Sunset would be on them before their arrival. They had to persist quickly before .... Any error meant one was a false or
Stranger on the Road to Emmaus J o h n C ro s s / P a u l A . T u l l b e rg e d .
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Centuries ago, a king known for his God -given wisdom, wrote…” Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new?” Certainly, as it relates to the Bible, one cannot take credit for original thoughts. There are outlines and ideas that have been plundered from a thousand sources, both ancient and modern. Many of these resources are such common knowledge, no one would dare claim them as their own. Where known we will attribute so you can read also. Surely there is a lot one can learn objectively about the Bible. But it is hard to teach it as simply an “educational elective course”. As Dr. Martin Luther discovered, by its very nature, the Bible is living and powerful. The Lord God has designed His Word to bring about a response. Unfortunately, people’s responses usually happen under less than ideal settings. Some have had experiences with religious zealots. Such fanatics cram shattered fragments of their Bibles down our throats. So some deal with what is a genuine spiritual gag reflex. Others have pursued just enough Bible information to create misunderstanding. But they stopped short of complete comprehension. These are just examples that reveal some reasons people have chosen to reject the Bible rather than trust and follow God’s Words. Remember God wants to bless:
“…These words are faithful and true…. let the one who hears this say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who wants the water of life take it as a gift.” -- Revelation 22 EHV
P
R O L O G U E
The year was about 33 A.D. The sun burned midday hot. All was quiet. Even the birds refused to sing in the oppressive heat. Cleopas kicked a clod of dried mud from the dusty road . He drew a large breath and blew out his cheeks in a weary sigh. Squinting into the haze, he could barely make out the next ridge. A few miles more would be his town of Emmaus. Sunset would be on them before their arrival. They had to persist quickly before nightfall, wild ani mals and possible robbers would hunt this path. Normally they would have left Jerusalem sooner —after all, seven miles is a decent walk. But the events of the morning had kept them hanging back . Emmaus wasn’t much of a town, but today it seemed a very appealing get-away. Any place but Jerusalem, with its yelling rabble, its Roman cohorts, its governor—Pontius Pilate, any place at all. Cleopas’ heavy thoughts were interrupted. His irritated companion asked a question for the second time. The two of them had been discussing the day’s events—the last few years’ events—until it seemed no detail could be talked about no more. Cleopas was tired, but more than that . He was stressed and depressed. He was feeling burned out by all that had happened in Jerusalem. These days, it seemed, life held more questions than answers. They both kept on trudging. It was then they met the stranger.
Hours later, when the two of them stood hot and sweaty back in Jerusalem with their friends, they couldn’t give a good answer as to how the stranger had joined their journey. The bottom line was, they just weren’t sure where the stranger had met them. Lamely, Cleopas suggested the stranger had “kinda, well just sorta—been there.” That brought his buddies to make suggestions about too m uch heat and sun. But of one thing everyone was sure. The stranger on the road to Emmaus had taken that ancient collection of books—the Bible—and starting at the very beginning, over the next several hours, had explained it. He had explained it clearly and in a way that made incredible sense. The stranger’s message had driven all misery and doubt from their minds. In fact, they were so energized they had hurried all the way back to Jerusalem to tell their friends about the Stranger. Somehow, someway, their friends needed to hear this same message—the message that had been revealed on the Road to Emmaus. So just what did the Stranger say about the Bible? This is a book that has puzzled so many. Exactly how did the Stranger help them understand that whole book clearly? This Bible class will be exploring that answer. So let’s do what the Stranger did—start at the very beginning.
