Better late than never (i hope)

I had car difficulties which made this even later than normal. Anyway, I really was not sure what to expect from this class. I had heard horror stories about everything from the seminar to how tough the paper would be. I admit it was challenging but I enjoyed getting a more indepth look at the gospels and how Jesus' life was during those times. I don't think I've been in a class where everyone was so willing to ask questions and start discussions. Nor have I ever really seen so much out of class discussion.

I feel like as a group we bonded closer together in our search to discover some more of the hidden mysteries of the Bible(a little gushy i know). I know that i will look back on these days during seminary and be glad that i was pushed academically and spiritually for I know it helped to prepare me. I will recomend this class to anyone I can but not without adding a few "horror" stories about it as well. It's been fun guys and I will miss this class(i can't belive i typed that) see ya'll around.

The Grand Farewell

Well, I finally got this thing to work again maybe. Had to create my account again. Well, to tell you the truth most of the words were well above my head. I really think that Greek is fasinating and I am really thinking seriously about taking the class just for fun, but then again I think it is kind of scary diving into a completely different language. It looks really cool though. I have thought about things in the New Testament that I really don't think I would've thought about had it not been for the fact that I am in Dr. Foster's class this semester. Dr. Foster, you are a great teacher and I was glad for the scheduling screw up so I could be in this class. They are definately a class of deep thinkers. So deep, in fact, that I thought about bringing waders to class sometimes. Sarcasm ain't it great! Thanks to my classmates for their grand advice at times it is greatly appreciated.

I am always that last one

Well I will finish this blog out a day late. Thought about not doing it after I forgot, but wanted to anyway. The question that was posed is, "What has this class taught me? What have a learned? What experience have i gained from this class?" This class was great. I remember my thoughts from the end of last semester after I pre-registered and I remember saying, "A Foster class....thats gonna be freakin' hard." Well, he lived up to his expectations. But it was an enjoyable discipline because it helped me in getting more precise in understanding text, and it gave me new insight on who Jesus truly was. The Gospels are some fascinating texts that I feel I have underminded for many years because I felt that they were not able to give me the meat that I desired, but they have done that and then some. I have learned a lot from this class about myself in particular. It has been a great help to me and I appreciate Dr. Foster for teaching this subject matter to us.

semester reflection

By far, I think this class is the climax of the Biblical study courses. So, maybe Life of Christ should be a 4000 level class. I enjoyed the challenge to read the synoptics over and over again. As a result, I know more about Jesus' ministry than I've ever known before.

My paper proved to be another climax for me. It was, by far, the longest one I've ever done, and it incorporated a little of everything I've been taught during my Williams career.

I also appreciated Dr. Foster's teachings more than before. Sometimes it seems as though the biblical training, I've recieved here, leads to a level of fatalism and stagnation of the biblical text. Dr. Foster, however, breaths life back in to it with excellent applications and a level of mysticism. By mysticism I mean that the scripture with proper application should lead to changes in people's life. After some of my classes, I walked out feeling that professors here doubt its power to change. They probably don't believe that, I just misunderstood them.

So, in conclusion, I'm glad I took the class and appreciate it.

The semsters closing and I have learned more than I'd expected from my time spent in Life of Christ. The group seminar that I missed out on was actually a favorite of mine. Although I missed the Friday night, I was able to make up the hours and compare or parallel the Antiochene Gospel to the Gospel of Mark. I was able to pick up on some passages that were left out from Mark.

I'm not saying that I could have remembered more, but there was alot of Mark missing in the Antiochene Gospel. I'm also very glad to have my first NIV commentary. I would like to complete the set one day because from Garland I was able to pick up on some things that I never thought of before. For instance, his take on Jesus blessing the children helped me realize that we should not hinder the young from accepting Jesus at an early age. I've really enjoyed reading the text and the lectures weren't too bad either. Just kidding. Dr. Foster's the best.

Happy Times!

The thing I enjoyed most about this class was ironically the thing I dreaded most. I really enjoyed the class seminar. I realized how important it is to not only read the gospels, but to learn them as well. If I had been in charge of writing the gospel account, I would have done a horrible job. But thankfully this class is full of really intelligent people, some more than others, so I was able to gain some of their insight.
I have also come to the realization that I will never even begin to understand who Jesus is. When I began this class, I literally thought: “I know Jesus, I have studied him my whole life. What else can there possibly be to learn?" How stupid was I. I have been looking at Jesus through my eyes all this time and this class has helped me view Jesus through they eyes of others.
On a side note: I realized how much I did not know about writing in Turabian until I tried to write for Dr. Foster.

Stay Home & Eat All The 'Freakin' Chips Kip!

First of all, a personal note to Dr. Foster--"You will never, never, never, never say bad things about my mother!!!" I have really enjoyed Life of Christ this semester. The atmosphere of the class is extremely laid back and easy to enjoy. I've laughed a lot. I've cried a lot...O.K. not really(only a little bit, when Billy and I pulled an all-nighter at IHOP studying for our first exam. it was terrible, lots of coffee gives me the runs). One thing I will certainly miss is the email of the weAk! Although we weren't consistent with handing them out, the one that I received for commenting on Charles' boogers has effects still rippling in my life. In evaluating the class, the email of the weAk is the only thing I would do different. For a word of advice concerning this issue, I have been forced to consult a very wise consultant, Pedro. In his words, "I would like to see more of that."

On a more serious note, studying the life of Jesus is the best study one could do. I have learned things I probably never would have if it were not for this class. I have been challenged to ponder passages in the Gospels that I have casually skimmed over in the past. My goal after taking this class is to make my life match up to that of Jesus' (within reason of course). I want to be more like Him. I want to do things He did for people. I think Dr. Foster did a great job at teaching such a profound subject as the life of Jesus Christ.

I'm Gonna Miss Adam Breckonridge and Dr. Foster's Mom

Tears come to my eyes when I think about the times in class that Adam and I laughed at Dr. Foster together, when we worked on our paper together, when I did every bit of his Turabian on his paper, and the times that we have come to the computer lab to do our Blog. Adam, friend, spiritual mentor, and brother, I love you and I will miss you.

Now about the class. I have enjoyed this class and the things I have learned about Jesus. We spent time on theories and different ideas about things, but I think my favorite part was the lectures through the Biblical text. I liked the way we sat down, opened the Bible, and listened to Dr. Foster. He does a great job at expounding on the text. I gained new insight on things like the history of events in the Bible, the disciples, the Pharisees, and Jesus' ministry. There is much more than that, but these are the ones that I realized the most about. I gained insights about my life, about IHOP at 2 in the morning, about chickens, about excrements, about Mrs. Foster's (Dr. Foster's mother) dislike of homosexuals, and about double-licks. It was a great year. I never got the email of the week, though, and that hurts.

Who is this man?

One of the greatest lessons I learned during my time in Life of Christ is that I can never even come close to understanding who Jesus is. When entering the class I was so excited thinking that I would learn many amazing things about Christ (and that I have). However, at the duration, I feel that I actually know a lot less about Christ than when I entered.

This is not troubling to me. In fact, it opened my eyes. I got the opportunity to look into the life of Jesus from the eyes of the disciples, the Pharisees, and the healed. I realized that Christ’s character has to be the hardest to classify because just as the Father he is infinite in a finite shell in the Gospels. This realization made through experiencing the Jewish cultural norms, mind frames, and customs has been the most enjoyable aspect of the class to me. I also thoroughly enjoyed Garland’s commentary, which not only brought out the message of Mark, but also reinforced it through application. The tool of the Contemporary Application has helped me to insert the teachings of Mark into everyday life.

It's over...(Teen Girl Squad voice)

There were many things I enjoyed about this semester. I will probably never forget the seminar. I realized the importance of reading the bible and scripture memorization because if I were asked to write an account of Jesus' life before this class it would have probably been a very poor account. Now if I were to write one, it would look a whole like the book of Mark. I wonder why? Oh now I remember because we had to read it 3 times and almost the complete NIV App. commentary on it. I am not complaining though. I got alot out of the readings. It helped to understand things better. Such as the time, customs, beliefs, etc... of the Second Temple Jewish world that Jesus lived in.

I also learned about the "person" of Jesus. I never looked at the Gethsemane agony as in Jesus didn't want to die. For some reason that never clicked with me until now. Another thing that Dr. Foster pointed out is the irony in the crucifixion narratives. They were mocking Jesus by bowing in front of him and calling him the King of the Jews when in fact that is really who he is. I really enjoyed this class, except for being in the dungeon at 2:00 in the afternoon. Overall it was a good experience and I'm sure that I will take what I have learned in this class about the life of Christ and present it in other ways during my ministry.

Looking Back

When I registered for this class during last semester, I was excited. I thought, finally I'm going to learn more about Christ and less about all the "other stuff" in and around the scriptures. But at the same time I was scared because it was an upper level Foster class, which I had previousley been warned to stay clear of. I have discovered that all that "other stuff" is what brings the Bible to life, so that we can understand more about Christ and other scriptures. Yes, I already knew that one must understand the context of that the scriptures were written in order to interpret them correctly, however, this class has helped me to realize this fact even more.


This class has been challenging, but I have learned alot. I had never studied any of the gospels at length, just certain passages. Studying Mark has been very rewarding and has helped me to gain a better knowledge of who Jesus was.

The seminar

I have really enjoyed this class. It has challenged me to where you really have to keep up with the reading in order to understand what is going on in the class. It is a shame that we are having to hurry through Matthew and Luke, because I really like reading and studying through the book of Mark.
My favorite part of the class was by far the seminar. My family was in town that weekend and I don't get to see them very often so I was a little upset about having to sit in a classroom for 7 hours. After I got there I became more interested in the task that was to be completed and those 7 hours flew by. I learned more here when we had to tell the stories by our memory. I would love to see something like this in my future ministry classes.

