Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Was Acts 8:37 in the Original Text?

As a background, see Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. 

Acts 8:37 (NKJV) is an answer to the question from the man whether he could
be baptised: "Then Philip said: 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.'
And he answered and said: "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

Philip has been explaining the gospel to an Ethiopian court official, and the official has responded enthusiastically, asking to be baptized immediately. In this verse,
Philip is giving a challenge and the official is responding. The format of the
challenge and response may even have been a practice in the early church:
a public confession used to verify that the person is saved, see Salvation.
But the text of this verse itself doesn't appear to be original.

The verse isn't found in the oldest and most reliable manuscripts of Acts.
Most modern translations include it in parentheses, or with a note stating so.
The sentence doesn't express anything that contradicts the rest of Scripture,
but it was probably not part of Luke’s original writing.

This verse is added in NKJV, but excluded from several other Bible translations,
such as ESV and NIV.

Today, churches often have a more involved system. The new believer may attend a class to learn the details about Jesus, Christianity, and baptism. Usually, they are baptized only after they have demonstrated that they understand what it means.

See also the origins of various Bible translations explained under Background
in Bible Translations. 

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

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How to Interpret John 19:14a and John 13:1a?

Mark’s Gospel says it was the third hour (9 am according to Jewish time) when Christ was crucified (Mark 15:25). John’s Gospel mentions the sixth hour
(12 am according to Jewish time) (John 19:14a).

Both Gospel writers are correct in their claims. Each Gospel writer uses different
time systems: Mark’s Gospel follows the Jewish time system while John
follows the Roman time system. The Jewish 24-hour period began in the evening at 6 pm and the morning of that day began at 6 am. According to Roman time,
the day extended from midnight to midnight as it does for us in our time.

Mark 15:25 clearly states that Christ was crucified at the third hour Jewish time which was around 9 am. "And it was the third hour when they crucified him."

John 19:14a says: "Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover.
It was about the sixth hour." This occurred at 6 am according to Roman time. 
John describes the trial before Pilate as occurring around 6 o'clock in the morning. This event can have occurred some time between 6 am and 7 am.

Using Roman time is consistent with other references to time in John’s Gospel: 

John tells us that Jesus was tired from his journey from Judea to Samaria at the sixth hour (John 4:6) and asked the woman at the well for water. Given the length of his journey, his fatigue, and the normal evening time when people would come
to the well to drink and water their animals, this fits well with 6 pm according to Roman time. It's the end of a working day. Jesus is tired from his long journey;
the disciples have gone to find food; and the woman is drawing water
in connection with the evening meal.

John's reference to the tenth hour (John 1:39) would be 10 am according to Roman time. Two of John the Baptist's disciples went with Jesus, saw where
he was staying, and spent that day with him. This was about the tenth hour.
They stayed with Jesus from 10 am the whole day.

John's reference to the seventh hour (yesterday at the seventh hour, John 4:52) would be yesterday at 7 pm according to Roman time. The hours of darkness and the difficulties of a mountain path may well have prohibited movement till the next day. At first light, he hastens home and meets his servants with the happy news
of his boy's recovery. The words "yesterday at 7 pm" are then easily explicable.

John 13:1a ("Now before the Feast of the Passover") was, using Jewish counting,
in the evening just after sunset (6 PM) at the beginning of the day of Passover,
which was the day before the "Feast of the Unleavened Bread". But since John used Roman counting it was before the Passover. See also the chapters Passover and
Preparation of the Passover Lamb in Jesus' Last Days before his Crucifixion.

We can't know why John, as a Jew, accepted in his Gospel a form of counting hours that came outside Jewish way of counting and instead used Roman counting. But we can safely say that accepting the Roman way of counting time in John’s Gospel
provides an adequate and better understanding of certain biblical accounts;
it provides a good explanation of what are otherwise troubling differences between John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke).

See also Critical verses in the gospels at the end of The Four Gospels.
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Was Mat 17:21 in the Original Text?

Jesus said:"However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
(Mat 17:21, NKJV).

This verse is excluded from several Bible translations, such as ESV and NIV.
The reason is that several of the oldest Greek manuscripts exclude this verse.

The same occurs for Mark 9:29, where NKJV says ". . . prayer and fasting." and ESV and NIV says ". . . prayer." See also the explanation of Fasting.

See why Mat 17:21 isn't in the original text explained at time 9:55–14:58 in December 2024 Bible Q&A. The same applies to Mark 9:29. See also the origins
of various Bible translations explained at Background in Bible Translations. 

To summarize: While fasting can be a good thing,
it's correct to omit verse Mat 17:21 and verse Mark 9:29 should be:
"And he said to them: 'This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.'"

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

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Tuesday, December 8, 2020

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 lifestyle. 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 happened when Jesus breathed 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),
see it explained in these videos:

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).
See it explained at time 22:11–24:34 in Bible Q&A • Episode 50.

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,
    see The Depth of Riches in The Book of Romans.
  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?

