The annunciation - Luke 1:26-38 - N. T. -

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. He went in and said to her, 'Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.' She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, 'Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.'

Mary said to the angel, 'But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?' 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you' the angel answered 'and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her own age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.' 'I am the handmaid of the Lord,' said Mary 'let what you have said be done to me.' And the angel left her.

Cf. - Daniel 8:15-16 - O. T. - As I, Daniel, gazed at the vision and tried to understand it, I saw someone standing before me looked like a man. I heard a man's voice cry over the Ulai, 'Gabriel, tell me the meaning of the vision!'

Cf. - Hebrews 2:14-16 - N. T. - Since all the children share the same blood and flesh, he too shared equally in it, so that by his death he could take away all the power of the devil, who had power over death, and set free all those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it was not the angels that he took to himself; he took to himself descent from Abraham.

Cf. - Matthew 1:18 - N. T. - This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

Cf. - Judges 6:12 - O. T. - When the angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said, 'Yahweh is with you, valiant warrior!'

Cf. - Ruth 2:4 - O. T. - Now Boaz, as it happened, had just come from Bethlehem. 'Yahweh be with you!' he said to the reapers. 'Yahweh bless you!' they replied.

Cf. - Judith 13:18 - O. T. - Then Judith raised her voice and said, 'Praise God! Praise him! Praise the God who has not withdrawn his mercy from the House of Israel, but has shattered our enemies by my hand tonight!'

Cf. - Isaiah 7:14 - O. T. - The Lord himself, therefore, will give you a sign. It is this: the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she call Immanuel.

Cf. - Luke 2:21; Matthew 1:21 - N. T. - She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.

Cf. - 2 Samuel 7:1-3 - O. T. - Once David had settled into his house and Yahweh had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, 'Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent'. Nathan said to the king, 'Go and do all that is in your mind, for Yahweh is with you'. 

Cf. - Isaiah 9:6 - O. T. - For there is a child born for us, a son given to us and domain is laid on his shoulders; and this is the name they give him: Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.

Cf. - Matthew 9:27 - N. T. - As Jesus went on his way two blind men followed him shouting, 'Take pity on us, Son of David'.

Cf. - Daniel 2:44; 7:14 - O. T. - In the time of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not pass into the hands of another race: it will shatter and absorb all the previous kingdoms, and itself last for ever. - On him was conferred sovereignty, glory and kingship, and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants. His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed.

Cf. - Matthew 1:19-20 - N. T. - Mary husband Joseph, being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit.

Cf. - Mark 1:24 - N. T. - 'What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.'

Cf. - Matthew 4:3-4 - N. T. - 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves'. But Jesus replied, 'Sacred Scripture says: Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'. 

Cf. - Acts 3:14 - N. T. - It was you who accused the Holy One, the Just one, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer while you killed the prince of life.

Cf. - Genesis 18:13-14 - O. T. - Yahweh asked Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Am I really going to have a child now that I am old?" Is anything too wonderful for Yahweh? At the same time next year I shall visit you again and Sarah will have a son.'

Cf. - Jeremiah 32:26-27 - O. T. - The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows, "See, I am Yahweh, the God of all mankind: is anything impossible to me?"

Cf. - Matthew 19:25-26 - N. T. - When the disciples heard this they were astonished. 'Who can be saved, then?' they said. Jesus gazed at them. 'For men' he told them ' this is impossible; for God everything is possible.'

Cf. - Romans 4:20-21 - N. T. - Since God had promised it, Abraham refused either to deny it or even to doubt it, but drew strength from faith and gave glory to God, convinced that God had power to do what he had promised.
                                                            - PAGE  3 -
The visitation

Mary set out at that time and went .......PAGE  4

WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY. - Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, and the fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

Hence, these two books (The Gospel According To Apostle/Saint Luke & The Acts Of The Apostles) of the New Testament were closely associated, and being call 'a history of the rise of Christianity'. Therefore, I faithfully believe that it is utmost important for us; all human beings to comprehend these two books, [ All the others Old Testament and New Testament books are equally important, but as for now, we will start studying and read these two books first, that is, being call 'a history of the rise of Christianity', before continuing the other books.] to the best of our knowledge and enabling our spirit to acknowledges: "Who is God, and how, and in what ways, that is, God is with us." Amen! 

When Sacred Scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord, Jesus Christ, who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But they will not ask for his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as Sacred Scripture say: The footsteps of those who bring good news is a welcome sound.

Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As prophet Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ Jesus. [ 'Word of God' ] - Romans 10:11-17 -

How? And in what way, when it come to understanding matters: What I was always being told is: There are ways and preferences to comprehend all matters, whether it is of spirituality and unspirituality.

Firstly, in a literally manner: That is, used for emphasis or to express strong feeling while not being literally true.

Secondly, in a humanly manner: That is, from a human point of view, in a humanly manner, by human means; within ability; with human feeling or kindness.

Thirdly, in a spiritually manner: That is, in a way that relates to or affects the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.

Finally, in an unspiritual manner: That is, not spiritual. But secular and worldly.

Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless.  

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:

Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

IT IS TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST THAT ALL THE PROPHETS BEAR THIS WITNESS: THAT ALL WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS WILL HAVE THEIR SINS FORGIVEN THROUGH HIS NAME." - ACTS 10:43 - 

IT IS TRUE, GOD SENT HIS WORD TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, AND IT WAS TO THEM THAT THE GOOD NEWS OF PEACE WAS BROUGHT BY JESUS CHRIST - BUT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF ALL MEN. - ACTS 10:36 - 

I.  THE  BIRTH  AND  HIDDEN  LIFE  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST  AND  OF  JESUS

The birth of John the Baptist foretold - Luke 1:5-10 - N. T. -

In the days of king Herod of Judaea there lived a priest called Zechariah who belonged to the Abijah section of the priesthood, and he had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron. Both were worthy in the sight of God, and scrupulously observed all the commandments and observances of the Lord. But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both getting on in years. 

Now it was the turn of Zechariah's section to serve, and he was exercising his priestly office before God when lot fell to him by lot, as the ritual custom was, to enter the Lord's sanctuary and burn incense there. And at the hour of incense the whole congregation was outside, praying.

Cf. - Compare - 1 Chronicles 24:7-10 - O.T. - "The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, to Jedaiah the second, Harim the third......., Abijah the eighth, Jeshua the ninth......"

- Compare - Genesis 18:11-12 - O. T. - "Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well on in years, and Sarah had ceased to have her monthly periods. So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, 'Now that I am past the age of child-bearing, and my husband is an old man, is pleasure to come my way again!'"

- Compare - Judges 13:2-5 - O. T. - His wife was barren, she had borne no children. The angel of Yahweh appeared to this woman and said to her, 'You are barren and have had no child. But from now on take great care. Take no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For you will conceive and bear a son. No razor is to touch his head, for the boy shall be God's nazirite from his mother's womb. It is he who will begin to rescue Israel from the power of the Philistines."

- Compare - 1 Samuel 1:4-6 - O. T. - "One day Elkanah offered sacrifice. He used to give portions to Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; to Hannah, however, he would give only one portion, although he loved her more, since Yahweh had made her barren. Her rival would taunt her to annoy her, because Yahweh had made her barren."

- Luke 1:11-25 - N. T. -

Then there appeared to him the angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense. The sight disturbed Zechariah and he was overcome with fear. But the angel said to him, 'Zechariah, do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear a son and you must name him John. He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must not drink wine, no strong drink. Even from his mother's womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he will bring back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before him to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the disobedient back to the wisdom that the virtuous have, preparing for the Lord a people fit for him.' Zechariah said to the angel, 'How can I be sure of this?' I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years.'

The angel replied, 'I am Gabriel who stand in God's presence, and I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. Listen! Since you have not believed my words, which will come true at their appointed time, you will be silenced and have no power of speech until has happened.' Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and were surprised that he stayed in the sanctuary so long. When he came out he could not speak to them, and they realised that he had received a vision in the sanctuary. But he could only make signs to them, and remained dumb.

When his time of service came to an end he returned home. Some time later his wife conceived, and for five months she kept to herself. The Lord has done this for me' she said 'now that it has pleased him to take away the humiliation I suffered among men.'

Cf. - Compare - Matthew 1:19-25 - N. T. - "Mary husband Joseph, being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. Joseph had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.' Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel, a name which means 'God-is-with-us'. When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home and, though he had not had intercourse with her, she gave birth to a son; and he named him, Jesus."

- Compare - Luke 1:65; 4:36; 5:9,26; 2:10; 1:63; 1:10,58; 10:17,21 -

- Compare - Number 6:1-3 - O. T. - "Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 'Say this to the sons of Israel: "If a man or a woman wishes to make a vow, the vow of the nazirite by which he/she is pledged to Yahweh, he/she shall abstain from wine and strong drink, and neither the juice of grapes, nor eat grapes, fresh or dried."

