The Apostle Peter

Apostle Peter was a man used by God in a powerful way, but also a person who made mistakes.

Peter was a fisherman. Once when he had fished all night without catching anything, Jesus told them to cast their nets in deep water. When they did, they caught so many fish that their nets almost broke. Peter was afraid and understood that he was a sinner. Jesus then told him not to be afraid, and that he would send them out to fish for people. They then left everything and followed Jesus. 
(Mat 4:18–22, Mark 1:16–20, Luk 5:1–11).

Peter was the disciple who had faith to walk on the water when he saw Jesus coming to them walking on the water, see Jesus Walks on Water. 

Later there was a time when many of Jesus' followers turned back and no longer walked with him, see Jesus the Bread of Life. The main reason was that Jesus explained to them who he really is, and what it means to follow Jesus. Jesus then asked the twelve if they were to leave him too. It was Peter who then answered Jesus: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God". 
(John 6:66–69).

On another occasion when Jesus asked the disciples who they said he was, Peter replied that Jesus is Christ, the Son of the living God (Mat 16:15–16, Mark 8:29,
Luk 9:20). Christ is a Greek word meaning "the anointed one". It has the same meaning as the Hebrew word Messiah. It's a title. Jesus then answered Peter that he was blessed because God the Father had revealed this for him (Mat 16:17). 
Peter had spoken under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer much from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day rise from the dead (Mat 16:21, Mark 8:31–32a, Luk 9:22). Peter then took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, saying that this would never happen to him, and tried to talk him out of it (Mat 16:22, Mark 8:32b). It was probably a sort of spiritual pride that Peter had at the time that caused him to rebuke Jesus. Because Peter didn't like it, he thought that it couldn't be from God the Father, but it was.
(1 Pet 5:5b–6). Jesus then answered Peter: "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." (Mat 16:23, Mark 8:33, Isaiah 55:8). This opposition of Peter was the work of the enemy, and Peter cooperated with it when he rebuked Jesus. When Peter called Jesus Christ (Messiah), he talked a revelation from God the Father, inspired by the Holy Spirit. But when Peter in the next moment rebuked Jesus, it came from the flesh, from the old nature that we still have, even as born again Christians, see The Book of Peter. See this further explained at time 26:00–37:03
in Mark 8:11-33 – Coming to See. 

Satan often comes and offers an alternative path than the path that is God's will. That means some kind of compromise. When Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted, Satan offered him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, without Jesus having to suffer and die on the cross. All Jesus had to do was fall down and worship Satan. Jesus rejected it with the words: "You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve". (Mat 4:1, 8–10, 
Luk 4:1, 5–8, Deu (5 Mos) 6:13). Satan offered Jesus an alternative path, different from the path given by God the Father. One problem with a compromise is that it comes back and bites you in some way, see Balaam and Balak. In a similar way, God can lead us to enter hardship in order to become more mature Christians, see the Seven elements in The Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus also said: "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" 
(Mat 16:25–26, Mark 8:35–37, Luk 9:24–25). Jesus talks about making our lives the most important thing to us. That is self life and isn't how Jesus wants us to live.
(1 Cor 1:18).

If someone wants to follow Jesus, he should instead do the following (Mat 16:24, Mark 8:34), see also 3) Blessed are the meek in The Sermon on the Mount:

1. Deny yourself:
   We should have more of God's mind and not act like Peter did when
   he rebuked Jesus, because he thought he knew better than Jesus.
   Peter didn't think of the things of God, but on the things of men,
   what he thought best (James 4:13–15), see time 14:38–23:37 in 
   Luke 5 (Part 1) • A Lesson, a Leper and Jesus proves He is God.
   Denying yourself isn't the same as self-denial. We practice self-denial when,
   for a good purpose we occasionally give up things or activities, see for example Fasting. But we deny ourselves when we surrender ourselves to Christ
   and resolve to obey his will and make it our aim to please him
   (2 Cor 5:9), and live for him (2 Cor 5:15).
2. Take up his cross:
   Before the Romans crucified someone, that person had to carry his cross (actually the crossbeam) to the place of crucifixion. It was a parade of sorts and a way to humiliate that person. It was also part of the dying process. What Jesus means here is that this is the final surrender. Jesus said: "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." (Luk 14:27).
   My life now belongs to Jesus. Everything I have belongs to God. We speak of dying to self: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal 2:20).
   We offer ourselves as living sacrifices, but it's God the Holy Spirit who makes the changes within us (Rom 12:1, Phil 3:7–8). It's voluntary action of our
   part; we aren't forced to do that, to stop being self-centered, to die to self.
   We must not learn to love ourselves in order to love others, to care about other people (Phil 2:3–4).
3. Follow Jesus:
   We should follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Jesus was rejected many times.
   The disciples rejoiced when they were later punished by following Jesus, see
   Fear of Man. Jesus challenges us.

See this explained at time 2:20–15:30 in Mark 8:34-9:13 – The Cross and the Glory.