Research Paper Comments

Doing a paper on the history of the Jewish people prior to the time of Christ through the time of the apostles was one of the best learning experiences I have had since being at Williams. Prior to doing this paper I never really considered all the different things going on in the history of the time of Jesus outside of what we learn in the bible. The wonderful thing that can be learned when you look at history outside of the bible context is that you begin to understand the what is going on in the bible by leaps and bounds. I never took into consideration that Jesus was talking about anything other than messages being sent from God to the people, but when you understand all the historical references he uses and the predictions of what was to come for the Jews, it confirms that much more the vast amount of wisdom that Jesus had. It also confirms that Jesus was God, because only God could have known everything that has been and is to come.

The paper also help me to understand about other characters in the biblical text as well. The way in which Pontius Pilate governed and the paranoid behavior of Antipus can be understood that much more if viewed from a historical perspective. The actions of the Pharisees and other Jewish philosophies make more sense when you have studied the history of their groups and how they functioned amongst the people. The Jewish people are better understood in general when you look at the history of how they have been treated, misled by some of their own people, and their cultural beliefs. I have learned overall that if you do not study the history around the time of the scripture that you are looking at, you will never get the full scope of what is going on in the text. I have been taught this lesson out of books by teachers before, but doing it for myself has been by far a better learning experience.

Sweet It's Over

As this semester is coming to an end, and looking back at all that we have covered in this difficult but yet at the sametime very fun class. I have learned how to understand the context of the Bible better. I have more respect for the authors of the Gospels, and see where each one of them is alike but yet different at the sametim. Each Synoptic also has it's own main focal point.Thorugh the seminar I really learned how diffuclut it is to write the GOspels, and it also showed me how much I know but at the sametime, how much I don't know the Scripture and the order of the Scripture as well as I should.
It is kind of strange how you learn things about what you already knew and things that you didn't quite see before clearer. This class was very challenging and some of the readings were difficult for me to grasp at times, but the lectures were pretty straight forward. I learned so much about the disciples and their lack of understanding though they were with Jesus every single day. Through my research paper I learned that the whole point that Jesus is trying to make the whole time is that the Pharisees were not worshipping God with their hearts , but with their words and they only did this for show. It was the heart that defiles a man not food put into the body. I also enjoyed the dicsussion on the Last Week that we went through in class

WHAT I'VE LEARNED

This semster going into life of christ I went in expecting very little in my mind I thought I've been in church my whole life what more is there to learn. This class has shown me how wrong I was. Since I've been in this class I've gained further insight of Jesus and his life on Earth.

The things I learned in this class were in this class were, how we can use history of around the time to help us get a better understanding of the time. Books that I never thought would even relate to Jesus and his time I have know found insight in. Such as the Maccabee's these books I once saw as a waste of time to even read I know see as a tool to learn more about Christ.

Something else this class has made me learn is how little I realy knew about the Bible. When we had to retell the story of Jesus for our class project without using a Bible. I relized that without my Bible with me at all places I don't know half as much about the gospels as I thought. This class has encourged me to rego through the gospels and dig deeper and keep learning because you never will fully know everything.

Time to Move On

It is time to move on. I have really enjoyed this challanging class. It has not only brought me closer to my Lord, but also to my husband. All semester, I would read something assigned and run to him to say "Did you know?" and he would laugh and say "Why, yes.". The research has given me more courage to look for answers on my own. I had not used my husbands library much and was amazed to find ten books in it I could use in my paper. The class was far from boring, and the presentation to the point. My son said, "Mom, I thought I would take a nap. You know he would make a good Sunday school teacher. He's interesting." It takes a lot to keep James'attention.
The different veiws of Mark, Matthew, and Luke gave me insights about Jesus' humanity,love, and deity I had never considered before. Though the smallest details little light bulbs went off in my head. Critisms I agreed with and those I disagreed with brought new meaning to my own believes and afirmed my faith to a stronger stand.
I was lost at times, but it was nice to be able to ask questions and not be redicued for being a dumb woman. Thank you, Dr. Foster.

All my bags are packed and I am ready to go...

This semester has been a great learning experience for me, even though at times I would get down by not keeping up with the 100 pages of reading a night, it seemed like. I have really been encouraged by the requirement to read the Word as many times, especially now, when I cannot get myself into the Word. Sometimes using force is good. I have learned so much about the life of Christ that has yet to be brought out when I have studied scripture.

I also really enjoyed the few lectures dealing with textual criticism and the ending of Mark. It really helped to position me in the way that I felt about the issue. Thanks, Dr. Foster for helping me better understand.

The seminar was an excellent experience that I felt brought us, as a class, into a better understanding of the gospels.

When I am hungry for the word now, I will now be able to curb my appetite with a delicious Markan sandwich.

This semester my mind was invited to go on a roller coaster ride by taking this class; and I am grateful that I have hung on till the end....hard stuff, yes....important, absolutely.

What I Learned

Life of Christ has had its many up and downs. Sometimes it felt like a harder NT survey class, but at other points it was very interesting. So, what have I learned during this time? Well, I have gained a new respect for the people of the time. Once I thought that they had to be stupid for not recognizing Jesus as the Christ right away, but after looking at the people and their understanding of things I have coming be more respectful. Their views were challenged and they reacted in a normal human way. Thank goodness though that some took the time to actually listen.

Also, I knew that there were a few intercalations in Mark, but never as many as we went over. I now have a better understanding of some of the passages in Mark thanks to Dr. Foster pointing the intercalations out. This is a very interesting tool of Marks and I am glad that he put it in his writings. Over all this was a very good class.

The Great Things I learned this semester

As I sit here typing on what I have learned this semester and what I thought of the class, I first think of how knowledgable Dr. Foster truly is. He is a wonderful teacher and I truly enjoyed taking the class this semester. Before the semester started I was nervous that the class was going to be too hard, but so far everything has turned out okay. I have come out of this class with great knowledge that I might would have never gained if I had not taken the class.

I loved how Dr. Foster made the class real and fun. One could start with the seminar project that we did. That was probably one of the top experiences of the semester. Who knew that we as a class could sit down a write a pretty good gospel. I dont believe it should be canonized, but it was still pretty good. Anyway, I have also enjoyed blogging at times. I enjoyed getting to read what other people in the class thought, when I had time to read them all. I believe the class was a wonderful experience and I can honestly say that I will come out of the class with a greater understanding of the Life of Christ.

What I Have Learned

Dr. Foster's knowledge and ability to help me understand new concepts of Biblical truths has given me insights to religious detail and has enlightened me thoughout my studies. I am pretty simplistic; and, all I knew was God and Jesus. I did not understand "religion".

I have enjoyed the "Life of Christ" class; and, I have learned much. I have learned that animals can be possessed; that the "heart" is the "mind"; and, that you do not get a Markian sandwich at a deli. My favorite learning experience was the seminar and having the fellowship of my brothers and sisters in Christ. It was rewarding to feel God's presence and the love of God. Also, the intense devotion to the Gospel, and the desire to accurately spread the good news of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour.

In my paper I discussed the first passion prediction in the Gospel of Mark and how it foreshadows the meaning of discipleship. In addition, the meaning of the death of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark is a reflection of the meaning of dicipleship. Dicipleship means to deny self and follow Jesus. "Self denial is the opposite of self-affirmation, of putting value on one's being, one's life, one's position before man or God, of claiming rights and privileges peculiar to one's special position in life or even of those normally believed to belong to the human being as such" The first passion prediction began to unveil the mystery of the Messiah as the suffering servant; and the disciples began to understand new concepts of the Messiah and the meaning of discipleship.

Alas, the End of Euthus

Through our countless hours in the sauna that is the upper room at 2 PM on Mondays and Thursdays, we have covered everything from the intercalation to the incarnation. I might be tempted to write about how I learned something profound from an esoteric article in DJG or perhaps from a particularly pertinent passage from Garland, but I cannot in good conscience say these things truly affected me all that much. The one thing I have no choice but to write about concerns my new acquisition of deeper understanding. Not that I have learned every little fact, but that I truly understand the authors of the gospels better.

Through the seminar I learned just how difficult it must have been to compile oral traditions that may not be in complete agreement with each other. I considered how difficult it must have been to express these timeless events in a timely fashion in a way that people could understand. Through our study of the text and my individual research for the paper, I more thoroughly understand that the Pharisees that I have so often dismissed as blind, spiritually dead individuals are not all that different from us--sometimes even the things we think are "hills worth dying on" are not all that significant in the long run. Through our study of Mark, I saw with new eyes the Jesus who could perform any miracle yet remained silent and endured suffering; I saw more clearly that the One who made the world and all that is in it accomplished more by doing nothing (not avoiding the cross) than any of us could ever do by exerting every ounce of energy we possess. Most importantly, however, I truly saw the cost of following Jesus--everything. If I do not remember anything else from this course, I will remember that Mark tells us what we must do to be true disciples.

This semester...Its been great!

