The Life of Jesus - Occasionally updated!

What does it mean to say that the Kingdom of God is "right now, but not yet"?

2009-04-10T18:19:00.001-06:00

To say that the Kingdom of God is "right now, but not yet" means that Jesus always gave all of himself to God. By "selling all that we have", but not literally, we can fully find ourselves in the presence of God's reign.

What kind of evil is not caused by sin?

2009-04-09T20:58:00.002-06:00

The kind of evil is not caused by sin is the kind of evil that often challenges Christians' basic conviction about the goodness of God. This kind of evil is expressed in the suffering, pain, and often untimely deaths brought about by natural destruction :(such as hurricanes and earthquakes) and also by sickness and diseases such as cancer.

In what sense are sin and evil different realities?

2009-04-09T20:53:00.003-06:00

Sin and evil, in realities, are different in the sense that sin is not freely chosen, rather, an act that is regarded as a transgression of God's will. Sin, however, is that which causes harm, destruction or misfortune to all God's creation.

What exactly is personal sin and communal sin?

2009-04-09T20:50:00.002-06:00

Personal sin - Freely chosen actions that have negative effects on the sinners as individuals and on their relationships with other people.

and

Communal sin - Affects all people simply because we live in a community with one another.

Examples: Poverty, war, destruction of the environment.

When will, or does, Jesus' dream of the Kingdom of God become realized?

2009-04-09T20:46:00.003-06:00

Jesus' dream of the Kingdom of God become realized when someone figures out the Kingdom of God as a state of being, not as a place on the earth. It is brought upon people's actions and feelings through Christ. The Kingdom of God cannot be fully established until all people think, act, and feel this way.

What are some problems encountered by Jesus in the traditional Jewish teaching about the need to love people?

2009-04-09T20:36:00.006-06:00

Some problems encountered by Jesus in the traditional Jewish teaching about the need to love people are:

Nationalism - Love without limits. People started to believe love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan and he is clearly telling them that they are calling beyond their own limits of their own Judaism to love all people, even their enemies.

and

Legalism - Love expressed in deeds. Punishment was needed to keep order and peace. Jesus wanted to forgive and help everyone. He said that the Kingdom was prepared for those who helped him when he was hungry, thirsty, naked, ill, imprisoned and lonely.

How did Jesus see the Kingdom of God?

2009-04-09T20:32:00.002-06:00

Jesus saw the Kingdom of God as the rule of God's love over the very hearts of the people and, consequently, as a new social order based on people's unconditional love for one another.

What does it mean to say that Jesus understood the Kingdom of God as being communal in nature?

2009-04-09T20:26:00.002-06:00

To say that Jesus understood the Kingdom of God as being communal in nature means that a relationship is more than God and individuals, rather, it is among individuals (person and person).

According to Jesus, what is the meaning of the word conversion?

2009-04-09T15:44:00.002-06:00

According to Jesus, the meaning of the word conversion means a change of heart.

What was Jesus' understanding of the nature of God?

2009-04-09T15:42:00.001-06:00

Jesus' understand of the nature of God was that God was a passionate, caring parent whose love is tireless, healing, unlimited and unreserved. Jesus offered new insight into the nature of God through his teachings of the Kingdom.

With what Aramaic word did Jesus address God?

2009-04-09T15:39:00.002-06:00

The Aramaic word Jesus addressed God with was the word Abba. Abba means the word father, and to the people of Jesus' time, it would have shocked them because no Jew would ever dare such intimacy, especially with childlike affection toward God.

What ideas about the Kingdom of God did Jesus clearly reject?

2009-04-09T15:38:00.003-06:00

The ideas about the Kingdom of God that Jesus clearly rejected were that he was not trying to begin a new political reign over his people, and he was not trying to bring his opposition to any violence.

Why did the ancient Jews believe the messiah would be a great warrior who would establish the kingdom through military conquest?

2009-04-09T15:36:00.003-06:00

The ancient Jews believed the messiah would be a great warrior who would establish the kingdom through military conquest because the people's expectation of a savior became bound up with the notion of a new nation, political kingship.

According to the Jews, was the Kingdom of God fully established?

2009-04-09T15:35:00.001-06:00

According to the Jews, the Kingdom of God was not yet fully established to the Jews because so much evil obviously still existed in the world.

What are a few ways that the Jews had already seen God's kingship?

2009-04-09T15:33:00.002-06:00

A few ways that the Jews had already seen God's kingship was in the "wonders of creation" and in the Torah.

When discussing Jesus' teachings, what is a better reference for the word kingdom?

2009-04-09T15:32:00.003-06:00

When discussing Jesus' teachings (Kingdom), a better reference is Reign of God.

What implication might there be with using the word Kingdom?

2009-04-09T15:31:00.001-06:00

The implication there might be with using the word Kingdom is that of a place or religion.

What is compared to the Kingdom of God?

2009-04-09T15:30:00.003-06:00

The Kingdom of God is compared to Jesus' vision.

What does a dream help us to do?

2009-04-09T15:30:00.001-06:00

A dream helps us to set goals for ourselves.

What is the name given to Jesus' dream?

2009-04-09T15:29:00.002-06:00

The name given to Jesus' dream was the Kingdom of God.

What is a dream?

2009-04-09T15:25:00.001-06:00

A dream is an idealized picture of the future.

Why is it significant Jesus would select twelve Apostles?

2009-04-08T17:22:00.001-06:00

It is significant that Jesus would select twelve Apostles because each Apostle seemed to represent each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Also, it marked a beginning of a new community of faith, a new Israel.

What was Jesus' relationship with his disciples called Apostles like?

2009-04-08T17:18:00.000-06:00

Jesus' relationship with his disciples called Apostles was based on: Jesus' Apostles sharing his power, and how they continued to preach, heal, and make new disciples through the baptism after Jesus' death.

Who are the Apostles?

2009-04-08T17:17:00.000-06:00

The Apostles were people who responded to Jesus' message and followed him.

Who are disciples?

2009-04-08T17:16:00.000-06:00

Disciples are people who studied under a rabbi and aspired to become independent rabbis themselves.