The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 9

The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 9 – July 20th, 2012

1 Then calling together the twelve He gave to them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of Yahweh and to heal those with illnesses.

There are two words in the New Testament which are nearly always translated as devil in the King James Version. They are διάβολος (Strong's # 1228) and δαίμων (1142) or its diminutive form δαιμόνιον (1140). A διάβολος is literally an accuser, and by implication a false accuser. It is the root of our English word diabolical. The word is translated as slanderer in 1 Timothy 3:11, but is it elsewhere devil. A δαίμων or δαιμόνιον is the Greek word from which we get the English demon. The diminutive form δαιμόνιον was also used by secular Greek writers, and I will conjecture that one’s interpretation of it is dependent upon one’s perspective – whether one is Christian or pagan - to denote “the divine Power, deity, divinity...” but also “a spirit, a being inferior to God...”, both according to Joseph Thayer's Greek-English lexicon and also in secular Greek writers cited by Liddell & Scott is it defined as “...an inferior divine being, a demon”. A δαίμων (found in the N.T. only at Matt. 8:31) is according to Thayer “a god, goddess; an inferior deity...” in the common Greek language. In the New Testament, these words describe evil spirits.

That the King James Version chose to translate both of these words as devil is quite unfortunate, because it has caused much confusion in the minds of many over the nature of Satan. Whenever anyone is possessed of a devil in the gospels, that word is always one of the words related to the Greek word δαίμων, which includes the verb δαιμονίζομαι, which simply means to be possessed by a δαίμων. These devils are spiritual, supernatural, unseen by man, and interact with the world only when they are able to inhabit the body of man or beast. Yet the devils which walk about, the physical devils which are contrary to men, are the devils called διάβολος. We see in John 6:70 that Judas was called a διάβολος, and we see in 1 Peter 5:3 that our opponent, the διάβολος, walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. A διάβολος was also the devil of the temptation of Christ recorded in Luke chapter 4 and in Matthew chapter 4, and that too was certainly a walking, talking devil.

As for the demon-spirits, in the discussion of Luke 8:28-33 presented here last week, it is evident from certain apocryphal literature found in the Ethiopic copies of 1 Enoch and in the Dead Sea Scrolls that demons are believed to have been the disembodied spirits of bastards, especially those bastards produced by the race-mixing which occurred in the days leading up to the flood of Noah. One reference to this is found in the Dead Sea Scroll designated 4Q510, a fragment of what is called the Songs of the Sage, in a part of Fragment 1: “...declare the splendour of his radiance in order to frighten and terrify all the spirits of the ravaging angels and the bastard spirits, demons, Lilith, owls and jackals … and those who strike unexpectedly to lead astray the spirit of knowledge, to make their hearts forlorn.” Another reference is found in the Dead Sea Scroll designated 4Q204, where it says “Exterminate all the spirits of the bastards and the sons of the Watchers....”

3 And He said to them: “You take nothing on the road, neither staff nor bag nor wheat-bread nor silver, nor have two shirts.

The χιτών, or shirt, is the garment worn next to the skin. When Christ walked the earth, He told His apostles not to take care for their own provisions. However when He was prepared to depart He warned them that they must take such care, as we see in Luke 22:35-36 where it reads: “ 35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. 36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.”

4 And into whatever house you should enter, abide there and from there depart. 5 And whomever does not receive you, departing from that city you shake off the dust from your feet for a testimony to them.”

Shaking the dust off of one's feet was a sign that you wanted nothing further to do with those who did not accept your message. Paul expressed having done this at Acts chapter 13: “48 And hearing the people rejoiced and extolled the Word of the Prince, and as many as were appointed to eternal life had believed. 49 And the Word of the Prince was carried throughout the whole land. 50 And the Judaeans urged on some of the noble pious women and first men of the city and aroused a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and ejected them from their borders. 51 And they shaking off the dust of their feet upon them went into Ikonion, 52 and the students were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.”

