313-F3 CRE Notes
313-F3 CRE Notes
313-F3 CRE Notes
CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS
EDUCATION CODE: 313
2020
JANUARY 2020
EDITION
● It commemorated the day God gave the commandments to Israelites through Moses. In the New
Testament it is held to celebrate and remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and
followers of Jesus Christ. Before ascending to heaven Jesus Christ told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem
until they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would empower them to go to the world and
be Jesus witnesses.
● On that day the disciples were gathered in a room when suddenly a voice came from the sky
which sounded like a strong wind flowing and filled the room
● The disciples looked and saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread and touched every
one
● They were all filled with Holy Spirit and talked in other languages.
● Some people thought the disciples were drank but peter defended them by saying they were not
drank……acts2;6
● On that day,many believers were baptized increasing the group by about 3000 people.
4. Gods power was seen by the miracles, signs and wonders performed by Jesus Christ
● Wisdom
● Commitment
● Principled
● Knowledgeable
● God fearing
● Creative
● Prayerful
✔ Christian’s learn that holy spirit unify believers the same way it unified disciples from different
backgrounds and nations
✔ Christians learn that it is important to be obedient like who obeyed the instructions of Jesus
Christ
✔ We also learn that baptism of the Holy Spirit is important for every Christian.
✔ They learn the holy spirit help in spreading the word of God the same way he helped the
disciples to bring more people Christ
✔ Holy Spirit helps Christians to be bold and courageous in preaching the gospel. The apostles
were bold enough to face persecutions as they were spreading the gospel of Christ.
PAUL`S TEACHINGS ON THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT first Corinthian’s 12,13 and 14
Spiritual gifts are extraordinary favors’ given human beings by God
They are special talents to be used for the service of others and not for one`s personal benefit or
gratification
THE NINE GIFTS OF HOLY SPIRIT
❖ WISDOM
❖ KNOWLEDGE
❖ FAITH
❖ HEALING
❖ SPEAKING IN TONGUES
❖ PROPHECY
❖ DISTINGUISHING OF SPIRITS/DISCERNING
❖ INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES
Ability to make sensible decisions and give good advice according to Gods will.
This makes one to expound and make deep understanding. it enables Christians to make right decisions
on matters concerning the church.
Helps Christians realize who God is and his purpose for human beings. it also assist them to interpret
spiritual truth and make appropriate judgment’s
⮚ Gift of knowledge
Ability to have an in-depth understanding of a situation or spiritual issue. Gives Christians revelations and
understanding of the kingdom of God without being taught about them.
It enables Christians to understand basic facts about Jesus and his mission
It enables the apostles to spread the word of God. Some Christians have the gift of understanding of the
scriptures can distinguish what is biblical and what is not.
⮚ The gift of faith
Refer to confidence in God’s help which inspires us to undertake difficult tasks .it is also
being able trust in God and encouraging others to do so. It is the strong conviction that
help Christians perform miracles. Prophet Elijah used the gift holy spirit during the Mount Carmel.
⮚ Gift of healing ;acts3;1-10
Refers to powers to heal all forms of sickness miraculously by invoking the name of God
⮚ The gift of performing miracles
This is using Gods powers to perform signs and wonders that give authencity to Gods word. This power
demonstrates the saving power of Christ. They are the product of the spoken word of
God……………..psalms 33:6
⮚ The gift of prophecy
To proclaim a message on what will happen in future. The gift edifies, exhorts and comforts believers. It
is divinely inspired and anointed utterance. It is also the ability to to interpret God`s word and relate it to
His people. It enable Christians fore tell future as revealed to them.
⮚ The gift of distinguishing /discerning spirits
Ability to determine whether or not a message or a person or an event is truly from God. Ability to
identify the source of spiritual gifts, whether it is from Holy Spirit or evil spirits. Peter was blessed with
the gift of discernment and it enabled him to know that Ananias and Sapphira lied to Holy Spirit.
⮚ The gift of speaking in tongues. /glossolalia-Ability of some people to utter static and
unintelligible speech. It is also to convey a message or utter words of a language that is unknown to the
person uttering the words. The Holy Spirit energizes the tongue guide to guide believers through language
and music.
Ability to understand and interpret messages of those speaking in tongues. It is translating what is being
spoken by those with the gift of speaking in tongues to others in a language they can understand.
TEACHINGS OF ST PAUL CONCERNING THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS
⮚ Gifts should be used for the service of others and not for one’s personal gains and gratification.
⮚ There is only one Holy Spirit that manifests its presence by conferring a variety of spiritual gifts
to the believer.
⮚ Just as the human body has many parts playing different roles so does the holy spirit.
⮚ Love is the greatest of all gifts and should be demonstrated by loving others.
⮚ All gifts are the same and none is more important than others.
⮚ Gifts should be used rightly for the mission of God and for the good of the Church.
Ways in which the gift of love is supreme over other gifts according to st Paul
✔ The gift of tongues becomes nothing but meaningless noise when unaccompanied by love.
✔ Neither faith is so strong as to move mountains nor generosity so great to give ones possession
nor does martyrdom mean nothing without love.
● Love is eternal
❖ In any one meeting, not more than two or at most three people may speak in tongues.
❖ Those who speak in tongues should not speak at the same time but one after the other.
❖ The one who has the gift of interpretation should explain the message to the congregation.
❖ If there is no interpreter available the person with the gift of tongues should refrain from speaking
in tongues or do it private.
❖ Only three prophets should speak at the assembly using the gift of prophecy. The other members
should listen and assess what the other prophets are saying.
Divine love is the crown of character. To discover whether or not a spiritual gift has the Holy Spirit as its
author, Jesus Christ says the exercise of the holy spiritual gifts must lead to the harvest of fruits of the
Holy Spirit.
c. The doctrinal test
The holy spirit, by whose inspiration the scriptures were written cannot contradict that which it wrote.
Prophecy or message in tongues should always be in agreement with the scripture’s
d. One who is under the influence of the holy spirit should be able to recognize jesus as lord and
saviors
e. One who is under the influence of holy spirit is known by its acts{he/she will act and behave
according to the teachings of the Bible.
Discuss ways in which you can show love in the society according to Paul teachings.
WAYS IN WHICH THE GIFTS OF THE HOLYSPIRIT ARE BEING MANIFESTED IN THE
CHURCH TODAY
● Some Christians have the gift of knowledge and wisdom.it enables them to understand and
interpret Gods message. They are also able guide other Christians in making right decision while
handling difficult issues.
● Some Christians have the gift of healing. This guides them to heal the sick through prayer and
faith in God.
● The gift of speaking in tongues. Today in most churches it is believed that those who speak in
tongues are believed to have received baptism of holy spirit of fire
● The gift of discerning of spirit.it helps Christians to distinguish between manifestation of Holy
Spirit and that of evil spirit. The gift also helps leaders to choose ministry teams or suggest people to
recruit for ministry roles.
● The gift of prophecy. Used to proclaim messages from God. Also in condemning evils such as
corruption, bribery and ethnicity.it is also used to tell people of Gods future plans for them. It has
greatly helped in evangelization.
● Gift of faith. This gives them confidence to believe in Gods promises, power and judgments
● Love as a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is depicted when Christians show concern for others. This is
through visiting the sick, helping the poor and needy and assisting the orphaned.
● The Holy Spirit enables Christians of different denominations to work together in unity for
development of church.
❖ Joy
❖ Peace
❖ Kindness
❖ Patience
❖ Goodness
❖ Faithfulness
❖ Self control
❖ Humility
The challenge for Christians is to choose between having faith in Christ who became human being and
gave himself for the life of the world or chose the values which are the desires of the flesh which include;
o Immorality
o Idolatry
o Sorcery
o Jealousy
o Anger
o Disagreements
o Drunkedness
Those who belong to Christ have crucified their weak human nature with all its passions and
desires.
WAYS IN WHICH THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HAVE BEEN ABUSED IN CHRISTIAN
CHURCH TODAY
1. Cheating that one has a certain gift of the holy spirit.
2. Commercialization of the gifts of the holy spirit. People are asked to pay money before they are
prayed for or healed.
5. Some Christians who possess the gifts of the Holy Spirit develop pride/superiority complex.
6. Distinguishing one’s self as a person with special call with an intention of exploiting others.
7. Wrong use of the gifts of the holy spirit where faithful’s gets to the ecstasy or trance that may
lead to injuries.
ACTIVITIES OF THE CHURCH IN KENYA THAT SHOW THAT THE HOLYSPIRIT IS WORKING
AMONG CHRISTIANS.
▪ Praying
▪ Bible study
▪ Speaking in tongues
▪ Condemning sins
▪ Celebrations of sacraments
▪ Confession of sins
DISCUSS HOW YOU CAN SHOW LOVE IN THE SOCIETY ACCORDING TO THE TEACHINGS
OF PAUL.
How the gifts of the holy spirit brought disunity in the church at Corinth.
a. People who had the spirit of speaking in tongues despised those did not have. They felt this
was the main work of the holyspirit and looked down upon those did not have.
b. There was competition involving speaking in tongues. Believers were competing in speaking
louder longer and in different languages.
c. One who spoke in tongues to the congregation without an interpreter could not be
understood.
d. People did not show love which is eternal to one another as they used the gifts of the holy .
e. There was disorder in the church worship at Corinth; they were trying to outdo each other
in manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit like; prophecy, speaking in tongues, singing and
revelation.
f. They used the gift for their own personal benefits instead of growth and development of the
church. Some even demanded payment before healing the sick while others were boastful and
arrogant.
g. According to the church at Corinth the only way one could prove that he or she had the
gifts of the Holy Spirit was by speaking in tongues. Those with gifts of wisdom, prophecy or
knowledge were despised.
