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Mary’s pregnancy, from Joseph’s perspective: What is God doing? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 1:18-25 Mary’s pregnancy, from Joseph’s perspective: What is God doing? Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti February 13, 2024 Matthew 1:18-25 Joseph’s dream and Jesus’s birth Jewish marriage procedures were different than ours. When a couple became “engaged” or “betrothed,” they were married but not yet living together. A man and woman would stay in this stage for up to one year before the formal marriage, not living together but so fully committed that the only way out was divorce. Mary and Joseph were in that stage of their marriage. What does verse 18 tell us? In verse 19, how are Joseph’s character and intentions described? Matthew says Joseph is “righteous” (or, in some translations, “just”). By using this term, Matthew means in part that Joseph follows the Jewish Law faithfully. Under the Law, he had a right to formally accuse Mary of unfaithfulness. She would have been subjected to a test of her virginity, and if she failed the test she would have been stoned to death. Alternatively, he could have said nothing about her pregnancy but divorced her with a public display of his displeasure, which would make her look bad. What do you think of Joseph’s plan to divorce her quietly so as not to expose her to public disgrace? What happens in verse 20? It appears that Joseph was thinking over his options carefully rather than acting quickly and rashly. Even if an angel doesn’t appear to us, how might Joseph’s decision to “sleep on it” before taking action be a good model for us? Has a decision to “sleep on it” every helped you make a good decision? Explain. There is scientific evidence that “sleeping on it” can help us make better decisions (see Grohol ; Calechman ; Miller ). Fr. David Barnes points out that the delay provided by “sleeping on it” can help us avoid acting imprudently out of fear or anxiety. We don’t have to hope for an angel to speak to us; we can pause, sleep on it, and pray on it. “Into our silence, God speaks and assures us of his closeness” (Barnes, p. 56), which might guide us to make good and creative decisions about how to respond to difficult problems. The angel calls Joseph “son of David.” Why? What does that signify? There are interesting parallels between this Joseph and the Joseph in the Old Testament. Both were named Joseph; both had a father named Jacob; both received dreams from God; both were righteous; and both saved their family by going to Egypt. Do you think these parallels are just a coincidence or is Matthew trying to tell us something? How is Jesus described in verse 21? Recall that the name Jesus, or Joshua, means “God saves.” While Jews might have envisioned that name alluding to other kinds of being saved (from invading enemies, etc.), Jews in Jesus’s time also made the connection to salvation from sins. What does the meaning of Jesus’s name – “God saves” – mean for you in your life? In verses 22-23, Matthew quotes from Isaiah 7:14. What does the Old Testament quote mean as interpreted by Matthew? Note: The Isaiah passage actually says, “a young woman” in Hebrew, although when it was translated into Greek in the Septuagint it was translated as “the virgin.” Looking at the context, some people think it is referring to Isaiah’s wife (see Isaiah 8:3). But in context, the point is not about the woman but about the name the child will be given. The child will be named “Immanuel” – “God is with us” – because if King Ahaz follows God’s direction as given to him by Isaiah, God will be with them and they will avoid being attacked by the armies camped on Ahaz’s doorstep. Early Christians focused on the Greek translation “a virgin” and saw the virgin Mary in it. This is the first of at least 10 “fulfillment citations,” where Matthew says that something that happened in Jesus’s time fulfilled what was said in some portion of the Old Testament. How do you experience Jesus as “Emmanuel” – “God is with us” – in your life? Explain. The Virgin Birth is the doctrine proclaimed by most Christian denominations (and considered a dogma by the Catholic Church) that Jesus was conceived by a supernatural, miraculous act of God without Mary having had intercourse with anyone, and that therefore, while Mary was Jesus’s natural mother, he had no natural father. What is the significance of this teaching for you? How does Joseph respond to this dream and the word he received from the Lord? Joseph’s response to Mary’s pregnancy shows that his “righteousness” involved more than just blindly following the Law. He had an upstanding or “right” relationship with God. He used his mind and will to decide how to deal with his emotions, and he kept his spirit attuned to God so that he could adjust his thinking and actions based on God’s guidance. His righteousness led him to his original plan (a quiet divorce) and his righteousness led him to accept God’s alternate plan. How is Joseph’s way of living as a righteous person a model for you? Joseph responded to his dream by obeying God. In your life, where could you be more responsive to God, like Joseph? When Joseph took Mary as his wife and named him Jesus, he was taking full responsibility to be Jesus’s foster father – stepfather, really. What does this show us about how to embrace God’s plans in our lives? Matthew does not give us any of Mary’s side of the story. (Thank God for the Gospel of Luke, which gives us that perspective.) Matthew only gives us what we read here plus the story of the wise men/magi, which we will look at next time. He must have thought he was giving us all we needed for the narrative and themes he was developing in his Gospel. What do you think he wanted us to take from this story of Jesus’s birth? What do you think it is important to fill in, from Mary’s part of the story as told in Luke, to help give Jesus’s birth and infancy the full and lasting impact it has had for people’s faith? Verse 25 says that Mary and Joseph had no marital relations “until” she had borne a son. The Catholic Church teaches that they also did not have sex after Jesus was born, but instead that Mary remained a virgin all her life. Protestants disagree. What difference does your understanding of Mary’s virginal status makes in your life? How can you live a life that is more devoted to God, with Joseph as a role model? Take a step back and consider this: Joseph was well chosen to be the foster father of Jesus. He showed several character traits that we would do well to imitate. Consider Isaiah 9:2-7; see verse 7: “there shall be endless peace / for the throne of David and his kingdom.” (NRSV) He was dedicated to his faith. He wanted to do what God wants. He believed in thinking before he acted. He was not impetuous. He considered his options before taking action. He was kind. He cared that Mary not be put to shame. He was open to the guidance of God. When you put together in one person all of these characteristics of faithfulness, thoughtfulness, kindness, and sensitivity to God, you have a very impressive package. A person with those characteristics is a person God can work with. Which of these characteristics of Joseph could use more development in your life? What would God like you to do about it? If we are willing to let God keep molding us into the people he wants us to be, he will be able to give us opportunities to make a positive difference in the world around us. And it is a wonderful feeling when we can make those positive differences. The first step is to try to be the kind of person, like Joseph, who is seeking to be all that God wants us to be. It’s a great journey. What’s your next step? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

