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o If you are participants of the bible study, please open a browser and let it stay on Section 1 that has the bible text and the questions.

o If you are the facilitator of the bible study, please do the following:

o  Open a browser and let it stay on Section 1 for the bible text.

o  Open another browser and let it stay on Section 2 that has the questions and the answers.

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NOTE

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Begin Section 1: Mark 2 Text & Questions

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Verses 1-12 Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

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1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.

2They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.

3Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.

4Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.

5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, Son, your sins are forgiven.

6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves,

7 Why does this fellow talk like that? He s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?

8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, Why are you thinking these things?

9Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Get up, take your mat and walk ?

10But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. So he said to the man,

11 I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.

12He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, We have never seen anything like this!

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1)       According to verse 4 what price in financial terms were the four men willing to pay in order to get the paralyzed man to Jesus for healing as soon as possible?

 

2)       How did Jesus see their faith?

 

3)       In accordance with verse 5 what does it take for sins to be forgiven?

 

4)       What do we make of faith in Jesus and belief in Jesus, given Ephesians 2:8-9 and that it takes repentance, i.e., turning from disobedience to obedience to God, and belief in Jesus that a person enters the kingdom of God?

 

o The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud given Ephesians 2:8-9 that says,

+++++++++++++++++++++

8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

9not by works, so that no one can boast.

+++++++++++++++++++++

 

5)       What was the endpoint of the responsibility of the four men in helping secure the forgiveness of the paralyzed man?

 

6)       Did the four men have their sins forgiven too and why?

 

7)       Who were the teachers of the law?

 

8)       In accordance with verse 7 why did the teachers of the law consider Jesus to be blaspheming?

 

9)       What was Jesus implying from the perspective of the teachers of the law when he forgave the sins of the paralyzed man?

 

10)   From a human perspective which is easier: to say to the paralyzed man, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Get up, take your mat and walk , and why?

 

11)   Who is the Son of Man?

 

12)   When Jesus said to the teachers of the law, "But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . . what was Jesus more clearly pointing out?

 

13)   In accordance with verse 12 had Jesus authority to forgive sins been confirmed and why?

 

14)   What did Jesus authority to forgive sins further prove?

 

15)   Given that the consequence of physical healing is temporal and the consequence of forgiveness of sin is eternal, which is more important?

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Verses 1-12 Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

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Verses 13-17 Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners

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13Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them.

14As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector s booth. Follow me, Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

15While Jesus was having dinner at Levi s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.

16When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?

17On hearing this, Jesus said to them, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.

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16)   What did a tax collector do?

 

17)   Who were the Pharisees?

 

18)   Is a sinner righteous or unrighteous since Jesus had not come to call the righteous, but sinners?

 

19)   Was Jesus referring to the physical condition or the spiritual condition when he talked about the healthy and the sick in verse 17?

 

20)   According to Jesus, is a righteous person spiritually healthy or spiritually sick?

 

21)   According to Jesus, is a sinner spiritually healthy or spiritually sick?

 

22)   Did Jesus consider the Pharisees spiritually healthy or spiritually sick, given that they saw only the sins of tax collectors but not their own?

 

23)   Did Jesus consider the Pharisees to be sinners then?

 

24)   Whereupon whom did Jesus come to call in the current situation?

 

25)   What is the difference between the Pharisees on the one hand and the tax collectors on the other in terms of seeing themselves as sinners?

 

26)   How did tax collectors who saw themselves as sinners respond to Jesus call?

 

27)   How did the Pharisees who did not see themselves as sinners respond to Jesus call?

 

28)   In accordance with verse 15 how had Levi learned from Jesus in taking on the mission of calling sinners when he started following Jesus?

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Verses 13-17 Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners

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Verses 18-22 Jesus Questioned About Fasting

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18Now John s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, How is it that John s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?

19Jesus answered, How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them.

20But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.

22And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.

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29)   In accordance with verse 19 was it appropriate for Jesus and his disciples to fast when Jesus was with them and why?

 

30)   In accordance with verse 20 when would Jesus disciples fast?

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Verses 18-22 Jesus Questioned About Fasting

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Verses 23-28 Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

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23One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.

24The Pharisees said to him, Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?

25He answered, Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?

26In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.

27Then he said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

28So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

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31)   What is the high priest?

 

32)   In accordance with the incident Jesus cited in verses 25 and 26 when was it acceptable not to keep the Sabbath?

 

33)   According to verse 27 what was Jesus conclusion about the relationship between man and the Sabbath?

 

34)   What credential did Jesus provide in verse 28 as justification for his deciding the purpose of the Sabbath?

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Verses 23-28 Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

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End Section 1: Mark 2 Text & Questions

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Begin Section 2: Mark 2 Questions & Answers

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Verses 1-12 Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

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Concerning the healing of the paralyzed man,

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1)       According to verse 4 what price in financial terms were the four men willing to pay in order to get the paralyzed man to Jesus for healing as soon as possible?

o  They were willing to pay for the repair of the roof.

 

2)       How did Jesus see their faith?

o  Their faith was made manifest in the action they had taken.

 

3)       In accordance with verse 5 what does it take for sins to be forgiven?

o  It takes faith in Jesus for sins to be forgiven.

 

4)       What do we make of faith in Jesus and belief in Jesus, given Ephesians 2:8-9 and that it takes repentance, i.e., turning from disobedience to obedience to God, and belief in Jesus that a person enters the kingdom of God?

o  Faith in Jesus is not the same as belief in Jesus.

o  Belief in Jesus is mental assent that we can provision.

o  Faith in Jesus is a spiritual gift granted us by God.

o  When

o  We

o Repent, i.e., turn from disobedience to obedience to God.

o And believe in Jesus.