This semester has been all I had hoped for from this class. The seminar was great, definitely a "must do" for following classes. Being reminded to read critically may prove to the most lasting impact on me. The notes on the material covered and the new references (cited by Dr. Foster) will doubtless become part of my library. Being exposed to the insights of individuals like Wenham and Walton, and Garlan has been challenging and enlightening. Being in ministry for almost half my lifetime now, I had become too comfortable with the scripture. This may be especially true with the Gospels. Frankly, I've read them several times, taught many lessons, and preached many sermons from them. As embarrassingly arrogant as it sounds, I felt that there surely wasn't that much left to be learned out of them. Yet, as God's Word always does, it exposed itself to me in new ways, and regularly sent pains of conviction through me reminding me of my finiteness. God's Word is awesome. Nothing moves me as it does!
I must take just a moment to say how much I enjoyed my paper (did I really just say that?!). Again, I am forced to make an embarrassing admission. I had never researched the concept of faith. My paper was to look at the relationship of faith and Jesus' miracles in Mark's Gospel. As I dug into the material I discovered I must first get an idea of what faith is, or more accurately, was to Mark. There's no way I can began to give even a synopsis here, only a challenge to others to research this. The insight gained is worth every minute of research! I'm very grateful for having the opportunity to explore this. I have taken on boldness in my belief and how it is expressed in my lifestyle as a result.
Lastly, a quick word to Dr. Foster. I know he doesn't want this to be a cheerleading session so I will simply say, Great job, you presented new, challenging, thought provoking material to us as students that is (or will be) imperative to us if we are to be involved in ministry! After all, I think if we are honest as ministry students, that's what we really expect of our ministry classes here at Williams. Thanks.

What I learned this semester...

It's difficult for me to pinpoint one specific thing I learned this semester. I was definitely reminded that I can never read the Word too much. I've read through the Gospels several times before, but have learned so much more through my reading of the Scripture for this class. Reading the Bible out of obligation (because it's the "right" thing to do as a Christian) usually doesn't provide the insight into what the Scripture is actually saying as when you read because you want to know what it says. The seminar, as so many others have mentioned, was a humbling reminder of how little I actually know about the Word of God.

Possibly one of the coolest things I learned was how each Gospel writer had a specific intention in their writing. Matthew, Mark, and Luke each had a different view of what Jesus' life and death meant for their readers. (Before this class, I thought, rather ignorantly, that each gospel writer just recorded their personal witness of Jesus' life differently.) Doing a little more study into Mark, I enjoyed seeing how he portrayed Jesus as the "Son of God." As I continue to study the books of Matthew and Luke, I anticipate what I'll learn about their Christology.

Semester

This semester I have learned a lot in Life of Christ more than I actually thought I would. I have learned that too often I generalize scripture. Sometimes I look at a text and think that this is just the story of Jesus walking on water or Jesus feeding the five thousand. I think since I pretty much know the story there is no reason to dig deep to discover any more meaning.
I have learned that I really have to watch out because I can confuse different gospel accounts. The seminar was really humbling because it showed me how much I really know about the gospels off the top of my head. I have learned that I am never done studying and searching the scripture for answers. This is a lifelong process and at the end of my life I still will not know all that I should about the Word of God. I have learned to rely on God and trust in him when I do not know the answer.

God had a plan of Love to be fulfilled through his Son!

This semester in Life of Christ, I have learned that Jesus deserves much more respect than what we give him. His Love for us is stronger than any other. He went through much suffering, rejection, and affliction so that we might live forever. We will never be able to know just how bad it was. While working on my paper, I found that the Father called his Son into the world to be his disciple. The way that he followed his Father was an example to the world of how to be a true disciple. Three things are required of a disciple: first we must deny ourselves, second you must take up your cross, and finally follow him. These three things have a lot of meaning to deny oneself requires total submission to the King; taking up the cross requires commitment even to death; and following him means we should follow his example. Jesus was the true disciple by showing his Love to us by death on the cross. A part of the class that I learned quite a bit from also was the Seminar. Through it I learned that I needed to spend more time studying the word.

SOTM

The sermon on the mount is difficult; I think we've established that. Maybe the summation of why this teaching so difficult could be found in verse forty-eight of the fifth chapter: be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. Wow! What an admonishment! As we discussed in class the sermon on the mount seems impossible. Many have tried to make it fit some other time. "Maybe it's sometime in the future," some may say. Yet, to me, what is most remarkable about this passage are the words written right before Jesus began to teach: "He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying..." Jesus was teaching the that crowd, so it seems to me that this must be a teaching that applied to them. Notice all of the times Jesus says you, speaking to those peaple as he teaches. I'm not sure about it all, but if Christ taught these things, we need to strive to follow them. Hopefully the discomfort we feel when we read this passage will not lead to complacency but to true righteous living which our Father desires from those whom he has chosen and set apart.

What do we have in common with a kiss and rooster?

In mark 14:43-52 one will find the passage when Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss and the guards captures him to be crucified. Also in Mark 14:66-72 one would find the passage about peter deny Jesus three times before the rooster crows twice. When i read this passage it only makes think about my own life and how i do the same thing that these two men did. I often find myself thinking that my story could be told about how many times i chose to do something that was not right and it affected my witness for christ. Yeah we might not come out and purposly betray Jesus or even say we will not deny him. But so many times we do because the choice we make and the way we chose to live our lives. So many times we fit in with the kisses of Judas and roosters of Peter. Judas was asked to betray Jesus and peter was told that he would deny Jesus. Let me ask you a question, What is our lives saying about Jesus? Are we like a kiss or a rooster crowing.

Blessings in the Greek World

I thought it was interesting that the DJG states that the Greek blessings reveal what was valued and what was thought to make for earthly happiness: a loveyly bride, excellent children, moral rectitude, wisdom, wealth, honor and fame. (pg. 78) Jesus said blessed are the poor in spirit, the ones hungering and thirsting for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers.

I believe that when the Greek speaking people heard Jesus speak, they had radical thinking regarding what they would achieve or have in obedience to Jesus.

Sermon on the Mount discussion

Our discussion in class today has left my head spinning. I've read the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew many times before, and also have been convicted at my inability to live up to Christ's standards in this passage. Yet today, after discussing the issues scholars have faced when dealing with this passage, my mind has not reconciled the tension. In fact, I think I'm more confused at the difficulty of Jesus' sayings now than before I entered class today. It would be easy for me to say, "I don't know what to think" and leave it at that. Yet, if I can't apply it to my life, then what's the point of Scripture?

arguments with Mark

After we have finished Mark, probably the biggest thing that I have seen from this book is all the arguments with Mark. The book started with arguments about the authorship with Mark, and finally ended with arguments with the ending. I can really see why Dr. Foster did not want to teach another class on the Gospels because of the way that nothing really gets solved you just have alot of arguments.

dou*ble take\-n :a delayed reaction to a surprising or significant situation after an initial failure to notice anything unusual

Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees you will not enter the Kingdom. Can you imagine anyone more righteous than the Pharisees? They kept all of the law, flawlessly. How could any of us be more righteous than them?

Thank God (literally), that we do not have to be better than the Pharisees in that respect. The people of that day looked at the Pharisees as the holiest of People. It was absurd that Jesus would tell them to be better than the holiest people around. Jesus was offering a kingdom that the righteousness that they were currently seeking, that of the Pharisees, was not adequate enough for entrance. Jesus wanted an inner righteousness, based on faith in the Word of God, and then the outward expressions would be real.

We can be (act like) as holy as we want to, but unless our heart is right, it means nothing to God.

Mark's Ending

The ending of Mark is a diffiult subject that may not every be known. There must be some reason for not being able to get it. The one that I think is best is the long ending because that is what God has inspired because that is what he allowed translater to write. If it was the wrong one would it be in scripture today. I don't think it would because God would not allow flaws to be in his word, for he would not want any one to be confused. I think that maybe thologians have made it harded to understand than what it should be.

Mark Chapter 16

Since I ever remember reading the gospel of Mark, I've always wondered about the "the earliest and best manuscripts do not contain vs. 9-20" statement in my Bible. Now that I understand the main reason this statement is added, I can safely say that the added scripture, although not as early as the other writings, nor is it in any way, shape, or form A Markan style of writing, is truly blessed by God. Otherwise we would not see it in our New Testaments. God allowed these later writings to be added in His Word for the reader to have some sort of closure on the whole situation. Having Mark end with the women being afraid might not have been the best way to end the book, but it is necessary to know that it is the end of Mark's writing.

Practical Behavior

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus gives us kingdom-of-God ethics (Wen & Wal p.217). The disciples are called to live as children of God. They are called to love, depend on God's grace, and ask for forgiveness when they fail. I like the way Wen & Wal explained that Matthew, in his Gospel, sees practical behavior as "of vital importance for the Christian disciple." We, as children of God, are called to live a practical life. We are to do this by loving others, even our enemies. Is this something we're good at? We are to fully trust and depend on the grace of God in all situations. Is this something we do? And we are to ask and seek forgiveness from our Father when we fail. Do we do this sufficiently? Interpreting the sermon on the mount can be difficult. But one thing which can surely be learned and applied from this very profound teaching from Jesus is "live practically!"

Marky Mark!!!!

If you have coem to this post thinking that it was going to discuss former boy band members then you have been mistaken. I do find , however, that boy bands are an essential part of the growth of the American economy, but that is another subject for another time.

Mark, I like this guy a lot. Througout this semester we have seen this instense view of what is going on inside the writing of this Gospel. It has facinated me to no end to take a book and give it this much time and study. And even to the part of describing the ending. What is the real ending of Mark? That's a good question. I have asked myself that before when learning about the idea that there is a longer ending to Mark. And the conclusion that I have come to is that Mark was under the spell of a potion when he wrote this and that is what came out. Well, thats not true at all and I hope that no one really believes me. One thing I do think though is that if Mark did not write the longer ending, then I still think that it is okay within the text. I think even with an ending not of Mark's writing, God can still use it. If the ending was cut short, then God can still use it. I guess in a way that is the awe inspiring beauty of God. As critical as it may be, I don't honestly think that Mark wrote this ending based on the evidence that I have so far seen. But I am interested to study it and see what my own personal findings bring to mind. Again another place, another time.

What do we do with it?