Cf. - Jeremiah 1:5 - O. T. - "'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you; I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.'"

Cf. - John 11:18 - N. T. - "'For John the Baptist came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, "He is possessed".

Cf. - Galatians 1:15 - N. T. - "Then God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother's womb."

Cf. - Matthew 17:10-13 - N. T. - "And the disciples put this question to him, 'Why do the scribes say then that Elijah has to come first? 'True;' he replied 'Elijah is to come to see that everything is once more as it should be; however, I tell you that Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him but treated him as they pleased; and the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands.' the disciples understood then that he had been speaking of John the Baptist."

Cf. - Malachi 3:22-24 - O. T. - "Remember the Law of my servant Moses to whom at Horeb I prescribed laws and customs for the whole of Israel. Know that I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before my day comes, that great and terrible day. He shall turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the hearts of children towards their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a curse."

Cf. - Sirach / Ecclesiasticus 48:10-12 - O. T. - "Designated in the prophecies of doom to allay God's wrath before the fury breaks, to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children, and to restore the tribes of Jacob. Happy shall they be who see you, and those who have fallen asleep in love; for we too will have life."

Cf. - Genesis 15:8 - O. T. - 'My Lord Yahweh.' Abram replied 'how am I to know that I shall inherit it?'

Cf. - Daniel 8:15-16; 9:21-22 - O. T. - "As I, Daniel, gazed at the vision and tried to understand it, I saw someone standing before me who looked like a man. I heard a man's voice cry over the Ulai, 'Gabriel, tell him the meaning of the vision!' - "I was still speaking, still at prayer, when Gabriel, the being I had seen originally in a vision, flew suddenly down to me at the hour of the evening sacrifice. He said to me, 'Daniel, you see me; I have come down to teach you how to understand."

Cf. - Tobit 12:15 - O. T. - "I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand ever ready to enter the presence of the glory of the Lord."

Cf. - Mark 1:1-2 - N. T. - "The beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in the book of the prophet of Isaiah."

Cf. - Matthew 8:9-11 - N. T. - "For I am under authority myself, and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man: Go, and he goes; to another: Come here, and he comes; to my servant: Do this, and he does it.' When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those following him, 'I tell you solemnly, nowhere in Israel have I found faith like this. And I tell you that many will come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven."
                                                          - PAGE  2 -
The annunciation

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent to God... PAGE  3

WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY. - Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, and the fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

Hence, these two books (The Gospel According To Apostle/Saint Luke & The Acts Of The Apostles) of the New Testament were closely associated, and being call 'a history of the rise of Christianity'. Therefore, I faithfully believe that it is utmost important for us; all human beings to comprehend these two books, [ All the others Old Testament and New Testament books are equally important, but as for now, we will start studying and read these two books first, that is, being call 'a history of the rise of Christianity', before continuing the other books.] to the best of our knowledge and enabling our spirit to acknowledges: "Who is God, and how, and in what ways, that is, God is with us." Amen! 

When Sacred Scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord, Jesus Christ, who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But they will not ask for his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as Sacred Scripture say: The footsteps of those who bring good news is a welcome sound.

Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As prophet Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ Jesus. [ 'Word of God' ] - Romans 10:11-17 -

How? And in what way, when it come to understanding matters: What I was always being told is: There are ways and preferences to comprehend all matters, whether it is of spirituality and unspirituality.

Firstly, in a literally manner: That is, used for emphasis or to express strong feeling while not being literally true.

Secondly, in a humanly manner: That is, from a human point of view, in a humanly manner, by human means; within ability; with human feeling or kindness.

Thirdly, in a spiritually manner: That is, in a way that relates to or affects the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.

Finally, in an unspiritual manner: That is, not spiritual. But secular and worldly.

Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

IT IS TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST THAT ALL THE PROPHETS BEAR THIS WITNESS: THAT ALL WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS WILL HAVE THEIR SINS FORGIVEN THROUGH HIS NAME." - ACTS 10:43 - 

IT IS TRUE, GOD SENT HIS WORD TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, AND IT WAS TO THEM THAT THE GOOD NEWS OF PEACE WAS BROUGHT BY JESUS CHRIST - BUT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF ALL MEN. - ACTS 10:36 - 

IT IS TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST THAT ALL THE PROPHETS BEAR THIS WITNESS: THAT ALL WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS WILL HAVE THEIR SINS FORGIVEN THROUGH HIS NAME." - ACTS 10:43 - 

IT IS TRUE, GOD SENT HIS WORD TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, AND IT WAS TO THEM THAT THE GOOD NEWS OF PEACE WAS BROUGHT BY JESUS CHRIST - BUT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF ALL MEN. - ACTS 10:36 - 

The Gospel According To Apostle/Saint Luke and The Acts Of The Apostles must originally have been two parts of a book that today we should call 'a history of the rise of Christianity'. These two books of the New Testament were closely associated.

