This is from the Greek root for "legal defense." This is a specific discipline within theology which seeks to give evidence and rational arguments for the Christian faith.

A priori. This is basically synonymous with the term "presupposition." It involves reasoning from previously accepted definitions, principles or positions which are assumed to be true. It is that which is accepted without examination or analysis.

Arianism. Arius was a presbyter in the church at Alexandria Egypt in the third and early fourth century. He affirmed that Jesus was pre-existent but not divine (not of the same essence as the Father), possibly following Proverbs 8:22-31. He was challenged by the bishop of Alexandria, who started (a.d. 318) a controversy which lasted many years. Arianism became the official creed of the Eastern Church. The Council of Nicaea in a.d. 325 condemned Arius and asserted the full equality and deity of the Son.

Aristotle. He was one of the philosophers of ancient Greece, a pupil of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His influence, even today, reaches into many areas of modern studies. This is because he emphasized knowledge through observation and classification. This is one of the tenets of the scientific method.

Autographs. This is the name given to the original writings of the Bible. These original, handwritten manuscripts have all been lost. Only copies of copies remain. This is the source of many of the textual variants in the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts and ancient versions.

Bezae. This is a Greek and Latin manuscript of the sixth century a.d. It is designated by "D." It contains the Gospels and Acts and some of the General Epistles. It is characterized by numerous scribal additions. It forms the basis for the "Textus Receptus," the major Greek manuscript tradition behind the King James Version.

Bias. This is the term used to describe a strong predisposition toward an object or point of view. It is the mindset in which impartiality is impossible regarding a particular object or point of view. It is a prejudiced position.

Biblical Authority. This term is used in a very specialized sense. It is defined as understanding what the original author said to his day and applying this truth to our day. Biblical authority is usually defined as viewing the Bible itself as our only authoritative guide. However, in light of current, improper interpretations, I have limited the concept to the Bible as interpreted by the tenets of the historical-grammatical method.

Canon. This is a term used to describe writings which are believed to be uniquely inspired. It is used regarding both the Old and New Testament Scriptures.

Christocentric. This is a term used to describe the centrality of Jesus. I use it in connection with the concept that Jesus is Lord of all the Bible. The Old Testament points toward Him and He is its fulfillment and goal (cf. Matt. 5:17-48).

Commentary. This is a specialized type of research book. It gives the general background of a Biblical book. It then tries to explain the meaning of each section of the book. Some focus on application, while others deal with the text in a more technical way. These books are helpful, but should be used after one has done his own preliminary study. The commentator's interpretations should never be accepted uncritically. Comparing several commentaries from different theological perspectives is usually helpful.

Concordance. This is a type of research tool for Bible study. It lists every occurrence of every word in the Old and New Testaments. It helps in several ways: (1) determining the Hebrew or Greek word which lies behind any particular English word; (2) comparing passages where the same Hebrew or Greek word was used; (3) showing where two different Hebrew or Greek terms are translated by the same English word; (4) showing the frequency of the use of certain words in certain books or authors; (5) helping one find a passage in the Bible (cf. Walter Clark's How to Use New Testament Greek Study Aids, pp. 54-55).

Dead Sea Scrolls. This refers to a series of ancient texts written in Hebrew and Aramaic which were found near the Dead Sea in 1947. They were the religious libraries of sectarian Judaism of the first century. The pressure of Roman occupation and the zealot wars of the 60's caused them to conceal the scrolls in hermetically sealed pottery jars in caves or holes. They have helped us understand the historical setting of first century Palestine and have confirmed the Masoretic Text as being very accurate, at least as far back as the early b.c. era. They are designated by the abbreviation "DSS."

Deductive. This method of logic or reasoning moves from general principles to specific applications by means of reason. It is opposite from inductive reasoning, which reflects the scientific method by moving from observed specifics to general conclusions (theories).

Dialectical. This is the method of reasoning whereby that which seems contradictory or paradoxical is held together in a tension, seeking a unified answer which includes both sides of the paradox. Many biblical doctrines have dialectical pairs, predestination-free will; security-perseverance; faith-works; decision-discipleship; Christian freedom-Christian responsibility.

Diaspora. This is the technical Greek term used by Palestinian Jews to describe other Jews who live outside the geographical boundaries of the Promised Land.

Dynamic equivalent. This is a theory of Bible translation. Bible translation can be viewed as a continuum from "word to word" correspondence, where an English word must be supplied for every Hebrew or Greek word, to a "paraphrase" where only the thought is translated with less regard to the original wording or phrasing. In between these two theories is "the dynamic equivalent" which attempts to take the original text seriously, but translates it in modern grammatical forms and idioms. A really good discussion of these various theories of translations is found in Fee and Stuart's How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth, p. 35 and in Robert Bratcher's Introduction to the TEV.

Eclectic. This term is used in connection with textual criticism. It refers to the practice of choosing readings from different Greek manuscripts in order to arrive at a text which is supposed to be close to the original autographs. It rejects the view that any one family of Greek manuscripts captures the originals.

Eisegesis. This is the opposite of exegesis. If exegesis is a "leading out" of the original author's intent, this term implies a "leading in" of a foreign idea or opinion.

Etymology. This is an aspect of word study that tries to ascertain the original meaning of a word. From this root meaning, specialized usages are more easily identified. In interpretation, etymology is not the main focus, rather the contemporary meaning and usage of a word.

Exegesis. This is the technical term for the practice of interpreting a specific passage. It means "to lead out" (of the text) implying that our purpose is to understand the original author's intent in light of historical setting, literary context, syntax and contemporary word meaning.

Genre. This is a French term that denotes different types of literature. The thrust of the term is the division of literary forms into categories which share common characteristics: historical narrative, poetry, proverb, apocalyptic and legislation.

Gnosticism. Most of our knowledge of this heresy comes from the Gnostic writings of the second century. However, the incipient ideas were present in the first century (and before).

Some stated tenets of Valentian and Cerinthian Gnosticism of the second century are: (1) matter and spirit were co-eternal (an ontological dualism). Matter is evil, spirit is good. God, who is spirit, cannot be directly involved with molding evil matter; (2) there are emanations (eons or angelic levels) between God and matter. The last or lowest one was YHWH of the OT, who formed the universe (kosmos); (3) Jesus was an emanation like YHWH but higher on the scale, closer to the true God. Some put Him as the highest but still less than God and certainly not incarnate Deity (cf. John 1:14). Since matter is evil, Jesus could not have a human body and still be Divine. He was a spiritual phantom (cf. I John 1:1-3; 4:1-6); and (4) salvation was obtained through faith in Jesus plus special knowledge, which is only known by special persons. Knowledge (passwords) was needed to pass through heavenly spheres. Jewish legalism was also required to reach God.

The Gnostic false teachers advocated two opposite ethical systems: (1) for some, lifestyle was totally unrelated to salvation. For them, salvation and spirituality were encapsulated into secret knowledge (passwords) through the angelic spheres (eons); or (2) for others, lifestyle was crucial to salvation. They emphasized an ascetic lifestyle as evidence of true spirituality.

Hermeneutics. This is the technical term for the principles which guide exegesis. It is both a set of specific guidelines and an art/gift. Biblical, or sacred, hermeneutics is usually divided into two categories: general principles and special principles. These relate to the different types of literature found in the Bible. Each different type (genre) has its own unique guidelines but also shares some common assumptions and procedures of interpretation.

Higher Criticism. This is the procedure of biblical interpretation which focuses on the historical setting and literary structure of a particular biblical book.

Idiom. This word is used for the phrases found in different cultures which have specialized meaning not connected to the usual meaning of the individual terms. Some modern examples are: "that was awfully good," or "you just kill me." The Bible also contains these types of phrases.

Illumination. This is the name given to the concept that God has spoken to mankind. The full concept is usually expressed by three terms: (1) revelation-God has acted in human history; (2) inspiration-He has given the proper interpretation of His acts and their meaning to certain chosen men to record for mankind; and (3) illumination-He has given His Spirit to help mankind understand His self-disclosure.

Inductive. This is a method of logic or reasoning which moves from the particulars to the whole. It is the empirical method of modern science. This is basically the approach of Aristotle.

Interlinear. This is a type of research tool which allows those who do not read a biblical language to be able to analyze its meaning and structure. It places the English translation on a word for word level immediately under the original biblical language. This tool, combined with an "analytical lexicon," will give the forms and basic definitions of Hebrew and Greek.

Inspiration. This is the concept that God has spoken to mankind by guiding the biblical authors to accurately and clearly record His revelation. The full concept is usually expressed by three terms: (1) revelation-God has acted in human history; (2) inspiration-He has given the proper interpretation of His acts and their meaning to certain chosen men to record for mankind; and (3) illumination-He has given His Spirit to help mankind understand His self-disclosure

Language of description. This is used in connection with the idioms in which the Old Testament is written. It speaks of our world in terms of the way things appear to the five senses. It is not a scientific description, nor was it meant to be.

Legalism. This attitude is characterized by an over-emphasis on rules or ritual. It tends to rely on the human performance of regulations as a means of acceptance by God. It tends to depreciate relationship and elevates performance, both of which are important aspects of the covenantal relationship between a holy God and sinful humanity.

Literal. This is another name for the textually-focused and historical method of hermeneutics from Antioch. It means that interpretation involves the normal and obvious meaning of human language, although it still recognizes the presence of figurative language.

Literary genre. This refers to the distinct forms that human communication can take, such as poetry or historical narrative. Each type of literature has its own special hermeneutical procedures in addition to the general principles for all written literature.

Literary unit. This refers to the major thought divisions of a biblical book. It can be made up of a few verses, paragraphs or chapters. It is a self-contained unit with a central subject.

Lower criticism. See "textual criticism."

Manuscript. This term relates to the different copies of the Greek New Testament. Usually they are divided into the different types by (1) material on which they are written (papyrus, leather), or (2) the form of the writing itself (all capitals or running script). It is abbreviated by "MS" (singular) or "MSS" (plural).

Masoretic Text. This refers to the ninth century a.d. Hebrew manuscripts of the Old Testament produced by generations of Jewish scholars which contain vowel points and other textual notes. It forms the basic text for our English Old Testament. Its text has been historically confirmed by the Hebrew MSS, especially Isaiah, known from the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is abbreviated by "MT."

Metonymy. This is a figure of speech in which the name of one thing is used to represent something else associated with it. As an example, "the kettle is boiling" actually means "the water within the kettle is boiling."

Muratorian Fragments. This is a list of the canonical books of the New Testament. It was written in Rome before a.d. 200. It gives the same twenty-seven books as the Protestant NT. This clearly shows the local churches in different parts of the Roman Empire had "practically" set the canon before the major church councils of the fourth century.

Natural revelation. This is one category of God's self-disclosure to man. It involves the natural order (Rom. 1:19-20) and the moral consciousness (Rom. 2:14-15). It is spoken of in Ps. 19:1-6 and Rom. 1-2. It is distinct from special revelation, which is God's specific self-disclosure in the Bible and supremely in Jesus of Nazareth.

This theological category is being re-emphasized by the "old earth" movement among Christian scientists (e.g. the writings of Hugh Ross). They use this category to assert that all truth is God's truth. Nature is an open door to knowledge about God; it is different from special revelation (the Bible). It allows modern science the freedom to research the natural order. In my opinion it is a wonderful new opportunity to witness to the modern scientific western world.

Nestorianism. Nestorius was the patriarch of Constantinople in the fifth century. He was trained in Antioch of Syria and affirmed that Jesus had two natures, one fully human and one fully divine. This view deviated from the orthodox one nature view of Alexandria. Nestorius' main concern was the title "mother of God," given to Mary. Nestorius was opposed by Cyril of Alexandria and, by implication, his own Antiochian training. Antioch was the headquarters of the historical-grammatical-textual approach to biblical interpretation, while Alexandria was the headquarters of the four-fold (allegorical) school of interpretation. Nestorius was ultimately removed from office and exiled.

Original author. This refers to the actual authors/writers of Scripture.

Papyri. This is a type of writing material from Egypt. It is made from river reeds. It is the material upon which our oldest copies of the Greek New Testament are written.

Parallel passages. They are part of the concept that all of the Bible is God-given and, therefore, is its own best interpreter and balancer of paradoxical truths. This is also helpful when one is attempting to interpret an unclear or ambiguous passage. They also help one find the clearest passage on a given subject as well as all other Scriptural aspects of a given subject.

Paraphrase. This is the name of a theory of Bible translation. Bible translation can be viewed as a continuum from "word to word" correspondence, where an English word must be supplied for every Hebrew or Greek word to a "paraphrase" where only the thought is translated with less regard to the original wording or phrasing. In between these two theories is "the dynamic equivalent" which attempts to take serious the original text, but translates it in modern grammatical forms and idioms. A really good discussion of these various theories of translations is found in Fee and Stuart's How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth, p. 35.

Paragraph. This is the basic interpretive literary unit in prose. It contains one central thought and its development. If we stay with its major thrust we will not major on minors or miss the original autho's intent.

Parochialism. This relates to biases which are locked into a local theological/cultural setting. It does not recognize the transcultural nature of biblical truth or its application.

Paradox. This refers to those truths which seem to be contradictory, yet both are true, although in tension with each other. They frame truth by presenting if from opposite sides. Much biblical truth is presented in paradoxical (or dialectical) pairs. Biblical truths are not isolated stars, but are constellations made up of the pattern of stars.

Plato. He was one of the philosophers of ancient Greece. His philosophy greatly influenced the early church through the scholars of Alexandria, Egypt, and later, Augustine. He posited that everything on earth was illusionary and a mere copy of a spiritual archetype. Theologians later equated Plato's "forms/ideas" with the spiritual realm.

Presupposition. This refers to our preconceived understanding of a matter. Often we form opinions or judgments about issues before we approach the Scriptures themselves. This predisposition is also known as a bias, an a priori position, an assumption or a preunderstanding.

Proof-texting. This is the practice of interpreting Scripture by quoting a verse without regard for its immediate context or larger context in its literary unit. This removes the verses from the original author's intent and usually involves the attempt to prove a personal opinion while asserting biblical authority.

Rabbinical Judaism. This stage of the life of the Jewish people began in Babylonian Exile (586-538 b.c.). As the influence of the Priests and the Temple was removed, local synagogues became the focus of Jewish life. These local centers of Jewish culture, fellowship, worship and Bible study became the focus of the national religious life. In Jesus' day this "religion of the scribes" was parallel to that of the priests. At the fall of Jerusalem in a.d. 70, the scribal form, dominated by the Pharisees, controlled the direction of Jewish religious life. It is characterized by a practical, legalistic interpretation of the Torah as explained in the oral tradition (Talmud).

Revelation. This is the name given to the concept that God has spoken to mankind. The full concept is usually expressed by three terms: (1) revelation-God has acted in human history; (2) inspiration-He has given the proper interpretation of His acts and their meaning to certain chosen men to record for mankind; and (3) illumination-He has given His Spirit to help mankind understand His self-disclosure.

Semantic field. This refers to the total range of meanings associated with a word. It is basically the different connotations a word has in different contexts.

Septuagint. This is the name given to the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. Tradition says that it was written in seventy days by seventy Jewish scholars for the library of Alexandria, Egypt. The traditional date is around 250 b.c. (in reality it possibly took over one hundred years to complete). This translation is significant because (1) it gives us an ancient text to compare with the Masoretic Hebrew text; (2) it shows us the state of Jewish interpretation in the third and second century b.c.; (3) it gives us the Jewish Messianic understanding before the rejection of Jesus. Its abbreviation is "LXX."

Sinaiticus. This is a Greek manuscript of the fourth century a.d. It was found by the German scholar, Tischendorf, at St. Catherine's monastery on Jebel Musa, the traditional site of Mt. Sinai. This manuscript is designated by the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet called "aleph" [א]. It contains both the Old and the entire New Testaments. It is one of our most ancient uncial MSS.

Spiritualizing. This term is synonymous with allegorizing in the sense that it removes the historical and literary context of a passage and interprets it on the basis of other criteria.

Synonymous. This refers to terms with exact or very similar meanings (although in reality no two words have a complete semantic overlap). They are so closely related that they can replace each other in a sentence without loss of meaning. It is also used to designate one of the three forms of Hebrew poetic parallelism. In this sense it refers to two lines of poetry that express the same truth (cf. Ps. 103:3).

Syntax. This is a Greek term which refers to the structure of a sentence. It relates to the ways parts of a sentence are put together to make a complete thought.

Synthetical. This is one of the three terms that relates to types of Hebrew poetry. This term speaks of lines of poetry which build on one another in a cumulative sense, sometimes called "climatic" (cf. Ps. 19:7-9).

Systematic theology. This is a stage of interpretation which tries to relate the truths of the Bible in a unified and rational manner. It is a logical, rather than mere historical, presentation of Christian theology by categories (God, man, sin, salvation, etc.).

Talmud. This is the title for the codification of the Jewish Oral Tradition. The Jews believe it was given orally by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai. In reality it appears to be the collective wisdom of the Jewish teachers through the years. There are two different written versions of the Talmud: the Babylonian and the shorter, unfinished Palestinian.

Textual criticism. This is the study of the manuscripts of the Bible. Textual criticism is necessary because no originals exist and the copies differ from each other. It attempts to explain the variations and arrive (as close as possible) to the original wording of the autographs of the Old and New Testaments. It is often called "lower criticism."