Paul continues to guide the young church at Thessalonica with wisdom that is still relevant to local churches and the whole Church today. Previous 2 Thess. List Next Introduction to 2 Thessalonians Paul continues to guide the young church at Thessalonica with wisdom that is still relevant to local churches and the whole Church today. Detail of an image by Lucia Macedo provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti March 10, 2025 Introduction A NOTE BEFORE WE BEGIN This study material can be very enriching either for small-group Bible Study or for personal study and growth. We will occasionally offer instructions that would be useful for a small-group study. Introductions for a Small-Group Bible Study If you are studying as a group, it is important to build community, beginning with ensuring that everyone knows everyone else’s name. If you are either (a) starting a new year, or (b) have several new members, begin with introductions. One way to do this would be to ask everyone in the group to answer these questions: Share with the group your name, your connection to the Church or the parish or this group, and why you are interested in studying the Bible with other people. When have you received a letter (or perhaps an email) that was especially important in your life? What was it about? This is a study of Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians. See the Introduction to 1 Thessalonians for the primary background information for this letter. Introduction to 2 Thessalonians After Paul wrote his first letter to the Thessalonians (known as 1 Thessalonians), something went wrong. We don’t know precisely what problem arose, but in 2 Thessalonians, Paul warns the Thessalonians (in 2 Thess. 2:2) not to become alarmed by a letter allegedly sent from him, claiming that the day of the Lord “is at hand” (NABRE) or “is already here” (NRSV) – i.e., that the Second Coming has already begun. (“The day of the Lord” was the term used in prophetic books of the Old Testament – Daniel, Isaiah, Joel, and others – for the miraculous time when God would bring victory for the Jews. Christians re-interpreted it as the day when Christ would return in power and glory.) Paul suggests in 1 Corinthians 16:21 and Galatians 6:11 that he ordinarily dictates his letters and someone else does the actual writing (the formal term for that person is an “amanuensis”). At the end of this letter (2 Thess. 3:17), Paul implies that he always signs his letters in a way that is distinctive and identifiable. He is suggesting that a forgery written in his name could be detected because it would be missing Paul’s genuine signature. It is also possible that Paul’s own words in his first letter were a source of the Thessalonians’ confusion. In 1 Thessalonians, he described the Lord’s coming as a sudden event, and they may have interpreted “sudden” to mean that it was imminent and they might have missed it. Most scholars believe this letter was written by Paul shortly after 1 Thessalonians, in which case it was probably written around AD 50 from Corinth. However, other possibilities have been suggested: Some say that it was written before 1 Thessalonians; some say it was written to some other church; and some suggest that it was written decades later by someone else using Paul’s name (which would be highly ironic given its claim that Paul’s authentic signature offers clear evidence that the letter was written by him). In this letter, Paul wants to clear up confusion about the Second Coming of Christ. He also wants to reinforce and expand on his teaching about the kind of orderly life that Christians should live. When has something you have said been misrepresented? What did you do about it? Do you have distinctive ways of writing or of using the signature block at the end of your emails, or distinctive ways of beginning or ending your emails or texts, that people might use as a guide to deciding whether a message is actually from you? How important to you are those signs of your individuality, and why? How is your individuality important in the body of Christ and in the kingdom of God? Take a step back and consider this: Paul is eager to guide the young church at Thessalonica – to support them in their faith, thank them for the love they show for one another, and encourage them in their endurance in the face of persecution. Paul has great concern for the church at Thessalonica. How do you demonstrate a concern for your own local church? In what ways do you support your fellow church members in their faith, participate in and bolster their love for one another, and encourage those who are facing difficulties? Bibliography See 2 Thessalonians - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/2-thessalonians/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous 2 Thess. List Next

If God isn't powerful, we can't count on him for much. Previous Next Table of Contents Is God More Powerful Than Any Other Force? If God isn't powerful, we can't count on him for much. Tom Faletti (to be continued) Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Table of Contents Next

Bibliography of major sources and additional sources used in this study of Paul’s Letter to Philemon Previous Philemon List Next Philemon - Bibliography Bibliography of major sources and additional sources used in this study of Paul’s Letter to Philemon. Some of the resources on the author's bookshelf. Tom Faletti October 4, 2025 Major Sources Ashby, Earnest G. “Philemon.” The International Bible Commentary: With the New International Version . F.F. Bruce, General Editor. Marshall Pickering/Zondervan, 1986. Barclay, William. The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon . The Westminster Press, Revised Edition, 1975. Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament . New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1997. Dunnam, Maxie D. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, & Philemon . The Communicator’s Commentary (Mastering the New Testament) , Lloyd J. Ogilvie, general editor. Word Books, 1982. Fitzmyer, Joseph A., S.J. “Philemon.” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary . Edited by Raymond E. Brown, et al. Prentice Hall, 1990. Havener, Ivan, OSB. First Thessalonians, Philippians, Philemon, Second Thessalonians, Colossians, Ephesians . Collegeville Bible Commentary, The Liturgical Press, 1983. Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The New Testament, Revised Standard Edition, Second Catholic Edition . Ignatius Press, 2010. Interlinear Bible. Bible Hub , https://biblehub.com/interlinear/ . Liddell, Henry George and Robert Scott . An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, Founded Upon the Seventh Edition of Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon . Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1899. For the full Lexicon from 1940 available online, see A Greek-English Lexicon , Furman Classics Editions, http://folio2.furman.edu/lsj/ or A Greek-English Lexicon , Internet Archive , Volume I: https://archive.org/details/b31364949_0001/mode/2up and Volume II: https://archive.org/details/b31364949_0002/mode/2up . New American Bible, revised edition (NABRE) . Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010. Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary . Edited by Raymond E. Brown, et al. Prentice Hall, 1990. The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version: With the Apocrypha: An Ecumenical Study Bible . Eds. Michael D. Coogan, Marc Z. Brettler, Carol A. Newsom, and Pheme Perkins. 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 2010. New Revised Standard Version Bible , copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance . Bible Hub , https://biblehub.com/greek/21.htm . Vine, William E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary , 1940, StudyLight.org , https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/ved.html . Additional Sources The British Museum. “Slavery in ancient Rome.” Exhibition: “Nero the man behind the myth,” 2021. The British Museum , https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/nero-man-behind-myth/slavery-ancient-rome . Coleman-Norton, Paul Robinson. “The Apostle Paul and the Roman Law of Slavery.” Studies in Roman economic and social history . Coleman-Norton, Paul Robinson, editor. Books for Libraries Press, Freeport, N.Y., 1969, 155-177. Internet Archive , https://archive.org/details/studiesinromanec0000cole/page/155 . Ignatius of Antioch. “The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians.” Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. From Ante-Nicene Fathers , Vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. Christian Literature Publishing Co., Buffalo, NY, 1885. Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. New Advent , http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0104.htm . Orthodox Church in America. “Apostle Onesimus of the Seventy.” Orthodox Church in America , https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2018/02/15/100526-apostle-onesimus-of-the-seventy . Welch, John W. and John F Hall. “Chart 6-4: Estimated Distribution of Citizenship in the Roman Empire.” Charting the New Testament , BYU Studies, 2002, https://byustudies.byu.edu/further-study-chart/6-4-estimated-distribution-of-citizenship-in-the-roman-empire/ . White, Joel. “The Imprisonment That Could Have Happened (and the Letters Paul Could Have Written There): A Response to Ben Witherington.” JETS 61.3 (2018), 549–558, https://etsjets.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/files_JETS-PDFs_61_61-3_JETS_61.3_549-558_White.pdf . Witherington, Ben III. “The Case of the Imprisonment That Did Not Happen: Paul at Ephesus.” JETS 60/3 (2017), 525–532, https://etsjets.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/files_JETS-PDFs_60_60-3_JETS_60_3-525-532_Witherington.pdf . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Philemon List Next

John the Baptist: Repentance is not comfortable but is part of our calling. Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 3:1-12 John the Baptist: Repentance is not comfortable but is part of our calling. Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti March 15, 2024 Matthew 3:1-12 John prepares the way by calling for repentance, baptizing those who respond John is in a place east of Jerusalem, perhaps 6 miles north of the Dead Sea. It is not an easy place to live. The Greek word used to describe that place is translated as the “wilderness” (NRSV) or “desert” (NABRE). People had to make an intentional decision to go there. In the West, Christians call this man John the Baptist. If we want to clarify that we don’t mean he was a member of the Baptist denomination, we might say John the Baptizer. In the Eastern Orthodox Churches, Christians call him “John the Forerunner,” because he came before and announced the coming of Christ. Let’s look first at what is going on in this passage, and then we will look at what his message of repentance means. What is happening in this passage? Who is involved? How would you describe John the Baptist’s character traits or personality? What is John’s central message? Is there significance in his being in a wilderness/desert? Matthew makes explicit Old Testament connections everywhere he sees them, and he sees John in the Old Testament: In verse 3, Matthew quotes Isaiah 40:3. What does that quote from Isaiah suggest to us about John? Why do you think it is important to Matthew that John fulfills that Old Testament passage? In verse 4, Matthew describes John’s clothing and food. What do you picture as you read this? Why is this image of John important? In 2 Kings 1:7-8, the prophet Elijah wore a hairy garment and a leather belt. Zechariah 13:4 tells us that prophets, include false prophets, wore a hairy mantle. John is baptizing not far from the place traditionally identified as the place where Elijah was taken up into heaven, and the Jews expected Elijah’s return before the coming of the Messiah. Why might John’s mannerisms and language have heightened interest in him? The Jews were concerned that there had not been a prophet, a voice of God, in their midst for several centuries. The connections between him and the Old Testament heightened the significance with which they saw him. John uses the word “repent” in verse 2. What does it mean to “repent”? The Hebrew word teshubah comes from the verb shub , meaning to turn (William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 45), leading to the idea that repentance means turning around. The Greek word for “repentance” is metanoia , which means to think differently or have a change of mind. These concepts are often combined to create the concept that to repentance is to change your mind and turn away from sin and to God. Why should the people repent, according to John? What is “the kingdom of heaven”? What does that phrase mean to you? Matthew is the only Gospel writer to use the term “kingdom of heaven” rather than “kingdom of God.” The two different phrases are often used in the same statements and stories in the different Gospels, so it is hard to argue that they have different meanings. However, they have different connotations. Matthew might have decided to avoid the word “God” out of deference to the Jews, who were hesitant to speak the name of God (H. L. Ellison, “Matthew,” The International Bible Commentary , p. 1123), but there is a further point. In Jesus’s time, the Jews expected a messiah who would free them from political oppression. Referring to the kingdom “of heaven” might have allowed Matthew “to distinguish the kingdom proclaimed by John (3:2) and Jesus (4:17) from popular hopes for a literal restoration of Israel’s political empire” ( Ignatius Catholic Study Bible , p.11). The kingdom Jesus preached is not an earthly political kingdom; it is a kingdom that encompasses far more, a realm that transcends temporal political arrangements. In verses 7-8, John makes it clear that baptism is not free. It demands a change. What is the “price” of being baptized? What does John expect people to do to show that their repentance is genuine? What would that evidence look like? Is it genuine repentance if you decide you are doing something wrong but don’t actually do something else instead? Explain. In verses 9-10, what does John warn that God is going to do? In verses 11-12, John makes a prophecy about what is coming. What does he say is coming? What will the one who is coming do? Considering John’s overall message and what you know