G
E T T I N G
T
H I N G S
S
T R A I G H T
When you stop and think about it, it’s entirely reasonable — indeed, just plain logical—to take a few hours out of your entire life to gain an understanding of the Bible. After all, the Bible has some very profound things to say about life…and about death. For centuries it has been a best seller. Anyone who claims to be the least bit informed should understan d its basic content. Unfortunately, the Bible has fallen into disrepute, not because of what it says, but because some very prominent men and women, who claim to follow the Bible, have made some of the worst choices in life. Even the message of the book has been attacked at times, often by well -meaning people who have never taken the time to really understand what it says. But the Bible has not changed. And despite what hypocrites or critics say, it does make good sense to know the Bible for myself— …for my own peace of mind, for my own life and death’s sake. F O U R BA S I C P R I NC I P L E S O F L E AR NI NG
1. F O U N D A T I O N S B ui ld fro m th e f oun dat io n u p, bui ld on pre vio us ly ga in ed kno wl edg e — mo ve fro m t he k now n to t he un kno wn . We go fro m th e s im ple to th e com pl ex . 2. B U I L D I N G A C L O T H E S L I N E St art at th e b egi nn ing a nd m ove i n seq uen ce to th e end. 3. P I C K L E S A N D P I E T h is i s cr it ic al ly im port ant . Don ’ t mi x the s ubj ec t m att er — sti ck to on e t hem e a t a t im e. I n t he B ib le, i f y ou un in tent io nal ly l eap fro m o ne t opi c t o a not her , t he end resu lt w il l li kel y be con fu s ion . I n s ome c ase s, th e m i x - up s a re min or. In oth er s itu ati on s, the co nfu s ion has ha d c ata str oph ic re su l ts . 4. M A J O R O N T H E M A J O R S T his ap pl ie s t o a ny le arn in g s itu at ion w here th e con t ent is un fam il iar to y ou. T he ide a i s to lea rn the mo st i mport ant po in ts fir st . Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church and School, Wisconsin Rapids, WI, USA Pastor Paul A.Tullberg | Educator/Principal Don na Tullberg
A
U
N I Q U E
B
O O K
There is no doubt about it; the Bible is a unique book. It is a collection of books, sixty-six in all. One author, in writing of the Bible’s uniqueness, put it this way: “Here is a book that is written 1. over a 1500 year span; 2. over 40 generations; 3. by over 40 authors, from every walk of life — including kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars, etc.: Moses, a political leader, trained in the universities of Egypt ; Peter, a fisherman; Amos, a herdsman; Joshua, a military general; Nehemiah, a cupbearer; Daniel, a prime minister; Luke, a doctor; Solomon, a king; Matthew, a tax collector; Paul, a rabbi; 4. in different places: wilderness, dungeon, hillside, palace inside prison, boat, island, in military campaign; 5. at different times: times of war, times of peace; poor times, prosperous time; 6. during different moods: some writing from the heights of joy and others from the depths of sorrow and despair; 7. on three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe; 8. in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and common or K OINE Greek; 9. with subject matter that encompasses hundreds of controversial topics. Yet, the biblical authors wrote with harmony and continuity from Genesis to Revelation. 10 There is one unfolding story. This is what we want to look at—simply and without theological jargon. By far the most unique thing about the Bible is that it claims to be God’s own words.
D
I S C U S S I O N
1. A prophet was a messenger with God’s message. Sometimes this was a fore-telling of future events. This was the powerful, public test of God’s true prophet. The L ORD says: “But a prophet might say something that I did not tell him to say. And he might tell people that he is speaking for Me ! If this happens, that prophet must be killed. Also a prophet might come that speaks for other gods. That prophet must also be killed. You might be thinking, ‘How can we know if something a prophet says is not from the L ORD ?’ If a prophet says he is speaking for the L ORD , but what he says does not happen, you will know that the L ORD did not say it. You will know that this prophet was speaking his own ideas. You don’t need to be afraid of him. ” Deuteronomy 18 ER V
The prophet’s message was validated, deemed as cre dible and reliable, if his prophecies were accurate: a score of 100% in the foretelling of the future. Any error meant one was a false or deceivingpretend-prophet. E V A L U A T E : “ I can’t get with you and your God. Your God is too extreme for me . I
mean, wow! when I say one little fib about what He says. The firing squad for one little mistake? Kinda harsh isn’t it? Your God is too over the top for me .” 2. In these next verses, what does the L ORD reveal about Himself, His people, and His Words?
Verse
Purpose
Power
“All Scripture is Godbreathed and is useful for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, and for training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16 …“since we know this above all else: No prophecy of Scripture comes about from someone’s own interpretation. In fact, no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were being carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:20-21 “The grass dies, and the flowers fall. But the word of our God will live forever.” Isaiah 40:8
Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church and School, Wisconsin Rapids, WI, USA Pastor Paul A.Tullberg | Educator/Principal Don na Tullberg
Dependability