In class on Monday, we discussed the possible views for looking at the different endings in Mark. I believe the information that we covered in class was invaluable for us as ministry students, but I couldn't help but wonder how can this be applied into the church setting. As Dr. Foster went over the different views, I reflected over something that happened Sunday at my church. I sat in on a Adult Sunday School class and listened to the different interpretations of the people in the room on the text for the day. I was amazed at the basic level of understanding that these adults had on scripture. They sounded like broken records of pastors that they have had throughout the years that were possibly their favorites. They also were quick to correct each other even if they were wrong themselves. Keeping this situation in mind, I wondered to myself on Monday in class, how anyone could ever tell them that something in their bible might or might not have been inspired or might not have originally been there without being burned at the stake? How would they respond if they knew something in their bible wasn't really applicable? I guess what I am trying to say is, some members of the church believe that they know everything they need to know and become extremely irritated when what they believe is challenged. Possible solutions may be to teach a class in a more personal setting, but it seems to me that there would still be some challenges. Is it better to just not split hairs and salvage relationships or tell them how it is and risk loss of relationships?

Jesus was not plan B.

Sometimes I forget that God has everything planned for our lives and everything anyone will ever do is already known by him. I sometimes make the mistake of thinking that Jesus wasn't a part of God's original plan but that it was just humans failing over and over again to the point to where God just got tired of it and decided to find an end to it.

That is not the case at all. God established the law knowing full well that Jesus was going to come. God established covenants with his people knowing that Jesus would one day establish a new covenant with God's people that would supercede all the others. In Matthew, he ties everything to the Old Testament. This is the way I believe that God planned it. God planned for Jesus' life to parallel that of his ancestors. Every event in the life of Christ was a fullfillment of an Old Testament prophecy in Mark and I don't think that it was unintentional at all.

In the beginning .....Matthew 1:1!?

I was really intrigued by the matthew/genesis comparrison in class last monday. I have been to chrurch my whole life, read countless books and talked with dozens of teachers and they never mentioned the comparrison. You can see how Jesus life paralells Moses' on things such as their birth, their involvement with the law and the 40 day/year trials they faced. It really would be an interesting way to show another way the O.T. and the N.T. are really sections that compliment each other.

Matthean emphasis on the Law

Dr. Foster's lecture, which addressed the Matthean emphasis on Jesus' observance of the law confirmed what I found in my research. Mark 7 contains a long discourse about the foods somehow being made clean. This discussion goes into detail with the disciples trying to determine the exact meaning of the teaching. In the Matthean parallel passage, this discussion is strangely absent. I find this to be an example of the evangelist exercising his prerogative to include passages which depict Jesus as Torah-observant to the exclusion of some which might depict him as Torah-breaking. The Matthew passage also emphasizes washing of hands, which is more of an introductory or secondary issue in the Mark passage. Overall, this observation illustrates the different target audiences--Gentile for Mark, Jewish for Matthew.

One and Only

I find all the unique thigns about Matthew's Gospel fascinating. His wirting is more disjointed than what Mark's was and he wrote his Gospel to the Jewsih nation for the Jews. The theological issues that Matthew covers is to the Jews and their customs and rituals. In Wenham and Walton's book and in class lecture we discussed some of theses theological themes. Matthew starts his Gospel off with a family tree of Jesus to prove that His geneoloy was real and that Jesus really was a seed of Abraham and David.

Matthew presents Jesus as the fulfiller of the Law and brings the higher righteousness. Righteousness is the key term for Matthew, and in the Jewsih thinking these two went hand in hand. It is the charactersitic of the king and in short it is pure obeidence to God, involving high standards of ethics and genuine piety, as the authors put it. Abraham was considered righteous for the simple fact that he was obedeint to the very end. Many times in Matthew Jesus is portrayed or compared to Moses, but is pointed out to be even greater then he was. The clear fact remains though that righteousness and law from practical ethical obedeince is the central theme to Christian discipleship, also of high importance to Matthew is practical behaviour

Law or Ethic

Something that has always troubled me about Matthew is the great deal of emphasis that he places on obedience of the Sermon on the Mount and the Law. This was something that was spoken on briefly in class lecture and Wenham and Walton page 216-217. In the book, the authors speculate on whether this push toward the law and the teaching of the Sermon is absolutely necessary to a person’s life. In regards to the Sermon, it seems to be left up to us whether to believe that it is to be followed strictly or it is more of a personal ethic (I personally lean more to the ethic side). In addition, Wenham and Walton point out that in regards to the law many scholars believe that it was Matthew’s expectation for every Christian to follow the OT Law. However, it is noted that Jesus teaches to a Jewish audience primarily. So, his reaction to Gentile law keeping is somewhat unknown. This begs the question of whether Gentiles should follow the law or should even Messianic Jews. I guess I tend to lean more towards Paul’s words about the law of the Spirit but the issue in Matthew is still troubling.

The fork at the end of the road...I mean book

As the topic of dicussion has been the past few days, I feel it relevant to express my views on the ending of Mark. First, I have handled snakes and drank alot of stricknine (sp?) and I am okay. So, what't the big deal?

Okay, on a serious note, if approached about my take on the ending of Mark, I would have to go with the fact that I think the buck stops at verse 8. For quite some time, I have been very adamant about the shorter passage, but the other day I was looking at it, and boy does it have some non-markan words...I mean, seriously, Mark did not talk like that in any other part of his gospel. So, I am fine and comfortable concluding that niether of the passages written in our bible is the correct one (Can I say that here as a bible believer?). vv.1-8 are adequate enough, (along with the other gospels as well) to give us a grasp into the resurrection.

How did Mark really end?

The past couple of classes we have discussed the different endings to Mark. So, how did Mark really end. I believe that I really do not know. The more that we discuss the topic the more I just do not know. It is weird, though, how the longer ending to Mark does not fit. If I had to guess at what the real ending to Mark is, I would probably say that the shorter ending is the best bet. It just seems like the shorter ending works better with the rest of Mark. Also, as Dr. Foster mentioned in class, the shorter ending to Mark follows the Kerugma.

Short and sweet

In class on Monday we talked about the different views on the end of Mark. Now I am not saying that the shorter ending of Mark is the true ending of Mark, but I do find that it is very interesting that the ending is a parallel to the kerugma. I think that it makes a very nice ending to the book of Mark if viewed from v.1-8. Plus, Mark being the short and sweet writer he is makes the shorter ending some what more appealing to believe this is the true ending. Not to mention the fact that the long ending of Mark appears to have major holes in it, non-Markan words and a retelling of what occurred resurrection morning. I would be lying if I said that the idea doesn't appeal to me, but I still am think about which one seems the best.

"Will the Real Ending of Mark Please stand Up?"

Before one comes to a conclusion of which ending of Mark they prefer; the longer ending, the shorter ending, the expanded form of the longer, maybe the actual ending 16:8, or an unknown ending alot of work has to be done. I had never thought a lot about textual criticism until last Wednesday. I am at awe when I think of all the work that scholars have done in attempts to discover the correct ending for Mark. We are fortunate that there are textual critics that have a deep love for God's word and the passion for providing the right copy for us to read, like the United Bible Society, and the Nestle-Aland Text. I am glad to find out that the text of Mark may actually end before the handling of snakes and the drinking deadly poisons. I would hate to go through that again this summer. Just kidding!

Forsaking Father?

Mark 15:34 is the famous verse in which Jesus crys out to His Father, "My God, why have you forsaken me?" Is Jesus trying to communcate His lonliness on the cross? He's been abandoned by the disciples and now is His Father turning on Him? I thouroughly enjoyed our discussion over this verse in class on Monday. Several questions were answered for me. Jesus certainly felt lonley and abandoned on the cross. But this is not necessarily what He was trying to communicate. One must consider the the way Scripture was discussed in ancient times. Considering the fact that they did not have numbers and verses to consult, they referred to particular passages by quoting the first line of the verse. The significant point in Jesus' cry to His Father is that He is quoting Psalm 22, a chapter wich claims that "God is in control!" It's amazing that while these individuals witnessing the death of Christ thought He was powerless on the cross, on His way to death. And at the same time Jesus was claiming that His Father was in control. Wow!

The Excruciating Cross

Recently I read the article found within the Dicionary of the Gospels that deals with the crucifixion of Jesus. I found it very enlightening. One of the main points that I want to note is that the article pointed out that the act of crucifixion was so gruesome that many did not talk or write about it. As a matter of fact very little was written containing details of the crucifixion by classical writers. If they did mention it, it was brief. The gospel accounts are really the most descriptive accounts that we have of a crucifixion, and they even are pretty brief in the description. By piecing together the sources we do have that describe crucifixion, we can easily see why the act was almost taboo within the culture. The link that Dr. Foster related to in class that is a medical doctors description of the effects of crucifixion on the body sure opened my eyes a little more to see what a horrible punishment this was. As the article points out the very word "excruciating" has it's roots from that barbaric act the Romans carried out on criminals. All of the hideousness of the cross would have been readily understood by those in the first century when they read the words, "and they crucified him," but for us, who live in a very detached culture and time, these words, I'm afraid, do not carry much impact. This is very unfortunate, for our Savior died on a cross an excruciating death.

a lesson from Peter

When reading the Bible, it is hard for me not to speculate on the psychological aspects of the characters in narratives. Much of this is probably due to my background, but I believe that it can help add to the drama, if it stays within the content of the story. For instance, I cannot help but wonder what the disciples were thinking when they saw Jesus arrested. Here is there Savior, who they had put all of their hopes and dreams in, leaving everything behind, including who they were, to follow him. Now, this Messiah, who supposed to save their nation and make them kings, has been taken by the enemy, an enemy, mind you, whose torture and wrath is known throughout the world. I could see the disciples using denial and anger. I could understand their desertion. But in the midst of this I am amazed at Peter. Although, Peter denied him three times, he still followed in the distance. I think that Peter’s loyalty to Christ, as weak and controversial as it may seem, still surpassed the rest of the disciples (who deserted him completely according to the Gospel of Mark). I think that Peter needed to see everything, for this conflicted man, who would later lead the church into greatness and give up his very life and family for the cause of Christ, was being forged at the time for something greater. I think that Peter needed to fall before he could learn how to stand, and in this process, he gained courage. For before he could become Peter the great, he had to first be Peter the man. This is encouraging to me because it shows that all trials, even the ones I fail, still lead to a greater good. God still has a purpose with me. He does not give up. Again, I know that none of this is in the Bible, and it may even be construed as bad speculation. But this is what God has spoken to me about, and I thought that some may like to hear it.

wine and mur

I never paid an extreme amount of attention to the wine and mur (sp?) offered to Christ. Well, very much attention at all. Though not something I thought about directly, I guess in the back of my head I assumed that it was an act of kindness...some show of heart of the part of the people. Learning that it was actually just so that they would be able to torture him longer was really enlightening.