Jesus told the twelve disciples that they would all fall away (Mat 26:31, Mark 14:27, Zec 13:7b). They would be filled by Fear of Man. But Jesus would forgive them
(Mat 26:32, Mark 14:28). Peter answered Jesus that even if all the other disciples should fall away, he would never (Mat 26:33, 35, Mark 14:29, 31, Luk 22:33,
John 13:37). Jesus told Peter that he would deny Jesus three times that night before the rooster crowed twice (Mat 26:34, Mark 14:30, Luk 22:34, John 13:38).

That same night when they were in Gethsemane, Judas Iscariot came with a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people, and Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss (Mat 26:47–50, Mark 14:42–46, Luk 22:47–48, John 18:1–7), see Why Judas betrayed Jesus. Peter then stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck Malchus, who was the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear (probably from behind and the servant wasn't even a soldier)
(Mat 26:51–54, Mark 14:47–48, Luk 22:49–50, John 18:10–11). Jesus healed him (Luk 22:51). This shows the compassion that Jesus has for man. All the disciples then left him and fled (Mat 26:55–56, Mark 14:49–50, Luk 22:52–53, John 18:8, 12–14). This is believed to have occurred sometime between midnight and 2:30 am.

Peter then followed Jesus at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest and sat down with the guards to see and warmed himself by the fire of the enemies.
This isn't a good way to follow Jesus from a distance and be influenced by one's enemies. His character and faith were now tested: When confronted about being a follower of Jesus, he denied it three times. He even invoked a curse on himself and began to swear. Peter compromised his knowledge and connection to Jesus. 
(Mat 26:69–74, Mark 14:66–72a, Luk 22:54–60, John 18:15–18, 25–27). 
This was very serious because Jesus had said that whoever denies him before men will Jesus deny before God the Father who is in Heaven (Mat 10:33, Luk 12:9). 

However, Peter repented of this. Afterwards Peter wept bitterly (Mat 26:75,
Mark 14:72b, Luk 22:61–62). It was at that moment that repentance took place.
See this explained at time 25:27–31:24 in Mark 14:53-72 – Jesus Tried and Denied.
This is an example of brokenness from pride. People who aren't broken from pride always try to justify themselves when they have done something wrong. They either excuse themselves by trying to convince themselves and others that they had valid reasons to do wrong, or that it was someone else's fault that caused them to do the wrong. It's pride and is the opposite of brokenness from pride.

It was necessary for Peter to go through these failures. He must be shown that he was just a weak man, much dependent on the grace and mercy of God. He saw who he really was, a weak man in himself who needed Jesus. Apart from Jesus, he could do nothing (John 15:5, Proverbs 3:5–6). These events prepared him to be a man God could use. He would become a pillar and leader in the early church. See this explained at time 22:57–26:38 in James Chapter 1 (Part 1) :1-4.

If we are full of ourselves and think we have something to offer God in our own strength, then there won't be much room for God to fill us with his power, see 
1) Blessed are the poor in spirit in The Sermon on the Mount. God may allow us to enter situations where we experience some kind of loss or hardship, so that he can later use us for his purpose.

After The Resurrection of Jesus, Peter, John, and some of the other disciples went out fishing, but they couldn't catch anything. Jesus then stood on the shore and said to them to cast the net on the right side of the boat. When they did, they caught 153 fish. They then understood that it was Jesus. Peter threw himself into the sea, about a hundred yards (meters) from the shore, because he wanted to be close to Jesus.
This was the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he rose from the dead. (John 21:1–14). 

Now it was time for Jesus to restore Peter from the incident where he denied Jesus three times. We all fail sometimes, at times, but in Jesus there is restoration
(1 Pet 5:10). Forgiveness and restoration are part of God's character, see God's Attributes. We don't have to wonder if God will forgive us when we come to him, see also The Unforgivable Sin. But we must confront our failures, we must repent when we do wrong. Jesus restored Peter through threefold questions (John 21:15–17).
A question for every time Peter denied him. Jesus confronted Peter with his failures. The love to Jesus is crucial (2 Cor 5:14). Peter followed Jesus wherever
he went (John 21:18–19). He shouldn't compare himself with other people 
(John 21:20–21). God has different plans for different people (John 21:22–23).

Peter was going to have a leadership position and needed this. He needed to have his pride broken (Psalm 51:16–17 (18–19 in some translations)) and afterwards be restored. Many Christian leaders need to be broken from the
self-attitude that says: "I can do this in my own power;" to the attitude:
"I can do this through Christ but in myself I can do nothing." Without having that attitude there should be no leadership, see The Book of Timothy. Some people who desire leadership and who haven't been broken from pride aren't ready for leadership. The reason is to prevent people from harming the herd. We must be receptive to what God wants us to do.

A brokenness from pride is a positive brokenness. But there is also a destructive brokenness that is something else. People can be physical, mental, emotional, spiritual broken and need to be healed from it, sometimes with medicine and psychiatric help. The demon possessed people that Jesus freed are examples of people broken in the most extreme and destructive way, see Exorcism in
Miracles of Jesus. There is hope for such persons, God has the power to heal and restore even such persons: "He (God) heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3). See also Hope in Faith, Hope, and Agape Love.

