Second Bible Read Thread

[SarahsKnight]

Feb 6

1 Timothy 1 through 6

 

[SarahsKnight]

Feb 8

Titus 1 through 3

 

[SarahsKnight]

Feb 9

1 Peter 1 through 5

 

[SarahsKnight]

Feb 10

Hebrews 1 through 6

MEV summary of Hebrews:
The epistle to the Hebrews was probably written sometime before AD 70. The author is unknown. The church father Origen said it best regarding authorship: "But as to who wrote the epistle, only God knows the truth." Although its authorship is controversial, it came from a writer with a Hellenistic Jewish background and is addressed to Jewish Christians. For helpful background reading, one should precede it with knowledge of the first five books of the Old Testament. The purpose is to teach that Jesus Christ is God, that He was fulfilled the Mosaic Law, that He is the mediator of the New Covenant as both priest and final sacrifice, and that Judaism and the law achieve their ultimate goal in Jesus Christ. It affirms Jewish Christians in the faith of Christ and teaches that the New Covenant's doctrines are for all people, Jews and Gentiles alike.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Feb 12

Coming close to the end, Miss @Multifavs. ^-^

Hebrews 7 through 10

 

[SarahsKnight]

Feb 13

Hebrews 11 through 13

 

[SarahsKnight]

Feb 14

2 Timothy 1 through 4

 

[SarahsKnight]

Feb 16

2 Peter 1 through 3

Jude 1

 

[SarahsKnight]

Feb 17

1 John 1 through 5

 

[Multifavs]

Wow, look how far we've come!

The Book of John is good, I like the parts about love.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Feb 18

2 John 1 and 3 John 1

 

[SarahsKnight]

Even the MEV doesn't seem to have a theory as to who specifically John was writing the letters of 2 and 3 John.

A fellow believer in that period of time, in any event. This is the first time I realized this, but the MEV summaries attribute all three letters from John to have been written in the early AD 90's. I never thought about the time in which they may have been written before, but apparently this is one possible argument against the preterist eschatological view (as that "end time" should have occurred when Jerusalem was overran and destroyed by the Romans in ... AD 66, I believe?), because if John makes allusions to the end times with the mention of many antichrist or THE antichrist coming, and he wrote this as much as 30 years after the destruction of Jerusalem, then either the "end times" as the preterists see it is false and there is an end time yet to come for us here in the present, or John is speaking of another kind of event entirely. I do not have an opinion either way. I tried to study and weigh preterism vs. futurism once in reading all of the book Revelation: Four Views a few years ago, but either my heart was just not in it as much as I wanted it to be in determining which eschatological view is more Biblical, or I just honestly couldn't decide even after reading a book that breaks down every single verse in the book of Revelation. Just thought I give my thoughts there, though.

The MEV summaries also call him "John the Beloved". I have not heard this term before, personally. If anyone here has an insight on this, could it be that the John who wrote the Gospel of John and he who wrote the letters in the Epistles are two different people? I had always assumed it was John the Baptist (Elizabeth and Zechariah's son) who wrote the both gospel according to John and the Epistle letters of John, I think. I am willing to consider being wrong about that, though.

 

[AnneY]

It is my understanding that John the Baptist did not write any of the scriptures. All the books with "John" in the title plus Revelation were written by the Apostle John. The Apostle John is mentioned in a few places as the one Jesus loved (hence being called John the Beloved by some commentators), and indeed Jesus at His Crucifixion handed care of His mother over to John. (John 19:26)

 

[SarahsKnight]

Thanks, Anne.

Now then, the last book to go!

Feb 19

Revelation 1 through 5

 

[Multifavs]

Even the MEV doesn't seem to have a theory as to who specifically John was writing the letters of 2 and 3 John.

According to the NAB, 2 John was written to an unknown Christian community and 3 John was written to a fellow believer named Gaius. It says that the letters of John were likely not written by the apostle John but by a scribe or disciple of an apostle in Ephesus at the end of the first century. It gives a similar explanation to the letters of Peter, that they were likely not written by him but by someone who knew him.

 

[Multifavs]

The Book of Revelation contains much extravagant symbolism which is not to be taken literally. The NAB's footnotes give explanations for the symbols which is helpful. According to its Introduction, we can not be completely certain whether the author of Revelation actually saw the visions or if they were used as literary conventions. Revelation was written at a time of crisis and persecution for Christians, and although it is an Apocalyptic Book, it also displays the battle between good and evil and assures us that Christ has already won and will overthrow Satan.

 

[SarahsKnight]

According to the NAB, 2 John was written to an unknown Christian community and 3 John was written to a fellow believer named Gaius. It says that the letters of John were likely not written by the apostle John but by a scribe or disciple of an apostle in Ephesus at the end of the first century. It gives a similar explanation to the letters of Peter, that they were likely not written by him but by someone who knew him.

Yes, you are right about Gaius. Apparently I just didn't register the name as I was reading, but it was right there in the first verse of 3 John.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Feb 20

Revelation 6 through 11

 

[SarahsKnight]

Feb 21

Revelation 12 through 18

 

[SarahsKnight]

Feb 22

Last day, Multi! Revelation 19 through 22