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by Mama Brenda. A New Testament overview with lessons from people in those times Please note: Ideally every lady participant needs her own book. If this is not possible please feel free to copy notes for your ladies. You will need to copy the right side (numbered) pages for each lesson, plus the index page, the Bible library page, the map pages and the timeline page to go with the first lesson. Page 2 Where Jesus walked and where, later, Peter and Philip walked Page 3 Find where Paul travelled - First and Second Missionary Journeys You may want to draw in the route Find where Paul travelled - Third Missionary Journey and to Rome You may want to draw in the route Page 4 Timeline 33B.C. – 306A.D. Throughout this period the major power was Rome, using Latin and Greek languages. Date Christian history Bible books 33 B.C. Emperor Augustus in Rome 7-6 B.C. Rome begins to govern Israel 6-5 B.C. Jesus is born in Bethlehem Holy Family goto Egypt 4 A.D. Herod the Great dies and the Holy Family return to Nazareth 26-27 Jesus starts his public ministry 30 Jesus crucified, risen and ascended Pentecost 46-47 Paul’s first missionary journey 49 Council of Jerusalem James 50-52 Paul’s second missionary journey Galatians 54 1 and 2 Thessalonians 53-57 Paul’s third missionary journey date: 55 1 and 2 Corinthians 50-55 Gospel of Mark 55-60 Gospel of Matthew 57 Romans 59-62 Paul house arrest Rome 59-63 Gospel of Luke 61 Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, Philippians 62-63 Paul released 63-65 Titus, 1 Timothy 62-64 1 Peter 63 Acts by Luke 65-67 Paul in prison cell 2 Timothy 67-68 Peter and Paul executed Rome 2 Peter pre 70 Hebrews 70 Jewish rebellion ends - destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Centre of Christianity moves to Antioch, Alexandria and Rome. 68-80 Jude 85 Gospel of John 85-95 1,2,3 John 90-95 John exiled to Patmos from Ephesus Revelation 306 A.D. Emperor Constantine converted, makes Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. Note : There were different systems for lengths of years and counting years through early history. When learned men came together to simplify things they managed to have Jesus born in the ‘Before Christ’ era ! Hence the dates above. Dates of this age need to be treated approximately not dogmatically. How to use this study guide. I want you to understand how this book came to be, and the reasoning behind it. Three major influences: 1. This set of statistics. We remember: 10% of what we read 20% of what we see 30% of what we hear 50% of what we see and hear 70% of what we collaborate on 80% of what we are involved in doing 2. I did a course to teach TESOL English - a method using involvement and fun! 3. The experience of teaching Bible classes with ladies who did not want just an ‘I speak and you listen’ environment. So - the studies in the last 10 years with Fusion - the name for our ladies’ group - have involved teaching from me, finding facts and discussing scripture in small groups within a larger group context, having notes to keep and write on, and having homework - usually reading the Bible ahead for the next study. Always remember your Bible! No two sessions will be the same in structure - they will depend on the subject. Work sheets (the numbered pages on the right side) sometimes have the answers to what the ladies have been discussing - so keep those sheets yourself until after they have shared what they have found!! Sometimes you may need to give the notes out at the beginning, and gently encourage whole group answers and discussion. Always consult your Bible! As you prepare think of questions that may be asked - my notes may help. You will also have some cultural answers. If you do not have the answer to a question raised, say so. Say you will research the answer and tell the group next time. Keep the promise!! It is important to encourage the quieter members of the group to take part. Breaking into smaller groups for discussion can be helpful here. Be gentle how you reject an obviously wrong answer. Encourage the ladies to have paper and pencil with them. These studies have assumed that the ladies read and write, have access to a Bible they can understand, and that it is possible to print sheets for them, lesson by lesson (if they do not have their own book). This may not be the situation where you are. Be creative. You may need to have some Bible passages read to the ladies by others. You may need to translate as you go, or even translate notes beforehand! Understand the aim of the lesson and get there, not as a dictator but as a gentle friend, in the best way for your group. Use the material and adapt the method. The ladies who work orally only may well have better memories than the rest of us! You may decide to make some lessons take two sessions or more. You are in charge. Enjoy studying together. Enjoy learning more about God. Page 5

Cross thoughts: Christian ideas seen in Sudanese every day life. “… Entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others”, 2 Timothy 2:2; These folk are discussing my 3rd book, Christian Theology in a Sudanese Context, soon after it was produced in Khartoum in 2004. You can read it, listen to it and/or download them from this website. As I get older – I’m 66yrs – I become more aware of trying to leave a useful legacy of books and a website of teaching materials behind me when I am called into glory. “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Jesus Christ”, 2 Timothy 2:3 “Endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory”, verse 10 “If we endure, we will also reign with Him. …”, verse 12 Paul wrote these words to Timothy from his prison, awaiting execution, see 2 Timothy 4:6-8. He not only wrote to his young friend in the ministry; throughout their times together he set a great example for all to see. He practised what he preached. The word, “entrust”, means “to give someone responsibility for an important job or activity”.[1] Paul passed his ministry over to this one man (and we know of many others), and Timothy passed it on to several others too, notice the plural in 2:2. The word, “endure”, means “to suffer something unpleasant (probably lasting a long time) without becoming upset”.[2] People who expect that living as a Christian in a non-Christian world is easy are in for a shocking surprise. Our Lord Jesus embraced the executioner’s cross that has since become the symbol of our Christian faith all around the world. He told His followers – disciples like you and me – to “carry (the) cross and follow”, Luke 14:27. He went further by saying that those who avoid carrying their crosses, definitely “cannot be my disciple(s)”. “To carry” means, “to hold someone or something using your hands, arms or body and take them somewhere”.[3] For the Christian disciple we hold both – “someone”, our Saviour the Lord Jesus in our hearts – and “something”, the crucified life He has planned for us from before the creation of the world, marking every aspect of our lives. God has granted me a pleasant life. True, I have had many troubles along the way, some very deep troubles I face even now, yet God has never left me on my own to battle alone. Losing my voice box to cancer in November 2006 and therefore being unable to continue my preaching and teaching ministry in UK and Sudan, were among the times when I struggled with the burden of obeying God’s will. Loving God with 100% of heart, soul, mind and strength is sometimes very, very hard, Mark 12:29-31. But the rewards for enduring are great. A Christian’s crucifixion is followed by his or her resurrection into a brilliant and indestructible terrific new life, Romans 5:17. This is our 99th Cross thought. God-willing, after number 100 due on November 1st , there will be other items on this website you will find helpful in your ministry for our Lord Jesus. God-willing, all past Cross thoughts will still be available here too. [1] Macmillan School Dictionary (Macmillan Education: Oxford) 2004. [2] Ibid. [3] Idid. October 2015.