After meeting Jesus after The Resurrection of Jesus, and being baptized with the Holy Spirit which occurred after Jesus' ascension into God's Heaven, see 
The Gift of Tongues, Peter was used in a great way by God, see The book of Acts.

See also Some stories in the gospels at the bottom of The Four Gospels.

Confronting Meaningless Religion

Jesus confronted meaningless religion:

• The power of tradition:
  Jesus was accused of allowing his disciples, and even himself, to eat without washing their hands according to the tradition of the elders
  (Mat 15:1–2, Mark 7:5, Luk 11:38). This accusation had nothing to do with dirty hands or poor hygiene, it was about following the rules of tradition. 
  
  Traditions become problematic when they are given equal or higher authority than the Bible (Mark 7:9), see The Roman Catholic Church.
  
  
• Empty religion:
  Jesus answered the Pharisees and scribes that they were the ones who broke God's commandments for the sake of their tradition (Mat 15:3–9,
  Mark 7:7–13). Their tradition was man-made rules which after a time became traditions and laws, which the people had to follow, but which weren't even part of the Mosaic Laws of the Old Testament (Mark 7:3–4). They violated the essence of God's word in the Bible for the sake of their tradition. See also Man-Made Religion. 
  
  When we begin to follow traditions that aren't grounded in the Bible, we find ourselves engaged in empty religious practices (Col 2:8, 20–23 (NIV)). Empty religion doesn't change the heart (Luk 11:39, 42, 52). 
  
  Jesus called these religious leaders hypocrites and referred to Isaiah's prophecy: "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." (Mat 15:7–9, Mark 7:6–8, Isaiah 29:13).
  
  When we do something for God, we shouldn't do it because we think it's expected of others or of God that we do it. Then it becomes an empty ritual that we just perform automatically. We should do it out of love for God, because he sees our heart and our motives behind it.
  (Psalm 50:7–15). Communion should make us to reflect and remember what Jesus did for us on the cross. It's not done to be saved (see Salvation) or to be done as an empty ritual. It's a reminder of God's grace and mercy. Another example is water baptism, see
  Christian Water Baptism in The Book of Romans.
  
  See also Jesus Denouncement of the Jewish Religious Leaders.
  
  
• Matters of the heart:
  Jesus explained that it's not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth (Mat 15:11, Mark 7:15).
  
  Whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled. But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and it defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. It is these that defile a person.
  But eating with unwashed hands defiles no one. (Mat 15:17–20,
  Mark 7:18–23). See also Disputable Matters in The Book of Romans.
  
  The teachings of the Pharisees and scribes at the time of Jesus are examples of Legalism, see the last part of The Book of Colossians. It was all about the exterior. They loaded people with burdens that were hard to bear and didn't help the people to get rid of the burdens (Luk 11:46).
  
  God cares about what happens in our hearts. We can pray for a clean heart, as king David did (Psalm 51:10 (12 in some translations)), see Psalm 51: Coming to God when we fail.
  
  "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23), see also Salvation.
  
  God wants a relationship with us and that we are led by the Holy Spirit, see Sanctification.

In our societies, personal opinion or personal belief is also very common, something that for many people is more important than both tradition and God's word in the Bible. A tradition has many times started with a personal opinion or a personal
faith that has developed over time (Mark 7:9). It may also have been initiated by a single verse in the Bible that has received a twisted interpretation. 
That may have been done to better suit my own opinion or my own tradition, see
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven. 

We shouldn't do things for religious reasons, we should do it for God
(1 Sam 16:6–7, Psalm 51:16–17 (18–19 in some translations), Isaiah 1:11–13a).

We should relate to God on a personal, individual level, as if he is real and alive,
and someone we can talk to, see The Parable of the Two Sons.
Then we get a real relationship with God.

When we teach, we should teach from the whole Bible, and especially from
the whole New Testament, and not just from our favorite verses of the Bible.

See also Some stories in the gospels at the bottom of The Four Gospels.

Jesus Walks on Water

The event when Jesus walks on water occurs immediately after the miracle of
feeding 5000 men with only five breads and two fish (Mat 14:13–21, Mark 6:30–44,
Luk 9:10–17, John 6:1–14). Jesus had then gone up a mountain alone to pray. 
The reason was that Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take him
by force to make him king. (Mat 14:22–23, Mark 6:45–46, John 6:15).

The boat with the disciples was about three miles (five km) from land, in the middle of the Sea of ​​Galilee, beaten by the waves, because the wind was against them. At the fourth watch of the night (last quarter of the night, about 3–6 in the morning), Jesus came to them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. Jesus then spoke to them and said that it was he, and that they shouldn't be afraid. Peter then asked Jesus for permission to come to Jesus on the water, which Jesus granted. Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he got afraid and started to sink. Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and took hold of him and said to him: "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat the wind ceased. Those in the boat worshiped him and said: "Truly you are the
Son of God." (Mat 14:24–33, Mark 6:47–52, John 6:16–21).

