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BIBLE QUEST
Bible Quest is your journey to a basic understanding of the Bible,the church, and your Lutheran faith.
WHY BIBLE QUEST?
In the Book of Acts we read the Apostle Philip was on a road from Jerusalem to Gaza when he came across a cart transporting an Ethiopian who was head of the treasury for the Ethiopian Queen. The conversation between the two men is described this way:Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.31“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” (Acts 8:30-31)The evangelist Billy Graham said, “There many things about God I don’t understand or comprehend. I accept His revelation of Himself by faith.”So that is our purpose here, not to judge or condemn, but to share faith information in a joyful, interesting and easy- to -understand way. It is intended, not just for those who study the Bible every day, but also for those who have never picked up a Bible in their life. In fact, it is our hope the information here motivates you to explore the Bible even further on your own. Think of it as a journey. A “Bible Quest” if you will. We encourage comments and questions to our posts. No question is too stupid or too basic to ask. Just understand a good or de6nitive answer might be elusive. Many have been seeking the answer to the same or similar questions for over 2,000 years!If you are curious and have questions, we encourage you to reach out to our Virginia Synod Commissioned Lay Preacher James Ingraham at jhiclp23@gmail.com. “Regardless of who you are, and wherever you are in your faith journey, Jesus loves you. And you are welcome here.”
"An intelligent mind acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge."
Proverbs 18:15
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Holy Week, also referred to as Passion Week, is the culmination of the three-year ministry of Jesus Christ. Here is a brief summary of the events of that week and why these days are so significant to the Christians Faith.
Friday: Arrival in Bethany before the Passover. While here, Lazarus, the man whom Jesus raised from the dead, and his sisters Martha and Mary, host a dinner in Jesus’ honor. Prior to the meal, Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with an expensive perfume, an act of supreme devotion indicating her willingness to serve him. The account of this dinner is found only in John 12.
Palm Sunday: Jesus makes his triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, fulfilling the prophecy proclaimed in the Old Testament book of Zechariah. The Pharisees are outraged by this display, and Roman Governor Pontius Pilate is concerned the Jewish leadership will soon lose control of the adoring crowds, thus destabilizing Roman control over Palestine. All four Gospels have an account of the entry into Jerusalem.
Monday: Clearing of the Temple. In one of the most dramatic moments in the Gospel story, Jesus enters the Temple in Jerusalem and disrupts the commerce going on and drives out the money changers, a major source of revenue for the Pharisees and Chief Priest. This intensifies their resolve to rid themselves of Jesus. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke all contain an account of this event. John’s Gospel does not.
Tuesday: Day of Controversy and Parables. Jesus returns to the Temple and debates the scribes, lawyers and Pharisees on the fine points of Jewish law. They are now merely looking for a legal pretense to kill Jesus. During this debate, Jesus is challenged about paying taxes to Rome. He provides the famous response “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Maundy Thursday: Jesus meets with his disciples one last time to celebrate the Passover (Seder) Meal, the ancient ritual in memory of Moses leading the Hebrews out of Egypt. Jesus transitions this meal into the “New Covenant” of the Last Supper declaring the bread is “my body given for you” and the wine “the new covenant in my blood. Do this in remembrance of me.” Afterwards, they retire to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prays as he waits to be arrested after being betrayed by Judas.
Good Friday: In the early morning hours, Jesus is arrested, tortured and condemned, first by the Chief Priest and then by Pontius Pilate. Pilate orders Jesus to be crucified, which is done about noon time. Around 3 pm Jesus exclaims, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” and breathes his last. His body is placed in a nearby tomb and sealed with a large stone.
Easter Sunday: Early in the morning, Mary Magdeline goes to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body, only to find the stone removed and the body gone. An angel in the tomb asks, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” and declares,
“Rejoice, for Christ has Risen!”
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Ever wonder where some of our everyday sayings and phrases came from? Well did you know that many have been Biblically inspired? Let's explore some common phrases you've probably heard and where they came from in the Bible.
Old Testament Phrases
1. "By the skin of your teeth"* Origin: Job 19:20 ("I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.")* Meaning: Narrowly escaping or surviving a difficult situation.
2. "The writing on the wall"* Origin: Daniel 5:5-31 (The story of Belshazzar’s feast where a divine hand writes a warning on the wall.)* Meaning: A clear sign of impending doom or trouble.
3. "A thorn in the side"* Origin: Numbers 33:55 ("They shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides.")* Meaning: A persistent annoyance or problem.
4. "Scapegoat"* Origin: Leviticus 16:10 (The scapegoat symbolically bore the sins of the people and was sent into the wilderness.)* Meaning: A person unfairly blamed for the faults or wrongs of others.
5. "An eye for an eye"* Origin: Exodus 21:24 ("Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.")* Meaning: Justice or retribution where the punishment matches the crime.
6. “A drop in the bucket”* Origin: Isaiah 40:15 (“Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales.“)* Meaning: We use this phrase to describe something small or unimportant in the grand scheme of things.
7. “Eat, drink, and be merry”* Origin: Ecclesiastes 8:15 (“So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.“)* Meaning: Encourages enjoying life’s simple pleasures.
8. “Forbidden fruit”* Origin: Genesis, chapters 2-3 (While the exact phrase “forbidden fruit” doesn’t appear in the Bible, it comes from the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God told them they could eat from any tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent tempted Eve to eat the fruit from this forbidden tree, leading to the Fall of mankind.)* Meaning: When we use this phrase today, we’re tapping into this ancient story of temptation and the human struggle with obedience to God.