Textus Receptus. This designation developed into Elzevir's edition of the Greek NT in 1633 a.d. Basically it is a form of the Greek NT that was produced from a few late Greek manuscripts and Latin versions of Erasmus (1510-1535), Stephanus (1546-1559) and Elzevir (1624-1678). In An Introduction to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament, p. 27, A. T. Robertson says "the Byzantine text is practically the Textus Receptus." The Byzantine text is the least valuable of the three families of early Greek manuscripts (Western, Alexandrian and Byzantine). It contains the accumulation errors of centuries of hand-copied texts. However, A.T. Robertson also says "the Textus Receptus has preserved for us a substantially accurate text" (p. 21). This Greek manuscript tradition (especially Erasmus' third edition of 1522) forms the basis of the King James Version of a.d. 1611.

Torah. This is the Hebrew term for "teaching." It came to be the official title for the writings of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy). It is, for the Jews, the most authoritative division of the Hebrew canon.

Typological. This is a specialized type of interpretation. Usually it involves New Testament truth found in Old Testament passages by means of an analogical symbol. This category of hermeneutics was a major element of the Alexandrian method. Because of the abuse of this type of interpretation, one should limit its use to specific examples recorded in the New Testament.

Vaticanus. This is the Greek manuscript of the fourth century a.d. It was found in the Vatican's library. It originally contained all the Old Testament, Apocrypha and New Testament. However, some parts were lost (Genesis, Psalms, Hebrews, the Pastorals, Philemon and Revelation). It is a very helpful manuscript in determining the original wording of the autographs. It is designated by a capital "B."

Vulgate. This is the name of Jerome's Latin translation of the Bible. It became the basic or "common" translation for the Roman Catholic Church. It was done in the a.d. 380's.

Wisdom literature. This was a genre of literature common in the ancient near east (and modern world). It basically was an attempt to instruct a new generation on guidelines for successful living through poetry, proverb, or essay. It was addressed more to the individual than to corporate society. It did not use allusions to history but was based on life experiences and observation. In the Bible, Job through Song of Songs assumed the presence and worship of YHWH, but this religious world view is not explicit in every human experience every time.

As a genre it stated general truths. However, this genre cannot be used in every specific situation. These are general statements that do not always apply to every individual situation.

These sages dared to ask the hard questions of life. Often they challenged traditional religious views (Job and Ecclesiastes). They form a balance and tension to the easy answers about life's tragedies.

World picture and worldview. These are companion terms. They are both philosophical concepts related to creation. The term "world picture" refers to "the how" of creation while "worldview" relates to "the Who." These terms are relevant to the interpretation that Genesis 1-2 deals primarily with the Who, not the how, of creation.

YHWH. This is the Covenant name for God in the Old Testament. It is defined in Exod. 3:14. It is the causative form of the Hebrew term "to be." The Jews were afraid to pronounce the name, lest they take it in vain; therefore, they substituted the Hebrew term Adonai, "lord." This is how this covenant name is translated in English.

Copyright © 2013 Bible Lessons International

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 2:1-7
 ¹Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. ²This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. ⁴Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, ⁵in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. ⁶While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. ⁷And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

2:1 "decree" These Roman enrollments ran in fourteen-year cycles which began under Caesar Augustus (30 b.c. to a.d. 14, cf. Luke 3:1; Matt. 22:17). We learn of these cycles from Egyptian papyri. They took years to finish. A second census is mentioned in Acts 5:37 and in the writings of Josephus, which says that it was done in a.d. 6; therefore, the first was begun about 8 b.c. (cf. Acts 5:37).

▣ "census" This registration was for the purpose of taxation and military conscription. Jews, however, were exempt from military service. It also included, possibly, an oath of loyalty to Caesar.

▣ "the inhabited earth" This refers to the Roman Empire or the known civilized world (cf. Luke 4:5; 21:26; Acts 11:28; 17:6,31; 19:27; 24:5; Matt. 24:14; Rev. 3:10). It is surely possible that some of these texts reflect a world-wide emphasis, like Matt. 24:14; Acts 17:31; and Heb. 1:6; 2:5).

2:2 "This was the first census" A second census is mentioned in Acts 5:37. These Roman censuses took many years to complete, possibly up to fourteen years (i.e., evidence from Egypt).

▣ "Quirinius" There is a problem with this statement and secular history. Quirinius was the civil governor of Syria in a.d. 6. He was the military leader in Syria, of which Judea was a part, from 10-7 b.c., however, he did not become the political leader until a.d. 6. He came to Judea in a.d. 6/7 for the explicit purpose of registration for taxation (Josephus, Antiq. 18.1-2,26). The footnote in the NRSV gives the information that Quirinius was a special legate of Augustus to deal with a rebellious tribe (Homonadenses, cf. Tacitus, Annals, 13.48) and, therefore, was the military governor of Syria while Varas was the civil governor (Oxford, 1991, edited by Bruce M. Metzger and Roland Murphy, pp. NT 79-80).

A Translator's Handbook on the Gospel of Luke, p. 105, asserts that Quirinius acted as a special representative of the Emperor from 12 b.c. to a.d. 16, which included an administrative charge related to the census. It also asserts that he was twice governor of Syria, from 3-2 b.c. and again in a.d. 6-16. The authors of the UBS Handbook, Reiling and Swellengsegel, cite Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 3, pp. 975-977, as their source.

2:3 The "everyone" refers to males, possibly males with taxable property (land, businesses, etc.).

▣ "each to his own city" This was the unique aspect related to Jewish culture. Nazareth had a clan from the tribe of Judah (family of Jesse) living there, but for several families Bethlehem was their ancestral city.

2:4 "Bethlehem" This was a small Judean village about six miles southwest of Jerusalem and, therefore, about seventy miles south of Nazareth. It was known in the OT as Ephrath (cf. Gen. 35:19), which became Bethlehem Ephrathah of Micah 5:2. This was a way to distinguish it from a Bethlehem in the north of Israel.

This city is known as the city where Boaz and Ruth, who were ancestors of King David, lived (cf. Ruth 4:11). David's father, Jesse, lived here also (cf. 1 Sam. 17:12). Because it was the ancestral home of David, it was the prophesied but unexpected site of Jesus' birth (cf. Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:5,6; John 7:42).

▣ "because he was of the house and family of David" One wonders how much of the prophecy of 2 Sam. 7:12-17 Luke had in mind (cf. Luke 1:32) when he recorded this phrase about the lineage of Jesus. This phrase may have been a direct allusion to these OT Messianic promises.

2:5 "to register along with Mary" One wonders why Mary traveled so late in her pregnancy when only males were required to return to their ancestral home.

1. Joseph did not want to leave her in Nazareth where she would be verbally ridiculed

2. Joseph or Mary knew the prophecy of Micah 5 and wanted to fulfill it

3. God was working in the situation, unbeknown to either Joseph or Mary

▣ "engaged" Matthew 1:24-25 implies that they were married, but the marriage had not been consummated. In Jewish culture engagement was legally binding. Marriages were arranged by families and this engagement period usually lasted up to a year.

2:6 "While they were there" This may imply an extended period in Bethlehem, possibly to keep Mary from the derision in Nazareth.

2:7 "firstborn" This is used in the OT sense of "heir." It also suggests that Mary had other children (cf. Matt. 13:55-56; John 7:35).

SPECIAL TOPIC: FIRSTBORN

▣ "wrapped Him in cloths" This term (BDB 367) meant to wrap up with cloth, like a broken arm (cf. Ezek. 30:21). It is used of wrapping a newborn in Ezek. 16:4 (cf. Wis. 7:4). It is used metaphorically in Job 38:9.

Apparently the entire body of a newborn was wrapped (similar to American Indians) for its warmth and protection. This would have been the common procedure for every child.

▣ "manger" This was a feeding trough (cf. LX, Isa. 1:3; Pro. 14:4) for domestic animals. These were very crude, non-hygenic conditions, but so was all of the ancient, peasant world.

▣ "inn" The term kataluma is indefinite and could refer to

1. A guest room (animals often lived in close proximity to their owners, cf. Mark 14:14; Luke 22:11; see Kenneth Bailey, Through Peasant Eyes, p. xv).

2. Justin Martyr (a.d. 110-162/168) says that Jesus was born in a cave used as an animal corral (common in this area).

3. Others say it was in an open-air courtyard of the Inn.

4. The more traditional interpretation is in a room on the lowest level shared with animals of the home owner (i.e., not an inn).

Bethlehem was a very small village. I am not sure there would be enough travelers to warrant an inn (normal word, pandocheion, cf. Luke 10:34). Jewish culture stressed the cultural obligation of hosting relatives. There were so many relatives in town for the enrollment that no guest room was available. Luke uses this same word in Luke 22:11 for a "guest room" (cf. Mark 14:14).

The term is used in a wide variety of meanings in the Septuagint, but one of them is a room in one's house, usually on the roof (cf. 1 Sam. 1:18; 2 Sam. 7:6; 1 Chr. 17:5).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 2:8-14
 ⁸In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; ¹¹for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." ¹³And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

2:8 "In the same region" This refers to Bethlehem.

▣ "shepherds" The rabbis considered them to be religious outcasts and their testimony was not admissible in court (i.e., later Jewish tradition). This was because they lived with the sheep and could not keep all the rules and regulations of the rabbis (i.e., Talmud). There may be some symbolic connection with David's being a shepherd in this same area. The Messiah's birth was announced first to Jewish shepherds! This is surprising, recorded by a Gentile, writing for Gentiles, while Matthew, writing to Jews, mentions the wise men (possibly Gentiles) from the east.

▣ "their flock" There is no way to fix the time of the year of Jesus' birth because the Temple flocks were kept in that area all year. God's Lamb (cf. John 1:29) was born in the same area that the sacrificial lambs used year round in the daily temple sacrifice. If so, these shepherds may have been Levites.

The traditional date of December 25 to celebrate Jesus' birth developed hundreds of years later (i.e., fourth century, Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, Luke 2:3.13), apparently chosen to coincide with a pagan, astral festival (winter solstice). Some of the elements of modern Christmas were a part of the Roman holiday known as "the Feast of Saturnalia."

Clement of Alexandria, at the end of the second century, noted the lack of agreement on the exact birth date of Jesus (Stromata, 1.21). Even today some believers celebrate January 6, not December 25 (i.e., Eastern Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox).

2:9 "an angel of the Lord" This angel seems to be separate from the heavenly hosts who later speak or sing. The KJV has the definite article, but it is not in the Greek text. This exact Greek phrase is used of the angel who appeared to Zacharias in the Holy Place (see note at Luke 1:11).

▣ "the glory of the Lord" This phrase is often used in the Septuagint to denote the glorious personal presence of YHWH (cf. Exod. 16:7,10; 24:16; 40:34-38; Num. 16:19).

SPECIAL TOPIC: GLORY (DOXA)

▣ "stood before them" This same verb is used of the two angels at the Ascension (cf. Luke 24:4).

▣ "shone around them" This same word is used by Paul of his Damascus road experience in Acts 26:13. These are the only two occurrences of the term in the NT; it does not appear at all in the Septuagint. I wonder if Luke got the term, which describes God's glorious presence, from hearing Paul's testimony so many times?

NASB"they were terribly frightened"
NKJV"they were greatly afraid"
NRSV, NJB"they were terrified"
NJB"they were terribly afraid"

The Greek phrase is literally "they feared a great fear." The verb and the object are the same term. This is called a "cognate accusative." The sight of the spiritual realm always frightens fallen humanity.

2:10 "Do not be afraid" This is a present imperative with the negative particle, which usually means to stop an act already in process. This is a very common angelic greeting to frightened humanity (cf. Luke 1:13,30).

▣ "good news of great joy" Their "great fear" is now balanced with "great joy."

The word translated "good news" (euangelizō, cf. Luke 1:19) is a combination of the words "good" and "message." It is used often in the Septuagint for preaching a glad message (cf. 1 Sam. 31:9; 2 Sam. 1:20; 4:10; 18:19-20,31; 1 Kgs. 1:42; Ps. 39:10). It came to be used in a technical sense for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ (cf. Luke 3:18; 4:18,43; 7:22; 8:1; 9:6; 16:16; 20:1; Acts 5:42; 8:4,12,25,35,40; 10:36; 11:20; 13:32; 14:2,15,21; 15:35; 16:10; 17:18).

▣ "for all the people" This was the promise of Gen. 3:15; 12:3; Exod. 19:5-6; and of the eighth century prophets. This is the mystery hidden in ages past, but now fully revealed in Christ (cf. Eph. 2:11-3:13). This good news even reaches to outcast shepherds (and by implication to Luke's Gentile readers)! This same universal emphasis is repeated and defined in Luke 2:32.

SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH's ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN

2:11 "for today" The NET Bible has a good comment about Luke's use of "today" (cf. p. 1796, #9). Luke often uses it to denote the presence of the new age.

1. Luke 2:11 – Christ's birth

2. Luke 4:21 – OT quotes from Isa. 61:1-2 (at Luke 2:18-19)

3. Luke 5:26 –Jesus' healing of the leper (sign of the new age)

4. Luke 13:32-33 – healings (sign of the new age)

5. Luke 19:9 – salvation comes to Zaccheus' house

6. Luke23:43 – with Jesus in Paradise

7. Acts 4:9 – healings of Peter denote the new age

8. Acts 13:33 – Jesus' resurrection (sign of the new age, quote from Ps. 2:7)

The new Messianic age, the age of the Spirit, has now broken into time! 

▣ "the city of David" This refers to Bethlehem. See note at Luke 2:4.

▣ "Savior" This title was used of YHWH in the OT (cf. Luke 1:47; Isa. 43:3,11; 45:15,21; 49:26; 60:16). In the Roman Empire it was used of Caesar. The word in Hebrew means "deliverer" (BDB 446) and is part of the name of Jesus (i.e., Hosea, BDB 448). This and 1:47 are surprisingly the only use of this term in the Synoptic Gospels.

The fact that Jesus the carpenter from Nazareth is called by two major OT titles of YHWH (Savior and Lord) is striking. When you add the title Messiah (Christ), it is obvious that Luke is piling affirmation on affirmation of the deity of Jesus. The Synoptics, especially Mark, tend to hide Jesus' deity until the end. John clearly and forcefully asserts Jesus' pre-existence and deity in John 1:1-18. Luke, by using these titles, sets the theological stage for Gentiles (the audience for both John's and Luke's Gospels) to comprehend who Jesus was/is.

▣ "Christ" The literal meaning is "Anointed One" from the verb chriō. It refers to the Coming King (Mashiach, Ps. 2:2; 18:50; 84:9; 89:49-51; 132:10,17) who will be called and equipped to do God's will in initiating the restoration and the New Age. The Hebrew term is translated in Greek as "Christ."

SPECIAL TOPIC: ANOINTING IN THE BIBLE (BDB 603)

SPECIAL TOPIC: MESSIAH

▣ "Lord"The Greek term "Lord" (kurios) can be used in a general sense or in a developed theological sense. It can mean "mister," "sir," "master," "owner," "husband" or "the full God-man" (cf. John 9:36, 38). The OT (Hebrew, adon) usage of this term came from the Jews' reluctance to pronounce the covenant name for God, YHWH, which was from the Hebrew verb "to be" (cf. Exod. 3:14). They were afraid of breaking the Commandment which said, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" (cf. Exod. 20:7; Deut. 5:11). They thought if they did not pronounce it, they could not take it in vain. So, they substituted the Hebrew word adon, which had a similar meaning to the Greek word kurios (Lord). The NT authors used this term to describe the full deity of Christ (e.g., Luke 2:11; John 20:28; Acts 10:36; 1 Cor. 2:8; Phil. 2:11; James 2:1; Rev. 19:16). The phrase "Jesus is Lord" was the public confession of faith and a baptismal formula of the early church (cf. Rom. 10:9-13; 1 Cor. 12:3; Phil. 2:11). In Acts 2:36 both Christ and Lord are used of Jesus.

See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY at Luke 1:68.

2:12 "This will be a sign for you" One wonders if this was an intentional allusion to Isaiah 7. Zacharias and Mary had to believe without immediate confirmation, but these shepherds are given immediate confirmation. I wonder if they followed Jesus' life and ministry, if they were in the crowds that followed Him. I am surprised we do not hear more about their eyewitness testimony.

▣ "in a manger" There was nothing unusual about His clothing, but there was something unusual about the Messiah lying in an animal feeding trough!

2:13 "heavenly host" This is literally "army of heaven." It reflects the Hebrew "sabbaoth," which also has a military connotation (cf. Jos. 5:14). See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY at Luke 1:68.

2:14 "Glory to God in the highest" God is given glory for

1. His person ("in the highest")

2. His good news ("peace among men")

3. the sending of His Son

4. the good news of His finished work of redemption of fallen mankind)

God deserves glory (see Special Topic at Luke 2:9) and praise from creation and from His redeemed children!

There is some confusion as to the physical location of these angels. The first angel seems to have appeared on the earth next to the shepherds, but the large number of angels may have appeared in the sky. The text is ambiguous. The phrase "in the highest" refers to God, not the angels.

NASB"on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased"
NKJV"on earth peace, good will toward men"
NRSV"on earth peace among those whom he favors"
TEV"peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased"
NJB"on earth peace for those he favors"

There is a manuscript variant connected to the last word in Greek. The genitive form (cf. NASB, NRSV, TEV, NJB) is found in MSS א^*, A, B^*, D and in the Greek text used by Cyril of Jerusalem, Jerome, and Augustine. The UBS⁴ gives this form an A (certain) rating. This grammatical construction is unusual for Koine Greek, but is a Semitic construction found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The opening chapters of Luke have many of these Semitic constructions (cf. Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, p. 133), which may reflect Aramaic-written documents.