When Jesus said who he was, he used the term "I Am" (Mat 14:27, Mark 6:50b, John 6:20) which is an allusion to the supreme name of God (Exo (2 Mos) 3:14), see Jesus – I AM. 

The strong wind on the sea is a perfect picture of hardships and difficulties in life, which we can struggle in from time to time. It makes us ask God for help. Jesus came to them just before sunrise, about 3–6 in the morning.  It can be the hardest time of the night (Psalm 13:1 (2 in some translations)). The disciples have been struggling in the boat all night. This doesn't mean that Jesus ignores the disciples. God allows them to go through these difficulties. Jesus ordered the disciples to get into the boat and to travel before him to the other side (Mat 14:22, Mark 6:45). It had a meaning. Often God waits for us to to turn to him when we are in hardship. The disciples are in panic and fear (Mat 14:26). Jesus actually comes to them and walks on the water. Jesus tells them not to be afraid (Mat 14:27b, Mark 6:50b, John 6:20b). Jesus makes a point. When life is full of problems, Jesus is right there beside us (Proverbs 3:5). Jesus is always in control of the situation (Mat 10:29–31).

Even Peter actually walked on the water and came towards Jesus. But when Peter
saw the wind, he became afraid and began to sink, crying out to Jesus for help.
Jesus immediately reached out and took hold of him. Peter began to sink because he took his eyes off Jesus (John 15:5). Peter knew in his intellect the power of the waves as a fisherman and what they can do. It trumped his faith in Jesus to be able to walk on water in that situation. When Peter began to sink, he did the right thing to cry out to Jesus for help.

The Christian life is, like walking on water, humanly impossible. It can only be lived by the power of the Holy Spirit. We can experience a supernatural life as long as we look away from all objects other than Jesus and instead focus on him. As soon as we become preoccupied with ourselves and our circumstances, we begin to sink. Then we must cry out to Jesus for restoration and divine power.

See also Some stories in the gospels at the bottom of The Four Gospels.

Fear of Man

"The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe."
(Proverbs 29:25). We shouldn't base our decisions, and how we act and not act, on fear of man. People can be scary, and it can be a great temptation to do what is expected of us by other people, even when we know it's wrong. When we do that, and know it's wrong, we exalt those people above God himself. We put our our obedience to these people first, rather than giving our obedience to God.

Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great (Mat 2:1) and tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. His capital was at Tzippori near Nazareth. He had executed John the Baptist
(Mat 14:3–12, Mark 6:17–29). Jesus called Herod a "fox" (Luke 13:32). Herod was deposed by Emperor Caligula in 39 AD and died at Lyon. When Herod heard rumors about Jesus, he believed it was John the Baptist who had risen from the dead
(Mat 14:1–2, Mark 6:14–16). 

Herod Antipas was a double minded person. It's a person who wants one thing, but also the opposite. Herod wanted to execute John the Baptist because John criticized him for living with his brother's wife (Mat 14:3–5, Mark 6:17–18). But Herod also protected John, because he understood that John was a righteous and holy man, so he kept him safe (Mark 6:19–20). A double minded person is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8).

Herod also feared man. First, he didn't execute John the Baptist because he feared the people, because they considered him a prophet (Mat 14:5). Later, however, he executed John because of his oath and his fear of what his guests would think
(Mark 6:26).

Many of the Jewish authorities believed in Jesus, but for fear of the Pharisees they didn't confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God 
(John 12:42–43).

One reason why the apostles got rid of their fear of people, was that they saw Jesus after The Resurrection of Jesus, see Historical Facts that Jesus Rose from the Dead. Jesus presented himself alive to them through many proofs, appeared to them in his resurrected body for 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).
This strengthen them in their faith in him, that he was who he said he was, see Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Another reason to that they got rid of their fear of people, was that the Holy Spirit came upon them to give them power (Acts 2:1–11), see The Gift of Tongues. 
Many miracles occurred as a result of being empowered by the Holy Spirit 
(Acts 3:1–10, 5:12–26).

The apostles Peter and John stood up for their faith when they were forbidden to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:1–22). They answered it: "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."
(Acts 4:19–20). 

The apostles again stood for their faith when they were again forbidden to speak or teach in the name of Jesus (Acts 5:17–42). They answered it:
"We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."
(Acts 5:29–32). 

We shouldn't trust in authority before God: "Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish." (Psalm 146:3–4).

Fear and anxiety are usually the result of overthinking, combined with a diminished faith in God. This causes us to focus exclusively in our problems or challenges, and because our faith is weak, we give in to fear and become overwhelmed by it. A key to overcome fear is to get thoughts and worries under control and to build faith:

1. Get your thoughts under control:
   God has given us as Christians the fruit of the Holy Spirit, one of which is
   self-control (Gal 5:22–23). Through prayer and meditation on God's word, I must invite the Holy Spirit to help me master my thoughts and ponderings. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Phil 4:8).
2. To build faith:
   "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5–6). See How to Build Your Faith.
3. Repentance:
   Fear and anxious thoughts are the opposite of faith. When fearful and anxious thoughts arise, we must bring them to Jesus and confess them as sin, to be something that are wrong and against his will. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).