Jesus' Power

I believe it was Charles Richardson that made the comment about when Jesus healed the guy's ear and not just healed but put it back on How someone could not believe there was something diffrent about Jesus. I think if I was standing around and witnessed that, it would have surly gotten my attention. But then later in class it kind of cleared up when Dr. Foster said the Roman government had in their own heads what the messiah was like.

Where were they?

In class on Monday when we discussed the resurrection I couldn't help but continue to wonder why the disciples did not go to the tomb on the third day after the death of Jesus. Anyone who reads the gospels can see that Jesus was very specific in telling the disciples exactly what was to take place. Jesus did not describe to them what would happen in a parable or any other form of ambiguous comments. Jesus specifically tells them what would take place more than once as a matter of fact. In Mark 8:31 and 10:34 Jesus tells them point blank that "they will kill him and three days later he will rise again". One would think that after Peter rebuked Jesus for making the prediction the first time, being called Satan, and scolded for not having God's plan in mind but his, he would have at least understood the seriousness of the prediction. Even the enemies and skeptics of Jesus were apparently concerned with whether Jesus would rise in three days or at least worried that the disciples would try to take his body, because according to Matthew 27:62-64. None of the gospels show any sign that the women who went to visit the tomb were expecting to see Jesus alive either, and when they found that he was gone they thought someone else had taken him. I understand that the disciples were scared for their lives at this point in the story, but why didn't they tell the women to see if what Jesus had predicted was true. One would think they would have at least tried to hide somewhere close and wait to see. The bottom line is that if the disciples would have really believed that Jesus was going to rise in three days, it would have taken an army of sodiers to keep them away from the tomb. Where were they?

Cross Works

I had always wondered how so many crosses were used during, before, and after Christ Jesus time when wood was scarce. When Dr. Foster started to speak on the frame work of the cross a light bulb came on. I do believe that Christ probably carried a full cross, though it does not matter if he only carried an arm post. He still took on the wait of the sins for all.

It makes perfect sense that mainly the arm peaces were the only thing replaced. The Roman government pinched coin when and where ever possible. Thus they would pinch on capital punishment in labor, wood resources, and money.

Interesting information about the Crucifixion.

I never realized that the mur and wine were used as an act of brutality. I have always thought that it was an act of compassion for his suffering. A crucifixion usually lasted three to five days, it was mentioned in class that it depended upon how badly they may have been beaten. Jesus' crucifixion lasted only a few hours which gives us an idea of how much he truly suffered so that we might live forever in Heaven with him. Also God was in control of the exzact time he was to die. Another thing that stood out to me this week is the presence of the women. They stuck by Jesus all the way to the cross this was true devotion. Why did the disciples run it was most likely because they feared they would lose their own lives. At this time they still did not understand who he was they finally do realize who he was once he rises from the dead. After they realize this we see that the majority of the disciples become true servents. Jesus came to them and restored his relationship with them just as he does with us when we make mistakes.

The Resurrection

Since Easter happened just a few days ago and since this is what we have been discussing in class, I, thought I would write about the Resurrection. As I sat through the class yesterday, I, once again amazed at who Jesus is. Yes, he died a horrible death and you can not take any of that away, but without the Resurrection then would his dying on the cross been more than just another death? No, and during Easter service on Sunday I just thought to myself how important the Resurrection was. Many good people have died for good causes, but have they rose from the dead? No, they have not and I do not mean anything by this, but their decaying bodies and bones are still in the grave. I am just amazed week after week at what Jesus did and he did not have to do it.

alone but faithful

Christ's final words on the cross have always struck me as rather strange. I mean, why would the Son of God express such emotion to the fact that he is abandoned by God. Then while in class on Monday I think I finally started to understand what was going on. Yes, Christ did feel abandoned, his words show this. His friends, who just hours before had said they would never leave, him had run, he was also being tortured and mocked constantly. How could anyone not feel abandoned at a point like this. The fact is that Jesus did feel abandoned, but he always had faith and knew that God was on the throne. The quoe tthat he used is from Psalm 22 which shows that even though the world can crash around you God is still on the throne. This why Jesus suffered and stayed on the cross, he was completing the will of God. Christ set a model for us to day to remember that even in the darkest times in our life God is in control and his plans are always for the best.

37 Days and Counting...

First off, It might have been just me but when Charles Rikard was reading the Resurrection narrative in Mark 16:1-8 Monday in class, I noticed that in the NIV translation says in verse 2 "Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise..." In the translation that Charles read from the passage said something similar except for "just after sunrise", it said "the sun had already risen." I didn't have my bible on Monday, so that kind of stuck out to me as in it said "the SON had already risen. I thought that was pretty funny, but I don't want to read to much into that. It's just a cool thought I guess.

I noticed this last week and I thought that it was rather interesting. Has anyone thought about what if we only had the book of Mark that told us what happened to Peter? The book of Mark leaves Peter in saying "And he broke down and wept" in chapter 14 verse 72. I was thinking what if this was the end for Peter? We learn in John 21 and in the book of Acts that this event was not the end for Peter. It was actually rather a catalyst that made Peter a major figure in the early church. Thinking of this helps me because sometimes I feel like when I fail that God is finished with me and he can't use me, but actually it could also be a catalyst that causes me to change the way I live and allow God to work through me even more than he does now.

Sorry for the "devotional" post. This is just what I felt I needed to say.

Cross Works

A Wierd Easter

I was at a church this past Sunday where I got to hear a preacher prove scientifically (or at least he gave it a try) that Jesus did in fact rise from the dead. I sat in astonishment as this preacher droned on and on about things he knew nothing of, and spouting off greek words which he couldn't even pronounce correctly (not to mention he didn't know what they meant). As I sat their, I began to look around at the faces of those around me. Some were screaming "amen" as though we were showing those atheists a thing or two. But the majority had problems keeping their eyes open. Has easter really come to a place where preachers have to prove Christ rose from the dead, and a congregation sits bored silence? Isn't this supposed to be one of the greatest days of our year? Why do we always have to prove? Why can't we just believe? The Word of God says what it says. Believe it. Live it. Don't prove it. Because a day is coming (and has already come) when non-believers won't care what science has to say. They just want an awesome experience.

Diffrent angle of the Cross

I think Mondays class was one of the most absorbing I've been in this semester. I was really interested in Dr. Foster's take on Jesus' words on abandonment. I never knew/thought about how Jesus might have been simply making reference to a scripture from the Old Testament. When you read through Psalm 22 it is amazing how it paralels the suffering and heartache Jesus was/could have been going through. I feel like I just recieved a new vantage point on the cross. I know I will never look at this verse the same way again.

Diffrent angle of the Cross

I think Mondays class was one of the most absorbing I've been in this semester. I was really interested in Dr. Foster's take on Jesus' words on abandonment. I never knew/thought about how Jesus might have been simply making reference to a scripture from the Old Testament. When you read through Psalm 22 it is amazing how it paralels the suffering and heartache Jesus was/could have been going through. I feel like I just recieved a new vantage point on the cross. I know I will never look at this verse the same way again.

The blood of the Cross

These past few days we have been looking at the ressurection (in class and due to the Easter season). Between reading about these events and studying for Christian Doctine, I have been pondering the question of the actual bloodshed on the cross. So many times we refer to the blood that was shed for us on the cross. Well, how much blood was actually shed on the cross? Would not most of the bloodshed come through the 39 lashes that preceded the crucifixion? I do understand the symbolism to this, I just think may times we try to picture Jesus shedding all of this blood on the cross and dying, when, in all actuality, it was the suffocation rather than blood loss that led to the death. Blood = Symbolism; yes, but do we truly see it, teach it, and sing about it this way?

Christians flee in 70--proof of Jesus' prophetic ability?

The other day I was wondering whether, or not, there are any first century accounts of Christians explaining that the reason they were fleeing (or fled) Jerusalem, instead of fighting along side other Jews in 66-70 AD, was because Jesus had told them to do so. If there are, and they pre-date the war or the end of the war, then they would serve as one more proof that Jesus was, at least, a very special being with true prophetic abilities. I am going to spend some time searching this summer, but I wonder what explanation secular scholars might provide to counteract the Christians claim (I realize it would depend on the specificity of the recorded accounts).

Would you like a some cheese with that Wine?

Until Monday's class, I had never thought much about the wine offered to Jesus while he was on the cross. Prior to class, when I had read this account I always just kind of passed over it, thinking that this was simply an act of compassion by one of those present. However, when looking at the context and discussing what was going on until this point in the story, the reason for the offering of the wine becomes a little clearer. Dr. Foster said that the wine might allow Jesus to live for a longer period of time, pointing out that they could have done this act often saw as mercy as an act of torture. Thus, if Jesus lived longer they could continue to inflict pain causing Jesus to suffer even more before he finally died. Though we do not know for certain whether this act was for those present to see Elijah or for prolonged torture, when considering the context if Jesus had lived longer I don't think that they would have offered him cheese next . Based on this assumption, this act was most likely done with negative intentions in mind and not Jesus' best interest.