However, see how it's abused in the NAR movement from time 7:33 
in How The NAR Movement is Deceiving MILLIONS of Christians.

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:

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 baptize 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). Being baptized in the Holy Spirit 
can also happen some time after having received Salvation. However,
it's also possible to be saved without later being baptized in the Holy Spirit. 
A person usually knows whether he 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.

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Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Fasting

Fasting is good training in self-denial. It's an exercise in which we choose
to give precedence to the life of the Holy Spirit over our physical needs. 

Biblical fasting should be done in secret (Mat 6:16–18). It's a way to humble myself and to seek God in prayer (Psalm 35:13, Joel 2:12–13). Fasting should always be coupled with prayer (Acts 13:3). It's about setting aside ordinary daily life so that we can focus on prayer. From a Biblical perspective, fasting is not eating food and only drinking water. We can fast that way but also "fast"
(self-denial) from other things that take up our time, like television and movies, see the article: Fasting (in ways you may not have thought about before). The purpose is to make Jesus the focus of this period, see these videos:
Fasting was originally an expression of mourning, and Biblical fasting was originally
a way to show God how to grieve over sins committed. John the Baptist's disciples fasted and it can be seen as part of their repentance, see also The Book of Jonah. However, fasting wasn't part of the Mosaic Laws, but had been part of the Jewish understanding of the Law. Over time, this fast had turned into a purely religious ritual, something that was done routinely without really thinking about the meaning (Isaiah 58:3–14). God then told the Jews that fasting must be done with humility to fight injustice and to care for the oppressed. When done with the right heart fasting can be an act of worship that pleases God and transforms lives. Throughout history, believers have relied on prayer and fasting to draw closer to God and gain spiritual strength. But fasting had become tradition. The Pharisees regularly fasted two days a week and many of them (perhaps most) did so primarily to gain attention and admiration for their "deep piety", see The Pharisee and the Tax Collector and Jesus Denouncement of the Jewish Religious Leaders.

Jesus' disciples didn't fast during Jesus' ministry, which resulted in criticism
of Jesus. Jesus' answer wasn't that there was anything wrong with fasting.
But fasting must be honest, not just an empty ritual. It must be an expression of sincere sorrow, otherwise it's meaningless. It must come from the heart. Exteriors and empty rituals mean nothing. God only looks at the heart. Ceremonies and rituals aren't crucial. See the article: 
Do (Protestant) Christians participate in fasting during lent,
or is this something that only Catholics participate in?

There are therefore suitable times for fasting and times when one shouldn't fast. Jesus' disciples didn't fast as long as Jesus lived among them. Jesus said: "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day" (Mat 9:14–15a,
Mark 2:18–19, Luk 5:33–34). See also Was Mat 17:21 in the Original Text?

Fasting in pure routine, despite being happy, isn't honest fasting.
Fasting when not mourning is as absurd and inappropriate
as dressing in sackcloth and ashes and fasting at a wedding feast,
see The Parable of Putting New Wine into Old Wineskins.

Jesus also said: "The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast." (Mat 9:15b, Mark 2:20, Luk 5:35). Jesus' disciples fasted later, after Jesus' ascension into Heaven (Acts 13:2–3, 14:23).

That said, fasting can be an essential practice for believers: 
These examples show how prayer and fasting are powerful tools for spiritual growth and victory. It shows how fasting and prayer prepares believers for significant spiritual work and help them align with God's will.

See also Some stories in the gospels at the bottom of The Four Gospels.
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Thursday, November 26, 2020

The Sermon on the Mount

Content:

  • Introduction
  • Seven elements for growing as a Christian
    1. Blessed are the poor in spirit
    2. Blessed are those who mourn
    3. Blessed are the meek
    4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
    5. Blessed are the merciful
    6. Blessed are the pure in heart
    7. Blessed are the peacemakers
  • Blessed are those who are persecuted
  • Jesus and the Law
  • Jesus' teaching about anger
  • Jesus' teaching on adultery and divorce
  • Oaths
  • Love and not revenge
  • Giving
  • The Lord's prayer
  • Fasting
  • Laying up treasures in Heaven
  • Don't be anxious
  • Do not judge others
  • Casting pearls before swine
  • Ask, and it will be given to you
  • The Golden Rule
  • The narrow gate
  • Beware of false prophets 
  • The wise and foolish builders

Introduction

The Sermon on the Mount (Mat 5:1–7:29) shows the root of real change in
our lives. Jesus didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners doto repentance
(Luk 5:32). We are all sinners before him (Rom 3:23, 1 John 1:8–10).

Because The Sermon on the Plain (Luk 6:17–49) (which is another sermon) contains several similarities, it's included in this article.

The Gospel of Matthew mentions "The kingdom of Heaven". The other Gospels mention "The kingdom of God". The meaning of both is the same.

