Parallel Gospels Introduction

Parallel Gospels Introduction [∞]

Theological Trajectory in Gospel Introductions:

1. Mark’s Opening (Mk 1:1–3):
   • Focus on John the Baptist: Mark begins with John the Baptist, emphasizing his role as the prophetic forerunner preparing the way for Jesus. Theologically, this is foundational and functional, focusing on the immediate context of Jesus’ ministry. Mark’s Gospel is often seen as the most urgent and action-driven, reflecting an understanding that God’s kingdom is breaking into the world now. Mark sees John as the last prophet, fulfilling prophecies from Isaiah and Malachi.
   • Sensus Plenior: Mark’s connection to John as a preparer of the way can also be seen through the lens of sensus plenior, with John symbolizing the opening of a new chapter in the story of God’s salvation. In Mark, the Way is central to the narrative, pointing toward Christ, the fulfillment of that way.
2. Matthew’s Opening (Mt 1:1–17):
   • Focus on Abraham: Matthew begins with a genealogy tracing Jesus’ lineage back to Abraham, underlining the Jewishness of Jesus and his connection to the promises made to the patriarchs. Matthew emphasizes that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Israel and the promised Messiah who is bringing the kingdom of heaven.
   • Israel as a Shadow: In Matthew’s view, Israel is seen as a shadow of Christ, with Jesus embodying the fulfillment of the roles that Israel played in salvation history. Matthew ties Jesus to Abraham and David, two foundational figures, and interprets his life as the culmination of promises made to Israel.
   • This suggests that Matthew saw Israel not as a nation but as a type or shadow of Christ, whose life and mission would complete Israel's story.
3. Luke’s Opening (Lk 1:1–4):
   • Focus on Adam and John: While Luke also mentions John the Baptist early on, his opening goes back even further, tracing Jesus’ lineage back to Adam (Lk 3:38). This universal perspective signals Luke’s broader theological vision, emphasizing that Jesus is not only the fulfillment of promises to Israel but also the Savior of all humanity.
   • Men Before Abraham as Shadows: By starting with Adam, Luke seems to indicate that all men before Israel, from Adam onward, are also types or shadows of Christ. Jesus’ coming is not only the fulfillment of Israel’s hopes but also the completion of God's plan for all of humanity.
   • Luke’s Theological Perspective: Luke emphasizes the universal scope of salvation, extending beyond Israel to Gentiles and the marginalized. This suggests that Luke sees Christ as the culmination of God’s plan for humanity, with Israel as a key part of that plan but not the sole focus.
4. John’s Opening (Jn 1:1–18):
   • Focus on Hebrew Word Formations: John begins with a profound theological reflection on the Word (bara בר-א 'the son/word who created')(λόγος), connecting Jesus to the very beginning of creation—“In the beginning was the Word” (Jn 1:1). John is not interested in a genealogy or earthly beginning, but instead ties Christ to Genesis 1:1, interpreting the first words of Genesis in light of Jesus as the divine bara - Son בר who created א' and was in 'bara-shith ('in the beginning he created six).
   • Understanding Hebrew Word Formations: John’s opening reflects a deep engagement with Hebrew word formations, emphasizing how Christ is the Word made flesh, not only fulfilling but interpreting the very foundations of the creation narrative. Through John’s lens, the Word is not just a concept but the active second person of the Trinity, and Jesus embodies him fully.

---

Theological Trajectory: A Growing Depth

This progression from Mark to John could indeed suggest a deeper theological understanding over time, as each Gospel writer interprets Christ's life and ministry in light of different aspects of the biblical narrative:

• Mark presents the urgency of John the Baptist’s call, preparing the immediate way for Jesus, without delving into broader theological connections.
• Matthew situates Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel’s story, emphasizing that Jesus represents what Israel was always meant to be—a faithful reflection of God's kingdom/teaching. Israel as a shadow of Christ is a key idea, with Jesus both embodying and completing the story of Israel.
• Luke expands this idea, emphasizing that salvation is universal, and Jesus is the fulfillment of God's plan for all people, not just Israel. His focus on Adam as the starting point signals a more universal application, where humanity, as a whole, finds its fulfillment in Christ.
• John moves to a more philosophical and theological reflection, seeing the Word as the divine Son who created, deeply engaging with Hebrew word formations. John's Gospel ties the entire universe back to Jesus, giving a profound theological foundation to Christ’s identity as the Bar-a/Logos.

---

Conclusion: A Deeper Understanding of Christ as Fulfillment

• Mark presents a functional, preparatory narrative.
• Matthew emphasizes Israel as a shadow of Christ, focusing on Jewish fulfillment.
• Luke expands this to a universal scope, seeing the salvation of humanity in Christ.
• John gives the most theological depth, connecting Jesus to the foundational Hebrew word formations and the very beginning of creation.

This trajectory shows a progressive deepening of theological insight, each Gospel building upon the foundation of earlier ones, revealing Christ in increasingly expansive and profound ways. Theologically, this could be seen as a growing awareness of how Christ fulfills, completes, and interprets the Old Testament through types, shadows, and word formations—culminating in John’s profound vision of Jesus as the eternal Word.