Christian thoughts from everyday life in and around the three cities. THE OLD WAYS DIE HARD. It was during May 1992 that our Sudanese authorities converted the main denomination of our currency from 'the pound' to 'the dinar'. Yet still today many people I meet tend to use the old currency, at least in their speech. It was in the year 2000 that our government changed the time by a one hour period. A few folk I know continue living on the old, they say "the real", time. When you shop, do you buy bread for one thousand pounds or one hundred dinars? Are Pepsi's 500 or 50? If you are arranging to meet someone, do you set the appointment for 4pm Egyptian Standard Time or East African Standard Time? Perhaps 'insha allah' covers both anyway? All of us find it hard to let go of old, familiar things and embrace new. If we are not convinced in our minds of the need for change, we make it even harder for ourselves to do it. The early Christian believers had problems leaving their old ways and learning to live Christianly. I think modern day believers do too! Leaving behind selfishness, hard-heartedness, bad habits, rigid traditions, greed for personal gain or self-satisfaction, is not easy. Every human being has a natural bias towards pleasing ourselves. Our skin colours may be different, but our blood colour is all the same. We all naturally sin. The few real Christian believers today who have learned to 'put off their old selves and put on the new', stand out from the rest. They show they have learned a life-changing secret. By letting Jesus' thoughts control their own attitudes, their daily lives are different. They exhibit truth, forgiveness, honest work, kind consideration of others, and speak only pure talk. Sadly, some Christians hang on to their pre-Christian ways of life. There is no attractive holiness, and no outward evidence that God has made them brand new people inside. My guess is that he probably hasn't been allowed to! The next time you spend 'pounds' in the suk, ask yourself the following question. "What old things are still in my life that I should ask God's help in order to change?"

25 lesson plans for children, young people and their teachers. Lesson 2 God Creates – Adam and Eve Bible reference – Genesis 1:26 – 2:4. God’s plan was to make a world ready for human beings to rule over, like a chief rules over his tribe or village. But before we see God creating mankind, there is one more important truth about God for us to try and understand by faith. Genesis 1:26 is the first Bible reference to ‘three Persons in one God’. God clearly says: “Now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us”. No-one else was there for God to talk with. So there must be more than one Person in the one Creator God. God is our maker. We do know many things about Him. Yet there will always be some mystery about Him, some things that we do not fully understand. This is one of the mysteries about God. It is very hard to explain. The word ‘Trinity’ is not written anywhere in the Bible, but the idea of Trinity runs right through the Bible, starting from here. The Bible shows us that one God shows Himself to always be three Persons. We all use water. We wash in water. We like to drink cold water, so we put ice into the cup. Ice is frozen water. In making tea, we boil water on the charcoal fire. We know the water is boiling when steam comes from the pot. Steam is water made into gas by boiling. Water can be water, or ice or steam. Three states of water. God is Father, God is Son and God is Holy Spirit. Three Persons – one God. The difference between this example and God, is that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit all at the same time. Water can only be water, or ice, or steam, at any one moment of time. Water can change from being in one state into being in another as time passes. God is always the same. God does not change. Stop and discuss (1) Hebrews 11:3 says: “It is by faith we understand that the universe was created by God’s word, so that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen”. What does it mean: “by faith we understand?" Does it mean 1, or 2, or 3 below: 1. Does it mean we can understand every detail of creation? 2. Does it mean we can trust God for everything we cannot understand? 3. Does it mean we can only believe what we can understand? Now let’s get back to what this great God created! Human beings were planned by God to be different from the rest of creation. They were to be in charge of all other created things, verse 28. For example, God wanted them to look after the animals using the plants He had made. He had made sure the different plants were there for their food. God wants human beings to work with creation. God made people and He made everything in the world to work together and so supply each other’s needs. p.9 God made humans like Himself, verses 26, 27. A child may walk like his father, and may speak like his mother, and may look like his parents. In the same way human beings are in some ways like God. More facts about day six of creation are seen in Genesis 2:7,8 and Genesis 2:21-25. Stop and discuss (2) From Genesis 1:26,27and Genesis 2:7,8 can you find these words: 1. God made human beings m and f . 2. All people were made to be like G . 3. God used s to make man. 4. God’s own b made mankind live. 5. God made Eve from the r of Adam. God was “very pleased”with all He had made, verse 31. The man and woman would have many children and live happily in the finished world God made for them to enjoy, Genesis 2:1. The Hebrew word ‘adam’ means “man, both male and female’. It means ‘humankind’. The first man and woman are named Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:20. Day 7 God stopped creating new things, Genesis 2:2,3. God had made creation so that plants, animals, fish, birds and human beings were able to reproduce young like themselves. So God’s world has kept on going from then right up until today. Stop and discuss (3) Here in class can you see any facts that prove God’s creation is still at work? Can you think of any facts you have seen in the past day or two that prove God’s creation is still at work? God made day seven holy, in a special way, Genesis 2:3. It was different to the six other days of creation. We can imagine God used that day to think deeply about His work. This gave Him pleasure, Genesis 1:31. Today, we can use one day in every seven to think about God and this great world He has made for us to live in and enjoy. Stop and discuss (4) The fourth commandment in Exodus 20:8-11 tells us this one different day in seven is one of God’s creation principles. Why do you think this is? (We will look at these commands later in our course). As people we make things for a purpose. Wood can be made into spears, a table or a fire. Leaves may make a shelter from the sun, a mat to eat from, or even tea to drink. God has made humanity – He has made us – for two purposes. The first is to be in charge of His world. The second is to get to know, love and trust Him as God over all. Are you doing what God has made you to do? p.10 Answers to ‘Stop and discuss’. 1. Meaning number 2 is best. “We can trust God for everything we cannot understand". 2. The Bible words are: 1. male and female 2. God 3. soil 4. breath 5. rib 3. The fact we are living shows God’s creation of men and women is still reproducing itself. All of the animals, fish, birds and plants we see show us God’s creation is still working.The sun still shines during the day, the moon and stars are seen at night. Thank God for His creation. 4. It is a day “dedicated to God”, Exodus 20:10. It is a day for resting and relaxing from usual daily work. Your time can be used to think about God, and to think about His will and purpose for your life. That is most important for you to find. Praise God for who He is. p.11