Seven elements for growing as a Christian


1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven
(Mat 5:3, Luk 6:20, 24):

It's not about economic poverty. It is confessing that you are sinful, rebellious, and completely without any righteousness to make yourself acceptable to God in yourself. It's being spiritually bankrupt. The Greek word that Jesus uses for poor means destitute. It's a person who has nothing. Spirit here means someone's life.
"poor in spirit" therefore means "destitute of themselves". To be "poor in spirit" is to admit my spiritual poverty before God. King David did (Psalm 86:1). For we are all sinners under God's holy wrath and deserve nothing but God's judgment. We have nothing to offer, nothing to plead for, nothing to buy Heaven's favor with (Mat 18:3).
"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." 
(Psalm 34:18 (19 in some translations)). A person who is truly broken from pride
is ready for change, see The Apostle Peter. It keeps us from getting puffed up. The main problem with the church in Laodicea was that they weren't "poor in spirit", see The Seven Churches in the Book of Revelation. See time 7:29–14:34 in
Luke 4 (Part 2) :16-30 • Jesus, the fulfillment of Prophecy. 
It's not the same as seeing yourself in a bad light or having low self-esteem.

God is far from those who are proud, arrogant, and full of themselves.
But those who have been emptied of themselves, humble in heart,
broken from proud, he is right there by their side:

  • "For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" (Isaiah 57:15 (NIV)).
  • "These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my Word." (Isaiah 66:2b (NIV)).

It's a blessed condition attached to such a situation (Psalm 51:15–17 (17–19 in some translations), see Psalm 51: Coming to God when we fail. It makes us open
to receive from God; we understand that we need him. We aren't good enough and can't be good enough in our own, see Jesus and the Young Rich Man. Jesus can now fill our hearts with his goodness, abilities, and power and we can more easily receive his Salvation (Joel 2:12–13). We have nothing to offer God for our Salvation. 

A brokenness from pride is a positive brokenness. But there is also a destructive brokenness that is something else. People can be physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually 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. See also time 19:52–26:54 in Luke 4 (Part 2) :16-30 • Jesus, the fulfillment of Prophecy. 

2) Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted
(Mat 5:4, Luk 6:21b, 25b):

One reason for mourning is that I realize the seriousness of my sinful condition.
It begins with understanding the gravity of my own sin. Later, that sorrow can also take on a sorrow for sin and shortcomings that have been done to others. There is
a time of sorrow that we as believers go through related to our sin and related to all that has been lost in our lives because of our sin. The recognition of sin in our lives
is what the Bible calls Godly sorrow (James 4:9–10). Godly sorrow produces
repentance that leads to Salvation that leaves no regret (2 Cor 7:10a). Worldly sorrow is something else. It's a sadness to be caught and contains no remorse
(2 Cor 7:10b). God's response to our sorrow is, to comfort us (2 Cor 1:3–4).

Repentance and brokenness from pride, along with humility, are the keys
to hearing God's voice. It makes us open to what God has to say,
see To hear the voice of God in Psalm 131: I have quieted my soul.

3) Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth (Mat 5:5):

Meekness (humility) is willingness to submit and work under authority, willing to disregard my own "right" and privileges. It speaks of the brokenness of pride 
(Luk 22:61–62, Isaiah 66:2b, Gen (1 Mos) 32:22–32). It's a person who is always ready to get along with anyone, who never believes himself to be superior,
and who knows that everything good he has is a gift from God. To see myself 
as God sees me, as I really am according to God's Word (Mat 18:4, Luk 9:48b).
To neither think too highly of myself nor struggle with low self-esteem (Rom 12:3).
Thinks about the needs of others more than myself. Apostle Peter is an example of a biblical character who began to think too highly of himself. Gideon is an example of an Old Testament biblical character who struggled with low self-esteem. Both were used by God. Watch the video How did Moses demonstrate godly humility?

A person with low self-esteem spends a lot of time thinking about himself, and that isn't humility. The meaning of pride is centered on the self. See the following verses:

  • "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (James 4:10). 
  • "The Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with salvation.    " (Psalm 149:4). 
  • "He has brought down the mighty from their thrones
    and exalted those of humble estate.    " (Luk 1:52).
  • "He (Jesus) humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Phil 2:6–8). 

See also 1. Deny yourself and 2. Take up his cross in The Apostle Peter.

4) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied (Mat 5:6, Luk 6:21a, 25a):

Righteousness between people is based on our actions. To be righteous before God
is something else, because our actions aren't and can't be good enough (Rom 3:20, 
Isaiah 64:6a). Righteousness before God is given through faith in Jesus Christ
to all who believe and trust in him (Rom 3:21–22a, Mat 22:36–40), see Salvation. As born again Christians, we should strive to live a correct (righteous) life towards other people (Mat 22:39) with the help of the Holy Spirit, see Sanctification.

5) Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall receive mercy (Mat 5:7, Luk 6:36):

Grace is getting what we don't deserve, such as blessings. Mercy is not getting
what we deserve. For example, not getting punished for sin we do (Titus 3:4–5a). 
We should do the same to people who hurt us, offend us,
see Forgive and You will Be Forgiven. Peter asked Jesus how many times he would forgive, if it was seven times. Jesus answered him that it isn't up to seven times, but seventy times seven (Matt 18:21–22). What Jesus meant is to constantly forgive.

6) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Mat 5:8):

Pure doesn't refer to sinful perfection, as that is impossible to achieve in this life.
It talks about filtering out the impurities in our lives.
We therefore need to be cleansed (Psalm 24:3–4).

A pure heart is pure worship of God where there are no other idols picking for attention, and to be honest, sincere, and open to our fellow man. It means filtering out idolatry (putting something or someone above God) from our worship of God, and filtering out dishonesty from our dealings with other people. God looks at our heart (1 Sam 16:7, Proverbs 4:23). The heart stands in the Bible for the whole inner man, thoughts as well as feelings (Proverbs 16:9, 24:1–2). God purifies us through his Word together with the Holy Spirit who gives the Word life to us and gives it application in our lives (John 15:1–3). We need to embrace the Word through the Holy Spirit within us. Then we will see God working in our lives (Psalm 32:1–11).

7) Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called sons of God (Mat 5:9):

Jesus speaks of the peace that comes from no longer being a stranger to God.
The separation between me and God is removed when you become a Christian.
It creates joy and peace in our lives (Rom 5:1). Peace with God is a growth of God's grace. When I understand that God's love for me isn't based on what I deserve,
but on what he has given me by grace, it creates peace between me and God. 

The opposite is a relationship based on performance. It means I try to live a good Christian life. As a result, God will love me, accept me, and bless me.
One problem with that is that I will never know if I live up to God's standard, see Jesus and the Young Rich Man. And it's certainly not based on God's grace 
but on my own good performance.

But God showed his love for us by Jesus dying for us while we were still sinners (Rom 5:8, 10, 2 Cor 5:18–19), see The Atonement and Salvation.
When God's grace comes into our lives, peace with God is the result.

I need to have peace in my life to be able to give peace.
As Christians we should love one another (John 13:35), see Unity.

A biblical peacemaker is a person who conveys the gospel to other people; The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The only way to biblical peace is through Christ (John 14:6). Jesus paid the price with his death on the cross.

Blessed are those who are persecuted
(Mat 5:10–16, Luk 6:22–23, 26)

No one comes to God except through Jesus (John 14:6), see
Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus exposes the sin of this world 
(John 3:19–20). We as Christians are meant to be the salt and the light in
this world (Mat 5:13–16, Mark 9:50, Luk 14:34–35, Eph 5:8–15, John 3:19–21), see A Lamp on the Stand. It should be seen in our lives that we are Christians. 

The persecution is due to the conflict between following Jesus, and the desire to live a life without Jesus. When we begin to follow Jesus seriously, we will attract opposition. We are called to suffer for God (1 Pet 2:20b–21). All who want to live
a godly life in Jesus will be persecuted (2 Tim 3:12). However, it's possible to be
a Christian believer without being persecuted by simply keeping a low profile. 

We should rejoice and be glad if we are persecuted for our Christian faith, for our reward will be great in Heaven (Mat 5:11–12, 1 Pet 4:12–16,
2 Thess 1:4–5, Rom 8:16–18). "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess 5:18, Acts 16:22–25, Col 2:7b, Psalm 100:4). 

Being thankful and expressing thanksgiving does the following:

  • Keeps our hearts in right relationship with the giver of all good gifts.
  • Reminds us of how much we actually have.
  • Saves us from harmful emotions and attitudes that rob us of God's peace that can lead to discontent and bitterness. 

Jesus and the Law
(Mat 5:17–20)

See Jesus and the Law.

Jesus' teaching about anger
(Mat 5:21–26)

See the commentary on the 6th commandment in the The Ten Commandments.

King David wrote: "Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts
on your beds, and be silent. Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord."
(Psalm 4:4–5 (5–6 in some translations)). David confronts evil men, his enemies, with a warning that their anger overflows into violence, which it often does.
They should think deeply on their beds about what they are doing
and be silent before the Lord. They should put their trust in the Lord
and not in what their anger could accomplish. 

Apostle Paul quoted that: "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down
on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil." (Eph 4:26). Paul confronts Christian believers. Anger isn't necessarily a sin; Jesus got angry on certain
occasions and he was always without sin. But we aren't Jesus. The possibility for us to get angry and lash out is very great. We must therefore be very careful about it.
"do not let the sun go down on your anger" means that we aren't to dwell
on grudges, anger, or insult. We shouldn't allow too much time to pass
before we resolve a conflict, either by addressing it individually with the person concerned or by taking it to the Lord in prayer. We should neither repress
our feelings nor express ourselves in anger towards this other person. 

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." (James 1:19–20), see time 19:25–22:27 in James 1 (Part 3) :16–27.

Jesus' teaching on adultery and divorce 
(Mat 5:27–32)

Mat 5:29–30 are comparisons and don’t mean to harm yourself. 
These verses show the seriousness of adultery. See also the comment
to the 7th commandment in the The Ten Commandments.