The familiar King James rendering gives the wrong theological impression. This is not a text on God's love for all humanity like 2:10; John 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:4; or 2 Pet. 3:9, but of God's offer of peace to those who know Him and are involved in His kingdom. The gospel was not good news to many Jews of Jesus' day, so it cannot refer to Israel alone. It is surely true that the mystery of God's election and human free will is difficult to harmonize, but both are biblically true. We must not proof-text part of the NT tension, but fully embrace the tension—preach God's sovereignty to whosoever will receive! There is a tension between Luke 2:10 (whether Israel or humanity) and Luke 2:14!

SPECIAL TOPIC: Election/Predestination and the Need for a Theological Balance

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 2:15-20
 ¹⁵When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." ¹⁶So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. ¹⁷When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. ¹⁸And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

2:15 These shepherds recognized the prophetic aspect of the angels' message and wanted (both verbs are subjunctive) to go and confirm this great revelation in the nearby village.

I would have hated to be the one shepherd who had to stay and watch the sheep!

This verse uses rēma as "thing" (cf. Luke 2:19) instead of "word" or "statement" (cf. Luke 2:17).

2:16 It was not hard to find Mary, Joseph, and the baby in the small village of Bethlehem. The scene was exactly as the angels had said.

2:17-18 To whom does the "all" refer? It could be the people and visitors in Bethlehem or, because of the proximity of Jerusalem and the importance and source of the message, it may refer to the religious leaders in Jerusalem. However, notice that we do not hear of the message again anywhere else in the NT. Possibly the bias of the Jewish leadership against shepherds caused them to discredit the whole account.

2:19 "But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart" Mary thought about these events again and again (cf. Luke 2:51). Luke's source for these early years seems to have been Mary. He possibly visited her while Paul was in prison at Caesarea for two years.

2:20 It must have been hard to return to life as usual. I wonder how many of these shepherds were still alive when Jesus began His public ministry some thirty years later.

▣ "glorifying and praising God" This involves two present participles.

1. glorifying God – Luke 2:20; 5:25,26; 7:16; 13:13; 17:15; 18:43; 23:47; Acts 4:21; 11:18; 21:20; 23:47

2. praising God – Luke 2:13,20; 19:37; Acts 2:47; 3:8,9

Other parallel expressions are

1. blessed by God – Luke 1:64,68; 2:28; 24:53

2. gave thanks to God – Luke 2:38

3. give glory to God – Luke 2:14; 17:18; 19:38; 12:23 (negated)

It is obvious this is a recurrent theme in Luke's writings. God deserves glory, praise, and blessing!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Why was the Roman world enrolled?

2. Is there a problem with Luke's chronology?

3. Why is Jesus' birth in Bethlehem so important? What does this say about God's control of history?

4. Why was Jesus born in a stable?

5. What is the significance of God's angel announcing Christ's birth to shepherds?

6. Why are the titles "Savior," "Messiah," and "Lord" so important?

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS TO LUKE 2:21-52

There are several Jewish rituals referred to in this passage.

A. The Ritual of Circumcision

1. The sign of YHWH's covenant with Abraham (cf. Gen. 17:1-14)

a. every male

b. eight days old (cf. Lev. 12:3)

c. for all generations

d. for domestic servants (cf. Exod. 12:44)

e. the uncircumcised male is to be cut off from the faith community

2. flint knives used

a. Exodus 4:25

b. Joshua 5:2-3

3. no special place, but done by the father (cf. Gen. 17:23-27), usually locally (not in the Tabernacle)

4. done by Patriarchs (cf. Gen. 34:13-24), but neglected in captivity (cf. Exod. 4:24-26) and restarted in conquest (cf. Jos. 5:4-9)

B. The Ritual of Childbirth Purification

1. period of uncleanness

a. any fluid that leaked from the body caused one to be ceremonially unclean

b. the mother was unclean for seven days after the birth of a son (cf. Lev. 12:2)

c. the mother was unclean for fourteen days after the birth of a daughter (cf. Lev. 12:5)

d. she remains unclean for forty days for a son (cf. Lev. 12:3-4 and eighty for a daughter (cf. Lev. 12:6)

e. this ceremonial uncleanness is compared to the monthly menstrual cycle

2. rite of purification

a. after a waiting period the mother comes to the tabernacle and brings an offering of

(1) a one year old lamb for a burnt offering (cf. Lev. 12:6)

(2) a young pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering (cf. Lev. 12:6)

(3) if the person is poor, then two pigeons or turtle doves are acceptable (cf. Lev. 12:8)

b. these procedures result in a ceremonial cleansing

C. The Rite of Redemption of the Firstborn

1. Because of the death of the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of non-priestly families was given to serve YHWH (cf. Exodus 13).

2. The Levites and Priests as a tribe took the place of the firstborn males in serving YHWH (cf. Num. 3:12,45; 8:14).

3. The priest (any priest) had to be paid a set price by the parents to buy back their firstborn male child (cf. Exod. 34:20).

4. This seems to be reflected in Luke 2:23 and 27b, while the mother's rite of purification is in Luke 2:22,24.

5. The rabbis say that this redemption can be done with any priest on the thirty-first day. This does not fit the timing of Mary's forty-day uncleanness. Some scholars would see only two rituals in this context.

D. The command that all males (and by implication, their families) come to the tabernacle/Temple at least on the three annual feast days (cf. Exod. 23:14,17; Lev. 23)

1. The three main feasts

a. Passover/Unleavened Bread (cf. Exod. 23:14-15; Lev. 23:4-8; Num. 28:16-25)

b. Feast of Harvest/Pentecost (cf. Exod. 23:16; 34:22-34; Lev. 23:15-21; Num. 28:26-31)

c. Feast of Ingathering/Booths (cf. Exod. 23:16; Lev. 23:34-36; Deut. 16:13-17)

2. Jesus' parents brought Him to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover when He was twelve (cf. Luke 2:41-43) just before His bar mitzvah at thirteen

3. Jesus fulfilled all aspects of the Mosaic Law (cf. Luke 2:39)

E. It is surprising how few OT quotes are in Luke's Gospel (Luke 2:23,24; 3:4-6). This is also true of Mark (who wrote for Romans). These three occur in Luke's first three chapters, which are possibly from his interviews with (or documents from) Mary. Luke, writing for Gentiles, does not feel the need to document OT prophecies as does Matthew (cf. Matt. 1:23; 2:15,18,23; 3:3; 4:15; 8:17; 12:18-21; 13:25; 21:5; 27:9), who writes for Jews.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 2:21
 ²¹And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

2:21 "eight days old" This was the Jewish time for circumcision (cf. Gen. 17:12; Lev. 12:3). It was considered so important that it was even performed on the Sabbath. All of the people in the Mediterranean area were circumcised (except the Philistines). The Romans performed this rite on the ninth day, the Greeks on the seventh or tenth day, and the Arabs on the thirteenth birthday (cf. Gen. 17:23-26). For the Jews it was a sign of YHWH's Covenant with Abraham. Jesus was born under the Law. See Contextual Insights, A.

▣ "His name was then called Jesus" The parents usually named their children, but this child's name had been revealed by Gabriel (cf. Luke 1:31; Matt. 1:21).

Jesus (Greek) and Joshua or Yeshua (Hebrew) are the same Hebrew names. They are a combination of the covenant name for God, YHWH, and the noun "help" or "deliver." The exact way to combine these two nouns is uncertain, a verb must be supplied. Here are some options.

1. "YHWH saves"

2. "salvation is of YHWH"

3. "YHWH delivers"

4. "YHWH is the deliverer"

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 2:22-24
 ²²And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord ²³(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"), ²⁴and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

2:22 "the days for their purification" The pronoun "their" has bothered Bible students because it involves a sin offering for both the mother and the child. Jesus was born under the law (cf. Luke 2:21-22,27; Gal. 4:4-5) and He was to fulfill all things (cf. Matt. 3:15). He completely identified with the Jewish customs of His day. The period of purification was forty days after birth for a son and eighty days for a daughter (cf. Lev. 12:1-5). See Contextual Insights, B.

▣ "up to Jerusalem" Bethlehem is higher than Jerusalem physically, but to the Jews, no place on earth was spiritually higher than Jerusalem. In the Bible one must always go "up to Jerusalem." There are two or three Jewish rituals mentioned in Luke 2:22-44. The first was performed locally (circumcision), the others at the Temple at a later time. Mary's purification after forty days and buying back the firstborn male child was done according to later rabbinical traditions on the thirty-first day.

2:23 "Every firstborn male" This Jewish rite (cf. Exod. 13:2,12,13,15) was instituted at Passover (cf. Exodus 12). The Levites as a group took the place of the firstborn as God's special servants. The price of redemption in Jesus' day was five shekels, which was given to any priest (cf. Numbers 18:16). This was the normal price of a sacrificial lamb. See Contextual Insights, C.

2:24 "A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons" This was the cheapest purification offering one could make. One bird was for a sin offering and the other was for a burnt offering (cf. Lev. 12:6-8). This rite is in reference to the purification of Luke 2:22. Any bodily emission made a Jewish person ceremonially unclean, therefore, birth was something that had to be dealt with by sacrifice. The women could watch the ritual by looking from the Nicor gate, but they could not enter into the inner court of the Temple because (1) they were considered ceremonially unclean and (2) they were women.

This offering shows that the wise men from the East had not yet brought their gifts.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 2:25-32
 ²⁵And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. ²⁷And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, ²⁸then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, ²⁹"Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; ³⁰For my eyes have seen Your salvation, ³¹Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, ³²A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel."

2:25 "Simeon" This is a very common name (BDB 1035, meaning "hearing" from Gen. 29:33). Some ancient sources suppose that he might have been the son of Rabbi Hillel and the father of Gamaliel, but this is very doubtful. Others suppose that he was the president of the Sanhedrin. These suggestions are proposed so that Simeon would be a priest and this would be the rite of the buying back of the firstborn male child, but this is not in the text! Tradition says that he was old, but the text is silent.

▣ "righteous" See full note and Special Topic at Luke 1:6.

▣ "devout" This term literally means "taking hold well." It refers to one who is careful about religious matters, therefore, a pious person. It was used in the Septuagint in Lev. 15:31 and Micah 7:2. It is found only in Luke's writings in the NT (cf. Luke 2:25; Acts 2:5; 8:2; 22:12).

▣ "consolation of Israel" This term is used several times in Luke's writings (cf. Luke 2:25; 6:24; Acts 4:36; 9:31; 13:15; 15:31), but it is not used in the other Gospels. It seems to be parallel to "the redemption of Jerusalem" in Luke 2:38 (cf. Luke 24:21) and possibly "the kingdom of God" in Luke 23:51 (cf. Mark 15:43). Therefore, it has an eschatological orientation (cf. Isa. 40:1-2). It is also a favorite phrase of Paul. In one paragraph in 2 Corinthians 1 he used it six times.

SPECIAL TOPIC: COMFORT

▣ "the Holy Spirit was upon him" The gospel is not the result of human research or discovery. It is the supernatural revelation of the Spirit of God (cf. Luke 2:26-27).

The Spirit is the source of the revelations of the working out of the redemptive plan of God in these opening chapters of Luke:

1. Elizabeth, Luke 1:41

2. Zacharias, Luke 1:67

3. Simeon, Luke 2:25,26

Notice the imperfect tense. The Spirit did not come and go, but remained upon him.

SPECIAL TOPIC: INSPIRATION

2:26 "Lord's Christ" The Spirit had promised Simeon that he would not experience physical death until he saw God's Redeemer, the Anointed One, the Messiah (see Special Topic at Luke 2:11) with his own eyes (sounds like Job 19:25-27).

The term "revealed" is a periphrastic perfect passive indicative. God did it and the revelation remains. The verb is used in the Septuagint of God's revealing Himself (cf. Jer. 32:30; 33:2; 36:23).

The term "Lord" obviously refers to YHWH and "Christ" to baby Jesus. Jesus did not earn His Messiahship; He was born the Christ (no Adoptionism, no Gnosticism, see Appendix: Glossary of Terms).

2:27 "the parents" This is simply the language of description. This says nothing about the doctrine of the virgin birth (cf. Luke 1:34; Matt. 1:18-25).

▣ "to carry out for Him the custom of the Law" This seems to refer to the Jewish rite of the redemption of the firstborn (cf. Exodus 13). See Contextual Insights, C.

2:28 "and blessed God" Simeon's blessing is directed toward YHWH for sending His promised redeemer (for all people, cf. Luke 2:29-32).

2:29

NASB, NKJV,"Lord"
TEV
NRSV, NJB"Master"

The term despotēs is used often in the Septuagint for YHWH (cf. Gen. 15:2,8; Jos. 5:14; Isa. 1:24; 3:1). In English we get the word "despot" from this Greek word. It is used of one who has supreme authority and power. It is used of YHWH in Acts 4:24 and Rev. 6:10 and of Jesus in 2 Pet. 2:1 and Jude 4.

▣ "to depart in peace" This is an OT idiom of physical death after a long, happy life (cf. Gen. 15:15; Jer. 34:5). Death is not an enemy to those who know God!

▣ "according to Your word" This refers in context to Luke 2:26. The Greek term "revealed" (perfect passive participle) is regularly used in the passive voice of divine revelations (cf. Matt. 2:12,22; Luke 2:26; Acts 10:22; Heb. 8:5; 11:7).

2:30 This emphasis on seeing God's salvation may come from OT prophecy (cf. Isa. 52:10) or reflect the same message.

In these opening chapters of Luke the term "salvation" has two connotations:

1. In the OT texts quoted it refers to the physical deliverance of Israel.

2. In light of the gospel it refers to spiritual salvation, which is brought through faith in Jesus' person and work.

In the OT, Israel is saved from the nations, but now Israel's Messiah will save the nations!

2:31-32 "all peoples. . .light. . .Gentiles" This is the universal gospel, which must have been very shocking to the Jews (I wonder if Simeon fully understood these prophecies in light of Christ), but was thrilling to be heard by Luke's Gentile readers (cf. Isa. 2:2-4; 9:2; 42:6; 49:6; 51:4; 60:1-3). This phrase could mean "in the presence of the Gentiles" (cf. Ps. 98:1-3; Isa. 52:1-10), however, this does not fit the context. It is amazing how many allusions there are to Isaiah's prophecies in the first two chapters of Luke. Isaiah, of all the prophets, saw this universal salvation (which becomes the theme of the NT (i.e., 24:47; John 1:12; 3:16; 4:10; Acts 10:34-35,43; 1 Tim. 2:4; 4:10; Titus 2:11; 1 John 2:1-2; 4:14; 2 Pet. 3:9).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 2:33-35
 ³³And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. ³⁴And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— ³⁵and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."

2:33 "were amazed" This is a periphrastic imperfect. They marveled again and again. This possibly refers to the Gentiles being included in God's salvation! Mary already had the testimony of Gabriel and Elizabeth. Both Mary and Joseph had the shepherd's message.

2:34

NASB"is appointed"
NKJV, NRSV,
NJB"is destined"
TEV"is chosen"

This term is literally "to lie upon" or "be placed upon," but it came to have a metaphorical extension of "an appointed sign" in the Septuagint of Jos. 4:6. It is used in this sense several times in the NT (cf. 1 Thess. 3:3, which is also a present passive [deponent] indicative).

▣ "the fall" God's universal redemptive plan (see Special Topic at Luke 2:11), which will be manifested by a suffering Messiah, will not be easy to believe for many people. But, how they respond will determine their spiritual destiny and eternity (cf. John 1:12; 3:16-19; 9:39).

It is possible that "fall" refers to unbelieving Jews tripping over Jesus (cf. Luke 20:17-18; 1 Cor. 1:23; 1 Pet. 2:6-8). He is the stone which the builders rejected (cf. Isa 8:14; 28:16; Matt. 21:42,44; Rom. 9:33; 1 Cor. 1:23; 1 Pet. 2:8). Hearers of the gospel must make a choice about Jesus. There is no neutral ground about Him (cf. Matt. 10:34-39). He is the Christ or He is a false Messiah (cf. John 10:1-18; 14:6).

▣ "and rise" This same Greek term is translated "resurrection" in other texts. This special Child, the Messiah, will be the only way to be right with God. Trusting Him will determine one's eternal state. The mystery of evil is that even with the Holy Spirit and the good news of Christ, many will reject Him (cf. Luke 8:11-12; 2 Cor. 4:4).

NASB"for a sign to be opposed"
NKJV"for a sign which will be spoken against"
NRSV"to be a sign that will be opposed"
TEV"He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against"
NJB"destined to be a sign that is opposed"

One of the evidences which affirms Jesus' Messiahship is His rejection. This may be an allusion to OT texts like Isa. 6:9-10, of which Jesus says is the purpose of parables (i.e., to hide meaning, cf. Luke 8:10; Matt. 13:13; Mark 4:12; John 12:36b-43). The OT predicts again and again that only a faith remnant will be saved (delivered).

2:35 "a sword" This refers to the large sword which was carried by the Romans. This is a metaphorical reference to Jesus' rejection and crucifixion. Mary was present at Jesus' crucifixion (cf. John 19:26-27). This phrase seems to be addressed to Mary specifically. Notice the dashes in NASB.