6 Then going forth they passed through each village announcing the good message and healing everywhere. 7 Then Herodas the Tetrarch heard of all the things taking place

The Codices Alexandrinus (A), Washingtonensis (W), and the Majority Text have “all the things being done by Him”. The text is in agreement with the third-century papyrus P75 and the Codices Sinaiticus (א), Vaticanus (B), Ephraemi Syri (C) and the Codex Bezae (D) which varies slightly.

and was perplexed on account of it being spoken by some that Iohannes had been raised from the dead, 8 but by some that Elijah has appeared, and others that some prophet of antiquity has arisen. 9 And Herodas said “I have had Iohannes beheaded, so who is this concerning whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see Him.

Although Luke mentions John in chapter 7 where he still lives, he does not record the actual death of John. The death of John is recorded in only one Gospel, in Mark chapter 6, where it is related in detail.

10 Then returning the ambassadors described to Him whatever they had done. And taking them He withdrew privately into a city called Bethsaïda. 11 But knowing, the crowd followed Him. And accepting them He spoke to them concerning the Kingdom of Yahweh, and He healed those having need of treatment.

The name Bethsaïda is derived from Hebrew words meaning house of fish. The Codex Sinaiticus (א) has only “...into a desert place.” The Codices Alexandrinus (A), Ephraemi Syri (C), Washingtonensis (W), and the Majority Text have “...into the desert place of a city called Bethsaïda.” The Codex Bezae (D) has “...into a village named Bedsaïda.” The text follows the Codex Vaticanus (B), and the third-century papyrus P75 agrees except that it also has Bedsaïda.

Note that nowhere does it ever say that Christ spoke of personal salvation. In fact, Christ told us precisely the opposite, that we should not have care for ourselves or our own salvation. In Luke 9:24 He says “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” Rather we are to fear only God, because only God can possibly destroy us. That possibility, however, certainly does not detract from any of His promises concerning us, that we would live - if indeed we are children of Israel in the first place. Rather, Christ preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of Yahweh. Therefore we should be concerned for our brethren, and show ourselves worthy of that Kingdom, not being concerned for ourselves.

Psalm 45: “6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.”

Matthew 6: “31 Therefore you should not have care, saying ‘What should we eat?’ or ‘What should we drink?’ or ‘What should we wear?’ 32 For all these things the heathens seek after. Indeed your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all of these things. 33 But you seek first the kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore you should not have care for tomorrow, for tomorrow shall care for itself. Sufficient for the day are its vices.” Vices, or perhaps troubles. There should be no concern among Christians for personal salvation.

12 Then the day began to decline,

The word decline, of the day, which referred to the position of the sun, is a literal rendering of the verb κλίνω (2827), “to make to bend, slope, or slant...to incline...III. to decline, of the day...” (Liddell & Scott). The term certainly seems to indicate mid to late afternoon.

and coming to Him the twelve said “Release the crowd, that going into the surrounding villages and farms they may lodge and find provisions, because we are here in a desert place.” 13 And He said to them: “You give to them to eat.” But they said “There is nothing with us more than five loaves and two fish, unless then going we could buy food for all these people.” 14 Indeed, there were about five thousand men. And He said to His students: “Have them recline in groups, about fifty each.” 15 And having done thusly then they all reclined. 16 Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, looking up into heaven He blessed them, and He broke and gave them to His students to offer to the crowd. 17 And they ate and all were filled, and the excess of fragments taken by them was twelve baskets.

This feeding of the multitude is the same as that recorded by Matthew in chapter 14, in Mark chapter 6 and in John chapter 6, and is therefore attested to in all four gospels. All accounts agree that five thousand men ate from five loaves and two fishes and left twelve baskets of fragments, at least in the majority of manuscripts (but the Codex Ephraemi Syri has seven loaves here). Another event where Yahshua had miraculously fed a great multitude with little food is recorded only in Matthew chapter 15 and in Mark chapter 8, where four thousand men left seven baskets of fragments after being fed from seven loaves and “a few small fishes”.

There is no precise Old Testament prophecy of this miracle, but aside from the feeding of Israel with manna in the desert for forty years, there is an Old Testament precedent for this miracle, at 2 Kings 4: “42 And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat. 43 And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof. 44 So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.” While it is not as extreme an example as a few loaves and fish for five thousand, we see that a large group of people were somehow filled, and there were leftovers, from a relatively small amount of food, and there were certainly women and children with the hundred men also, as there were with the five thousand of this account.

