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Weekly Bible Study Resources

Bible Characters for Your Weekly Bible Study

Compiled by Lt Gen C. Norman Wood, USAF (Ret), Burke, VA 22015

For week of December 28, 2009 – January 3, 2010

Hopkins, E. (CS), “God’s Omnipotence,” Christian Science Journal, Vol.2 (5 April 1884), p. 5.

--To my mind, it is blessed evidence of the universal goodness and impartiality of God, that to every people and nation of the earth He has manifested Himself as Life, Truth, Holiness—Health.--There is Truth in every religious system of the world, else it would find no followers. The Truth draws men, and the "actual of being" springs with joy to greet its author, in whatever clime, or name, or tongue, it wakes to expression. --Under a clear apprehension of the intuitive truth that Life and Health are the Primal Source of being, the pious Hindu, Chandogya Upanishad, declares: "The Life of life ought to be approached with faith and reverence, and viewed as an Immensity which abides in its own glory. That Immensity extends from above and below, from behind and before, from the north and from the south. It is the Soul of the Universe. It is God himself. The man who is conscious of this divinity incurs neither disease, nor pain, nor death."

SECTION I: The Calling of Abram (Gen 12: 1, 4 [to ;]) RELATED SCRIPTURE: Gen 11:31; Acts 7: 2-4TIME LINE AND AUTHOR: Ascribed to Moses, written after the Exodus (c. 1445 BC), but before Moses’ death c.1405 BC. The event occurred earlier c.1850 BC in Ur.

Abram was still living in Ur located in Mesopotamia before moving to Haran, about 600 miles NW of Ur and 400 miles NE of Canaan.

"In what manner the call came to Abraham, whether through some outward incident which he recognized as the prompting of Providence, or through the suggestions of the Divine Spirit in his inmost soul, we do not know. Anyhow he regarded it as divine and authoritative, and it was too definite to be misunderstood." (Dummelow Commentary)

Abram/Abraham[Ā’bră hăm] (Heb. “father is exalted”)

“ABRAHAM. Fidelity; faith in the divine Life and in the eternal Principle of being. This patriarch illustrated the purpose of Love to create trust in good, and showed the life-preserving power of spiritual understanding.” (S&H 579: 10-14)

(Abbreviated)Abraham was the first patriarch and was founder of the Hebrew nation. He is “the earliest

biblical character who is delineated clearly enough to be correlated, to a limited extent, within world history. His homeland on the Fertile Crescent (possibly at Haran) and movements southeast toward Chaldean Ur, then west to Canaan and Egypt, corresponded to known Amorite migratory and commercial routes.” (Oxford Guide to People & Places) In Jewish, Christian, and Moslem tradition, he

CSDirectory.com weekly Bible Study resources http://www.csdirectory.com/biblestudy/nw-index.html1

Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — December 28, 2009 – January 3, 2010

emerges as a father-figure— dignified, firm in his faith, humane, respected by the local rulers wherever he went. He moves slowly and majestically across the Near Eastern world of nearly four-thousand years ago, from Mesopotamia [Iraq] to Egypt. The main setting for his story is the central hill country in the Land of Canaan [Israel] promised to him and his seed by God.

Abram (as he was first called) came originally from “Ur of the Chaldeans,” a Sumerian city in the Euphrates valley, near the head of the Persian Gulf. With his father, Terah, his wife Sarai, and his nephew Lot, he moved up the river till they came to rest in Haran, a trading center in northern Aram [as Syria was then called]. The family settled in this area, and here Terah died.

“When Abram was seventy-five years old, God spoke to him and commanded him to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household, and go to a new land that he would give him (Gen 11:31ff).” (All the People in the Bible) The Lord appeared to Abram and told him to leave “for the land I will show you,” where he would make of Abram “a great nation.” Thirteen years elapsed, during which Abram still dwelt in Hebron, when the covenant was renewed, and the rite of circumcision established as its sign….

Dykes, J. Oswald, “Abraham, the Friend of God.” Reprinted in the Christian Science Journal , Vol.53 (January 1936), p. 590.

--It was after his father’s death that a second and more definite call came to Abram with a magnificent promise attached to it.

• And this was the Divine intimation: “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

---Here was a threefold blessing promised—partly temporal, partly spiritual.• He was to be brought unto a land where he should make his home; he was to become a great

nation; and in and through him all the families of the earth should be blessed…He now saw in the Lord, not merely the great Creator, but also a moral Governor; he recognized His ruling Providence; he knew that it was God’s will that he should settle in the land to which he was directed, that in this new home he and his posterity should receive some extraordinary blessings, and that from his seed should spring some wonderful good to all mankind.

“From Our Exchanges,” Christian Science Sentinel , Vol.17 (17 October 1914), p. 137.

[The Watchman-Examiner]

--Amid all this bustle of commerce and riot of grossest sensualism was born and grew to manhood and mature age a man who was chosen of God to be the model for all generations of piety, fidelity, faith, obedience,—a man so intimate in his relations with the Divine. Being that he was honored with the noblest of all titles, "Friend of God." At some crucial hour in his life, under circumstances no doubt, profoundly solemn and impressive, the divine voice penetrated the recesses of his spirit, and he knew that he was "called of God." How gladly would we know when and where and how the God of glory appeared to him. But the voice came, and found an answer in the heart of this man of Ur. And at that moment the history of mankind began to move in a new channel.--The call of Abraham was one of the most momentous that ever came from the heart of God to the heart of man.

SECTION II: Moses’ Overview of Israel’s Relationship with the Lord (Deut 4: 13 he, 35, 36 [to:], 44)TIME LINE AND AUTHOR: Moses’ final days c.1400 BC.



