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Week #4: Week of January 31st click here to revisit intros to previous weeks Luke Luke was a Gentile and had the distinction of being the only New Testament writer who was not a Jew. As a Gentile (a non-Jewish person), Luke’s gospel is targeted primarily to Gentiles. Note that in Luke’s genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3 is different from Matthew’s in Matthew 1. Matthew traced Jesus back to Abraham because it was important for him to communicate to Jews that Jesus was the promised Messiah from the line of Abraham and David. But Luke traces Jesus all the way back to Adam. Why? So, that Gentiles can see that Jesus died for everyone from the line of Adam (everyone in the world) – not just Jews. Note that in Luke, Jesus talks more about women and the poor than in any other Gospel writer. Luke is clear that Jesus is empowering to women and compassionate to the poor. Mary is emphasized more in Luke whereas Joseph is emphasized more in Matthew. Also note that in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew when Jesus gives the Beatitudes (Matthew 5) Jesus says blessed are the “poor in spirit” but in Luke when Jesus gives the Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6 Jesus has a slightly different message and says blessed are the “poor.” Jesus gave two different sermons, but Matthew and Luke chose to record different ones. Although they were both concerned with both spiritual and physical redemption, Matthew was more focused on the spiritual and Luke the physical. Remember, Luke is also the author of Acts, and the Gospel of Luke is book 1 with Acts being book 2. Luke was a physician (which might explain his passion for what Jesus said about physical pain and suffering) who traveled with Paul on many of his missionary journeys. Also note as you read Luke – the special emphasis on prayer. Jesus is continually getting away from the people and commotion to find a secluded place to be with God and pray. If Jesus needed that on a continual basis – how much more do we need it? 2 Corinthians Paul stayed longer with the church in Corinth than he did in any of the other churches he started. As a result, his letters to this church are very personal and straightforward. It was in 55 AD (25 years after Jesus’ death) that Paul learned that things were not all well in Corinth and wrote to the church there from the city of Ephesus. Paul is very personal and straight-forward in this letter because he new the people of the church so well (contrast with Romans where he didn’t know them well at all). Paul wrote several letters to Corinth (at least 4). Remember that his letters existed on scraps of papyrus and it wasn’t until 90 AD that they were all collected together. So, some authors believe that part of Paul’s letters to the Corinthians got thrown in together when they were copied. In 1 Corinthians 5:9 Paul refers to a previous letter he wrote to the church. Some scholars believe it is lost. Some believe that part of it is contained in 2 Corinthians 6:13 – 7:2. (Remember, originally there were no verses and chapters – just Paul’s writings grouped together.) Then in 2 Corinthians 7:8 Paul refers to a previous “severe” letter that he wrote. Some scholars believe it lost – others believe it to be 2 Corinthians 10-13. Discussion Questions The Temptation of Jesus (Luke 4) 1. What is the significance of Jesus being tempted
after He had fasted for 40 days?
1. What is the relationship between God’s
ability to comfort us and our ability to comfort others? We are the Temple of God (2 Cor. 6: 14-18) 1. What is the difference between being yoked with
unbelievers and having relationships with unbelievers? No Longer Under the Law (Galatians 3) 1. What question does Paul ask in verse two and
why is this so crucial?
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