QUESTIONS
1. What can Christians learn from the story of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of the
Pentecost?
2. Identify some of the ways Christians demonstrate the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
3. State the symbolic signs of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
4. Identify the elements of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and briefly explain their importance to
Christians.
5. Discuss Paul’s teachings on the gifts of the Holy Spirit to the church at Corinth.
6. What was the signifance of the out pouring of the Holy Spirit to the twelve disciples?
7. Describe ways in which gift of the Holy Spirit are used in the church today.
8. Explain the criteria for discerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Refers to oneness of those who have faith in Jesus Christ as their savior.
The togetherness of Christians.
Those who believe in the salvation of Christ and therefore they have new life.
Believers are like the Israelite’s who were the chosen people of God in the Old Testament. The
Israelites were united by the fact that they were united by the fact that they were descendants of
Abraham and were recognized by the sign of circumcision. In the new testament they are known by
different names.ie, christiansbrethen, disciples,faithfuls,church, the saints.
Due to the fact that this group consisted of converts from various social and cultural backgrounds, it was
necessary that they learn how to accommodate and tolerate each other.
New Testament refers to oneness of those who have faith in Jesus as unity of believers.
In the New Testament we are known by different names:
● Christians
● Faithful’s
● Disciples
● Believers
The new testament illustrate the concept of unity of believers using various images or symbolic
expressions like;
1. The body of Christ
3. The church
4. The bride
c. They were circumcised i.e. prerequisite for one to become amember of Abraham and Gods
family.
⮚ They are special people because God has preserved them Himself. They are chosen so that they
may proclaim the wonderful acts of God to the world.
⮚ They share in the resurrection of Christ by not engaging in evil acts but promoting peace and
prosperity.
⮚ They are united with God through his son Jesus Christ
o Condemning injustice
o Giving offerings
o Being humble
Christians are followers of Jesus Christ and form a corporate identity as being divinely chosen;
✔ They are united with God through Jesus Christ who died on the cross so that they could attain
salvation.
✔ They commit themselves to God by believing in Him and devoting their lives to Him.ie leading
holy lives
✔ They preach the word of God to all people and call people to repentance as they baptize them
✔ Being a holy nation they strive to lead holy lives as they have been called to serve God
✔ They are Gods owns people because he chose them by sending His own son to die on the cross
and redeem them from sin bondage
2. Each part is essential to the proper functioning and growth of the body.
4. Christian’s depend on each other and works in the unity for the common good of each other.
5. Members of the church have been called to serve in several church ministries. Ie
pastors,teachers,evangelists and prophets.
● Believers have been baptized into one body by the Holy Spirit.
● The function of each believer is necessary for the well-being of the church
● Different members have been blessed with different spiritual gifts which should be used to enrich
the church and glorify God.
● Believers share the same rights and privilege in the body of Christ.
● Just as human body is one with different parts Christian should remain united.
● Believers should lead their lives according to their call with lowliness, patience, meekness and
eagerness to maintain the unity of the spirit.
● They are encouraged to have virtues which promote unity among themselves; ie humility.
Gentleness and patience.
Noteby:
Elements of unity centered on the trinity of God; that should exist among believers are;
● One body which is the universal church
● One baptism
2. The body of Christ is made up of different parts just like our physical bodies are made up of
hands, ears, mouth, stomach etc.
3. Some parts may be prominent and much of the work they do is not always obvious, but we cannot
undermine their importance.first;corrinthians12;13
4. There is no division among Christian’s since all members of the body of Chris are one, if one
member suffers, then everyone suffers.
● Just as husband wife come together from different backgrounds so do members of the church who
should live in harmony with one another.
● Christ has authority over the church just as the husband is the head of the home
● Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the church
● Husbands should love their wives the same way they love and care for their bodies
● The bond that exist between husband and wife is expected to be demonstrated by members of the
church.
● Believers should love one another for the sake of unity in the church.
b. Categories of prophets
True prophets
The canonical prophets as mentioned earl ier had their works and prophecies recorded
under their names.
Canonical prophets are r eferr ed to as writing prophets. It’s possible that some pr ophets
wr ote down their own prophecies.
They wr ote what God spoke to them as He dictated.
An example is Jer emia h who wrote what he was told …’Get a scroll and write on it
ever ything that I have told you about Israel, Judah and all nations. (Jer emiah 36:2, Isaiah
30:8).
Two, the prophet’s message wer e pr obably written by other people.
These wer e their assistant, secr etary, scribe, and disciples or followers as the prophet
prophesied.
Thirdly some of the prophetic messages could have been pr eser ved as oral traditions and
later written as books.
A good example is 2 Kings.
e. Content of the Prophetic messages
Prophetic messages contained lessons from God to Israel. For example, the:
i. Prophetic sayings wer e and still are oracles or poetic passages spoken by God himself
through prophets.
The prophecies wer e addr essed to differ ent nations. They carried specific teachings to the
people, for example pr edicting futur e occurr ences.
ii. Narratives in the first person give an account of the pr ophet’s testimony.
They spoke of their exper iences with God, and responses to the call of God. They tell us
about prophet’s impelling comp ulsion to speak God’s wor d.
The narratives are written in the first person.
They have a for mat ‘ The Lord said to me… The year that King Uzziah died, I was the
Lor d…”
iii. Narratives in the third 3rd person have messages written by a thir d party, i.e. not the
prophet but another person.
For example, “Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, thus says the Lord:
“Do not be afraid of the wor ds.” (Isaiah 37:6).
The message r ecounts the prophets’ personal life, and political background.
Lesson Three: Prophesies in the Old Testament, New
Testament and African Traditional Society
Introduction
The Israelites and the African traditional societies as well as other wor ld communities had
prophets who for etold the futur e.
Among the Israelites, ther e wer e pr ophets chosen by God and false pr ophets who told
messages which communities wanted to hear.
Among the African traditional communities, ther e wer e wise men and women who
prophesied about the futur e.
In this lesson, we shall compare these pr ophecies and le arn what was similar and differ ent
about these them.
The Old Testament prophecies are compared with those from the African traditional
society and the New Testament Learning outcomes.
After studying this lesson, you should be able to:
a. State relationships between Prophesies in the Old Testament New T estament and the
African Traditional Society
b. Discuss the similarities between prophets in the African traditional society and the Old
Testament.
c. Identify differ ences between prophets in the African tradi tional society and the Old
Testament.
a. Relationships between Prophesies
Several Old Testament (O.T.) prophecies wer e and are fulfilled in both the old and New
Testament (N.T) in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
The Law of Moses is used in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
However Jesus gave the law a deeper meaning.
The teachings and pr ophecies of the pr ophets provided the foundation for the message in
the New T estament.
The prophecies of Prophet Nathan to King David that God would raise up an offspr ing
from the lineage of David was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the expected messiah.
Jesus disciples in the New T estament referred a lot to messages in the Old Testament.
The teachings of Jesus in the New Testament are based in the Old Test ament prophecies.
They are ther efor e similar to each other because New Testament is a continuation of the
Old Testament.
The New Testament is the new covenant spoken of by Prophet Jer emiah and other Prophets
like Isaiah, Micah, and Nathan.
Their prophecies about Messiah are fulfilled in the New T estament.
b. Similarities between prophets in the African traditional society and the Old
Testament.
Some Christians are called to the office of a prophet and should prophecy for the glory of
God and for the common good of the people.
As God’s spokes person one should always stand for the truth.
Christian should proclaim God’s will even if the message is not pleasant to the people.
Once appointed as a prophet, one should pass the messages to who ever they are sent to
without fear or favour.
God’s messengers should always condemn the social political economic evils in the
society.
As God’s messengers Christians should live exemplary lives.
They should stand for what they pr each and should expect persecutions because of their
wor ks as God’s messengers.
They should be r eady to suffer for the sake of the gospel.
Christians should pray to God to give them guidance, wisdom, and inspiration to be able
to handle hardships in their lives.
They should provide hope for the people in times of suffering.
Christians should realize that God calls both men and women to His service. They should
be ready to obey Gods’ prophetic call and not run away e.g. Jonah.
They should be concer ned and take care of the welfare of the poor community members.
Revision questions
1. Define the ter ms prophet and prophecy
2. List five categories of true prophets
3. State the differ ence between true and false prophets
4. In what ways wer e God’s prophets called?
5. Outline the similarities and differ ences between the old testament prophets and the
traditional African ones.
6. What is the r elevance of pr ophets to Christians today?
Topic Four: Prophet Amos Introduction
Amos is one of the prophets God sent to Israel to warn the people because of their evil
life.
Politically, the Nation of Israel had bec ome rich. Ther e gr ew classer, the rich and the
poor.
The rich started oppr essing the poor.
Socially, ther e was still the r ich – poor gap.
They sold bad wheat to unsuspecting customers and overcharged customers by measuring
with false scales.
Because of the inflated prices, the poor borrowed money fr om the rich at high inter e st
rates to buy basic things like food.
Hence, ther e was massive briber y and corruption in society and law courts.
As a result the poor lacked basic necessities or needs like food, shelter, and clothing.
It was at this time when God sent Amos to give proph esy to Israel.