God can put us in situations where we may have to choose whether or not to act on people's fears. We can see it as training to obey God. We may fail a couple of times, but finally we can learn to act appropriately without being afraid of man. In that we stop acting in ways that we know are wrong, things that we do or don't do because of fear of people. The goal is to get to a point where we can say that we fear God and only God (Mat 10:28, Luk 12:4–5), that we obey God more than men.

To Fear the Lord

To fear the Lord means to have reverence for God, to acknowledge, honor, respect, and obey God for who he is and to obey his word. Not to be wise in my own eyes and to turn away from evil (Proverbs 3:7). It's something positive (Acts 9:31b). It means considering my actions appropriately under God's lordship and rules. If I am going to do something, I have to ask myself if it's what the Lord wants me to do. If it isn't, I shouldn't be doing it. There are consequences to going my own way, and I want to keep them out of my life. It doesn't mean to be afraid or terrified of God, but understanding that God is in charge of my life; he is the sovereign ruler of all the Earth, see God is sovereign in God's Attributes. When we realize that God is sovereign and almighty and has the authority and ability to hold us accountable for our actions, we respond to him with what the Bible calls a reverential fear and we adjust our behavior to his will, whether revealed in his word or just confirmed by our conscience. See this further explained at time 9:32–11:39 in
Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │ January 2024.

To know God is to fear God. But to know God is also to trust God. This provides the balance. There is a blessing that comes to those who fear the Lord and walks in his ways, see Psalm 128:1–4. 

See the following proverbs about fearing the Lord: 

• "Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is devious in his ways despises him." (Proverbs 14:2).
• "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7). 
• "The fear of the Lord is the beginning (prerequisite) of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." (Proverbs 9:10, Psalm 111:10). 
• "The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor." (Proverbs 15:33). 
• "The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied;
  he will not be visited by harm." (Proverbs 19:23).
• "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death." (Proverbs 14:27).
• "The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short." (Proverbs 10:27).
• "The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate." (Proverbs 8:13).

Note that these proverbs aren't promises but observations made by Solomon who is the wisest man who ever lived on Earth with the exception of Jesus himself, see 
The Book of Proverbs.

See also Some stories in the gospels at the bottom of The Four Gospels.

The Narrow Gate

Jesus said: 

• "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Mat 7:13–14). 
• "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." (Luk 13:24).

"This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation." (Psalm 118:20–21).
See The Parable of the Good Shepherd.

It's not enough to know something about Jesus (Luk 13:25–27). Even believing in God or being raised in a Christian home isn't enough. Satan believes that God exists. Even the demons believe in God and shudder (James 2:19b). There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when people realize that they didn't make it 
(Luk 13:28). 

There is a cost to following Jesus; to be a disciple of Jesus (Luk 9:57–58). see time 1:53–11:17 in Luke 9 (Part 5) :57-62 • Putting Jesus first. Jesus said:
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." (Luk 14:26). Jesus sometimes used extreme language to make a point, see this explained at time 2:54–26:24 in Luke 14 (Part 2) :25-35 • Counting the Cost.
Jesus wants us to be aware of the cost of following him (Luk 14:18–32). Some people wait for a specific event to happen before they do it (Luk 9:59–60), see time 11:19–19:11 in Luke 9 (Part 5) :57-62 • Putting Jesus first. Some people set conditions for following Jesus (Luk 9:61–62), see time 19:15–28:43 in 
Luke 9 (Part 5) :57-62 • Putting Jesus first. One reason is our human pride, we aren't good enough to follow Jesus in our own strength, and therefore don't want to go there. We don't measure up in ourselves. We need the power of the Holy Spirit.

There will be people from all over the world in God's Heaven (Luk 13:29).
"Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." 
(Luk 13:30, Mat 19:30, 20:16), see The Parable about the Laborers in the Vineyard.
See also Who is the Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?

The narrow gate and the way we must go define:

• Jesus:
  Jesus is the narrow gate (John 10:7–9), see The Parable of the Good Shepherd. Jesus said: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. 
  No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6). 
  This makes Christianity exclusive. Watch the animated video: 
  How Can Jesus Be the Only Way? See also 
  What Happens to Those Who Have Never Heard About Jesus?
• Our faith:
  "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph 2:8–9). This distinguishes Christianity from other world religions. Every single one of them requires you to be good enough. It's salvation by works. This makes Christianity narrow, because we can't boast about our salvation, see Salvation. Pride makes people brag. They refuse to see themselves as sinners, which we all are 
  (Rom 3:23, 1 John 1:8–10). 
• Our lifestyle after we are saved:
  We must deny ourselves, take up his cross, and follow him
  (Mat 16:24–25), see 1. Deny oneself and 2. Take up his cross in
  The Apostle Peter. See also The Book of John. The reason is that we can't serve two masters (Mat 6:24). See also the last part of The Book of Colossians. See also The Parables of the Talents and the Ten Minas.

