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.
Premise: The Apostle Paul likely received one or several letters to which the Apostle responds with Epistles to several churches and certain important persons.
Who wrote to the Apostle Paul?
Think about this —
Paul and other Apostles come into your town or city, proclaim some Good News, build a church of Christ followers, establish some local leaders. AND then after some time these missionaries leave to go somewhere else into all the world.
ACTS of the Apostles details some of these encounters which occur after numerous encouraging visits of various apostles sent out to them.
Many apostles and letters communicate Good News of one faith in Christ for all the world.
Although we have no preserved documentation of any messages or letters delivered to the Apostle from the Gentiles, I suspect that Paul perceives a crisis of faith in the churches of Galatia — a crisis conveyed to him by faithful disciples of the risen Christ and perhaps even believers considering IF they should abandon The Way of the Lord for a more prevalent cultural Judaism.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The Apostles, including the Twelve and Paul, James and other church leaders communicate in person and by messenger by the Spirit who has sent them out into each mission.
Who are the Galatians?
In Paul’s day, the word Galatia had two distinct meanings. In a strict ethnic sense, Galatia was the region of central Asia Minor (modern Turkiye) .. a Celtic people who had migrated to that region from Gaul (modern France) .. (in) 25 B.C. when Galatia became a Roman province, incorporating some regions not inhabited by ethnic Galatians (e.g., parts of Lycaonia, Phrygia, and Pisidia). In a political sense, Galatia came to describe the entire Roman province, not merely the region inhabited by the ethnic Galatians.
Paul founded churches in the southern Galatian cities of Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (Acts 13:14–14:23).
You will recognize these Galatian cities from Paul's early missions into all the world.
WHY did Paul write to the Galatians?
Regardless of who founded any of the Galatian cities in the A.D. first century Roman Empire, every town had an ethnic challenge common to all churches established by the apostles in every Roman province.
Proselytes – Judaizers fleeing Persecution for the Cross of Christ
The covenantal culture of the Jews opposed the pagan practices of peoples of other cultures. SO the Jews insisted on certain traditional identifications of Jewish men such as circumcision.
Even as Paul, Barnabas, Silas and other apostles had encountered opposition from Jews seeking their own disciples, so had the Lord Jesus.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
Gospel of Matthew 23: 15 LSB The Lord Jesus Christ describes the culture of Judaizers rejecting their own Messiah
An Apostolic Urgency to Write to the Galatians
PAUL must urgently address the concerns of those men in Galatia struggling in the faith
AND like all Christians, pursued by the Jews.
TWO QUESTIONS HERE:
WHO represents the earthly authority of GOD?
IF it is CHRIST, what is PAUL’s authority over the JEW and non-Jew?
Later, I will get to a Twenty-first century C.E. challenge
of this AUTHORITY in Christ which has now challenged the Church for some 500 years.
How will the Apostle answer?
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”
The Apostle begins his Epistle to the Galatians by firmly establishing his authority and leadership of the churches.
Paul, an apostle—not sent from men
nor through man,
but through Jesus Christ
and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead—
and all the brothers who are with me,
Pretty convincing.
Paul opens fire against familiar enemies of Christ (Judaizers).
6 I marvel that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel, which is really not another, only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
Paul clearly states that the Galatians must choose:
– between him as a representative of God the Father and Christ Jesus OR
– teachers of a false and distorted gospel
(which is not good news but a Jewish tradition chained to the Law and regulations of the flesh).
Paul defends not only his credentials and calling by Christ, but once more presents his case of Christ’s freedom to these gentile believers caught between the Gospel and the yoke of the Judaizers.
2:17 But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.
PAUL goes straight to the QUESTION of deceitful men claiming a GOSPEL other than Christ crucified and risen -- Judaizersseeking to lure these Galatian Christ-followers back to a Law of social Judaism.
3 O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
THEN the Apostle clearly asks these men of the church a key QUESTION of their calling.
2 This is the only thing I want to learn from you:
Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law,
or by hearing with faith?
“The righteous shall live by faith.”
What does Paul seek to prove here refuting Judaizersrequiring circumcision of gentile proselytes?
And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying,
“All the nations will be blessed in you.”
Galatians 3:8 LSB
The Apostle QUOTES Hebrew SCRIPTURE from BEFORE the LAW.
“By Myself I have sworn, declares Yahweh, because you have done this thing and have not spared your son, your only one, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.
“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have listened to My voice.”
LATER comes THE LAW of Moses by which the Christ was crucified on a Cross as a redemptive Sacrifice for our sins. (It was NOT ONLY for the Jews, but for ALL the seed of Abraham — every sinner.
The Apostle makes further legal arguments and adds an allegory comparing:
The Galatians and every other culture encountered by the Apostles —
~ ano Domini 49 – 50
~ A.D. 49 Paul has just written to the Galatians out of the Apostle’s concern for their failing faith being replaced by a false gospel.
NEXT: Paul will also write to the THESSALONIANS out of his same love for the children of Christ Jesus the Apostles have led so far.
WHERE could other gospels lead these Christian flocks of the Empires?
A fall of Rome, a division with an Orthodox New Rome (Constantinople) and Western father of Bishops and Princes competing for pawns of populace.
New temples built as CATHEDRALS for poor pilgrims to look up to God and well-mannered robed men who could actually READ the Holy Bible of God…
And then printing presses and challenges by Reformers pointing to Scripture in place of the yoke of Law and even Church law.