SAQ. How did the rich oppr ess the poor in Israel?
Lesson Two: Visions of Amos Read Amos 7: 1 – 9, 8:1 – 3. 9:1 – 4)
Vision is a pictur e we have in our mind. It is a future to come. Amos was shown many
visions by God.
Lesson outcomes. After reading these verses in A mos you should be able to: -
1. Analyse all the visions and
2. State the message of each vision
3. Summaries things that God condemned through Amos
1. The vision of the locusts (Amos 7:1 – 3 )
Amos saw a swar m of locusts being sent by God to destroy all plants and food crops in the
land.
The locusts wer e, a sign of disaster, which God was going to send to Israel as a
punishment for their disobedience.
Amos cried to God to forgive the people. God heard and changed his mind.
2. The vision of a great fire (A mos 7:4 – 6)
Amos saw a vision of a supernatural fir e that burnt up the land.
He asked God to forgive the people and God listened. The punishment was stopped.
3. The vision of a crooked wall/ the plumb line (A mos 7:7 – 9)
Amos saw the Lord standing beside the wall checked it with a plumb line.
The wall repr esented the Israelites.
They stopped obser ving the laws of their covenant with God. God found Israelites
disobeying the covenant.
God promised to destroy holy places of Israel..
4. The vision of a basket of ripe fruits (Amos 8:1 – 3)
In this vision, Amos saw a basket of ripe fruits. Fruits are harvested at the end of the
summer.
This meant that Israel was ripe for punishment for her r efusal to turn to God.
Amos did not pray for forgi veness.
God would no longer withhold His judgment. Time for repentance was over.
5. The vision of the destruction of the altar. Read Amos 9:1 – 4.
Amos saw the Lord standing by the altar.
The Lor d or der ed the destruction of the temple.
The shrines of Dan a nd Bethel wer e destr oyed because they wer e the centr es of idolatry.
No one would escape punishment no matter wher e they hide.
Summary of issues that God pointed out to Israel through Prophet A mos
a. Lack of social justice Ther e was lack of social justice a nd r esponsibility by the king of
Israel. Social justice means dealing with other people fairly.
It implies showing concer n for the needs of others.
b. Lack of responsibility.
This refers to the rulers and people of Israel being accountable for their actio ns.
In moder n life, it is doing ones duty and fulfilling ones obligation to God and others.
c. Practice of hypocritical religion in Israel.
The Israelites wer e insincer e in their worship.
They made empty sacrifices.
They worshipped idols as well as God. They profaned the name of God (Yahweh).
They made idols of Baal and offer ed sacrifices to them.
They worshipped other gods. This is syncr etism and God does not allow worship of any
other God but himself.
d. God’s judg ment against Israel and other nations.
God promised to destroy Israel and leave a remnant of them for restoration.
e. Oppressions of the poor by the rich
God condemned King Jeroboam rule of Israel because of the oppr ession of the poor,
gover nment corruption and briber y of king’s officials.
These officials sold the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals (shoes) i.e.
its like practising slaver y.
The rich trampled on the poor, despised them and placed no value on the poor.
They even forced the Nazarites to dr ink wine. They accepted drunkenness.
k. Profaning the name of the God
Israelites did not respect the name of God.
They committed sin. They forced Nazirites to drink wine; forcing it down their throats yet
they knew that Nazirites wer e people set aside and chosen by God to ser ve God.
This act showed contempt of God’s commands. Nazirites wer e not supposed to dr ink wine
or cut their hair.
Israelites did this to show their contempt of the Lord.
l. Hypocritical Religion and Idolatry in Israel
Hypocrisy is pr etending to be something differ ent fr om the person one is.
It is also saying one thing, and doing another thing.
For example, Israelites did a lot of r eligious rites accor ding to the laws of Moses and yet
majority of them wer e unjust, corrupt and oppressed the poor.
They obser ved the external religious activities while their he arts wer e corrupt and
insincer e.
Amos condemned Israelites for this hypocrisy, characterized by insincer e worship, and
mixture of r eligious beliefs leading to diverse practices of religion i.e. syncr etism.
This is a combination or mixture of Israelites’ mo notheism (Yahwehism) and worship of
idols and other gods especially Baal, the gods of their neighbours.
m. Empty sacrifices
The Israelites made elaborative offer ings and sacrifices.
Yet God was inter ested only in sincer e worship and fr ee will offer ings and not mer e
sacrifices, and tithes.
‘Take away fr om me the noise of your songs’ (Amos 5:21 – 23).
Lesson Three. God’s Judgment Against Israel and Other Nations Read Amos chapter
1 and 2
Learning outcomes. After studying this lesson, you should be able to:
a. State the sins committed by Israel and other nations
b. Identify how God punished Israel and other nations
i) Israel.
She committed several crimes, which wer e condemned by Prophet Amos. Read lesson two
again befor e you go on and list down cr imes that were pointed out by Amos.
Okay, you have seen that Israel committed crimes of injustice, disobedience to God,
breaking their covenant with God, idolatry, hypocrisy among other sins mentioned above.
ii) Syria.
Its capital was Damascus. Syria committed war crimes. The soldiers wer e excessively
cruel in times of war.
They murder ed their prisoners brutally. For this cruelty, their punishment was to be
sever e.
Their palaces would be destroyed by fir e and the people would be exiled in Kir.
iii) Gaza and philistines.
Their crime was capturing other people and selling them into slaver y. For this sin, God’s
punishment was destruction of their city by divine fir e.
It would burn down the wall of Gaza city and destr oy it.
God would have no mor e association with them.
iv) Tyre.
Their Crime was violation of a treaty of friendship they had made.
They broke it by capturing a “whole nation into exile in the land of Edom”.
The punishment was …God would send fir e to destr oy city of Tyre and its fortress (Amos
1:9-10).
v. Edom.
Her people wer e descendants of Esau. Yet Edom was ruthless to the Israelite to whom they
wer e closely r elated.
For this cr ime of ruthlessness, the punishment was … God would destroy them by fir e.
vi) Ammon
committed crime of brutal killings. The people of Ammon a ttacked and killed their
neighbours.
They “ripped open pr egnant woman in Gilead” (vs. 13).
God’s punishment was destruction of the fortress and wall of the city of Rabbah by fire.
“Their king and his officers will go into exile: (vs. 15).
vii) Moab.
The people of Moab; their crime was mishandling the body of the king of Edom.
They burned his bones to ashes. God’s punishment was destruction of the city of Kerioth
by divine fir e.
The people, their rulers and leaders would be killed in battle.
viii) Judah.
Their crimes wer e
(1) failur e to obey God’s commands and
(2) despising god’s teaching.
ix) Samaria, Egypt and Ashdod.
Their crime was dishonesty and “filling their mansions with things taken by cr ime and
violence” (Amos 3:10). Women of Samaria committed the crime of drunkenness,
oppr essing the weak and poor.
The punishment for all these countries is destruction of their land, mansions and army.
But a remnant will not go to captivity, and shall not be destr oyed.
Amos said the r emnants are like … 2 legs, or a piece of an ear of a sheep rescued fr om the
mouth of a lion (Amos 3:12).
x) A maziah the priest of Bethel.
He strongly opposed Amos and told him to go back and prophesy in Judah.
Amos told Amaziah God sent him to Israel. His punishment for opposing God’ s messenger
was..
Amaziah’s wife would be a harlot, his childr en will die in the war, his land will be given
to others, and Amaziah will die in a foreign land (Amos 7: 14 -17).
Lessons to learn from God’s judgment of Israel and other nations
The Assyr ians attacked Israel, occupied their land and exiled others.
God is
(a) universal,
(b) God hates sin
(c) God is concer ned about the welfare of his people
(d) God is mer ciful and spares a remnant.
xi. Israel’s election (Amos 2:9 – 11, 3:1 – 2, 9:7
Election: is an act of choosing a person or group of people for a purpose or action.
Israel’s election r efers to God’s choice of the Israelites out of the entire human kind to be
his people.
God chose them to serve him, be a Holy nation and to be the light of the wor ld.
God made a covenant with the Israelites.
In the covenant they agr eed to live a holy life. In r eturn, God looked after them.
He led them out of Egypt to the wilder ness and finally to Canaan.
God chose His prophets from the Israelites and raised Nazirite s.
Despite God’s favour, the Israelites rebelled and sinned against God.
And although Israelites wer e r eminded that God cared for other nations equally and are to
be punished if they disobeyed God; and that they wer e neither superior, nor better than
other nations, they disobeyed God several times.
xii. The day of the lord
Amos taught that the day of the lor d would be a day of sever e judgment for sins.
. It is not a time of happiness, joy or victor y. It is a day of darkness, terror, disaster,
gloom, wailing, flooding, mourning, defeat, punishment, famine for food and God’s word.
xiii. The Remnant and Restoration.
Remnant means a small number of survivors.
These are the Israelites who will r emain after the entir e nation is punished.
They are also those who r eturned to Jerusalem after the exile.
Restoration is an act of r einstating things / persons to their for mer state or position.
Amos infor med the Israelites that God was still looking after them, and waiting for their
repentance.
The nation of Israel would not be destroyed completely.
God would pr eserve the few righteous ones.
He would raise the fallen dynasty of David.
People would be r estored back to their land to rebuild their cities.
There was to be a gr eat harvest and grapes shall over flow.
xiv. Duty o f Christians.
Christians are the selected people of God.