See also Some stories in the gospels at the bottom of The Four Gospels.

Was John 5:3b–4 in the Original Text?

Jesus heals a man who has been paralyzed for 38 years at the Pool of Bethesda. Jesus says to him: "Get up take your bed, and walk". The man is immediately healed and is able to do so. (John 5:2–9). Jesus was then criticized by the Jews for doing this on the Sabbath (John 5:10–18). Jesus' answer was: "My Father is working until now, and I am working." See Paralytics in Miracles of Jesus. 
See also Jesus' answer explained at:

• time 26:42–36:29 in John 5:10-18 – Opposed by Religious Tradition.
• time 4:42–6:12 in John 5:19-47 – Opposed by Unbelief.

Verses John 5:3b–4 in this account weren't part of the earliest manuscripts and are therefore omitted in most Bible translations. These verses say the following about what the invalids (blind, lame, and paralyzed) did around this pond:
"waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and stirred the water: whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had."

John 5:3b–4 doesn't follow John's way of writing. It's probably a comment in the margin that happened to be included when the text was copied in later manuscripts. The explanation may well be based on old information from this time that is correct. It describes the folklore that existed around the pond and explains the man's response in verse 7 when Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed: "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me." See these verses further explained at time
5:51–10:11 in John 5:1-9 – Opposed by Hopelessness.

See also Critical verses in the gospels at the end of The Four Gospels.

Was John 7:53–8:11 in the Original Text?

John 7:53–8:11 (some translations start from John 8:1) is the story about the woman caught in idolatry. The reason for the question is as follows:

• A number of early manuscripts omit these verses.
• A number of manuscripts include these verses but do so with a note of doubt about their authenticity.
• These verses sometimes appear in various places in the manuscript evidence. For example, some manuscripts have this passage after
  John 7:36, 44, or 21:25. Some even have it after Luke 21:38.

The story in these verses is a very early story. Most scholars have suggested that this is an authentic true account of the life of Jesus, but probably not part of the original Gospel of John. If these verses had been part of John's original Gospel, they wouldn't have been moved around as they were. It might have been a big one desire to preserve this story of Jesus, and was therefore probably privy to the Gospel of John, which was the last of the four Gospels to be written. For more detailed information on this, see the following videos:

• Time 2:11-3:03 in John 8:1-11 – Opposed by Accusers.
• Time 33:04–35:52 in Lecture: Gospel of John.

Jesus says in these verses: "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." The scribes and Pharisees then left one by one. Jesus then said to the accused woman: "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied: "No one, Lord." And Jesus said: "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more." (John 8:7–11). 

This story is biblical. It's according to the teaching of apostle Paul who wrote: "Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things." (Rom 2:1). It's easy even for a Christian believer to judge a person who we believe is doing something wrong, see time 6:19-13:59 in 
Romans 2 - Religion, Morality and Faith. For the most part we should leave it to the Lord, see Do not judge others in The Sermon on the Mount. See also Examples where mercy triumphs over laws and regulations in The Book of Ruth.

See also Critical verses in the gospels at the end of The Four Gospels.

Was Mark 16:9–20 in the Original Text?

Mark 16:9–20 are the last twelve verses of the Gospel of Mark. These verses aren't included in two of the oldest and most reliable fourth-century Greek biblical manuscripts; Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. It’s almost unimaginable that the copyists who made them weren't aware of Mark 16:9–20, but they left it out of their Bibles. Modern Bible versions often include it in brackets or footnotes, such as ESV, NLT, NIV, and NASB. Jesus describes there the signs that would follow those who believe him (Mark 16:17–18). It’s important to know that including a note here isn't a recent development in church history. Christians have known for centuries that Mark 16:9–20 may not have originally been part of the Gospel of Mark.

When we look at the manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark that survive today, more than 99 percent contain Mark 16:9–20. This includes not only over 1,600 Greek manuscripts, but also most manuscripts of early translations of the Gospel of Mark.

Further, around 180 AD, Irenaeus unambiguously quoted Mark 16:19 as Scripture in Against Heresies. Justin Martyr and Tatian also knew the verses earlier in the second century. Undeniably, many early Christians considered Mark 16:9–20 to be part of the Gospel of Mark. These persons must have quoted from an earlier manuscript that we no longer have available, older than Codex Sinaiticus and 
Codex Vaticanus. This is strong evidence that Mark 16:9–20 was part of the original text, inspired by God. See this explained at time 2:24–4:41 in
Mark 16:9-20 – What Does Jesus Want Me to Do?

My personal opinion is therefore that Mark 16:9–20 was part of the original text, but later wasn't included in Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus.

For detailed information, see Was Mark 16:9–20 Originally Part of Mark’s Gospel?

See also Critical verses in the gospels at the end of The Four Gospels.