Christian thoughts from everyday life in and around the three cities. WALKING IN THE DARK. The future sometimes seems to be gloomy and threatening. Life is being endured rather than enjoyed. Is there anywhere we can turn to be safe in the darkness of uncertainty? Early most mornings I walk across the Shambat bridge towards Omdurman and then back to my home in Bahri. I pray as I walk. This morning it was totally dark. There were no lights working at all on the bridge. There were no visible stars and the thin, crescent moon was hidden behind thick clouds. It was very hard to see where I was walking. I chose to keep to the south side path going from home, and the north side on my return. I have walked them so often I know where the paving slabs stop and start. I know where drain gullies are. I know where inspection covers are missing, leaving a potentially 'leg-breaking’ hole! Familiarity with the routes helps me to walk confidently. Of course there are variable factors. Where is the 'spare' section of fencing left lying today? Where are traffic cones displaced from the centre of the road by night-time vehicles (or vandals)? Where are the small piles of bricks left by people who have had to change a punctured tyre? Is the long electric cable from one missing lamp-post rolled up and tied to the fence today, or uncoiled and splayed across the path like a trap for an unsuspecting animal? Being aware of the possible dangers does make me walk carefully! As we face into the dark future of our lives we can take three lessons from my morning walks. First, be confident based on past experience. Use the lessons we've learned before, to help us now. Second, be careful. Expect the unexpected. Be prepared to change course to keep safe. Adapting to changing circumstances is part of life's excitement. And third, enjoy even the little light we have. Use it to maximum benefit. Remember that Jesus is the "Light of the world". He offers to be present with those who keep in step with him. With God's presence as our guide, there is nothing, and no-one, we need to fear.

Notes for teaching the New Testament, by Mama Brenda. Lesson 1 Leader’s notes: Gospel or Gospels? If your group of ladies have not done the Old Testament course, you may want to consider doing Lesson 1 from that course – So why study the Bible? – to be sure you are all looking at the Bible the same way. That lesson is reproduced in this book, see the Appendix 1, pages 64-65. Or you may choose to revise some of the content – or jump straight into this lesson here! What does the word ‘gospel’ mean to you? May be a good discussion starting point. Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 - are these familiar words? Lesson 1 Gospel or Gospels? We use the word ‘gospel’ in several different ways. So let’s explore those uses to understand what ‘Gospel’ or ‘gospel’ means. The English word ‘gospel’ comes from two words in an ancient English language - god = good spel = story So the gospel or a gospel is a good true story. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-6 Paul says “I want to remind you of the gospel. By this gospel you are saved….. that Christ died for our sins …..that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day…….and that He appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time.” So the gospel is the message of Christ dying for our sins, His burial, resurrection and risen appearances. Gospel - usually with a capital G - also refers to the stories of Jesus’ life in the New Testament, written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. - ‘The Gospel’ is a phrase with which you will be familiar if you worship in a church with a liturgy or written form of service. It refers to the Bible readings set for the day from one of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. - Sometimes in spoken English you could hear the phrase – ‘the gospel truth’ - meaning whatever is being said is ‘absolute truth’. In this modern usage, however, it may be used to back up a suspect statement. Be very careful if you hear it. - ‘Gospel music’ is lively religious music of Black American origin - some dating from slavery in the USA where it was an encouragement and a way of teaching Christian truth. Gospel music is still being written. The Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In the time of Jesus many ordinary people did not have or use books and scrolls. The people who met Jesus, and those who followed Him, would have retained His messages, not only by writing, but by remembering. As the early churches grew they would have spoken these to each other, and so they were preserved orally. There were probably groups of these remembered teachings and sayings, put together to be kept and used to encourage and teach younger Christians, later giving forms to worship. Look at 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Paul had passed this truth on to them when he was with them, and expected them to remember it and use it. Nearly two thousand years later, many Christians are familiar with these words in communion services they attend. As time went on people realised that this knowledge of Jesus’ life and teaching needed to be written for people in the future to have it. As with any famous person there were truths circulating about the Jesus and there were also guesses made and stories invented about Him. There were accurate stories and sayings recorded, and also invented ones. But who was going to decide what was good and what was bad? Page 6 Leader's page: Think up a small story from everyday life. There need to be several things happening. Several people’s names. Several reactions. Tell the story. Now ask the ladies to say one thing they found in the story. I think you will find a variety of answers. The differences we find in the Gospels are differences of emphasis, differing interest in the mind of the writer – they are not problems to cause us to doubt the inspiration of God in our Bibles. Student's page: We have access to Bibles that have 39 separate books in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. How did they all come to be? The Bible finally came together as we know it in the 4th century AD (300-400 AD.) The Church Fathers - wise, respected spiritual leaders - between 100-300 AD gathered the sacred texts and evaluated them under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Which ones were seen to be used by God? Authentic, helpful, used to encourage? Accepted by the Church over time? These became what is technically called ‘the canon of scripture’ - our Bible. All four of the Gospel writers wrote to preserve information for the future, but they did not look at the information in the same way. They had their own perspectives and backgrounds. Mark’s Gospel was probably written by John Mark who was a companion of Paul and of Peter. Check: Colossians 4:10, 2 Timothy 4:11, Philemon 24, 1 Peter 5:13 (son = son in the faith). His Gospel is the shortest of the four, and is very direct. It could have been the reminiscences of Peter, taken down and put together by Mark. Peter was executed in Rome about A.D. 65. Matthew has a similar order to Mark but is longer. The disciple Matthew, Matthew 10:3, was probably the author. He used lots of quotes from the Old Testament. Perhaps he used Mark’s written account, and added the Jewish material to help his target Jewish audience. Luke sets out his intention in Luke 1:1-4, to write an historical account of the life of Jesus. His order also follows Mark, but he adds other details he knows. Some of this information has to have come from Mary, the mother of Jesus, see Luke 1:5-2:52. Luke and Matthew may also have used material known within the fellowship of believers but not preserved for us anywhere else. John makes reference to such material in John 20:30. John tells us in John 20:31 the purpose of his Gospel: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” Usually John’s Gospel is thought to be the latest of the four canonical gospels. Perhaps, as he taught consistently in Ephesus, he realised the need for people to have a theological appraisal of the life of Christ to keep alongside Paul’s letters and the Synoptic gospels. Perhaps. It is not written to be a biography or a story, but is rather an explanation, a theology book, the thoughts of a witness, to encourage the believers in knowing, loving and serving God. Matthew, Mark and Luke are known as the Synoptic Gospels. ‘Syn' in Greek meaning together and ’optic‘ meaning view. They looked at the material the same way. All three were written as a history of Jesus. John wrote to share teaching and prove that Jesus was (and is) the Son of God, the expression of God in human form. The sequence of some events is not always the same in one gospel as in another. If we believe that God put the Bible together, then we must allow the perfect Father God to use imperfect human memories, and also allow God to put ideas on the arrangement of the material into the heads of those He chose to record the earthly history of His Son. Page 7