As the chosen ones, they should one, live holy lives and two, use their position to serve
God and others.
Three, Chr istians have a moral responsibility to spread God’s word, four, care for the
needy and five, be the light of the world.
xv. The Day of the lord. Read Amos 5:18 -20, 6:3-5, 8:7-13.
in the Old T estament, the day of the Lor d is the day that Yahweh would make Israel
victorious against other nations.
On this day the Israelite believed that God would establish his rule over and with Israel.
The day of the Lor d was also believed to be the day when Israel would be prosper ous,
would have favour with God, and the just would triumph over the wicked.
In the New T estament, the day of the lor d is also t he Day of Judgment (Parousia).
It is the day of the second coming of Chr ist.
On that day, ever yone will be judged. Christians believe that it is the day that Christ will
come for His bride (the church).
Those who had obeyed the laws of God shall be receive d by Christ and given the r eward of
the eter nal life. On that day, God’s kingdom shall be established and Chr ist will reign
for ever.
xvi. Relevance of Amos teachings to Christians today.
The messages of the prophecy of Amos are relevant to Christians today . This is because
God is universal.
He chose Israel but still punished her for her disobedience, and sins just as He punished
other nations like Syria and Gaza.
The message that God hates hypocrisy is ver y clear.
Thus Christians should truthful and practice what they pr each.
They must worship God in sincer ity. Other messages are:
Justice.
Christians should be just / fair in dealing with others.
Self – Indulgence.
Christians should not pursue luxur y and selfindulgence when others lack the basic needs.
Bribery.
Christians should condemn briber y and corruption, and uphold justice.
Punishment.
Christians should bear in mind that God will punish ever y evil.
Wealth.
When Israel became wealthy, they departed from the covenant with God.
Christians should shar e their wealth with the needy and acquir e their wealth justly
Hypocritical religion.
Amos taught about hypocrisy in religion. This was for example offer ing empty sacrifices.
Christians have to learn to be sincer e, to be concerned about their inter nal well being and
soul mor e than outward obser vances of religion.
Drunkenness. Christians should not engage in activities that can divert their faith fr om
God.
If that happens, they should learn to be Repentant.
Revision exercise
1. List the visions that Amos saw
2. Explain the evils that Amos condemned in his teachings
3. Give r easons why pr ophet Amos condemned idol worship in Israel
4. List evils in the society today that Amos would condemn
He received his call in for m of a dialogue with Yahweh. God told him that he had
appointed him to be his messenger; even befor e he was for med in his mother’s womb, God
had selected him to be a prophet.
Jer emiah said he was too young and did not know how to speak.
Jer emiah was forewar ned of the hostility he would encounter in his prophetic career. God
told him that He would protect him and not to fear.
God touched Jer emiah’s mouth. This symbolized that God is the one who shall put wor ds
in his mouth.
Jer emiah r esponded to God’s call in faith and obedience.
He was given a message that God was going to bring judgment upon the Kingdom of
Judah.
God promised to make him a fortified city, an iron pillar and bronze wall for protection.
He was commanded by God not to marry, neither have childr en and not to attend social
gather ings, weddings, and funerals. His mission made him isolated and lonely.
As a result, his own family and r elatives r ejected him and plotted to kill him. But he had
few friends like Ebed- melech, Ahikam who helped him to get out of a pit.
Jer emiah was persecuted by; the kings of Judah. Priests including priest Pashhur opposed
him, and false prophets like Hannaniah.
He prophesied that God shall punish wicked Kings, priests, and ordina ry people.
He suffer ed spiritually and emotionally. At the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C, the army
officers of Nebuchadnezzar released him fr om prison.
He went to Egypt wher e he died at an old age and as a faithful servant of God.
His life was symbolic to t he people of Judah. During his call, Jeremiah saw two visions.
Vision one was the vision of a “branch of an almond tr ee”. The tree seemed dead, bare, yet
life was in it.
This vision was telling Judah that although God seemed to be ‘sleeping’, He was watch ing
over them if they obey Him.
Vision two was “a pot boiling in the north, and it is about to tip over this way” (1:13).
The boiling pot tilted away from the north signified that the destroyers of Judah would
come from the north.
The pot was ready to boil over and spill its contents. This meant that Judah was soon
going to have trouble. Babylon would pour horrifying disasters on Judah.
Lessons from the call of Jer emiah God has a purpose for each person and He can call
anybody to do His wor k.
He calls the unbor n, the young, old, rich, and poor.
God pr epares people for His wor k, through specific exper iences at family level, in school,
and church.
A person who is called to ser ve God should be ready to meet opposition. God protects His
ser vants and promises to be with them.
Jer emiah felt inadequate to speak. Christians should not let their human weakness hinder
them fr om perfor ming their tasks.
Christians should respond to God’s call in obedience.
Lesson Two. Evils Addressed by Jeremiah. Read Jeremiah 2, 3, 4, 5,7, 9, 10, 23, and
28.
Learning outcomes. After reading this lesson,
1. Name the evil practices that Jer emiah condemned
2. Explain why Jer emiah condemned these evil practices
There wer e many evils in Judah and Israel. We have mentioned some of them. These wer e:
necromancy, dishonesty, deception, false prophecy, human sacrifice, and idolatry.
i. Necromancy.
Wor ds related to necromancy are divinations, magic, sorcery, and playing tricks on
people’s minds.
Necr omancy is the art of seeking hidden knowledge fro m the myster ious world of spirits:
using magic, and divination, which is invoking the dead.
Divination was condemned in the Hebr ew language. Diviners, magicians, sooth sayers and
fortunetellers used necromancy.
Prophet Jeremiah condemned necromancy.
Reasons why Jeremiah condemned necromancy
Necr omancy was a deception and ther efor e an evil practice. The diviners gave false
infor mation from their own imagination.
This practice polluted the true worship of Yahweh and indicated Israelites lack of faith in
the one true God.
Two, by trusting in divination, and magic, the Israelites showed their lack of knowledge of
the one true God.
Three, by consulting the mediums, the Israelites disobeyed God (Jer 27:8 -10).
It is also giving false and misleading infor mation. The Israelites wer e dishonest because
they worshiped God and at the same time committed social injustices against their brothers
and sisters.
Their repentance was insincer e. Ther e was treachery, and gr eed.
They laid traps for each other. People pr etended to be friendly and at the same time
conspir ed to kill.
Jer emiah challenged the Israelites people to ‘circumcise the ir hearts which wer e deceitful.
Their tongues wer e ‘deadly arrows’ and they listened to false prophesies like that of
Hannaniah Jeremiah condemned deception.
This was because it led to syncr etism, and hypocrisy in worship; and br eaking down of the
covenant way of life.
Jer emiah warned the Israelites and asked them to repent.
iii. False prophesy by Hannaniah. Jer 28
During the r eign of king Zedekiah, Hannaniah broke the yoke that Jer emiah was wearing.
Hannaniah spoke in the name of Yahweh. He lied to the pe ople as he spoke from his
imagination and dr eams.
Jer emiah denounced Hannaniah. He predicted and prophesied the death of Hannaniah in
the same year.
And it came to pass. Jeremiah had also prophesied that the captivity of Judah should be
long contrary to Hannaniah who said Judah will be exiled for 2 years.
Reasons for condemning false prophets Prophets of Baal wer e still in existence.
False prophets like Hannaniah had filled the people of Israel with unr ealistic hopes of
peace yet Judah was to be destroyed. Recall the
characteristics of true and false prophets.
False prophets did not condemn sin. They prophesied for money and in the pr ocess misled
people away from Yahweh.
False prophets prophesied from their dreams, imaginations and not from God.
They gave people false hopes. They intended to make themselves popular, with the King
and the people.
iv) Human sacrifice.
The people offer ed human sacrifice to idols and oppr essed each other.
Human sacrifice is the act of killing human beings for a religious or spi ritual purpose.
The Israelites copied this activity from the Canaanites.
Childr en wer e believed to be the best sacrifice since people believed they would get gr eat
favors from the deities.
Some kings such as Ahaz and Manasseh sacrificed their sons to idol s.
Jer emiah condemned human sacrifice.
Idolatry led to divine judgment and punishment. People of Judah abandoned Yahweh the
‘Husband’ and chased “lovers” the idols and deities The Israelites (Norther n kingdom) had
been punished before and yet Judah did not learn from them.
By worshipping idols Judah br oke the covenant and their relationship with God.
And unless the people of Judah repented, they would be punished; as ther e is only one true
living God to be worshipped and obeyed.
Is ther e idolatry among Chr istians today’s.
vi. Other evils condemned by Jeremiah
People of Judah trusted that the temple was secure, holy and cannot be destroyed.
Jer emiah denounced this false belief about the temple. He warned them that God would
destr oy the temple because of the many evils committed in it.
The temple of God had become a ‘den of robbers’ and human sacrifices.
People of Judah committed other evils such as hypocrisy (Jer 7; 9 -10); social injustice
(adulter y, mur der), stubbor nness, and rebellion.
vi. The temple
Temple is a place of worship. The temple of Israelites was in Jerusalem.
It signified the pr esence of God among his people.
The Israelites believed God could never destroy or allow destruction of the temple.
Jer emiah stood at the gates of the temple court during Jehuiakim’s reign, and Judah that
God would destroy the temple and send them to exile.
He urged them to r epent and turn back to God.
King Josiah heard the message of Jer emiah and he r efor med r eligious practices in Judah.
vii. Religions reforms carried out by King Josiah
This topic is not clearly spelt out in the syllabus.