▣ "thoughts from many hearts may be revealed" There is no middle ground with Jesus. He polarizes every group and by each one's response, his/her heart is revealed (cf. Luke 8:17-18). Being Jewish never did make one automatically right with God (neither does church membership or religious activity).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 2:36-38
 ³⁶And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. ³⁸At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

2:36 "prophetess" There had not been any truly inspired spokesperson for God since Malachi (or the writer of Chronicles). Women in places of leadership were not a new or unusual thing in the OT. Miriam, Hannah, Deborah, Ruth, Huldah, and Esther are examples (cf. Acts 2:17; 21:9).

SPECIAL TOPIC: WOMEN IN THE BIBLE

SPECIAL TOPIC: PAUL'S USE OF WOMEN IN MINISTRY

▣ "the tribe of Asher" This shows the presence of a tribe out of the northern ten tribes who were exiled by Assyria in 722 b.c. in Jesus' day; some of the northern tribes did return.

2:37 "widow to the age of eighty-four" This woman had dedicated her life to God after the early death of her husband.

▣ "she never left the temple" This is the kind of phrase that becomes a point of contention among commentators. Some modern believers assert that it must be literal (i.e., she lived there) or the Bible is not true. For me this is obviously hyperbole. She was there during the day and at all special events. Worshiping God was her life. The same issue of literal vs. metaphorical relates to Ezekiel's lying in front of his house in Babylon for days on end (cf. Ezek. 4:4-8).

2:38 "to speak of Him" We are not told what she said, therefore, why would Luke mention her at all? It was to give the evidence of two witnesses required by Mosaic Law (cf. Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; 19:15). Both the young (unborn John) and the old (Simeon and Anna) as well as male and female recognized who He was.

▣ "looking for the redemption of Jerusalem" See note at "consolation of Israel" at Luke 2:25. Zacharias also speaks of this in Luke 1:68-74. For "redemption," see Special Topic at Luke 1:68.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 2:39-40
 ³⁹When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. ⁴⁰The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

2:39 "When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord" Jesus and His parents were orthodox Jews in every sense. They completely fulfilled the Mosaic requirements due at the temple for themselves and their child.

▣ "returned to Galilee" This was Jesus' initial area of ministry, which was predicted in the OT (cf. Isa. 11:1). This would have been the first part of the Promised Land, which was invaded and defeated by Syria, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia.

▣ "Nazareth" The village where Jesus grew up was called Nazareth. It is not mentioned in the OT, the Talmud, or in Josephus. It apparently was not settled until the time of John Hyrcanus (i.e., Hasmonaen), who ruled from 134-104 b.c. The presence of Joseph and Mary from this village implies that a clan of David's line settled here.

There may be an etymological connection between the names Nazareth and the Messianic title Branch (cf. Matt. 2:23, "called a Nazarene"), which is netser in Hebrew (cf. Isa. 11:1; Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8; 6:12; Rev. 5:5; 22:16). See Special Topic at Luke 4:34.

It was apparently a term of reproach because of its location far from Jerusalem in a Gentile area (cf. John 1:46 and Acts 24:5, even though this, too, was prophecy [cf. Isa. 9:1]). This may be why "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" was inscribed on the placard which was placed on the cross above Jesus' head.

2:40 "The Child continued to grow" Jesus developed normally as a human child (as did John, cf. Luke 1:80) physically, emotionally, and spiritually (cf. Luke 2:52, see Special Topic at Luke 1:80). This may be an anti-Gnostic statement. He obviously attended synagogue school with the other children.

See Special Topic below.

SPECIAL TOPIC: GNOSTICISM

▣ "the grace of God was upon Him" The Greek term charis has a wide semantic range. Louw and Nida, Greek-English Lexicon, vol. 2, p. 262, list "kindness, gift, thanks, and good will" as possible translations. The sense in which it is used in this verse is unique to the Synoptic Gospels. The term is used several times in Luke's Gospel, but only here in the sense of "grace."

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 2:41-51
 ⁴¹Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. ⁴²And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; ⁴³and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, ⁴⁴but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day's journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. ⁴⁵When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. ⁴⁶Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. ⁴⁸When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You." ⁴⁹And He said to them, "Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house?" ⁵⁰But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. ⁵¹And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

2:41 "went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover" Jewish males over 21 years of age were required to attend all three major annual feasts (cf. Ex. 23:14-17; 34:23; Deut. 16:16). In the first century this was reduced to one feast because of the number of Jews living outside of Palestine. This is another evidence of Jesus' parents' dedication to the law of Moses. Mary was not required by law to attend, but she wanted to.

2:42 "when He became twelve" Jesus was coming very close to His Bar Mitzvah, which made a Jewish boy a "son of the Law." This occurred at age thirteen. It is possible that Luke recorded His age as twelve to show how fully developed He was in the Scriptures even at this age. Jesus obviously, by this time, recognized who He was (cf. Luke 2:49).

2:43 "spending the full number of days" These bands of pilgrims came in groups for safety reasons and usually stayed either two or seven days (cf. Exod. 12:15-16; Lev. 23:6-8; Deut. 16:3).

▣ "Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it" Usually in these caravans of pilgrims the men and women traveled separately and often times the children would play together. Probably each parent thought that Jesus was in the care of the other.

2:44 "went a day's journey, and they began looking for Him" Usually these caravans left Jerusalem and stopped at Beereoth, about eight to ten miles from Jerusalem, for the night. The normal distance of a day's journey was over twenty miles.

2:46 "after three days" This includes their one day travel away from Jerusalem, the one-day journey back, and one day to search for Jesus.

▣ "in the temple" On the Sabbath and on feast days the rabbis lectured in the covered porches of the Court of the Women (outermost courtyard of the shrine).

▣ "both listening to them and asking them questions" This is a helpful model for all of us. We all have teachers who have influenced us and we thank God for them. It is good to have a receptive spirit. However, there must come a time of mature reflective thought when we ask questions about what we have been told, even of those we trust. Maturity both listens and questions. The truth that was shared by others must become our truth.

2:47 "And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers" This is an imperfect middle indicative, which suggests a repeated experience. This was Jesus' only known chance to hear the great rabbis in Jerusalem and discuss the Law with them. These would be the same type of leadership that would not listen to Him as an adult.

This verse addresses the exceptional nature of Jesus, while Luke 2:52 stresses the normalcy of Jesus. Both are true. Jesus knew very early who He was and why He came! Yet, He was truly human!

2:48 "were astonished" This literally is "struck with a blow" (cf. Luke 2:48; 4:32; 9:43; Acts 13:12).

▣ "Your father and I" Notice the contrast between Mary's use of the pronoun "your father" and Jesus' use of the pronoun "My Father" in Luke 2:49. Verse 50 clearly states that Mary and Joseph did not clearly make the distinction, but young Jesus did!

▣ "have been anxiously looking for You" This is an imperfect. They had been looking for three days (cf. Luke 2:46) and were extremely anxious about Jesus' welfare.

2:49 "Did you not know that I had to be in My Father's house" These are the first recorded words of Jesus. This shows that Jesus knew something of His origin and purpose, even at this early age. This also may be Luke's attempt to refute the heresy of "Adoptionism."

For an interesting discussion of "adoptionism" and how early scribes modified their texts so as to reject this heretical Christology, see Bart D. Ehrman, The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, pp. 47-118. For a brief definition see my glossary in the appendices.

2:50 There are three places in Luke's Gospel where it is specifically stated that Jesus hearers did not understand.

1. his parents – 2:50

2. the crowd – 9:45

3. the Twelve – 18:34 (about Jesus' death)

The Twelve were privileged to much of Jesus' private instruction (cf. Luke 10:21-24), but still they were unable to receive the information about His suffering and death in Jerusalem (cf. Mark 9:32; John 2:22; 12:16; 14:26) until after the resurrection (cf. Luke 24:45).

In John's Gospel this disconnect is part of the vertical dualism (i.e., Jesus is from above but humans are from below).

2:51 "He went down with them and came to Nazareth" This is the last mention of Joseph. Apparently he died at an early age, but the couple had several other children first (cf. Matt. 12:46; 13:55; Mark 6:3; John 2:12; 7:3,5,10; Acts 1:14; 1 Cor. 9:5; Gal. 1:19).

▣ "continued in subjection to them" This is a periphrastic imperfect passive, "He was continually subject to them." The law was very strict on this (cf. Deut. 21:18-21). Jesus grew up in a normal Jewish household, obeying and following the normal Jewish rules for children.

▣ "and His mother treasured all these things in her heart" Mary remembered these early events (cf. Luke 2:19), but did not understand them (cf. v 50) until after the resurrection. Luke apparently interviewed Mary and she is one of the sources of his Gospel. Possibly this interview took place during Paul's two-year imprisonment at Caesarea by the Sea.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 2:52
 ⁵²And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

2:52 Jesus had a normal childhood. He is truly human (contra the Gnostics); that is how He understands us completely (cf. Heb. 2:18; 4:15)! 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Why did Jesus need a sin offering to be offered for Him and Mary?

2. What is so unusual about Simeon's message?

3. Why is Hannah mentioned if her words about Jesus are not recorded?

4. Did Jesus have a "normal" childhood?

5. List the three Jewish rites which are discussed in Luke 2:21-41.

6. Why did Luke omit the account of the wise men and the flight to Egypt?

7. What was orthodox Judaism's attitude toward Jesus?

8. What do Luke 2:40 and 52 imply?

9. Was the occurrence in Luke 2:40 Jesus' Var Mitzvah?

10. Describe what a pilgrim caravan was like. Does this explain how Jesus' parents could have missed Him for a whole day?

11. Why were Jesus' parents astonished? Why was Jesus astonished at their reaction?

Copyright © 2013 Bible Lessons International

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS TO 4:1-13

A. It is extremely significant that immediately following God's affirmation of the Messianic Sonship of Jesus (cf. Luke 3:22) the Spirit "drives" Jesus into the desert to be tempted (cf. Mark 1:12). Temptation was in the will of the Father for the Son. Temptation can be defined as the enticement of a God-given desire beyond God-given bounds. Temptation is not a sin. This temptation was initiated by God. The agent was Satan (cf. 2 Kgs. 22:13-23; Job 1-2; Zech. 3).

B. Could Christ really have sinned? This is really the mystery of the two natures of Christ. The temptation was real. Jesus, in His human nature, could have violated the will of God. This was not a puppet show. Jesus is truly human though without a fallen nature (cf. Phil. 2:7-8; Heb. 4:15; 7:26). In this respect He was like Adam. We see this same true, but weak, human nature in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed three times for another way of redemption other than the cross (cf. Luke 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42). This tendency is the essence of each one of Satan's temptations in Matthew 4, cf. James S. Stewart, The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ). How will Jesus use His Messianic gifts to redeem mankind? Any way other than substitutionary atonement was the temptation!

C. Jesus must have told this experience to His disciples later because He was alone in the desert. This implies that this account not only teaches us about Christs temptation, but also helps us in our temptations (cf. Heb. 2:18; 4:15).

D. The Synoptic parallels of Luke 4 are found in Mark 1:12-13 and Matt. 4:1-11. Since only Matthew and Luke record this full event, and it does not occur except briefly in Mark (1:12-13), scholars say this comes from a list of Jesus' sayings (possibly written by Matthew in Aramaic), which they call Quelle, the German for "source." The account of the temptations is similar (order of temptations vary, but same three temptations and dialogue) that there "must" have been a common source. The problem is that "Q" has never been found, not even a part of it. It is assumed because of logic and church tradition.

READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 4:1-4
 ¹Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness ²for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. ³And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." ⁴And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone.'"

4:1 "full of the Holy Spirit" This refers to Jesus' baptism in Luke 3:22. Luke's emphasis on the Spirit can be seen by the Spirit being mentioned twice in the opening clauses as well as verses 14 and 18. Notice that the temptations occurred while Jesus was filled with the Spirit, even led by the Spirit (cf. Mark 1:12) into this time of testing (as well as spiritual preparation and mental clarification).

Luke is often called the Gospel of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is revealed as the empowering source of Jesus.

1. conceived by the Spirit – Luke 1:35

2. came in the Spirit to the temple – Luke 2:27

3. will baptize with the Spirit – Luke 3:16

4. Spirit descended upon Him – Luke 3:22

5. full of the Spirit – Luke 4:1

6. led by the Spirit – Luke 4:1

7. in the power of the Spirit – Luke 4:14

8. anointed by the Spirit – Luke 4:18

Some theologians try to contrast "full of the Spirit" with "filling of the Spirit" as if the first were permanent (which is surely true of Jesus, cf. Luke 4:14; 4:18). However, the "filling" is used of several in Luke's writings:

1. Luke

(a) Elizabeth in Luke 1:41

(b) Zacharias in Luke 1:67

2. Acts

(a) the Seven in Acts 6:3

(b) Stephen, one of the Seven in Acts 7:55

(c) Barnabas in Acts 11:24

Several times in Acts the disciples are said to "be filled":

1. all those in the upper room, Luke 2:4

2. Peter, Luke 4:8

3. the group, Luke 4:31

4. Paul, Luke 9:17; 13:9

Even Jesus has a previous experience of the Spirit in Luke 3:22.

I have included several Special Topics related to the Spirit

1. Spirit (pneuma) in the NT at Luke 1:80

2. The Trinity at Luke 3:22

3. The Personhood of the Spirit at Luke 12:12

4. Spirit in the Bible (see below)

SPECIAL TOPIC: SPIRIT IN THE BIBLE

▣ "forty days" Mark (Peter) chose a motif from the OT of (1) Moses' forty days and forty nights on Mt. Sinai (cf. Exod. 24:18; 34:28; Deut. 9:9; 10:10) and (2) Israel wandering in the wilderness for forty years (cf. Num. 14:26-35). Matthew saw Jesus as the New Law giver and deliverer.

The term "forty" was used often in the Bible, implying that it could function both literally (forty years from Egypt to Canaan) and figuratively (the flood). The Hebrews used a lunar calendar. "Forty" implied a long, indefinite period of time longer than a lunar cycle, not exactly forty twenty-four hour periods.

▣ "was led by the Spirit" This phrase is different in each of the Synoptics.

A. Mark (1:12) has ekballō ("to throw out") in its present active indicative form, which would denote an ongoing experience. This was a strong term, used of exorcism (cf. Mark 1:34,39; 3:15,22,23; 6:13; 7:26; 9:18,28,38).

B. Matthew (4:1) has anagō, a compound from ana – "up" and agō – "to go" or "to lead." In its aorist passive indicative form, which denotes a finished, one-time event. This term is also used of offering sacrifices (cf. Acts 7:41).

C. Luke (4:1) has agō in its imperfect passive indicative form, which emphasizes the beginning of an action.

All three assert the action of the Spirit (see Special Topic at Luke 12:12) in this inaugural preparation experience for public ministry.

▣ "the wilderness" This refers, not to the desert, but to the uninhabited pastureland south and east of Jerusalem. It was during the wilderness wandering of Israel (i.e., the Exodus) that YHWH was uniquely present, powerful, and constantly providing for Israel's needs. The rabbis later called this forty-year (actually thirty-eight years) wandering the honeymoon between YHWH and Israel. This was the very region where John had spent his time of preparation.

It is also possible that "the wilderness" symbolizes the dwelling place of evil spirits (azazel, cf. Lev. 16:8,10). These spirits were denoted by certain animals (cf. Isa. 13:21; 34:14-15). There is an allusion to this in Matt. 12:43.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE DEMONIC IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

4:2 "forty" There seems to be some literary attempt by the Gospel writers to connect Jesus' experience in the wilderness with Moses in the wilderness (cf. Exod. 16:35; Num. 14:33-34; Duet. 8:2) or Moses on the mountain of God (cf. Exod. 24:18; 34:28; Deut. 9:18; 10:10). This play on Moses is much more obvious in the Matthean parallel (cf. Matthew 4).

▣ "tempted" See Special Topic below.

SPECIAL TOPIC: GREEK TERMS FOR TESTING AND THEIR CONNOTATIONS

▣ "by the devil" This is the Greek term diabolos, for the OT Satan. See Special Topic following.

SPECIAL TOPIC: SATAN

▣ "He ate nothing" Fasting for spiritual sensitivity was practiced regularly in Judaism of the first century. Although Jesus ate nothing (double negative) this does not mean He did not drink fluids. Physically life cannot be sustained after the third or fourth day without fluids. See SPECIAL TOPIC: FASTING at Luke 5:33.

▣ "He became hungry" Jesus was a normal man with bodily needs. Scholars still debate whether Luke's emphasis on Jesus' humanity was in any way connected to the early church heresy of Gnosticism, which denied His true humanity. (See Special Topic at Luke 2:40).

It is possible that Satan/Devil waited until the end of the fast, when Jesus was weak and hungry, to start the temptations, the first of which deals with bread.

4:3, 9 "if" This is a first class conditional sentence and may have several meanings: (1) the statement is assumed true so that the author can make his point or (2) the author is assenting the truthfulness of the statement. In this context I am assuming #2. The Devil was not doubting who He was (i.e., "the Son of God," 3:22, also mentioned in Luke 1:32,35), but how He would accomplish His God-given Messianic task (cf. James S. Stewart, The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ).

