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Tag: John

  • What is the Gospel? What are the Gospels?

    What is the Gospel? What are the Gospels?

    Ask five Christians,

    What is the Gospel?

    And you may hear THREE different answers, see an empty puzzled look and perhaps hear an honest, “I don’t really know; how do you define the gospel?”

    Go ahead: EMAIL ME your definition BEFORE you read the following OR add your definitive COMMENT at the bottom of this Christian Jargon post.

    Gospel & Gospels – Two Definitions

    photo of earth from the moon

    You have probably heard from one version of this Scripture:

    “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

    Gospel of Mark 16:15b NIV

    I mention ‘Gospel‘ in two different contexts here:

    1. Gospel from a quote of the risen Lord Jesus Christ
    2. Gospel identifying the written account of the disciple John Mark

    Four Gospels recorded by four witnesses

    Briefly:

    1. Matthew
    2. Mark
    3. Luke
    4. John 
    We've quoted these four writers of the Gospels many times AND we cross-reference these Scriptures in other accounts as well.

    TalkofJESUS.com treats the GOSPELS as a single category due to the connected importance of the Good News of Jesus Christ reported LIVE and IN PERSON from different perspectives.

    manger of a timeless Christ "I will be with you always even to the end of the earth

    Gospel of Matthew 28:30 – Quote of JESUS after the Lord’s resurrection.

    that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
    Gospel of LUKE 1:4
    John Mark (mentioned above) and Luke, the physician who continued his detailed account of Jesus and the early Church with Acts of the Apostles, were both gentile (non-Jewish) believers who interviewed the Twelve and other witnesses of JESUS. 

    Matthew (quoted above) and John are two of the Twelve Apostles. Jesus includes John and his brother James along with Simon Peter in the Lord's inner circle of closest confidants and friends.
    about the Author the Gospel of John - photo of quill and pen & computer talkofJesus.com
    The GOSPEL of JOHN

    Luke also introduces himself in both volumes of his accounts Luke-Acts.

    The Gospel: Definition

    εὐαγγέλιον

    Strong’s G2098 – euangelion

    a reward for good tidings

    good tidings

    And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

    Topical Encyclopedia

    The term “Gospel” originates from the Old English word “godspel,” meaning “good news” or “glad tidings,” which is a translation of the Greek word “euangelion.”

    In the context of the Christian faith, the Gospel refers to the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, encompassing His life, death, resurrection, and the promise of eternal life for believers.

    gos’-pel (to euaggelion): The word gospel is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word which meant “the story concerning God.”

    The Gospel is simple really, yet with the mysterious depth of God proclaimed as the good Word of saving sinners. 

    I have written topically about the Gospel at least twice:
    Go into all the world (and SHARE the Gospel) – 1

    (Go into all the world and) SHARE the Gospel – 2

    Further Study

    Vine’s Expository Dictionary of NT Words offers a deeper study of biblical words used in the English language. English entries are mapped to each applicable Greek root according to the Strong’s reference numbers, and include biblical usage, main occurrences in the Bible, English transliteration, and definitions.

    εὐαγγελίζω – euangelizō – verb

    Strong’s Number: g2097

    Gospel (Noun and Verb: to Preach):“to bring or announce glad tidings” (Eng., “evangelize”), is used

    (a) in the Active Voice in Rev 10:7 (“declared”) and Rev 14:6 (“to proclaim,” RV, AV, “to preach”);

    Some claiming Christ, christians or even churches, will claim the Gospel without understanding.

    OR worse, pulpits may proclaim the Gospel while hiding behind it.

    AND some christians and churches take no action at all in evangelization or preaching the Gospel to our own personal need of Christ Jesus for salvation.

    Good News before our inevitable end

    death — and the JUDGMENT of ALMIGHTY GOD!

    2025 of the Common Era seems to have begun with story after story and yet more of the continuing BREAKING NEWS of our fallen world.

    Common Era NEWS begins with the same old sins of the world wrapped in the false idolatry: MOTHER NATURE and a world out of control * and a human-created environmental apocalypse – impending DISASTER out of reach of all their hand-holding gods.

    God as provided a paradise for man but the Lord will take vengeance who will not fear the fire of His wrath and judgment. Maui fires of AD 2023 are not the Lord's first warning to the idolaters of the earth
    Fire Maui Hawaii US
    A Kurdish Syrian woman walks with her child past the ruins of the town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, on March 25, 2015. (Yasin Akgul/AFP/Getty Images)
    1945 dead slave labors
    Tens of thousands of protesters marched through the driving rain (Pic: Andrew McGowan)
    prepare for Judgment! Revelation 8:2 KJV apokalypsis of the 7th seal pictured 2 (of seven trumpets) shofars - Prepare, Christians, for Jesus' return on the clouds!
    And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound…

    .. but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He proclaimed G2097  good G2097  news G2097 to His slaves, the prophets.