It is based on the book of Deuter onomy. The scroll was discover ed in the temple during
repairs.
Josiah order ed the r epair of the temple of God.
He led a national cer emony to review the covenant.
He destroyed idols and altars associat ed with the worship of foreign deities throughout
Judah.
He eliminated all the priests associated with the worship of false deities.
He celebrated Passover in Jerusalem.
The successors of King Josiah did not follow his example. They became corrupt.
Some people including Chr istians practice witchcraft, sorcery, personality cults and her o
worship of religions and political leaders. Other people, worship money, materialism,
media, and sports obsession with power / status Sexual immorality – devil worship.
4. Jeremiahs temple ser mon. Read text again.
Lesson Three. Jeremiah’s Teachings on Judgment and Punishment
Read Jeremiah 5:12 -18, 6;1-30, 7:30, 8:1-17, 10: 17-25, 15;1-9, 17:1-13, 25: 1-38
Learning Outcomes. By the end of this topic, you should be able to: -
a Summarize in two paragraphs Jer emiah key teachings.
b Explain the significance of symb olic acts related to judgement and punishment.
c Describe suffer ing and lamentations of Jer emiah.
d Explain the teachings of Jer emiah on the new covenant.
a. Jeremiah teachings.
Sin was inter nalise in the hearts of the people of Judah. God punished them.
God punishes people because of their unfaithfulness.
Punishment is a penalty, for an offence or a crime committed.
But in punishing people, God is a just judge. He does not punish people without a reason
irrespective of their status.
God judges people by looking into their hearts. Divine judgment is for a group. For
example, the people of Judah wer e punished as a group.
However God searches each person’s heart and judges accor dingly.
God executes His judgment by means of political and historical events. Div ine
punishments are in for ms of natural disasters like dr ought, famine, and epidemics.
God’s punishment is unavoidable, and inescapable.
Judah took the best option by surrender ing to the Babylonians.
The purpose for God’s judgement is to correct the sinner . God gave his people a chance to
repent befor e he punished them.
God’s judgment is universal.
It is not limited to one nation. God punished the neighbours of Judah who at that time
wer e Egypt, Moab, Ammon, and Babylon.
God’s punishment is sever e compared to that of venomous snakes that bite the people of
Judah.
God’s judgement is not necessarily a punishment from God for one’s sins.
It is symbolic. The suffer ings of Jer emiah wer e symbolic of the life of the people of
Judah.
What can we learn about God’s pu nishments? Ar e moder n disasters such as cyclones,
floods, earthquakes, landslides, epidemics, bomb blasts, civil wars, forest fir es, rebellions
in schools a sign of God’s judgment and punishment? What do you think?
b. Symbolic acts related to judgement and punishment
People use several methods to convey messages to each other.
We use songs, advertisements, dramas, and stories by the fir eside, in novels, the Inter net,
and magazines to communicate messages about childr en, adults, society, political leaders,
poverty and many others.
The prophets used:
(1). Oracles; ‘Thus says the Lor d’;
(2) Allegor ies
(3) Parables
(4) Songs
(5) Symbolic Visions
(6) Symbolic actions and
(7) dramatized messages
Symbolic acts of Jeremiah
i The linen waist cloth (Jer.13)
ii Jer emiah’s personal life (Jer.16)
iii Jeremiah’s visit to a potter (Jer.18)
iv The broken earthen flask (Jer.19)
v The symbolic vision of 2 baskets of figs (Jer.24)
vi The wearing of the yoke
Jer emiah then broke the clay jar in their presence and announced to them that Yahweh
would destr oy Jerusalem and Judah as Jer emiah had destroyed the jar.
Significance.
The kings, priests and prophets of Judah would be shatter ed like the clay flask because of
their sins. Sine, they brutally sacrificed their childr en; they are to suffer horrif ying
experiences at the hand of their enemies.
They shall suffer starvation and turn into cannibals; eating their own childr en and
neighbours (v.9).
Broken pieces of a clay pot cannot be moulded. No one was to escape judgment.
However ther e is hope after punishment.
v. Two Baskets of Figs (Jer.24).
Jer emiah r eceived the visions, after the deportation and exile of leading citizens of Judah
and Israel to Babylon.
Two baskets of figs wer e placed in front of the temple.
One basket had ver y good figs, which had ripened.
The other basket had bad figs unfit for human consumption.
Significance.
The basket of good figs signified the first exile. God would r enew their hearts; use them to
fulfil his promises to the Israelites. He would recr eate them to a new people.
The basket of the bad figs repr esented people living in Jerusalem and Egypt.
Since they wer e not exiled they had a self -righteous attitude.
They thought that God spared them because they wer e truthful but it was not so.
They shall also be destr oyed through famine, and diseases. This vision signifies hope and
restoration of the Israelites.
Any nation that accepted this message shall not suffer; but if any nation ..will no submit
to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia rule, God will punish that nation by war, starvation
and disease” Read Jer 27:6-8.
The message for king Zedekiah was to surrender to the Babylonian rule and live, if he
resists he would per ish.
The message for priests and people of Judah was not to be misled by the false pr ophets.
The temple would be destroyed.
Its treasures looted by the Babylonians.
Significance.
The yoke r epr esented the Babylonians rule. Nebuchadnezzar was used by God to bring
judgment to all nations.
Yahweh is a universal God and his judgment is universal. Sinners are punished r egardless
of their origin or nation.
Those who r epent are spared.
Reflection questions
Why did God inspir e Jer emiah to use symbolic acts to convey his message?
Answer
Israelites wer e stubbor n.
Jer emiah acts wer e reminders to Judah to turn to God and stop idolatry and all the sins
they wer e committing.
They had dr ifted too far from God.
False prophets wer e prophesying lies to them.
The people of Judah wer e expected to meditate o n these acts and understand God’s will for
them and see the ser iousness of the matter.
This was also to imprint a lasting impr ession in their minds.
SAQ. Which methods do pastors / priests use to communicate God’s message to Christians
today?
c. The sufferings and lamentations of Jeremiah Read Jer 11, 12, 17:14 – 18, 18:18- 23
, 20: 1 – 6, 27, 37, and 38.
Jer emiah sufferings wer e experiences that wer e painful; physically and emotionally.
In suffering ther e is loss and grief.
Lamentations are strong emotional expr essions of pain and grief.
Jeremiah suffered in the following ways.
XI. King Zedekiah released Jeremiah from the cell to his court.
Jer emiah continued to prophecy and was thr own in a muddy cister n.
Her e he was rescued by Ebed- melech an Ethiopian Eunuch.
The court officials had accused him of not being patriotic. Jer emiah remained in jail until
the Babylonians overthr ew Jerusalem.
He did not change his prophecies. Read Jer. 10:1 – 6, 27, 37, and 38.
Is there relevance of the sufferings and lamentations of Jeremiah to Christians today?
From his suffering Christians lear n to be r eady to face opposition and rejection from their
own family members and relatives for the sake of the gospel.
Christians should be prepar ed to suffer persecution for the Lord.
Christians should be ready to make sacrifices for the sake of God. Be ready to lead humble
lives.
Jer emiah’s open confessions to God encourage Chris tians to be open to God. Christians
should let God avenge for them just like Jer emiah prayed to God to r evenge his enemies.
Christians should not lose hope in times of difficulty.
Christians learn that tribulations strengthen their faith.
Christians should learn to deal with negative emotions such as self – pity, grief and trust
God.
Jer emiah was told by God to repent of his negative utterances.
Christians should do the same as they are assured of divine security and protection against
their persecutors.
Lesson Four. Jeremiah’s Teaching About the New Covenant
A covenant is an agr eement. Another wor d for covenant is testament. Jer emiah taught that
ther e would be a new covenant between God and Israel.
This new covenant would be differ ent from the Old (Sinai) covenant.
The new covenant would renew the br oken r elationship between God and his people.
c. Summar ize the similarities between the old covenant and the new covenant
a. The New Covenant.
In the new covenant, the law would be written in the hearts of the people unlike the old
covenant wher e the law was written on stone tablets.
Ever y individual would know God personally and not through prophets as it was during
times of Jer emiah and previous one.
Each person would be r esponsible for his/her sins.
God would forgive sins and r emember them no mor e.
The new covenant would be established after God’s punishment of Israel and establishing
a’ new Israel’, a ‘new people’ of God.
The new covenant would establish a new beginning. People would for get the first Exodus.
The second Exodus would be deliverance and restoration from Babylon.
God would initiate the new covenant as he did with the first.
It would be a new covenant of peace, unity, prosper ity, Joy and gladness. In the new
covenant a ‘righteous branch’ would be established.
The new covenant would be ever lasting. It would not be br oken again.
b. Differences between the old covenant and the new covenant Old Covenant New
Covenant
1. Based on law Based on faith
2. Word written on stone tablets Word written in peoples hearts
3. God known personally by a few priests prophets and prophets Each to person to kn ow
God personally
4. Covenant broken when people sinned Ever lasting covenant
5. Sins punished collectively Sins punished individually
6. 1st Exodus from Egypt 2nd Exodus fr om Babylon
7. Sealed by animal sacrifice Sealed by Jesus sacrifice (blood) What are the similarities
between the old and the new covenant? Jesus fulfilled the new covenant.
Jesus is the ‘righteous branch’ from the lineage of David. In the last supper, befor e his
death, Jesus said ‘this cup which is pour ed out for you is the new covenant i n my blood.