The Great Commission

Content:

• Jesus sends out the twelve
• Jesus sends out the seventy
• Comments by Jesus
• The Great Commission

Jesus has been given all authority in Heaven and on Earth (Mat 28:18). Jesus performed several miracles during his ministry on Earth, see Miracles of Jesus. 

Jesus sends out the twelve:

Jesus shared that authority, first to his twelve apostles. Jesus sent them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal every disease and every affliction (Mat 10:1, 8a, Mark 6:7, 12–13, 
Luk 9:1–2, 6, 10a). We can't do that in ourselves, see time 13:32–14:14 in 
Bible Q&A With Pastor Paul │April 2024 | (Individual links in description).

They should first go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Mat 10:5–6). 
The people of Israel were given the first opportunity to respond to the gospel because the promises had been made to the people of Israel (Jer 31:31–33).

The apostles should walk in obedience and base it on faith and trust in Jesus, even without having received any real explanation from Jesus. They shall give without reward (Mat 10:8b). Jesus had freely shared his authority with them. Not for people to be impressed by them, or for them to get rich. Authority was shared with them so that Jesus would be glorified. They shouldn't bring extra provisions on their journey.
The reason was that the worker deserves his food. (Mat 10:9–10, Mark 6:8–9,
Luk 9:3). They shouldn't worry about it, instead they should leave it in God's hands. They should trust God.

Traveling could be very dangerous in those days. They should therefore find out who is worthy and stay there until they leave that area (Mat 10:11, Mark 6:10,
Luk 9:4). Worthy is someone who responds positively to the gospel. They shouldn't be walking around the area looking for a better deal to stay at. The reason for that is that it's important to share the gospel with integrity, to prevent complaints from the world because of their way of life. It can otherwise be perceived as being more about what they can get from people than what they can give.

God wanted them to bless the people in the houses. They should do it by sharing
the gospel. They were the peacemakers, see 7) Blessed are the peacemakers
in The Sermon on the Mount. The only way to have true peace is through Jesus.
If people reject the gospel, they should leave the place in peace (Mat 10:11–13). 
If someone didn't receive them or didn't listen to their words, they would shake the dust off their feet when they left the house or city (Mat 10:14–15, Mark 6:11,
Luk 9:5, Acts 13:50–51, Heb 10:26–27). The reason was to emphasize gravity to reject Jesus Christ. This shouldn't be done in an attitude of anger or frustration.

Jesus sends out the seventy:

The instructions Jesus gives to these 70 (some manuscripts say 72) are very similar to the instructions he gives to the Twelve (see above):

• Jesus sent them out two by two, to every city and place where he himself would go (Luk 10:1).
• They should heal the sick (Luk 10:9). They had been given the authority to do so by Jesus (Luk 10:17, Mat 10:1).
• They shouldn't take extra provisions with them on their journey
  (Luk 10:4a). 
• They should find out who is worthy and stay there until they leave that area (Luk 10:5–7).
• If someone didn't receive them or didn't listen to their words, they would shake the dust off their feet when they left that house or city 
  (Luk 10:10–12).

Then Jesus also said to them:

• They aren't to greet anyone on the road (Luk 10:4b). What Jesus meant was that they shouldn't be distracted. Greeting someone in the Jewish culture of that time took a lot of time, and is not the way we do it today.
• Whenever they entered a city and were received, they would eat what was set before them (Luk 10:8, Mark 7:18–19, 1 Cor 10:27–28),
  see Disputable Matters in The Book of Romans. 
• Jesus said to them: "The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me." (Luk 10:16).
• They shouldn't necessarily rejoice that the evil spirits were subject to them, but that their names were written in Heaven (in the Book of Life)
  (Luk 10:20), see The Great White Throne Judgement.
• God has hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children, that is, to the humble (Luk 10:21,
  Mat 11:25, 18:3, 1 Cor 1:26–29), see the seven elements in
  The Sermon on the Mount. We should depend on God as little children depend on their parents. Jesus doesn't condemn intellectual learning but intellectual pride (Proverbs 11:2).

Comments by Jesus:

Jesus said: "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." 
(Luk 10:2).

Jesus also said that he is sending us out as lambs in the midst of wolves
(Mat 10:16a, Luk 10:3). The wolves are the people who have deliberately rejected Christ. Just as lambs are defenseless around wolves, we will be defenseless within
ourselves. When we are attacked, we aren't to attack back (Mat 10:23a), see 
Love and not revenge in The Sermon on the Mount. We are totally dependent on God for our protection. God is the one who protects us. When people kill Christians, they will think they are doing God a favor. All who desire to live a godly life in Jesus Christ will be persecuted (2 Tim 3:12, Mat 10:22a). We should therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Mat 10:16b). Wolves even enter among us in the body of Christ without sparing the flock (Acts 20:29–30, Mat 7:15), see Beware of false prophets in The Sermon on the Mount. However, we shouldn't be afraid
(Mat 10:26a, 28a, 31), see Don't be anxious in in The Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus also said to the disciples: "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." (John 14:16–17). 

