Posts

Showing posts from April 14, 2024

The Sower in Galilee

Image
One day, when Jesus was talking to the people on the shore of Lake Galilee, so many crowded around to hear him, he pushed a boat out onto the water and sat down in it.  The people settled down on the shore to listen. Jesus told them this story. 'There was a farmer who went out to sow his field with com. As he walked along, he scattered seeds over the ground, but some of them fell on the stony path and were soon eaten up by the birds.  This is like people who hear the word of God, but don't take in its message. Satan will soon make them forget what they have heard. 'Some of the seeds fell where the soil was thin and stony. The corn grew too quickly because it didn't have good roots: it was scorched by the sun, dried up and died.  This is like the people who gladly accept the word of God, but don't think about it. When they get into trouble or difficulties, they soon give up their faith. 'Some of the seeds dropped among thistles and weeds which grew up around them
Post a Comment
Read more

Naboth and his Vineyard

Image
King Ahab lived in Jezreel. Next to his palace was a vineyard which belonged to a man named Naboth.  King Ahab wanted the vineyard for a garden. 'Sell me your vineyard, or exchange it for an even better one, he ordered Naboth. Naboth refused. 'The vineyard belongs to my family, and I want to leave it to my son. It would be against God's laws to sell it. King Ahab was very angry. When Queen Jezebel asked. What's troubling you?  King Ahab told her about the vineyard. 'Aren't you King of Israel? You shall have your vineyard, she said. Queen Jezebel had Naboth falsely accused of going against God's laws, and of treason against the King.  He was convicted and stoned to death.  The Queen then told King Ahab that Naboth was dead, and he could have the vineyard. King Ahab went to the vineyard but found that God had sent Elijah there to meet him.  'God says you have caused the death of an innocent man. For that, you will die, said Elijah.  Queen Jezebel will die
Post a Comment
Read more

The Centurion's Servant

Image
Jesus and his disciples journeyed through the country talking to the people. When they returned to the city of Capernaum, some of the Jewish leaders came to meet them.  They had been sent to Jesus by a Roman soldier, a centurion, to ask him to come to heal the soldier's much-loved servant who was very ill.  'This centurion is a good man, they said. 'He has been very good to our people, and has built a synagogue for them. Jesus went with them to the centurion's house, but before he reached it the Roman came out to meet him. Lord, he said;  'don't bother to come any further.  I know I'm not good enough to stand in front of you or to invite you into my house. I'm a man of authority, used to giving orders to the men I command and to having them obeyed. I know that you only have to say the word, and my servant will be well again. Jesus was amazed by what the soldier said to him. He turned to the people who had followed him and said; 'Look at this man. I h
Post a Comment
Read more

The Good Shepherd

Image
When Jesus was talking to the people, he often told them stories so that they could understand more easily what he was trying to teach them.  He said to the men, women and children who came to listen to him; 'If you have ears, hear what I say. One day. Jesus told them a new story; 'If a shepherd has a hundred sheep to look after and one of them wanders off and gets lost, what does the shepherd do? He asked. 'He leaves his ninety-nine sheep, Jesus went on, 'Where he knows they'll be safe from hungry wild animals, and goes to look for the one missing sheep. 'The shepherd searches everywhere for that one sheep, listening all the time to hear it bleating. However long it takes, he doesn't give up until he finds it.  Then he picks up the sheep, puts it on his shoulders and carries it home, delighted that he can take it safely back to the rest of the flock.  Then he calls his family and his friends to come and celebrate with him that he has found his one lost shee
Post a Comment
Read more

Solomon and his Temple

Image
Solomon had been King of Israel for four years when he began his plans to build a House of God. A Temple in the city of Jerusalem.  He sent hundreds of men to the hills to dig out stone from the quarries, and to cut it to exactly the right size and shape for the foundations.  Solomon wanted cedar wood to line the walls of the Temple. The best cedar trees grew to the north, where the land was ruled by King Hiram of Tyre. King Solomon made a treaty with King Hiram. Hiram agreed to have the trees felled and floated in rafts down the coast to the Temple. In return, Solomon agreed to send huge amounts of wheat and oil to Hiram every year. Thousands of men worked on the Temple. There were two rooms. The inside room was square with no windows.  Two huge beasts, carved of olive wood and covered with gold, stretched out their wings over it. This was the most holy part of the Temple. Only the high priest went into it on one day of the year. This was at the time of the special feast, known as the
Post a Comment
Read more

Moses & the Laws of God

Image
Moses led the Hebrews away from Egypt, across the desert, as God had told him to do. For months, they trekked across the hot, dry land, but God always sent them food and water.  At last, they stopped and camped at the foot of Mount Sinai. Moses climbed the mountain to pray to God. God told him that the people must be ready for Him, that in three days He would come down the mountain hidden in a cloud, and would speak to them. The people washed their clothes, and cleaned the camp ready for the meeting with God. On the third morning, the sky grew dark, thunder rolled and lightning flashed. The mountain was covered with thick clouds. Smoke and fire gushed out of the top, and the ground shook. They heard the sound of a loud trumpet. The people were terrified: they knew that God was near. Moses and his brother, Aaron, went up the mountain and God spoke to them out of the fire and smoke. He gave them ten laws that His people must always keep. God said. 'I am your God. You must have no oth
Post a Comment
Read more

The Old Testament Ends

Image
The Jews rebuilt the Temple and the walls and houses of Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah.  But the new Temple was not nearly as magnificent as the one King Solomon had built, and the Jews had to share the land with other peoples. The glorious days of Israel under King David and King Solomon were never seen again. The Jews still did not obey God fully, despite all that He had done for them: rescuing them from Egypt, giving them the laws when Moses was leader, and helping them conquer the Promised Land under Joshua.  Even after Ezra had read all the laws to the Jews. Nehemiah still found people, including the priests, breaking God's commandments. Four hundred years passed after the Jews returned to Jerusalem, and during this time many changes took place in the Middle East.  The Greeks took control from the Persians. and later the Romans took over from them. God had told the Jews he would send a special man to save them. The Old Testament Ends New Testament   Old Te
Post a Comment
Read more

From Origin

The word 'Bible', is the equivalent of the Greek word biblia (diminutive from bı́blos, the inner bark of the papyrus), meaning originally 'books.' The phrase 'the books' (ta biblia ) occurs in Daniel 9:2 (Septuagint) for prophetic writings. 

In the Prologue

to Sirach it designates generally the Old Testament Scriptures; similarly in 1 Macc 12:9 ("the holy books"). The usage passed into the Christian church for Old Testament (2 Clem 14:2), and by and by (circa 5th century) was extended to the whole Scriptures.

Bibliotheca Divina

Jerome's name for the Bible (4th century) was "the Divine Library" (3) Afterward came an important change from plural to singular meaning. In process of time this name, with many others of Greek origin, passed into the vocabulary of the western church; and in the 13th century, by a happy solecism, the neuter plural came to be regarded as a feminine singular, and 'The Books' became by common consent 'The Book' (biblia, singular), in which form the word was passed into the languages of modern Europe" (Westcott, Bible in the Church, 5).