( 1 ) By their Prologues: both are addressed to someone called Theophilus and having referred to the gospel as an 'earlier work', goes on by way of introduction to say why the gospel was written and to summarise its closing incidents, that is, appearances of the risen Christ, ( Jesus Christ resurrection from the dead.) and the Ascension. ( Jesus Christ was taken up to heaven.)

Prologue - The Gospel According To Apostle/Saint Luke -
Seeing that many others have undertaken to draw up accounts of the events that have taken place among us, exactly as these were handed down to us by those who from the outset were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, I in my turn, after carefully going over the whole story from the beginning, have decided to write an ordered account for you, Theophilus, so that your Excellency may learn how well founded the teaching is that you have received. - Luke 1:1-4 -

Prologue - The Acts Of The Apostles -

In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. - Acts 1:1-2 -

( 2 ) By their literary affinity: vocabulary, grammar and style are not only consistent all through Acts showing that it is a literary unity, but they are also characteristic of the third gospel which makes it almost certain that both books ( The Gospel According To Apostle/Saint Luke and The Acts Of The Apostles ) are by the same author, that is,  Apostle/Saint Luke.

Hence, these two books of the New Testament were closely associated, and being call 'a history of the rise of Christianity'. Therefore, I faithfully believe that it is utmost important for us; all human beings to comprehend these two books, [All the others Old Testament and New Testament books are equally important, but as for now, we will start studying and read these two books first, that is, being call 'a history of the rise of Christianity', before continuing the other books.] to the best of our knowledge and enabling our spirit to acknowledges: "Who is God, and how, and in what ways, that is, God is with us. Amen!

Comparing Apostle/Saint Luke and his two sources, (a) - Apostle/Saint Mark, the best known, and (b) - the sources behind the Apostle/Saint Matthew passages which are paralleled in Apostle/Saint Luke, it becomes apparent that Apostle/Saint Luke was a craftsman whose concentration never slackened. His changes are very slight - just small omissions and additions - but through them he gives his work a character peculiarly his own. He avoids or whittles down anything he or his readers found offensive - 8:43, cf. Mark 5:26, he omits Mark 9:43-48, 13:32, etc. - or anything they could not be expected to understand (he omits Matthew 5:21f; Mark 15:34, etc.) He omits anything derogatory to the dignity of the apostles - Mark 4:13, 8:32f, 9:28f, 14:50 - and makes excuses for them - 9:45, 18:34, 22:45 - Luke explains obscure phrases - 6:15 - and clears up points of topography - 4:31, 19:28f,37, 23:51, etc.

In these innumerable small corrections, and even more especially in the fresh material he found by personal enquiry, it is possible to see what Apostle/Saint Luke's preferences were and to see the way his mind worked. Or, to put it more theologically, the Holy Spirit used Luke as his instrument to put the gospel into a completely new shape, packed with doctrine. The originality of Apostle/Saint Luke is not in his key ideas (they are identical with those of Apostle/Saint Mark and of Apostle/Saint Matthew) but in his religious mentality which apart from slight traces of Apostle/Saint Paul's influence, is overwhelmingly distinctive of Apostle/Saint Luke's personal temperament.

Apostle/Saint Luke, in Dante's phrase, is the 'scriba mansuetudinis Christi', the faithful recorder of Christ's loving-kindness. He is anxious to stress his Master's love of sinners - 15:1f,7,10 - to record his acts of forgiveness - 7:36-50, 15:11-32, 19:1-10, 23:34,39-43 - and to contrast his tenderness for the lowly and the poor with his severity towards the proud and towards those who abuse their wealth - 1:15-53, 6:20-26, 12:13-21, 14:7-11, 16:15,19-31, 18:9-14 - But in spite of this severity, the wicked however, deserving of punishment will not be condemned till the period set aside for mercy has come to an end - 13:6-9, cf. Mark 11:12-14 -

The one thing necessary is repentance, abdication of self, and on this the gentle, tolerant Luke takes a firm stand, insisting on unflinching and complete detachment - 14:25-34 - especially from riches - 6:34f, 12:33, 14:12-14, 16:9-13 - Another group of passages which are also found only in the third gospel is on the necessity of prayer - 11:5-8, 18:1-8 - of which Jesus set the example - 3:21, 5:16, 6:12, 9:28 -

Finally, Apostle/Saint Luke is the only one of the Synoptics to give the Holy Spirit the prominence, we find in Apostle/Saint Paul and in Acts (Luke 1:15,35,41,67, 2:25-27, 4:1,14,18, 10:21, 11:13, 24:49 ) These qualities, combined with that joy in God and that gratitude to him for his gifts which fill the third gospel - 2:14, 5:26, 10:17, 13:17, 18:43, 19:37, 24:51f - are the ones that go to make Apostle/Saint Luke's achievement the warm and human thing it is.