These examples are here so that we know, that if indeed God wants us to eat, then we shall eat and we shall have plenty. The manna in the desert did not fail our fathers for forty years. The woman of Zarephath who comforted Elijah ate for many days from a small amount of meal and oil, while there was a great famine in the land because it did not rain for quite some time. It says at 1 Kings 17:16: that “the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.” When Elijah met the woman, the barrel contained but a handful of meal. Christ tells us in Luke chapter 12: “22 … Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.” We should believe Him – our God shall provide for us in the hardest of times.

This same event where Yahshua fed the five thousand from a few loaves and fish, and then walked on the water to catch up with His disciples, is also recorded in the Gospel of John, in chapter 6. John wrote from a very different perspective, and recorded some things which happened afterward which the other gospel writers did not record, and among them is the great “Bread of Life” discourse. Here is part of the discourse from John:

John 6: “22 On the next day the crowd which stood across the sea had seen that there was not another boat there except one, and that Yahshua had not entered together with His students into the vessel, but only His students had departed. 23 But vessels came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate the bread giving thanks to Yahweh. 24 Therefore when the crowd had seen that Yahshua is not there, nor His students, they themselves boarded into the boats and came to Kapharnaoum seeking Yahshua. 25 And finding Him across the sea they said to Him 'Rabbi, when did You arrive here?' [Note that in Matthew chapter 14, following the feeding of the five thousand, there is the description of the account where Yahshua had walked on the water to meet His disciples which is not recorded by Mark or Luke, but which is indeed corroborated here by John.] 26 Yahshua replied to them and said: 'Truly, truly I say to you, you seek Me not because you have seen signs, but because you have eaten of the loaves and have been satiated! 27 You must work not for that food which perishes but for that food which abides for eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you. Indeed Yahweh the Father has confirmed Him!' [If we seek the food which abides for eternal life, Yahweh Himself shall provide for us the food which perishes, which is our daily bread.] 28 Then they said to Him 'What should we do that we may accomplish the works of Yahweh?' 29 Yahshua replied and said to them: 'This is the work of Yahweh: that you would believe in Him whom He sent!' [Now as Paul explains in 1 Timothy chapter 6, believing in Him requires a belief in all of His Word.] 30 Then they said to Him: 'Then what sign do You do, in order that we would see and we may believe in You? What could You accomplish? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert, just as it is written: ‘bread from heaven He had given them to eat.’ [John seeks to demonstrate to us their argumentativeness. They either saw, or at least heard the accounts, of how He had just fed the five thousand from so little food. Now they seem to be saying to Him 'big deal, our fathers ate manna in the desert', as if to attempt to belittle what He had done. ] 32 Then Yahshua said to them: 'Truly, truly I say to you, Moses did not give to you bread from heaven, but My Father gives to you the true bread from heaven! [They sought their righteousness from the laws of Moses alone, and not from God.] 33 For the bread of Yahweh is He descending from heaven and giving life to the Society!' [Meaning the society which He had created, and not the society which had become corrupted by the Adversary.] 34 Then they said to Him: “Prince, always give to us this bread!” 35 Yahshua said to them: “I am the bread of life! He coming to Me shall not hunger, and he believing in Me shall not ever thirst! 36 But I have said to you that even you have seen Me and you do not believe. 37 Each whom the Father gives to Me shall come to Me, and he coming to Me I shall not cast outside, 38 because I have descended from heaven not in order that I would do that of My will, but the will of He who has sent Me. 39 This is the will of He who has sent Me: That each of them who are given to Me I shall not destroy, but I shall resurrect them in the last day. [This describes all of Israel, and then all of the other Adamic nations.] 40 For this is the will of My Father: that each who seeing the Son and believing in Him would have eternal life [as Peter described that Christ preached the gospel to those who died before the flood], and I shall resurrect him in the last day.” Now to return to Luke chapter 9.

And it came to pass while He was alone praying, the students joined with Him. And He questioned them saying “Who does the crowd say that I am?”

Literally “Who does the crowd say of Me to be?” There are events recorded in Mark and in Matthew, which are not recorded here by Luke. Among them is the feeding of the four thousand with the seven loaves and a few fish, and also the passing by Christ through Tyre and Sidon and the encounter with the Canaanite woman recorded in Mark chapter 7 and Matthew chapter 15.

