GHF New Testament Studies
Archive of our New Testament Bible studies
Jesus, the Christ
January 10, 2016 • Matthew 1, John 1, Luke 1, Luke 2
TODAY WE begin our study of the New Testament, which we will follow in chronological order just as we’re doing with the Old Testament. Our readings today begin the story of Jesus, the Christ. We discuss the differences between the styles and intended audiences of Matthew, Luke, and John, all of whom, in their own way, establish right from the start the bona fides of Jesus as the rightful heir of the kingdom of David and the kingdom of God. Here is the link Derek promised to the video presentation by Dr. Michael Heiser making a case for the birth date of Jesus as September 11, 3 B.C.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqt9pbsyy5y (note: Derek incorrectly said the “woman clothed in the Sun” prophecy was in Revelation 11).
The Baptism of Jesus
January 17, 2016 • Matthew 2, Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3
WE BEGIN to study Jesus’ ministry, the early days, beginning with his appearance to John the Baptist at the Jordan River and the calling of the first disciples: Andrew, Simon (Peter), James, and John. We also spend some time discussing the Magi, the virgin birth of Jesus, and the geopolitical climate of Judea at the time of Jesus’ birth.
The Testing of Jesus
January 24, 2016 • Luke 5, John 2, John 3, Matthew 4, Luke 4
TODAY WE encounter the Devil as Jesus is led into the desert for 40 days and then tempted — or, more accurately, tested. Thankfully for all of us, Jesus resisted the snares of physical gratification (bread), public acclaim, and earthly power. We discuss Jesus’ first miracle, turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana, the miraculous catch on the Sea of Galilee, and the unique nature of Jesus as God’s only son.
Jesus vs. Demons
January 31, 2016 • Matthew 8, Mark 2, John 5
JESUS’ MINISTRY of healing and casting out demons is a key part of our New Testament study today. We discuss the healing of the centurion’s servant, the paralytic lowered through the roof of the house in Capernaum, and the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda, and we read Matthew’s account of the Gadarene (or Gerasene) demoniac(s). (More on that story still ahead in Luke and Mark.) But even more important, and the purpose of these miracles, is the clear message that Jesus did, in fact, claim to be divine, and those claims were the motivation for the plots to take Jesus’ life. http://vftb.net/?p=5311 to the interview with Beresford Job that Derek mentioned.
Lord of the Sabbath
February 7, 2016 • Matthew 12, Mark 3, Luke 6
OUR NEW TESTAMENT study this week clearly illustrates the viewpoints of the gospel writers with parallel accounts of the disciples eating grain plucked from the stalk (on the Sabbath–oh, no!) and the healing of a man with a withered hand (also on the Sabbath–oh, no!). Matthew draws on the Torah to validate Jesus’ claims of divinity, Mark offers a condensed, almost bullet-point account, and Luke, the careful historian, is the only one to mention that it was the man’s right hand Jesus healed. We also cover the calling of the twelve apostles, the only unforgivable sin, Luke’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, and we discuss the favorite Bible verse of people who don’t know anything about the Bible.
Sermon on the Mount
February 14, 2016 • Matthew 7, Luke 7, Matthew 5, Matthew 6
TODAY’S STUDY is one of the most important of the time we’ll spend in the New Testament. We focus on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which may be another account of the sermon Luke recorded in Luke 6 (which we studied last week). We discuss God’s standard of righteousness, which none of us can reach, and our relationship to the Law, and we look at the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern for prayer rather than a formula to repeat by rote.
Jesus vs. the Legalists
February 21, 2016 • Matthew 9, Matthew 11, Luke 11
JESUS SAVED his harshest criticism for the self-appointed gatekeepers of the faith, the scribes (lawyers) and Pharisees who became stumbling blocks between the people and God. He also had some very blunt comments about the people of his home town, Capernaum, and nearby Chorazim, saying it would be better at the judgment for the people of Nineveh, Tyre, Sidon, Sodom, and Gomorrah because they, although undeniably wicked, had never witnessed the miracles worked by Christ. Today we discuss Jesus’ warnings to the priests and lawyers, his instructions to the disciples for prayer, and more miracles that should have been enough for the religious authorities to recognize the Messiah.
'We are Legion'
March 6, 2016 • Matthew 13, Luke 8, Mark 4, Mark 5
OUR SIDE-BY-SIDE comparison of Jesus’ ministry continues with our chronological study of the New Testament. This week, Jesus calms the storm, drives out the demons who call themselves Legion (“for we are many”), and brings back the daughter of Jairus, the synagogue leader, from the dead. We also examine several of Jesus’ best-known parables, including the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Mustard Seed–which probably doesn’t mean what you think it means.
Walking on the Sea
March 13, 2016 • Matthew 10, Matthew 14, Mark 6
THREE OF the most iconic moments of Jesus’ ministry are the focus of this week’s New Testament study: Jesus walking across the Sea of Galilee, the feeding of five thousand men (plus women and children) with five loaves of bread and two fish, and the decapitation of John the Baptist on the orders of the cowardly Herod Antipas. We discuss the mission of the twelve disciples to heal the sick and drive out demons, the depravity of Herod Antipas and Herodias, and the need to be more concerned about what God thinks than what other people think.