25 lesson plans for children, young people and their teachers. Lesson 3 Mankind rebels. Bible reference – Genesis 3:1-24. God had been very good, loving and kind to Adam and Eve. Yet the man and the woman He had created were not good to God! Genesis 3 tells us how they ignored God’s plan. God’s people chose to disobey God. Verse 1 begins with “the snake”. He was part of God’s creation, Genesis1:24. Later in the Bible he is said to be “the Devil”, Revelation 12:9. In the Bible he is always against God. He is always trying to get people to follow his own ways and not obey God. Sometime in between the creation and Genesis chapter 3, the Devil was an angel who led a rebel movement fighting against God. He wanted to be on the top throne, and to be like God himself (see Isaiah 14:12-15, 2 Peter 2:4, and Jude verse 6). Here, he tries to get people to follow him. In Genesis 3 there is a battle for the control of humankind. Adam and Eve were working the Garden of Eden, Genesis2:15. They lived as God told them to, by eating the fruit of the land, Genesis 2:16,17. Satan comes and questions what God has told Eve and Adam to do, verse 1. He also questions, in verses 4 and 5, why God would not allow them to eat from “the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad”, Genesis 2:15. That tree was one of two that God had planted in the middle of the garden. Stop and discuss (1) In pairs, with each person finding one answer, 1. What two things do you think Satan is trying to make Adam and Eve do by eating the fruit God told them not to eat? 2. What two things do you think Satan is doing to God’s word, in verse 1, and in verses 4 and 5? Eve listened to Satan and chose to forget God’s rule. In chapter 3 verse 6 Eve also looked for a long time at the fruit she was not allowed to have. It looked really good! These two things were both in her mind. Yet her actions went against what she knew she should do. She ate the fruit God told her not to eat and she passed some of the fruit on to Adam, 3:6. We know the Devil wanted to be like God, Isaiah 14:14. Eve and Adam had the same strong feeling inside them. They were not willing to let God’s word be their guide, or to let God be God! They ‘sinned’ by following their own way. (‘Sin’ is any rebellion against God and His will). They removed God’s plan by putting their own idea into its place. Their lives were going to follow their own way, not God’s way. Stop and discuss (2). Once Eve and Adam did not believe God’s word was true, the Devil found it easy to stop them living God’s way. When you were a young child, did you ever do something your parents (or your teacher) told you not to? p.12 When you were found out, what happened to you? In Genesis 3:7 Adam and Eve knew for sure that they had done wrong. They realised God’s word was true, see chapter 2 verses 16,17. The people became mortal, 6:3. They were not able to live forever. Their only feelings towards God were shame and sorrow. They tried to hide what they had done, but it was impossible. Stop and discuss (3). In the same pairs you were in earlier, can you now find three ways Adam and Eve tried to cover up the wrong they had done? Look in Genesis 3:7-13. Genesis 3:14-24 teaches us that sin – going against God’s will – always brings bad results into the lives of people who do it. God said that Satan, the snake, would always crawl along the ground eating dust, verse 14. God said the woman would have more painful childbirth, verse 16. God said the man would have to work much harder to earn his living from the ground, verse 19. (Compare this with Genesis 1:11,12 and 2:8,9). This whole event is often known as ‘the Fall’. It is when humans fell away from being God’s friends. From this time men and women would be living in rebellion, against God and against His will. God sent Adam and Eve away from the beautiful Garden of Eden, chapter 3 verse 23. He set special guards to stop any way back, verse 24. All of this was part of God’s judgement. It was God’s solemn response to mankind’s disobedience. Not only had humans broken their friendship with God, but also all of creation was now broken. The world was no longer perfect. It would be very sad if the Bible story ended here. Happily it does not! Stop and discuss (4) There are three clues we are given in these verses that give us reason to hope in God even though we are part of humankind that is under God’s judgement. Can you find all three of them? 1. Genesis 3:15 God promised an o of the w would crush the h of the s . 2. Genesis 3:21 God c Adam and Eve with a s (which means blood was shed). 3. Genesis 3:24 God blocked the way to eating the fruit of the t that gives l , so that humanity would not live forever as ‘sinners’. p.13 Answers to Stop and discuss. 1. 1. - to disobey God - to obey himself (Satan) 2. - to doubt God’s word - to deny the truth of God’s word 2. I took my brother’s new watch, without him saying that I could. I wore it to school and showed it off as if it was mine! My dad punished me with a beating. And, the next day at school all my friends knew what I had done and they laughed at me. 3. 1. they sewed leaves to try and cover themselves, Genesis 3 verse 7 2. they tried to hide from God among the trees, verse 8 3. they each blamed someone else for their own wrongdoing, verses 12,13. 4. 1. offspring - woman, - head - snake, 3:15 2. clothed - animal - skins 3. tree - life p.14

Leader's page and Student's page best viewed left/right side together. Lesson 2 Leader’s page: Matthew and Mark begin the true story Matthew - Jesus the Promised Messiah - the complete Jew - the King Ask four different ladies to read one each of the references opposite. Share what the verses show In the western world genealogies need to be exact – father/son Matthew is not exact in that sense, but he is accurate – we just do not have as many difficult names to say! Why is it important that these five ladies are mentioned? Opposite and below. Tamar took the law into her own hands – and became a onetime prostitute Rahab may have been a prostitute but trusted Israel’s God Ruth was a Moabitess, not acceptable to the Jews, but supported her mother-in-law Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, was part of an adulterous relationship with King David Mary, Joseph’s wife, chosen by God. They may not fit our idea of who God uses – they were not all Jews –Jewish religious leadership was usually male, with a few other notable exceptions, like Deborah and Esther. Student's page Lesson 2 Matthew and Mark begin the true story Matthew - Jesus the Promised Messiah - the complete Jew - the King Matthew (also called Levi) was a tax collector and disciple of Jesus - Matthew 9:9-12, Mark 2:13-17, Luke 