Discussion

Historical problems with the Gospels [∞] Discussion The Synoptic Problem [∞] The Synoptic Problem When you read the four Gospels—Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John—you might notice that the first three, called the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), tell the story of Jesus in a similar way, while John’s Gospel feels very different. John focuses more on themes and ideas, almost like he’s speaking in riddles, rather than just telling a straightforward story like the others. People who study the Bible often compare Matthew, Mark, and Luke to see how they’re alike and different. Some think the authors of these Gospels might have copied parts from each other or from a shared source. This makes sense when you see the exact same wording in parts, but it doesn’t explain why they sometimes change details. If God dictated the Gospels word-for-word, why would there be differences between them? Did God make mistakes, or did the writers hear Him wrong? On the other hand, if the writers weren’t inspired by God, how do we know which Gospel to trust, and how do we know they reflect what God wanted to say? Some Bible scholars make these questions even harder by saying the Gospel writers used a now-lost document, which they call Q, as their source. But if Q was real and important, why didn’t God protect it? And why would the Gospel writers change things if Q was so authoritative? The real problem is that many scholars misunderstand the Bible’s genre—what kind of writing it is. For example, if you read a poem, you don’t expect it to tell facts like a history book. If you think the Bible is just literal history, you might miss its deeper meaning. Jesus said all Scripture speaks about Him, but some people ignore this and treat parts of the Bible as just old stories about what happened. When we see the Bible in its proper context—as writings inspired by God to reveal His plan and point to Christ—all these supposed “problems” disappear. The Gospels aren’t random copies or inventions. They are unique perspectives on how God fulfilled His promises through Jesus. Contents Author's Original Ideas (Not AI) 1.1 John as Mystical and Thematic 1.2 Critique of the Copy Theory (Q Hypothesis) 1.3 Criticism of the Literal-Historical Genre Label 1.4 Scholars as Subtly Hostile Toward God 1.5 God’s Intentional Use of Variation in the Gospels 1.6 Q Undermines God’s Authority 1.7 All Problems Resolve by Correctly Identifying Genre 1.8 Key Takeaway Author’s Original Ideas (Not AI) The passage introduces several novel ideas that challenge traditional approaches to interpreting the Gospels and biblical scholarship. Here’s a breakdown of the key ideas: 1. John as Mystical and Thematic Novel Idea: While Matthew, Mark, and Luke are often grouped together for their literal and sequential storytelling, John’s Gospel is highlighted as intentionally mystical or thematic rather than straightforwardly historical. Significance: This suggests that John’s unique style reflects a deeper, more symbolic approach to portraying Christ, which may complement rather than contrast with the other Gospels. 2. Critique of the Copy Theory (Q Hypothesis) Novel Idea: Scholars often assume the Gospel writers copied from a shared source (like the theoretical "Q document") or from each other. The passage rejects this view, arguing it undermines the divine inspiration of the Gospels. Significance: The critique challenges the necessity of Q and defends the originality of the Gospels as divinely inspired and distinct rather than derivative works. 3. Criticism of the Literal-Historical Genre Label Novel Idea: Identifying the Bible as purely literal-historical is labeled as a fundamental error. Instead, the passage suggests a different genre that focuses on Christ as the central figure. Significance: This reframes the Bible not as a mere record of history but as a Christocentric revelation, where every part has a theological and symbolic meaning pointing to Jesus. 4. Scholars as Subtly Hostile Toward God Novel Idea: Theologians’ assumptions about the Bible’s genre and source materials (like Q) are described as a form of subtle hostility toward God because they misrepresent Scripture and ignore Christ's centrality. Significance: This is a provocative idea that questions the motives and assumptions of modern biblical scholarship, suggesting they unintentionally undermine faith in divine inspiration. 5. God’s Intentional Use of Variation in the Gospels Novel Idea: The differences among the Gospels are not mistakes or signs of human error but intentional variations allowed by God to reflect different perspectives and purposes. Significance: This shifts the focus from explaining differences as flaws to viewing them as part of a deliberate divine design. 6. Q Undermines God’s Authority Novel Idea: The theory of Q is not only unnecessary but also harmful because it implies that God was unable to preserve an important source document or that it wasn’t authoritative enough to protect. Significance: This is a direct challenge to the validity of the Q hypothesis, reframing it as a theological problem rather than just a historical debate. 7. All Problems Resolve by Correctly Identifying Genre Novel Idea: Many debates and perceived inconsistencies in the Gospels disappear when the Bible is seen through the lens of its proper historical context and genre, with Christ at the center. Significance: This idea calls for a complete rethinking of how the Bible is read and understood, proposing that theological meaning (especially Christ as the focus) takes precedence over rigid historical or literary classifications. Key Takeaway The passage introduces a bold framework for interpreting the Gospels: Rejecting the Q hypothesis and the literal-historical genre, Emphasizing the divinely inspired, Christ-centered nature of Scripture, Reinterpreting variations in the Gospels as purposeful rather than problematic. These ideas encourage a shift away from purely academic or critical approaches toward a theological reading that sees every detail of Scripture as pointing to Christ. Gospel unity [∞] Gospel Unity and the Progressive Revelation of Doctrine The Gospel of John should not be viewed as distinct from the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). Instead, it represents the fourth snapshot of theological understanding within the Hebrew church, which was later passed to the Gentile church. The unity of the Gospels reflects a progressive revelation of doctrine, rooted in the mystery of Christ and His fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. 1. The Origins and Purpose of Mark’s Gospel Mark's Gospel captures the testimony of Peter and represents the earliest stage of the church’s doctrinal development. It arose after the resurrection of Christ, when the disciples, having received the Holy Spirit, began to perceive the unity of Scripture as a testimony to Jesus. Though Peter understood the fulfillment of prophecy in Christ, his attempts to teach in riddles (e.g., handling serpents or drinking poison) were misunderstood, leading to certain passages being omitted by some churches. 