19 And answering they said “Iohannes the Baptist, but others Elijah, and others that some prophet of antiquity has arisen.” 20 Then He said to them “And who do you say that I am?” [Literally “Who do you say Me to be?”] And Petros replying said “The Anointed One of Yahweh.” 21 And censuring them He commanded that no one is to speak this, 22 saying that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and to be rejected by the elders and the high priests and scribes and to be slain, then in the third day to be raised.

Contrary to the claims of the Catholic Papists, Luke did not think that it was so important to mention any special appointment of Peter by Christ, elevating him above the other apostles, as the recent-day Romish church purports happened here, attempting to take advantage of the way that Matthew recorded the event. Neither does Mark think that the event is of great import, and Mark's gospel is indeed a record of Peter's own testimony. Mark records this same event at 8:29-30: “29 And He asked them: 'But what do you say for Me to be?' Responding Petros says to Him: 'You are the Christ!' 30 And He admonished them that they should speak to no one concerning Him.”

In the Gospel of John, there is no mention at all of this account. However John says in the first chapter of his gospel that “40 Andreas the brother of Simon Petros was one of the two of those hearing Iohannes and following Him. 41 He finds his own older brother Simon and says to him 'We have found the Messiah!' (which is translated 'Christ'.) 42 He led him to Yahshua. Looking at him Yahshua said: 'You are Simon the son of Iohannes. You shall be called Kephas' (which is interpreted 'a stone').” Therefore we see with this event which we are discussing here in Luke, and which is also recorded in Mark chapter 8 and in Matthew chapter 16, Peter's proclamation only acknowledges that Yahshua is the Christ, whereas according to John it was realized and announced by Andrew long prior to Peter's acknowledgment. Note that even the King James Version recognizes that kephas, the Hebrew word which is equivalent to petros, from which we get the name Peter, means stone, and from John's gospel we see that Peter was given that name by Yahshua at the beginning, long before the proclamation that Peter makes here in Luke. Therefore the correct reading of this account as it stands in Matthew 16:17-18 is substantiated, since the Greek should interpret the words of Christ recorded there as saying “Blessed you are, Simon son of Ionas, because flesh and blood have not revealed it to you, but My Father who is in the heavens! And I say to you that you are a stone [petros, a name which Peter was already given and which is kephas in Hebrew], yet upon this bedrock [petra] shall I build My assembly and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it!” Matthew recorded the discourse at greater length than either Luke or Mark, and evidently neither Luke nor Mark saw any special significance in the words of Yahshua as Peter relates to the Church. Neither did John in his gospel, since he did not even record this event.

23 Then He said to all: “If anyone wishes to come behind Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross each day and he must follow Me! 24 For whoever would wish to save his life shall lose it, and whoever would lose his life because of Me, he shall save it! 25 For what does it benefit a man gaining the entire cosmos but losing or suffering damage to himself?

The Codices Ephraemi Syri (C), Bezae (D), and the Majority Text want the phrase “each day”. The text follows the third-century papyrus P75 and the Codices Sinaiticus (א), Vaticanus (B) and Washingtonensis (W). The words “each day” are not at all found in the corresponding accounts found in Matthew 16:24 and Mark 8:34.

Christ came in order to dedicate His life for His kinsmen, which are His race. He tells us that if we desire to follow Him, then we should do as He did. If we in turn do not dedicate our lives to our kinsmen, then in the end our lives shall be meaningless to us regardless of how much we may value them. For this reason we must realize that the commandment to love our brethren means that our race comes first, as Christ says that He was sent to none but the “lost sheep of the House of Israel”.

26 Indeed whoever would be ashamed of Me and My words, him the Son of Man shall be ashamed of, when He should come in the honor of His and that of the Father and of the holy messengers.

There are a host of the sayings of Christ which men are ashamed of today. And since Yahshua Christ is indeed Yahweh incarnate, that must include His Old Testament words as well as His New Testament words.

27 Now truthfully I say to you, there are some among those standing here who shall not taste of death until they should see the Kingdom of Yahweh!”

The statement at the end of verse 27 seems to mean that there are some who would never taste of death, since once attaining the Kingdom of Yahweh there is no death, as hell and death are cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14). A man cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven unless he is born from above (John 3:3). While it may be argued exactly what is meant by this saying concerning death here in Luke, the vision in the verses which follow should be evidence enough, since the apostles testify that they had seen Christ conferring with Moses and Elijah in the event which is commonly called the transfiguration on the mount.