5:7-31. Matthew was probably not a popular man as a tax collector for the hated Romans, but he reached out to other tax collectors and brought them to have a meal and meet Jesus. A natural evangelist. The Gospel according to Matthew was placed at the beginning of the compiled New Testament. Perhaps because of his Jewish emphasis Matthew’s gospel was seen as the obvious choice to continue the true story from the Old Testament and break the 400 years of silence since the prophet Malachi. Israel came under Roman domination in 63B.C. In 37B.C. Herod was appointed ruler of Israel under Rome. The first sentence of Matthew’s gospel gives his purpose “This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Genealogy. Matthew starts his gospel with a list of family history. History and family were important in Jewish culture, as they are for many South Sudanese and Sudanese people. He starts with Abraham, the father figure of Jews, and comes through King David, the greatest king Israel ever had and from whom the Messiah was promised to come. Check 1 Chronicles 17:7-14, Isaiah 9:6-7, Acts 2:29-36 and Revelation 5:5-6. For the Jews genealogies were representative, not strictly accurate in a modern, mathematical way. ‘Father’ in this context can mean ‘father’, ‘forefather’ or ancestor’. Matthew is highlighting that King David was an important ancestor of Jesus. Notice in 1:16 that Matthew is careful to point out that Joseph was the husband of Mary - not the father of Jesus. He takes the family line through Joseph, the legal father. Chapter 1:17 says there are fourteen generations in each of three sections of this genealogy. Seven in Jewish symbolism meant completion and perfection. By here using the number seven six times Matthew is pointing to God’s perfect plan from Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation to Jesus. Matthew is highlighting the Jewish lineage of Jesus. Unusually he includes five women, and not all Jewish. Verse 3 Tamar, verse 5 Rahab, verse 5 Ruth, verse 6 Bathsheba, verse 16 Mary. Briefly check who they were and why their inclusion is important. Genesis 38; Joshua 2:1-21, 6:17,22-25; Ruth 1:11-18, 4:15; 2 Samuel 11, Luke 2:4-7. Matthew is the only gospel writer to tell the story of the visit of the Wise Men - the astrologers and astronomers from Iran or Arabia, see 2:1-12 - foreigners who came to visit a baby King. Herod was unsettled because he was king appointed by Rome, not by birth. Important wise men, from hundreds of miles away came - with gold for a King, frankincense for a priestly King and myrrh for suffering Saviour. All for Jesus, not for Herod. Page 8 Leader's page: How do these Bible passages – Matthew 4:1-11 4:12-17 4:18-22 4:23-25 confirm Jesus’ mission? Mark - Jesus the Servant of God, a powerful Saviour Get the ladies to cover their notes and then look up the seven references about Mark (opposite) and find the information about him Student's page: Dreams. Matthew records a dream God sent to Joseph, Matthew 1:20-24 A dream to the wise men 2:12 A dream to Joseph 2:13-14 Another two dreams to Joseph 2:19-23. All are God’s interventions to protect the promised Messiah. The family settle in Nazareth in Galilee, and years pass of which we know nothing from Matthew. God can speak to us however He wants, but that does not mean that every dream is from God. Confirming Jesus’ mission. John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, began preaching and baptising in the Judean wilderness. His main message was ‘Repent of your sins and turn to God because the Kingdom of Heaven is near.’ Jesus left Nazareth and went to the River Jordan where John was baptising. He asked John to baptise Him, and as He came out of the water there was a confirmation from heaven of Who Jesus was (and is), as God said “This is My beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with Him”, 3:13-17. Testing of Jesus 4:1-11. Beginning of ministry 4:12-17. First disciples 4:18-22. Preaching and healing ministry in Galilee with large crowds 4:23-25. Everything is in place for the ministry of Jesus, a descendant of both Abraham and David, confirmed by God the Father, revealed by Matthew as the promised Messiah, the King. Mark - Jesus the Servant of God, a powerful Saviour John Mark, to give him his full name, was a young man, not one of the inner group of twelve disciples. What do we know about him? Acts 12:12 His mother, Mary, had a large house where the followers of Jesus met. Acts 12:25 He joined the team with Paul and his relative, Barnabas. Acts 12:5, 13:5,13 John started out on the First Missionary Journey with them but left them at Perga and returned to Jerusalem. Colossians 4:10 He sent greetings to the Colossians - he knew some of them. 2 Timothy 4:11 He was useful to Paul. 1 Peter 5:13 Peter valued Mark, ‘my son in the faith’. Mark’s purpose in writing his gospel is put most clearly in Mark 10:45, where Jesus tells the disciples, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” There is very little preamble in Mark’s gospel - verses from Malachi and Isaiah which speak of John the Baptist - then a summary of John’s ministry, Mark 1:4-8, - Jesus’ baptism by John, 1:9, God’s confirmation of Who Jesus is, 1:10-11, - a brief mention of Jesus being tempted by Satan in the wilderness, (1:12-13), - Jesus beginning to preach, heal, choose followers and attract crowds (1:14-45). Everything is in place for the ministry of Jesus, confirmed by God the Father as His Son, and revealed by Mark as the Servant of God. Page 9

Christian thoughts from everyday life in and around the three cities. THE TEST OF LIGHT. On the east side of Omdurman, by the Shambat bridge over the river Nile, are two large advertisements. One is for cola to drink, the other is for paint. The former is standing high on its own purpose built tower. The latter is smaller, lower, and only attached to the side of a block of apartments where people live and work. Both the advertisements want people to buy their products. During the daytime, driving across the bridge going west, the cola advert is most easily seen. It is the first to be passed, closest to the river bank. Its blue, red and white colours make it almost unmissable. The paint advert is there too, but it has to take second place rather than first. However, during the darkness of the night, the effectiveness of these two adverts is reversed. The colours of the paint company are bright and clearly seen. The brand name is the prominent centre of focus. The difference between these two adverts is simple. Only one has the continuing presence of light during the darkness. The cola-daubed water tank almost disappears in the darkness. There are few, if any, lights on it or near it. Yet the paint advert becomes outstanding by the brilliant highlighting floodlights. They make it obvious against the dark sky. I think this is a good example of a way to compare religious faiths. Some people naively think that 'all religions are the same'. That is simply not true! Other people judge a religion by outward show. They look at the dominance of buildings, the numbers of population, and appearance of visible rituals, to assess who has the truth. I think there is a much better test. In the darkness of troubles and trials, in the black times of painful persecution, and in the mysteries of suffering and sorrow, ask from which religion does 'the light' really shine? I am not writing of electric fluorescent tubes. I am thinking about 'the light' of mental understanding and of spiritual insight. The Lord Jesus Christ himself is, 'the light of the world'. His light is the light that can be seen piercing the darkness from the lives of all genuine Christian disciples. Whoever decides to follow Jesus, and whoever keeps on following when the difficulties of life come along, he or she will never walk in darkness, but will have 'the light of life'.