happened later, was John right about how things were going to play out or did his vision need to be corrected/tweaked? Read the passage again, but this time, pick a character and see it through that person’s eyes, thinking their thoughts, and asking several questions that I will give you below. (If you are studying this passage with a small group, have different people take different characters so that the whole list is covered by someone.) The characters to consider are: John. A “perfect 10” Pharisee (devoted to honoring God by strict observance of the entire law – including the Pentateuch (the written Torah), the rest of the Hebrew Bible, and also the oral legal traditions (sometimes called the oral Torah). An ordinary “5-6” Jew (The “5-6” Jews are the ones described in verses 5-6, who are trying to live a reasonably religious life but are probably not zealous about it and would not be rated a “10” like the Pharisees). A Sadducee (from the priestly aristocratic party, committed only to the written Torah/Pentateuch rather than the whole Old Testament and more politically savvy). Jesus (not having started your public ministry yet). God in heaven (whose kingdom and actions John is talking about). With regard to the character you chose: Why are you there? What do you think about John (or about what John is doing)? What does John’s preaching lead you to do or make you think you should do? Now fast-forward 2000 years. Where would you be in this scene? If you did not already know about John the Baptist, what would you think about him? Knowing all that you know, in what ways might you respond to John? What repentance do you need to consider? In what ways does God want you to think differently? What is God asking you to change right now? What good fruit (v. 8) do you think you need to be showing? Scholars disagree about whether the baptism with “the holy Spirit and fire” is talking about one thing or two. Is there a baptism of the Holy Spirit for the repentant and a baptism of fire for the unrepentant? Or are the terms synonymous, with the one baptism producing either purification (for the repentant) or destruction (for the unrepentant)? (This issue is raised, for example, in the NABRE in a footnote to 3:11.) Does it matter? Or is this just a good way to segue to: When John was preaching, no one would have known what being “baptized with the Holy Spirit” means. But we know more. How is this baptism of the Holy Spirit different from John’s baptism of repentance? Among other things, it is transformational in a way that the baptism of repentance was not. What does it mean to you to be baptized with the Holy Spirit? And what is the meaning of the baptism with fire and the burning of the chaff? If this is a baptism of fire in a positive sense, which later New Testament descriptions support, it is a purification that, again, changes us in ways that a simple repentance and confession of sin may not. Does it provide some encouragement that Matthew connects repentance and the Holy Spirit? How does the Holy Spirit get involved in our lives to help us repent and produce good fruit? Take a step back and consider this: Repentance is necessary for spiritual growth, but it is usually not a comfortable process. To repent requires us to recognize where we are falling short. Furthermore, it requires us to act on that recognition and actually make a change. The change comes in two parts: a change of mind – thinking differently than we used to think – and a change of action to conform our lives to the new thinking we are doing. If we were going to write the equation of repentance, we might write it this way: Repentance = Recognizing what’s wrong + thinking differently + acting differently Thinking differently is often uncomfortable. Acting differently can also be uncomfortable – we are creatures of habit and relinquishing old habits in order to take on new habits can be hard. Fortunately, we are not alone in the repentance process. God is trying to work the character of Jesus into us and then let that character guide all we say and do. He does not leave us alone in that process. He is always trying to help us. He has sent his Holy Spirit into our hearts, to guide and empower us. We are constantly invited to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can make the changes that allow Jesus to radiate in us and through us. For Christians, we are not asked to “tough it out” on our own. Repentance is something God is doing in us, with our cooperation – if we are willing. And the fruit of repentance is not something we need to dream up and then carry out on our own. God wants to work through us to change the world around us, to advance the work of the kingdom of heaven through our lives. So the fundamental question is: Am I willing to let God show me where I need to change my thinking? Am I wiling to put his thinking into action in my life? Am I willing to let the Holy Spirit empower me to produce good fruit? If the answer is “Yes,” then I need to stay in close contact with God. What am I doing to stay tuned in to God, so that my thinking and actions reflect his character and desires? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

This is a perennial question, and for good reason. Previous Next Table of Contents If God is All-Good and All-Powerful, Why Does He Allow Suffering? This is a perennial question, and for good reason. Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti (to be continued) Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Table of Contents Next

Jesus calls his followers to persevere in the face of persecution and links it to the preaching of the Gospel to all nations. How are you sharing the good news of Jesus? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 24:1-14 Jesus calls his followers to persevere in the face of persecution and links it to the preaching of the Gospel to all nations. How are you sharing the good news of Jesus? Modern-day view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, including the Temple Mount and the Eastern Wall of the Old City. Photo by Mustang Joe. 10 Sept. 2023. CC0, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jerusalem_from_the_Mount_of_Olives_(53714451089).jpg . Tom Faletti September 5, 2025 Read Matthew 24:1-3 and consider the following background information before going on. In Matthew 21:23, Matthew told us that Jesus had come into the Temple area. Jesus’s confrontations with the leaders and his denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees occur on the Temple grounds – on their turf, in the place where they were used to being comfortable and in control. Jesus’s last words in the previous chapter told us that the Temple would one day be desolate – i.e., deserted (Matt. 23:38). Now, Jesus leaves the Temple area and leaves the city itself. He crosses the Kidron Valley to the east and climbs up the Mount of Olives. The peaks of this mountain ridge are slightly higher than the Temple Mount in the city of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives offers a clear, even breathtaking, view of the Temple and the city. Matthew tells us that Jesus’s disciples approach him while he is seated on the Mount of Olives (24:3). The location of this conversation between Jesus and his disciples is significant because the Mount of Olives is mentioned in the Old Testament. Zechariah In the book of the prophet Zechariah (chapters 12-14), Zechariah speaks an oracle from God