Oaths
(Mat 5:33–37)

We shall not take an oath at all (Mat 5:34–36), see Jephthah the Judge. Instead,
our answer should be 'Yes' or 'No' (Mat 5:37, James 5:12). However, this must not be interpreted as an absolute prohibition of all oaths, for example in a court of law we may have to take an oath to tell the truth, and it's OK to do so, see Heb 6:13,
Luk 1:73, Mat 26:63–64. It's more of an emphasis on truth and honesty.

Love and not revenge
(Mat 5:38–41, 43–48, Luk 6:27–29, 31–36)

As believers, we are not to justify revenge (Mat 5:39–41, Luk 6:29).

  • "Do not say: 'I will repay evil'; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you."
    (Proverbs 20:22).
  • "Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook
    an offense    .    " (Proverbs 19:11). This is done because of love.

We should act as Jesus did and leave it to the Lord (1 Pet 2:23). Jesus forgave those who crucified him (Luk 23:33–34a). We should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Mat 5:44–48, Luk 6:27–28, 32–36), see the article 
What does the Bible say about how to deal with unbelievers? and see Agape Love
in the end part of Spiritual Gifts. See also the following verses: 

  • "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them." 
    (Rom 12:14).
  • "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." 
    (Rom 12:20–21, Proverbs 25:21–22).
  • "Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing."
    (1 Pet 3:9).

If we don't forgive we leave room for bitterness. Bitterness spreads like a disease (Heb 12:15). We can forgive in the power of the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus says: "if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also" (Mat 5:39, Luk 6:29a), he means that when we are offended we shouldn't act harshly, even when we have done nothing wrong, but instead forgive and leave it to the Lord. When bad thoughts about it come back, we can ask for the help of the Holy Spirit to deal with it in a biblical way and be able to leave it to God:

We should leave it to the Lord (Rom 12:19, Deu (5 Mos) 32:35). A wicked man who does evil falls into the hole he has made (2 Thess 1:6–10). His mischief returns upon his own head (Psalm 7:14–16 (15–17 in some translations)). Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap (Gal 6:7), see The book of Obadiah. The only exception to that is if the person who has wronged me comes to the Lord and finds forgiveness
in Jesus Christ. I can't then complain that he isn't punished for it, because I have received the same grace, mercy, and forgiveness from the Lord, see Salvation.  

Giving
(Mat 6:1–4, 5:42, Luk 6:30)


The principles of giving are described at the end of The Book of Corinthians.

Giving is about so much more than just money. Jesus was a giver. He expressed the Father's heart in acts of compassion, fed the multitudes, healed people. Believers should be characterized by generosity and compassion, show mercy and kindness even if the person doesn't deserve these things. We are recipients of God's mercy and love and should therefore be able to act merciful towards other people. 

What about all the beggars we see related to Mat 5:42 and Luk 6:30?
If Christians took those verses quite literally, there would soon be one class of Christian poor, who own nothing, and another class of prosperous idlers and thieves. This isn't what Jesus seeks, but a readiness among his followers to give. In a given case, it may not be love's way of giving. But it's love and mercy that must decide whether we give or refuse. Giving can be Spirit-led. If the will to give is present and the believer listens to God's voice, the giving will be generous and helpful.
But indiscriminately handing out money to someone who just takes it and buys booze or drugs isn't being benevolent or helpful. A better choice then might be to regularly give to a trusted organization that helps people in need. See the article: 
How should we respond to the people at Walmart with signs begging for help?

The Lord's prayer
(Mat 6:5–15, Luk 11:2–4)


God's Word tells us: 
  1. To pray (2 Chron 7:14).
  2. God hears us when we pray(2 Chron 7:14). 
  3. Prayer makes a difference (James 5:16).
We aren't to pray to impress people (Mat 6:5). That shouldn't be our motive. It's permissible to pray in public, Jesus did. But we should also pray when we are alone, because then all other distractions are minimized (Mat 6:6). God wants us to worship him in spirit and truth (John 4:23–24). We can pray everywhere (John 4:20–22).
God knows our needs before we ask him (Mat 6:7–8) but wants us to ask for them.

The Lord's Prayer is meant to give us guidelines for how to pray (Mat 6:9–13,
Luk 11:2–4). God's name is holy and special (Mat 6:9, Luk 11:2a). We want God's will to be established in our lives and around us (Mat 6:10b). Even Jesus prayed that it would be according to the will of God the Father when he said: "not as I will, but as you will" (Mat 26:39b). Therefore, when we ask God for something, we can add the word submission to our requests and ask for God's will, for his sovereignty trumps our own desires. We want God to give us what we need in our daily lives, such as wisdom, discernment, strength, ability, and of course food and clothes.
God wants us to depend on him daily. He wants a daily relationship. (Mat 6:11, 
Luk 11:3). We should ask God to forgive us, the same way we also forgive others 
(Mat 6:12, Luk 11:4a). If we don't forgive others their sins, God the Father
won't forgive us our sins (Mat 6:14–15), see Forgive and You will Be Forgiven. 