Prologue - Luke 1:1-4 - N. T. -

Seeing that many others have undertaken to draw up accounts of the events that have taken place among us, exactly as these were handed down to us by those who from the outset were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, I in my turn, after carefully going over the whole story from the beginning, have decided to write an ordered account for you, Theophilus, so that your Excellency may learn how well founded the teaching is that you have received.

Cf. - Compare - Luke 15:27 - N. T. - "Your brother/sister has come" replied the servant "and your father has killed the calf we had fattened because he has got him back safe and sound."

- Compare - 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - N. T. - "Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the Sacred Scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day."

- Compare - Acts 1:8 - N. T. - "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth."

- Compare - Ephesians 3:7 - N. T. - "I have been made the servant of that gospel by a gift of grace from God who give it to me by his own power."

- Compare - Acts 1:1 - N. T. - "In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning."
                                                               - PAGE  1 -

I.  THE  BIRTH  AND  HIDDEN  LIFE  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST  AND  OF  JESUS

The birth of John the Baptist foretold

In the days .......      PAGE  2

WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY. - Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, and the fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

Hence, these two books (The Gospel According To Apostle/Saint Luke & The Acts Of The Apostles) of the New Testament were closely associated, and being call 'a history of the rise of Christianity'. Therefore, I faithfully believe that it is utmost important for us; all human beings to comprehend these two books, [ All the others Old Testament and New Testament books are equally important, but as for now, we will start studying and read these two books first, that is, being call 'a history of the rise of Christianity', before continuing the other books.] to the best of our knowledge and enabling our spirit to acknowledges: "Who is God, and how, and in what ways, that is, God is with us." Amen! 

When Sacred Scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord, Jesus Christ, who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But they will not ask for his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as Sacred Scripture say: The footsteps of those who bring good news is a welcome sound.

Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As prophet Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ Jesus. [ 'Word of God' ] - Romans 10:11-17 -

How? And in what way, when it come to understanding matters: What I was always being told is: There are ways and preferences to comprehend all matters, whether it is of spirituality and unspirituality.

Firstly, in a literally manner: That is, used for emphasis or to express strong feeling while not being literally true.

Secondly, in a humanly manner: That is, from a human point of view, in a humanly manner, by human means; within ability; with human feeling or kindness.

Thirdly, in a spiritually manner: That is, in a way that relates to or affects the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.

Finally, in an unspiritual manner: That is, not spiritual. But secular and worldly.

Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the spirit of truth comes, He will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself, but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come.

He will glorify Me, since all he tells you will be taken from what is Mine. Everything the Father has is Mine; that is why I said: all he tells you will be taken from what is Mine. - John 16:12-15 

Paul makes contact with the Roman Jews [ Paul wants to establish good relations with the Jews of Rome as soon as possible. He gives a brief account of his trail, and for the last time protests his loyalty to Judaism.]

After three days he called together the leading Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them, 'Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They examined me and would have set me free, since they found me guilty of nothing involving the death penalty; but the Jews lodged an objection, and I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation to make against my own nation. [ Western Text add. 'but merely wished to escape death'.] That is why I asked to see you and talk to you, for it is on account of the hope of Israel that I wear this chain.'

They answered, [ The reply is cautious.] We have received no letters from Judaea about you, nor has any countryman of yours arrived here with any report or story of anything to your discredit. We think it would be as well to hear your own account of your position; all we know about this sect is that opinion everywhere condemns it.' - Acts 28:17-22 -

Paul's declaration to the Roman Jews [ In Rome also Paul preaches the gospel first to the Jews, cf. 13:5+. The summary of this preaching should be compared with the opening discourse in Pisidian Antioch, 13:15-41.]