that later generations interpreted as a messianic prophecy about the coming of the kingdom of God. In his prophecy, Zechariah describes a time when Jerusalem will be attacked and God will act on behalf of Jerusalem to vanquish its enemies. Before the prophecy mentions the Mount of Olives, it makes several statements that Christians interpret as prophecies about Jesus: Zechariah 12:10 says that “when they look on the one whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a first born” (NRSV). Zechariah 13:1 says: “On that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity” (NRSV). Zechariah 13:7b says: “Strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered” (NRSV). Then Zechariah mentions the Mount of Olives: Read Zechariah 14:1-5 . What will happen to Jerusalem, according to this prophecy? It will be plundered, and the people will be sent into exile. According to Zechariah 14:3-4, whose feet will stand on the Mount of Olives to defend the people of Jerusalem from their enemies? God’s feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. Now, in Matthew, Jesus’s feet stand on the Mount of Olives – Jesus, who is God incarnate. How are these passages relevant to the discussion we saw earlier in Matthew, where Jesu explains that the Messiah (i.e., Jesus) is greater than David? Ezekiel The Mount of Olives also appears at a key moment in the book of the prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel is warning about the coming destruction of Jerusalem, Ezekiel is describing a vision where he sees the glory of the LORD rise up from the Temple (the first temple, which was built by Solomon) and move toward the east gate of the Temple (Ezek. 10:18-19). The glory of the LORD then moves away from the city to the mountain east of the city (Ezek. 11:22-23). That mountain is the Mount of Olives. Soon after that, the first Temple is destroyed in 586 BC. Ezekiel later has a vision of God rebuilding the Temple, and when the Temple has been properly built and furnished, the glory of the Lord returns to the city from the east and fills the Temple (Ezek. 43:1-4). The book of Ezekiel describes the Lord God moving out of the city of Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives before the city is destroyed in 586 BC, and then returning when the Temple is rebuilt. How might this be a foreshadowing of Jesus? These passages from Zechariah and Ezekiel show how the Mount of Olives becomes a significant place in the Old Testament. Because of this background, Jesus’s movement between the city and the Mount of Olives is sometimes interpreted in prophetic or apocalyptic terms. Read Matthew 24:1-14 the destruction of the Temple and the beginnings of calamities When the disciples point out the Temple buildings, which they can see at a distance from the Mount of Olives, what does Jesus say will happen to the Temple (verse 2)? We know that this happened at the culmination of the war from AD 66 to 70, and Matthew’s readers know it because it happened before the Gospel of Matthew was written (probably in the 80s). They ask him two questions in verse 3: When will this happen, and what will be the sign of Jesus’s return as the Son of Man and the end of the world as we know it? Jesus clarifies that these are two separate events and that it will be a long process. What does Jesus say will happen before the end, in verse 5? What does he add in verse 6? What does he add in verse 7? There will be false prophets, wars, and natural disasters. Note that we have seen those repeatedly throughout history, so we should not place too much significance on any particular false prophet, war, or natural disaster. In verse 8, what does Jesus say about those events? Will the end coming swiftly after those things happen? No. In verse 8 he says these are only “the beginning of the birth pangs.” The Jews expected that there would be tribulation and sufferings before the end. What are “birth pangs” and is the time usually short or long between the “beginning” of birth pangs and the ultimate delivery? Jesus says those troubles are just the beginning. In verses 9-12, what does he say will happen to the Christian community? In verse 9, it is interesting to see Jesus say they will be hated by “all the nations.” The persecution reminds us of Matthew 5:11 in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are you when they . . . persecute you . . . because of me.” The “all nations” prefigures Matthew 28:19, Jesus’s last instructions before his Ascension, when he tells the disciples to “make disciples of all nations.” Matthew 5:11-12 and verse 9 here suggest that Jesus expects his followers to be persecuted. Where are followers of Christ being persecuted today? Should we expect, or at least be prepared for, persecution? Are we doing the things that a follower of Christ would do that might lead to persecution? Explain. In verse 12, Jesus says, “because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold” (NRSV). Why is it that when a society is in disorder (lawlessness), people are less concerned about others (show less love)? We can see this link between lawlessness and a loss of love for others in our own day. What are some social issues where people’s willingness to be charitable or welcoming or loving toward others might be affected by how they feel about whether their own situation is in good order or out of control? Among many possible examples, here are 2: Those who work for restorative justice in the criminal justice system have experienced this. Reforms that seek to place a greater emphasis on restoration and rehabilitation must be done in a way that it does not become associated with an increase in crime, because if crime rates go up, people are more likely to demand punitive measures and reject rehabilitative or restorative processes. Similarly, it is harder to gain support for policies that are more welcoming toward immigrants when immigration is thought to be out of control or lawless. When people perceive an increase in lawlessness, their hearts grow cold and unloving. What encouragement does Jesus offer in verse 13? Matthew is familiar with persecution and wants to encourage his community to persevere. Why is perseverance important? How is perseverance important for us? What difference does it make? In our own lives, we may not suffer persecution or martyrdom, but we are still called to “endure” (NRSV) or “persevere” (NABRE) to the end. What would it look like in our own lives for us to endure or persevere to the end? In verse 14, what does Jesus say happens before the end will come? Verse 14 reflects a core theme of Matthew: that the good news or gospel must be proclaimed throughout the world. How important do you think this goal is, and why? Note that Jesus does not say that “as soon as” the gospel has been preached to the whole world, the end will come. There are groups today that make it sound like they are engaged in evangelism because they think it will hasten the Second Coming. But Jesus does not draw such a direct link. Moreover, sharing the good news (evangelization) is important for its own sake. People need the good news of God’s salvation and the opportunity to have a relationship with God. Their lives are better when they know Jesus, and they are blessed when they learn how to become more like him. That is why we evangelize. How good of a job do you think we are doing of proclaiming gospel – the good news of Jesus – throughout the world? In what