“His death outside the land certain, Moses addresses Israel directly in chap. 4, drawing conclusions from the stories just recounted.” (Theological Bible Dictionary)

Moses

[Mō’zez] (Egyp. “extraction, a son”/Heb. “drawn from the water”)

“MOSES. A corporeal mortal; moral courage; a type of moral law and the demonstration thereof; the proof that, without the gospel, — the union of justice and affection, — there is something spiritually lacking, since justice demands penalties under the law.” (S&H 592: 11)

(Abbreviated)Moses was the first and preeminent Hebrew leader, who led the people in their exodus out of

Egypt to the threshold of the Promised Land; and he was a lawgiver and the archetypical prophet. He "is the most majestic figure in the Old Testament. His role was so central that the Pentateuch was called the Five Books of Moses, and the code of religious laws, the Law of Moses." (Who's Who in the Old Testament) For all his greatness, Moses never loses his humanness, displaying anger, frustration, and lack of self-confidence in addition to his leadership abilities, humility, and perseverance….

LAST DAYS

Moses’ Farewell Address and Blessings: In three farewell addresses, recorded in the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses recalled for the Israelites the story of their wandering; expanded their religious and legal code; and instructed them about their coming settlement in Canaan. "The song and the blessing of the tribes conclude the farewell (ch. xxxii., xxxiii.)."Smith Dictionary)Ascends Mount Nebo [west of Ammon, Jordan]: "Ironically, although Moses must certainly

be judged successful in his mission, he himself was not permitted to partake of this success; he was not granted the privilege of entering the promised land but was given a distant view of the Promised Land from Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho [eastern West Bank] across the Jordan. At this crucial juncture a new leader, Joshua, was appointed by God." (HarperCollins Bible Dictionary) “He was buried…in a valley in Moab.” (All the People in the Bible) At his death, he was a hundred and twenty years old.

THE LAW OF MOSES

"The law is a central feature of the Pentateuch and so the lawgiver assumes importance…Moses brought the law engraved on tablets and proclaimed the laws and ordinances that constitute a significant part of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy." (Peloubet's Dictionary) The Mosaic code goes far beyond religious observance in the narrow sense. It deals with political, social, and family affairs in a progressive spirit well in advance of its period….

Bauman, Mrs. Helen Wood (CSB, Associate Editor, Normal Class Teacher, and Editor), “Moses” FOR CHILDREN, Christian Science Sentinel, Vol.78 (27 November 1976), p. 2101.

--Do you know the Ten Commandments?• A man named Moses, a Hebrew, wrote them down long ago.



--The Ten Commandments are laws for governing people.• Other nations around the Hebrews had laws, but they were made up by kings, or rulers.

--Moses was the first person to show people how to worship God by obeying His Commandments.--The nicest thing about obeying the Commandments is that this helps us to live in the kingdom of heaven.--It’s important to learn the Ten Commandments and know what each one means.--We must always love Moses as the first great lawgiver to mankind.

Steiner, Elisabeth, “Sacred Covenants,” Christian Science Journal , Vol.50 (February 1933), p. 633.

--In human affairs covenants or contracts arise from the need for an established, definite procedure in the attaining to a particular result, and the agreement continues in force until the end in view has been reached.

• In order to insure results and the favorable outcome of the undertaking in question, the duties, rights, and tasks of each individual concerned are exactly designated and defined; and the participants by affixing their signatures acknowledge their acceptance of the terms of the covenant and the obligations devolving upon them.

---The parties to the agreement understand that a legal contract or covenant is under the protection of the law, and that its fulfillment can be enforced by the power behind the law.

SECTION III: Elijah Flees Ahab and Jezebel, and Hears the “still, small voice” of the Lord in the Cave (I Kings 19: 1-3, 9-12)RELATED SCRIPTURE: Ex 19:16-19; 24:17; Ps 18:7-15; Hab 3:3-6TIME LINE AND AUTHOR: "Kings was written between 561-528 BC….most likely by an unnamed prophet…who lived in exile with Israel in Babylon." (MacArthur Bible Commentary) The time of the event was @850 BC.

“One of the better-known prophetic tales is that of Elijah’s encounter with God on Mount Horeb (also known as Mount Sinai) in 1 Kgs. 19.” (Theological Bible Commentary)

Jezebel’s “religious feelings as a votary of Baal and her dignity as the queen had both been outraged by the prophet, and she at once sought revenge [v.2].” (Dummelow Commentary)

Beer-sheba [S Palestine in Gaza] (v.3) “was a sanctuary in the time of Amos, and may have been the same in the time of Elijah.” (Ibid)

"The three phenomena, wind, earthquake, and fire, announced the imminent arrival of the Lord [v.11]….The Lord's self-revelation to Elijah came in a faint, whispering voice (v.12)." (MacArthur Bible Commentary)

King Ahab of Israel[Ā hab] (Heb. “father is brother”)

(Abbreviated)Ahab was the son and successor of Omri. Ahab ruled as one of Israel's most powerful kings

from roughly 873 to 851 [BC]." (Oxford Guide to People & Places) He was the seventh king of Israel [Northern Israel; Western Jordan]. Samaria [village of Sebastyeh, Israel] was the capital city of



his empire. His history is recorded in I Kings 16. “He entered into a political marriage with Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal (Ittobaal) king of the Sidonians [at Tyre in Southern Lebanon] (I Kings 16:31) and priest of Astarte.” (Interpreter’s Dictionary) His wife and queen exercised a very evil influence over him. To the calf-worship introduced by Jeroboam he added the worship of Baal. "Ahab's foremost sin is his collusion with Jezebel in promoting the worship of Baal in Israel alongside the worship of Yahweh." (Eerdmans Dictionary) In obedience to her wishes, Ahab caused a temple to be built to Baal in Samaria itself; and an oracular grove to be consecrated to Astarte.