9. “A peace offering”* Origin: Leviticus 3:6 ("If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering to the Lord is an animal from the flock, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.”)* Meaning: We use this phrase to describe a gift given to restore goodwill.
New Testament Phrases
1. "Turn the other cheek"* Origin: Matthew 5:39 ("But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.")* Meaning: Respond to aggression or insult with nonviolence or patience.
2. "The powers that be"* Origin: Romans 13:1 ("The powers that be are ordained of God.")* Meaning: Established authorities or institutions.
3. "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak"* Origin: Matthew 26:41 ("Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.")* Meaning: Good intentions are often hindered by physical or emotional limitations.
4. "Cast the first stone"* Origin: John 8:7 ("He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.")* Meaning: Don't criticize others if you're not free from faults yourself.
5. "Go the extra mile"* Origin: Matthew 5:41 ("And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.")* Meaning: Exceed expectations or do more than what’s required.
6. "Wolf in sheep's clothing"* Origin: Matthew 7:15 ("Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.")* Meaning: Someone who appears harmless but is actually dangerous or deceitful.
7. "A house divided cannot stand"* Origin: Mark 3:25 ("And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.")* Meaning: Disunity leads to failure.
8. “The blind leading the blind”* Origin: Matthew 15:14 (“Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.“)* Meaning: We use this phrase to describe situations where someone without proper knowledge or skills tries to guide others.
9. “Fall from grace”* Origin: Galatians 5:4 (“You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.“)* Meaning: People use it broadly to describe a loss of status or reputation.
10. “Wash your hands of the matter”* Origin: Matthew 27:24 (This phrase comes from Pontius Pilate’s actions during Jesus’ trial. When Pilate saw he couldn’t prevent Jesus’ crucifixion, he “took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, ‘I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.’)* Meaning: We use this phrase today to describe someone distancing themselves.
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Cool Stuff to Know About God’s Creation Timeline
How You Are Part Of God’s Creation Timeline
Everyone of us has a history, beginning with the day we were born. And we all have a place in, and a part to play in, God’s Creation.God’s Creation is very old. Most of the events we research in our Bible Quest happened a long time ago. So long ago it is difficult to imagine just how far back these events occurred. To help us understand how much time we are talking about, let us create a timeline using a tape measure. On our timeline, one foot (12 inches) will equal 100 years. Using this scale and starting with today, we can determine these interesting facts:
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• If you are 9-12 years old, you were born in the first inch of our timeline!• The “Baby Boomer” generation, or folks born 60-80 years ago, were born in the first 9 inches (1943-1963).• The Wright brothers flew the first airplane about 14-15 inches away (1903).• The United States declared Independence from England about two and a half feet away (1776)• Martin Luther began the Reformation in Germany about five and a half feet away (1517).• Jesus was born a little more than 20 feet away (6 BC-3 BC).• Moses and the Exodus occurred more than 36 feet away (est.1,500 BC).• Sir Isaac Newton, among others, placed the Earth’s creation in the Hebrew Bible, what we refer to as the Old Testament, about 6,000 years ago (60 feet). The current scientifically accepted creation age is so far back it won’t even fit on our timeline (believed to be almost 14 billion years ago!).
How We Define Time Periods/ Different Calendars?
• Because the history of human civilization covers such a vast amount of time, at least 12,000 years, we try to make things easier to understand by splitting our timeline into two major sections based on the birth of Jesus. They are called AD, or CE, and BC or BCE. This is sometimes referred to as the Christian calendar and is used by Western cultures.• AD, for the Latin term Anno Domini, or Year of Our Lord. This time section covers time from the birth of Jesus to the present day. This period is sometimes referred to with the letters CE, or Common Era. AD years increase from Jesus’ birth, such as 1950, 2001 and 2023.• BC, or Before Christ. As the name suggests, this covers all history occurring prior to the birth of Jesus, estimated to be sometime between 6 and 4 BC. This period is sometimes referred to with the letters BCE, or Before the Common Era. The larger the number in BC years, the further back in time we are talking about, such as 1500 BC (estimated time of Moses) is much further back in time than 50 BC (the time of Julius Ceasar and the Roman Empire). All of the Old Testament occurred during the BC, or BCE, time period.• Many cultures use different calendars. For example, our year 2023 is 5783 on the Hebrew calendar which is based on the creation date in Genesis. The Islamic calendar is based on the Prophet Mohammed moving to Medina in 622 CE. Their equivalent year is 1445. The Hindu and Chinese cultures also use different calendar systems.
In a future Quest, we will explore how the Bible fits into our Creation timeline.
Compiled by James IngrahamCommissioned Lay PreacherVirginia Synod, ELCAjhiclp@gmail.com
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Bible Fun Facts
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The ICHTHYS (or Fish) Symbol
The Ichthys (pronounced Ick-this) is a traditional symbol for Christians and Christianity. It is derived from the Greek word for fish, which in Greek can also be used as an acronym for Jesus Christ, God, Son, Savior. An acronym is an abbreviation for a longer term, such as using USA in place of United States of America.
Being a Christian has always been dangerous and remains so in many places today. But it was particularly so in the early church, from about 100 CE to 313 CE when the Roman Empire made numerous attempts to eliminate this new religion. The Ichthys served as a way for these early Christians to safely identify one another as well as lead them to their gatherings and places of worship.
Today in many churches, including Christ Lutheran, the symbol appears above the altar to lead us to our place of worship.
Prepared by James IngrahamCommissioned Lay Preacher, Virginia Synod ELCAQuestions or comments welcome at jhiclp23@gmail.com
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