Christ in the Tomb

Many question what Jesus did in the tomb and how he got out of the tomb. I have heard many explanations on how all of this has occurred. Today in class we had an interesting discussion on how the women were to roll the stone away and we wonder who moved the stone. Many of these kinds of questions are interesting but I do not think that we should focus all our attention on them. We should not let these issues bog us down to where we are completely frustrated with the text. We need to just accept the fact that God did it and if he wanted us to know exactly how everything was done we would have it in writing.

Do rabbits really lay eggs?

Easter Bunnys and chocolate eggs? What in the world do these two have to do with Easter?
There are no mention of rabbits, eggs, chocolate, or a hide & hunt game in the scripture, any where, much less in connection with Jesus' resurrection! These ideas are completely foreign to the origin of the holiday.
I find it amazingly tragic, and yet comical, that the great "Christian nation" America is so quick to exchange the greatest event of hope, joy, and celebration in all the world's history, for fairy tales and egg hunting games. I am further amazed and saddened that I am confronted over this issue annually. As a pastor I have made it a practice to not have such secular based practices tangled up with the church. And yes, at each church it has been an issue! (For the record, I don't have Christmas trees in the church either!) Should the church always be forced to "conform" to the ways and ideas of the world? Whatever happened to the church being a transformed, being a "holy priesthood," a "peculiar people," or "world changers for Jesus?" We are told in Ephesians to put on the armor of God, not so we can look good when we step aside out of the world's way as they come stormin' at us. No! We are told to put it all on "that we may stand." Standing doesn't involve stepping to the side to get out of contraversy's way, forward to pick a fight, or backing up in concession merely giving our enemies a better shot at us. Standing involves defending, holding ground, remaining, preserving, keeping!!! May the church's mind be renewed!
Am I really alone on this issue?

Sorry about all the rantin' and ravin' Dr. Foster, just too riled up to say something especially academic.

The Meaning of Passover

In Garland's Commentary he writes that Jesus' death transforms the meaning of Passover from God striking down the first born son in the land of Egypt and liberating Isreal from bondage to God's Son being struck down in deliverance of all humankind from bondage. I disagree with this because Passover was always the fullfillment of God's promise to liberate God's people in Isreal. Americans have always associated Easter and the Sunrise Service as a celebration of victory over death of Jesus. I think it is important for children to be taught these two events separately. Lots of events happen on the same day, but that doesn't mean that you forget one to remember the other.

In Search of Tradition

As we approach the pinicle of the Christian calendar, Easter, I always feel a bit empty. My grandmother is Catholic and my parents Methodists. As they enjoy the Easter season, I notice we have little tradition within the Baptist church. This has become more apparent to me since I have my own child to raise. How can I teach my child the meaning of Easter? My wife and I are reading the gospel of Luke and his account of Passion week to our child, but I wish our tradition could be more closely tied to our church. I am thankful that our church is having a Good Friday service. This is a step in the right direction, but I wish there were more.

Maybe, my problem is the lack of tradition passed to me. We are always talking about the need for discipleship within the Baptist church. Could tradtion spark deeper discipleship? Or is tradtion so firightening that we can never even approach it for fear we will become the Catholic church or the Pharisees? It seems to me Mark is telling his readers that fear is the opposite of faith. Are we passing our fear to our children, because we are affraid to pass them our traditions that could pass them out faith? God ordain many holidays for the Israelites to observe specifically for the purpose of passing their faith to their children. If you have any ideas, please let me know.

Peter's cursing

In Mark 14:71, Peter denies Jesus for the third time, this time calling down curses upon himself. When I've read this passage in the past, I never really thought much about what this meant. I was always more interested in the fact that Peter actually denied Jesus after Jesus told him he would. I have tended to understand this cursing as Peter calling down curses upon himself if he is lying about the fact that he does not know Jesus. Garland's take on the situation is very interesting to me, though. He proposes that Peter curses Jesus as a means of denying him just as Christians under both Jewish and Roman persecution were asked to denounce Christ in order to live. As Garland states, this would make Peter's denial much more astounding and his restoration to fellowship more remarkable.

Son of the Father

While reading in the dictionary of Jesus, I found it interesting that "Barabbas" means "son of the father". I never looked at the ending of his name "abbas". The text says that the Greek form of an Aramaic surname "Bar-'Abba' ", literally means "son of the father". I have just learned this year that "Bar" at the beginning of a name means "son".

Since Jesus is the Son of the Father, it is very ironic. Jesus was accused of blasphemy because He said that He was the Son of God, because He -- was, is, and will always be--the Son of God. Jesus was cruicified for saying He was who He was. Barabbas was a murderer and a revolutionary and his name meant "son of the father" and was released at the demands of the people.

"On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ"

I found the article "On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ" to be quite intriguing not only because it explored in-depth the technical aspects of the crucifixion but it also brought to mind the double-edged sword of rationalism. Rationalists over the centuries have attempted to undermine the accuracy of the biblical text through many different methods which attempt to apply rational thinking to arrive at a logical explanation for that which is supernatural or which is otherwise unpalatable in the minds of the rationalist camp. Anti-supernaturalism has led many of these rationalists to create fanciful explanations of the miraculous or to deny them altogether. This article, however, explains the crucifixion in terms of scientific cause and effect, in short, in terms of rationalism.

I do not intend to imply that rational thought is inherently wrong (this article clearly shows the benefits thereof), but that how rationalism could be used by both skeptic and believer. A Christian could use this article to demonstrate how the biblical text is technically accurate with respect to the crucifixion. He or she could parade the findings of science to support his or her position, but when Genesis 1 starts to be discussed, science suddenly has exceeded its usefulness. My point is this: articles such as these are very useful for demonstrating how believing the truth of the Bible does not require turning off one's brain, but their usefulness is limited in that science will never make anyone believe that which can only be believed through faith.

Life of Christ Paper

I have decided to do my paper on two passages that are found in only Mark. Most of the passages that are being used in Mark are also used in Matthew and inLuke. I wanted to go and kind of define what the synoptic Gospels are and how they are used. Then go into the two passages that are only found in Mark. I would also like to come to a better understanding of why they are only found in Mark also.
The passages that are only found in Mark are of the deaf and mute and also the healing of the blind at Bethsaida. I think that all the healing miricles are very interesting but these two really stand out because they are only mentioned once in the Gospels.

I have decided to do my paper over the function of miracles in the book of Mark. More precisely, I have narrowed those miracles down to two demon exorcisms; two of which can both be found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.

In this paper, I hope to accomplish an in-depth study of these two passages. By using all three accounts, I hope to identify the difference in the accounts and possibly determine how the accounts functions differently between each other. Also, by looking at the passages, in chronological terms, I will be able to identify just exactly the purposes of the exorcisms.

Paper

Well, I tried this once before. I hope it works this time. Wish I were better with computers. The question I chose to address was what does the death of Christ mean in Mark's Gospel. I have chosen to narrow that whole theme down to the passage of Scripture that deals with the trials of Jesus. As the class already knows, Jesus was tried before the Jews and then before the Roman official, Pilate, in Mark's gospel. I believe that Mark recounts this portion of Jesus' life not only to retail a portion of history but also to point out a few significant theological truths of who Jesus is.

In my paper, I hope to address the issue of why the Jews react to Jesus' statement as an act of blasphemy. I have already learned that the Misnah explicitly says that one is not guilty of blasphemy unless he utters the divine name. I will argue that Jesus does this by saying the words "I am." Mark really points to Jesus' divinity within Jesus' trials. I will also deal with the irony of Jesus being tried as "King of the Jews" by Pilate. Certainly, as we have seen, Mark presents a low Christology of Christ, but make no mistake, he also displays a high Christology of Christ. Glory to Jesus, my Lord and my God.

Paper

The question I chose to address in my paper is what does the death of Christ mean in Mark's gospel. I have chosen to narrow that whole theme down to one portion of the death theme in Mark: the trials of Jesus. As the class has probably read already, Jesus is tried both before the Jews and then also the Roman official Pilate. I believe that Mark not only recounts these trails of Jesus simply to retail a part of history but also to reveal certain theological truths about Jesus.

In my paper, I intend to show why the Jews reacted to Jesus's statement as an act of blasphemy. I have learned already that the Misnah explicitly states that one is not guilty of blasphemy without uttering the divine name of God. My paper will show that Jesus does this by uttering the words "I am." I will also emphasize the theological significance of Jesus' being tried as the "King of the Jews" before Pilate. Truly in most of Mark, the class has learned what low Christology is about, but make no mistake that there is some high Christology in Mark as well. Praise be to Jesus, my Lord and my God!

The Causes of The First Jewish Revolt

There are many causes of the First Jewish Revolt or also known as the Jewish War of 66-70AD/CE. I am going cover the growing philosophies and rebellious movements that occured between the fall of the Hasmonean Dynasty all the way up to the actual beginning of the war. These philosophies caused many small revolts throughout the region of Judea that were put down easily by the Roman government, but the real effects that these events would have were in the growing ideaology that they produced in the minds of young Jewish men. Jewish leaders such as Judas the son of Sepphoraeus, Matthias the son of Margalus, Judas the Galilean and his cohert Saduc were some examples of men who flamed the rebellious attitude. The ideas of liberty, the continuing idea of a People chosen and ruled by God, the teaching of a coming messiah, different interpretations of the law (Torah), and the idea of fighting and dying for the law of God (martydom). I will explore each of these areas and show how the events that take place because of the promotion of these different ideas would lead to an inevitable environment of rebellion and war.
I will also cover events that were instigated by the Roman Empire and its leadership in comparison with these growing Jewish philosophies. Roman appointed leaders and such as Nero, Felix, Gessius Florus, and Albinus are a few examples of leaders that abused their powers and lead to a heightened rebellious attitude of the Jewish people. I will discuss how these men spit in the face of Jewish religous practices, desecrated the Jewish synagoges and the Temple, assassinated High Priest, heavily taxed the Jews, and persecuted anyone who resisted them. These acts combined with the growing attitude of the Jewish people led to an inevitable clash which would be the downfall of the Jewish Capitol and its inhabitants.