“In periods such as the reign of Ahab and his wife Jezebel, the worship of Baal was the state-supported religion of Israel.” (Mysteries of the Bible) Throughout Ahab’s reign, the prophet Elijah stood in open opposition to Ahab and the worship of Baal. He was severely admonished by Elijah for his wickedness. His anger was on this account kindled against the prophet, and he sought to kill him. “At God’s command, Elijah came to Ahab and challenged the priests of the baalim to a contest between Yehweh and the baalim. Ahab arranged the contest on Mount Carmel, where Elijah made fools of the Baalist priests and then slaughtered them.” (All the People in the Bible)….

Queen Jezebel of Israel[Jez’uh bel] (“there is no prince”)

(Abbreviated)Jezebel was the Princess of Tyre [Southern Lebanon], the daughter of Ethbaal, "the king of

Tyre” “(‘Zidonians’ in I Kings 16:31 is a Biblical term for Phoenicians in general) (Oxford Guide to People & Places);” and the wife of Ahab, the king of Israel [Northern Israel/Western Jordan]. "Jezebel was an ardent worshipper of Baal and Asherah who supported their worship from the throne in Israel; her name is best understood as meaning ‘Where is the Prince?,’ the cry of Baal’s divine and human subjects when he is in the underworld….Jezebel later becomes an insulting epithet for a woman." (Ibid)

“This was the first time that a king of Israel had allied himself by marriage with a heathen princess; and the alliance was in this case of a peculiarly disastrous kind. Jezebel has stamped her name on history as the representative of all that is designing, crafty, malicious, revengeful, and cruel. She is the first great instigator of persecution against the saints of God. Guided by no principle, restrained by no fear of either God or man, passionate in her attachment to her heathen worship, she spared no pains to maintain idolatry around her in all its splendor. Four hundred and fifty prophets ministered under her care to Baal, besides four hundred prophets of the groves, which ate at her table. The idolatry, too, was of the most debased and sensual kind. Her conduct was in many respects very disastrous to the kingdom both of Israel and Judah.” (Easton Bible Dictionary)

Elijah[Ē lī’juh] (“Yah[weh] is my God”)

“ELIAS. Prophecy; spiritual evidence opposed to mate rial sense; Christian Science, with which can be discerned the spiritual fact of whatever the material senses behold; the basis of immortality. ‘Elias truly shall first come and restore all things.’ (Matthew xvii. 11.)” [S&H 585: 9-14]

(Abbreviated)Elias is another name for Elijah. He was a Hebrew prophet and reformer in the northern

kingdom of Israel [Northern Israel/Western Jordan] during the divided monarchy during the reigns of Ahab, Ahaziah, and Jehoram (873-843 BC. Of all the prophets, priests, and sages in the Old Testament, none has kept so vivid a hold on the popular mind as Elijah the Prophet. Elijah, the Tishbite, was an inhabitant of Gilead, the Israelite province east of the Jordan river. He is described as



appearing mysteriously from an unknown background, fought as a soldier of the Lord against heathen gods, championed the downtrodden, performed his miracles, and vanished in a blazing chariot….

“Elijah escaped from Jezebel and her minions across the Jordan and hid himself in a desolate spot next to a stream called Cherith." (Who's Who in the Old Testament) He "is described as returning in the darkest moment of his life to the mountain of God, called Horeb in Deuteronomic style, where the theophany experienced by Moses is repeated, but with a difference: Yahweh is not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire—all manifestations of his presence in Exodus—but in the 'still, small voice' (1 Kings 19:12)." (Oxford Guide to Ideas & Issues) "Here he was brought food by the ravens and drank water from the brook until it dried up.” (Who’s Who in the Old Testament)….

Sawyer, Jenny (Staff Editor), “In the middle of the storm,” FRONTLINES: Living in Safety, Christian Science Journal , Vol.121 (April 2003), p. 16.

--There’s a story in the Bible that explains how it’s possible to feel God’s presence and love, even when everything seems scary and uncertain.

• It tells how a man named Elijah was up on a mountain.---First, there was a fierce wind.---Then an earthquake.---After that, there was even a fire.

• The Bible says that God wasn’t in the wind or the earthquake or the fire, but that after those terrible things, Elijah heard “a still small voice” (See I Kings 19:11,12).--Even though the wind and earthquake and fire seemed very big and terrible, all it took was the quiet, calm voice of God for Elijah to know that God was there.

Rodgers, Walter C. (Contributing Editor), “Listen Up!,” Christian Science Sentinel , Vol.110 (9 June 2008), p. 12.

--Listening is one of the best skills anyone can cultivate.• In any endeavor, it’s important.

---The ability to listen to your spouse is a cornerstone of a successful marriage.---Good managers hear their employees, alert for fresh perspectives.

--…the Bible is filled with examples of prayerful listeners.• Elijah heard the strong howling desert wind about him.• He heard the breaking and colliding of rocks in the mountains during an earthquake.• And he heard the roar of the fire.

---But what Elijah listened for was “the still small voice”—God speaking to him, directing him, telling him what he would do next (see II Kings 19:12).

Dunaway, Max, “Elijah,” POEM, Christian Science Sentinel , Vol.57 (October 1955), p. 1782.

Hiding in a cave I was that day,hiding in a hole made in the earth.I, who had once restored the dead to life,been fed by fowls, tasted unfailing food,overthrown false prophets, and rebuked a king—now I was hiding in a cave. My zealhad stirred the wrath of men. I did not knowthe world would rise against me as a foe.