In my heart reigns this one article, faith in my dear Lord Christ, the beginning, middle and end of whatever spiritual and divine thoughts I may have, whether by day or by night.
This, of course, was where we left Thessalonica with Paul, Silas and Timothy last time in v. 10a
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
Acts of the Apostles 17:11 – English Standard Version
12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.
13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds.
14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there.
A Brief Stay in Berea
Luke, as you can see, covers this apostolic visit to Berea in just four and a half verses. And from their arrival [v. 10b] until Paul’s hurried departure [14a] even less time and scripture.
Yet hardly a Protestant Church lacks a “Berean” Bible Study or group of some sort (even those churches lacking a Berean store front to bring in believers of the Bible).
Mount Olympus and Berea near base of Olympus Mountains
Although the drama of Paul in this place was most brief, the mythical influence of the ancient Greek gods of Mount Olympus impacted nearby Berea. Olympus is a familiar stage of the Hellenist culture of all Greece.
The Clash of Titans and Cultures
ALEXANDER – the Great Macedonian
The former classical glory of Alexander’s empire had faded into a Hellenist culture for nearly four centuries and was then absorbed into a modern Roman culture of the A.D. 1st century.
As Rome’s Caesars sought to conquer the vast lands ruled by Alexander they discovered that the same ancient Babylonians, Medes and Persians to the East had all been influenced by the Hellenist culture of Alexander.
A Pax Romana created a culture of peace with Rome’s captive peoples and incorporated their gods and traditions into local practice.
41 foot tall statue of the god of gods Zeus
The cultural clashes between Jews, Greeks and other Hellenist-influenced peoples of the Roman Empire are inevitable, undeniable and central to Paul’s proclamation of the Gospel to Greeks.
No better place than Berea near Mount Olympus to set the stage for the world into which these apostles have been sent to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
What is Luke’s point in Acts 17:11?
FIRST, what it is NOT:
The Scriptures here are NOT the New Testament (which will later include two letters of Paul to to the Thessalonians).
And although like in OTHER Jewish synagogues Paul undoubtedly had proclaimed the Gospel to these Jews AND probably shared the letter from the Council of Jerusalem with believers, the SCRIPTURES referenced here were EXCLUSIVELY ‘Old Testament’ similar to earlier preaching of Peter, Paul, Stephen and others connecting it all to Jesus the risen Messiah of Israel.
Nobility
Why does Luke refer to these Jews as ‘more noble than those in Thessalonica?’
(After all, Paul will later write two encouraging letters to those in Thessalonica and the Epistles do NOT include a single correspondence to Berea.)
Let's take a 'Berean' examination of the Scriptures illustrating Luke's meaning.
“noble” occurs 18 times in 16 verses in the ESV, yet only 7 times in 7 verses in the KJV.
Hear, for I will speak noble things,
and from my lips will come what is right,
for my mouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
Proverbs 8:6-7 ESV
Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?
Jeremiah 2:21 KJV (after the LORD asking Judah in v.11:
Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods?
Luke, using Greek also common to Macedonia’s Roman rulers uses the word εὐγενής, meaning, ‘more noble-minded.’
Nobility refers associatively to a higher class; kings, princes, the well-born of certain families.
(Remember that Roman, Hellenist or Greek and Eastern cultures included many slaves as well; although Christ taught that more slaves than rich would follow the righteousness attached to nobility and ‘leading Jews.’)
Paul later addresses two Roman Governors as ‘most noble’ when addressing them.
It is this same meaning attached to the Greek women of high standing [v.12] as well.
Why are they more noble-minded?
Rather than being dissuaded by cultural arguments of leading Jews who rejected Jesus the Messiah of Scripture these Berean Jews examined what Paul had taught from the Scriptures.
Luke also records an attitude perhaps equally important to new Christians receiving the Word, who was and IS and will be, the LORD God of the heavens and earth.
“they received the word with all eagerness.”
Your Savior from sin and death, the Messiah of Israel will be the judge of ALL men. JESUS saved you!
The Macedonians of these towns and cities who examined the true witness of the Hebrew Scriptures and obeyed the guidance of the Council of Jerusalem formed a strong, vibrant, and spirited church who witnessed the Good News of Jesus Christ to all the Hellenists, Romans and anyone else who believed.
Paul’s briefer stay in Berea
14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea,
Christians generally note the moving on of the apostle Paul to Athens and what will become one of his most important speeches. However here we will continue our focus on the work of two remaining apostles sent out to Macedonia, Silas and Timothy.
Timothy and Silas in Berea
.. but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens,
and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.
While the Berean brothers helped Paul to flee the Thessalonian Jewish posse, Silas and Timothy stayed on (as Paul and other apostles had done in the past) to organize this church who studied the Scriptures daily.
Once arriving in distant Athens, Paul then commands them to return home and send Silas and Timothy to continue their journey later when they too will finally arrive from Macedonia NOT in Athens, but in the larger nearby city of Corinth.
When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
![The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was a giant seated figure, about 12.4 m (41 ft) tall,[1] made by the Greek sculptor Phidias around 435 BC at the sanctuary of Olympia, Greece, and erected in the Temple of Zeus there. Zeus is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion](https://talkofjesus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Le_Jupiter_Olympien_ou_lart_de_la_sculpture_antique.jpg)