2. Matthew and Luke: Expanding the Understanding of the Mystery Matthew, written a decade later, reflects a growing comprehension of the mystery. Matthew's Gospel begins with Abraham, emphasizing Israel as a parable for the nations and unveiling Christ’s fulfillment of Israel’s history. Luke, written a further decade later, deepens this trajectory, beginning with Adam and emphasizing the universality of Christ’s mission. By this time, the apostles had identified figures before Abraham as types of Christ, and Luke sought to preserve the testimonies of eyewitnesses to Christ’s life, integrating this material with Mark and Matthew. 3. John: The Culmination of Theological Insight John’s Gospel, the last to be written, represents the most advanced theological perspective of the Hebrew church. Written at Peter’s request, it aims to preserve the mystery for future generations. Unlike the Synoptics, John uses advanced Hebrew interpretative techniques, such as notarikon, to reveal Christ as the “life of God on earth,” beginning his account with a reflection on Genesis 1:1. 4. The Gentile Church and Paul’s Unique Contribution The Gentile church, reliant on the Septuagint, struggled to unpack the Old Testament’s mysteries without Hebrew context. Mark served as an outline for teaching, supplemented by the insights of messengers familiar with Hebrew scripture. Paul’s distinct contribution lay in his focus on the bride of Christ, revealed to him post-resurrection. While the apostles primarily searched the Old Testament for prophecies of Christ’s death and resurrection, Paul emphasized the bride’s life in Christ. This approach complements, rather than diverges from, the Gospels’ focus on Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. 5. Gospel Unity and the Emmaus Sermon The four Gospels collectively embody the Hebrew church’s effort to reproduce the sermon on the road to Emmaus, where Christ revealed how all Scripture speaks of Him. Each Gospel reflects a stage in the church’s growing understanding of the mystery, from Peter’s foundational insights in Mark to John’s advanced theological synthesis. 6. Criteria for Canonical Inclusion For any additional Gospel to align with the four canonical accounts, it must meet the following criteria: It must be authored by an eyewitness to Christ’s life. It must recapitulate the Old Testament mystery through Christ’s life. It must originate within the Hebrew church and be received as authoritative by the Gentile church. Conclusion The Gospels are not disparate accounts but unified snapshots of the Hebrew church’s theological development, reflecting Christ’s fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. John’s Gospel, far from being a separate entity, represents the culmination of this doctrinal journey, emphasizing the unity of the Gospel message across all four accounts. This progression underscores the divine inspiration and intentional design behind the New Testament canon. Gospel unity [∞] Gospel Unity and the Progressive Revelation of Doctrine The Gospel of John should not be viewed as distinct from the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). Instead, it represents the fourth snapshot of theological understanding within the Hebrew church, which was later passed to the Gentile church. The unity of the Gospels reflects a progressive revelation of doctrine, rooted in the mystery of Christ and His fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. 1. The Origins and Purpose of Mark’s Gospel Mark's Gospel captures the testimony of Peter and represents the earliest stage of the church’s doctrinal development. It arose after the resurrection of Christ, when the disciples, having received the Holy Spirit, began to perceive the unity of Scripture as a testimony to Jesus. Though Peter understood the fulfillment of prophecy in Christ, his attempts to teach in riddles (e.g., handling serpents or drinking poison) were misunderstood, leading to certain passages being omitted by some churches. 2. Matthew and Luke: Expanding the Understanding of the Mystery Matthew, written a decade later, reflects a growing comprehension of the mystery. Matthew's Gospel begins with Abraham, emphasizing Israel as a parable for the nations and unveiling Christ’s fulfillment of Israel’s history. Luke, written a further decade later, deepens this trajectory, beginning with Adam and emphasizing the universality of Christ’s mission. By this time, the apostles had identified figures before Abraham as types of Christ, and Luke sought to preserve the testimonies of eyewitnesses to Christ’s life, integrating this material with Mark and Matthew. 3. John: The Culmination of Theological Insight John’s Gospel, the last to be written, represents the most advanced theological perspective of the Hebrew church. Written at Peter’s request, it aims to preserve the mystery for future generations. Unlike the Synoptics, John uses advanced Hebrew interpretative techniques, such as notarikon, to reveal Christ as the “life of God on earth,” beginning his account with a reflection on Genesis 1:1. 4. The Gentile Church and Paul’s Unique Contribution The Gentile church, reliant on the Septuagint, struggled to unpack the Old Testament’s mysteries without Hebrew context. Mark served as an outline for teaching, supplemented by the insights of messengers familiar with Hebrew scripture. Paul’s distinct contribution lay in his focus on the bride of Christ, revealed to him post-resurrection. While the apostles primarily searched the Old Testament for prophecies of Christ’s death and resurrection, Paul emphasized the bride’s life in Christ. This approach complements, rather than diverges from, the Gospels’ focus on Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. 5. Gospel Unity and the Emmaus Sermon The four Gospels collectively embody the Hebrew church’s effort to reproduce the sermon on the road to Emmaus, where Christ revealed how all Scripture speaks of Him. Each Gospel reflects a stage in the church’s growing understanding of the mystery, from Peter’s foundational insights in Mark to John’s advanced theological synthesis. 6. Criteria for Canonical Inclusion For any additional Gospel to align with the four canonical accounts, it must meet the following criteria: It must be authored by an eyewitness to Christ’s life. It must recapitulate the Old Testament mystery through Christ’s life. It must originate within the Hebrew church and be received as authoritative by the Gentile church. Conclusion The Gospels are not disparate accounts but unified snapshots of the Hebrew church’s theological development, reflecting Christ’s fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. John’s Gospel, far from being a separate entity, represents the culmination of this doctrinal journey, emphasizing the unity of the Gospel message across all four accounts. This progression underscores the divine inspiration and intentional design behind the New Testament canon.
