A few questions in James 3

This chapter concerns how we use our tongue to speak, and the nature of our words. Here are some questions we might begin with:

1. A teacher, to James, is a person who primarily communicates by ______. (multiple choice)
   1. his spoken word
   2. his YouTube account
   3. his writing
   4. artwork and sculture
   5. Chuck Norris concepts
2. The tongue of a man is compared to a horse's bit and to a teeny rudder. What part of a man fulfills the analogy of the reins by which the rider controls the bit?
3. Continuing the analogy: What part of a man compares to the ship's wheel?
4. Completing the analogy: who or what is the rider of the horse, the captain of the ship?
5. Did Job ever have occasion to sin with words from his mouth? How about Moses?
6. Read Psalm 19. How does the final verse jive with James' teaching in chapter 3?
7. In v. 11, James mentions a spring of pure water. What should be the source of our pure words?
8. Can a person dip into jealousy or selfish ambition without some unwise spoken words?
9. How do jealousy and selfish ambition, spoken openly, help a teacher of the Lord's way to lead students toward God?

We will start with these questions on Thursday morning, a lot to learn.

The curious incident of the dog in the night time

We occasionally refer to fictional works like the Shack during our study of the Bible, and today is another case of that: we will refer to a famous passage in a Sherlock Holmes story, "Silver Blaze," by Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes has unraveled a mystery for one Colonel Ross, in the rustic Dartmoor region of southern England, delivering the answer with this conversation between Holmes and Inspector Gregory...

Colonel Ross still wore an expression which showed the poor opinion which he had formed of my companion's ability, but I saw by the inspector's face that his attention had been keenly aroused.

"You consider that to be important?" he [Inspector Gregory] asked.

"Exceedingly so."

"Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"

"To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."

"The dog did nothing in the night-time."

"That was the curious incident," remarked Sherlock Holmes.

We find other mysterious situations in Matthew's 27th chapter. Let's ask a few questions:

1. The curious incident of the Messiah before Pilate: Pilate repeats the accusations of the chief priests and elders, to which Jesus makes no reply, stunning the Roman governor. Why would this silence be so stunning, so curious, to Pontius Pilate? What does it tell us?
2. At the Crucifixion, the passersby railed at the Messiah, and flung the words of Jesus back in His face, words about rebuilding the Temple and saving others. Obviously some of them had seen Jesus at work and listened to His words, yet another curious incident. How should they have reacted to seeing the innocent man voluntarily being crucified?
3. Yet another curious incident: Judas does not change his mind when Jesus is first captured, but only later. What was the factor that made Judas change his mind and throw the blood money back into the Temple?
4. After Judas returns the silver pieces, he ends his actions permanently, but the chief priests and elders continued. What was different about the chief priests and elders, that they could continue?
5. Did the chief priests and elders know they had purchased murder?
6. Is Jesus Christ willing to be served by the gold and wealth coming from covetousness, crime and duplicity?
7. What should be the true currency of the Church?

Let's start our study this morning with these questions, asking the Lord for clear eyes to see His Word.

Finish ch. 24, dip forward to ch. 25 of Matthew's gospel.

We will take one more look into chapter 24 of Matthew's gospel early this Thursday morning, and then we will dip forward to chapter 25. Here are a few questions to use for studying and thinking ahead:

1. Is the fig tree here in chapter 24 a parable or something else?
   
2. Does this sprouting of the fig tree occur before, during or after the destruction of Jerusalem?
   
3. What would it be like, to be in the Lord's summertime?
   
4. Do fig trees always behave in this manner, sprouting leaves and so forth? How does that help Jesus form the Twelve?
   
5. Jesus is the Lord, the Alpha and the Omega. All time and all the ages belong to Him. Yet how is it that Jesus does not know the hour and day of His coming to the gates?
   
6. "A person who is damned to hell is damned because of the entire history of his entire family." ←← True or false?
   
7. "A person who is damned to hell can actually be damned accidentally, through no fault of their own." ←← True or false?
   
8. "Hell is temporary." ←← True or false?
   
9. In America, we hold that all men are created equal. Does this apply to the talents that each man has?
   
10. Why does God give talents in the way that He does?
    
11. When you enter God's joy, what will you be placed in charge of?
    
    
    

We can look into the perfect Torah of freedom, God's word, by thinking over these questions and discussing it all early on Thursday morning.

Big Sixteen

The 16th chapter of Matthew's gospel is loaded with useful, wise information. Here are a few questions to start the study of this big sixteenth chapter.

1. In Matt. 13:58, Jesus does not work many wonders when his townsmen reject his actions and teachings. Is that episode similar to the beginning of Matthew 16, where Jesus leaves them looking for the sign of Jonah?
2. Does asking for a sign tell you anything about the faith of the Pharisees and Sadducees?
3. Is there a time when Jesus has appeared or shall appear with great signs from Heaven? Why aren't signs kosher now, at this point in the walk of Jesus?
4. Jesus had just fed multitudes twice with miraculous provision of regular food. Was that a sign?
5. Would the Pharisees and Sadducees have understood what the sign of Jonah was?
6. Uh oh. In v. 5, the Twelve discover that, once again, they do not have bread. What is it with these guys that they have such bread troubles? How many bread troubles are there in this gospel, anyway?
7. Jesus figures that the multiplications of loaves should have been fresh in their minds, but they could not comprehend the meaning of it. How does Jesus' multiplication of loaves relate to the false teaching of the Pharisees and Saducees, as Jesus implies?
8. When Jesus asks the Twelve. "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" what is remarkable about what he finds? Is it a sign?
9. Does seeing a true sign with accuracy help one to become a doer of the Word?

Let's gaze into God's perfect Torah of freedom tomorrow morning and see what can be made of this business of the signs.