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Weekly Bible Study Resources
Bible Characters for Your Weekly Bible Study
Compiled by Lt Gen C. Norman Wood, USAF (Ret)
For week of May 28 – June 3, 2012
SUBJECT: GOD THE ONLY CAUSE AND CREATOR
Decker, Fred W., “God Is the Only Cause,” Journal, Vol. 59 (February 1942), p. 640.
JSH-Online: http://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1942/2/59-11/god-is-the-onlycause/(language)/eng-US
--Christian Science is based upon the truth revealed and established by the great Nazarene.
• Spiritual causation to him was a living reality, against which the stubborn claims of "physical
causation" were as chaff before the wind.
---Christian Science redeems the sinner, heals sickness of every form, reconciles
misunderstandings and bitter injustices, restores harmony, and raises the dying to health, all on the basis
of God, divine Mind, as the great First Cause, the creator of man and the universe.
• As the student of Christian Science becomes awakened to the need of advancing spiritual
understanding, through which to replace material beliefs, he becomes increasingly watchful of his
thinking, and finds, to his joy, that he is able to detect and reject the plausible suggestions of mortal
mind as causative, thus annulling them as counterfeits of the activity of divine Mind, which is
continually imparting to receptive thought the sustaining truths of immortal being.
SECTION II: Peter’s Confession (Matt 16: 13-18 [to ;])
RELATED SCRIPTURE: Jer 23:5; 33:15,16
PARALLEL GOSPELS: Mark 8: 27-33; Luke 9: 18-21
TIME LINE: The Year of Opposition and Development (Jesus’ 3rd year of ministry), Summer, 29 AD,
near Caesarea Philippi.
At this time Jesus was much in prayer. “This [Matt 16:13-20] is the focal scene of the extended
narrative unit 13:53—17:27.” (People’s NT Commentary)
“Caesarea Philippi [Matt v.13] is a district about twenty-five miles north of Galilee, at the base
of Mt. Hermon. It was different from the city of Caesarea built by Herod the Great on the
Mediterranean coast.” (MacArthur Bible Commentary)
“[This is] one of the most debated periscopes in [Matthew]. In [Mark] we find the account of
how the disciples for the first time recognize Jesus as the Messiah; Peter speaks for them….” (Peake’s
Commentary) "Verse 20 suggests that it [Thou art the Christ] was a conviction which they all now
shared." (King James Bible Commentary)
“All Jesus’ previous activities in Galilee and the Gospel writers' interpretations of him as
teacher, healer, Messiah, and Son of God come to a climax in Jesus’ dialogue with his disciples about
his identity ([Matt]16:13-20).” (Eerdmans Commentary)
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
“The Jewish people of first-century Palestine, including the 12 disciples, have an expectation of
a coming Messiah.” (KJV Standard Lesson Commentary) Jesus' "messianic claims had always alluded
subtly to OT prophecies [v.17 flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee] and been substantiated
with miraculous works." (MacArthur Bible Commentary)
“The Greek word used for ‘rock’ (Gr petra) is played against the name Peter (Gr petros) in the
original [Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, Matt 16:18). The Roman Catholic
interpretation of this passage is that Peter was the foundation stone of the church, that he had primacy
among the apostles, that he became Bishop of Rome, and that his primacy was passed on to his
successors the popes.” (King James Bible Commentary)
"Unique to Matthew among the canonical Gospels is the mention of the grammatically feminine
term ekklesia, or 'church.'" (Women's Bible Commentary) "The primary function of this passage is to
record the establishment of a new community, one which will acknowledge Jesus' true identity and
thereby become the focus of God's activity in history. The event has been occasioned by the rejection of
Jesus by so many in Israel, including Israel’s leaders, a rejection chronicled in the previous chapters."
(Oxford Bible Commentary)
“John the Baptist…Elias and others…Jeremias, or one of the prophets”
"Jesus' interrogation of his disciples begins with popular views of Jesus as a prophet."