So they arranged a day with him and a large number of them visited him at his lodgings. He put his case to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them about Jesus, arguing from the Law of Moses and the prophets. This went on from early morning until evening, and some were convinced by what he said, while the rest were sceptical. So they disagreed among themselves and, as they went away, Paul had one last thing to say to them, [ Paul's words are reminiscent of those following his discourse at Antioch, 13:46-47. They constitute the finale of Acts, and sound its dominant note, cf. 13:41+. They recall the vision of the future offered by Jesus at the end of his discourse in Nazareth, Luke 4:23-27, and in his last words to the apostles, Luke 24:47. The text from Is. 6:9-10 (LXX), is also used in Matt. 13:14-15 (cf. Mark 4:12p) and in part, in John 12:40. Both theme and text are common places of early Christianity.]

How aptly the Holy Spirit spoke when he told your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah:

                               Go to this nation and say:
                               You will hear and hear again but not understand, 
                               see and see again, bot not perceive.
                               For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,
                               their ears are dull of hearing and they have shut their eyes,
                               for fear they should see with their eyes,
                               hear with their ears,
                               understand with their heart,
                               and be converted
                               and be healed by me.

'Understand, then, that this salvation of God has been sent to the pagans; they will listen to it.' [ The Western Text (followed by the Antiochene recension) adds v. 29 'And when he had said this, the Jews left, arguing hotly between themselves'.]

Epilogue [ Thus Paul arrived in Rome which brings one period of evangelisation to a close, cf. Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8+, and is presented as the starting point for a further advance of Christianity. Before Luke had finished his gospel he had opened up wide horizons to the apostolic mission; his Book of Acts ends with the same prospect for the future.]

Paul spent the whole of the two years [ The same technical term as in 24:27. Paul, therefore, has been under the custodia militaris for the legal period during which his case should have been tried. This suggests that the trail did not in fact take place, probably because there was no one to accuse him. The legal period over, Paul must have been released; Phm 22 looks forward to his approaching liberation. During these two years Paul wrote his letters to the Colossians and to the Ephesians as well as his note to Philemon.] in his own rented lodging. 

Paul welcomed all who came to visit him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete freedom and without hindrance from anyone. [ Western Text add. 'saying that this is he, Jesus, the son of God, by whom the whole world is destined to be judged', cf. 17:31. On Paul's ministry after his discharge, his second imprisonment, and his death see the Introduction to the Letters of Saint/Apostle Paul.]

WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY. Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, and the fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear Him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. - Matthew 10:28 -

To you my friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear: fear Him who after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell. - Luke 12:4-5 -

I shall not call you servants anymore,

because a servant does not know

his/her master's business;

I call you friends, 

because I have made known to you

everything I have learnt from my Father. - John 15:15 - 

"I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, wife, brothers, parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not be given repayment many times over in this present time, in the world to come, Eternal Life." - Luke 18:28-30 -

We are all aware who it was that said: Vengeance is mine; I will repay. And again: The Lord will judge his people. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. - Hebrews 10:31 -

'Fear God and praise Him because the time has come for Him to sit in judgement; worship the maker of heaven and earth and sea and every water-spring.' - Revelation 14:7 -

                                                  Page 64
Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the spirit of truth comes, He will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself, but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come.

He will glorify Me, since all he tells you will be taken from what is Mine. Everything the Father has is Mine; that is why I said: all he tells you will be taken from what is Mine. - John 16:12-15 -

The departure for Rome

When it had been decided that we [ Luke reappears on the scene. The precision on the narrative suggests a carefully kept diary.] should sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion called Julius, of the Augustan cohort. We boarded a vessel from Adramyttium bound for ports on the Asiatic coast, and put to sea; we had Aristarchus with us, a Macedonian of Thessalonika. Next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius was considerate enough to allow Paul to go to his friends to be looked after.

From there we put to sea again, but as the winds were against us we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, then across the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, taking a fortnight [ Lit. 'for fifteen days'. Western Text.] to reach Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship leaving for Italy and put us aboard.

For some days we made a little headway, and we had difficulty in making Cnidus. The wind would not allow us to touch there, so we sailed under the lee of Crete off Cape Salmone and struggled along the coast until we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea. - Acts 27:1-8 -

Storm and shipwreck

A great deal of time had been lost, and navigation was already hazardous since it was now well after the time of the Fast [ Another name for the feast of Atonement, the only fast day prescribed by the Law, Lev. 16:29-31. It was celebrated about the time of the autumn equinox.] so Paul gave them this warning, 'Friends, I can see this voyage will be dangerous and that we run the risk of losing not only the cargo and the ship but also our lives as well'. But the centurion took more notice of the captain and the ship's owner than of what Paul was saying; and since the habour was unsuitable for wintering, the majority were for putting out from there in the hope of wintering at Phoenix - a habour in Crete, facing south-west and north-west.