    The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 10:7 LSB

    WHAT NEWS TODAY?

    How many died THIS TIME? And how many were SAVED for nothing more than BAD NEWS? (And for how long until the inevitable return of each broken body into the dust of the grave?)

    Does the world’s news end with a feel-good story? *Do YOU feel good about YOURSELF now?

    What percentage of us will die sometime soon?

    What does the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST mean to your eternal soul

    — your deeper human created in God’s image — the YOU by which so many souls you love in this world (or perhaps just a few) know you well as more than flesh and blood?

    DON’T YOU think, mere mortal, that God in his Only Son Jesus Christ enbraces and knows your soul more than any?

    Of course! the GOSPEL proclaims.

    Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out - Acts 3: Peter preaching repentance
    Repentance!

    and BELIEVE the Gospel.

    “Many false prophets will arise and will deceive man.

    And because lawlessness is multiplied, most people’s love will grow cold.

    But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

    Gospel of Matthew 24:11-13

    Talk of JESUS . com

    “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the whole world as a witness to all the nations,
    and then the end will come.

    Matthew 24:14 Legacy Standard Bible

    Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel

  • a Failure of Kings Advent 4 of Christ

    a Failure of Kings Advent 4 of Christ

    What do you think about Kings?

    • Do you have a Sovereign?
    • Would you like to follow one?

    Who is your King?

    Perhaps your gut response would be no different than that of the high priests of Jerusalem at the capital trial of Jesus.

    The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

    Gospel of John 19:15b King James Version

    You may say that WE have no religious leaders in charge of a nation. But look closer at leadership titles where you will discover priests in politics. And don’t miss some presidents, premiers, prime ministers and even kings governing as Caesars.

    Descendants of Abraham did not always have kings, nor did the kings of Israel, Judah and Judea always have power.

    a reminder of Roger@TalkofJesus.com

    a glance at kings of the Promised Land

    Previously we witnessed pre-history as a timeline, essentially beginning again from the restoration of life at the time of NOAH.

    Now is the Time Christmas Advent 3

    Which kings in history have been successful and which kings were a failure?

    TODAY, before we proceed to the recognized historical kings of Israel let’s also consider others from the Mosaic record.

    kings and princes mentioned by Moses

    mālaḵ verb, מָלַךְ

    Strong’s H4427 in the following manner: reign (289x), king (46x), made (4x), queen (2x).. more

    And Bela the son of Beor reigned H4427 in Edom: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.

    • KINGS of cities (or later City-States in places such as Greece)
    • Perhaps Prince would fit better.
    • Or maybe, Mayor? (But they were military generals as well.)

    meleḵ מֶלֶךְ

    The KJV translates Strong’s H4428 in the following manner: king (2,518x), misc..

    That these made war with Bera king H4428 of Sodom, and with Birsha king H4428 of Gomorrah, Shinab king H4428 of Admah, and Shemeber king H4428 of Zeboiim, and the king H4428 of Bela, which is Zoar.

    Genesis 14:2 King James Version

    These are just a few of the kings who made war. (That’s what Kings tend to do.) Therefore, Abraham (a Prince without a city. So like these kings and generals he was treated as a king when he helped them win a battle.

    And Melchizedek king H4428 of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

    14:18 וּמַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיָיִן וְהוּא כֹהֵן לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן׃

    Melchizedek NOT just the mayor of Jerusalem or a mere Prime Minister or even Prince (as Abraham was generally treated) — the כֹּהֵן – kōhēn – Priest of ʿelyôn ‘ēl –

    THE MOST HIGH GOD לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן׃

    IF in this 21st century of the Common Era WE independent evangelists (who know nothing of kings) attempt to compare Abraham, Melchizedek, David or Solomon to any common Caesar of this day,

    or

    IF WE anoint JESUS with simply the same royal title of any King (such as Charles),

    THEN WE miss many overlapping roles of Sovereignty the Lord God gave to these men

    AS WELL AS equally important roles of the Christ our High Priest and our Prophet dismissed and diminished by the common Caesar’s of these last days.

    Roger@TalkofJesus.com

    Kings of the Promised People

    kingdom Saul David Solomon & surrounding kingdoms of Ammon, Edom and other gentiles

    From a promise of the LORD to Abraham, a king without a country,

    to David conquering King uniting twelve tribes, Solomon son of David built the Temple and an Empire.

    You will be as familiar with the Dan to Beersheba borders as me.

    Additionally you may have discerned that Solomon conquered to the north beyond Damascus as far as Tiphsah on the Euphrates River [1 Kings 4:24].

    Solomon a distant memory of success

    The Jews of Jesus’ incarnate days had visualized their glorious past in the empire of Solomon. These contemporaries of Jesus nostalgically recalled Solomon as a Caesar of Israel in his time.