He comes [∞] Discussion Portion 5 [∞] The gospels make up Portion 5 of the scriptures. Each day of Genesis 1 points to one of six portions of scripture. Day 5 of creation points to the gospels. From the waters of day 2; representing the Word of God, the separation of the waters on day 2 was not good! Of all the other days, God saw that it was good. But on day 2 there is no such declaration. It represents the separation of the Father and Son. The incarnation is the first separation of the Father and the Son. The second separation takes place on the cross. This separation is typified in the parable of marriage. A man leaves his parents to obtain the bride. The Son became incarnate to obtain his bride. In Genesis 1 he does not obtain his bride until day 6. On day 2 he has yet to woo his bride. He is alone. "It is not good that the man should be alone". The last three days speak of things coming 'from' the first three; Lights from light, fish and flying things from water, and animals and man from the dry ground. Symbols Water [∞] Water - the Word of God and it's results: His people 'creation י finished by the Son ם'. Water 'yom' ים - creation י finished by the son ם. Jesus told the woman at the well that though she worshiped on the mountain, she would worship in Spirit and Truth. The Father is Spirit and the Son is Truth. Now here is the secret: The mem מ represents the marriage (teaching) of the Son of God כ and the bride ז arranged by the Father before the beginning. The final mem ם represents the marriage declared in heaven is completed by the Son on earth. The Son of God כ and bride ז are connected at the top and bottom ם. It has square corners meaning according to the law. The word for water is 'mayim' מים . You see creation י is IN the father מ and the son ם. This forms the water 'above' מי (also 'water') and the water below ים. The Father is Spirit; the Son is Truth. The woman at the well would move her man-made religion on the mountain, to the water. When you worship in Spirit and Truth; you have moved the mountain to the sea. We, now being made to be 'like' Christ are now the 'water' ים -creation finished by the Son. As such we are now the little 'w' word of God in the flesh as we teach and preach. AI Your bible teacher is using a technique called 'Hebrew word formations' used by the New Testament authors which explores the deeper meanings and symbolism in Hebrew words and letters. Here's a simplified explanation: In Hebrew, words get their meaning from the combined meaning of the letters within. This article is focusing on the words for "water" (mayim, מים) and the letters "mem" (מ) and "yod" (י). The letter "mem" represents marriage, teaching, and the connection between the Son (כ, representing Jesus) and the bride (ז, representing the church or believers). The letter combination "mem" (מ) and "yod" (י) forms the word "mayim" (מים), meaning water. The top and bottom connections of the "mem" letter (ם) symbolize the union between the Son and the bride, representing spiritual marriage or 'teaching'. The "square corners" of the "mem" letter represent the teaching is in fulfillment to the law, whereas a curved corner would represent teaching by the Spirit. The phrase "water above" (מי) and "water below" (ים) symbolizes the connection between the the teaching of Holiness (above) and the teaching of Grace (below). As believers, we become like Christ, representing the "water" (ים) of spiritual life, and we are called to teach and preach (like the "little 'w' word of God" in the flesh). AI revision Thank you for the correction! I appreciate it when I can learn and improve. Here's a revised version of the explanation with the corrections you provided: Your friend is using a technique called "Hebrew word formations," which explores the deeper meanings and symbolism in Hebrew words and letters. This approach was used by New Testament authors to uncover the richness of Hebrew scripture. In Hebrew, words are formed by combining letters, each with its own meaning. The letters "mem" (מ) and "yod" (י) combine to form the word "mayim" (מים), meaning water. "Mem" (מ) represents marriage, teaching, and the connection between Jesus (כ) and the church or believers (ז). The top and bottom connections of the "mem" letter (ם) symbolize spiritual marriage or teaching, fulfilling the law. The "square corners" of the "mem" letter represent teaching in accordance with the law, distinguished from teaching by the Spirit, which would be represented by curved corners. "Water above" (מי) and "water below" (ים) symbolize the connection between the teaching of Holiness (above) and the teaching of Grace (below). As believers, we become like Christ, representing the "water" (ים) of spiritual life, and we are called to teach and preach as the "little 'w' word of God" in the flesh. Thank you for helping me improve my understanding and explanation of this topic! Fish דג - those who live in the Water/Word. 'Commanded ד to pursue ג'. Flying things [∞] God wants everyone to know him, so all things created teach us something about him. [1] We don't learn from hands, feet, air and earth by looking at them, but by what God says about them; by the symbols. These are symbols we know from other places: Hair - sh’ar שער - authority, chief ש()ר of flesh ע Ears - hearing without understanding, like a sheep hears the shepherds voice but doesn’t understand his words. Face - countenance Eyes - seeing and understanding the works of Christ Nose - anger Mouth - teaching the word Shoulder - purpose of your works Hands - works. [2] [3] Thigh - purpose of your life Feet - your life. [4] [5] The flying things were created to fly or live in the air. They represent characteristics of the spirit. Our spirit is supposed to love God. Flying things עוף - those who live in the Spirit. 