A southerly breeze sprang up and thinking their objective as good as reached, they weighed anchor and began to sail past Crete, close inshore. But it was not long before a hurricane, the 'north-easter' as they call it, burst on them from across the island. The ship was caught and could not turned head-on to the wind, so we had to give way to it and let ourselves be driven. We ran under the lee of a small island called Cauda and managed with some difficulty to bring the ship's boat under control. They hoisted it aboard and with some difficulty to bring the ship's boat under control. They hoisted it aboard and with the help of tackle bound cables round the ship; then, afraid of running aground on the Syrtis banks, they floated out the sea-anchor and so let themselves drift.

As we were making very heavy weather of it, the next day they began to jettison the cargo and the third day they threw the ship's gear overboard with their own hands. For a number of days both the sun and the stars were invisible and the storm raged unabated until at last we gave up all hope of surviving.

Then, when they had been without food for a long time, [ Paul's second speech (vv. 33f) would follow naturally on this observation. This first speech (vv. 21-26) seems to have been rather clumsilly introduced into this context and to be partly a repetition of the second.] Paul stood out among the men. 'Friends,' he said 'if you had listened to me and not put out from Crete, you would have spared yourselves all this damage and loses. But now I ask you not to give way to despair. There will be no loss of life at all, only the ship.

Last night there was standing beside me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, and he said, "Do not be afraid, Paul. You are destined to appear before Caesar, [ Not before Nero in person but before his tribunal.] and for this reason God grants you the safety of all who are sailing with you." So take courage, friends; I trust in God that things will turn out just as I was told; but we are to be stranded on some island.' - Acts 27:1-26 -

On the fourteen night we were being driven one way and another in the Adriatic [ The name was used for all that part of the Mediterranean between Greece, Italy and Africa.] when about midnight the crew sensed that land of some sort was near. They took soundings and found twenty fathoms; after a short interval they sounded again and found fifteen fathoms. Then, afraid that we might run aground somewhere on a reef, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. When some of the crew tried to escape from the ship and lowered the ship's boat into the sea as though to lay out anchors from the bows, Paul said to the centurion and his men, 'Unless those men stay on board you cannot hope to be saved'. So the soldiers cut the boat's ropes and let it drop away.

Just before daybreak Paul urged them all to have something to eat. 'For fourteen days' he said 'you have been in suspense, going hungry and eating nothing. Let me persuade you to have something to eat; your safety is not in doubt. Not a hair of your heads will be lost.' With these words he took some bread, gave thanks to God in front of them all, broke it and began to eat. [ Western Text add. 'giving it to us also'. All Jews pronounced a blessing when about to eat; nevertheless, the terms Luke uses seem to suggest the Eucharist, cf. 2:42+.] Then they all plucked up courage and took something to eat themselves. We were in all two hundred and seventy-six souls on board that ship When they had eaten what they wanted they lightened the ship by throwing the corn overboard into the sea. - Acts 27:27-38 -

When day came they did not recognise the land, but they could make out a kind of bay with a beach; they planned to run the ship aground on this if they could. They slipped the anchors and left them to the sea, and at the same time loosened the lashings of the rudders; then, hoisting the foresail to the wind, they headed for the beach. But the cross-currents carried them into a shoal and the vessel ran aground. The bows were wedged in and stuck fast, while the stern began to break up with the pounding of the waves.

The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners for fear that any should swim off and escape. But the centurion was determined to bring Paul safely through and would not let them do what they intended. He gave orders that those who could swim should jump overboard first and so get ashore, and the rest follow either on planks or on pieces of wreckage. In this way all came safe and sound to land. - Acts 27:39-44 -

Waiting in Malta

Once we had come safely through, we discovered that the island was called Malta. The inhabitants treated us with unusual kindness. They made us all welcome, and they lit a huge fire because it had started to rain and the weather was cold. Paul had collected a bundle of sticks and was putting them on the fire when a viper brought out by the heat attached itself to his hand. When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand they said to one another, 'That man must be a murderer; he may have escaped the sea, but divine vengeance [ Lit. 'justice', dike, the divine justice personified.] would not let him live'.

However, he shook the creature off into the fire and came to no harm, although they were expecting him at any moment to swell up or drop dead on the spot. After they had waited a long time without seeing anything out of the ordinary happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say he was a god.