ways are you preaching or proclaiming the good news? What more could you do personally to help proclaim the good news? Take a step back and consider this: God’s people, throughout the centuries, have tried to reach the whole world with the gospel. But it isn’t “one and done” for any particular region or population. First, new generations keep coming, who need to hear about the good news. Second, whole areas that once claimed to be guided by the gospel of Jesus are now considered places where the gospel needs to be preached anew. Some churches even have a word for this phenomenon: they describe some places as “post-Christian,” meaning that Christianity is no longer the predominant religion in that area and Christian values no longer seem to drive the society’s values, so the gospel must be preached again almost from scratch. In what ways is your town, your community, your nation a “post-Christian” society where the gospel needs to be taught from scratch because people don’t even know the basics of Christianity? What would your church have to do to better attract the people of a post-Christian society to spend some time with you and learn more about this “Jesus” whom you proclaim? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

You have free will. Previous Next Table of Contents You Can Choose You have free will. Tom Faletti You have free will. Every day, all the time, you have the awesome privilege of making choices. For the most part, you can choose what you will do, who you will spend time with, and what you will think about. God has free will. He can do what He chooses to do. One of the ways in which you are made in the image of God is that you have free will. God made you that way. You are like Him in that way. What you do with that awesome freedom may show how much you are living in the image of God. You may choose to do what God would do, or you may choose other things. As you make those choices, you may present to the world an accurate image of God or a warped image of God. The choice is yours. But it isn’t that simple. As St Paul says in Romans 7:19, sometimes I don’t do the good that I want to do…. TO BE CONTINUED If God knows what I am going to do, how can I have free will? TO BE CONTINUED Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Table of Contents Next

The fields are ripe for harvest. What can we learn from the Samaritan woman and Jesus about how to tell others about Jesus? Previous Next John List John 4:27-42 (Continuation of John 4:1-42) The fields are ripe for harvest. What can we learn from the Samaritan woman and Jesus about how to tell others about Jesus? Sébastien Bourdon and workshop (1616–1671). Christ and the Samaritan Woman . 1664-1669. Cropped. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:S%C3%A9bastien_Bourdon_-_Christ_and_the_Samaritan_Woman_-_68.23_-_Museum_of_Fine_Arts.jpg . Tom Faletti January 13, 2026 John 4:47-42: In this session, we are exploring John 4:27-42. Chapter 4 begins with a long discussion between Jesus and a Samaritan woman that leads her to the edge of faith. Now, we consider some of the things Jesus said about evangelization – the process of telling people about the good news of believing in Jesus – before John takes us back to what happened next in the Samaritan woman’s town. Re-read John 4:1-42 to recall what is happening in the Samaritan woman’s interaction with Jesus at the well. Verses 27-34 When the disciples return from town, what is their reaction when they see Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman? Why do you think the disciples don’t question Jesus about the fact that he is talking to a Samaritan woman? Perhaps they don’t really want to hear his answer. Perhaps he has shown his inclusiveness previously and they don’t want to appear to be questioning his values. What might be some other reasons? Jesus ignores the Jewish rules against talking with a Samaritan woman. He clearly doesn’t think that these restrictions are important. Are there any social restrictions in your culture that you think should be ignored if they get in the way of telling other people about Jesus or living out your faith? What does the woman do now, in verse 28? Why do you think she reacts to her conversation with Jesus in this way? How would you describe the status of the woman’s spiritual growth at this point? Look at what she says, and doesn’t say, in verse 29. How much does she understand about Jesus and how much does she still need to figure out? When the disciples want Jesus to eat (verses 31-34), what does Jesus say his food is? He says his food is to do the Father’s will and finish his work. This idea of finishing his work comes up again later in John’s Gospel. Just before he dies, Jesus says, “It is finished” (John 19:30). What is the importance of “finishing”? Would it be good for us to focus more on “finishing” what God has sent us to do? The disciples don’t understand what Jesus is saying, just as Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman didn’t understand him. He is thinking on a different level than all of them. Do we have similar difficulties “understanding” Jesus? How are we like them? What should we do about the fact that we never fully understand Jesus? Perhaps this might call us to a bit of humility – not thinking we have everything figured out but being more open to listening to other people. It also calls us to study the Bible and the core teachings of our faith, so that we can understand more; to pray, so that we can be more attuned to God’s teaching and guidance; and to trust God more, because there are some things we can’t understand until we trust. Jesus says his “food” is to do God’s will. How can we find sustenance (“food”) from doing God’s will? How might it change your life if you fully embraced the idea that “the food for my soul is to do the will of God and complete the work he has given to me”? How might that view of the Christian calling change your life? Verses 35-38 In verse 35, Jesus turns to a bigger issue that builds on what is happening in this Samaritan woman’s town. He uses two mini-parables: one about fields that are ripe for the harvest and one about sowers and reapers. As with all parables, our task is to interpret what the various elements of the parable stand for or represent symbolically. What does the field ready for harvest stand for? Who do the sowers and reapers represent? The field ready for harvest is any people who have heard the word of God – the good news about believing in Jesus – and are ready to take a step of faith. The sowers are the people who have shared the good news – who have told people about Jesus and encouraged them to believe in him. The reapers are the believers who are making the gospel real to those people now, when they are ready to take that step of faith. What does the phrase, “One sows and another reaps,” mean? Note: The sower is not better than the reaper, nor vice versa. The difference is only in who happens to be there when a person is ready to put their faith and trust in Jesus. In what ways are you a “sower”? In what ways are you a “reaper”? What are some ways that you might participate more in God’s harvest, where he is bringing people to faith in himself? Verses 39-42 John now returns to the story of the Samaritan woman. What happens in the end? Why do the people begin to believe in verse 39, and why do they have a stronger faith in verse 42? Notice the two stages of the people’s faith. In