4:3 "stone. . .bread" Apparently these rocks in the Judean desert were shaped like loaves of baked bread used in first century Palestine. Satan was tempting Jesus to use His Messianic powers both to meet His personal needs and to win human followers by feeding them. In the OT the Messiah was described as feeding the poor (cf. Isa. 58:6-7,10). These temptation experiences, to some extent, continued to occur during Jesus' ministry. The feeding of the five thousand (Matt. 14:13-21) and of the four thousand (Matt. 15:29-33) showed how humans would, and did, abuse God's provision of physical food. This again was similar to the problems of Israel's wilderness experience (i.e., God providing food). Matthew saw a parallel between Moses and Jesus. The Jews were expecting the Messiah to perform many of the functions of Moses (cf. John 6).

4:4 "it is written" This is a perfect passive indicative. This was the standard way of introducing an inspired quotation from the OT (cf. Luke 4:4,7,10), in this case, from Deut. 8:3 from the Septuagint (LXX). This particular quote relates to God providing manna to the children of Israel during the wilderness period.

All of Jesus' responses to Satan's temptations were quotes from Deuteronomy (i.e., Deut. 6:13,16; 8:3). This must have been one of His favorite books.

1. He quoted repeatedly from it during His temptation by Satan in the wilderness, Matt. 4:1-16; Luke 4:1-13.

2. It is possibly the outline behind the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7.

3. Jesus quoted Deut. 6:5 as the greatest commandment, Matt. 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-28.

4. Jesus quoted this section of the OT (Genesis - Deuteronomy) most often because the Jews of His day considered it the most authoritative section of the canon.

Jesus memorized God's word and hid it in His heart that He might not sin against God (cf. Ps. 119:11). If Jesus needed God's word in His mind and heart to face temptation, how much more do we?

▣ "man shall not live on bread alone" This quote is from Deut. 8:3. There is a Greek manuscript variant involving this quote.

1. NASB, NRSV, TEV, and NJB follow the Greek uncial manuscripts א, B, L, and W (UBS⁴ gives it a B rating).

2. NKJV follows MSS A and D, which come from the Septuagint translation of Deut. 8:3 and the Matt. 4:4 parallel.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 4:5-8
 ⁵And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁶And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. ⁷Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours." ⁸Jesus answered him, "it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.'"

4:5 "he led Him up" This is the term anagō, which was used in Matt. 4:1, where Luke has agō. The preposition ana means up. The Matthew parallel has the temptations in a different order, but the parallel adds "to a very high mountain" (cf. Matt. 4:8).

▣ "show Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time" This phrase makes me think that these temptations, real though they were, were in Jesus' mind (cf. George E. Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament, p. 49). There was no mountain from which one could see all the kingdoms, even in this one part of the world. The instantaneous time factor further confirms this. This same issue of physical vs. mental can be seen in Ezekiel 8 and John's visions in Revelation.

4:6 "this domain" See Special Topic at Luke 20:2.

▣ "it has been handed over to me" The Bible presents Satan as the ruler (god) of this world (cf. John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 1 John 5:19). However, he is not the owner.

This is a perfect passive indicative, which denotes something that has become a settled position and was given by an unnamed agent. The crux of the interpretation is "is this statement true" or "is it a lie by the great liar?"

If true, it is a result of Genesis 3. If true, this time of sin and rebellion may have been allowed by God to test His human creation. There is surely mystery here! If false, it just fits into so many other lies of Satan, the accuser and father of lies.

Theologically they may be parallel. Satan successfully tricked Adam and Eve, but he will not be able to trick Jesus, the second Adam (cf. Rom. 5:12-21; 2 Cor. 15:45-49; Phil. 2:6-11). Satan "claims" all authority here, but Jesus has all authority (cf. Matt. 28:18, as well as Matt. 11:27; John 3:35; 13:3; 17:2).

▣ "I give it to whomever I wish" This was a lie. Satan can do only what God allows (cf. 1 Kings 22:19-23; Job 1-2; Zechariah 3).

4:7 "if" This is a third class conditional sentence, which denotes potential action but with an element of contingency.

NASB, NKJV"worship before me"
NRSV, TEV"worship me"
NJB"do homage to me"

Theologians have assumed that Satan wants to replace God. This is often based on (1) Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 or (2) Dan. 11:36-39 and (3) Revelation 13. The rabbis say Satan, a created angel, rebelled when he was told he must serve fallen humanity. Now he wants to supplant God.

In the OT Satan is a servant of god, but an enemy of humanity. There is a progressive development of evil in the Bible (see A. B. Davidson, An Old Testament Theology, pp. 300-306).

4:8 This is a quote from Duet. 6:13. Jesus answers the devil's temptations with another quote from Deuteronomy. This was a significant book for Him. He must have memorized it. He quoted it three times to Satan in this context.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 4:9-12
 ⁹And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; ¹⁰for it is written, 'He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,' ¹¹and, 'On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.'" ¹²And Jesus answered and said to him, "It is said, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

4:9 "pinnacle of the temple" This was the corner that overlooked the Kidron Valley where the priest announced the morning and evening sacrifices. The temptation here was to win the world by the miraculous and spectacular. Many Jews expected the Messiah to appear suddenly in the Temple (cf. Mal. 3:1).

4:10 Satan quotes from Ps. 91:11-12. He misquotes it slightly but still in context. This is a good example of how proof-texting is a poor method of biblical interpretation (even Satan can make the Bible say what he wants it to using this method).

4:12 This is a quote from Deut. 6:16. Every response of Jesus to Satan in this context is from Deuteronomy, and all from the sections where Israel was in the wilderness. Jesus refused to force God to act (cf. Dan. 3:16-18).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 4:13
 ¹³When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.

4:13 "When the devil had finished every temptation" Matthew and Luke record these same temptations in a different order. This phrase may imply there were others. However, this may be a summary statement so common in Luke's writings. Jesus knows our temptations and loves us anyway (cf. Heb. 2:18; 4:15-16) because He's been there!

▣ "he left Him until an opportune time" This phrase has implications.

1. temptation is not a once-and-for-all event

2. Satan looks for times of vulnerability (cf. Matt. 16:22-33)

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS, LUKE'S GALILEAN MINISTRY OF JESUS (4:14-9:50)

A. This begins Luke's Galilean ministry of Jesus. The Gospel of John's recording of an early Judean ministry (cf. John 1:19-4:42) does not fit Luke's theological pattern. Luke wants Jesus' visit to Jerusalem to climax His ministry. The majority of Luke's presentation of Jesus is "on the way/road to Jerusalem," which characterizes 9:51 (i.e., "He resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem," cf. Luke 13:22; 17:11; 18:31; 19:11,28).

This focus on Jerusalem may also be why Luke rearranges the order of Satan's temptations so that Jerusalem is last.

B. Luke takes a day in the life of Jesus (both in Nazareth and Capernaum) and uses it to reveal His whole life and ministry. The themes of "gladly welcomed" and "rejection, even murder" are repeated. Readers see the whole reflected in a part.

C. Remember, as Jesus used typological Christology to reveal Himself from the OT (cf. Luke 24:13-35, esp. 25-27), so too, Luke, writing long after Jesus' death, resurrection, and the spread of the gospel, gives us hints of the main points of Jesus' life and message very early in his account. Only a backwards view fully reveals Luke's perspective. Luke's Gospel is as much theology as chronological, sequential history. True historical events are selected, adapted, and arranged for theological impact (see Fee, Stuart, How To Read the Bible For All Its Worth, pp. 127-148)!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 4:14-15
 ¹⁴And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. ¹⁵And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.

4:14 "returned to Galilee" Both Matthew and Luke move directly from the temptation experience in Judea into the Galilean ministry which runs from 4:14 to 9:50. Only John 1:35-4:44 describes the intervening ministry in Judea. Galilee, which in Hebrew means "circle" (BDB 165 II), was interpreted by the rabbis as meaning encircled by the Gentiles. This area was despised by the Orthodox Jews from Judea, however, Jesus' ministry here was a fulfillment of predictive prophecy (cf. Isa. 9:1). Josephus describes this region in Jewish Wars 3.3.1-2.

Mark (1:14) and Matthew (4:12) mention that Jesus' return to Galilee coincided with John the Baptist's arrest by Herod.

▣ "in the power of the Spirit" Temptation does not cause the loss of the Spirit. Jesus spoke the Father's words and acted in the Spirit's power. The fluidity between the ministries of the three persons of the Trinity is evident throughout the NT (cf. Luke 4:18-19). See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TRINITY at Luke 3:22.

▣ "news about Him spread through all the surrounding district" This is one of Luke's characteristic statements (cf. Luke 4:37; 5:15; 7:17). He tended to add brief summaries both in his Gospel and Acts.

4:15 "synagogues" This local Jewish institution developed during the Babylonian Exile to offer the Jews who were estranged from their Temple a place of prayer, worship, study, and ministry. It was probably the single most significant means of the Jews retaining their culture. Even after they returned to Palestine they continued this local institution.

▣ "was praised by all" The Gospels record Jesus' popularity with the common people in the local Galilean synagogues. But they also record a growing opposition from the religious leaders.

Luke often adds a comment about how people preserved Jesus' words (cf. Luke 4:22; 8:25; 9:43; 11:27; 13:17; 19:48).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 4:16-30
 ¹⁶And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. ¹⁷And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, ¹⁸"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, ¹⁹To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord." ²⁰And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ²¹And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." ²²And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, "Is this not Joseph's son?" ²³And He said to them, "No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.'" ²⁴And He said, "Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. ²⁵But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; ²⁶and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. ²⁷And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." ²⁸And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; ²⁹and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. ³⁰But passing through their midst, He went His way.

4:16-30 The footnote in the New Jerusalem Bible translation (1966) on p. 99 #g makes the interesting assertion that Luke combines three separate visits to Nazareth.

1. vv. 16-22, where Jesus is honored (cf. Matt. 4:13)

2. vv. 23-24, where Jesus amazes the townspeople (cf Matt. 13:54-58)

3. vv. 25-30, where Jesus is attacked, which is not mentioned by Matthew or Mark

The NJB (Jerome Biblical Commentary, pp. 131-132) says this account functions as a theological summary of how Jesus will be initially received and then rejected by Palestinian Jews.

4:16 "Nazareth" The spelling of "Nazareth" (Nazara) is unusual and is found only here and Matt. 4:13, which is also the temptation of Jesus. This seems to give evidence that both Matthew and Luke used a common source for their Gospel accounts.

This was Jesus' hometown (cf. Luke 2:39,51, see Special Topic at Luke 4:34). There is some question as to whether Mark 6:1-6 and Matt. 13:53-58 are parallel or this is a second trip to Nazareth. For me, the similarities are too overwhelming to be a second visit. Luke purposefully places this event first as a summary of Jesus' whole life-ministry.

It must be remembered that the Bible is not a western history. Near Eastern history is selective, but not inaccurate. The Gospels are not biographies, but gospel tracts written to different groups of people for the purpose of evangelism and discipleship, not just history. Often Gospel writers selected, adapted, and arranged the material for their own theological and literary purposes (cf. Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart's How To Read the Bible For All Its Worth, pp. 94-112, 113-134). This does not mean to imply they falsify or make up events or words. The differences in the Gospels do not deny inspiration. They affirm eyewitness accounts and the unique evangelistic purpose of each author.

▣ "as was His custom, He entered the synagogue" Jesus grew up participating in public worship. I’m sure he learned the OT in synagogue school (starting at age 5). Habits are a vital, healthy part of our religious life.

▣ "Sabbath" This is from the Hebrew word meaning "rest" or "cessation" (BDB 992). It is connected to the seventh day of creation where God ceased His labor after finishing initial creation (cf. Gen. 2:1-3). God did not rest because He was tired, but because

1. creation was complete and good (cf. Gen. 1:31)

2. to give mankind a regular pattern for worship and rest

The Sabbath begins like all the days of Genesis 1, at twilight, therefore, twilight on Friday to twilight on Saturday was the official time period. All the details of its observance are given in Exodus (especially chapters 16, 20, 31, and 35) and Leviticus (especially chapters 23-26). The Pharisees had taken these regulations and, by means of their oral discussions, interpreted them to include many rules (the Oral Traditions, later the written Talmud). Jesus often performed miracles, knowingly violating their picky rules so as to enter into a dialogue with them. It was not Sabbath that Jesus rejected or belittled, but the self-righteous legalism and lack of love exhibited by the religious elite.

SPECIAL TOPIC: SYNAGOGUE SERVICE

▣ "stood up to read" The general order of worship in the synagogue service is as follows:

1. prayer

2. a reading from the Pentateuch

3. a reading from the Prophets

4. exposition of the texts (this order was followed by the early church, but they added the reading of the NT)

As was the custom of the Jews, Jesus stood up to read the Scripture, but sat down to teach (cf. Luke 4:20). See Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, chapter 10, pp. 430-450.

Jesus quoted Deuteronomy several times during His temptation experience. All were quotes from the Greek translation of the OT, called the Septuagint. Here in the synagogue of Nazareth His reading seems to also come from the Septuagint. Most Jews of Jesus' day had lost the ability to read Hebrew. They spoke Aramaic, but most could also use Koine Greek as a second language.

I would assume, along with F. F. Bruce, Answers to Questions, p. 175, that Jesus could read and speak (everyone read aloud) Hebrew. If so, Jesus was trilingual. The real question is what text of the Scriptures was used in the synagogues of Galilee? Most Jewish sources would assert that the reading of the Scriptures would have been in Hebrew, then an Aramaic translation would be provided.

4:17 "the book of the prophet Isaiah" The Hebrew Scriptures are written on long parchment scrolls that had to be turned to find the right place. A good resource book on this type of background information is F. F. Bruce's The Books and the Parchments.

4:18 "This is a partial quote of Isa. 61:1-2 from the Septuagint with the omission of verses 61c and 62b, but with an insertion of a verse from Isa. 58:6d. The combining and editing of OT texts was common in rabbinical Judaism.

There is a variant in the Greek MSS concerning the quote of Isa. 61:1-2.

1. some MSS stop at "He has sent me" – א, B, D, L, W

2. others add the full sentence from Isa. 61:1 – A, Delta, Epsilon

The UBS⁴ gives option #1, the short text, and A rating (certain).

One wonders if Jesus intentionally omitted the line from Isaiah 61 because He chose not to do any miracles in Nazareth. This may explain why He added another line from Isa. 58:6.

▣ "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me" Notice the different divine Persons. See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TRINITY at Luke 3:22. The new age of righteousness is the Age of the Spirit.

▣ "He anointed Me" This Hebrew word is the same root as "Messiah" (see Special Topic at Luke 2:11). In Greek the term "Messiah" is translated "Christ." This was a way of denoting God's calling and equipping of leaders. In the OT prophets, priests, and kings were anointed. See SPECIAL TOPIC: ANOINTING IN THE BIBLE (BDB 603)in the Bible also at Luke 2:11.

▣ "preach the gospel" At this point the full gospel (lit. "good news") is not yet available. Only after Jesus' death and resurrection did His actions and teachings come into perfect focus.

▣ "poor. . .captives. . .blind. . .downtrodden" Notice the types of people that Jesus came to help. His care for these fulfilled many prophetic texts.

4:19 "To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord" This originally referred to the year of Jubilee (cf. Lev. 25:8-17), but in this context (Isa. 61:2), it applies to the eschatological fulfillment of Jesus' ministry. Clement and Origen of Alexandria said that this means that Jesus ministered only one year, but this is far too literal in understanding how this OT passage is fulfilled in Christ.

4:20 Joseph A. Fitzmyer, in his commentary on Luke 1-9 in the Anchor Bible, has an interesting comment on the VERB atenizō (fixed intently). He notes that it is a term used often by Luke, especially in Acts.

"In most instances it expresses a steadfast gaze of esteem and trust—the nuance intended here. It is part of the assembly's initial reaction of admiration or pleasant surprise" (p. 533).

4:21 "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" This is a perfect passive indicative. It speaks of the eschatological fulfillment of the promise of the coming of the Kingdom of God, which was now present in Jesus. What a shocking statement!

The Kingdom of God is the focus of Jesus' preaching. It is the reign of God in human hearts now that will one day be consummated over all the earth as it is in heaven (cf. Matt. 6:10). It is both here and now and yet future!

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE KINGDOM OF GOD

4:22 "all were speaking well of Him" Jesus' initial popularity continued (cf. Luke 4:15), but it will be short-lived at Nazareth!

▣ "Is this not Joseph's son" This question in Greek expects a "yes" answer. This shows the normalcy of Jesus' childhood in Nazareth (i.e., 2:40,52). It was a statement of pride in a hometown boy.

4:23 "proverb" This is literally "parable," which means "to throw alongside of." It was a method of teaching which used a common occurrence of life to illustrate or highlight a spiritual truth.

▣ "'Physician, heal yourself’" The point Jesus is making is obvious: to these townspeople of Nazareth, Jesus held no special place in their minds. They wanted Jesus to do the miracles that He had done in Capernaum in His hometown also. We learn from Mark 6:1-6 that because of their unbelief, He did not do many mighty miracles here (cf. Luke 4:24).

▣ "we heard what was done at Capernaum" This is a good place to see how Luke uses Mark's Gospel. Mark 1:21ff records Jesus' ministry in Capernaum. In Mark, the healing at Capernaum found in Luke 4:31-37 is placed in chapter 1.