Read Luke, 22:20.
The death and r esurrection of Jesus marks the new covenant.
Jesus spoke of for giveness of sins of humanity Jesus for gave people’s sins, for example,
the sinful woman in Simon’s house (Luke7: 36 – 50). In the new covenant the law would
be wr itten in people’s hearts.
Jesus summarized the Mosaic Law into ‘love God with all your heart, mind, strength and
love your neighbour as you love yourself.
Jesus established the kingdom of God as a new community of God’s people based on faith
(the Christians).
Jesus fulfilled the new covenant prophecies The teachings of Jer emiah new covenant of
hope and restoration is fulfilled in Jesus Christ and the new testament church (Christians)
Heb.8:7 – 12.
Lesson Five. Jeremiah’s Teachings on Hope and Restoration
Learning Outcomes
(a) Explain the symbolic acts related to hope and restoration.
(b) Descr ibe the fall of Jerusalem and the exile of the Israelites.
(c) Relate the r elationship of the teachings of Jer emiah to the New T estament and
Christian life today.
A. Symbolic acts related to hope and restoration.
The symbolic acts wer e one hope and restor e. Hope is to expect something that is desir ed;
while to restor e is to bring back as nearly as possible the for mer or original state or
condition.
The symbolic acts wer e 5 in number.
The first symbolic act was a vision of 2 baskets of figs. We have discussed it. Refer to the
symbolic act related to judgment.
The second symbolic act was Jeremiah buying a field.
God instructed Jer emiah to buy a field fr om his cousin Hanamel of Anathoth.
Jer emiah bought the field for 17 cents of silver.
He then handed the title deed and open copy to Baruch.
Baruch was told to keep the title deed and the copy in an earthen vessel for preser vation
for a long time.
Jer emiah prophesied the r estoration of the exiles to their homeland.
The significance of this symbolic act is the assurance of restoration of Judah and Israel
after suffer ing.
People will be restor ed to their homeland.
After 70 years people of Judah would r econstruct their homes, cultivate their land, and
own property (Jer 32; 1 -15).
The third symbolic act was Jeremiah’ letter to the Jews in Babylonia.
Jer emiah wr ote to the people of Judah a letter of encouragement while in exile.
They wer e to settle down, build houses, marry and have childr en, live in peace with the
Babylonians.
They wer e to pray for the welfare of their masters and to ignor e false pr ophets who lied to
them about the safety of Jerusalem and a quick return.
God would restor e them back to their land aft er 70 years of exile wer e over. The exiles
wer e to trust in God and not give up (Jer.29).
The fourth sy mbolic act was a wooden ox yoke.
The yoke r epr esented captivity and suffer ing of Jews in exile.
It was also a sign of hope if the people of Judah wer e wi lling to submit to the Babylonian
rule.
God would restor e them back to their land. Their yoke would be broken and they would be
set fr ee.
The fifth symbolic act was the visit to the porter’s house
b. The fall of Jerusalem and the exile of the Israelites (J er.39)
Jer emiah’s prophecy came to pass. Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in the ninth year of
king Zedekiah in 587BC.
The Babylonians conquer ed Jerusalem and seized it. King Zedekiah fled but; he was
captured by the Babylonians ar my.
He witnessed the execution of his sons. His eyes wer e gauged out.
He was then taken in chains to captivity in Babylon.
Solomon’s temple was looted and destroyed. Villages, Jerusalem and the palace wer e
destr oyed and burnt down.
The priests, court officials, army officials, pe ople in the upper class, craftsmen wer e
executed.
City people wer e taken to Babylon as captives.
The poor, aged and a few people wer e left behind and given vineyards to farm.
Nebuchadnezzar’s army was brutal to the Israelites. Many wer e killed.
A few like Ebed – Melech wer e spared as prophesied by Jer emiah (he had rescued him
from the well).
Nebuchadnezzar order ed the r elease of Jer emiah.
He was treated well Judah became a province of Babylon.
Gedaliah was appointed gover nor of Judah.
He stayed at Mizpah, the headquarters of Judah.
Ishmael killed Gedaliah. Later Jer emiah was forced to go to Egypt by the Israelites.
Jer emiah died in Egypt, an old man, and still faithful to his call.
Lesson Six. Relating the Teachings of Jeremiah to the New Testament and Chris tian
Life Today
Learning outcomes. By the end of the lesson you should be able to: -
1.Describe the teachings of Jer emiah in relation to Christian life today
2. Descr ibe the teachings of Jer emiah in r elation to the new testament
Jer emiah was rejected by his; r elatives, friends and the Israelites. In the New T estament,
Jesus was
rejected in his hometown of Nazareth: and by the r eligious leaders of Israel.
Jer emiah compar ed himself to a lamb being led to the slaughter.
Jesus in the New Testament is r eferr ed t o as a lamb led to the slaughter.
Jer emiah’s suffer ing symbolizes divine judgment over Judah.
However Jesus suffer ings was to bring salvation to all mankind.
Both Jeremiah and Jesus exper ienced spir itual agony. Jer emiah exper ience agony and felt
left alone by God.
Jesus too felt agony when praying in the garden of Gethsemane and when on the cr oss.
Jer emiah taught that God is universal and a just judge.
The gospel of Jesus is universal and ever ybody is judged according to his or her faith in
God.
Jer emiah and Jesus accused the Israelites of turning the temple into a “den of robbers”.
Jer emiah and Jesus wer e both accused of blasphemy.
Both challenged false beliefs about the temple.
Both Jeremiah and Jesus spoke of the coming judgment of God.
The new covenant was fulfilled in the life and ministr y of Jesus Christ Jer emiah spoke of
hope and restoration.
Jesus gives hope of eter nal life in the New T estament.
ii. Relationship of Jeremiah’s teaching to Christian today.
Christians are to pr each the gospel of Jesus Christ.
They are empower ed by the Holy Spir it to endure suffer ing and to gr ow spir itually.
Christians like Jer emiah face false prophets who speak in Jesus name.
Christians are to be watchful and obey Yahweh Like Jer emiah Chr istians should call
people to r epentance.
The new covenant is fulfilled in Chr istian’s individual r elationship with God. Christians
are the new people, the new Israel as prophesied by Jer emiah.
His teachings reveal that God is universal.
Christians are from all corners of the earth.
Christians should prepare for divine judgment by practicing love, righteousness, self -
denial, and faith in God.
Revision exercise
1. List the evils that Jer emiah condemned
2.What are some of the evils that church leader s condemn today?
3. Explain the symbolism used during the call of prophet Jer emiah
4. What did Jer emiah teach about the new covenant?
5. Why did prophet Jeremiah condemn the way the Israelites worshipped?
6. Explain Jeremiah’s temple ser mon as recor ded in jer emiah7: 1 -15
7. What for ms of punishment did Jer emiah prophesy that God would use on Judah?
8. Outline the content of Jer emiah’s letter to exiles in Babylon
9. Explain four symbolic acts related to judgement and punishment as demonstrated by
prophet Jer emiah
10. Identify the r elevance of Jer emiah’s teaching to Christians today
11. In what ways is the prophetic mission of Jeremiah similar to that of Jesus?
Topic Six. Nehemiah
Introduction
The book of Nehemiah is a historical writing.
Nehemiah is a record of his deep dependence on God and his fre quent prayer to God.
Nehemiah means “Yahweh has comforted.
Nehemiah was the son of Hacaliah of Judah.
He was not a prophet.
He was exiled to Babylon.
Persians captured Babylon and impr oved the living condition of the Israelites.
They wer e allowed r eligious fr eedom but had to pay tributes.
Learning outcomes. By the end of this topic you should be able to;
a. Describe the historical, religious and social background to Nehemiah
c. Religious background
Jews returned to r ebuild the temple of Jerusalem and the altar of God for sacrifices.
While in exile, Jews wer e allowed by the Babylonian king to practice their religion.
They worshipped Yahweh, practiced circumcision, obeyed dietary laws and obser ved the
Sabbath.
The exiles could not however obser ve all the r eligious practices for example offering
animal sacrifices.
Nehemiah r eturned to Jerusalem to r ebuild it’s the wall.
The temple of Jerusalem was rebuilt, clear ed and dedicated to God.
Lesson Two. Prayers by Nehemiah and modern Christians
Learning outcomes. After reading this lesson the learner sho uld be able to:
a. Outline occasions when Nehemiah prayed to the Lord.
b. Discuss the importance of prayer
Nehemiah prayed, mour ned, and fasted.
He prayed often and for all actions, keeping God’s law, for giveness, punishments, human
relations, Jerusalem, good works, contributions and offerings, obser vance of Sabbath day,
and preparing duty allocations for priests and Levites. .
i. When he learnt about the suffering of Jews who remained in Judah and the ruined
state of Jerusalem;
He prayed for for giveness on behalf of his people (Neh.4: 1 – 11).
ii. Making a request to King Artaxerxes to be permitted to return to Judah (Neh.2: 4 –
iii. When his enemies ridiculed the Jews and planned to discourage them from
rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem.
Tobiah in particula r said that the wall was poorly constructed and it could be br ought
down by; a fox jumping on it.
Nehemiah r equested God to punish the enemies who wer e mocking temple builders (Neh.4:
4 – 5).
iv. When he learnt that his enemies were conspiring to attack Je rusalem to stop the
construction work
He prayed and or ganised people to provide a 24 -hour guard of the wall (Neh.4: 7 – 9).
