The sixth reading in chapter one of our texts Pursuing Happiness, edited by Matthew Parfitt and Dawn Skorczewski, presents material translated from The Gospel of Matthew. I studied sources to find out more about this ancient text, and in the paragraphs below. I am going to talk about to whom the book of Matthew written to, who was Matthew as an apostle, and what he accomplished by his gospel. Matthew was one of the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus Christ himself and is the first Chapter in the…
When John is baptizing The Lamb of God accompanies him and he knows this because he sees “the Spirit coming down and resting” (John 1:33) When he sees this in John 1: 29 he says, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” A lamb embodies moral characteristics that we can compare to Jesus. Jesus spends his time on earth doing all his deeds for our Father God. Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice by God, and for all of us. Jesus is the Lamb of God, he holds the characteristics of a…
I read the book of Mark annually when going through the Bible with my Sunday school class but I’ve never done a deep review or study of this book. For me Mark has always seemed a little less organized then Matthew. Mark provides an excellent resource of for information of the things that Jesus said during his time on earth but for me I generally reference the other gospels more frequently then the book of Mark. Now after reading it again and remembering that Mark was with Peter and Paul I’m…
Jesus of Nazareth is most likely the most influential man of all time. The majority of events in the common era- which began with his birth- can be considered a result of his life. As the founder of Christianity, he has had billions of followers throughout the past 2000 years. The Bible- which contains four accounts of his biography- has been published more than any other book. His life and influence has lead to the founding of nations, the composition of songs, and the writing of many, many…
The stories of Jesus are represented through the four New Testament Gospels: Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. Each Gospel emphasizes on particular principles that represent Jesus differently. Jesus is seen as the suffering Messiah in all four Gospels, but each Evangelist puts in his own intake, hence expanding on the original Markan portrait of Jesus. The writers of the Gospels give their own theological assertions, and understandings, which in effect creates a new portrait of Jesus for each…
In the begging of chapter three in the Gospel according to Luke the message of John the Baptist is presented. In the first fourteen verses of this chapter, the author tells the story of John the Baptist and what he is intending to do with his ministry. Many come to him to be baptized and with every type of person, John has a message. This message is still appropriate to us in this day and age. He calls us all to “Prepare the way for the Lord”! Before this passage can be analyzed it is imperative…
Introduction Making disciples is the overarching purpose of the church. However, many churches struggle with understanding and fulfilling the true meaning of Christian discipleship in individuals’ lives. This writing assignment will attempt to expound on several significant aspects of discipleship. The importance of the centrality of Jesus Christ to Christian discipleship will be detailed. Also, obedience to the directives of Christ and submission of particular areas of one’s life will be…
includes the Gospels According to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as the first four books, and they offer the most significant source of the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. Though there are some similar stories related to Jesus in these books, the four Gospels give four distinctive accounts of Jesus ' life, earthly ministry, teaching, and resurrection. Among these dissimilarities, one most obvious and principal difference is the record of Jesus’ genealogy. Both Matthew and Luke offer the family…
Christianity and Judaism was a big deal in Roman and Greek culture during the period of the New Testament. Religion seemed to be the center of many conflicts and separation between civilizations during this time. The birth of Jesus brought in a lot of controversies within Hellenistic cultures and therefore we see many influences of the new covenant in several of the sculptures and art work created by Greco-Roman artists. Going to the Getty Villa, I was able to find many connections between the…
Joshua’s Message to Auburn and the Modern World Joshua, written by Joseph F. Girzone, is a modern day parable. The story is set in the city of Auburn, New York, and focuses on the religious opinions and impact of Joshua, who is new to the town. Through evidence in the text, the reader can conclude that the character of Joshua is supposed to be Jesus in his second coming, which allows the reader to understand the reasoning behind his message. In Joshua: A Parable for Today, Joshua communicates a…