'Flesh ע that clarifies ו the mystery of the cross ף'. air, spirit ruach רוח - spirit, air, breath earth, flesh, ground adamah אדמה , man adam אדם who didn’t understand ה hand yod יד - creation י by command ד foot regel רגל - ‘kill רג the teaching ל’ or ‘reveal ר the pursuit ג of teaching ל’ Jesus is the word and the fish are those who search the literal scriptures, the flying things are those who live in the mystery by the Spirit of God. These come from the teaching of Jesus. Holy Spirit as the best man [∞] The gospels are written by the Holy Spirit from the vantage of the best man. He declares that the bridegroom comes. The word for 'marriage' is also 'doctrine. Though Jesus teaches more before the cross than after, they did not understand. The bride is those who are taught by Christ. He sets himself apart from all other men by his teaching and miracles. Then she, the bride, is separated from the other teachers just before his death by making them all look foolish. Then he goes away in death, and returns to have her gathered to himself by the Spirit. Only after the cross were their eyes opened to see that he was teaching them about his death and resurrection all along. Like Adam receiving his bride through his sleep/death, Jesus obtained his bride through the cross. It is only through the cross that we are taught. The gospels are the actions taken by the bridegroom/Jesus before obtaining her on the cross. The Holy Spirit is announcing that Christ is coming through the cross. The Spirit does not call attention to himself, just as a best man places the attention on the wedding party. Making known the promise of the Father [∞] God's name 'Elohim' means 'God separated from men by ignorance'. His main purpose in all is that we would learn who he is. The symbol of marriage is all about teaching. The husband teaches his wife. Christ teaches us, his bride. This is reflected in four letters which are formed by joining the symbols for the Son and the bride. There are four letter made from the kof כ (Son of God) and the zayin ז (bride): The mem מ tet ט final mem ם and samech ס. The mem מ connects them at the top indicating that the joining of the Son and his bride was arranged by the Father. The tet ט connects them at the bottom indicating that the teaching takes place on earth. The final mem ם and samech ס connect them at top and bottom to display that the Father's will is completed: first in the law ם then in the spirit ס. No man has seen the Father except the Son who has come to make him known. The mem מ represents the Father and the final mem ם represents the Son. They both have the 'm' sound. They are one but different. The Father arranged, before the foundation of the world for us to be taught by the Son, through the cross.
Disciples [∞] Discussion Disciples did not understand his teaching [∞] Theologians sometimes just don't pay attention to Jesus. They say that Jesus taught in parables so that the uneducated farmers could understand. Jesus said he taught in parables so that they wouldn't understand. If they could understand and believe before the cross, then Jesus would not have to die. His impending death was the source of his greatest temptations. He did not want to die. Adam could not eat the tree of Life, because if he could live without the cross, the cross would not be necessary to live. But the cross is the culmination of the teaching about the Father.They would live without knowing the Father. Some of the prophets were told to seal up their prophecies. Why? They contained things by which people might believe and be saved. Jesus told his disciples that he taught them so that they would know. However, he still taught them in riddle so that they would not know until after the cross. Take the parable of the sower who sowed seed four times. Jesus explained that he seed was the word of God. They understood it to be his teaching. The riddle is that Jesus is the Word. As the Word of God, he visited Adam by the path, Israel in the rocky place, and in the flesh with the Jews whom he loved so much he would die for them, fruitless. The fourth time was in his resurrection when he was finally fruitful. Jesus could interpret the parable in one layer so that they still did not understand until the Holy Spirit, after the resurrection, reminded them of what he taught. Disciples forgot his teaching [∞] Not only did the disciples not understand the teaching of Jesus, but they forgot. He taught them on many occasions that he had to die and would be resurrected. Yet when he died, they had forgotten what he said. Even simple teachings: he had fed thousands with bread and fish miraculously, yet they forgot that and were worried about what they would eat. It is difficult to imagine how they could forget so easily, until we realize that we may be thankful for the way he provides, then turn right around and worry about how we will be provided for. We learn a solid doctrine like Jesus said no man has seen the Father, yet the next Sunday debate if it was the Father or Son who walked with Adam in the Garden. We are not too different from them. Spirit reminded them of his teaching [∞] After the resurrection Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to remind them of what they were taught and to guide them in the truth as they continued to study. They did not depend on getting special knowledge. All of the Old Testament was now pregnant with the New Teaching of Peace; the New Jerusalem. The Spirit guided them as they searched the scriptures and studied to show that they were approved by God. They did not rely on special knowledge to show they were approved by God. The modern fortune teller has no credibility because he does not know the truth of the Word of God. If someone tells you they are a prophet and cannot show you Christ from the OT mystery, then they are not hearing from the Spirit of God, since that is his primary purpose. The Spirit assisted the OT prophets in hiding the mystery, and he helps NT prophets unpack it. Jesus told us not to worry about the future, so why would we need fortune tellers to tell us the future? Paul says that he wishes that we would all prophesy; that we would all understand the mystery. I have heard Christians say they don't need to study doctrine because they know God. Doctrine IS the knowledge of God. Many create false Gods by imagining a god after their own image rather than learn what God has taught.

