This Crossing Bridges website was created as a form of online Christian outreach to provide Bible Studies
and an email contact service (reach-out) for people of all ages, in all their diversity and complexity,
in support of their personal Christian growth and spiritual well-being.

From time to time, Bible studies will be provided on this site.
These studies generally follow the teaching series presented within the Sunday evening services (6PM) at St Paul's Anglican Church

- directly in front of the Birkinhead Bridge -
1 Church Place, Port Adelaide in Adelaide South Australia.

You can always join us in person on Sundays.
If you would like to come along, why not email us beforehand so that we can look forward to welcoming you especially.
Don't hesitate to email us on "wrphilp@gmail.com.au"

 

(Locum Tenens) Parish Priest

Father Peter Simmons  0419 803 630
The Reverend
B.Th.

(Honorary) Parish Deacon

Brother Wayne Philp 0419 800 542
The Reverend Doctor
Ph.D., M.Mental Health, B.Th., B.Sc.

Click below to visit
www.stpaulsportadelaide.com

CLICK HERE

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This week's Bible Study:

The Kingdom of God is like…
Bible Study 8 – The Judgement

The Kingdom of God (a.k.a The Kingdom of Heaven) is the spiritual realm over which God reigns as King and His Will is done in Heaven and on Earth. The Kingdom does not refer to a geographical area, nor to those inhabiting a realm, but rather to the activity of The King himself – in his exercise of sovereign power over his realm. The coming with power of The King’s rule amongst his subjects is the “Coming of the Kingdom of God”.

^{Matthew 22:1-14} The Kingdom of Heaven is like a King who gave a wedding feast for his son…  When The King came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.  Then the King said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.

Q1.  Why was the man with no wedding garment chucked out of The Kingdom of Heaven. Discuss what “many are called, but few are chosen“ means.

^{Matthew 13:47-50} The Kingdom of Heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into a blazing fire [Gehenna], where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Q2. Are the bad fish to blame for being bad and unwanted?  Does this imply that some people are rejected from the Kingdom of God simply because they, by their nature, are thought to be wicked?

^{Matthew 25:31-46} When The Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then The King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, The Kingdom, prepared for you since the creation of the world.

For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick, and you looked after me, I was in prison, and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Amen Amen I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger, and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you didn’t clothe me, I was sick, and in prison, and you did not look after me.’ They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will say ‘Amen Amen I tell you, whatever you didn’t do for one of the least of these, you didn’t do for me.’  Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

Q3.  Discuss the nature of goats and sheep herded in the one flock.  Do the goats know that they are not sheep?  Do the sheep know they are not goats? How does a shepherd separate them?  How do you understand that the only difference between the sheep and the goats is what they did, and didn’t, do?  What does this mean for us?

^{Matthew 13:24-30} The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.  But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then slipped away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, the weeds also appeared. “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling out the weeds, you may uproot some of the wheat. Let both grow together until the harvest.

Q4.  Discuss the nature of wheat and tares (weed-grass) in the one field.  Does wheat know that it is not weed-grass?  Does weed-grass know that it not wheat? How does a farmer separate them?  How do you understand that the only difference between the wheat and the tares is the nature of the food/fruit they produced?  What does this mean for us?

^{Luke 13:6-9} A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So, he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, cut it down.’

Q5.  What does this tell us about our lives before God that are unproductive without good spiritual fruit?

^{Matthew 18:23-35} The Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents [about 20 years wages]. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him, along with his wife and children and all that he had, to be sold and payment made. So, the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’  And, out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him all his debt.

But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a 100 denarii [about 100 days wages], and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So, his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’  But he refused, and went and put him in prison, until he should pay the debt.

When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!  I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’  And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also, my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.

Q6.  What does this tell us about our forgiving the sins of others against us?  What if we don’t?

^{Luke 17:7-10} Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. When he comes in from the field, will you say to your servant, ‘Come along now, sit down to eat’? Rather, won’t you say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’?  Will you especially thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So, you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘I am an unworthy servant; I have just done my duty.’

Q7. Do we expect to be given a special reward in Heaven for our obedience as God’s servant on earth? Why?

^{Luke 18:10-14} Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

Q8.  What does this teach us about those who claim special favour and self-righteousness before God.  What/Who is our only righteousness?

^{Luke 12:1-3} Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known. Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

^{Luke 18:1-7} In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterwards he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God, nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says. Will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?

Q9.  What do these two sayings say to you?

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