The difficulty modern western readers and commentators face in trying to understand the Gospels is that we assume they are chronological, detailed, sequential, cause-and-effect, modern histories, which they are not. For a good discussion on interpreting the Gospels, see Fee and Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, pp. 113-134.

4:24 "'Truly I say to you’" This is literally "amen." Only Jesus uses this as a literary technique to introduce a significant statement.

SPECIAL TOPIC: AMEN

▣ "no prophet is welcome in his hometown" This statement is similar to our English statement "familiarity breeds contempt." It must have been so hard for Jesus' family and neighbors to accept His Messiahship (cf. Mark 6:4; Matt. 13:57).

4:25-27 Jesus mentions two OT examples where God acted in miraculous ways for non-Jews and no miracles for covenant people are recorded (Stephen will pick up on these examples in Acts 7) . This fits Luke's universal emphasis of the gospel's availability to all humans who repent and believe. The majority of Jews, however, will not believe, as in the days of Elijah and Elisha.

Notice that the two prophets mentioned were northern prophets from the area Jesus was addressing (i.e., tenth century b.c. Israel).

4:25 "when the sky was shut for three years and six months" This same time element is mentioned in James. 5:17, however, 1 Kgs. 18:1 mentions only three years. Apparently, this was a rabbinical tradition. It was also an apocalyptic idiom for "a set time of persecution" (cf. Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 11:2; 12:6,14).

4:26 "Elijah. . .sent to Zarephath. . .to a woman who was a widow" God sent His prophet to minister to a needy Phoenician foreigner (and a woman at that), instead of the contemporary Israelis, who were also in need. Luke records Jesus' sayings and teachings which emphasize His love and care for outcasts!

4:27 "Elisha. . .Naaman the Syrian" God sent His prophet (Elisha) to heal a foreign military leader (an enemy at that) instead of the many sick among God's Covenant people, Israel (cf. 2 Kings 5).

4:28 "And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things" God's universal love toward the Gentiles was the source of these nationalistic Jews' rage (the same is true of Stephen's sermon in Acts 7). They did not think well of Him now (cf. Luke 4:22a and 29). They did not want to hear God's truth, but only wanted affirmation of their own biases and nationalistic traditions (not much has changed with humans of every age). These religious worshipers are "filled with rage" against Him who is full of the Spirit. What irony!

4:29 "they got up and drove Him out of the city. . .to throw Him down the cliff" It is amazing how quickly the attitude of this crowd moved from wonder and awe to rage and murder.

4:30 "But passing through their midst, He went His way" This is a remarkable miracle, the exact nature of which is not explained (cf. John 8:59; 10:39). It was simply not His hour (cf. John 7:30). It, at least, shows us that Jesus was an ordinary-looking man of His day.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 4:31-37
 ³¹And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath; ³²and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority. ³³In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, ³⁴"Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!" ³⁵But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm. ³⁶And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, "What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out." ³⁷And the report about Him was spreading into every locality in the surrounding district.

4:31 "He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee" Capernaum became Jesus' headquarters and He probably moved His family to this locale.

▣ "and He was teaching them on the Sabbath" In these early days of ministry, Jesus spoke in the local synagogues as much as possible (as did Paul, cf. Acts 3:26; Rom. 1:16). There would quickly come a time when He was forced to speak to the large crowds in the open air of the countryside.

4:32 "and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority" The Greek term translated "amazed" literally meant "struck by a blow" or "knocked beside themselves." Jesus' message was different (both in content and form) because He did not speak as the scribes who quoted the famous pair of rabbinical teachers like Shammai (the conservative rabbinical school) and Hillel (the liberal rabbinical school). He spoke as one who had authority in Himself (cf. Matt. 7:28-29; John 7:46).

▣ "authority" See Special Topic: Luke's Use of Exousia at Luke 20:2.

4:33 "a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon" See Special Topic below.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE DEMONIC (UNCLEAN SPIRITS)

▣ "cried out" This implies at the top of his voice.

4:34

NASB, NRSV"Let us alone"
NKJV"Let us alone"
TEV"Ah"
NJB"Ha"

The Greek particle ea is used in the Septuagint of Job where it is translated "alas" in Luke 19:5 and "let alone" in Luke 15:16. It is used in Hellenistic poetry to express displeasure or surprise.

NASB"What business do we have with each other"
NKJV"What have we to do with You"
NRSV"What have you to do with us"
TEV, NJB"What do you want with us"

This expression is used in the Septuagint with a hostile connotation (cf. Jgds. 11:12; 2 Sam. 16:10; 19:22; 1 Kgs. 17:18; 2 Chr. 35:21).

▣ "Jesus of Nazareth" See Special Topic below.

SPECIAL TOPIC: JESUS THE NAZARENE

▣ "us" Notice the plural. In the NT possession often involves numbers of demons (cf. Luke 8:2,27,30).

▣ "I know who You are—the Holy One of God" The demon's recognition and testimony was not meant to help Jesus, but to add to the Pharisee's charge that His power was from Satan (cf. Luke 4:41; 11:15; Matt. 9:34; 12:24; Mark 3:22).

The phrase "Holy One of God" is an OT Messianic title. It is alluded to in Luke 1:35 and Acts 3:14. It is the title by which the demonic addressed Jesus in Mark 1:24 and Luke 4:34.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HOLY ONE

4:35 "'Be quiet’" This is an aorist passive imperative singular meaning "be muzzled." Notice the switch from "us" (Luke 4:34) to the singular here. Possibly only one demon spoke on behalf of them all.

▣ "come out" This is an aorist active imperative. Exorcisms were common in Jesus' day, but Jesus' methods were radically different. His exorcisms were a sign of the New Age. The rabbis used magic formulas, but Jesus used His own authority. There is so much confusion and bad information circulating today about exorcism and the demonic. Part of this problem is that the NT does not discuss these issues. As a pastor I wish I had more information on this subject. Here are some books I trust:

1. Christian Counseling and the Occult, Kurt E. Koch

2. Demons in the World Today, Merrill F. Unger

3. Biblical Demonology, Merrill F. Unger

4. Principalities and Powers, Hendrik Berkhof

5. Three Crucial Questions About Spiritual Warfare by Clinton Anthony

It surprises me that exorcism is not listed as one of the spiritual gifts and that the subject is not addressed in the Apostolic letters. I believe in a biblical world view which includes the spiritual realm (i.e., good and evil), present and active in the physical realm (i.e., Job 1-2; Daniel 10; Eph. 2:2; 4:14; 6:10-18). However, God has chosen not to reveal the specifics. As believers we have all the information we need to live godly, productive lives for Him! Some subjects are not revealed or developed.

▣ Several physical manifestations of an unclean spirit leaving a person are recorded (cf. Mark 1:26; 9:26; Luke 9:39). This may have been a way of confirming that the spirit had truly left.

This first sign of power clearly shows the Messianic implications of Jesus. The OT title (cf. Ps. 16:10) by which the demons acknowledge Him and His power to control and judge them clearly reflects the spiritual authority of Jesus of Nazareth (cf. Luke 4:27c).

4:36 "amazement" This is a different Greek term from Luke 4:32, but a synonym (cf. Louw and Nida, Greek-English Lexicon, vol. 1, pp. 311-312). Luke uses it in Luke 4:36; 5:9 and Acts 3:10.

▣ "authority" See Special Topic at Luke 20:2. Jesus' message about Himself was radical and unexpected. He verified His claims with His actions!

4:37 "spreading" We get the English term "echo" from this Greek term. The message of Jesus' power over unclean spirits, as well as His physical healings, caused great excitement and the gathering of large crowds.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 4:38-39
 ³⁸Then He got up and left the synagogue, and entered Simon's home. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him to help her. ³⁹And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately got up and waited on them.

4:38 "Simon's mother-in-law" Peter was obviously married (cf. Matt. 8:14; Mark 1:29-34; 1 Cor. 9:5). Celibacy is a gift, not a forced norm for clergy. Marriage is the biblical norm (cf. Gen. 1:28; 2:18; 9:1,7).

▣ "was suffering from" This is a periphrastic imperfect passive. This fever was a pre-existent, recurrent problem.

▣ "a high fever" This is a medical term used by Galen for a "category of fever." The Gospels make a distinction between Jesus exorcizing demons and healing sickness.

▣ "He rebuked the fever" In Luke Jesus rebukes

1. demons (Luke 4:35,41; 9:42)

2. fever (Luke 4:39)

3. the wind and waves (Luke 8:24)

4. the disciples (Luke 9:21,55)

This showed His authority and power. Jesus was truly human, but He was also God incarnate. It is hard to hold these two in balance. Luke's Gospel emphasizes both aspects!

Just a word about Jesus rebuking a fever. This literary personification of a physical problem does not make this an exorcism. Demons can cause physical problems, but not all physical problems are demonic. Be careful of the extremes (no demons; demons cause everything)! See note at Luke 4:35 on exorcisms.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 4:40- 41
 ⁴⁰While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them. ⁴¹Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.

4:40 "While the sun was setting" This meant it was the end of the Sabbath. The Jews count the day from twilight in the evening to the next twilight following (cf. Gen. 1:5). Many Jews felt even healing on the Sabbath was inappropriate.

▣ "brought them to Him" The people had seen Jesus' power in the synagogue (Luke 4:31-37) and had heard His words of compassion and prophecy. Jesus now shows by His actions that He has both the power and the compassion of YHWH!

▣ "laying His hands on each one of them" Note the laying on of hands was for the sick, never the demon possessed (cf. Luke 4:41).

SPECIAL TOPIC: LAYING ON OF HANDS IN THE BIBLE

▣ "healing them" Notice that Jesus cured all who came! Also notice the distinction between the medical problems of Luke 4:40 and the demon possession of Luke 4:41. These actions reveal the gracious, loving, kind heart of God for humanity and the compassion and power of God's Messiah.

4:41 "many" From the English text it seems that Jesus healed all of those with physical ailments, but only some of those with demons. There are two possible solutions:

1. There is a volitional aspect to deliverance/exorcism.

2. The Bible uses "all" and "many" interchangeably (cf. Isa. 53:6, "all" vs. 53:11,12, "many" or the parallelism of Rom. 5:18, "all" and Rom. 5:19, "many").

▣ "the Son of God" See Special Topic at Luke 1:35.

▣ "not allow them to speak" This is another reason that Jesus did not allow their testimony. The people had a false view of His Messianic task (nationalism). These demons were not witnessing to support Jesus, but allowing the religious leaders to claim that His power came from Satan, not God.

▣ "they knew Him to be the Christ" Demons have theological knowledge (cf. James 2:19), but they do not have a personal faith relationship with the Father or the Son. Here is a good example of knowledge without faith being futile (cf Matt. 7:21-23). See Special Topic: Messiah at Luke 2:11.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 4:42-43
 ⁴²When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them. ⁴³But He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose."

4:42 This verse is one of Luke's ways of showing

1. the humanity of Jesus and His need to get away and relax

2. the crowds seeking Jesus, not for His teachings, but for His physical healings and exorcisms. He did not want to be known for these things, but they did give Him access to large numbers of people.

4:43 "the kingdom of God" The Kingdom of God is a central concept of Jesus' preaching. It involves the reign of God in human hearts now which will one day be consummated over all the earth. The kingdom is placed in the past in Luke 13:28, in the present in Luke 17:21, and in the future in Matt. 6:10-11. See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE KINGDOM OF GOD at Luke 4:21.

▣ "I was sent for this purpose" Jesus knew something of His special calling and purpose by age twelve (cf. Luke 2:49). Mark 10:45 reveals Jesus' mature self-understanding. Jesus is the Father's special agent, His sent One, His anointed One (cf. John 17:3). The verb here is apostellō (cf. Luke 4:18), which came to be used of those special disciples Jesus commissioned and sent (Apostles of John 17:18; 20:21). This term takes on special meaning in John's Gospel, but in the Synoptic Gospel it is just one of several Greek words used for sending.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 4:44
 ⁴⁴So He kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

4:44 "Judea" This geographical location is very unusual because of Luke 4:14, 31, and 37. Jesus is supposed to be in Galilee (cf. Matt. 4:23).

Because of the confusion caused by "Judea" (found in MSS P⁷⁵, א, B, C, L) several early Greek manuscripts have "Galilee" (cf. MSS A and D and the Vulgate and Peshitta), which follows Mark 1:39 and Matt. 4:23.

The editorial committee of the UBS⁴ gives "Judea" a B rating (almost certain). This may be (1) the use of Judea referring to all of Israel (i.e., the Prophets) or (2) the Gospels are not western histories, but eastern gospel tracts.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Could Jesus have been tempted to sin?

2. Is temptation a sin?

3. Does God ever cause temptation?

4. How is Jesus' Messianic task related to these temptations?

5. Why are the temptations listed in different order (cf. Matt. 4:1-11; Lk. 4:1-12)?

6. Why did the Gospels leave out such large sections of Jesus' ministry?

7. Why did Jesus regularly teach in the synagogue?

8. Why were the people in Nazareth so angry?

9. Explain why Jesus' message was so different from the rabbinical teachers of His day.

10. Why were the people astounded at Jesus' teachings?

11. What about demons? Who are they? What is their purpose?

12. What does Peter's having a mother-in-law imply about celibacy?

13. What is the significance concerning Jesus' healing everyone who was brought to Him?

14. What is the Kingdom of God? Define it in your own words.

15. What is the problem with the word "Judea" in Luke 4:44?

Copyright © 2013 Bible Lessons International

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (from "A Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. This chapter seems to divide into several separate incidents:

1. Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees over His disciples' eating grain on the Sabbath (cf. Luke 6:1-6)

2. Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees over the "healing of the man with the withered hand" on the Sabbath (cf. Luke 6:6-11)

3. Jesus chooses twelve disciples (cf. Luke 6:12-19)

4. Luke's recording of a sermon similar to "The Sermon on the Mount" in Matt. 5:7 (recorded in Luke 6:20-49)

B. There is an obvious difference between the "Sermon on the Mount" recorded in Matthew and "The Sermon on the Plain" in Luke (cf. Luke 6:17). Luke seems to be written on the level of social conditions and attitudes toward our material world (some scholars would say Luke is dealing with a delayed Parousia); whereas Matthew seems to be written as a progression of spiritual levels progressing to Christlikeness (an eschatological setting). It is uncertain why Luke includes the "curses" (i.e., OT prophetic "woes." These woes are antithetically parallel to the blessings), while Matthew completely leaves them out (this shows the sermons recorded in the NT are not verbatim, but summaries and excerpts). Basically, the Beatitudes are not specific commands to be followed, but examples of an attitude toward our present world and our place in it. It is hard to decide whether or not Luke and Matthew record two different sermons using similar themes and examples (cf. Gleason Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, p. 312 and 366) or the same sermon recorded differently (cf. D. A. Carson, "Matthew" in Expositor's Bible Commentary). Remember each of the Gospel writers selected, adapted, and rearranged Jesus' teachings to address their target audiences. Luke leaves out much of the Jewish elements in Jesus' teaching that Matthew records for his Jewish readership.

C. Luke's version of Jesus' sermon has been greatly ignored by scholarship. Most interpreters use Matthew's account to interpret Luke's account. However, they are very different. Luke's beatitudes are not eschatological, but contemporary. Jesus is addressing His disciples (cf. Luke 6:20). The Kingdom is here! Believers' outward physical conditions must not affect their trust and joy in God.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 6:1-5
 ¹Now it happened that He was passing through some grainfields on a Sabbath; and His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating the grain. ²But some of the Pharisees said, "Why do you do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" ³And Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him, ⁴how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the consecrated bread which is not lawful for any to eat except the priests alone, and gave it to his companions?" ⁵And He was saying to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

6:1 "passing through some grainfields" This referred to the footpaths through the grain fields which surrounded the villages and towns. These "grainfields" could refer to any kind of cereal grain grown in this area (e.g., barley, wheat).

The Talmud taught that any journey over 2,000 paces on the Sabbath was considered work and, therefore, not permitted. It is interesting that the crowds, along with the Pharisees and the Scribes, were following Jesus on the Sabbath, therefore, they also were guilty of breaking this Sabbath law.

This reflects Luke's continuing emphasis on the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders over the Oral Law (traditions of the Elders). Their legalism came from a sincere desire to keep God's word! They were sincere and obviously very committed. They believed that Moses received the oral traditions from God on Mt. Sinai and passed them on verbally. It is at this point that Jesus' three parables of Luke 5:33-39 are crucial.

▣ "on a Sabbath" This phrase is found in MSS P⁴, א, B, L, W and UBS⁴ gives it a "C" rating because a more unusual (unique) option, "on the second first Sabbath," is found in MSS A, C, D, K, X, Delta.

There have been several theories about the unique wording.

1. From a Semitic expression from a Palestinian priestly calendar referring to the Sabbath after the feast of unleavened bread, but the second after Passover, from which the Jews count 50 days until Pentecost (cf. Lev. 23:15, see Archer Bible Commentary, vol. 28, p. 607.

2. From a scribal error confusing the three mentions of Jesus' activities of the Sabbath (cf. Luke 4:16,31; 6:1, see Bruce Metzger, Textual Commentary, p. 139).

SPECIAL TOPIC: SABBATH

▣ "His disciples were" Obviously the disciples were following their Master and were violating the traditional Sabbath laws (cf. Matt. 12:1).