And then God called me to the mount. I heardthe raging of a fierce, tumultuous wind,like men’s fierce threats—yet empty, without God.I saw the earth convulse in fury, which wasdevoid of God and therefore impotent.I felt the searing heat of conflagration.consuming only itself, for God sustainedit not, and the indestructible remained….

WAGERS, RALPH E. (CSB, Lecturer, Associate Editor, President, and Normal Class Teacher), “Prayer Stills the Emotions,” Christian Science Sentinel , Vol.73 (13 November 1971), p. 1981.

--Most of our difficulties involve emotional instability in some form.--…disease of various kinds are really emotional in nature, although they appear to be physical.

• It is possible that chronic ailments we endure day after day may be traced to agitated and disturbed emotions.-We may think of feeling and emotion as being much the same thing.

• But emotion appears to be a stronger term in that it involves agitation or excitement.--…agitated or disturbed emotions invariably make constructive thinking and acting impossible.--The experience of the prophet Elijah can be helpful.

• Through identifying himself with his divine source he was able to hear the “still small voice” [I Kings 19:12] and to feel the divine presence and power, which were so conspicuous in his enlightened ministry.

SECTION IV: Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman in the Synagogue on the Sabbath (Luke 13: 11-13)TIME LINE: The last months of Jesus’ ministry, 30 AD.

“This story, peculiar to Luke, recalls a similar incident in 6:6-11, at which time Jesus’ opponents discussed what to do to Jesus.” (HarperCollins Commentary) However, "it has great similarity with other Sabbath miracles." (New Commentary on Holy Scripture) “As a physician, [Luke] has an interest in and sympathy for stories about women, of which he records more than any other gospel writers.” (King James Commentary) "This story is told not so much for the sake of the miracle, as for the light it throws upon the question of Sabbath observance." (Dummelow Commentary) “The nature of the problem with the Jewish nation is illustrated by [this] incident in the synagogue. (Oxford Commentary) This was Jesus’ habitual Sabbath day practice. It so happened that these occasions became times when Jesus healed in addition to preaching. At this “midpoint of Luke, Jesus enters a synagogue for the last time.” (Eerdmans Commentary)

In v. 11 had a spirit of infirmity "suggests that her physical ailment, which left her unable to stand erect, was caused by an evil spirit." (MacArthur Commentary). However, "the story assumes a healing rather than an exorcism." (Interpreter's Dictionary) The word "hypocrite" was among the strongest ever used by Jesus. He here applies it to the whole class to whom the ruler belonged and for whom he was the spokesman--the class who are mentioned as "adversaries" in disguising their hatred toward Christ under a pretended zeal for the Sabbath. Their zeal for the Sabbath was at no time sincere, for they favored indulgence where their own interests were involved, but applied their Sabbath rules sharply where others were concerned. It was their tradition and not the Sabbath which Jesus had broken, and he here attempts no other justification of himself than to show that he is guiltless under a fair application of their own precedents. Taking their own conduct on the Sabbath day as the basis for his justification, Jesus presents three contrasts, each of which made his action better than theirs:

1. He had blessed the woman instead of an ox. 2. He had loosed from a disease instead of from a comfortable stall.



3. He had relieved a waiting of eighteen years' standing instead of one of some few hours' duration--the brief time since the watering of the morning.

He mentions the woman's descent from Abraham because, according to their ideas, it made her worthy of every consideration. In attributing the infirmity to Satan he acknowledges the action of the demon as Satan's agent. Diseases were not infrequently ascribed to Satan and the demons. The people rejoiced not only in the miracle, but in that wisdom which silenced the narrow-minded rulers.

“Here [when Jesus saw her, v.12] Jesus takes the initiative and acts unilaterally; it is not a matter of the woman’s quest and faith (contrast 8: 43-48).” (People’s NT Commentary)

"woman which had a spirit of infirmity"

“The bent-over woman demonstrates the appropriate response to her healing by praising God. But she is primarily a passive figure of inaction typical of the women in Luke, who receive healing and exorcism without any antecedent action of their own….By affirming her as a daughter of Abraham, [Jesus] is recognizing that she shares in the blessing that is promised to Abraham's children—thus her Sabbath liberation. On the other hand, the healing presupposes that she is Abraham's daughter—not that she becomes Abraham's daughter as a consequence of it. Third, Luke here provides the only New Testament evidence for the term ‘daughter of Abraham.’” (Women in Scripture)

"Imagine what it would be like not to walk straight for eighteen years. Think of how broken one would be in spirit. This woman probably had lost all hope, because her body had been bent for so long." (All of the Women of the Bible) “She was known to observe the Sabbath laws and to reverence her God.” (Women of the Passion) "Christ spoke of this crippled woman as 'a daughter of Abraham,' and was therefore more precious in His eyes than the ox or ass about which He chided the Pharisees." (All the Women of the Bible)

Periton, J. Anthony (CSB; Trustee and Manager, CSPS; Director; and Editor-in-Chief), “A scientific testing ground—and spiritual lessons of the Bible,” PERSPECTIVES ON SCIENCE, THEOLOGY, AND MEDICINE, Christian Science Journal , Vol.117 (April 1999), p. 13.

--The increasing interest today in things spiritual is becoming evident in perhaps unexpected places.--Luke, chapter thirteen, relates the healing by Jesus of a woman who had a “spirit of infirmity eighteen years.”--The Bible account makes clear that the woman was healed.

• But we don’t know, on the face of the English words themselves, much about the means whereby this healing took place.

