Part Five Luke’s Great Eschatological Discourse Most of chapter 21 is given over to what might be called Luke’s version of the Olivet Discourse (cf. Mk. 13 and Matt. 24). He has already recorded Jesus’ teachings about in Luke 17:20-37 along with some eschatological remarks in Luke 19, but here is where a fuller development of Jesus’ eschatology takes place. Again, I remind the reader that my purpose is to try to present the salient teachings of Jesus having …
Author: Paul Henebury
Part Four The King Enters Jerusalem and Weeps After the Parable of the Pounds (Minas) Luke records three related episodes: The Triumphal Entry (Lk. 19:28-40), Jesus Weeping over Jerusalem (Lk. 19:41-44), and the Temple Cleansing (Lk. 19:45-48). Jesus sends some disciples to get a colt for Him to ride upon (Matthew notes that a donkey was brought too – Matt. 21:7). In this fascinating little tale Jesus knows beforehand what they will find and how to answer those who …
Part Three The Key Lukan Passage on the Two Comings It is a bold and somewhat subjective statement to make, but the Parable of the Pounds (or Ten Minas[1]) in Luke 19:11-27 is perhaps the key passage in this Gospel, if not in all the Gospels, on the theology of the two comings of Messiah.[2] Since I believe it to be so crucial, I will give it special attention. The parable is introduced as follows: Now as they heard …
Review of Richard B. Hays, Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels, Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2017, 524 pages, paperback. Richard B. Hays has established himself as one of the foremost NT scholars in the world, based on enduring works like The Moral Vision of the New Testament and Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul. He has been at the forefront of the study of such seemingly obtuse but telling elements of the study of the NT as …
Part Two Luke 18 brings the focus back from the eschaton to Jesus’ day.[1] But there are one or two verses that are pertinent. After illustrating the importance of persistence in prayer, Jesus adds, Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” – Luke 18:8. This reference to His coming is preceded by words about judgment: “I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.” (Lk. 18:8): “Them” being those who …
Part One “The Kingdom in Your Midst” – Luke 17:21 Considerable effort has been applied to these words, and an array of interpretations put forth. Perhaps most common is the view that Jesus is claiming that the Kingdom is inside of people; that is, of those who will open their hearts to accept it. In this outlook the Kingdom is an internal spiritual thing; hence, the phrases “does not come with observation” and “within you” would mean that the Kingdom is …
I am posting first drafts from my book ‘The Words of the Covenant, Vol. 2 – NT Continuity.’ According to Richard Hays, “The overall design of Luke’s two-volume work… highlights God’s purpose in fulfilling the promise of redemption for his people Israel.”[1] There is little doubt that this purpose is concentrated on the Kingdom of God, for more than half of the NT’s uses of the term are found in Luke/Acts.[2] Luke never uses the term incidentally; he is …
Part One The second temptation of Jesus in Matthew concerns the protection of God: Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: `He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, `In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'” – Matthew 4:5-6. The …
There are so many amazing stories about Jesus in the Gospels that they can vie for precedence and obscure somewhat from our minds their individual greatness. This problem of over familiarity certainly applies to the Temptation of Jesus. I shall follow Matthew’s report[1]: Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread …
John the Baptist and Elijah There is no doubt that John’s chief function was to announce the arrival of the Coming One of OT expectation. Yet by his own admission he did not know Jesus as such until Jesus’ baptism (Jn. 1:33). Hence, for some time prior to his pointing to Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (Jn. 1:29), John preached less specifically of the imminent arrival of Israel’s Messiah. He …
