How many commands are there in the Torah / Pentateuch? How many positive? How many negative?
There are a total of six hundred and thirteen (613) commands in Torah. The commands can either be negative to imply that people should abstain from some acts. The negative commands are three hundred and sixty five (365). While the positive initiate performing certain acts and are a total of two hundred and forty eight (248).
Where are the Ten Commandments found in the Bible?
The Ten Commandments are found in the book of Exodus chapter twenty verse two to seventeen in the bible.
How does Matthew show that Jesus is a prophet like Moses? Give at least 2 examples.
Mathew indicates Jesus to be a prophet just like Moses when he indicates both of them having hidden in Egypt while still children during the time of the slaughtering of the babies. Another example is that while Moses commanded the twelve tribes of Israel, Jesus commanded 12 apostles.
What are the four Gospels?
Mathew, Mark, Luke and John
What is the "oral law"?
Oral law comprises of the interpretative and legal traditions that were transmitted orally from Mount Sinai but not written or obtained from the Torah.
What were the three main Jewish sects in the first century BCE? What was the one vital point or issue on which they disagreed?
The three main Jewish sects in the first century BCE encompass of the Essenes, Sadducees and Pharisees. The disagreement was whether God was to be their only ruler or not.
What issue was there with Gentiles who believe that Jesus was the Messiah? How did it come to head? What resolution was agreed upon?
The gentiles who believed that Jesus was the Messiah faced considerable opposition from the Jewish and other races. It made it to be difficult for the Jewish to interact with the other tribes. It was later agreed that everybody to stick to what he/she believes in to reduce wars.
What is the Law, what was Jesus? Perspective about it, and what did he teaches concerning it? Give at least two examples to illustrate your answer.
The law encompass of the various regulations and rules that Christians are supposed to abide to without hesitations. The laws were mainly used to ensure that Christians maintained abundant peace love and unity amongst persons. Jesus taught that was that Christians should follow the law to enter the Kingdom of heaven. This was illustrated when he helped the needy to indicate love and healed the sick to show how Christians should care for one another.
What occasion (that we considered in class) did Jesus use to teach about forgiving sins? What did he teach about the forgiveness of sins? How was his teaching unique and why?
When Jesus replied to Peter that one should forgive his brother seventy-seven times meaning forgiving without any limits. This implies that Jesus was teaching Christians that they should have a forgiving heart without remembering the sins committed. His teaching was unique in the sense that Jesus commanded that Christians should not just forgive but also forget sins for them to be forgiven.
What do we learn from the account of Jesus? Baptism about who John the Baptist is, what his role is, who Jesus is, and the implications of Johns message to the people?
We learn that Christians should learn to help each other and live pure lives. John the Baptists was a prophet who not only baptized Jesus but also prepared the way of the Messiah. John the Baptist indentified that Jesus is a son of God through the sound from heaven. The implication of John’s message to the people was that they should repent for their sins since the son of God was coming to save sinners.
How do the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke differ in their presentations of Jesus? Birth and what implications do these have for understanding who Jesus is?
In the Gospel of Mathew, we are informed that an angel appeared to Joseph and informed him that Jesus would be born. This is totally contrary with the Gospel of Luke which indicates that an angel appeared to Mary and informed her that she will give birth to a son and name him Jesus. This implies that Jesus is not only human but also a son of God sent into the earth inform of human to save mankind.
When Jesus was, tempted by the devil, what three temptations did He face? What was Jesus? Responses to these three temptations, and what point was He trying to make by giving these responses?
The first temptation faced by Jesus was to change stone into bread since Jesus had fasted for forty days and was hungry. However, Jesus replied that Man shall not live on bread alone. The second temptation was to jump from the highest point on the temple so that God would send angels to rescue him. Jesus replied that one should not tempt God the creator. The last Temptation to Jesus was when the devil showed Jesus all the earthly riches and asked him to worship him. Jesus answered that God is the only one to be worshiped. Jesus was trying to teach Christians that they should persevere during hard times and still believe in God.
What are the three possible meanings of "son of man"?
One meaning Jesus is born out of man
Jesus is a son who belongs to man
Jesus was to save man
How did Jews in the days of Jesus understand "exile" differently than in the days of Nehemiah?
During the time of Jesus, the Jews understood exile as going away from others so as to pray and fast. This was for the key reason of being close to God. However, in the time of Nehemiah, exile was considered to be escaping from enemies to seek refugee.
What are the "Beatitudes"? Where can they be found in the Bible (book and chapter)?
Beatitudes is eight sets of regulation or teachings that Jesus taught in Mathew concerning love, happiness and fortune. They are found in the book of Mathew chapter five verse three to twelve (Mathew 5:3-12).
Discuss one example where Jesus engages either Pharisees or Sadducees on a matter of "the oral law," and explain how his perspective differed from that of his audience, and why.
When Jesus went to have dinner with the Pharisees and the sinful woman wet Jesus feet with her tears and then dried the feet with her hair. After which she kissed the feet and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisees saw this, they were annoyed and rebuked the woman. Jesus informed them that because of the great love that the sinful woman has shown him, her sins are forgiven. This was contrary to the expectation of the Pharisees expectation who wanted Jesus to rebuke the sinful woman.