The Causes of The First Jewish Revolt

There are many causes of the First Jewish Revolt or also known as the Jewish War of 66-70AD/CE. I am going cover the growing philosophies and rebellious movements that occured between the fall of the Hasmonean Dynasty all the way up to the actual beginning of the war. These philosophies caused many small revolts throughout the region of Judea that were put down easily by the Roman government, but the real effects that these events would have were in the growing ideaology that they produced in the minds of young Jewish men. Jewish leaders such as Judas the son of Sepphoraeus, Matthias the son of Margalus, Judas the Galilean and his cohert Saduc were some examples of men who flamed the rebellious attitude. The ideas of liberty, the continuing idea of a People chosen and ruled by God, the teaching of a coming messiah, different interpretations of the law (Torah), and the idea of fighting and dying for the law of God (martydom). I will explore each of these areas and show how the events that take place because of the promotion of these different ideas would lead to an inevitable environment of rebellion and war.
I will also cover events that were instigated by the Roman Empire and its leadership in comparison with these growing Jewish philosophies. Roman appointed leaders and such as Nero, Felix, Gessius Florus, and Albinus are a few examples of leaders that abused their powers and lead to a heightened rebellious attitude of the Jewish people. I will discuss how these men spit in the face of Jewish religous practices, desecrated the Jewish synagoges and the Temple, assassinated High Priest, heavily taxed the Jews, and persecuted anyone who resisted them. These acts combined with the growing attitude of the Jewish people led to an inevitable clash which would be the downfall of the Jewish Capitol and its inhabitants.

The Causes of The First Jewish Revolt

There are many causes of the First Jewish Revolt or also known as the Jewish War of 66-70AD/CE. I am going cover the growing philosophies and rebellious movements that occured between the fall of the Hasmonean Dynasty all the way up to the actual beginning of the war. These philosophies caused many small revolts throughout the region of Judea that were put down easily by the Roman government, but the real effects that these events would have were in the growing ideaology that they produced in the minds of young Jewish men. Jewish leaders such as Judas the son of Sepphoraeus, Matthias the son of Margalus, Judas the Galilean and his cohert Saduc were some examples of men who flamed the rebellious attitude. The ideas of liberty, the continuing idea of a People chosen and ruled by God, the teaching of a coming messiah, different interpretations of the law (Torah), and the idea of fighting and dying for the law of God (martydom). I will explore each of these areas and show how the events that take place because of the promotion of these different ideas would lead to an inevitable environment of rebellion and war.
I will also cover events that were instigated by the Roman Empire and its leadership in comparison with these growing Jewish philosophies. Roman appointed leaders and such as Nero, Felix, Gessius Florus, and Albinus are a few examples of leaders that abused their powers and lead to a heightened rebellious attitude of the Jewish people. I will discuss how these men spit in the face of Jewish religous practices, desecrated the Jewish synagoges and the Temple, assassinated High Priest, heavily taxed the Jews, and persecuted anyone who resisted them. These acts combined with the growing attitude of the Jewish people led to an inevitable clash which would be the downfall of the Jewish Capitol and its inhabitants.

An Analysis of The Maccabean Revolt

I chose to attempt to answer the qeustion "what problems did the Jews face being ruled over by the Romans?" After examing the big picture, I decided to write about the Maccabean Revolt. One of the more prominent issues between the Jews and Romans was the religious one. The Jews displayed a monotheistic belief system which was a rare thought at this time. The Romans' polytheistic religion was completely contrictary to that of the Jews.

It was the religious persecution of Antiochus Epiphenes that led to the Maccabean Revolt. A bold and brave Mattathias refused to abandon his ancestral worship. Along with his family, Mattathias started a revolt which caused several Jews to step up and openly rebel against the tyrant Antiochus.

There are several aspects of the Jewish Revolt which I could discuss. In my paper, I will be discussing the causes of the revolt, the different personalities involved, and a brief history of events. There are also some analysis to be made of certain Scripture in Mark and Daniel.

Causes of The First Jewish Revolt

There are many causes of the First Jewish Revolt or also known as the Jewish War of 66-70AD/CE. I am going cover the growing philosophies and rebellious movements that occured between the fall of the Hasmonean Dynasty all the way up to the actual beginning of the war. These philosophies caused many small revolts throughout the region of Judea that were put down easily by the Roman government, but the real effects that these events would have were in the growing ideaology that they produced in the minds of young Jewish men. Jewish leaders such as Judas the son of Sepphoraeus, Matthias the son of Margalus, Judas the Galilean and his cohert Saduc were some examples of men who flamed the rebellious attitude. The ideas of liberty, the continuing idea of a People chosen and ruled by God, the teaching of a coming messiah, different interpretations of the law (Torah), and the idea of fighting and dying for the law of God (martydom). I will explore each of these areas and show how the events that take place because of the promotion of these different ideas would lead to an inevitable environment of rebellion and war.
I will also cover events that were instigated by the Roman Empire and its leadership in comparison with these growing Jewish philosophies. Roman appointed leaders and such as Nero, Felix, Gessius Florus, and Albinus are a few examples of leaders that abused their powers and lead to a heightened rebellious attitude of the Jewish people. I will discuss how these men spit in the face of Jewish religous practices, desecrated the Jewish synagoges and the Temple, assassinated High Priest, heavily taxed the Jews, and persecuted anyone who resisted them. These acts combined with the growing attitude of the Jewish people led to an inevitable clash which would be the downfall of the Jewish Capitol and its inhabitants.

I'm going to write about the Maccabein Revolt and what led up to it. I want to cover things like how The Jews were feeling, why they felt this way, and how it led up to the revolt. I will start off talking about Antiochus IV. How he treated the Jews bad and tried to Hellinse them, how he made Jason a high preist even though he wasn't a Jew. Antiochus also made the temple a worship place for Zues and offerd sacrafices for him in the temple.

A priest named Mattathias became upset with what was going on and killed a commisner for the king then him and other families fled to the mountians and from there started their revolt. When Mattathias died his sons conntinued the revolt. This is a very brief summery of what my paper is about. This is just kind of where I'm going with this.

The Politics of Jesus Day

I would like to examine the political aspect of the trials and curcifiction of Jesus. It will be interesting to find out why the Jewish leaders and scholars didn't have the power or authorty to deal with Jesus on their own. Plus, it will be amazing to find out just how they tricked the Romans into doing harm to Jesus for them. Why did they have to hide what they were doing? Were they doing their job as they believed it to be or were they just scared and jealous? Were they ignoring what they were suppost to be doing? Who was this Pilate and why did the Jews have to bring Jesus to him? Was Pilate in his legal rights to curcify Jesus? Why was the rebel released? Who tricked the crowd and why could Pilate not stop this farcity.

These are a few things I am working on. I don't know if I will be able to answer all of these questions but I am working to that end. Some of these questions I have asked myself over and over since childhood, now I have a chance to answer them. To me the trials and crucifiction seem to be rigged. I want to know why and how and I believe that chapters 14-15 of Mark hold the keys.

Causes of the First Jewish Revolt

The First Jewish Revolt of Jewish War of 66-70AD/CE originated from several areas. The first area that would lead to an inevitable rebellion of the Jewish people against an indestructible Roman Empire was the lingering bitterness left over from the Maccabean Revolt. An attitude of resentment and desire for liberty combined caused a number of young Jewish men to form different philosophies that led to a rebellious attitude toward Roman occupation. The ideal of the Jewish people living under the rule and laws of God had been around since the time of Moses never really left the hearts of the Jewish people. The view of God being the ruler of the Jews led to different groups promoting philosophies of rebellious acts and the martydom for the sake of God's laws as acceptable and necessary. Jewish leaders such as Judas the son of Sepphoraeus, Matthias the son of Margalus, Judas the Galilean, and Sadduc the Pharisee were instigators of this view. These men would lead groups of young followers into rebellious acts and their philosophies became widespread among the Jewish people. The growing idea of a messiah coming to rescue the Jewish people from the Romans and conflict among the Jewish Groups (Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and Essenes) themselves would create a hostile environment as well, which was a brewing for war.

The second area that could be considered a major cause of the war when combined with the philosophies proposed by the men aforementioned is the countless ruthless rulers that were appointed by the Roman Empire over the Jewish populations. The Romans began appointing direct rule over specific areas after the failures of Herod the Great's sons to keep peace and order. Procurators such as Felix, Nero, Albinus and Gessius Florus created an environment of intolerable living conditions for the Jewish people. The abomination acts of these men led the restriction of Jewish rights in certain areas, reduction in religious practices, assassinations of High Priest, and eventual taking of the treasures from the temples. These acts became intolerable to the Jewish leadership, which eventually declare that war was inevitable.

Causes of the First Jewish Revolt

The First Jewish Revolt of Jewish War of 66-70AD/CE originated from several areas. The first area that would lead to an inevitable rebellion of the Jewish people against an indestructible Roman Empire was the lingering bitterness left over from the Maccabean Revolt. An attitude of resentment and desire for liberty combined caused a number of young Jewish men to form different philosophies that led to a rebellious attitude toward Roman occupation. The ideal of the Jewish people living under the rule and laws of God had been around since the time of Moses never really left the hearts of the Jewish people. The view of God being the ruler of the Jews led to different groups promoting philosophies of rebellious acts and the martydom for the sake of God's laws as acceptable and necessary. Jewish leaders such as Judas the son of Sepphoraeus, Matthias the son of Margalus, Judas the Galilean, and Sadduc the Pharisee were instigators of this view. These men would lead groups of young followers into rebellious acts and their philosophies became widespread among the Jewish people. The growing idea of a messiah coming to rescue the Jewish people from the Romans and conflict among the Jewish Groups (Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and Essenes) themselves would create a hostile environment as well, which was a brewing for war.