---However, by going back to research the meaning of the original Greek texts, by using Bible reference books and lexicons and gaining a more spiritual sense of the Scriptural accounts, we can discover more of the “how” of this healing.--In doing this, we discover that this “spirit of infirmity,” which the woman had for eighteen years, was one of weakness, strengthlessness, feebleness, and frailty.

WAGERS, RALPH E. (CSB, Lecturer, Associate Editor, President, and Normal Class Teacher), “The Laying On of Hands,” EDITORIAL, Christian Science Sentinel , Vol.63 (16 September 1961), p. 1605.

--“They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover”(Mark 16: 18), declared Christ Jesus. This is a statement that needs to be interpreted spiritually to be understood. If the act is merely a religious rite or ceremony, its spiritual significance is lost.--In the context in which Jesus presented it, the laying on of hands points to the art of spiritual healing, healing on a purely spiritual basis.



--When one helps another in Christian Science, the service is often referred to as “working” for another. It means the same as praying for another, except that it involves a more scientific concept of prayer than merely pleading or petitioning….disease and sin are signs of spiritual deficiency rather than phenomena of nature--In spiritual healing, primary attention is given to the needed spiritual nourishment

SECTION V: Paul Is Shipwrecked En Route to Rome (Acts 27: 1, 2 [to ;], 14, 20-25, 40-44)TIME LINE AND AUTHOR: The Voyage to Rome occurred @60 AD. Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles @62 AD.

“Along with other prisoners Paul is sent to Rome. He is in the custody of Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Cohort, which was stationed in Caesarea about this time..” (Interpreter’s One-volume Commentary)

“This narrative is the most detailed account of an ancient voyage which we possess, and is our principal source of knowledge of the art of navigation as [practiced] by the ancients.” (Dummelow Commentary)

“The use of the pronoun ‘we’ [v.1] marks the return of Paul’s close friend Luke, who had been absent since 21:18.” (MacArthur Bible Commentary)

Paul[Pawl]

(Abbreviated)….

Voyage to Rome (@60 AD)“After appearing before the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, and before Felix and Festus at Cæsarea, he

was compelled to protest against injustice and delay (he had been a prisoner fully two years) by exercising his right as a Roman citizen to appeal to the Emperor. The voyage to Rome is told by an eye-witness.” (Funk & Wagnalls Bible Dictionary)

“Paul’s voyage to Rome was long and perilous, involving storms, shipwrecks, and encounters with enemies.” (People’s NT Commentary)

The Storm“There is now a real danger that they will be blown all the way down to the Syrtis sandbars near

the coast of Cyrene (on the north coast of Africa).” (In the Steps of Paul)The VisionThe ShipwreckOn the island of Melita [Malta]"Like the Lycaonians of [Acts]14:11, they [the Maltese] are portrayed as kindly but

superstitious folk, taking Paul's imperviousness to snakebite as an indication of divine status (v.6)." (Oxford Bible Commentary)

It was here that he healed Publius’ father of a fever….

Julius[Jew’lee us](Lat. name of a Roman clan)

“In the book of Acts, Luke pays a great deal of attention to the pagan Julius, a Roman centurion of an imperial regiment (Acts 27:1).” (All the People in the Bible) Julius was “the centurion of the Augustan cohort, or the emperor's body-guard, in whose charge Paul was sent as a prisoner from



Caesarea to Rome. He entreated Paul "courteously," showing in many ways a friendly regard for him.” (Easton Bible Dictionary)

“At Crete he did not believe Paul’s prediction of the coming storm (v. 11), but after the tempest broke he heeded Paul’s advice and kept the sailors from forsaking the ship (v. 31).” (Westminster Dictionary)

Mather, Richard (CSB), “Apostle Paul’s life and journeys—Part 2, The” BIBLE FORUM, Christian Science Journal , Vol.121 (June 2003), p. 46.

--Even in Jerusalem, Paul wasn’t totally safe.• When he was praying in the Temple one day, he was taken and beaten by a hostile mob of

Jews. He was only saved from death by the Roman cohort that took him into custody. From that point to the end of his days, so far as the Biblical record goes, Paul remained in the custody of the Roman authorities.--Eventually Paul appealed his case to the Roman Emperor, a right available to him as a Roman citizen. This made possible one more journey westward, to Rome. Filled with as much adventure as a novel, the story of this trip makes gripping reading as Paul, Luke, and others—in charge of a Roman centurion—sailed across the Mediterranean Sea.--In Rome, Paul remained under house arrest, but he continued to care for the churches through letters and visits from individual disciples.

Winegar, Mrs. Wendy Wylie (CS, Princeville, HI), “Prayer on the wind,” Sentinel, Vol.105 (27 October 2003), p. 14.

--Euroclydon was the name of the wind that threatened the lives of the Apostle Paul and 275 others during an autumn sail to Italy, in advance of Paul’s upcoming hearing before Caesar.

• The huge gale came up with no warning and tossed the ship violently in the stormy seas.---This continued, and after two weeks of an exhausting battle to save lives and the ship,

Paul came to his shipmates with hopeful news.• He told them about his most recent communion with God as he had been praying during the

storm.---He told them: [“Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from

Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul;…God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.”] Acts 27:21-26).--God is so loving and always with all of his children at all times—guiding, guarding, and governing them.

Hogrefe, Eva-Maria (CS and Staff Editor, Boston, MA), “Certainty of purpose,” FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, Christian Science Sentinel , Vol.97 (25 September 1995), p. 18.

--Wouldn’t you be eager to learn more about God if you found that a spiritual understanding of Him reveals His plan for you?