Feeding the Five Thousand
March 20, 2016 • Luke 9, John 6
TODAY WE revisit the accounts of Jesus walking on Sea of Galilee and feeding the five thousand, this time from the perspectives of Luke and John. We learn from John that the miracle of the loaves and fishes was so impressive to the crowd that they tried to take Jesus by force to make him king. Since today is Palm Sunday, we also read the four gospel accounts of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We discuss Jesus’ cursing of the fig tree that was not in season–a metaphor for the Jewish religious leaders of the day, who rejected Jesus because he didn’t fit their preconception of what the Messiah should be. This misunderstanding has, sadly, continued to the present day. Two thousand years later, Jews looking for the mashiach are still waiting for a mortal man to lead Israel to its rightful place among the nations. Thankfully, we read in Revelation that God is not yet finished with His chosen people, and there will be a remnant who recognizes God’s unique, beloved Son.
The Gates of Hades
April 3, 2016 • Matthew 15, Matthew 16
PARALLEL ACCOUNTS of Peter’s declaration of faith at Caesarea Philippi, a site sacred to Pan at the base of Mount Hermon, are featured in our New Testament study this week. We also see another feeding of a multitude, Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees and Sadducees who demanded a sign, and the healing of the demon-possessed daughter of a Gentile woman in the region of Tyre.
The Transfiguration on Mount Hermon
April 10, 2016
JESUS TAKES command of the enemy’s holy mountain, demonstrating his authority through the Transfiguration on Mount Hermon–the place where the Watchers descended and initiated their plan to corrupt humanity in the days of Noah’s great-great-grandfather Jared. We also explore several import aspects of Bible doctrine: The hierarchy of the entities in the supernatural realm, the long war between Yahweh and Ba’al (which continues today), and scriptural support for the concept of guardian angels. http://www.nakedbiblepodcast.com/naked-bible-68-interview-with-fern-and-audrey/ to Dr. Michael Heiser’s interview with Fern and Audrey about the Divine Council concept in deliverance ministry, and here is the link to the essay “http://www.rcm-usa.org/pdf%20files/cosmic%20hierarchy%20and%20appeal%202008-02-16.pdf” by the late Dr. Tom Hawkins (link opens a PDF document).
The Conspiracy to Kill Jesus
April 17, 2016 • John 9, John 10, John 7, John 8
THE CONSPIRACY to kill Jesus of Nazareth gains momentum as the Pharisees begin to look for reasons to stone him. Twice in this week’s reading Jesus hid himself because the time for him to be lifted up was not yet. We also discuss the disbelief of his brothers, how allegorizing John 7:10 led to the heretical eschatology of the Latter Rain movement, and why Jesus’ reference to Psalm 82:6 (“I said you are gods”) in John 10:34 does not debunk the Divine Council paradigm. https://www.gilberthouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/heiser-psa82injohn10-regsbl2011.pdf for the essay mentioned during the study, “Jesus’ Quotation of Psalm 82:6 in John 10:34: A Different View of John’s Theological Strategy” by Dr. Michael S. Heiser (note: link opens PDF document). And if you’re curious, http://www.georgewarnock.com/feast-main.html for The Feast of Tabernacles by George Warnock, an online edition of the book that sparked the heretical idea that Jesus will literally incarnate inside a select group of elite believers, the Overcomers, who become the Many-Membered Man Child who defeats the enemies of God and rules the world with a rod of iron in the Last Days.
Sending Out the 72
April 24, 2016 • Luke 13, Luke 10, Luke 12
JESUS POKES the rebellious Fallen in the eye again this week as he sends out 72 disciples (or 70–and we discuss the difference) to witness and cast out demons. This episode was Jesus serving notice to the bene elohim that were allocated to the nations after Babel (of which, according to Deuteronomy 32:8-9, there were 72) that they were no longer welcome in Israel, which is ground holy to God. We also discuss another reference to the Divine Council, Jesus’ warning against blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and the concept of eternal security. Unfortunately, the original 2005 interview with Dr. Michael Heiser we referenced during the show isn’t online at the moment, but we replayed it in two parts in 2006. http://www.pidradio.com/tag/dr-michael-heiser/page/3/ for the show notes and the audio.
The Prodigal Son
May 1, 2016 • Luke 14, Luke 15, Luke 16, Luke 17
THE TROUBLES of this world can be a huge obstacle to following Christ. Money, family, social status, possessions, and even religious tradition can distract us from prioritizing our lives in the proper order. We also discuss the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the prophetic implications of Luke 17:20-37, which parallels Matthew 24:3-44. Luke adds "just as it was in the days of Lot" to the "days of Noah" reference we're familiar with from Matthew. Does this mean a return of the Nephilim "who were on the earth in those days, and also afterward"?