In prayers, Christians trust that God listens and answers their prayers.
Lesson Three: Leadership Qualities of Nehemiah
Learning outcomes. By the end of the lesson you should be able to: -
1. State the leadership qualities of Nehemiah.
2. Explain the r elevance of Nehemiah’s leadership qualities to Christians today.
Introduction.
A leader is someone charged with the r esponsibility of guiding, controlling, directing and
leading others.
Nehemiah had many leadership qualities. These were: -
1) God fearing man.
Nehemiah fear ed God, relied and depended on God.
2) Prayerfulness.
He prayed constantly befor e and after making decisions.
3) Courageous.
He displayed courage even when his life was in danger.
4) Hard work and commit ment.
He was dedicated to the r ebuilding of the wall of the temple and Jerusalem.
5) Team spirit
He was a team leader, motivati ng people to work.
6) He had planning and or ganizational skills
7) He was visionary
He had compassion for the needy especially the poor, Levites and priests
9) He was patriotic loved his country
10) Wisdom. He made wise decisions at the right time.
11) He led by example, a role model
12) He was honest and sincer e in his prayers
13) He was shrewd and impartial
14) His trusted God absolutely.
The rebuilt wall had several gates with differ ent names.
The gates wer e the entrances to Jerusalem.
Their names wer e Dung gate, Potsher d gate, Fountain gate, Water gate, Horse gate, East
gate, Sheep gate, Fish gate, Watch gate and Ephraim gate.
Knowing t he names of the gates may not be necessary but its good infor mation.
b. Problems faced by Nehemiah.
When Nehemiah was building the wall of Jerusalem, he faced many challenges.
There was lack of cooperation by the nobles of Tekoa.
They did not want to do ma nual work at first but they later repented.
Nehemiah faced opposition from enemies such as.
Sanballat, and Tobiah, the Arab who tried to thwart the progr ess of Nehemiah’s work.
As he built Jerusalem, the rich oppr essed the poor.
This was worsened by famine The pr iests misused the temple and the offer ings.
For example, temple duties had been abandoned.
The Levites wer e not getting their share of the offer ings and the Sabbath was violated.
There was laxity in observance of the Sabbath.
This was a challenge to Nehemiah because Sabbath day should be kept holy.
There was a lot of for eign influence because of the conquests by several for eign armies,
inter marriages and interactions between Jews, neighbor ing people and for eigners.
Marriages in particular threa tened the identity of the Israelites as a nation.
Worse still Priests married to for eign women defiled the priesthood accor ding to
Nehemiah.
Because of these assimilations of Jews thr ough marriages, Nehemiah knew that Israel and
Judah would eventually be l ost as God’s nation.
Because of his opposition to these interactions, Nehemiah received death threats.
c. Dedication of the wall of Jerusalem (Neh. 12:27 – 47)
The rebuilt wall was dedicated to God. The wall restor ed security and prestige of God’s
people.
The wall of Jerusalem was set -aside for God in a solemn cer emony.
There was a dedication cer emony in which people sung with symbols, harps, lyr es,
trumpets and other instruments.
The priests, and Levites purified themselves.
The people led by Ezra, Nehemia h, the pr iests and other leaders of Judah walked around
the wall.
They divided themselves into two groups.
One gr oup walked fr om the right side and the other gr oup from the left side and conver ged
at the temple.
Sacrifices wer e offer ed and people r ejoiced.
Some men wer e appointed to be in charge of the stor ehouses; wher e tithes, and first fruits
of harvest wer e kept.
Offer first fruits of their harvest and dedicate the first bor n and flocks as requir ed by
the law.
Pay for their tithes as required by the law.
Which lessons can we learn fro m the renewal of the covenant?
God is good, loving, mer ciful, and faithful to his promises.
God for gives all people and we ar e all sinners.
We fail in our moral obligation to God and to one another.
Since we ar e sinners, we should r epent our sins and striv e to live according to God’s law.
Christians are to encourage one another as well as others to repent as it brings about
reconciliation with God and with one another.
Christians should be forgiving and avoid situations that lead them to sin.
b. Suggest what we can learn from the teachings of Nehemiah and that of St. Luke’s
Gospel.
a. Reforms by Nehemiah.
We have discussed r efor ms, which Nehemiah carried out during his stay in Judah, wher e
he was the gover nor (Neh 5:14).
The major reforms were
i Rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem as well as its gates.
ii Cleansing of the temple:
Nehemiah thr ew him out Tobiah a for eigner who was living in the temple quarters.
iii Reinstatement of the Levites and other temple wo rkers.
Levites, and musicians had left the temple duties to work in their farms to earn a
livelihood.
They wer e supposed to wor k in the temple and be supported by member contributions.
Nehemiah organised Jews to make offerings and tithes to support temple workers. With
these contributions, Nehemiah r einstated and r edeployed Levites, priests, musicians and
other temple wor kers.
vii Nehemiah was guided by the Law of Moses and land just like Christians are guided by
the scr iptures.
(Bible) and the law of the nation. The Bible is the source and basis of Christian principles.
Revision questions
1. Descr ibe the political backgr ound of Nehemiah
2. Descr ibe the social background to the vocation of Nehemiah
3. Descr ibe the religious background to the vocation of Nehemiah
4. Descr ibe occasions when Nehemiah prayed
5. State occasions when Christians pray
6. What is the importance of prayer in Chr istian life?
7. Identify the leadership of Nehemiah’s patriotism
8. Explain the r elevance of Nehemiah’s leadership to a Christian toda y
9. Explain the r elevance of Nehemiah’s exper ience to Christians today
10. explain the problems that Nehemiah encounter ed in his vocation
11. Explain the steps taken by Nehemiah to renew the covenant
12. State the promises the Israelites made during the r enewal of the covenant
Study activities.
Visit a church or your church and obser ve the display of the gifts of the Holy Spirit by the
members.
Study the books of Amos, Jer emiah and Nehemiah befor e hand.
Qn b. Describe the manifestations of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:
1-40) OR (narrate the events that took place on the day of Pentecost).
Disciples gather ed in a room.
Sounds came fr om heaven like a rush of mighty wind and filled the house.
There appeared tongues of fir e.
The tongues of fir e wer e distributed on each one of them.
They wer e filled with the Holy Spirit.
They wer e spea king in for eign languages and tongues.
Those who wer e obser ving them wer e amazed, as they could not understand what they
wer e saying.
They accused them of being drunk.
Peter stood up and explained that they wer e not drunk as it was too early in the day to
get drunk.
He explained how they wer e filled with the Holy Spirit as prophesied by prophet Joel.
He told them that it was Jesus whom they had rejected and cr ucified who had sent them
the Holy Spirit.
The people asked peter what they could do.
Peter told them to r epent and be baptized.
On that day about 3000 people wer e added to the church.
Qn c. write down five teachings we learn about Jesus from Peter’s speech on the day
of Pentecost.
Jesus was from Nazar eth
He had a divine nature or was son of God
He had a human natur e
He was attested by God to wor k miracles and wonders thr ough Jesus.
Jesus’ death/ crucifixion was accor ding to God’s plan
God raised Jesus from the dead
Jesus conquer ed death
The death and r esurrection of Jesus fulfils the pr ophecy of David
Jesus was a descendant of David
The Holy Spir it was from Jesus Christ as he had promised.
God has made Jesus Christ both lord and Christ/ messiah
He was to help them attain eter nal life. If it was necessary for him to die and return to
the father so that Holy Spirit will be sent to them.
It was to replace Jesus as a counselor and an advoc ate
He was to give the disciples author ity to forgive or not to for give
The spirit would remind them all that Jesus had taught them
The holy spirit will repr ove the world of sin, righteousness and judgement
He would glorify Jesus amongst the believer s
He will enable believers to be witnesses of Jesus in the whole world
He was to str engthen disciples as a wonderful counselor
He was to continue with the work of Jesus as a witness
Qn g. what is the role if the holy spirit according to Jesus?
He comforts believers
He teaches believers all things
He bring into remembrance all that Jesus taught his disciples
The holy spirit would convict the wor ld of their sins and lead them to righteousness
He will guide the believers in all the truth
He will glor ify Chr ist and teach about him
He will tell of the things to come in the future
He would not speak on his own author ity but would speak only what he hears from the
father.
He will enable believers to be witnesses of Jesus in the wor ld
He will counsel believers because he knows the mind of God
He will enable believers know the per fect will of God
Qn h. what is the role of the Holy Spirit in the believers (or Christians or th e church)
He enables believers to pr each with power
He comforts believers
He guides believers in all truth
He gives believers boldness to witness about Jesus
He enables Christians to produce the fruit of the spir it
He washes sacrifices and justifies the believer in the name of Jesus
He teaches believers all things
The gift of knowledge that is the basic understanding of the truth about Jesus Christ
The gift of faith that refers to the confidence or truth in God’s inspiration and help in
undertaking difficult tasks
The gift of healing: the power to heal all types of sicknesses
The gift to perfor m all types of miracles including healing
The gift of prophecy: that is the ability to expound on the scriptur es and for etell its
future implications
The gift of distinguishing gifts: the ability to tell t he differ ence between gifts that
come from the spir it and those that are not
The gift of speaking in tongues: the ability to understand and interpr et tongues
Lastly the gift of love, which is the greatest of all the spiritual gifts.
Qn l. Explain why Paul taught that love is the greatest of all spiritual gifts.