My notes for teaching the Old Testament. Especially for the women of South Sudan and Sudan. The best way to view this course is to open two parallel pages. Go to 'VIEW' – 'ZOOM' – 'TWO PAGES'. Leader’s notes will be on the left. Student notes on the right. (for Acrobat PDF, go to 'VIEW' - 'PAGE DISPLAY' - 'TWO PAGE VIEW') Foreword To live a Christian life according to God’s instructions as revealed in His Holy Book, the Bible, is very hard. All Christians need to develop good knowledge of Christian values then choose to live by them every day of our lives. That way our church and world would be a better place. All Christians need to understand how God has dealt with His people over the centuries. When this is appreciated, it becomes much easier to see what God is doing today. This is often behind the scenes. Our eyes see many awful events; we focus on them. We need to educate our hearts to look beyond what our eyes see, to perceive our loving Creator’s hands on His people. This course on the Old Testament will help anyone, especially Christian ladies, to see and understand the big picture of God’s plan for humankind. God is working out His purpose day by day and year by year. Hon. Dr Salwa Gabriel Berberi Faithful member of All Saints Cathedral, Juba and formerly serving as Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Undersecretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the Republic of South Sudan. 11th December 2016. Thank you! A big thank you to supporters, largely in the UK but also from the Netherlands, Australia and USA, who have covered the financial costs of producing this book. Also, thank you to Claude and Julie Bennie who proof-read the manuscript and painstakingly checked all Bible references. Thank you to the FUSION ladies group in Cornwall UK, on whom these lessons were tried out in England. And thank you especially to Peter and Rachel’s three congregations for field testing the early lessons. Last but not least, thank you to the Fellowship of Christian University Students for organising the printing and distribution in and from Juba, South Sudan. My Notes for Teaching the Old Testament by Mama Brenda Published by WeeFour Publications, January 2017 Mail: 4 Adelaide Road, Redruth, Cornwall, TR15 2HQ, England Phone (from within UK): 01209 315652 Email: brendaonmac@bonusfish.com Website: www.colinsalter.net Old Testament overview - learning from people who were there. Contents Bible library…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. page 1 Maps……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 Timeline……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3 Introduction to using this study guide…………………………………………………………………………………. 3 Lessons and leader’s notes 1. So why study the Bible?......................................................................................................... 4 2. Genesis………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7 3. Sarah & Hagar…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10 4. Rebekah………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13 5. Rachel, Leah and Jacob…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16 6. Tamar……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 20 7. Joseph………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 22 8. Moses and the Passover........................................................................................................ 25 9. Wanderings and war………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 29 10. The Law……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 33 11. Battles, backsliding and belief……………………………………………………………………………………….. 37 12. Kings………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 41 13. The Divided kingdom…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 45 14 Prophets to the Northern Kingdom, Israel - Amos, Hosea and Jonah…49 15. Prophets to the Southern Kingdom, Judah – Isaiah, Micah, Zephaniah, Nahum, Jeremiah, Obadiah, Joel, Habakkuk…………………………………………………………..53 16. Daniel, Ezekiel, Esther…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 57 17. Going back to Jerusalem - Ezra, Haggai and Zechariah………………………………… 61 18. Nehemiah and Malachi……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 65 19. Wisdom literature - Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs………………69 20. Psalms - Israel in song…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 73 21. Job (& his wife) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 77 22. Who is the God who has done all these things………………………………………………………….81 23. Christmas / Easter………………………………………………………………………………………………… 84/86 24. Depression / wisdom and knowledge……………………………………………………………………. 90/92 Bibliography If every student does not have their own copy of this book and you have the facility to copy notes for your ladies, you will need to copy the right hand side pages in each lesson, plus this contents page, the Bible library page, the two map pages and the timeline page, to go with the first lesson. Old Testament overview - learning from people who were there. The Bible library is made up of 66 books, some history, some poetry (wisdom literature), some prophecy and some letters. Page 1 Page 2 Timeline 2000 B.C. - 1A.D. - the dates on this scale are vague, as many dates are in history - a broad sweep across a large canvas. They give us an idea of what follows what, what was at the same time as what, not an exact date. We need to see the context of Bible history, and then see the meaning for them and for us - applying truth to our lives now. Date Hebrew history Dominant power Events in North East Africa 2000 BC Patriarchs - Egypt Many pyramids existed Abraham in Egypt 1900 Isaac Jacob 1800 Joseph 1700 Kingdom of Cush -capital Kerma - south of 3rd cataract, on trade route 1600 slavery Arabia becomes a trading centre 1500 Exodus Cush, a colony of Egypt-mined gold Moses 1400 Joshua 1300 Judges Jebel Barkal capital - black kingdoms of Nile until 300 BC 1200 1100 Kingdom Saul 1000 David Syria 900 Solomon Queen Sheba visits, from Yemen? Divided kingdom 800 Assyria Fall of Israel Black Pharoahs -c.721-640B.C. 700 captivity including Nubian King Shabak Babylon 600 Fall of Jerusalem captivity Medo-Persia 500 Capital of Nubia moved to Meroe Restoration c.590. Iron smelted 400 Nehemiah Meroitic language written Ezra and read 300 Greece 200 100 Rome 1 BC/1 A D Introduction to using this study guide. I want you to understand how this book came to be, and the reasoning behind it. Three major influences: 1. This set of statistics: We remember 10% of what we read We remember 20% of what we see We remember 30% of what we hear We remember 50% of what we see and hear We remember 70% of what we collaborate on We remember 80% of what we are involved in doing 2. I did a course to teach TESOL English - a method using student involvement and fun! 3. The experience of teaching Bible