    From ~989 B.C. until his death in ~931 B.C. Solomon’s influence extended even into all the nearby world.

    Centuries of Failed Kings Before Christ 
    We still have not reached the center of all history and the Advent of the Messiah of Israel now to be predicted by the Prophets. 

    Keep in mind that now Israel and Judah will have separate kings eventually overruled by conquering kings.

    King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh [king of Egypt]—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women.

    2 These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.”

    1 Kings 11:1-2 BSB

    Christian preaching makes much of monogamy here while ignoring common customs of marriage alliances between political rulers of nations through intermarriage. Yet the LORD had forbidden it.

    And incentives inviting our cultural bias against the True God of Israel continue as a leaven diluting a Common Era Church to this day.

    Frequently forced alliances led to the fall of Israel [722 BC] and decline through gradual apostasy compromised Judah just a century later [606 BC].

    esile to babylon

    606 B.C. Some captives taken to Babylon. (Daniel included)

    597 B.C. More captives taken to Babylon. (Ezekiel included)

    586 B.C. Jerusalem is destroyed by fire.

    Kings of Chosen Captives

    Without dwelling on all the kings of both Israel and Judah who ‘did evil in the sight of the LORD,’ we’ll move forward to those left powerless by defeat and the refining of the Lord our God.

    2 Kings 17 – Failure of Israel

    3 Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria.

    And Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year.

    Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.

    Egypt's king (not so much a god and Pharoah to an Assyrian king) wouldn't help Hoshea out of his political servitude to Shalmaneser king of Assyria. 

    Does this king's representative vassal relationship sound somewhat prophetic of a later Herodian whoredom with Rome?

    Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it.

    In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria…

    2 Kings 17:5-6a ESV ~724BC -722 BC

    Meanwhile, back in Judah

    Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. He remained faithful to the LORD and did not turn from following Him; he kept the commandments that the LORD had given Moses.

    7And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him. 8He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, from watchtower to fortified city.

    2 Kings 18:5-8 BSB

    • 701 B.C. 200,000 of the inhabitants of Judah captured by Sennacherib
    • 621 B.C. Nineveh, Assyria falls to Babylon and Media (the Medes)
    • 586 B.C Judah falls to Babylon, the rebuilt Temple destroyed and captured families of the leading Jews led captive to Babylonia
    esile to babylon
    Flight of the Prisoners, Artist: Tissot, Photographer: John Parnell, Photo © The Jewish Museum, New York

    600 years Before Christ, No more Kings of Israel;

    No King of the Jews in Jerusalem!

    Hope only for a few

    Biblical Foundations of Freedom

    The Prophesy of Isaiah, with some familiar to Christians as prophesy foreseeing the Messiah born in Bethlehem of Judea (formerly Judah), is set earlier than what we have just read in the context of the divided kingdom.

    Isaiah 10:

    Here in part is Isaiah’s and the LORD’s lament:

    11 ” ‘..shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images

    as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?’ ”

    19 And the remaining trees of his forests will be so few

    that a child could write them down.

    22 For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness.

    Two mote Empires (Before Christ & Rome)

    For those who like me may have occasionally fallen asleep in history class I'll make this rise and fall of three Empires brief.
    • a remnant does return to Jerusalem and rebuilds its wall and Temple
      • 536 B.C. Cyrus the Great permitted the return. 49,897 Jews returned from Babylon to Jerusalem.
    • 516 B.C. The temple was completed. source
      • (Jerusalem will later get a Governor, Nehemiah and a Priest, Ezra),
      • But still no King since they are subjects of Persia.
    If not a king, how about a Queen?

    And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

    Esther 2:17 KJV

    Yet Esther becomes co-regent of the Medes and Persians [~478 B.E.] not simply a small remote city of Jerusalem.

    • Malachi’s prophecy likely came sometime after the ministry of Nehemiah around BC 458-445.
    • Malachi is the last prophet to speak before Christ.

    Before Caesars, Greeks

    The advent of Christ takes place in Judea and beyond, documented in Greek texts as was the whole New Testament. Persia.

    323 BC world map of Alexander the Great

    It’s a period of some 400 years Before Christ.

    Jews from Persia in the east, in Samaria to the north and even west as far as Rome became divided in their interest in the Bible given by Moses and the Prophets.

    Thanks to Alexander the Great, the nearby world of the Herod’s and Jews spoke Greek (not Hebrew or certainly not the Latin of Rome).

    In the timeline of all history Rome’s consequent defeat of other kings, princes and generals after Alexander’s death and division of yet another Empire would set the stage for the birth of a King from before all time born into it in a little Judean town unnoticed by a vassal King appointed by Caesar, a king of a captive Israel actually raised in distant Rome.