28 And there came to pass after those words about eight days, taking Petros and Iohannes and Iakobos He went up into the mountain to pray. 29 And it happened upon His praying that the image of His face was different, and His garment gleaming white.

The Codex Bezae (D) has it that “the appearance of His face had been altered”. The portrayal of this transformation is apparently what Paul was describing in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, where he said that “we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed”, in verse 51.

30 And behold, two men were speaking with Him, which were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appearing with effulgence had spoke of His departure which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.

The Greek word rendered departure is ἔξοδος (1841), for which Liddell & Scott have “a going out...a marching out...a way out, outlet, an end, close...departure, death...”.

Corresponding accounts of this event are found in Matthew chapter 17 and Mark chapter 9. Note that the gospel writers were fully confident that the men whom the witnesses had observed were indeed Moses and Elijah.

32 Then Petros and those with him were weighed down with sleep. Then being fully awake they saw His effulgence, and the two men standing with Him. 33 And it happened that upon their separating from Him, Petros said to Yahshua, “Master, it is good for us to be here, and we should make three tents: one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah”, not knowing that which he speaks. 34 And upon his saying these things there came a cloud and it overshadowed them, and they were frightened upon the entering of them into the cloud.

Job 26:9, something which is little-mentioned in Scripture: “He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it.”

Acts 1:9: “9 And speaking these things, upon their watching He was lifted up and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing into heaven upon His going, then behold, two men in white clothing stood by them. 11 And they said 'Men, Galilaians, why do you stand looking into the heaven? This Yahshua, who is taken up from you into the heaven, thusly shall He come in the manner which you have beheld Him going into the heaven.'” Many commentators want to treat the return of Christ as an abstract concept, and Scripture tells us that His return shall be literal and concrete.

Acts 9:3-5: “3 And it came to pass in his traveling, approaching Damaskos, then suddenly there shone around him a light from the heaven, 4 and falling upon the ground he heard a voice saying to him 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?' 5 And he said 'Who are you, master?' And He 'I am Yahshua, whom you persecute!'”

With certainty there is more to the creation of God than what we normally perceive, and at times some of us here on earth are shown glimpses of what may be called the supernatural. However until the fulfillment of this age, the interpretation of those glimpses may be argued, and many people may be deceived concerning the nature of such things.

35 And a voice came from the cloud saying “This is My chosen Son, of Him you listen!” 36 And upon the coming of the voice they found Yahshua alone. And they held their silence. And they reported to no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

The Codices Alexandrinus (A), Ephraemi Syri (C), Washingtonensis (W), and the Majority Text have “beloved Son”, for which see Mark 9:7. The Codex Bezae (D) has “beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”, for which see Matt. 17:5. The text follows two third-century papyri P45 and P75, and the Codices Sinaiticus (א) and Vaticanus (B). The word for beloved in these instances is ἀγαπητός. The text of 2 Peter where this account is described agrees with the text of Matthew 17:5 in all of the manuscripts, where there are differentiations only in the order of the words.

At 2 Peter 1:17 we read another testimony of this event, and it says “17 For receiving from Father Yahweh the dignity and honor of so great a voice having been produced for Him by the Magnificent Effulgence: 'This is My beloved Son in whom I am pleased', 18 and this voice we had heard having been produced from out of heaven, with Him being on the holy mountain.”

37 And it happened on the next day upon their coming down from the mountain, a great crowd met up with Him. 38 And behold, a man from the crowd had cried out, saying “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my best beloved.

The Greek word for best-beloved here is μονογενής, which is literally only-born.

39 And look, a spirit seizes him and suddenly he screams and it attacks him with foaming and with pain it departs from him, crushing him. And I had asked your students, that they would expel it, and they were not able!”

Where one may expect to see the Greek word for demon, all of the manuscripts have πνεῦμα, or spirit here and in verse 42 below, where the same entity is also called a demon.

41 Then replying Yahshua said: “O faithless and perverted race! Until when shall I be with you that I should put up with you? Bring your son here!”

