Queen's Road Cell

 1. Luke gives a vivid sense of John's character through dialogue. what did John tell the people to do? 3:3 - repent 3:8 - to behave in ways that showed repentance and not to take their spiritual security as ethnic Jews for granted. John's appearance and message ( 2 Ki 1:7- 8, Mat 3:4 ) was very similar to that of Elijah's (Mal 4:6) 2. What reasons did John give for the instructions listed in question 1? 3:3 - so that their sins would be forgiven 3:4-6  - to prepare the way for the Messiah, for all to be saved 3:7-9 - their Jewishness is not special in the eyes of God (cf. Jn 8:38-39). Judgment is here and those with lives not in accord with God will be destroyed.   3 a) John did not tell the tax collectors or soldiers to change jobs, but he did tell them to 'produce fruit in keeping with repentance' (3:8). What did he say? (see 3:12-14) These were the most hated people in society: soldiers were representatives of a foreign occupying power. Tax collectors were co...

 11. What do you learn from 2:21-40 about.. Jesus' mission (2:39-35) He was to bring salvation to all the p eo ples, both Gentiles and Jews.(Is 9:2, 42:   How people responded to Him (2:28. 38) They blessed and thanked God for Him. They told of Him to all who were waiting for the salvation of Jerusalem. 12.What does 2:40-52 reveal about... Jesus' identity (2:49) He is the son of God Jesus' character (2:40, 43-47, 49, 51-52) " strong, filled with wisdom" Inquisitive and having deep understanding about spiritual things, focused on His unique identity as the Son. Submissive to parental authority, Growing in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.cf. the description of the John the Baptist (1:80 "the child grew and became strong in spirit")   13.a) What does Luke say about the content of the good news in 1:5-2:52 (see 1:11-17, 26-35, 50-55, 68-79, 2:11, 14. 30-32, 34-35)  The good news turns people to God (1:16), to unite families (1:17) , and t...

  9. Why did God have His Son born in the circumstances described in 2:7, rather than in a royal or at least comfortable, household? (see Luke 6:20, 9:58, 22:27; 2 Cor 8:9)   The verses tell us that Jesus was poor and came to serve. He upended the world's idea of 'blessing' as being rich. This indeed is the pattern of all God's working in the Bible. He chooses the small and insignificant (Dt 7:7-8), like king David (1 Sa 16:11) and peasants in Galillee  to exalt and to accomplish His great and wise purposes. 10. What does 2:1-20 reveal about: Jesus' identity (2:11) 'Saviour' (cf. 1:47, Jn 4:42) 'Christ' - the Messiah, the Anointed One. (cf. Jn 1:41, 4:25) - empowered for ministry. 'The Lord ' (cf. Acts 2:36; 2 Cor. 4:5; Phil. 2:11) How people and angels reponded to his coming (2:8-20)  The angels were 'praising God' The shepherds were filled with great fear. They quickly went to look for the baby, told Mary and Joseph what the ang...

  3. Mary calls God 'my Saviour' (1:47). How does she portray God as Saviour in 1:46-56?   This verse was the reason why the great mediaval theologian Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274) felt that Mary was not conceived sinless (the doctrine of the 'Immaculate Conception', officially expressed in 1854). God has exalted her for all generations even though she is humble. God is mighty God shows mercy God has overturned the standards of this world and exalted the humble and cast down the proud (cf. the song of Hannah in 1 Sa 2:1-10, Ps 103:1) God fills those who hunger physically, but who also hunger for righteousness. (cf. Mt 5:6) God has fulfilled His promises to the nation. 4. What does 1:39-56 Reveal aabout Jesus' identity and mission (see 1:43,  51-55)  Jesus is blessed (v.42), the "Lord" (v.43, an exalted title, used only of God in Lk 1-4) Jesus' coming will cause the "fall and rising of many" (Lk 2:34) 5. How do Mary and Elizabeth respond to th...

 1. What do you learn from 1:5-25 about John the Baptist's mission (1:15-17)  To live before God in the spirit and power of Elijah. To turn the Jews to God, turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and bring repentance. So as to prepare the way for Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. How people should respond (1:14-20) For fathers to turn their hearts to the children, and to cause the disobedient/sinners to desire godly wisdom, so that the way for Christ would be prepared. 'Turn' is the operative word (v.16a, 17b)  Verse 17 recalls Malachi 3:1 and 4:6 (the last verse of the OT).  a. What do you think 'to turn the hearts of the parents to their children' means?   He will restore unity to broken families, undoing the effects of sin across generations Alternatively, a reference to the turning of latter day Jews to the faithfulness of their forefathers (taking the parallelism in the passage), or of Gentiles to Jews b. Why do you think turning parents' h...

  Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2  just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3  it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4  that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.(1:1-4)   7. Read 1:1-4 slowly several times, preferably in several translations. What subject does Luke say he is writing about? (Think about what "the things that have been fulfilled(accomplished) among us" are) Luke's material: The events surrounding Jesus, as well as the promises of God that were fulfilled in Him. Jesus has come, lived died and risen again. He is the Saviour. (cf. Acts 1:1 " all that Jesus began to do and teach" )  “Among us” may be an indication of personal experience, making the material more im...

This gospel is the first half of a 2-volume history of Jesus and the early church. The author is not named. Church tradition gives Luke as the author by mid-second century. The 'we' sections of Acts (16:10-17, 20:5-21:18, 27:1-28:6) assume that the author was a companion of Paul who participated in the events described. Luke is listed in Col 4:14, 2 TIm 4:11, Phm 24.  The author of the gospel was not an eyewitness (1:2). Col 4:14 tells us that Luke was a physician. His authority to write derives from Paul's apostolic authority. The gospel is likely dated early AD60s, before the martyrdom of Paul in AD64-67 or Nero's persecuation in AD65 (28:31 ends with the gospel preached 'without hindrance'). At the end of Acts the gospel has reached Rome - the centre of the ancient world. Both Luke and Acts are addressed to 'Theophilus'. Likely a real person ("most excellent" is the same address Paul uses to address Roman governers in Ac 23:26, 24:2, 26:25)....