classes with ladies who did not want just an ‘I speak and you listen’ environment. So - the studies in the last 10 years with Fusion - the name for our ladies’ group: “a process in which different things combine together to form something new” (Macmillan School Dictionary, Oxford, 2004) - have involved teaching from me, finding facts and discussing scripture in small groups within a larger group context, having notes to keep and write on, and having homework - usually reading the Bible ahead for the next study. Remember your Bible! No two sessions will be the same in structure - it will depend on the subject. Work sheets (the numbered pages on the right hand side) sometimes have the answers to what the ladies have been discussing - so keep those sheets until after they have shared what they have found!! Sometimes you may need to give the notes out at the beginning, and gently encourage whole group answers and discussion. Always consult your Bible! Think as you prepare, of things that may be asked - my notes may help, you will also have some cultural answers. If you do not have the answer to a question that is raised, say so. Say you will research the answer and tell the group next time. Keep the promise!! It is important to encourage the quieter members of the group to take part. Breaking into smaller groups for discussion can be helpful here. Be gentle how you reject an obviously wrong answer. Encourage the ladies to have paper and pencil with them, alongside their Bibles! These studies have assumed that the ladies read and write, have access to a Bible they can understand, and that it is possible to print sheets for them, lesson by lesson. This may not be the situation where you are. Be creative. You may need to have some Bible passages read to the ladies. You may need to translate as you go, or translate notes beforehand!! Understand the aim of the lesson and get there, not as a dictator but as a gentle friend, in the best way for your group. Use the material and adapt the method. The ladies who work orally only, may well have better memories than the rest of us! You may decide to make some lessons take two sessions. You are in charge. Enjoy studying together. Enjoy learning more about God. Page 3

25 lesson plans for children, young people and their teacher Lesson 4 God judges by the flood – Noah. Bible reference – Genesis 6-9. The human race chose to obey some of God’s will but not all of it: They spread out the world over, Genesis 1:27,28; and 6:1. But they did not keep sexually pure as God wanted them to be, “one man with one woman” (singular) in Genesis 2:18, 22, 24. Lamech married two women, 4:19. By 6:2 “they took the ones they liked”, or as another translation says, “they married any they chose”. (NIV). Around 2,000 years passed. God the Creator was so sad with the bad choices people were making. People thought only to please themselves, not to please God. Genesis 6 verses 7 and 13 are solemn words. God decided to destroy almost all of the human race. He would send a flood. Water would cover the earth, even the highest mountains, verse 17. This was God’s judgement on people because of their sin. God had every right to do this to everything He had made because He was the Creator of everything! Stop and discuss (1) Three words describe the moral character of most people in Genesis 6:1-13. 1. What are those words? w ( ) e ( ) v ( ) Write (at the end of each word above) how many times you can find it in verses 1-13. Even if people ignore God, God does not ignore them. God saw the wicked actions and evil thoughts of people, 6:12. He also saw that one man, Noah, was different to the others, verse 8. God told Noah what He was going to do. Because Noah walked through life with God, God could easily talk to Him. God’s plan was to save Noah and his family from the flood. God made the first of several ‘covenants’, verse 18. (The Good News Bible word list, page 364, defines ‘covenant’ as “an agreement between God and a person, or group of people”). Noah and his family would be saved from God’s judgement by obeying God’s command. The command was to build a boat, verses 13,14. p.15 The boat must be made strong enough to float. It had to be made big enough to house Noah’s family plus a male and female of every kind of animal and bird, verses 19,20. God also reminded them to take enough food for all of them to eat and to live for a long time. Stop and discuss (2) Here is a sum for you to do! The answers are all in Genesis chapters 6 and 7. Divide into groups of four people and work out the answers, before adding up the sum. 1. How many metres long was the boat to be built? 6:15 2. How many decks(floor levels) were there on the boat? 6:16 3. How many days and nights would God make rain fall on the earth with no stopping? 7:4 4. How many years old was Noah when the flood came? 7:6 5. On which day of the second month did the water start to fall and to flood? 7:11 6. About how many metres above the mountain tops did the flood rise to? 7:20 7. For how many days did the water cover the earth before it started to go down? 7:24 Now, add the numbers in this list. What is your total? God did exactly what He said He would do, Genesis 6:7,13; and 7:21. Sin and wickedness are so serious in God’s sight. God will always judge sin, but He may not do so very quickly. God often delays judgement because He really wants everybody to be saved. He gives people the chance to change their ways. Stop and discuss (3) We learn three very important things about God in this story of Noah. What are they? 1. 6 verses 5-7 2. 6 verse 13 3. 6 verses 18-22 One whole year and ten days passed before the earth was dry again, Genesis 7 verse 11 and 8 verse 14. God gave humanity a new start, with Noah and his family, 8:15-17. God put the coloured rainbow into the sky whenever there is sunshine and rain clouds, to remind people of His promise. He promised never to destroy the whole world with a flood again, Genesis 9:12-17. This bow is seen today as a sign of God’s promise to the world. Even in a time of God’s judgement, God still enjoys receiving the personal worship of those who will offer it to Him, 8 verses 20,21. God’s plan for humans is still to save all those p.16 who will “do everything just as God commanded”, 6 verse 22. God’s word must always be our guide in life. Answers to Stop and discuss. 1. wicked (1) means “morally wrong, wrongly behaved” (Dictionary page 840) evil (4) means “very bad” (Dictionary page 254) violent (2) means“physically damaging, causing real harm” (Dictionary page 819) 2. The sum: 1. 133 Genesis 6:15 2. 3 6:16 3. 40 7:4 4. 600 7:6 5. 17 7:11 6. 7 7:20 7. 150 7:24 Total 950 3. 1. Sin makes God sad, Genesis6:5-7 2. God will judge and destroy sinners, Genesis 6:13 3. God opens a way to save those He is pleased with, those who are different from the rest, Genesis 6:18-22. p.17