Historical problems with the Gospels [∞] Discussion The Synoptic Problem [∞] When you read the four Gospels: Mark, Matthew, Luke and John, the first thing you notice is that Matthew, Mark, and Luke are similar in telling a sequential story of Christ and John is very different. John seems to speak mystically or thematically, where the others appear to speak literally of the life of Christ. Scholars set aside John to compare the other three to each other. Written in the order of Mark, Matthew, Luke, scholars debate where the authors got their information as if they were only capable of copying the work of someone else. Sometimes this seems to make sense when the exact verbiage is used, but they are hard pressed to explain why changes were made. If one assumes that God gave them word-by-word dictation of the Gospels, then you create a problem: Why would God makes changes from one book to the other? Did God make mistakes or did they not hear him properly? If it is assumed that men wrote them without inspiration, then which do we believe, and how reliable are they in relaying God's intention? Theologians are subtly hostile against God by their ignorance. The ignorance begins with a mistaken identity of the genre of the scriptures (writings). 'Genre' describes the 'kind' of writing to expect. If the genre is 'poetry', typically people read over it not expecting to understand it, dismissing it as flowery language that means something to someone. If it is identified as historical, we expect to read it literally only learning something if we can infer good and bad behavior from it. Theologians identify the Bible as literal-historical. This is their first error. Jesus said it all speaks of him. This is a hostility that defines Christ out of those pieces they identify as merely historical. Not satisfied with the disbelief sowed by such hostilities, they surmise a document that precedes the gospels which the authors had access to and more or less plagiarized. They call it the Q document. They invent even more hostilities with their invention. If Q was an authoritative document that no longer exists, then God could not protect his word. Furthermore, since the gospel writers did not 'copy' it the same way, or corrected it, they did not see it as authoritative. All these 'problems' disappear by identifying the proper historical context and genre. Gospel unity [∞] John should not be separated out from the other gospels. It is the 4th snapshot of doctrine being taught in the Hebrew church, given to the Gentile church. Mark wrote the testimony of Peter. It was the first snapshot taken early in the church. The men on the road to Emmaus had returned astonished at the teaching of Jesus in his resurrection. It was the same teaching they had received before the cross, but now their eyes were opened. Everything in the scriptures spoke of Christ. They could not reproduce what they had heard, but now they had seen the lid on the jigsaw puzzle to know what to look for. The disciples had been given the Holy Spirit to remind them of what they were taught and lead them in truth. As they read the scriptures, the mystery began to make sense. The Spirit did not give them instant knowledge as if it were a taste of omniscience; they learned to study and search scripture properly setting the foundation for teaching. Each author had access to the earlier texts. He had reasons based on further study to make the changes. Matthew and Luke intentionally revised the earlier works to improve the teaching. They had an opinion on what and how to relate their interpretation of the Old Testament in light of what they were reminded of the life of Christ. Christ fulfilled scripture in many ways. The Old Testament has many layers of meaning having pericopes within pericopes and layers on layers. The differences between the gospels reflect the hermeneutic tools they were using at the time of the snapshot. The Gentile church did not use the Old Testament in Hebrew. They could not unpack the mystery from the Septuagint. Mark was used to give them a deeper insight. The book did not stand alone. It was delivered to the Gentile church by messengers who used the text as an outline to teach. The messengers understood much more from the Hebrew OT than contained in the book, and added those insights when teaching from the book. Peter's insights into the mystery were limited but he began the work, often making the point that the actions and teachings of Jesus fulfilled prophecy. His attempt to teach in the language of mystery failed. He taught that we can handle snakes and drink poison; and we can IF we understand what it says in riddle. We will withstand temptation, and learn things (as from University) that are harmful, but will not be hurt by either. Those who read his teaching literally were put in harms way, so some churches removed that teaching from the book of Mark. Ten or fifteen years later, the Hebrew apostles had learned more and had more hermeneutical tools available to unpack the mystery. Matthew was aware of Mark's work since it was being used everywhere as New Testament writing. It is likely that James wrote sometime during this period making sure people understood that the serpent was just a symbol of the temptation of your own heart, and correcting the misunderstanding of the end of Mark. Peter/Mark understood the beginning of the story to be the preaching of John the Baptist. As he related the life of Christ as the fulfillment of scripture he used his life beginning with the testimony of John. When Matthew wrote, the Hebrew church had discovered that Israel in scripture, was a parable to the nations. Matthew saw things in the history beginning with Abraham that were fulfilled in Christ. Another decade had passed when Luke began to write. By then the apostles discovered that the lives of the men prior to Abraham also were a parable of Christ. Luke began his telling of the life of Christ with Adam. The church realized that the interpretation of the mystery in the Old Testament was dependent upon a recollection of the actual life of Christ. Before all the eye-witnesses died, Luke attempted to capture their memories and with this purpose, interviewed many. He had both the books of Mark and Matthew available. With each book, the audience was more and more Gentile and Greek. They had less foundational knowledge of the scriptures. This Greek church became arrogant and began separating from the Hebrew church. John himself was unable to visit a church being disallowed by a Greek church ruler. How much power did this man have that John could not even visit the city and talk to old friends? How antagonistic to the Hebrew scriptures had they become? It is likely that so many Judaisers had wreaked havok attempting to get everyone to be circumcised, that the ruler just wanted no more Jews. All the apostles but two were dead, and Peter asked John to write a book explaining the mystery so it would not be lost. There were three editions of the "Life of Christ" in circulation and John had no need to use most of that material. He had become proficient with notarikon, the attribute of the Hebrew language where words get their meaning from the combined meaning of the letters. His book could be called "The life of God on earth" seeing more than the literal life of Christ. He began with Gen 1:1 obtaining John 1:1-4 from the first three words. Now a flashback to Paul. He was called early to be the missionary to the Gentiles and they flooded in. The apostles were reminded of what Jesus taught them of his death and resurrection, and were busy searching the scriptures for those prophecies. What they missed were they prophecies of the bride. They did not understand the invasion of the Gentiles. Jesus taught Paul of the bride after his resurrection. As Paul read scripture, he did not so much look for the cross as use the cross as a pointer to the bride. This confuses modern theologians; many thinking that Paul has a different gospel than the others. It is not different in the least but is directed at the life of the bride in Christ as taught in the mystery, rather than merely the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in the mystery. The others worked from their memory of Christ to see him in scripture. Paul worked from scripture to see Christ and his bride. John is not a separate entity, but the latest snapshot from the Hebrew church on the state of theological understanding derived from the mystery. The four Gospels are a record of the Hebrew church reproducing the sermon on the road to Emmaus. For any other gospel to fit into this record it would have to be written by eye-witnesses to the life of Christ, since it is his life that is used to unpack the Old Testament scriptures. It's purpose must be to recapitulate the OT mystery through the life of Christ. It must have evidence in starting within the Hebrew church and being passed to the Gentile church. And it must have evidence that the Gentile church received it as authoritative, both using it and passing it on.