• As God is infinite, ever-present good, His design for you is inexhaustibly good.---Cherishing your relation to God brings His purpose for you to light as certainly as it

gives clear direction to thought and action.--Where did Paul’s confidence that he would arrive at his destination come from?

• It came directly from God.



---Paul, a follower of Christ Jesus, must have known that stormy seas, fear, and human will can’t interfere with God’s purpose for man.

• He must have known that God’s will blesses one and all.

SECTION VI: John Speaks of the Vision of the Glorified Christ (Rev 1: 9-11 [to :)TIME LINE AND AUTHOR: Written 93-96 AD, probably by John at Patmos, to the first-century Christians in Asia [Turkey] who were in a crisis of identity.

Patmos (v.9) is "located in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and part of a group of about fifty islands. Patmos is a barren, rocky, crescent-shaped island that is about ten miles long and less than six miles wide at its widest point. It served as a Roman penal colony." (MacArthur Bible Commentary)

“Just as all Scripture is given by the inspiration of the Spirit, so John was under the control of the spirit [v.10] when the vision was revealed to him.” (King James Bible Commentary)

John the Apostle(Abbreviated)….

“The author of the fourth Gospel was the younger of the two sons of Zebedee.” (Baker Encyclopedia) John and his father and brother were fishermen, and lived in Capernaum, possibly Bethsaida [Golon Heights of Syria], on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Although it is not certain that Salome and Mary were sisters, if it were so it would make James and John cousins of Jesus. Luke describes John and James as partners with Peter and Andrew. John, James, and Peter formed the inner circle of the disciples of Jesus. This special position seems to have caused some envy among Jesus’ other followers….

"In the reign of Domitian (AD 81-96) John was banished to 'the isle that is called Patmos' (a small, rocky, and almost uninhabited island on the Aegean Sea), 'for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ' (Rev 1:9). Irenaeus and Eusebius say that this took place near the end of Domitian's reign." (Baker Encyclopedia) He later returned to Ephesus "as the scene of his later ministrations, and it is probable that the seven churches of Asia (in the vicinity of Ephesus) enjoyed his care (Rev.1:11)." (Peloubet's Bible Dictionary) He died at Ephesus sometime after Trajan became emperor in A.D. 98….

McClure, Annie Dinsmore, “Patmos,” POEM, Christian Science Sentinel , Vol.30 (22 October 1927), p. 149.

The day I faced toward my Father’s houseI turned away from mortal blandishments,And after each day’s travel pitched my tentsToward Patmos.

This is the journey’s long itinerary:Here a friend left me; there a hope turned to dust;Here I lost treasure I had learned to trust;I parted daily from pleasure, for I mustReach Patmos….

Had I but lifted up my eyes, those bandsOf singing ones were with me all the way,



Waving above me benedictory hands;There was no need to travel burning sandsTo Patmos.

Cobham, Rosemary, “John Speaks,” POEM, Christian Science Journal , Vol.89 (August 1971), p. 424.

Yes, It’s true I wrote I was in the island of Patmos,Since that is where they exiled me;But more truly I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day—Timeless day of unfolding reality’Of enfolding Love,More real than stubborn barrenness of Patmos;Of upholding Truth,More concrete far than adamant of heartThat banished me to Patmos….

My little children,In your little Patmoses with private gloomSee heavenly city, New Jerusalem.Accept reality, coincidence of heaven on earth,And stayBathed in its sunless brilliance with me, in the Spirit,On the Lord’s day.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Bible Translations

King James Version (KJV). Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK, 1611 (1955 ed.)

Metzger, Bruce M. and Roland E. Murphy (eds.), The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV). Oxford University Press: New York, NY, 1991.

Moffatt, James, A New Translation of the Bible. Harper & Brothers Publishers: New York, NY, 1922 (1954 ed.)

New English Bible, The (NEB). Oxford University Press: New York, NY, 1961 (1972 ed.).

New International Version (NIV): Student Bible. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI, 1986 (2002 ed.).

Schuller, Robert H. (ex.ed.), Possibility Thinkers Bible: The New King James Version (NKJV). Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nashville, TN, 1984.

Scofield, Rev. C.I., D.D., The Scofield Reference Bible (KJV). Oxford University Press: New York, NY, 1909 (1945 ed.)



Thompson, Frank Charles (ed.), The New Chain-Reference Bible (KJV). B.B. Kirkbride Bible Co: Indianapolis, IN, 1964.

Today’s Parallel Bible (KJV, NIV, NASB, NLT). Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI, 2000.

Bible Paraphrased Interpretations

Peterson, Eugene H., The Message. NavPress: Colorado Springs, CO, 1993 (2002 ed.)

Phillips, J.B., The New Testament in Modern English. Macmillan Publishing Co.: New York, NY, 1958 (1973 edition).

Commentaries

Achtemeier, Paul J., Romans: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1985.

Barton, John and John Muddiman (ed.), The Oxford Bible Commentary. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK, 2001.

Black, Matthew and H.H. Rowley (eds.), Peake’s Commentary on the Bible.Van Nostrand Reinhold (UK) Co., Ltd: London, ENG, 1962.

Boring, M. Eugene, Revelation: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1989.

Boring, M. Eugene and Fred B. Craddock, The People's New Testament Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 2004.

Brueggemann, Walter, Genesis: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1982.

Buttrick, George Arthur (comm.ed., et al), The Interpreter’s Bible. Abingdon Press: New York, NY, 1953.

Craddock, Fred B., Luke: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1990.

Creach, Jerome F.D., Joshua: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 2003.

Davies, G. Henton, et.al. (ed.), The Twentieth Century Bible Commentary. Harper & Brothers, Publisher: New York, NY, 1932 (1955 ed.)