verse 39, the people have a certain level of faith because the woman told them about Jesus, but they don’t ultimately believe because of her word – they believe because they have a direct experience of him (verse 42). What does that suggest to us about our attempts to tell other people about Jesus? What are some ways that we can help bring people into a direct experience of Jesus, and not just tell them our knowledge about him? Sometimes, people are touched by God when they hear Christians praying, so it can be helpful to ask someone if they would like you to pray for them. If they say yes, pray from your heart out loud so that they can hear your conversation with God. Sometimes, people are ready to pray a prayer of their own and just need to be invited to do so. Sometimes, people need to be invited to a service or event at your church where they can experience God at work in the people of God. Some scholars think that later, a group of Samaritans who believed in Jesus moved out of Samaria (perhaps after being persecuted or ostracized by some of their fellow Samaritans in the same way that the early Jewish Christians were rejected by their fellow Jews) and joined John’s community in Ephesus before he wrote this Gospel. These scholars see John’s positive treatment of Samaritans and the preservation of this story as possible clues that Samaritans were part of John’s community. What this passage tells us about the process of evangelization Because Jesus focuses on the harvest at the end of this passage, this passage is clearly meant to encourage us to tell people about Jesus. So let’s explore the story further to see what it tells us about the evangelization process and our role in helping others come to know Jesus and put their faith and trust in him. In verse 11, the woman calls Jesus “Sir,” a respectful word that means “master” or “lord,” but often in a purely human sense. In verse 19, she calls him “a prophet.” By verse 25, she is suggesting that he might be the Messiah (a Hebrew word that means the “Anointed One”; in Greek, the “Christ”). And by the end of the story, the whole town is calling him “the savior of the world.” What is the significance of this gradual shift in how they talk about Jesus? How does this shift in how the people see Jesus gives us a model for understanding the shifts that people in our time go through as they move from skeptic to new believer to mature Christian? Think about people in your world who are not believers, and how they talk about Jesus. How are some people at the early stage of just seeing Jesus as an important human while others recognize him as more than that? Are there some people who see Jesus as a prophet but just one prophet among many, while others are wrestling with the truth that he is God? How can we help people at every stage find a fuller understanding of who Jesus is? This Samaritan woman is the first person in John’s Gospel who becomes a missionary: a person who shares the Gospel with a whole group of people. Individual disciples have told individual people about Jesus, but she evangelizes a whole group. Verse 39 tells us that she “testifies” about Jesus. How are we called to testify about Jesus? What does this passage say to you about your own personal role in telling others the good news about God? Go back through the story and look at how Jesus guides the woman to faith: [If you are studying this passage in a group, break into smaller groups of 3 or 4 people to discuss the following questions and then report back to the larger group.] Notice the rhythm of the conversation with the woman. When does Jesus ask questions and when does he give answers? How much of an answer does he give (a lot or a little), and why is that a good idea? How and to what extent does he give her room to share her own beliefs? What do your observations about Jesus suggest to you about how you can be effective in sharing your faith in Jesus with others? Notice how the conversation shifts over time from focusing on everyday concerns, to religious facts, to spiritual insights. How can we build relationships with people that will allow our conversations with them to move naturally to spiritual matters over time? Notice how the woman leads the people of the town from her own testimony to a personal interaction with Jesus himself. What aspects of your testimony – your story of how you came to believe in Jesus – might help others enter into a relationship with Jesus? What is the good news you have found in Jesus that others might be interested in if you told them the story of your faith? Notice how the woman is almost antagonistic at the start, responding to Jesus with challenges and putdowns. Jesus sticks with her and gives her room to open up to his message. What does that tell us? What conclusions can you draw about the evangelization process? What ideas does this passage give you for how to tell people about Jesus when they might be ready to hear it? In chapter 2, John told us about what he called Jesus’s first “sign.” In the passage we will look at next, he starts a new series of stories by telling us about the second sign. That suggests that everything we have seen in chapters 2 through 4 might go together: Jesus turning water into wine, Jesus telling us that we need to be born again of water and the Spirit, Jesus telling us that he is the living water. All these stories referred to water. What conclusions can you draw from these stories, and how can you apply those conclusions to your everyday life? Take a step back and consider this: People are often afraid to talk about Jesus because they don’t want to appear pushy. That fear leads us to say too little. Jesus’s approach was not pushy. With the Samaritan woman he mostly made brief and non-judgmental statements and then answered questions when he was asked. Perhaps we need to get past our fears and just talk about Jesus like he is an everyday part of our lives, without making a big deal about it. How does Jesus’s approach to evangelization differ from that of a pushy preacher? How does Jesus’s approach differ from that of someone who thinks that good actions are enough and we don’t need to say anything? How might we adopt the “Come and see” attitude we saw in John chapter 1 (1:39; 1:46) to help people meet Jesus face-to-face without being pushy? Bibliography See John - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/john/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous John List Next