(Eerdmans Bible Commentary)
Matt 16:14 "shows that public opinion placed our Lord on the highest human pedestal by
identifying Him with one of the national heroes of the past, i.e., John the Baptist. Herod himself was a
victim of this particular superstition (see 14:2)….The coming of Elijah (Elias) was prophesied by
Malachi (Mal 4:5) and the Jews often linked the name of Jeremiah with the prophet foretold in
Deuteronomy 18:15." (King James Bible Commentary) The “importance of Jeremiah [appears] in the
nonbiblical 2 Maccabees 2:1-8; 15:14,15, written during the time between the Old and New
Testaments. The reappearance of Elijah is expected to precede the Messianic age (Malachi
4:5,6)….The two Old Testament prophets specifically mentioned are connected with the Messiah.”
(KJV Standard Lesson Commentary)
Simon Peter
(See 3.4.12 notes)
Macdonald, George, “The Son of Man,” POEM, Journal, Vol. 16 (May 1898), p. 106.
I see a simple, truthful man,
Who walks the earth erect,
Nor stoops His noble head to one
From fear or false respect.
He seeks to climb no high estate,
No low consent secure,
With high and low serenely great,
Because His ends are pure.
Nor walks alone, beyond our reach,
Our joy and grief beyond;
He counts it joy divine to teach
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
When human hearts respond.
And grief divine oft woke in Him
O'er souls that lay and slept;
"How often, O Jerusalem!"
He said, and gazed, and wept.
Hid in His heart some spring of grace
Flowed silent through the din;
The sorrow-cloud upon His face,
Was lighted from within.
Love was His very being's root,
And healing was its flower,
Love only, root, and flower, and fruit —
Beginning, end and power.
Copper, Ralph Byron, “Lessons from a Pronoun,” German Herald (October 1987), P. 21. [Reprinted
from Sentinel (Vol. 87) 1985, p. 905]
JSH-Online: http://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1985/6/87-22/lessons-from-apronoun/(language)/eng-US
--…in answer to Jesus’ question, the Apostle Peter confessed, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God.” (Matt 16:16) This historic declaration revealed Jesus’ true selfhood to be far more than human
personality. His real identity was the very expression, or emanation, of the divine Ego, as Jesus himself
had said: “I and my Father are one.” (John 10: 50)
--Flesh and blood hadn’t revealed this understanding to Peter, because what the Apostle was seeing in
his Master at that moment was spiritual individuality, the Son of the living God. Peter’s confession was
an affirmation of the Christ, the spiritual idea of man’s sonship with God, which Jesus uniquely
embodied. What Peter saw through revelation was exactly what Jesus came to show the world: that we,
too, can be—and in fact are—the spiritual sons of God, His immortal offspring.
--What the Master knew, his disciples needed to learn: that good—and good alone—characterizes every
individual identity (every legitimate “who”) in God’s universe.
Catlin, Opal L., "'Upon this rock I will build my church,'" Sentinel, Vol. 31 (16 March 1929), p.
567.
JSH-Online: http://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1929/3/31-29/upon-this-rock-i-will-build-mychurch/(language)/eng-US
--As he tarried at Caesarea Philippi and talked with his disciples, the beloved Master rejoiced in the
statement that Simon Peter made as to his identity: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
And Jesus said to Peter, "Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it." This may be regarded as meaning that it is the spiritual discernment of the Christ, Truth,
upon which the church was to be built.
--The spiritual understanding and inspiration which prompted the founding of the Christian Science
church resulted largely from the illumination Mrs. Eddy received concerning the Master's teachings. Of
this church it is said in the Manual (p.19), "THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST, IN
BOSTON, MASS., is designed to be built on the Rock, Christ; even the understanding and
demonstration of divine Truth, Life, and Love, healing and saving the world from sin and death; thus to
reflect in some degree the Church Universal and Triumphant."
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
--Here, in these words, is stressed the fact that it is not only the understanding of Truth, but also the
demonstration of Truth, which proves to the world that our church is "built on the Rock, Christ."
--Let us too press on, and through individual spiritualization of thought, and daily deeds of love and
healing, prove that the Christian Science church has spiritual foundations, “whose builder and maker is
God.”
SECTIONS III-VI: The Acts of the Apostles
“The Acts of the Apostles, the traditional title of this originally untitled and anonymous book,
inadequately expresses the book’s content and theological message….
“Because there is no doubt that the same author is responsible for both the Gospel of Luke and
Acts, it has become conventional to use the name Luke to indicate the author of each….