The second area that could be considered a major cause of the war when combined with the philosophies proposed by the men aforementioned is the countless ruthless rulers that were appointed by the Roman Empire over the Jewish populations. The Romans began appointing direct rule over specific areas after the failures of Herod the Great's sons to keep peace and order. Procurators such as Felix, Nero, Albinus and Gessius Florus created an environment of intolerable living conditions for the Jewish people. The abomination acts of these men led the restriction of Jewish rights in certain areas, reduction in religious practices, assassinations of High Priest, and eventual taking of the treasures from the temples. These acts became intolerable to the Jewish leadership, which eventually declare that war was inevitable.

The Two Blind men

After narrowing my paper down I have decided to write my paper over the two blind miracles. They are recorded in Mark chapters eight and ten. They are the healings of the man at Bethsaida and the healing of Bartimaeus. So, knowing the miracles I want to write about how am I going to approach these miracles? My main purpose is to really get a full overview of how these two miracles function in Mark.

So, my first objective is to see why Mark put these miracles into his gospel. Knowing the audience, what was going on at this time that he would put them into the story. Then I want to see how they would have understood the stories. My next objective is to see how the miracles ineract with the other miracles and how they interact with Jesus's teachings. Then my final objective is to see how the blind miracles tell us who Jesus is.

The Two Blind men

"Blindness"

I have decided to take Dr. Foster's advise and instead of researching every one of Jesus' healing miracles in the gospel of Mark, i'll discuss Jesus' miracles for the blind. Through this study, I'll use chapters eight and ten to base my material on, since these are the chapters dealing with the topic. These passages are about the (blind) man at Bethsaida and Bartimaeus. Research will help me put together all the pieces as I attempt to explain why and how Jesus performed these.

Redaction Criticism

I have chosen the topic of redaction criticism in the book of Mark. Redaction criticism is basically exploring the authors’ emphasis in certain passages by examining literary style and comparing them to other passages in the Synoptics. The comparison technique is primarily used for the books Matthew and Luke, since Mark serves as a groundwork that they probably built upon.
In the book of Mark, redaction criticism is done in a number of ways. I have chosen to focus on several of the summary statements, since there are so many to work with. It is my goal to discover Mark's ideas of importance in the life and character of Christ by examining how these summary statements differ from each other and the rest of the text.

Death and Discipleship

I am going to write on the meaning of the death of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. I plan to show how the death of Jesus is a reflection of the meaning of discipleship; and, I will focus primarily on the first passion prediction.

I will define "discipleship". In addition, the first main point that I will cover is the call of discipleship. The subpoints of "instant response" and the "unconditional call" will be mentioned and discussed. The second main point will be the meaning of discipleship. During this time, I will emphasize the importance of "denying self", "the way", and "servanthood". The third main point will be the demands of discipleship. Finally, with the demands of discipleship, I will elaborate on what it means to "follow Jesus", "obey Jesus", and "take up the cross".

Got Problems?

My paper will cover some of the various problems that the Jews had being ruled over by the Romans in Judea. The particular time period that I will be discussing in this paper is from 6 AD through 65 AD.
The problems that I am focussing on are those dealing with: taxes, temple violations, and the problems concerning Roman soldiers in Jerusalem. I will make use of some of the key rulers, such as Pilate and Herod, and discuss the roles each played in these problems.

Healing

I am going to try and not get the weak e-mail again. So there will be no mention of bodily gunk coming out of people's noses. My paper discusses the two of the pericope mentioned in Mark that have to do with healing and that is the Healing of the Paralytic and Healing on the Sabbath. These two passages go together real well. There are a few main areas of focus that I will be discussing in this paper.

One main area is the Jewish belief of healing in general. I will see what there feelings were and try to grasp a good understading of why this was so contriversial. Sabbath law will also be discussed in order to take into account the main controversy of working on the sabbath. I think it will be amazing to see the two controversies analyzed at the same time when it comes to dealing with healing on the Sabbath. But that's my paper in a nutshell. Let me know what you think and what areas of discussion you might would want to see in a paper dealing with this.

Who then is this?

I am writing my paper on the calming of the sea and the Gerasene demoniac. Those two passages go together well and complement each other. My paper will be about how the demons recognized Jesus as the Son of God shortly after the disciples asked who he was. I plan to write about the different components of each miracle and what makes them a miracle.

I would also like to spend some time on the calming of the sea and discuss some different things about the time period and how Jesus shows his authority over the sea monster(Lyaphin-forgive the spelling). I am open to all comments.

Those Pesky Demons

My paper will focus on demon possession. I will mainly do a study of the history of exorcism, and how different cultures dealt with demon possession. Then I will compare that to how Jesus dealt with the demons he encountered. I will also take a look at how the people around Jesus (both those who followed Jesus and despised Jesus) reacted to the exorcisms. The two main focus passages concerning this will be taken from Jesus casting out a demon in the synogogue and the Gerasene Demoniac. This seemed like a fun paper to write, and it is a topic which greatly interests me. Today I'm sure there are demon possessed people around us, but I can't help but wonder how many of them we have written off as mentally ill or pyschos.

Jesus and His Disciples

Dr. Foster talked about a Christian's role and duty is help save the unsaved AND to disciple those who are saved. To prepare them for a life of a servant. I had never really thought about that aspect of it, but wasn't that one of Jesus' commands for us. Jesus' reason for having the 12 was for them to be WITH Him and to go out and teach His teachings. One of Jesus' teachings was on discipleship. I think that will be one of the questions God asks us is "How many people did you turn to Christ and then send out to do His work?" I think we are responsible for this.

Death/Discipleship

My paper will look at who Jesus was, and why he did not want the people to know. Then I will cover his disciples, why it was hard for them to understand Jesus, if they truly understood who he was, and what causes them to reject him. Finally it will cover the warning of Jesus' death in chapter eight. I will cover Peter's reaction to his prediction and why he was called Satan. From all of this I plan to go into my main point which is to tell how discipleship ties into the death of Jesus.

Faith and Healing

Paper Topic

My paper topic is focusing on Jesus' support of the torah in Mark chapter seven verses one through twenty-three. My research should show that Jesus upholds the torah and rejects the oral law of the pharisees. Jesus also asserts himself as the diffinitive interpreter concerning hallakah (practical) torah law. Jesus reveals that touching unclean objects or eating unclean objects does not make one unclean, rather, it is one's actions that come from a wicked mind that make one unclean before God.

I do admit, however, that there are some things I need to iron out concerning torah interpretation in Lev 11 and others but I believe study of the Hebrew and context might help me coincide Jesus' teachings with the law.

Torah, Torah, Torah!

My paper is on the topic of Jesus and the Torah. I am going to argue through my paper that Jesus both used and rejected the letter of the Torah in order to appeal to the spirit thereof. My main text will be from Mark 7, which is Jesus' dispute with the Pharisees over the issue of what is clean and what is unclean. The main thrust of my paper will derive from this text.

Additionally, I plan to compare Jesus' approach in this dispute to his attitude toward Sabbath laws as recorded in Jesus' disputes over healing and plucking grain on the Sabbath. These passages, however, I will only reference in comparison to my original text. By doing this, I will present Jesus as not merely a Torah-rejecting rebel but as the Torah-amending Son of God.

Passing the torch

For my research paper I am going to answer the question of what Christ death meant in the gospel of Mark. I will be taking the standpoint that the death was a passing of the torch from Jesus to the disciples. This is clearly seen in the three passion predictions. Three time Jesus predicts his death, each time he is misunderstood, and each time he teaches them on discipleship. Jesus was preparing his disciples to take over once he was gone.

First, I will give some background as to what has happened leading up to the prediction. Then I will break down each prediction examining them individually and compared to each other. Also, I will analyze the teaching of Jesus and show how the disciples could apply this to their lives. The disciples had to be ready to take over once Christ died and this is why he was training them.

Miracles on the Sea

For my paper I am focusing on the the miracle of Jesus walking on the water and Jesus calming the storm. I want to look at the setting of these stories, what takes place, the disciples reaction to Jesus' display of power, and what it really means. I also want to take a look at why these events matter, why they are in the text and what we are to learn from them.

Secrecy motif

During my first reading of Mark for class, my interest peaked at Jesus' commands to people and to demons to be silent. I began researching the Messianic Secret and discovered a vast topic to research. As I continued to read on the topic, I was interested in specifically Jesus' demands to the demons to not tell who he was.

From my reading, the general consensus of scholars seems to be that these commands are Markan additions, but there are different ideas as to what purpose these commands serve. As I continue to read, I believe that the secrecy motif is important to Mark's christology and therefore answers the question "How do the miracles function in the book of Mark?"

My Research Paper so far...

I, as well as most of the class, have completed Stages 1 and 2 of our research paper. I am now currently working on Stage 3. I am still gathering together information from different sources that I might want to use. My paper is addressing the question, What is the meaning of death in the Gospel of Mark? For my Stage 1, I chose to do my paper on the Lord's Supper in Mark 14 and it's relation to the death of Christ.

As I was researching information on this topic, (and listening one day in church) I felt the need to do the paper on the covenantal aspect of the death of Jesus. This aspect of the paper focused mostly on the same passage but Jesus' words saying "This is the new covenant..." I am researching this "New covenant" that Christ is speaking of and what all it could mean. I am researching what is the need for this "new covenant" to see if the old covenant is not relevant anymore.