Paul taught that love is the gr eatest of all spiritual gifts. He said that love is patient
and kind
It’s not jealous or boastful.
It is not arrogant or rude or conceited. It does not hold grudges or ill manner ed or selfish
It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful
It does not rejoice at wrong doings but rejoices in the truth
Love bears, believes, hopes and endur es all things
It is ready to deep fir m its faith, hope and its patience
Love does not succumb to pressur e but always persever es
He justified that love is the gr eatest gift of the spiritual gifts because in prayer, the gift
of tongues becomes nothing but meani ngful when accompanied by love (charity)
On faith, Paul says that even if one has faith that can move mountains but has no love,
he is nothing
Charity or gener osity including sacrificing own life is nothing without love
Qn m. Explain how the Holy Spirit is manifested in the church today
Through dynamic, power, bold and vigorous teaching of the gospel
Through speaking in tongues in many evangelical churches
Through the gift of healing many people are healed as they ar e prayed for
Through the gift of love, Christians show mercy to all members of the society
regardless of their race, sex or age (helping the poor in the society)
Through the gift of prophecy some believers give proper guidance to the church
Through the gift of disc er nment of spirits believers are able to tell the type of spirit
that is in operation
Through the gift of faith, believers have been able to accomplish tasks that seem rather
impossible
Some Christians through the holy spir it are able to withstand a persecution to the point
of death
The holy spirit convicts sinners and makes them confess their sins
Through the holy spirit many Christians see heavenly visions and dr eams
The fear of the lor d is upon many evangelical groups through the Holy Spirit
In some evangelical gatherings, ther e are many supernatural things during worship e.g.
shaking and swaying
It is also manifested through prayer at individual or congr egational levels
Through decision making in church i.e. solving proble ms and issues in church
Through singing and dancing or music
Through offertory and alms or sadaka
Holding fellowship meetings, bible study and reading the bible
Celebration of sacraments e.g. Eucharist and lor d’s supper
Bringing new converts to the church
Pastoral cave and counseling It is manifested in Ecumenism: wor king together of the
churches
Writing Christian literature e. g. books, pamphlets and magazines
Enabling Christians to confess their sins and reconciliation meet ings
Education and giving instructions
Qn n: State ways in which the gifts of the Holy Spirit have been abused in the church
today.
Cheating that one has a certain gift of the Holy Spirit
Commer cialization of the gifts.
People are asked to pay money befor e being prayed for or being healed.
False interpretation of the bible, prophecy or predicting the futur e.
Unscrupulous Chr istians may impart demoniac powers or innocent faithful.
Some Christians who possess the gifts of the Holy Spir it develop pride or selfishness or
super iority complex.
Wrong use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit wher e faithful get into ecstasy or trance which
may lead to injuries.
Distinguishing oneself as a person with a special call e.g. preacher with intent ion of
exploiting others or situations.
Topic Two: Unity of Believers
Qn a. Write down the terms used in the New Testament to refer to believers in Christ
The people of God
The body of Christ
The bride of Christ
The vine and the branches
The assembly of God
Christians
The people of the way (followers of the way) other ter ms
Followers of Christ
New Israel
Church
The sheep
The royal church
Brethr en
Royal race
Royal priest hood
Holy nation
The childr en of light
Saints
Brothers and sisters in Christ
As prophets, Christians should provide hope to the people in times of suffer ing.
They learn that they can face suffer ing just like the prophets did e.g. Jer emiah e.g.
persecution, rejection etc.
They should condemn sin like the pr ophets.
The wr itings of the prophets strengthen their faith when they need them.
Prophet Amos
Q1. List the visions that Amos saw
He saw a swarm of locusts. Amos 7:1 -3
He saw a great fir e. Amos 7:4-6
The plumb line/crooked wall. Amos 7:7 -8
Basket of ripe fruits. Amos 8:1 -3
The destruction of the temple. Amos 9:1 -4
Q2. Explain the evils that A mos condemned in his teachings
Sexual immorality (A mos 2:17)
• Amos condemned temple pr ostitution – 23:17.
• Father and son wer e going to the same woman.
• They copied these fr om the Canaanite pagans, which was wr ong and unfaithful to
Yahweh.
Slavery: (Amos 2:6)
The righteous, the rich made the poor slaves.
This is because they borrowed from the rich and could not repay so they made them work
like slaves and treated them harshly.
Some sold them for a paid of sandals.
This was breaking G od’s laws, which guided them on how to tr eat their poor fellow
Israelites.
Idolatry: Amos 5:26
Amos accused them for breaking God’s covenant by worshipping other gods.
Cheating in Business: He condemned the following:
• Merchants used false measur es
• They overcharged the poor
• Sold goods of low quality
A pot of boiling facing away from the North and about to tilt toward Judah. God would
use a nation fr om the North to bring judgement on the people of Judah because of their
wickedness.
A fortified city. A bronze wall and an iron pillar. God was going to protect him even
though he was going to meet opposition.
To uproot and pull down, to destroy and overthrow. God would pass judgement on the
nation of Judah and other nations.
To build and to plant. Ther e was still hope of the r estoration of people of Judah after
exile.
Q4. What did Jeremiah teach about t the New Covenant?
The new covenant was to be wr itten in people’s hearts.
The covenant was to be made between God and the r emnant community after exile.
The people wer e to have a personal knowledge of God in the new covenant.
God was to forgive their sin and r emember them no mor e.
Each individual was responsible f or his won sins.
The new covenant was to be initiated by God.
The new covenant was to last for ever.
It was as a result in the emer gence of a new people of God or new Israel.
Q5. Why did Prophet Jeremiah condemn the way the Israelites worshippe d?
They broke God’s commands e.g. the 1st and do not worship other gods – they
worshipped idols.
They practiced hypocr isy i.e. they wer e concerned with exter nal religious obser vance
while their hearts wer e far from God.
They forgot the saving histor y of God and worshipped other gods e.g. Asherah.
They practiced syncr etism i.e. they worshipped both Yahweh and for eign Gods.
They listened to false prophets and r ejected God’s prophets e.g. Jer emiah. They even
killed some.
They dishonor ed the sanctity of human life by offer ing human sacrifice.
They neglected the disadvantaged (widows & orphans).
They wer e dishonest in business and deceitful to one another.
They narrowed themselves in necromancy, divination and magic.
They rebelled against God by breaking the covenant relationship.
Q6. Explain Jeremiah’s temple sermon as recorded in Jeremiah 7:1 -15
Q8. Outline the content of Jeremiah’s letter to exiles in Babylon (Jer. 29)
He encouraged the Israelites in Babylon to build houses and live in them.
Plant gardens and eat their produce.
Marry and incr ease.
Pray for their rulers.
Not to worship false gods.
Not to be cheated by false prophets.
Rich Jews oppr essed the poor e.g. they would confiscate their property for failur e to
repay debts
Qn 3. Describe the religious background to the vocation of Nehemiah
While in exile the Babylonians allowed the Jews to continue with their r eligious lives.
The exiles became the period of purification
They returned with a new zeal to worship God; they r ebuilt the altar under Zerubbabel
for offer ing burnt offer ings to God
The returnees built the temple of Jerusalem under Haggai and Zachariah and dedicated
to god by Ezra
Nehemiah embarked on r ebuilding the walls of Jerusalem amidst opposition in 52 days
the wall was complete.
Consequently, Jerusalem once mor e became the centre of worship for Israel. Idolatry was
not allowed again in Israel after the exile.
The temple of Jerusalem was dedicated to Yahweh. The Israelites r enewed their
covenant with God under prophet and priest Ezra.
Nehemiah carried out va rious religious refor ms.
Qn 4. Describe occasions when Nehemiah prayed
When he heard about the suffer ing of his fellow Jews back in Judah
When he lear ned about the state of ruin of Jerusalem and king Atarterxes to r equest
him to allow him go back to Judah.
When his enemies e.g. Tobiah and Samballat ridiculed him as he r econstructed the
walls of Jerusalem.
When he lear ned of his enemies conspiracy to attack Jerusalem.
When his enemies conspir ed to destr oy his life/ kill him
When Shemia h attempted to frighten him to hide in the temple as hi life was in danger.
When he cleansed and arranged the temple as a house of God.
When he warned the people of Judah against violating the Sabbath law
After chasing away the son in law of Samballat from the temple
After cleansing the Israelites of for eign influence
Qn 5. State occasions when Christians pray
When they ar e faced with diverse persecutions.
They ask God to protect them
When they don’t understand certain scriptures.
The binding agr eement that people and God was done by the Israelites joining hands.
Qn 11. State the promises that Israelit es made during the renewal of the covenant
That ever y seventh year, they would cancel debts accor ding to the Mosaic Laws.
That they should observe God’s commandments and live accor ding to his laws.
That they would offer the first of their harves ts as required by Torah.
That they would dedicate their first -born sons to God.
That they will not inter marry with for eigner s at all.
That they will not buy corn or anything else on the Sabbath day.
That they will remit their arrival temple expenses to ensur e that God’s house was okay.
That they will provide sacrifices and offerings at the temple.
That they will pay their tithes according to the law.
Group study activities
1. Read and study the book of Luke by
2. Dividing up the chapters in the book of Luke among the members of the class and let
ever y group present a summary of the chapters allocated to them.
3. Check out movies about the life, death and resurr ection of Jesus Christ but not e that
your study according to the syllabus is based on St. Luke’s gospel.