That Yahshua called these Judaeans a faithless and perverted race does not necessarily mean that every individual within the group is perverted, or does not have the capacity for faith. Rather, a small minority of intellectually active subversives can easily pervert an entire nation. As we have seen happen quite often in the modern world, so it was in first century Judaea.

42 And then upon his coming forth the demon ravaged him and attacked him. And Yahshua censured the unclean spirit and healed the youth and He returned him to his father. 43 And all were astonished at the majesty of Yahweh.

When men are able to do wonderful things, it is God who should be extolled. It is at this point in Mark's gospel that we see the exchange concerning demons and prayer, where it says at 9:28-29: “28 And upon His entering into a house His students by themselves questioned Him, 'For what had we not been able to cast it out?' 29 And He said to them: 'This kind by no one is able to cast out except with prayer.'”

And with all wondering at all the things which He did, He said to His students: 44 “You deposit in your ears these words: Indeed the Son of Man is about to be handed over into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was disguised from them that they could not comprehend it, and they were afraid to question Him concerning this saying.

Matthew merely states that the apostles “were grieved exceedingly” upon hearing these words. Mark's gospel supports Luke, where he wrote at 9:32: “But they did not perceive the statement, and they were afraid to ask Him.” If the apostles had perceived the statement, then the Word of God may have been difficult to fulfill as God had planned it to be, since the vanity of men is often resistant to the Word of God. This is a good example of the fact that clarity of vision and fulfillment of purpose are the estates of a sovereign God, and it belongs to Him exclusively to grant them to men.

46 And there entered in a dispute among them, which of them would be greater.

The word διαλογισμός (1261), is dispute here in this context, but it is the same word rendered as reasoning in verse 47.

47 But Yahshua, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, laying hold of a child had him stand next to Himself, 48 and He said to them: “Whoever would receive this child, upon whom is My Name, receives Me. And whoever would receive Me, receives He who has sent Me. For he being the least among you all, he is great.”

Yahweh said that He called Israel by His Name, and there is no other race on the planet which can make the claim for themselves that they are called by His name. Isaiah 43:1-7: “1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. 4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. 5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; 7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.”

Therefore the child upon whom is the name of Christ can only be a child of Israel, and therefore only the children of Israel can ever properly be called Christians. Christ came to serve his race by healing them, feeding them, and even dying on behalf of them, and He is their God, and the greatest of His own race which He created. So if God acts in this manner, then we must also do so, if we expect to be honored by Him. Christ being servant of all, we in turn should accept all of those on behalf of whom He sacrificed Himself, and we should also make sacrifice of ourselves on behalf of them. If we do not love our kindred as He did, we do not have any part with Him. If we love our brethren, we do not seek to rule over them, nor do we seek to be the greatest among them.

1 John 4:20-21: “20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”

49 Then replying Iohannes said “Master, we have seen someone casting out demons in Your Name and we prevented him, because he does not follow with us.” 50 And Yahshua said to him: “Do not prevent. For whoever is not against you, is for you.”

If our fellow White man is not working against us, then we must not reject nor should we inhibit him. If our fellow White man is not a part of our clique, our denomination, if he does not use our language, we must nevertheless accept him and treat him as we should treat a brother.

51 And it came to pass, with the fulfillment of the days of His being taken up, that He had set firm His countenance for which to go into Jerusalem.

To set one's face, or here one's countenance, is an ancient expression meaning to set one's resolve. Today it may be replaced with the idiom make up one's mind. In Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, edited by James Pritchard and published by Princeton University Press in 1969, on page 217, column B, in a Mesopotamian legal document it may be seen that a woman “had taken her stand” in a claim at law, while a footnote says that the words thus translated literally read that she “had set her face”. So we see that idiomatically the term means to be resolved to do something.

52 And He had sent messengers before His face. And going they entered into a village of Samaritans so as to prepare for Him, 53 yet they did not receive Him, because His countenance was for going to Jerusalem.

Evidently Yahweh kept the people from receiving Christ - from going out to meet Him – because He was to go to Jerusalem at that time. As it is evidenced in verse 45 where the apostles were perplexed by His words, this is another example of the fact that clarity of vision and fulfillment of purpose are the estates of a sovereign God, and it belongs to Him exclusively to grant them to men.