Dobson, Edward G. (cont. et al), King James Bible Commentary. Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nashville, TN, 1999.

Dummelow, The Rev J.R. (ed.), A Commentary on the Holy Bible. MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc: New York, NY, 1908 (1975 ed.).

Dunn, James D.G. (gen.ed.), Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.: Grand Rapids, MI, 2003.



Eiselen, Frederick C. (ed.), The Abingdon Bible Commentary. Abingdon Press: New York, NY, 1929.

Fretheim, Terence E., Exodus: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1991.

Gore, Charles, Henry Leighton Goude, and Alfred Guillaume (eds.), A New Commentary on Holy Scripture. The Macmillan Company: New York, NY, 1928.

Hare, Douglas R.A., Matthew: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1993.

Henry, Matthew, Commentary on the Holy Bible (in six volumes), 1706. Reprinted by MacDonald Publishing Co.: McLean, VA.

Laymon, Charles M. (ed.), The Interpreter’s One-volume Commentary on the Bible. Abingdon Press: Nashville, TN, 1971.

Nickelson, Ronald L. (ed.), KJV Standard Lesson Commentary: International Sunday School Lessons, 2007-2008. Standard Publishing: Cincinnati, OH, 2007.

MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Bible Commentary. Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nashville, TN, 2005.

Matera, Frank J., II Corinthians: The New Testament Library. Westminster John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 2003.

Mays, James L. (gen ed.), HarperCollins Bible Commentary. Harper: San Francisco, CA, 2000.

McKenna, Megan, On Your Mark. Orbis Books: Maryknoll, NY, 2006.

Newsom, Carol A. and Sharon H. Ringe (eds.), Women’s Bible Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1998.

O’Day, Gail R. and David L. Petersen (eds.), Theological Bible Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 2009..

Olson, Dennis T., Numbers: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1996.

Perkins, Pheme, First and Second Peter, James, and Jude: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1995.

Sloyan, Gerard S, John: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1988.

Smith, D. Moody, First, Second, and Third John: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1991.

Weiser, Artur, The Psalms: The Old Testament Library. Westminster Press: Philadelphia, PA, 1962.



Whiston, William (tr.), Josephus: The Complete Works. Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nashville, TN, 1998 (reprinted). [100 AD]

Williamson, Lamar, Jr., Mark: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1983.

Willimon, William H., Acts: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1988.

Dictionaries

Achtemeier, Paul J. (ed.), The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary. Harper: San Francisco, 1996.

Brownrigg, Ronald, Who’s Who in the Bible. The New Testament. Bonanza Books: New York, NY, 1980.

Butler, Trent C., Ph.D. (gen.ed.), Holmon Bible Dictionary. Holman Bible Publishers: Nashville, TN, 1991.

Buttrick, George Arthur (ed.), The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (in four volumes). Abingdon Press: Nashville, TN, 1962.

Comay, Joan, Who’s Who in the Bible: The Old Testament. Bonanza Books: New York, NY, 1980.

Evans, Craig A. & Stanley E. Porter (eds.), Dictionary of New Testament Background. InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove, IL, 2000.

Freedman, David Noel (editor-in-chief), The Anchor Bible Dictionary. Doubleday: New York, NY, 1992.

__________, Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company: Grand Rapids, MI, 2000.

Gehman, Henry Snyder (ed.), The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible. The Westminster Press: Philadelphia, PA, 1970.

Jacobus, Melancthon, D.D,, et.al (eds.), Funk and Wagnalls New Standrad Bible Dictionary. Funk and Wagnalls Co.: New York, NY, 1936 (Third Revised Ed.)

Losch, Richard R., All the People in the Bible. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.: Grand Rapids, MI, 2008. Metzger, Bruce and Michael D. Coogan (eds.), The Oxford Guide to Ideas & Issues of the Bible. Oxford University Press: New York, NY, 2001.

__________, The Oxford Guide to People & Places of the Bible. Oxford University Press: New York, NY, 2001.

Meyers, Carol (gen.ed.), Women in Scripture. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.: Grand Rapids, MI, 2001.

Peloubet, F.N., Peloubet’s Bible Dictionary. The John C. Winston Co: Philadelphia, PA, 1947.CSDirectory.com weekly Bible Study resources http://www.csdirectory.com/biblestudy/nw-index.html

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Smith, William, LLD, A Dictionary of the Bible. American Baptist Publication Society: Philadelphia, PA, 1893.

Who Was Who in the Bible . Thomas Nelson: Nashville, TN, 1999.

www.crosswalk.com, Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary.

www.crosswalk.com, Easton’s Bible Dictionary.

Handbooks

Blair, Edward P., Abingdon Bible Handbook. Abingdon Press: Nashville, TN, 1975.

Bowker, John (ed.), The Complete Bible Handbook. DK Publishing, Inc: London, UK, 1998.

Halley, Henry H., Halley’s Bible Handbook. Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapid, MI, 1927 (1965 ed.)

Unger, Merrill F., Unger’s Bible Handbook. Moody Press: Chicago, IL, 1967.

Atlases, Maps, and Geography

DeVries, LaMoine F., Cities of the Biblical World. Hendrickson Publishers: Peabody, MA, 1997 (2nd Printing Aug 1998).

Frank, Harry Thomas (ed.), Atlas of the Bible Lands. Hammond Inc.: Maplewood, NJ, 1990.

Isbouts, Jean-Pierre, The Biblical World: an illustrated atlas. National Geographic: Washington, DC, 2007.

Nelson’s Complete Book of Maps & Charts. Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nashville, TV, 1996.

Then and Now Bible Map Book. Rose Publishing: Torrance, CA, 1997.

