III.  THE  GALILEAN  MINISTRY

Jesus begins to preach - Luke 4:14-15 - N. T. -

Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout countryside. He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised him.

Cf. - Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25; Mark 1:14-15, 39, 4:37; 5:15; Matthew 3:16-17; Luke 4:43-44 - N. T. - Hearing that John the Baptist had been arrested he went back to Galilee, and leaving Nazareth he went and settled in Capernaum, a lakeside town on the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali. "In this way the prophesy of Isaiah was to be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun! Land of Naphtali! Way of the sea on the far side of Jordan, Galilee of the nations! The people that lived in darkness has seen a great light; on those who dwell in the hand and shadow of death a light has dawned". From that moment Jesus began his preaching with the message, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand'.

He went round the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness among the people. His fame spread throughout Syria, and those who were suffering from diseases and painful complaints of one kind or another, the possessed, epileptics, the paralysed, were all brought to him, and he cured them. Large crowds followed him, coming from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judaea and Transjordania.

As soon as Jesus was baptised he came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. And a voice spoke from heaven, 'This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him'.

Jesus answered, 'I must proclaim the Good News of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, because that is what I was sent to do'. And he continued his preaching in the synagogues of Judaea.                      

Jesus at Nazareth - Luke 4:16-30 - N. T. - 

He came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day as he usually did. he stood up to read, and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written: "The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord's year of favour."                         

He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, 'This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen'. And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips. They said, 'This is Joseph's son, surely?' But he replied, 'No doubt you will quote me the saying, "Physician, heal yourself" and tell me, "We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own countryside"'. And he went on, 'I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.

'There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah's day when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, but Elijah was not sent to any of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town. And in the prophet Elisha's time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.'

When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.

Cf. - Matthew 13:53-58; Mark 6:1-6 - N. T. - When Jesus had finished these parables he left the district; and coming to his home, he taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, 'Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter's son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? His sisters, too, are they not all here with us? So where did the man get it all?' And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house', and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Cf. - Luke 2:39,51 - 

Cf. - Isaiah 61:1-2 - O. T. - The spirit of the Lord Yahweh has been given to me, for Yahweh has anointed me. He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up hearts that are broken; to proclaim liberty to captives, freedom to those in prison; to proclaim a year of favour from Yahweh, a day of vengeance for our God. 

Cf. - Matthew 3:16-17 - N. T. - As soon as Jesus was baptised he came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. And a voice spoke from heaven, 'This is my Son, Beloved; my favour rests on him'.

Cf. - Zephaniah 2:3 - O. T. - Seek Yahweh, all you, the humble of the earth, who obey his commands. Seek integrity, seek humility: you may perhaps find shelter on the day of the anger of Yahweh.

Cf. - Luke 2:47;4:15 - 

Cf. - John 7:46-47 - N. T. - 'Why haven't you brought him?' The police replied, 'There has never been anybody who has spoken like him'. 'So' the Pharisees answered 'you have been led astray as well?

Cf. 1 Kings 17:1 - O. T. - Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As Yahweh lives, the God of Israel whom I serve, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years except at my order'. 

Cf. 1 Kings 18:1 - O. T. - A long time went by, and the word of Yahweh came to Elijah in the third year, 'Go, present yourself to Ahab; I am about to send down rain on the land'. So Elijah set off to present himself to Ahab. 

Cf. - James 5:17-18 - N. T. - Elijah was a human being like ourselves - he prayed hard for it not to rain, and no rain fell for three-and-a-half years; then he prayed again and the sky gave rain and the earth gave crops.

Cf. - 1 Kings 17:7-9 - O. T. - But after a while the stream dried up, for the country had no rain. And then the word of Yahweh came to him. 'Up and go to Zarephath, a Sidonian town, and stay there. I have ordered a widow there to give you food.'

Cf. - 2 Kings 5:14 - O. T. - So he went down and immersed himself even times in the Jordan, as Elisha had told him to do. And his flesh became clean once more like the flesh of a little child.

Cf. - John 7:30 - N. T. - They would have arrested him then, but because his time had not yet come no one laid a hand on him.

Cf. - John 8:59 - N. T. - At this they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself and left the Temple.
                                                        -  PAGE 12 -

Jesus teaches in Capernaum and cures a demoniac

He went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee.......-  PAGE  13  -

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. 

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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 -