He comes [∞] Discussion Portion 5 [∞] The gospels make up Portion 5 of the scriptures. Each day of Genesis 1 points to one of six portions of scripture. Day 5 of creation points to the gospels. From the waters of day 2; representing the Word of God, the separation of the waters on day 2 was not good! Of all the other days, God saw that it was good. But on day 2 there is no such declaration. It represents the separation of the Father and Son. The incarnation is the first separation of the Father and the Son. The second separation takes place on the cross. This separation is typified in the parable of marriage. A man leaves his parents to obtain the bride. The Son became incarnate to obtain his bride. In Genesis 1 he does not obtain his bride until day 6. On day 2 he has yet to woo his bride. He is alone. "It is not good that the man should be alone". The last three days speak of things coming 'from' the first three; Lights from light, fish and flying things from water, and animals and man from the dry ground. Symbols Water [∞] Water - the Word of God and it's results: His people 'creation י finished by the Son ם'. Water 'yom' ים - creation י finished by the son ם. Jesus told the woman at the well that though she worshiped on the mountain, she would worship in Spirit and Truth. The Father is Spirit and the Son is Truth. Now here is the secret: The mem מ represents the marriage (teaching) of the Son of God כ and the bride ז arranged by the Father before the beginning. The final mem ם represents the marriage declared in heaven is completed by the Son on earth. The Son of God כ and bride ז are connected at the top and bottom ם. It has square corners meaning according to the law. The word for water is 'mayim' מים . You see creation י is IN the father מ and the son ם. This forms the water 'above' מי (also 'water') and the water below ים. The Father is Spirit; the Son is Truth. The woman at the well would move her man-made religion on the mountain, to the water. When you worship in Spirit and Truth; you have moved the mountain to the sea. We, now being made to be 'like' Christ are now the 'water' ים -creation finished by the Son. As such we are now the little 'w' word of God in the flesh as we teach and preach. AI Your bible teacher is using a technique called 'Hebrew word formations' used by the New Testament authors which explores the deeper meanings and symbolism in Hebrew words and letters. Here's a simplified explanation: In Hebrew, words get their meaning from the combined meaning of the letters within. This article is focusing on the words for "water" (mayim, מים) and the letters "mem" (מ) and "yod" (י). The letter "mem" represents marriage, teaching, and the connection between the Son (כ, representing Jesus) and the bride (ז, representing the church or believers). The letter combination "mem" (מ) and "yod" (י) forms the word "mayim" (מים), meaning water. The top and bottom connections of the "mem" letter (ם) symbolize the union between the Son and the bride, representing spiritual marriage or 'teaching'. The "square corners" of the "mem" letter represent the teaching is in fulfillment to the law, whereas a curved corner would represent teaching by the Spirit. The phrase "water above" (מי) and "water below" (ים) symbolizes the connection between the the teaching of Holiness (above) and the teaching of Grace (below). As believers, we become like Christ, representing the "water" (ים) of spiritual life, and we are called to teach and preach (like the "little 'w' word of God" in the flesh). AI revision Thank you for the correction! I appreciate it when I can learn and improve. Here's a revised version of the explanation with the corrections you provided: Your friend is using a technique called "Hebrew word formations," which explores the deeper meanings and symbolism in Hebrew words and letters. This approach was used by New Testament authors to uncover the richness of Hebrew scripture. In Hebrew, words are formed by combining letters, each with its own meaning. The letters "mem" (מ) and "yod" (י) combine to form the word "mayim" (מים), meaning water. "Mem" (מ) represents marriage, teaching, and the connection between Jesus (כ) and the church or believers (ז). The top and bottom connections of the "mem" letter (ם) symbolize spiritual marriage or teaching, fulfilling the law. The "square corners" of the "mem" letter represent teaching in accordance with the law, distinguished from teaching by the Spirit, which would be represented by curved corners. "Water above" (מי) and "water below" (ים) symbolize the connection between the teaching of Holiness (above) and the teaching of Grace (below). As believers, we become like Christ, representing the "water" (ים) of spiritual life, and we are called to teach and preach as the "little 'w' word of God" in the flesh. Thank you for helping me improve my understanding and explanation of this topic! Fish דג - those who live in the Water/Word. 'Commanded ד to pursue ג'. Flying things [∞] God wants everyone to know him, so all things created teach us something about him. [1] We don't learn from hands, feet, air and earth by looking at them, but by what God says about them; by the symbols. These are symbols we know from other places: Hair - sh’ar שער - authority, chief ש()ר of flesh ע Ears - hearing without understanding, like a sheep hears the shepherds voice but doesn’t understand his words. Face - countenance Eyes - seeing and understanding the works of Christ Nose - anger Mouth - teaching the word Shoulder - purpose of your works Hands - works. [2] [3] Thigh - purpose of your life Feet - your life. [4] [5] The flying things were created to fly or live in the air. They represent characteristics of the spirit. Our spirit is supposed to love God. Flying things עוף - those who live in the Spirit. 