Webster’s Geographical Dictionary. G. & C. Merriam co.: Springfield, MA, 1949 (1963 ed.).

Whitney, Rev. George H., D.D., Hand-Book of Bible Geography. Phillips & Hunt: New York, NY, 1879.

Wright, Paul H., Holmon Quick Source Bible Atlas. Holmon Bible Publishers: Nashville, TN, 2005.

Time Lines

Bible Time-Line. Christian Science Publishing Society: Boston, MA, 1993.

Bible Time Line. Rose Publishing Inc.: Torrance, CA, 2001.

Grun, Bernard, The Timetables of History. Simon & Schuster: New York, NY, 1975 (3rd ed.)

MiscellaneousCSDirectory.com weekly Bible Study resources http://www.csdirectory.com/biblestudy/nw-index.html

16

http://www.crosswalk.com/

http://www.crosswalk.com/


Andruss, Bessie Edmond, Bible Stories as Told To Very Little Children. Coward-McCann, Inc.: New York, NY, 1937.

Asimov, Isaac, Asimov’s Guide to the Bible: Two Volumes in One. Wings Books: New York, NY, 1969.

Baker, Mark (ed.), The Baker Encyclopedia of Bible People. Baker Books: Grand Rapids, MI, 2006.

Barber, Wayne, Eddie Rasnake, and Richard Shepherd, Following God: Learning Life Principles from the Women of the Bible, Book One. AMG Publishers: Chattanooga, TN, 2006 (13th printing)

Beebe, Mary Jo; Olene E. Carroll, and Nancy H. Fischer, Jesus’ Healings, Part 1. General Publications Bible Products, CSPS: Boston, MA, 2002

__________, Jesus’ Healings, Part 2. General Publications Bible Products, CSPS: Boston, MA, 2002.

__________, Jesus’ Healings, Part 3. General Publications Bible Products, CSPS: Boston, MA, 2002.

__________, New Testament Healings: Peter, Paul, and Friends. General Publications Bible Products, CSPS: Boston, MA, 2003.

Begbie, Harold (ed.), The Children's Story Bible. The Grolier Society: New York, NY, 1948.

Bible Through the Ages, The. The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.: Pleasantville, NY, 1996.

Children's Bible, The. Golden Press: New York, NY, 1965.

Click, E. Dale, The Inner Circle. CSS Publishing Company, Inc.: Lima, OH, 2000.

Crossan, John Dominic, The Birth of Christianity. HarperCollins Publishing: San Francisco, CA, 1998.

Deem, Edith, All of the Women of the Bible. HarperCollins: San Francisco, CA, 1955.

Dewey, David, A User's Guide to Bible Translations. InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove, IL, 2004.

Essex, Barbara J., Bad Boys of the New Testament. The Pilgrim Press: Cleveland, OH, 2005.

Feiler, Bruce, Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths. William Morrow (HarperCollins Publishers Inc): New York, NY, 2002.

Getty-Sullivan, Mary Ann, Women in the New Testament. The Liturgical Press: Collegeville, MN, 2001.

Great People of the Bible and How They Lived. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.: Pleasantville, NY, 1974 (3rd Printing).

Haag, Herbert and Dorothee Soelle et.al., Great Couples of the Bible. Fortress Press: Minneapolis, MN, 2004 (English Translation, 2006)

Hill, Craig C., Hellenists and Hebrews. Fortress Press: Minneapolis, MN, 1992.CSDirectory.com weekly Bible Study resources http://www.csdirectory.com/biblestudy/nw-index.html

17


Kee, Howard Clark, et al, The Cambridge Companion to the Bible. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK, 1997.

Keller, Werner, The Bible as History. William Morrow and Co.: New York, NY, 1964 (revised).

Kirsch, Jonathan, The Harlot by the Side of the Road: Forbidden Tales of the Bible. Ballantine Books: New York, NY, 1997.

Landis, Benson Y., An Outline of the Bible Book by Book. Barnes & Noble Books: New York, NY, 1963.

Lockyer, Herbert, All the Women of the Bible. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI, 1967.

McBirnie, William Steuart, Ph.D., The Search for the Twelve Apostles. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.: Carol Stream, IL, 1973.

Miller, Madeleine S. and J. Lane, Harper’s Encyclopedia of Bible Life. Harper & Row Publishers: San Francisco, CA, 1978.

Murphy, Kathleen, The Women of the Passion. Liguori Publications: Liguori, MO, 2005.

Mysteries of the Bible. The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.: Pleasantville, NY, 1988.

Schmithals, Walter, The Office of the Apostle in the Early Church. Abingdon Press: Nashville, TN, 1969.

Smith, Wilbur M., D.D. (ed.), Peloubet’s Select Notes on the International Sunday School Lessons. W.A. Wilde Co.: Boston, MA, 1943.

Snipes, Joan Koelle, Bible Study for Children. Bible Teaching Press: Shepherdstown, WV, 1999.

Tosto, Peter (ed.), Found Volumes, Version 2007 (software). www.foundvolumes.com: Marietta, GA, 2007.

Trammell, Mary Metzner & William G. Dawley, The Reforming Power of the Scriptures: A Biography of the English Bible. The Christian Science Publishing Society: Boston, MA, 1996.

Trench, R.C., Notes on the Parables of Our Lord. Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, MI, 1948.

Walker, Peter, In the Steps of Paul. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI, 2008.

Willmington, Harold L., The Outline Bible. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.: Carol Stream, IL, 1999.

Zondervan Bible Study Library 5.0., Family Edition (software). Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI, 2003.

*The weekly Bible Lessons are made up of selections from the King James Version of the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science.


http://www.foundvolumes.com/

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