 

o The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud given Ephesians 2:8-9 that says,

+++++++++++++++++++++

8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

9not by works, so that no one can boast.

+++++++++++++++++++++

 

5)       What was the endpoint of the responsibility of the four men in helping secure the forgiveness of the paralyzed man?

o  The endpoint of their responsibility was getting the paralyzed man to right in front of Jesus.

 

6)       Did the four men have their sins forgiven too and why?

o  Yes, because the four men had faith in Jesus too.

 

7)       Who were the teachers of the law?

o  The teachers of the law were teachers of

o Jewish traditions.

o And the law of Moses.

 

8)       In accordance with verse 7 why did the teachers of the law consider Jesus to be blaspheming?

o  The teachers of the law held that only God alone could forgive sins.

o  They considered Jesus to be a mere man.

o  Therefore they considered Jesus to be blaspheming.

 

9)       What was Jesus implying from the perspective of the teachers of the law when he forgave the sins of the paralyzed man?

o  Jesus was implying that he is God.

 

10)   From a human perspective which is easier: to say to the paralyzed man, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Get up, take your mat and walk , and why?

o  It is easier to say to the paralyzed man, Your sins are forgiven,

o  Because

o  No one can tell whether the sins of the paralyzed man have indeed been forgiven or not.

 

11)   Who is the Son of Man?

o  Jesus referred to himself as the Son of Man.

 

12)   When Jesus said to the teachers of the law, "But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . . what was Jesus more clearly pointing out?

o  Jesus was more clearly pointing out that he is God.

 

13)   In accordance with verse 12 had Jesus authority to forgive sins been confirmed and why?

o  Yes, because the paralyzed man was healed.

 

14)   What did Jesus authority to forgive sins further prove?

o  It further proved that Jesus is God.

 

15)   Given that the consequence of physical healing is temporal and the consequence of forgiveness of sin is eternal, which is more important?

o  Forgiveness of sins is more important.

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Verses 1-12 Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

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Verses 13-17 Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners

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Concerning the calling of Levi,

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o The facilitator provides participants with the following information on the tax collector in Jesus days:

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16)   What did a tax collector do?

o  The land of Israel was at that time occupied by the Romans.

o  A tax collector was an agent of the government of the Roman Empire to collect taxes from the Jews.

o  As a tax collector Levi

o Was working for the occupiers.

o And was considered a traitor by the Jews.

o  Besides that the Jews hated tax collectors because they

o Overcharged taxes.

o And kept the extra for themselves.

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17)   Who were the Pharisees?

o  The Pharisees exercised strict observance of

o Traditions.

o And the law of Moses.

o  They

o Had a sense of

o  Superiority.

o  And self-righteousness.

o And looked down on others.

 

18)   Is a sinner righteous or unrighteous since Jesus had not come to call the righteous, but sinners?

o  A sinner is unrighteous.

 

19)   Was Jesus referring to the physical condition or the spiritual condition when he talked about the healthy and the sick in verse 17?

o  Jesus was referring to the condition of being

o Spiritually healthy.

o And spiritually sick.

 

20)   According to Jesus, is a righteous person spiritually healthy or spiritually sick?

o  A righteous person is spiritually healthy.

 

21)   According to Jesus, is a sinner spiritually healthy or spiritually sick?

o  A sinner is spiritually sick.

 

22)   Did Jesus consider the Pharisees spiritually healthy or spiritually sick, given that they saw only the sins of tax collectors but not their own?

o  Jesus considered the Pharisees spiritually sick.

 

23)   Did Jesus consider the Pharisees to be sinners then?

o  Yes.

 

24)   Whereupon whom did Jesus come to call in the current situation?

o  Jesus came to call

o Not only tax collectors.

o But also the Pharisees.

 

25)   What is the difference between the Pharisees on the one hand and the tax collectors on the other in terms of seeing themselves as sinners?

o  Tax collectors saw themselves as sinners.

o  The Pharisees did not.

 

26)   How did tax collectors who saw themselves as sinners respond to Jesus call?

o  They followed Jesus.

 

27)   How did the Pharisees who did not see themselves as sinners respond to Jesus call?

o  They refused to follow Jesus.

 

28)   In accordance with verse 15 how had Levi learned from Jesus in taking on the mission of calling sinners when he started following Jesus?

o  Levi invited many

o Tax collectors.

o And sinners to dinner with Jesus.

o  So that

o  They could get to know Jesus.

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Verses 13-17 Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners

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Verses 18-22 Jesus Questioned About Fasting

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29)   In accordance with verse 19 was it appropriate for Jesus and his disciples to fast when Jesus was with them and why?

o  No, because

o It was a joyous occasion.

o When

o Jesus was with his disciples.

o Just as

o It was a joyous occasion.

o When

o The bridegroom was with his guests.

 

30)   In accordance with verse 20 when would Jesus disciples fast?

o  They would fast on the day Jesus was taken from them.

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Verses 18-22 Jesus Questioned About Fasting

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Verses 23-28 Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

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Concerning Jesus being Lord of the Sabbath,

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31)   What is the high priest?

o  The high priest is the chief priest of the temple in Judaism.

 

32)   In accordance with the incident Jesus cited in verses 25 and 26 when was it acceptable not to keep the Sabbath?

o  It was acceptable not to keep the Sabbath in order to meet a pressing human need.

 

33)   According to verse 27 what was Jesus conclusion about the relationship between man and the Sabbath?

o  Jesus concluded that

o The Sabbath was made for man.

o Not man for the Sabbath.

 

34)   What credential did Jesus provide in verse 28 as justification for his deciding the purpose of the Sabbath?

o  Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath.

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Verses 23-28 Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

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End Section 2: Mark 2 Questions & Answers

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