Leader's page and student's page best viewed left/right side together Lesson 3 Leader’s page: Luke - Jesus the Son of Man, the perfect Saviour Perhaps write the five references from the first two paragraphs of the lesson on a sheet of paper. Get the ladies to find out about Luke – either in twos, or small groups, or as a whole group. You may want to get the ladies to talk about: 1. the issues of barrenness, 1:7 2. being an older mum, 1:36 3. going God’s way and being misunderstood 1:38 4. needing to stand against tradition as Elizabeth had to speak up with the name John 1:59-64 5. thinking about the way God is working in your life even when you don’t understand and just want to say “What’s happening to me?” “What’s all this about?” 1:24-25, 1:34,38,45. Student's page: Lesson 3 Luke and John begin the true story Luke - Jesus the Son of Man, the perfect Saviour What do you learn about Luke the person from Colossians 4:14, 2 Timothy 4:11 (Paul was probably in a prison in Rome when he wrote this letter), and Philemon 23? Luke was almost certainly a Gentile and an educated man, a medical doctor and a travelling companion of Paul. Acts 1:1-2 link Acts with a former book the author had written. Ever since the second century A.D. the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts have been attributed to Dr Luke as author. In Luke 1:1-4 Luke tells us that he had researched the material for the gospel, and had decided to write an ‘orderly’ account of the life of Jesus’, so Theophilus can be sure the things he has been told are true. An ‘orderly’ account may mean chronological but it may also mean grouping events together to help understanding. Luke 1:5-2:52 has events around the young Jesus not in the other gospels. 1:5-25 Zechariah has a visit from the angel Gabriel - where? - why? Priests would probably only do this particular temple service once in their lifetime. Elizabeth became pregnant and thanked God for taking away her disgrace among the people - her barrenness. In my culture there is no shame in barrenness - sadness perhaps. In many cultures barrenness is a state of shame, but God uses someone known as a barren woman to become part of His plan for the climax of the history of salvation. God changed her circumstances. 1:26-45 When Elizabeth is six months pregnant, the angel Gabriel visits Mary in Nazareth, a virgin engaged to Joseph. The angel’s appearance and greeting startle her - wouldn’t it startle you? 1:26-38. Would you have the faith of Mary in verse 38? The engaged but not married virgin hurries off to visit her relative, Elizabeth. Think yourself into the position of Mary and Elizabeth and then read verses 39-45. Two ordinary women – one older, one younger - but obviously ‘God-minded’ - realising God was using them to fulfil His ancient promises. Elizabeth still had to go through a dangerous pregnancy as an older woman, and Mary had to live through being pregnant in an inexplicable way and the whispered rumours spread about her. 1:46-56 Mary speaks a song, which is very similar to Hannah’s in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. 1:57-66 Elizabeth and Zechariah’s baby son, John, arrives. A Jewish baby was named at birth or at circumcision, on his or her eighth day. 2:1-7, 8-20 Shepherds are told about the birth of Jesus by angels. They visit Him. 2:21 Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day and named Jesus, compare Matthew 1:21. 2:22-24 Forty days after the birth, Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord and to make a purification sacrifice. 2:25-40 Simeon and Anna, recognised Jesus as the child of promise. 2:41-52 When He was 12 the family made their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. 2:33, 49-50, 51. Mary treasured all these things and thought deeply on them. Page 10 Leader's page: To discuss- If we put the birth of Jesus accounts from Matthew and Luke together with the first chapter of John’s gospel we have a complete and rounded presentation of the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the coming of Christ. Do you find it easy to imagine the baby in the manger and think of God’s purpose from before time to bring new life through Jesus? Do you think about John’s theology of the coming of Christ and find it hard to understand a tiny baby in a borrowed cradle, escaping to Egypt and working as a carpenter? How can He be the One? We need to push ourselves to hold all these truths together and stretch our minds. Our salvation has been on God’s heart for a long……………time! Student's page: Luke 3 John the Baptist and Jesus’ baptism. Luke’s genealogy of Jesus. Luke 4 Testing of Jesus. Beginning of His ministry. Luke 5 First disciples. Preaching, healing ministry in Galilee, with large crowds. Luke’s genealogy starts with Jesus, acknowledges Joseph the legal father, but then traces back through Mary - the blood relative. Both Mary and Joseph’s family histories go back to King David. Luke then goes back to Abraham with the same names as Matthew, but he carries right back to Adam, emphasising that Jesus came for the Jews and the Gentiles, picking up two thoughts from 2:31-32. That’s us!! Everything is in place for the ministry of Jesus, confirmed by God the Father, revealed by Luke as the Son of Man. John - Jesus the Son of God, a personal Saviour John and James were sons of Zebedee, who had a fishing business on the Sea of Galilee. John is also the author of the three letters of John and the book of Revelation in our Bible. According to tradition and some early writings, John spent the later years of his long life in Ephesus, teaching the church there. For a while he was exiled on Patmos, an island penal colony off the coast near Ephesus. His crime? Gospel preaching! John 20:30-31 John tells us that he did not use all the stories of Jesus in what he wrote. He then says he wrote to show that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. John wrote to encourage us to believe and have real life in Him. So no birth stories or genealogies - they were already written elsewhere. Fewer ministry miracles - only those John was using to prove Who Jesus was. He records signs and “I am” sayings as pointing to Who Jesus really was (and is). 1:1-18 John starts his writing with a theological statement: Jesus is God the Word - God the Father’s communication with us - with God from eternity, from before time - He had made the world but it did not recognise Him - He came to His own but they did not recognise Him - to all who received Him He gave the right to become children of God, John 1:1-5, 10-14, 18. 1:19-28 John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus. 1:29-35 John the Baptist calls Jesus the Lamb of God - evoking thoughts of Abraham, of sacrifice, of Moses and the institution of Passover. Everything is in place for the ministry of Jesus, announced by John the Baptist, revealed by John as the Son of God Who takes away the sin of the world 1:29. Page 11