In that neighbourhood there were estates belonging to the prefect of the island, whose name was Publius. He received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. It so happen that Publius' father was in bed, suffering from feverish attacks and dysentery. Paul went to see him, and after a prayer he laid his hands on the man and healed him. When this happened, the other sick people on the island came as well and were cured; they honoured us with many marks of respect, and when we sailed they put on board the provisions we needed. - Acts 28:1-10 -

From Malta to Rome

At the end of three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island; she came from Alexandria and her figurehead was the Twins. We put in at Syracuse and spent three days there; from there we followed the coast up to Rhegium. After one day there a south wind sprang up and on the second day we made Puteoli, [ Pozzuoli on the Gulf of Naples. There was already a Christian colony in this busy port.] where we found some brothers and were much rewarded by staying a week with them. And so we came to Rome.

When the brothers there heard of our arrival they came to meet us, as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns. When Paul saw them he thanked God and took courage. On our arrival in Rome Paul was allowed to stay in lodgings of his own with the soldiers who guarded him. [ Western Text (adopted by the Antiochene recension) '... Rome, the centurion handed the prisoners over to the commander. But Paul was allowed to live outside the (Praetorian) camp.' This additional information agrees with what in fact must have happened. By the concession of custodia militaris the prisoner had his own lodgings, but his right arm was chained to the left of the soldier in charge.] - Acts 28:11-16 -

Paul makes contact with the Roman Jews 

WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE/WORD OF GOD/HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY. Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, and the fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

"EACH ONE OF US, HOWEVER, HAS BEEN GIVEN HIS OWN SHARE OF GRACE, GIVEN AS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST ALLOTTED IT. IT WAS SAID THAT HE WOULD:

             WHEN HE ASCENDED TO THE HEIGHT, HE CAPTURED PRISONERS,
             HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.

WHEN IT SAYS, 'HE ASCENDED,' WHAT CAN IT MEAN IF NOT THAT HE DESCENDED RIGHT DOWN TO THE LOWER REGIONS OF THE EARTH? THE ONE WHO ROSE HIGHER THAN ALL THE HEAVENS TO FILL ALL THINGS IS NONE OTHER THAN THE ONE WHO DESCENDED.

AND TO SOME, HIS GIFT WAS THAT THEY SHOULD BE APOSTLES; TO SOME, PROPHETS; TO SOME, EVANGELISTS; TO SOME, PASTORS AND TEACHERS; SO THAT THE SAINTS TOGETHER MAKE A UNITY IN THE WORK OF SERVICE, BUILDING UP THE BODY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

IN THIS WAY WE ARE ALL TO COME TO UNITY IN OUR FAITH AND IN OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD, UNTIL WE BECOME THE PERFECT MAN, FULLY MATURE WITH THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST HIMSELF.

THEN WE SHALL NOT BE CHILDREN ANY LONGER, OR TOSSED ONE WAY AND ANOTHER AND CARRIED ALONG BY EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE, AT THE MERCY OF ALL THE TRICKS MEN PLAY AND THEY CLEVERNESS IN PRACTISING DECEIT.

IF WE LIVE BY THE TRUTH AND IN LOVE, WE SHALL GROW IN ALL WAYS INTO CHRIST JESUS, WHO IS THE HEAD BY WHOM THE WHOLE BODY IS FITTED AND JOINED TOGETHER, EVERY JOINT ADDING ITS OWN STRENGTH, FOR EACH SEPARATE PART TO WORK ACCORDING TO IT FUNCTION. SO THE BODY GROWS UNTIL IT HAS BUILT ITSELF UP, IN LOVE." - EPHESIANS 4:7-16 -

When Sacred Scripture says: those who believe in him will have no cause for shame, it makes no distinction between Jew and Greek: all belong to the same Lord, Jesus Christ, who is rich enough, however many ask his help, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But they will not ask for his help unless they believe in him, and they will not believe in him unless they heard of him, and they will not hear of him unless they get a preacher, and they will never have a preacher unless one is sent, but as Sacred Scripture say: The footsteps of those who bring good news is a welcome sound.

Not everyone, of course, listens to the Good News. As prophet Isaiah says: Lord, how many believed what we proclaimed? So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ Jesus. [ 'Word of God' ] - Romans 10:11-17 -

                                                  Page 63

Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:

Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the spirit of truth comes, He will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself, but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come.

He will glorify Me, since all he tells you will be taken from what is Mine. Everything the Father has is Mine; that is why I said: all he tells you will be taken from what is Mine. - John 16:12-15 -