OUTLINE of a Scriptural path toward Christ’s walk to Gethsemane, Calvary, beyond Bethany and anticipating the Lord’s return in glory in these last days.
The liturgical season of Lent although having no Biblical requirement has always been a reflective time for me. I have provided some glances back for any who have not followed Talk of JESUS in previous Lenten seasons.
This YEAR – A.D. 2025 to most of you (2025 C.E. to most of our unbelieving world) – I wanted to lead you through some Old Testament Scriptures looking through Jewish eyes (yes JESUS and EVERY Apostle was Jewish). You may glance at a HEBREW organization of the BIBLE below which orders and groups our O.T. Books differently.
G_d only knows how many of the 40 days of Lent I will publish, but each will likely be briefer than my usual 5-minute READ.
Finally, beloved brother or sister in Christ,
IF you look for a connecting thread between these O.T. Scriptures and Christ you may discover a faithful Jewish thread of contrition not seen in the Gospels except in the Person of Jesus. (Think of Gethsemane, now.. and follow Him along the narrow path.)
Won’t you pray for me and comment here encouraging all?
Roger Harned – Author and Site administrator, Talk of JESUS .com
a picture of LENT from AD 2014
Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
This phrase refers to the entirety of the Hebrew Scriptures, known as the Tanakh, which is divided into the Torah (Law), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings).
In the context of Matthew 22:40, “the Law and the Prophets” is a shorthand for the Old Testament.
This is our chief aim, the unconditional love of the Father given to us through his Son. Affection, friendship and romantic love are each the training ground for charity to grow. It’s also a rival to the three.
Even with a half-dozen mentions of the agape love including definitions last time, as you can see from Lewis’ quote this is a fruit of a higher UNCONDITIONAL LOVE – a gift of God the Father through Jesus Christ.
The KJV translates Strong’s G26 in the following manner: love (86x), charity (28x), dear (1x), charitably (with G2596) (1x), feasts of charity (1x).
From ἀγαπάω (G25)
We also followed a relational connection between some of ‘The 4 Loves’ last time, but let’s see some of the connecting branches of the love agape as well.
ἀγαπάω (G25) – agapaō
verb
The KJV translates Strong’s G25 in the following manner: love (135x), beloved (7x).
You may say, ‘God is love,’ a use of agape as a noun; but the relational verb for love — agapaō requires an action of personal relationship.
The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
First Letter of the Apostle John 4:8 LSB
a LOVE of persons OR of things
of persons
to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly
of things
to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing
Lewis also cautions that these could become idolatry as well, rather than the intended love of God the Father through His only Son Jesus Christ.
Root Word (Etymology) Perhaps from agan (much) [or cf φιλέω (G5368) phileō, also a verb to love or to kiss ]
We certainly cannot avoid the worldly love-connection to the idolatries of Eros attributed to the genuine signs of affection the Lord and Apostles modeled for the saints of our local churches.
The KJV translates Strong’s G5384 in the following manner: friend (29x).
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Strong's Number G27 matches the Greek ἀγαπητός (agapētos), which occurs 61 times in 60 verses in the MGNT Greek.
Outline of Biblical Usage
beloved, esteemed, dear, favourite, worthy of love
God the Father, Jesus and all the Apostles use it.
Peter, for example:
Therefore, beloved G27, since you are looking for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our beloved G27 brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, \
I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved G27 children.
Therefore, my belovedG27, flee from idolatry.
Therefore, my beloved G27 brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
“always connotes the ideas ofinvisibility and of power. ..it is in fact an after-Pentecost word.
the activities Godward of regenerate men are ‘spiritual sacrifices,’ 1Pe 2:5; their appointed activities in the churches are also called ‘spiritual gifts,’ lit., ‘spiritualities,’ 1Cr 12:1; 14:1;
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words Adjective Strong’s Number: g4152 Greek: pneumatikos
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
I want to begin HERE by proceeding with the Apostle’s letter to the church in Corinth because SPIRITUAL GIFTS seem not only mysterious, but frequently misused in preaching and therefore confusing to Christians growing in our faith.
So in addition to working our way through 1 Corinthians 12 we will also examine and hopefully clarify the context of these spiritualities of which the Apostle writes throughout his epistle.
The Corinthian connection of Spiritualities
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.
You know that when you were pagans, to mute idols you were led, as being carried away.
Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking in the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed,”
and no one is able to say, “Jesus is Lord,” if not in the Holy Spirit.
Ignorant?
21st century Common Era christians don't use such offensive self-evaluation of ANYONE in our church, do we? Yet the Apostle Paul did in asking church members to examine themselves.
We may eventually acknowledge what we formerly did not know or did not understand. But how we avoid confession of current err and continuing sin.
Yet the Apostle consistently corrects the Corinthian church in these things pointing to Christ in a Spiritual sense:
For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them, and the rock was Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)
Now to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit, for the common profiting.
For truly, to one is given a word of wisdom by the Spirit, and to another a word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, and to a different one faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another working of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another distinguishing of spirits, and to a different one various kinds of tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues.
Now one and the same the Spirit works all these things, apportioning individually to each as He wills.
From his call by Jesus Christ after the Lord's resurrection and consequent authority 'through the will of God' the Apostle Paul will proceed to instruct Christ's body (the Church, as he will illustrate) in the humility and nature of the gifts of their spiritualities.
And God G2316 hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Throughout his letter Paul reveals the unseen unfolding mysteries of Christ through the Spirit of the Triune God.
The Corinthian saints are no more like the communities in which they live who have spiritualities of their own.
Were the communities and spiritualities of Corinth so different from our own 21st century C.E. gatherings and communions which include all with great diversity, yet with considerable ignorance of the Spirit?
And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
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