When John says the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, he is talking about Jesus, the only Son of the Father. Jesus invites us to be sons and daughters of God also. Previous Next John List John 1:10-18 (Continuation of John 1:1-18) When John says the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, he is talking about Jesus, the only Son of the Father. Jesus invites us to be sons and daughters of God also. Annibale Carracci (1560-1609). Saint John the Baptist Bearing Witness . Detail. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. CC0, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_John_the_Baptist_Bearing_Witness_MET_LC-2009_252-1_(Bild).jpg . Tom Faletti October 31, 2025 Read John 1:10-13 The world did not know him and his own people did not accept him, but some did In verse 11, John says the world did not “know” him. What do you think he means when he says they did not “know” him? They did not recognize him (they didn’t recognize that God the Word was with them). They did not understand him – in colloquial terms, they didn’t “get it.” Jesus was very real and performed miracles. How can it be that they didn’t recognize him? How do people in our day fail to recognize or understand Jesus? Verse 11 says he came to “what was his own” (probably referring to Israel as a nation), and “his own people” (the Jews). In what sense were they “his own”? Are there ways that people who are “his own” don’t accept or receive Jesus today? We could still consider the Jewish people “his own.” In addition, we could think about people who were baptized, people who grew up in the Church, but don’t accept Jesus today as still being “his own.” Verse 12 says that not everyone rejected him. Some accepted him. What did he give to them? What did John say they need to do, to become children of God? What does it mean, in verse 12, to accept or receive him? Anyone who is a child must have been born somehow. Verse 13 says that when they became children of God they were born of God, not by a biological process or human desire or the will of a man. We will see more in chapter 3 about what it means to be born “of God.” What does it mean to you, that you are a child of God? How do you experience that relationship with God? In what way do you see yourself as having accepted or received Jesus? What difference does it make in your life that you have accepted/received Jesus? Read John 1:14 What did God do? A mini-summary of the gospel What did God the Word do, and what does it mean when we say he did those things? He became flesh: he became a human. He dwelt among us – i.e., he lived with other humans, lived as one of us. The Greek word, variously translated as “dwelt” or “lived” or “made his dwelling” among us, literally means he encamped or pitched his tent with us. (This word might have been chosen to invoke the image of God living in a tent with us as he made himself present to the Israelites in a tabernacle/tent in the desert.) What does John mean when he says, “we saw his glory”? This could be a reference to seeing the resurrected Jesus; or seeing Jesus crucified, which Jesus considered part of entering into his glory; or seeing Jesus transfigured on the mountain; or seeing Jesus’s miraculous signs, which John says revealed his glory (John 2:11). In verse 14, where most translations say he is the Father’s “only son,” the actual Greek word is “only-begotten.” As we know from the “begats” in the Old Testament and the New Testament, when a man is begotten of someone else, it means they have a father-son relationship. The idea of sonship is embedded in having been begotten , and that may be a key point that John is trying to make by using that word. Modern translations mostly say “only son” rather than “only-begotten.” Doing so brings out the relationship that is embedded in the Greek word: John is telling us that Jesus is God’s only Son. We express this truth in the Nicene Creed. We say that Jesus Christ is the “Only Begotten Son of God,” echoing John’s reference to the Father’s only-begotten Son (verse 14). We also say he was “begotten, not made.” He cannot have been made or created because he was present in the beginning (verse 1) and nothing was created except through him (verse 3). John gives us the pieces that were fleshed out in the words of the Creed. In terms of your own faith, what stands out to you in verse 14, and what difference does it make in your life? Read John 1:15-18 Jesus brought grace and truth and revealed the Father John now makes it clear that when he says the Word is God and became human, the human he is talking about is Jesus Christ, who is the only Son of God. Looking at verse 15, what did John the Baptist say about Jesus? What does he mean when he says that Jesus existed before him, given that John was born months earlier that Jesus (Luke 1:36)? Looking at verse 16, when John says that we received from his fullness, what does that mean? What have we received? The last phrase in verse 16 is sometimes translated as “grace upon grace,” which can be interpreted to mean that we keep receiving God’s grace more and more abundantly. However, a translation that may be truer to the Greek is “grace in place of grace.” This makes more sense in the context of the next verse. People received a kind of grace through the revelation of the Mosaic Law, but we receive a fuller grace through Jesus. This happens as the New Covenant in Jesus Christ transcends the Old Covenant that was based on the Mosaic Law. In verse 17, John contrasts what we received previously from the Mosaic Law with the “grace and truth” we receive through Jesus. How is what we receive from Jesus greater than what the Mosaic Law offered? In what ways do you receive “grace” through Jesus? In what ways do you receive “truth” through Jesus? Verse 18 says that no one has seen God. Why is that, and how does Jesus change that? Now that Jesus has come, people have seen God in the flesh. What does Jesus’s presence as God-in-the-flesh (Emmanuel, “God with us”) teach us that we might otherwise not be able to understand about God? In verse 18, John refers to Jesus as God the only Son. He has now stated that Jesus Christ is the Word; that he was with God in the beginning; that he is God; that all things were created through him; that he became human and lived among us; that he is the Father’s only Son; and that he is God the Son. Contrary to the claims of skeptics, these are not ideas that were manufactured by the Church centuries later. It took time for the Church to settle on the exact words of the Creed, but John expressed all of these ideas here. In what ways has Jesus revealed the Father to you? Take a step back and consider this: For Christians, we hear so often the idea that God became human that we can easily forget how amazing this claim is. People who have never heard of Jesus have no concept that God would become one of us. The oldest religions in the world (Hinduism, etc.) don’t have this concept. When people create new religions, they might think that people can become gods, but they don’t envision the Creator of the universe coming to Earth and living as one of us. What kind of God is infinite, eternal, and transcendent, but chooses to come and live the life of a finite, mortal, limited creature so that they could become like him? What does this tell us about how much God cares about us? How can you recapture more of the awe and appreciation that might come with first learning that God cares so much about us that he came to live as one of us to bring us to himself? Bibliography See John - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/john/bibliography . Copyright © 2026, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous John List Next

If God doesn't care about us, we are in a pretty precarious position. Previous Next Table of Contents Does God Care? If God doesn't care about us, we are in a pretty precarious position. Tom Faletti (to be continued) Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Table of Contents Next

Does a high school coach prevent all suffering their players might endure? Why not, and what might that tell us about God? Previous Next Table of Contents God is Like a High School Coach Does a high school coach prevent all suffering their players might endure? Why not, and what might that tell us about God? Tom Faletti (to be continued) Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Table of Contents Next