▣ "picking the heads. . .rubbing them in their hands" The Pharisees considered the disciples' actions as

1. harvesting

2. winnowing

3. preparing food on the Sabbath

These actions were illegal according to their oral traditions based on Exod. 34:21. For one example of the rabbinic traditions see Shabbath 7:2. Jesus' disciples were not doing anything illegal in their actions according to the gleaning laws of the OT (cf. Deut. 23:25); the problem was the day (cf. Gen. 2:1-3; Exod. 20:8-11; 23:12; 31:15; Deut. 5:12-15) on which they did it! It seems that the Gospel writers record Jesus' actions on the Sabbath to show

1. the controversies they caused

2. that Jesus did these kinds of things every day and the Sabbath was no exception

6:2 "some of the Pharisees" The Pharisees were assuming that Jesus was violating Exod. 34:21. This shows that Jesus always had a crowd following Him. That crowd was made up of disciples, the sick, the curious, and representatives of the religious leaders trying to catch Him in a situation they could exploit.

It is this mixture (1) of motives and (2) the people to whom Jesus is speaking which causes some of Jesus' teaching (without their specific context) to be so difficult to interpret because we are unsure to whom He addressed His teachings.

6:3 "Have you not even read what David did" This incident from David's life seems to emphasize that human need takes precedence over legalistic rituals and traditions (cf. 1 Sam. 21:1-6). Just a brief comment about this account in 1 Samuel, I think David lied to the priest at Nob to protect him from the charge of helping David. Unfortunately he was killed by Saul for his supposed treason by helping David.

6:4 "the house of God" This refers to the Tabernacle (cf. Exod. 25-31).

▣ "bread" This refers to the twelve large loaves of bread (which symbolized God's provision for the Twelve Tribes) that were placed on the table in the Holy Place and were replaced every seven days. These loaves were for the priests alone to eat (cf. Exod. 25:30; Lev. 24:5-9). They weighed approximately 6 1/4 pounds.

▣ "and gave it to his companions" This phrase is repeated in all three Synoptic Gospels (cf. Matt. 12:3; Mark 2:25). This is the implication of 1 Samuel 21, but in reality, David was lying about having companions. He apparently did this to protect the priests at Nob whom he knew Saul would retaliate against. David's companions, as well as other disgruntled Israelites, did not join him until 1 Sam. 22:1.

6:5 "The Son of Man" This was an adjectival phrase from the OT. It was used in Ezekiel 2:1 and Ps. 8:4 in its true etymological meaning of "human being." However, it was used in Dan. 7:13 in a unique context which implied both the humanity and deity of the person addressed by this new eschatological royal title (cf. Mark 8:38; 9:9; 13:26; 14:26). Since this title was not used by rabbinical Judaism and, therefore, had none of the nationalistic, exclusivistic, militaristic implications, Jesus chose it as the perfect title of both veiling and revealing His dual nature, fully man and fully divine (cf. 1 John 4:1-6). It was His favorite self-designation. It is used twenty three times in Luke (cf. Luke 5:24; 6:5; 9:22,26,44,58; 11:30; 12:8,10,40; 17:22,24,26,30; 18:8,31; 20:13; 21:27,36; 22:22,48,69; 24:7).

▣ "is Lord of the Sabbath" This has staggering Messianic implications (cf. Matt. 12:6). The Sabbath (see Special Topic at Luke 6:1) was divinely instituted (cf. Gen. 2:1-3; Exod. 28:11) and here Jesus claims to be Master and Ruler over it.

The Sabbath regulations had become the priority. These traditions, not love for humans made in God's image, had become the issue of religion. The priority of rules had replaced the priority of people. Merit had replaced love. Religious traditions (i.e., the Oral Law) have replaced God's intent (cf. Isa. 29:13; Col. 2:16-23).

How does one please God? A good OT analogy might be sacrifice. God intended it as a way for sinful, needy humanity to come to Him and restore broken fellowship, but it turned into ritual, liturgical procedure. So too, Sabbath law! Mankind had become the servant instead of the object (i.e., the reason for the laws).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 6:6-11
 ⁶ On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. ⁷The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse Him. ⁸But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come forward!" And he got up and came forward. ⁹And Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?" ¹⁰After looking around at them all, He said to him, "Stretch out your hand!" And he did so; and his hand was restored. ¹¹But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

6:6 "On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching" This event is paralleled in Matt. 12:9-14 and Mark 3:1-6. The synagogue developed during the Babylonian Exile. It was primarily a place of education, prayer, worship, and fellowship. It was the local expression of Judaism, as the Temple was the national focal point.

Jesus attended the synagogues regularly. He learned His Scriptures and traditions at synagogue school in Nazareth. He fully participated in first century Jewish worship.

It is also interesting that Jesus, apparently purposefully, acted in provocative ways on the Sabbath and in synagogue. He intentionally violated the Oral Traditions (i.e., Talmud) of the elders so as to enter into a theological confrontation/discussion with the religious leaders (both local and national; both Pharisees and Sadducees). The best extended discussion of His theology as it deviates from the traditional norms is the Sermon on the Mount (cf. Matthew 5-7, especially 5:17-48).

▣ "a man there whose right hand was withered" Only Luke, the physician, records the detail that it was the right hand, which probably means his vocational life had been terminated.

6:7 "scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely" This is an imperfect middle indicative which refers to repeated action, the beginning of an action, or the beginning of an action in past time. There was always a contingent of these religious leaders trying to trap or catch Jesus in an infraction of the written or Oral Law (cf. Luke 14:1; 20:20; Mark 3:2).

▣ "if" This is a first class conditional sentence which follows Mark 3:2. They assumed He would do something that violated their traditions.

▣ "to accuse Him This is a common verb in the Septuagint (cf. Deut. 6:5; I Macc. 7:6,25; II Macc. 4:47; 10:13,21).

6:8 "He knew what they were thinking" See note at Luke 5:22. This same term is used in Luke 9:47 in reference to the disciples, while in Luke 5:22 and 6:8 it refers to His enemies.

▣ "'Get up and come forward'" These are both imperatives, the first a present active and the second an aorist active. This man did not ask to be healed, but Jesus uses him as an object lesson for the disciples and the Pharisees. Often Jesus' use of miracles was primarily to teach those who observed.

6:9 This is the issue! What is the Sabbath for (cf. Matt. 12:11; Mark 3:4)?

▣ "a life" This is a good example of the Greek word psuchē used of a person or a life, not of a "soul." Biblically speaking, humans do not have "a soul"; they are a soul (cf. Gen. 2:7). There are several different words in Hebrew and Greek that refer to aspects of humanity, but are really synonymous of earthly life.

6:10 "looking around at them all" Mark (Peter) adds "in anger" (cf. Mark 3:5).

▣ "he said to him" Some ancient Greek texts add "in anger" (NKJV), which comes from Mark 3:5 where it is directed at the Pharisees, not the crippled man. The UBS⁴ gives the shorter text (MSS P⁴, א, A, B, C, W) an A rating (certain).

▣ "'Stretch out your hand'" This is an aorist active imperative. The Talmud allows for medical help to save a life on the Sabbath, but not to heal.

▣ "and he did so" Here is the man's faith act.

6:11 "they themselves were filled with rage" This shows the ongoing scheming of the religious leaders (cf. Mark 3:6). The word "rage," "unreasoning fury," is made up of the word for "mind" (nous) with the alpha privative. This term is used in the Gospels only here, but it is used by Paul in 2 Tim. 3:9. It was a common term in wisdom literature in the Septuagint (cf. Job 33:23; Ps. 22:3; Pro. 14:8; 22:15; and Eccl. 11:10).

▣ "and discussed together what they might do to Jesus" From Mark 3:6 we learn that the consultation was held between the Herodians and the Pharisees, who were traditional enemies (in politics and religion).

These leaders saw themselves as YHWH's defenders! It is amazing that the religious leaders saw no conflict in their premeditated murder compared to Jesus' supposed ritual and Sabbath breaking (cf. Matt. 26:4; John 11:53).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 6:12-16
 ¹²It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. ¹³And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles: ¹⁴Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; ¹⁵and Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot; ¹⁶Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

6:12 "He went off to the mountain" In the OT psalms mountains are places of safety, strength, and permanence. They are associated with YHWH's presence (cf. Ps. 121:1) or with the temple (i.e., Mt. Moriah, cf. Ps. 87:1). Moses met YHWH on a mountain (i.e., Mount Sinai, cf. Exod. 19:16-25). Matthew's Gospel, in his recording of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, makes a definite link between Moses and Jesus. Jesus' famous sermon (cf. Matthew 5-7) was given on a mountain. This detail may have come from Mark's Gospel (Peter's eyewitness) in Mark 3:13. However, Luke records this sermon "on a plain."

It is uncertain to what mountain this refers. There is a mountain in Galilee that is mentioned often in connection with Jesus' post-resurrection meeting with disciples (cf. Matt. 26:32; 28:7,10). Whatever the location it was obviously a time to get away and be close to the Father (cf. Luke 9:28).

▣ "to pray and He spent the whole night in prayer to God" Luke, more than any other Gospel writer, emphasizes Jesus' prayer life (cf. Luke 3:21; 6:12; 9:18,28; 11:1-4) and His teachings on prayer (cf. Luke 11:5-8; 18:1-8,9-14).

Jesus spent the entire night in prayer (periphrastic imperfect active) before He chose twelve special disciples to later represent Him. Here is the tension between predestination (The Father) and human will (Jesus). Jesus, full of the Spirit, incarnate deity, still needed to pray. Judas the betrayer was one of the prayerful choices!

6:13 "He called His disciples to Him" There were many people who followed Jesus, men and women, old and young (cf. Acts 1:21-22). Jesus selected twelve to be His special representatives and leaders. He spent much time and effort in their discipleship (see Robert Coleman, The Master Plan of Discipleship).

▣ "twelve" This seems to relate to the twelve tribes of Israel as a symbol of the people of God.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE NUMBER TWELVE

▣ "whom He also named as apostles" This comment is unique to Luke. This comes from the verb "to send" with the rabbinical implication of delegated authority. It is used in the Greek Classics like our term "ambassador." See Special Topics: Send (apostellō) at Luke 9:48 and Chart of the Apostles' Names at Luke 5:27.

6:14 "Simon, whom He also named Peter" There are three other listings of the twelve apostles. Peter is always first; Judas Iscariot is always last. There are three groups of four which remain the same, even though the order of names within the groups is often reversed (cf. Matt. 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Acts 1:13).

SPECIAL TOPIC: PETER, THE MAN

▣ "Andrew" The Greek term means "manly." From John 1:29-42 we learn that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist and that he introduced his brother, Peter, to Jesus.

▣ "James" This is the Hebrew name "Jacob" (BDB 784), which means "supplanter," cf Gen. 25:26). There are two men named James in the list of the Twelve. One is the brother of John (cf. Mark 3:17) and part of the inner circle (i.e., Peter, James, and John). This is the brother of John.

▣ "John" This was James' brother and a member of the inner circle of disciples. He wrote five NT books and lived longer than any other Apostle.

▣ "Philip" The Greek name means "fond of horses." His call is recorded in John 1:43-51.

▣ "Bartholomew" The name means "son of Ptolemy." He may be the Nathanael of the Gospel of John (cf. John 1:45-49; 21:20).

▣ "Matthew" The Hebrew name (from the Mattithiah, cf. 1 Chr. 9:31; 15:18,21; 16:5; 25:3,21; Neh. 8:4) means "gift of YHWH." This is referring to Levi (cf. Mark. 2:13-17).

▣ "Thomas" The Hebrew name means "twin" or Didymus (cf. John 11:16; 20:24; 21:2).

▣ "James the son of Alphaeus" This is the Hebrew name "Jacob." There are two men named James in the list of the Twelve. One is the brother of John (cf. Luke 6:17) and part of the inner circle (i.e., Peter, James, and John). This one is known as "James the less" (cf. Mark 3:17).

▣ "Simon who was called the Zealot" The Greek text of Mark has "Cananaean" (also Matt. 10:4). Mark, whose Gospel was written to Romans, may not have wanted to use the political "hot button" word, zealot, which referred to a Jewish anti-Roman guerilla movement. Luke does call him by this term (cf. Acts 1:13). The term Cananaean has several derivatives.

1. from the area of Galilee known as Cana

2. from the OT use of Canaanite as merchant

3. from a general designation as a native of Canaan.

If Luke's designation is right, then zealot is from the Aramaic term for "enthusiast" (cf. Acts 1:17). Jesus' chosen twelve disciples were from several different and competing groups. Simon was a member of a nationalistic group which advocated the violent overthrow of Roman authority. Normally this Simon and Levi (i.e., Matthew, the tax collector) would not have been in the same room with each other.

▣ "Judas the son of James" He was also called "Lebbeus" (cf. Matt. 10:3) or "Judas" (cf. John 14:22). Both Thaddaeus and Lebbeus mean "beloved child."

▣ "Judas Iscariot" There are two Simons, two Jameses, and two Judases. The name Iscariot has two possible derivations:

1. man of Kerioth (a city) in Judah (cf. Jos. 15:23, which would mean he was the only Judean)

2. his father's name (cf. John 6:71; 13:2,26)

3. "dagger man" or assassin, which would mean he also was a zealot, like Simon

See SPECIAL TOPIC: ISCARIOT at Luke 27:3.

▣ "who became a traitor" There is so much speculation about Judas and his motives. He is mentioned and vilified often in John's Gospel (cf. John 6:71; 12:4; 13:2,26,39; 18:2,3,5). The modern play "Jesus Christ Superstar" depicts him as a faithful but disillusioned follower who tried to force Jesus into fulfilling the role of the Jewish Messiah, which was to overthrow the Romans, punish the wicked, and set up Jerusalem as the capital of the world. However, John depicts his motives as greedy and malicious.

The main problem is the theological issue of God's sovereignty and human free will. Did God or Jesus manipulate Judas? Is Judas responsible for his acts if Satan controlled him or God predicted and caused him to betray Jesus? The Bible does not address these questions directly. God is in control of history; He knows future events, but mankind is responsible for their choices and actions. God is fair, not manipulative.

There is a new book that tries to defend Judas—Judas: Betrayer or Friend of Jesus? by William Klassen, Fortress Press, 1996. I do not agree with this book because it depreciates the testimony of John's Gospel, but it is very interesting and thought provoking.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 6:17-19
 ¹⁷ Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. ¹⁹And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.

6:17 This is paralleled in Matt. 4:24-25 and Mark 3:7-8. This introduces the sermon called "the Sermon on the Mount" in Matthew 5-7 and "the sermon on the Plain" in Luke.

6:18 "to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured" In the Gospels, distinctions are made between physical sickness and demon possession. See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE DEMONIC (UNCLEAN SPIRITS) at Luke 4:33 and notes on exorcism at Luke 4:35. Although demonic forces might cause physical symptoms, the cure for each is different. Jesus healed all those who were brought to Him. We know from other accounts that healing was sometimes based on

1. the faith of the individual

2. the faith of the sick individual's friends

3. sometimes it came without much faith at all (cf. John 5:1-9a)

Physical healing did not always mean or imply immediate spiritual salvation (cf. John 9).

6:19

NASB"for power was coming from Him"
NKJV"for power went out from Him"
NRSV"for power came out from him"
TEV"for power was going out from him"
NJB"because power came out of him"

This is an imperfect passive (deponent) indicative. The Spirit's power resided in Him and flowed to others in need (cf. Luke 5:17; 8:46; Mark 5:30). Ministry took something out of Jesus.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 6:20-26
 ²⁰And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. ²²Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. ²³Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. ²⁴But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. ²⁵Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. ²⁶Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way."

6:20 "turning His gaze toward His disciples" Jesus addresses this sermon to His disciples, while in Matthew He addresses different groups in the large crowd.

▣ "Blessed are you who are poor" Matthew relates these series of Beatitudes (cf. Matt. 5:1-12) to the spiritual life, while Luke's abbreviated form seems to relate to social conditions (i.e., poor, hungry, weeping, and hatred, cf. Luke 6:20-22).

This term (makarios) meant "happy" or "honored" (cf. Luke 6:20-22). The English word "happy" comes from the Old English "happenstance." Believers' God-given happiness is not based on physical circumstances but inner joy. There are no verbs in these statements. They are exclamatory in form like Aramaic or Hebrew (cf. Ps.1:1). This blessedness is both a current attitude toward God and life as well as an eschatological hope.

▣ "kingdom of God" The phrase "Kingdom of Heaven" or "Kingdom of God" is used over 100 times in the Gospels. Matthew, writing for people with a Jewish background who were nervous about pronouncing God's name because of Exod. 20:7, usually used the phrase "the Kingdom of Heaven," although in Matt. 6:33; 12:28; 19:24; 21:31,43, even he uses "Kingdom of God." But the Gospels of Mark (cf. Mark 10:14) and Luke were written to Gentiles. The two phrases are synonymous (Frank Stagg, New Testament Theology, pp. 151-152).

M. R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, has a list of the places he believes the Kingdom is both present and future:

"1. present – Matt. 11:12; 12:28; 16:19; Luke 11:20; 16:16; 17:21 and the parables of: the Sower, the Tares, the Leaven, and the Dragnet

2. future – Dan. 7:27; Matt. 13:43; 19:38; 25:34; 26:29; Mark 9:47; 1 Cor. 6:9; 2 Pet. 1:11; Rev. 20" (p. 161).