54 But the students seeing it, Iakobos and Iohannes said “Prince, do You wish that we should speak, to cast down fire from heaven and destroy them?” 55 But turning He censured them, 56 and traveled to another village.

The King James Version has the words “even as Elias did” appended to the end of verse 54, as do the Codices Alexandrinus (A), Ephraemi Syri (C), Bezae (D) and the Majority Text. However the two third-century papyri, P45 and P75, and also the Codices Sinaiticus (א) and Vaticanus (B) all want the phrase.

The King James Version has verses 55 and 56 as follows: “55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.” Parts of the text upon which the King James bases this reading are not found in any Greek manuscript older than the ninth century. The Codex Bezae (D), which has many strange interpolations throughout Scripture, has at verses 55 and 56 thus: “55 But turning He censured them and said ‘You know not what sort of spirit you are’ 56 and traveled to another village.” These readings must be considered as spurious, and verses 55 and 56 should be read “55 But turning He censured them, 56 and traveled to another village.”

The dialogues provided in the last 6 verses of Luke chapter 9 appear at an earlier point in the order of events as they are recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, in chapter 8 just before Christ commands and calms the storm while crossing the sea of Galilee. That event was recorded by Luke in the eighth chapter of his gospel. We have also witnessed other minor differences in how the gospel of Matthew and the gospel of Luke record the order of certain events. None of these, however, detract from the authenticity or validity of the accounts themselves. Rather, such minor mistakes by the hand of man should demonstrate to us the authenticity of the accounts, knowing the way in which they were recorded, since that reveals that they are not mere copies.

57 And upon their going on the road someone said to Him “I will follow You anywhere if You should depart.” 58 And Yahshua said to him “The foxes have dens and the birds of heaven nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay the head.”

Since the beasts of creation have homes, it is only natural that a man also have a home.

59 Then to another He said: “Follow Me.” But he said “Prince, allow my going first to bury my father.” 60 And He said to him “Let the dead bury the dead by themselves, but you departing proclaim the Kingdom of Yahweh.” 61 Then another also said “I will follow You, Prince! But first allow me to make arrangements for [or to dispose of] the things in my house.” 62 So Yahshua said to him “No one laying a hand upon the plow then looking to the things behind is ready for the Kingdom of Yahweh.”

Certain churches abuse these words of Christ in order to coerce men into abandoning even their own families, and to lead those men off for their own purposes. Doing this, they themselves pretend to be God on earth. Paul was one man called to announce the gospel by Christ Himself, and Paul in turn, at 1 Timothy 5:8, tells us “Now if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially of kin, he has denied the faith and is inferior to one of the faithless.” We must therefore provide for our families.

As discussed above at Luke 9:3, when Christ walked the earth, he told his apostles when He sent them out to have care of nothing. However comparing Luke 22:35-36, when Christ was ready to depart, He told them that they had better be prepared to provide for themselves. Here, where Christ walks the earth, he commanded a man to follow Him, and not even to worry about his own family. The man had the opportunity to walk with God incarnate, and certainly God would have seen to the man's family. Yet now Christ has departed, and has not yet returned, and we must indeed care for our families, which is our obligation.

At Matthew 25:31-36 Christ tells us: “31 And when the Son of Man should come in His effulgence and all the messengers with Him, then He shall sit upon His throne of honor. 32 And they shall gather before Him all the nations and He shall separate them from one another just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And He shall indeed stand the sheep at His right hand, but the goats at His left hand. 34 Then the King shall say to those at His right hand: ‘Come, those blessed of My Father, you shall inherit the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the foundation of Society! 35 For I hungered and you gave Me to eat; I had thirst and you had given Me drink; I was a visitor and you had taken Me in; 36 naked and you had clothed Me; I had been sick and you watched over Me; I was in prison and you had come to Me' … 40 And replying the King shall say to them: ‘Truly I say to you, for whomever of the least of My brethren have you done one of these things, you have done them for Me!’ ’”

One must not interpret the words of Christ as they are recorded in these last verses of Luke chapter 9 in a way that they must conflict with the words of Christ in Matthew chapter 25, or with the plain statement of Paul in 1 Timothy 5:8: “Now if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially of kin, he has denied the faith and is inferior to one of the faithless.” If one's mother or father or brethren are sick or dying, one had better attend to them.