'Flesh ע that clarifies ו the mystery of the cross ף'. air, spirit ruach רוח - spirit, air, breath earth, flesh, ground adamah אדמה , man adam אדם who didn’t understand ה hand yod יד - creation י by command ד foot regel רגל - ‘kill רג the teaching ל’ or ‘reveal ר the pursuit ג of teaching ל’ Jesus is the word and the fish are those who search the literal scriptures, the flying things are those who live in the mystery by the Spirit of God. These come from the teaching of Jesus. Holy Spirit as the best man [∞] The gospels are written by the Holy Spirit from the vantage of the best man. He declares that the bridegroom comes. The word for 'marriage' is also 'doctrine. Though Jesus teaches more before the cross than after, they did not understand. The bride is those who are taught by Christ. He sets himself apart from all other men by his teaching and miracles. Then she, the bride, is separated from the other teachers just before his death by making them all look foolish. Then he goes away in death, and returns to have her gathered to himself by the Spirit. Only after the cross were their eyes opened to see that he was teaching them about his death and resurrection all along. Like Adam receiving his bride through his sleep/death, Jesus obtained his bride through the cross. It is only through the cross that we are taught. The gospels are the actions taken by the bridegroom/Jesus before obtaining her on the cross. The Holy Spirit is announcing that Christ is coming through the cross. The Spirit does not call attention to himself, just as a best man places the attention on the wedding party. Making known the promise of the Father [∞] God's name 'Elohim' means 'God separated from men by ignorance'. His main purpose in all is that we would learn who he is. The symbol of marriage is all about teaching. The husband teaches his wife. Christ teaches us, his bride. This is reflected in four letters which are formed by joining the symbols for the Son and the bride. There are four letter made from the kof כ (Son of God) and the zayin ז (bride): The mem מ tet ט final mem ם and samech ס. The mem מ connects them at the top indicating that the joining of the Son and his bride was arranged by the Father. The tet ט connects them at the bottom indicating that the teaching takes place on earth. The final mem ם and samech ס connect them at top and bottom to display that the Father's will is completed: first in the law ם then in the spirit ס. No man has seen the Father except the Son who has come to make him known. The mem מ represents the Father and the final mem ם represents the Son. They both have the 'm' sound. They are one but different. The Father arranged, before the foundation of the world for us to be taught by the Son, through the cross.
Disciples [∞] Discussion Disciples did not understand his teaching [∞] Theologians sometimes just don't pay attention to Jesus. They say that Jesus taught in parables so that the uneducated farmers could understand. Jesus said he taught in parables so that they wouldn't understand. If they could understand and believe before the cross, then Jesus would not have to die. His impending death was the source of his greatest temptations. He did not want to die. Adam could not eat the tree of Life, because if he could live without the cross, the cross would not be necessary to live. But the cross is the culmination of the teaching about the Father.They would live without knowing the Father. Some of the prophets were told to seal up their prophecies. Why? They contained things by which people might believe and be saved. Jesus told his disciples that he taught them so that they would know. However, he still taught them in riddle so that they would not know until after the cross. Take the parable of the sower who sowed seed four times. Jesus explained that he seed was the word of God. They understood it to be his teaching. The riddle is that Jesus is the Word. As the Word of God, he visited Adam by the path, Israel in the rocky place, and in the flesh with the Jews whom he loved so much he would die for them, fruitless. The fourth time was in his resurrection when he was finally fruitful. Jesus could interpret the parable in one layer so that they still did not understand until the Holy Spirit, after the resurrection, reminded them of what he taught. Disciples forgot his teaching [∞] Not only did the disciples not understand the teaching of Jesus, but they forgot. He taught them on many occasions that he had to die and would be resurrected. Yet when he died, they had forgotten what he said. Even simple teachings: he had fed thousands with bread and fish miraculously, yet they forgot that and were worried about what they would eat. It is difficult to imagine how they could forget so easily, until we realize that we may be thankful for the way he provides, then turn right around and worry about how we will be provided for. We learn a solid doctrine like Jesus said no man has seen the Father, yet the next Sunday debate if it was the Father or Son who walked with Adam in the Garden. We are not too different from them. Spirit reminded them of his teaching [∞] After the resurrection Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to remind them of what they were taught and to guide them in the truth as they continued to study. They did not depend on getting special knowledge. All of the Old Testament was now pregnant with the New Teaching of Peace; the New Jerusalem. The Spirit guided them as they searched the scriptures and studied to show that they were approved by God. They did not rely on special knowledge to show they were approved by God. The modern fortune teller has no credibility because he does not know the truth of the Word of God. If someone tells you they are a prophet and cannot show you Christ from the OT mystery, then they are not hearing from the Spirit of God, since that is his primary purpose. The Spirit assisted the OT prophets in hiding the mystery, and he helps NT prophets unpack it. Jesus told us not to worry about the future, so why would we need fortune tellers to tell us the future? Paul says that he wishes that we would all prophesy; that we would all understand the mystery. I have heard Christians say they don't need to study doctrine because they know God. Doctrine IS the knowledge of God. Many create false Gods by imagining a god after their own image rather than learn what God has taught.