This happens when Jesus breathes on them to receive the Holy Spirit as a sign that they are saved (John 20:22, see below).

The Great Commission:

Jesus gave the great commission to his disciples after The Resurrection of Jesus, before he ascended into Heaven. He said the following:

"Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again: "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you."
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them:
"Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them;
if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld." (John 20:19–23).

Jesus does four things for them:

1. Gives them the assurance that it's Jesus in his resurrected body. By showing them his hands and his side, he assures them that they are not seeing a ghost, it's not a vision, it's really Jesus (John 20:19–20, 27, Luk 24:36–43). 
2. He gives them a commission: As God the Father sent Jesus, he sends them
   to proclaim the gospel (John 20:21).
3. He brings the Holy Spirit by breathing on them and saying to them: "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:22). They are now saved, born again Christians, see The Book of Peter. God created man from dust and gave him life when he breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, see The Biblical Creation and the Fall of Man. Now Jesus breathes on them as the Son of God, and they become born again Christians. See also Jesus and Nicodemus.
4. Jesus gives them authority. All born again Christians, the Body of Christ, have been given the authority to declare the forgiveness of sins according to the promise of Jesus Christ to all who believe in him (John 20:23), see Salvation.

"All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Mat 28:18–20).

Jesus tells us the following:

1. He tells us to go out and proclaim the gospel (Mat 28:18–19a).
2. We should make disciples (Mat 28:19a), followers of Christ, to love Jesus
   the most (Luk 14:26–27, Mat 10:37, 22:35–37).
3. The gospel should be proclaimed in all nations (Mat 28:19a). 
   No one is excluded from the hope that the gospel provides.
4. We should baptize them (Mat 28:19b), see Christian Water Baptism in
   The Book of Romans. Baptizing isn't a step toward Salvation, it's a step of obedience after Salvation has been received. 
5. We must proclaim the gospel in the name of God the Father, God the Son,
   and God the Holy Spirit (Mat 28:19b), see The Trinity.
   That is, to do it in their authority, but not as a formula. 
6. Teach them to observe all that Jesus has commanded us (Mat 28:20a).

"Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mark 16:15–18). 
See also Was Mark 16:9–20 in the Original Text?

Some misguided people have seen these signs mentioned above as an inspired list
of guarantees that it's OK to hold snakes and drink deadly poison. That's not the meaning of those verses. We shouldn't test God (Mat 4:6–7, Luk 4:9–12). The meaning is that when the gospel is proclaimed, supernatural events will occur. 
Signs and wonders will then be accomplished.

We should show respect to all, love the family of believers, fear God and honor authorities (1 Pet 2:17). We should obey our authorities and pay our taxes. But we should also remember to obey God before authorities, if, for example, they forbid us to proclaim the gospel. See the following:

• This World is Not Our Home in The Book of Romans. 
• To Fear the Lord in Fear of Man. 
• Unity. 
• Psalm 101: How to live a holy life.

Jesus also said to the disciples:
"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that
everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets
and the Psalms must be fulfilled." (Luk 24:44).

After Jesus had said that, he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures
(Luk 24:45). Jesus opened their minds, their hearts, when he breathed on them and they received the Holy Spirit (John 20:22, see above). We need the Holy Spirit to understand the Scriptures (1 Cor 2:12–14, 16).

Scripture can't be understood by our simple human minds. God must open our minds to understand the Scriptures (Luk 24:45). Reading Scripture isn't like any other reading assignment we undertake. Reading the Scriptures must begin with a dedication of our mind and heart to God, and a willingness to listen to God as he speaks to us through the Scriptures. We only understand Scripture as the 
Holy Spirit opens our minds and becomes our teacher.  

Jesus said to them:
"Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." (Luk 24:46–49). 

While he was staying with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, as he said: "You heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." (Acts 1:3–5). "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the Earth." (Acts 1:6–8).

The Holy Spirit came later to empower them (Acts 2:1–11). They were then already saved. They were saved when Jesus breathed on them (see above) and they received the Holy Spirit. The baptizing of the Holy Spirit took place after the ascension of Jesus Christ into Heaven. When that happened, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they received power, see Jesus the Light of the World. Salvation
and being baptized in the Holy Spirit can happen at the same time (Acts 10:44–48). However, it is possible to be saved without being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
A person normally knows whether he or she is saved or not, see Salvation.

The most common and obvious proof of being baptized in the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues, see The Gift of Tongues. But a person can also have other spiritual gifts without speaking in tongues and still being baptized in the Holy Spirit, see
Spiritual Gifts. The purpose of being baptized in the Holy Spirit is to be empowered to be a witness to take the gospel to the world.

The gospel was brought to the Samaritans (Acts 8:5, 14, 25) and then to the Gentiles (non Jews) (Acts 9:15, 10:45, 11:1, 18). God equips born again Christian believers to build up the body of Christ (Eph 4:11–12), see The Book of Ephesians.

See also Some stories in the gospels at the bottom of The Four Gospels.