6:21 "blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied" Luke does not clearly state when this meeting of needs or change of circumstances will take place. Is it a future time, but in this life ("now" of Luke used twice in Luke 6:21, twice in Luke 6:25) or is it an eschatological setting (like the future eschatological setting of Matthew's Beatitudes, cf. Matt. 5:1-11)? The point is that those who trust Christ will be blessed and physically rewarded (the Matthew parallel focuses on a spiritual future). Salvation changes everything eventually. Most of the early church in Jerusalem was poor (that is one reason why Paul wanted to collect an offering for them from the Gentile churches). Luke is not promising that the gospel will immediately change one's physical, financial, or cultural circumstances, but he does assert it will immediately change one's attitude and hope!

6:22 There were and are repercussions for following Jesus in a fallen world (cf. Matt. 5:10-11). This blessing is different from the rest in that there is a condition required—persecution (cf. Acts 14:22; Rom. 5:3-4; 8:17; Phil. 1:29; 1 Thess. 3:3; 2 Tim. 3:12; James 1:2-4; 1 Pet. 3:14; 4:12-19; Rev. 11:7; 13:7). These pronounced blessings are both now and ultimately in an eschatological setting (in heaven, cf. Luke 6:23).

▣ "Son of Man" See note at Luke 6:5.

6:23 "Be glad. . .leap" These are both aorist imperatives. Believers' attitudes and actions in the midst of persecution, rejection, and torture are a powerful witness of their salvation and their persecutor's judgment.

▣ "For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets" Religious persecution is not new. Those who do it think they serve God (cf. John 16:2). The Jews have a track record of this kind of persecution (cf. Heb. 11:36-40).

However, there is an implication that Jesus' disciples are the new prophets. They were foretellers of God's good news. God's OT spokespersons were rejected and now the same thing has happened to Jesus and His followers.

6:24 "woe" The term ouai means "alas." This was a prophetic formula used in the Septuagint for introducing a funeral dirge of judgment. These are the corollaries (exact opposite, antithetical parallelism) of the blessings. Luke is the only Gospel that records this cursing section (cf. Luke 6:24-26). This is surprising, especially if Matthew is intentionally making a comparison with Moses because this pattern reflects Deuteronomy 27-28 (cursings and blessings section).

▣ "rich" The rich are singled out because of their illusions of self-sufficiency. The "woes" are a role-reversal with the "blessed." God's ways are not our ways (cf. Isa. 55:8-9). What looks like prosperity may, in reality, be a curse!

NASB"you are receiving your comfort in full"
NKJV, NRSV"you have received your consolation"
TEV"you have your easy life"
NJB"you are having your consolation now"

This is a Present active indicative. Notice the "this life" orientation (cf. Matt. 6:2,5,16) of this phrase (and of the next three woes as well).

6:25 "Woe to you who laugh now" This seems to refer to the superficial merriment related to earthly comfort. These woes are a contrast to Jesus' blessings of believers (cf. Luke 6:23).

6:26 "when all men speak well of you" This verse contrasts Luke 6:23. The theological balance to this statement is found in 1 Tim. 3:7. We are not to seek the acclaim of the world at any cost, but we are to attempt to remove any handle for criticism so as to facilitate evangelism and ministry.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 6:27-36
 ²⁷"But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. ³⁰Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. ³¹Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. ³²If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. ³⁵But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. ³⁶Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

6:27 "I say to you who hear" This is parallel to "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" of Luke 8:8; 14:35; Mark 4:9,23; Rev. 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22; 13:9. Only those who have the indwelling Spirit and are sensitive to His prompting can understand these spiritual truths because they are so different from the world's.

By using this phrase Luke shows that the target group (disciples) for these sayings (cf. Luke 6:27-38) is different from that of Luke 6:24-26 ("woe to you").

▣ "love your enemies" This whole section of imperatives deals with an attitude of sacrificial, self-giving love (cf. Luke 6:35; Matt. 5:44). How are believers to do this?

1. do good to those who hate you (Luke 6:27)

2. bless those who curse you (Luke 6:28)

3. pray for those who mistreat you (Luke 6:28)

4. turn the other cheek (Luke 6:29)

5. give away your clothes (Luke 6:29)

6. give to all who ask (Luke 6:30)

These are to be done even in the presence of abuse by others. We act in such a way because of who we are in Christ, not how we are treated. Our witness of sacrificial, self-giving love is even more powerful in the face of abuse (i.e., Christ's rejection and death).

Luke's representation of Jesus' sermon deals with social issues and concerns now. How we live as believers is crucial in fulfilling the purpose of the church (cf. Luke 24:47; Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8).

6:28 "pray for those who mistreat you" If believers take offense or try to avenge themselves, they lose the blessing, the joy, the contentment. Anger, hatred, and other emotions of the flesh can rob even believers of peace and contentment. They can also open a spiritual door for Satan to attack. We must give the pain to God. Often our love breaks down the barriers and provides an opportunity for witnessing (cf. Rom. 12:14-21).

Our forgiveness releases a joy in us and guilt in the abusers!

6:29 "coat. . .shirt" The first word refers to the outer garment, which was used to sleep in. This was the garment that one who loaned money could keep during the daytime to ensure repayment of a loan in the OT (cf. Exod. 22:25-26; Deut. 24:10-17).

The second term refers to an inner garment worn close to the skin. They were of different lengths. It would be similar to our modern underwear, including a top and shorts.

6:31 This is the universal, positive principle that goes far beyond the OT admonition of Lev. 19:18. The Matthean parallel is 7:12 in which Matthew records Jesus saying that this attitude and action fulfills all the Law and the Prophets.

6:32-34 This is a series of conditional sentences (the first is a first class; the other two are third class) that compare our love to the world's love. Possibly in our day, some other examples would be more appropriate:

1. our forgiveness and love while we are driving

2. our help given to others without demanding receipts for a tax break

3. our love and prayers for other denominational groups

4. our help in picking up the neighbor's trash that has blown in our yard without making a big deal out of it

6:35 "love your enemies" This is another present active imperative, an ongoing command to believers (cf. Luke 6:32-34).

NASB"expecting nothing in return"
NKJV"hoping for nothing in return"
NRSV
(footnote)"despairing of no one"
TEV"expect nothing back"
NJB"without any hope of return"

The New Testament: An American Translation, by Edgar J. Goodspeed, has "never despairing." This same meaning is found in The RSV Interlinear Greek-English New Testament by Alfred Marshall, p. 251.

This word is found only here in the NT. Most English translations assert that the parallelism of "if you lend to those from whom you expect (hope – elpizō) to receive" in Luke 6:34 demands a synonym (cf. Louw and Nids, Greek-English Lexicon, vol. 1, p. 357), but this is a meaning that this word has in no ancient usage.

However, the word used in the Septuagint in the sense of "to despair" or "to be despaired" (cf. Isa. 29:19; II Macc. 9:18), and also in the same sense in the Egyptian papyri (cf. Moulton and Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament, p. 56). It was a medical term for a terrible disease, gives credence to "despair."

Another option is that the phrase alludes to Lev. 25:35-36 relating to loaning money to a covenant partner at interest.

▣ "you will be sons of the Most High" We should exemplify the loving, giving family characteristics of God, not the self-centered, "me first" characteristics of (1) fallen humanity or (2) the evil one (cf. Luke 6:36; Matt. 5:45).

▣ "for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men" What an extraordinary statement! Thank God there is no tit-for-tat in Him. The only hope for sinners is the unchanging, gracious, merciful, loving character of God (cf. Luke 6:36; Mal. 3:6).

6:36 This verse is a command (present middle [deponent] imperative) related to Luke 6:32-35. We are to live out before the world what we claim to believe and affirm. Actions speak louder than words.

The adjective "merciful" or "compassionate" is used only two times in the NT (cf. James 5:11, where it also describes God, cf. Rom. 12:11; 2 Cor. 1:3), but the noun is used several times where it describes what believers should be (cf. Phil. 2:1; Col. 3:12).

There is an interesting possibility that these words of Jesus, recorded in Luke 6:36, reflect the pseudo-Jonathan Targum of Leviticus 22:28, while the parallel in Matt. 5:48 reflects the Targum from Lev. 22:27 (cf. M. Black, An Aramaic Approach to the Gospels and Acts [3^rd ed.], p. 181, which is mentioned in F. F. Bruce, The Books and the Parchments, p. 128). Jesus probably preached these sermons in Aramaic. Early church tradition claimed that "Q" (the sayings of Jesus used by Matthew and Luke) was written by Matthew in Aramaic.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 6:37-38
 ³⁷"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. ³⁸Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

6:37-39 This section deals with the same material recorded in Matthew 7, which speaks of our attitude toward others, within and without the family of God.

6:37 "Do not judge. . .do not condemn" These are two present active imperatives with the negative particle, which usually means to stop an act already in process. Christians have a tendency to be critical of one another. This verse is often quoted to prove that Christians should not judge each other at all. But, Matt. 7:5,6,15; 1 Cor. 5:1-12; and 1 John 4:1-6 show that Jesus was assuming that believers evaluate one another spiritually. One's attitude and motives are the keys (cf. Gal. 6:1; Rom. 2:1-11; 14:1-23; James 4:11-12).

The Greek word "judge" is the etymological source for our English word "critic." It seems to imply a critical, judgmental, self-righteous spirit which judges others more severely than it does itself. It emphasizes one set of sins over another set of sins. It excuses one's own faults, but will not excuse the faults of others (cf. 2 Sam. 12:1-9).

SPECIAL TOPIC: SHOULD CHRISTIANS JUDGE ONE ANOTHER?

▣ "and you will not be judged. . .you will not be condemned" Both of these phrases have the strong double negative.

▣ "pardon, and you will be pardoned" This is another present active imperative. The first two are negated, but this third and fourth are positive. Not only is the lack of judgment and condemnation crucial, but also the presence of forgiveness. This is similar to what God tells Job in chapter 42 about how he (Job) should act toward his three friends.

This verse contains a significant truth which was repeated quite often in the NT (cf. Matt. 5:7; 6:14-15; 18:35; Mark 4:24-25; 11:25; James 2:13; and 5:9). How believers act toward others is a reflection of how God has acted toward them. This is not meant to destroy the biblical truth of justification by faith. It is meant to emphasize the appropriate attitude and lifestyle of those who have been so freely forgiven. Eternal life has observable characteristics!

6:38 "it will be given to you" This is a metaphor from the commercial marketplace. Fairness and kindness result in fairness and kindness.

▣ "they will pour into your lap" Marketers in this period would often carry dry goods (grain, flour, beans) in a fold in their robe, turned into a pocket by their belt.

▣ "by your standard of measure it will be measured to you" The number of parallels in Matthew using this maxim is startling (cf. Matt. 5:7; 6:14-15; 18:35). This was a familiar cultural proverb of the day.

The passive voice verbs are used throughout Luke 6:37-38 to denote God's activity in

1. judging

2. condemning

3. pardoning

4. giving

5. measuring

How we act toward others gives evidence of our relationship to God. We reap what we sow (cf. Gal. 6:7).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 6:39-45
 ³⁹ And He also spoke a parable to them: "A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? ⁴⁰A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. ⁴¹Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴²Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye. ⁴³For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. ⁴⁴For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. ⁴⁵The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart."

6:39 "pit" This Greek term was used in the Septuagint for:

1. a grave, 2 Sam. 18:17

2. an animal trap, Isa. 24:17-18

It is only used three times in the NT. The Matthew passages (cf. Matt. 12:11; 15:14), as this passage in Luke, could refer to a ditch or well. The implication is that false teachers lead their followers to disaster and death.

6:39-40 There is some confusion about exactly how this teaching relates to the immediate context. Verse 39 is paralleled in Matt. 15:14 and Luke 6:40 in Matt. 10:24. Jesus often used the same illustrations in different ways and contexts. Grammatically the first question of Luke 6:39 expects a "no" answer, while the second question expects a "yes" answer.

6:40 Jesus lived what He taught. He was rejected in the midst of His love and ministry to the people. Jesus' followers will experience the same type of treatment in a fallen world. When we as believers (1) emulate our culture or (2) are fully accepted by our culture, that is a sure sign that we are not modeling Jesus' teachings. New Testament Christianity has never been socially acceptable. A selfish world is made uneasy by self-sacrifice and self-giving love!

NASB"has been fully trained"
NKJV"who is perfectly trained"
NRSV"who is fully qualified"
TEV"completed their training"
NJB"fully trained disciple"

This is a perfect passive participle of a term that means

1. baby chicks, old enough to be sold in the market as fryers

2. broken bones, now mended and the arm and leg can be used again

3. torn fishing nets, now repaired and capable of catching fish

4. a fully built ship, now equipped with sails and rigging, ready to sail

The term means fully equipped for the assigned task (cf. Eph. 4:12), or possibly restored to usefulness (cf. Gal. 6:1).

6:41-42 Jesus used humor and Oriental overstatement to convey the tremendously important message to religious people about criticism. This is one reason western literalists have interpreted His sayings so rigidly.

6:41 "speck" "Speck" was used by Classical Greek writers for the material that made up a bird's nest. Therefore, we are talking about bits of plant material and similar insignificant small items.

▣ "do not see the log that is in your own eye" The "log" referred to some large piece of lumber, a building timber or rafter. Jesus often used this literary form of hyperbole to communicate spiritual truths (cf. Matt. 5:29-30; 19:24; 23:24).

6:42 "brother" In this context this word could refer to

1. other Jews (cf. Luke 14:12; Acts 2:29 [cf. Luke 6:22],37; 3:17; 7:2)

2. believers (cf. Luke 17:3; 22:32; Acts 1:15; 6:3)

▣ "hypocrite" This compound word came from the theatrical world and was used for an actor performing behind a mask. It came from two Greek words: "to judge" (krinō) and "under" (hupo). It described a person acting in one way, but being another (Luke 18:9). A good example of this kind of activity can be seen in the life of David (cf. 2 Sam. 12:1-9). Jesus used this term to describe the self-righteous Pharisees in Matt. 5:20; 6:2,5,16; 15:1,7; 23:13.

This verse implies the appropriateness of believers' concern for other Christians when it is not done in a condescending, self-righteous manner (cf. Rom. 14:1). The Church has always had to spiritually examine and exhort its leadership and membership.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HYPOCRITES

6:43-45 The parallel is in Matt. 7:16,20. Our actions reveal our hearts. Our actions reveal who our true father is (God or Satan). Our actions bring consequences, either positive or negative.

6:45 "for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart" This is a powerful NT truth (cf. Matt. 12:34-35; 15:18).

SPECIAL TOPIC: HUMAN SPEECH

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: LUKE 6:46-49
 ⁴⁶"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? ⁴⁷Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: ⁴⁸he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. ⁴⁹But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great."

6:46-47 Lip service only is not the essence of true discipleship (cf. Isa. 29:13; Matt. 7:21,22). Obedience which flows from a personal commitment is crucial. Obedience does not precede grace, but it does follow after it!

6:46 "Lord, Lord" The rabbis said that the doubling of a name shows affection (cf. Gen. 22:11).

The Greek word Kurios was used in several distinct ways in the first century. It could simply mean (1) "sir"; (2) "master"; (3) "owner"; or (4) "husband." But, in theological contexts, it is usually interpreted with its full meaning derived from the OT substitution of the Hebrew term adon (owner, master, husband, lord) when reading Scripture for the covenant name YHWH (cf. Exod. 3:14). See Special Topic at Luke 1:68. In this context these men were making a theological statement about Jesus, but did not have a personal relationship with Him (cf. Matt. 7:21-25). It is difficult at this early stage in Jesus' ministry to know how much theological weight to attach to this term. Peter uses it early as a theological title for Jesus (cf. Luke 5:8), as does this verse, where Jesus links one's verbal affirmations with obedience.

SPECIAL TOPIC: APOSTASY (APHISTĒMI)

▣ "hears My words and acts on them" This parable was unique to Matthew (Matt. 7:24-27) and Luke (Luke 6:47-49). This is similar to the connotation of the Hebrew word Shema of Deut. 6:1, where the word implies "to hear so as to do." Christianity involves

1. knowledge

2. personal response

3. a lifestyle of service

It is interesting that both builders are said to hear Jesus' words. Again, it looks as if the context of these warnings is religious people who have heard and responded at some level.

6:48-49 This ending is very similar to Matthew's conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount (cf. Matt. 7:26-27).

6:48 "because it had been well built" This corresponds to "dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock." This phrase is found in the ancient Greek manuscripts P⁷⁵, א, B, L, and W (the UBS⁴ gives it an A rating). However, another phrase was taken from the Matthew parallel (cf. Luke 7:25) and very early was substituted for the Lukan phrase (cf. MSS A, C, D, and the Vulgate). Many of these scribal additions happened very early in the period of hand copying these texts. Here is a good example. Manuscript P⁷⁵ is from the early third century, while MS A (Alexandrinus) is from the fifth century.

I want to remind you that none of the ancient Greek manuscripts of the NT (over 5,000) completely agree with each other, but the differences really affect no major doctrine. The NT is the best preserved text from the ancient world. We can trust that it faithfully communicates God's truth to us who believe and obey! Within the Greek manuscripts we have the original words. Nothing has been lost! We are just not sure which reading is original.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Why does Jesus continue to challenge the religious leaders on the subject of the oral traditions concerning the Sabbath?

2. Why do the lists of the names of the disciples vary?

3. Why is the Sermon on the Mount so different from the Sermon on the Plain?

4. What is the purpose of the Sermon on the Plain in its Lukan context?

Copyright © 2013 Bible Lessons International