IMPT: Bible Study at 4 PM on Jan 24

Bible Study for January 28, 2024

Opening Prayer:

Creator of all, we thank you for the opportunity to gather in study. Open our minds and hearts. By the power of the Holy Spirit, unite us in faith, hope, and love. Help us to be faithful to the gospel and to walk humbly with you. Grant us your peace as we grow in wisdom and understanding. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Mark 1:21-28 If the breaking up of Satan’s power is an indication that the Kingdom of God has drawn near, how do we explain the evil that still exists in the world? Can you see signs of the Kingdom drawing near?

Teaching in the synagogue will soon bring Jesus into conflict with the scribes and Pharisees, who were experts in interpreting the Law. These religious authorities were disturbed by the challenge that Jesus’ teaching and healing posed to their traditions. While scribes and Pharisees interpret the written law, Jesus is the incarnation of God, the Giver of the Law, and so people sense in him an authenticity that is missing in the religious authorities. He is seen as one who “teaches with authority.” 

The exorcism demonstrates that Satan’s power is being broken up, indicating what it means for the Kingdom of God to draw near. The demons in Mark’s story prove to be more perceptive theologically than the human audience – they acknowledge Jesus as “Holy One of God” and recognize that his coming marks the end of their own domination over human beings. The crowd, on the other hand, sees Jesus as a powerful miracle worker, but they do not recognize him as messiah. The amazement over Jesus’ powers does not mean that the people believe in him. The danger that may be posed by having a reputation as an exorcist is met by Jesus’ command for the demon to be silent (1:25). 

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 What ethical standards does Christ require that make us uncomfortable?

The church in Corinth included both Jews and Gentiles. While the initial question appears to focus on food, the real question is “how are people of faith to live?” In the Greco-Roman world, knowledge was linked to status, but according to Paul, love trumps knowledge. Knowledge is not unimportant, but it is not of ultimate importance. Knowledge, which is often perceived as “right”, can lead to problems and feelings of superiority.  Here, some followers of Jesus want Paul to confirm they are “right” to eat meat since there is only one God, no idols!  But Paul says that they are missing the point. If eating meat sacrificed to idols makes one member of the community stumble in their faith, then it is wrong even if it has no negative effect on the faith of the one eating the meat. Making moral decisions based on “knowledge” without considering the consequences those actions might have on others, demonstrates a lack of love. What believers “know” is supposed to help them live the life of love. In other words, while knowledge is good, love should always be at the center of both moral deliberation and communal life in Christ.

Closing Prayer

Holy and awesome God, your Son's authority is found in integrity and living truth, not the assertion of power over others.

Open our imaginations to new dimensions of your love, and heal us of all that severs us from you and one another, that we may grow into the vision you unfold before us. Amen.