We should also ask God to lead us away from temptation and to deliver us
from evil (Mat 6:13, Luk 11:4b). See this explained in the article: 
Why does Jesus teach us to pray "lead us not into temptation?". 

We are all tempted but temptation alone isn't sin. It means asking to be saved from being sucked into the temptation. It basically expresses a healthy distrust of one's own ability to resist temptation or to stand up under trials. It recognizes our dependence on the Lord for our sustenance. The Greek word essentially expresses the idea of ​​not being led into temptation. King David wrote: "Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!" (Psalm 141:4).

We can also pray for the people who are trapped in evil, and even for the people who are the source of that evil, but also that God will abolish the evil that we see on Earth and brings his kingdom over these situations (Mat 6:10a, Luk 11:2b).

Fasting
(Mat 6:16–18)


See Fasting.

Laying up treasures in Heaven
(Mat 6:19–24)


We shouldn't collect treasure on Earth. We can't take them with us when we die.
It's better to lay up treasures in Heaven (Mat 6:19–20). Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Mat 6:21, 24a, Ecclesiastes 5:10 (9 in some translations)). No one can serve two masters, such as God and money (Mat 6:24b), see The Parable of the Rich Fool and The Parable of the Dishonest Manager.

Don't be anxious
(Mat 6:25–34)


We shouldn't be anxious for our lives what we shall eat or drink,
nor for our bodies what we shall put on (Mat 6:25):
  1. We should look at the birds that God feeds and learn from them. Are we not worth much more (Mat 6:26, 10:29–31). God cares about us (1 Pet 5:7).
  2. Our anxiety can't add a single hour to our lifespan (Mat 6:27).
  3. As God clothes the grass of the field, so he will clothe us (Mat 6:28–30).
    Worrying is a lack of faith, it's a kind of sin (Rom 14:23b).
  4. God knows all our needs (Mat 6:31–32).
We should seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to us. When we do that, we shouldn't worry about tomorrow
(Mat 6:33–34). This means that we should first seek the rule of Jesus Christ
in every aspect of our lives. We should also present our requests to God,
by prayer and supplication and with thanksgiving (Phil 4:6 (NIV)). 

Do not judge others
(Mat 7:1–5, Luk 6:37–42)


"Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks
against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges
the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
There is only one lawgiver and judge (God), he who is able to save and to destroy.
But who are you to judge your neighbor?" (James 4:11–12).

We are judged with the judgment we pronounce on others (Mat 7:1–2,
Luk 6:37–38). We reap what we sow (Gal 6:7). God the Father didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:17, 12:47–48), see Salvation. When we judge someone else, we condemn ourselves
(Rom 2:1). We shouldn't judge hypocritically (Luk 6:41–42, Mat 7:3–5), and instead make good choices and decisions (1 Cor 6:4–7), see Dealing With Sin in the Church. 

Jesus said that we should stop judging by appearances alone, but instead judge rightly (John 7:24). He said that after being criticized for healing a person on a Sabbath (John 5:16–18), see the 4th commandment in The Ten Commandments. 
Jesus had done nothing wrong and had therefore been wrongly judged.

We must beware of false prophets (Mat 7:15), see Beware of false prophets below. We can assess and correct what someone teaches, that it's according to Scripture (Titus 3:10–11, Heb 4:12–13), see Word of Faith Movement in the U.S 
and The Roman Catholic Church. An assessment whether something is true is something that we can do. There are situations when we must judge and correct, see The Book of Corinthians. The purpose of all this is to bring about a change
in a bad situation, to inform followers about what is biblical, and to protect the
Body of Christ (Mark 9:50). See also The Parable about a Blind Leading the Blind.

We make judgements all the time when it comes to life (Luke 12:57). Then we should do it according to the truth of God's Word and not according to the world.
But we must not condemn in our judgments. See this explained further at time:

Casting pearls before swine
(Mat 7:6)


All evangelism isn't good evangelism (Mat 7:6a, Luk 23:8–9). Some evangelism can cause problems and make things worse (Mat 7:6b). God says through Isaiah that his Word that goes forth from God won't return to him void, but will accomplish what he desires and will achieve its purpose (Isaiah 55:10–11). This isn't a guarantee that the word we share will never return void, see The Parable of the Sower. 

Jesus said: "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world;
I am not of this world. Why is my language not clear to you?
Because you are unable to hear what I say." (John 8:23, 43).

Apostle John wrote: "They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. . . . whoever is not from God does not listen to us . . .". (1 John 4:5–6).

"Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man,
and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning." (Proverbs 9:7–9),
see The Book of Proverbs.

Herod Antipas asked Jesus many questions when he had been captured, but Jesus didn't answer him. The reason was that Jesus knew what was in Herod's heart,
that he wasn't interested in hearing the truth, he just wanted to be entertained. 
(Luk 23:8–11). He represents the hard way in the The Parable of the Sower.

Herod represents the natural man who can't receive spiritual things, for they are foolishness to him (1 Cor 2:14). Just as a swine can't understand the value of a pearl because he can't eat it, this type of people can't understand the value of the gospel. 


But we should be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us
to give the reason for the hope that we have (1 Pet 3:15b): 
  1. Know your audience and tailor your approach to them.
  2. Be led by the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:27–31).
  3. Be motivated by love (2 Cor 5:14).
  4. Keep it about Jesus.
  5. Be empowered (Acts 1:4–5).
  6. Don't quarrel (John 1:45–46b).
  7. Begin and follow up with prayer.

Ask, and it will be given to you
(Mat 7:7–11, Luk 11:9–13)


Prayer matters, see time 1:06–2:51 in Bible Q&A • Episode 43 and these articles: 
God will always do what is best for his children (Mat 7:11, Luk 11:13). 
Everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks
it will be opened (Mat 7:7–8, Luk 11:9–10, Deu (5 Mos) 4:29, Jer 29:13). 
We serve a mighty God for whom nothing is impossible. 

King David wrote: 
  • "I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me;
    hear my words.    " (Psalm 17:6). 
  • "May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name
    of the God of     Jacob protect you!    " (Psalm 20:1 (2 in some translations)).
We should pray from our hearts and not use vain repetitions (Mat 6:7).
We should also pray in the name of Jesus (John 14:13–14, 16:23b–24, Col 3:17), which means praying in the authority, in the power, in the person, in the attributes, in the character of Jesus. See more of this in The Trinity and in these videos: 
We can also invite the Holy Spirit to participate in our prayers,
see time 12:02–13:24 in Bible Q&A • Episode 41.

We can be personal, see time 18:05–21:08 in Bible Q&A • Episode 45.


But there are times when it seems that God doesn't answer prayer.
Some of the reasons may be the following:
  1. We have little or no faith in God, see Faith, Hope, and Agape Love. There was a time when Jesus came to his hometown and could do no mighty work there, except to lay hands on some sick people and heal them. The reason was that they resented him and didn't believe in him. (Mat 13:53–58, Mark 6:1–6,
    Luk 4:16–30). When we ask God in prayer, we must believe and not doubt (Mat 17:20, James 1:6–8, Heb 11:6). God can do far more than anything we ask or imagine through the power of the Holy Spirit who works
    in us     (Eph 3:20). See also False Teaching about Faith 
    in Word of Faith Movement in the U.S.
  2. We don't persevere in prayer (Luk 18:1–8, 11:5–8). Jesus said:
    "Will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?"
    (Luk 18:7), see The Parable of the Persistent Widow.
  3. Sometimes there is a divine delay before a prayer is answered. Zechariah
    had probably been asking God for a son for a long time (Luk 1:13–20).
    God may have a time for a prayer to be answered, it may be far in the future. It may even be about things that we have stopped praying for.
  4. We don't pray according to God's will (1 John 5:14–15, Lamentations 3:37). Sometimes we see God as a genie in a bottle who gives us everything we want when we want it. Sometimes it's better not to get what we ask for.
    Our perception doesn't always agree with God's perception (Isaiah 55:8–9). We don't have all the information that God has (1 Cor 13:12). God sees the whole picture. It may be that God has a different solution to a problem than we have. Jesus shows us this when he prays in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luk 22:41–42), see the article What would you say to the person who is fearful of praying against God's will? See also time 30:20–35:40 in 
    James 5 • The coming of the Lord is at hand.
  5. We are temporally minded, focused on the life in this world (Col 3:1–2).
    God makes decisions in our lives based on eternity.
  6. We ask with the wrong motive (James 4:3 (NIV)). Our motives aren't always pure (1 Cor 4:4). Sometimes we pray with the wrong motives.
  7. Our prayers are hindered by our behavior (Psalm 66:18, 1 Pet 3:7), see
    time 0:32–1:42 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │December 2023. Wrong behaviors can create a separation between me and God that can prevent
    my prayers from being answered. It must be restored through confession
    and repentance, see also Must we lift up our hands when we pray?
    in The Woman's Place in the Congregation.
  8. God has a higher purpose. God allowed a thorn in Paul's flesh to prevent him from becoming proud (2 Cor 12:7–10). A thorn in the flesh can produce something in my life that makes me useful for God. It increases my humility, see 3) Blessed are the meek above. It keeps me from being puffed up
    and conceited. We fail to see the value of suffering (2 Cor 4:17).
  9. We reject the Lord's chastening (Heb 12:5–7a). We should endure all hardships as discipline, see the first part of The Book of James.
  10. We should pray from our hearts and not use vain repetitions (Mat 6:7).
There can be great power in one person's prayer: "The prayer
of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:16b–18). 

Mat 18:19–20 that speak of the case when two or three are gathered in the name of Jesus deal with church discipline, see Dealing With Sin in the Church.
See these verses explained in the following videos: 

The Golden Rule
(Mat 7:12, Luk 6:31)


The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others as you would like to be treated. 