    These centuries of ADVENT lead up to a glorious day central to all of history and all of mankind.

    NEXT: Christmas 2024 of the Common Era, God-willing

  • Advent 2 of Christmas Evangelicalism

    Advent 2 of Christmas Evangelicalism

    Advent

    ‘Advent of what’ we ask?

    Advent time unpacked nativity set boxes

    a Nativity Scene on the mantle for Advent and our annual Christmas feast?

    A COVID Christmas – Shall we take Jesus out of the box includes history of Christmas in the U.S. December 1, 2020 C.E.

    “Before what?”

    Last time in our ADVENT 1 post from this 2024 Common Era series, we asked:

    Can we comprehend a time Before the first Christmas?

    The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

    And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

    Genesis 6:11-12 KJV

    Command of the LORD & promise of a Covenant

    “But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark.. Genesis 6

    “I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” – Genesis 9

    READ MORE about God’s covenant with Noah

    Ark Encounter full-size replica of Noah's ark built to Biblical specs

    IMAGINE the historical NOAH preaching to a corrupt church about this ADVENT of the Last Days when JESUS will return to judge creation with fire and fellow sinners sitting right beside you at this year’s Christmas program.

    The chosen Before Christ

    A PERSONAL interaction between the Creator and Living God of timeless eternity and a created son of Adam and NOAH.

    Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who died? and the prophets died; whom dost thou make thyself?’

    Jesus said to them,

    ‘Verily, verily, I say to you, Before Abraham’s coming — I am;’

    excerpt from Gospel of John 8: Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)

    AFTER this unique time of ABRAHAM Before Christ,

    • Judah (and Israel) had yet to be conquered, named, lost, regained and renamed over centuries of the chosen sons of Abraham.

    Chosen for Covenant and Curse

    FROM the LAW of Moses 
    for the generations of the LORD's chosen; 
    administered by Levite priests (sons of Jacob, Isaac and Abraham:

    Additional Blessings of Obedience

    • “You must not make idols for yourselves..
    • You must keep My Sabbaths
    • and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD.
    • .. and I will establish My covenant with you.

    How are you doing with your obedience:

    • youthful christian Swifty?
    • Sunday morning NFL evangelist?
    • Latte listeners of amplified praise?

    Punishments for Disobedience

    If, however, you fail to obey Me and to carry out all these commandments, and if you reject My statutes, despise My ordinances, and neglect to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, then this is what I will do to you: … Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you.

    18 And if after all this you will not obey Me, I will proceed to punish you sevenfold for your sins. 19 I will break down your stubborn pride…

    And YES,

    (You know some of the long history of God’s chosen)

    it gets worse from here even BEFORE Christ.

    YET could the LORD’s prophesy apply even to US?

    Our sin and disobedience continue into these Common Evangelical post-Christian times — (notably by some adopted in Christ Jesus).

    The Advent of Defeat

    You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.

    Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. “For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.

    Deuteronomy 7:2b-4 NKJV

    • But if your heart turns away and you do not listen.. – Deuteronomy 30:17a
    • Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” – Joshua 24:22
    model of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem

    Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. – 1 Kings 11:11-12 NKJV

    King Solomon (the Preacher) & Sin

    But King Solomon loved many foreign women.. from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.

    ..  his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.

    א מְלָכִיםא (1 Kings) 11:1-3 excerpt

    All this took place a millennium BEFORE the Common Era centered around the very incarnation of JESUS CHRIST.

    Failed Kings Before Christ

    Saul, as most of us know, failed in disobedience to the Lord’s word through His Prophet Samuel.

    Even David was a failed king, but he repented of his sin before the Lord and publically in sight of Israel.

    To name just one king of Israel or Judah who did evil in the sight of the Lord, Ahab (and Jezebel) come to mind due to their zeal to destroy God’s Prophet Elijah.

    Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.

    Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

    1 Kings 16:30,32 NKJV

    So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.

    READ the compelling contest for your own clarity of faith.

    And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions?
    If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”

    But the people answered him not a word.

    1 Kings 18:21

    Advent of a Common Era

    “How long will you falter between two opinions, twenty-first century C.E. christian?

    Roger@TalkofJesus.com

    In this traditional Advent season of these last days we anticipate more than simply celebrating Christmas in the year of our Lord (A.D.) 2024.

    For the similarities of centuries of evil times Before Christ bring to mind our own disobedience to God’s will.

    Our incarnate redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man: And NOW celebrate Him in a manger, though our Savior was sacrificed on a Cross for repentant sinners – sinners who love babies and good gifts, even while we fear DEATH and judgment.

    SO what does Advent mean to YOU? And how will YOU evangelize Christ our Lord in these brief days before our ever-popular CHRISTmas celebration?

    Talk of JESUS . com

    Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel