2 replies to this topic

[Librarian]

Doctrines derived from Session 05 Scriptures and Tables

Tables

Matthew 16

John 6

1 Timothy 3

Titus 2

Luke 22

Hebrews 2

Discussion is open and welcome.

[Librarian]

Comments by the author of Gospel of Peace, John Pople:

TABLE

• The characteristics of the devil from this passage are three: must be able to deliver all countries of the world, must comply with scriptural teaching on temptation in James 1 (from within) and Hebrews 4 (Jesus was tempted then the same way we are now)
  
  
  
• Jesus was tempted by his own desires, his own mind. This is the only possibility that satisfies all the above requirements: THIS IS THE DEVIL – a human’s desire not to follow God’s will
  
  
  
• Notice the closing verse: if the devil leaves and angels come, the devil was not an angel
  
  
  
• Appreciate the timing of the temptation – immediately after Jesus receives the unlimited supply of God’s power at his baptism (Matthew 3:13-16). This is classically characteristic of the human experience: temptation arrives directly we have the opportunity to abuse it
  
  
  
• Jesus was tempted to give in to natural human desires which were contrary to God’s will: but he disposed of those desires. This is his victory over the devil
  
  
  
• Note the account in Luke says the devil would come back to Jesus: ‘at an opportune time’ (Luke 4:13)
  

Matthew 16

• Peter, a human man, was called Satan. Not possessed by Satan, but actually Satan
  
  
  
• The reason Peter was called Satan was because he gave in to human temptation to want to fight for Jesus, which was not God’s will
  

John 6

• Judas, a human man, was a devil. Not possessed by the devil, but actually a devil
  
  
  
• The reason Judas was a devil was because he gave in to human temptation to betray Jesus for money
  

1 Timothy 3

• Deacon’s wives can be devils if they talk maliciously
  
  
  
• This is because the mouth produces the contents of the heart (see Luke 6:45) and so the devilish behaviour is defined as having evil thoughts in your heart.
  

Titus 2

• Older women can be devils if they slander
  
  
  
• This is because the mouth produces the contents of the heart (see Luke 6:45) and so the devilish behaviour is defined as having evil thoughts in your heart
  

Luke 22

• Jesus had in mind the temptation to do his own will: contrary to God’s. But he subdued it and did God’s will anyway!
  
  
  
• This is how he fought the devil and won!
  [indent](This is also the ‘opportune time’ when the devil returned, as Luke 4:13 said it would.)[/indent]
  

Hebrews 2

• Jesus destroyed the one with the power of death by resisting temptation
  
  
  
• Luke 22 (the events in the Garden of Gethsemane) shows us the one with the power of death is our innate desire not to follow God’s will
  
  
  
• Once more: the desire to serve self and abandon God’s will is defined as the devil in the Bible
  
  
  
• This desire (the devil) was destroyed by Christ and he became the opportunity of life for all men (Romans 5:18)
  

Notice how the passages from John 6 and Matthew 16 complete the earlier Figure 2 on the Bible representation of the Devil.

 FigureThreeGOP.gif   6.43K   2 downloads

Figure 3: Completion of ‘The Devil’ in the Bible using independent scriptural proofs.

[Librarian]

Session 06 - He Took Up Our Infirmities - Notes and Discussion Page will be posted by Friday, 30 November, 2007.

Questions/Discussion Points for Session 05 remain open.