Whatever we want others to do to us, we must do to them (Mat 7:12a, 
Luk 6:31). This is a summary of the Law and the Prophets (Mat 7:12b).
It's through the power of the Holy Spirit that we do this (1 Thess 4:9–10).
But even then we can't make it perfect. If we could make it perfect,
we shouldn't need another rule. This is a message to the Christian believers.

The greatest and first commandment, part of the Law, is that God is One
(Mark 12:28b–29, 32, Deu (5 Mos) 6:4) (see the last question in The Trinity),
and to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind
(Mat 22:36–38, Mark 12:30, 33, Deu (5 Mos) 6:5). 

The references to heart, soul, and mind are intended to convey the idea of the
whole man, see Body, Soul, and Spirit in The Danger with Gnosticism. The Lord commands that we should love God with everything in us. To love God with all my heart, soul, and mind is to live for God above all else. It's to use all that God has given me; my heart, my thoughts, and even my physical energy for him and his purposes. God wants us to live our lives for him, to please and serve him. This commandment can never be fully obeyed by sinful people. To love God perfectly without failing is beyond our ability. We all spend most of our time living for ourselves in one self-centered way. That's one reason why Jesus needed to come
and die on the cross for our sins. And yet it should remain the goal of our hearts. 
King Josiah of Judah in the Old Testament loved the Lord as much as he could do. See What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength?

The second greatest commandment that is also part of the Golden Rule is: 
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
(Mat 22:39, Mark 12:31, 33, James 2:8, Lev (3 Mos) 19:18). 
See also Love and not revenge above.

On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets
(Mat 22:36–40, Rom 13:8–10, Gal 5:14). First God, then people.

Jesus also answered an expert in the Law that he would have eternal life if he kept these rules (Luk 10:25–28). However, there is no possible way with our human efforts to keep the Law, see Jesus and the Young Rich Man. No one is declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the Law. Through the Law we become aware of our sin (Rom 3:20). Whoever keeps the whole Law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of transgressing them all (James 2:10), see Jesus and the Law.
"But I (Paul) say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." (Gal 5:16). We have all sinned and fall short of God's glory (Rom 3:23),
therefore we need Jesus as our Savior, see Salvation.

The narrow gate
(Mat 7:13–14, Luk 13:22–30)



Beware of false prophets
(Mat 7:15–23, Luk 6:43–46)


A prophet is by definition someone who speaks for God, see Spiritual Gifts.
 
Jesus warns us about false prophets (Mat 7:15a, 24:11). They come in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves (Mat 7:15b). They are even found
in the body of Christ. A false prophet is someone who lies and speaks twisted things by twisting the meaning of verses in the Bible and trying to convince us that they convey a message from God (Jer 23:16–17, Col 2:8). They tell people what they want to hear (Jer 8:11, 2 Tim 4:3–4), see itching ears. They give people a false sense of security (1 Thess 5:3), see Ahab of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah 
in Elijah the Prophet. They blur the distinction between righteousness and sin,
to deceive well-meaning Christian believers into following them (Acts 20:29–30). 
They are trying to take advantage of you financially. Their motive is to make merchandise at your expense. These are characteristics of the end time Antichrist, see Who is the End Time Antichrist?

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among us and proclaims signs or wonders, and if the signs or wonders spoken of take place, but the prophet teaches a false gospel, then we must not listen to him (Mat 24:24). God then tests us to see if we will follow the miracle or the Word of God (Deu (5 Mos) 13:1–3). People who are involved in prophesying and casting out demons in the name of Jesus are called workers of lawlessness by Jesus (Mat 7:21–23, Luk 6:46).
Although they did these great miracles, they didn't belong to Jesus (2 Tim 2:19), see Balaam and Balak. 

God doesn't necessarily require a person to be godly to give true prophecies from God. Saul prophesied shortly after he had been anointed king (1 Sam 10:10–11).
He also did it when he tried to kill David (1 Sam 19:23–24).
Saul proved to be a very cruel and wicked king, see Samuel and Saul. 

By their fruit we will recognize false prophets (Mat 7:15–20, 12:33, Luk 6:43–45,
Gal 5:19–21a). A person's character is of utmost importance to have any kind of leadership in a church (1 Tim 3:2–7), see The Book of Timothy. Even godly people will make mistakes from time to time, but even then they will show good fruit
(Gal 5:22–23a).

There are also false teachers (2 Pet 2:1–3, Acts 20:29–31, 2 Tim 4:3–4, 2:15–16), 
see time 8:05–19:29, 45:23–48:19 in 2 Peter 2 • A Warning about False Teachers.

The change that God seeks in our lives is a work that takes place when people 
really encounter Jesus Christ and he will live inside them through the Holy Spirit,
and through that indwelling, these people begin to change their lives (1 Cor 6:9–11), see Sanctification.

The wise and foolish builders
(Mat 7:24–29, Luk 6:47–49)



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