“The two-volume work of Luke-Acts offers itself as a project of pastoral theology (see Luke 1:
1-4; Acts 1: 1—2), endeavoring to nurture faith by highlighting God’s role and fidelity in the stories it
tells.” (Theological Bible Commentary)
Leishman, Thomas L., “Luke, and the Book of Acts,” THE CONTINUITY OF THE BIBLE, Journal,
Vol. 59 (September 1941), p. 340.
JSH-Online: http://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1941/9/59-6/luke-and-the-book-ofacts/(language)/eng-US
--In the opening verses of the book of Acts, which is dedicated to Theophilus (Acts 1:1), the author
mentions his "former treatise" bearing the same dedication (Luke 1:3), and dealing with the Master's
ministry.
• This "treatise"—which we know as the Gospel of Luke—finds its sequel in the evangelist's
Acts of the Apostles.
--Even a brief study of the Acts of the Apostles makes it plain that in certain sections it provides an
eyewitness account of the events recorded, while elsewhere the writer trusts to information from other
sources.
• It is in Acts 16:10 that Luke first clearly speaks in the first person, using the pronoun "we" and
thus identifying himself as a member of the pioneer group which included Silas, Timothy, and Paul
himself. Paul at this time was pursuing his second great missionary journey and had just seen a vision in
which a Macedonian appealed to him to undertake for the first time preaching on European soil.
SECTION III: Luke writes to someone named Theophilus (Acts 1: 1, 2)
RELATED SCRIPTURE: Matt 28:1; Luke 24: 26, 27, 44-48, 51
TIME LINE AND AUTHOR: The Apostle’s period of organization, 30 AD. Written by Luke c. 62 AD.
“Here Luke takes up the story of the Gospel and briefly recapitulates its ending.” (People’s NT
Commentary) "This second volume of Luke's work opens with a renewal of the first volume's
dedication to Theophilus,…and a glance at its subject-matter which leads directly into the narrative
which continues it." (Peake's Commentary) The first verses of Acts 1 should be closely linked with
Luke 24: 26-27, 44-48, for both passages relate to the same period of time.
"An early hint at the element of divine guidance in the story is found when the Holy Spirit is
identified as the means by which Jesus chose the apostles (v.2)." (Eerdmans Commentary) Taken up
(v.2) refers to "Christ's ascension to the Father (cf. Luke 24:51). Luke uses this term three other times
(vv.9,11,22) to describe the end of the Lord's earthly ministry (cf. John 6:62; 13:1; 3; 16:28; 17:13;
20:17)." (MacArthur Bible Commentary)
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
Theophilus
[Thee of’uh luhs] (Greek “beloved of God”)
“Scholars have long argued about the identity of the enigmatic Theophilus, to whom Luke
dedicates his Gospel and the book of Acts. The name, which means ‘friend of God’ or beloved of God,’
might be a generic term, referring to all who are interested in finding out more about Christ [Jesus] and
the faith of his followers.” (All the People of the Bible) Theophilus was "a Christian, probably a
Roman, to whom Luke dedicated both his Gospel (Luke 1:3) and the Acts of the Apostles (1:1).
Nothing beyond this is known of him. From the fact that Luke applies to him the title 'most excellent',
the same title Paul uses in addressing Felix (Acts 23:26; 24:3) and Festus (26:25), it has been concluded
that Theophilus was a Roman officer." (Easton Bible Dictionary)
"Luke wants to provide for Theophilus a reliable account of what Jesus did and taught and of
how this was continued in the early Church (cf. Acts 1:1)." (Anchor Bible Dictionary) "This honorific
form of address ['most excellent']suggests that Theophilus is highly respected in society, possibly a man
of considerable financial means who helped fund the publication of Luke's writings." (Eerdmans
Dictionary)
"According to tradition, both Luke and Theophilus were natives of Antioch in Syria. Much
speculation surrounds Theophilus, but little is known for certain about him." (Who Was Who in the
Bible)
“One conjecture holds that Theophilus was unsaved and that Luke wrote the letter to persuade
his belief in Christ.” (Holman Bible Dictionary) "All that can be conjectured with any degree of safety
concerning him comes to this, that he was a Gentile of rank and consideration, who came under the
influence of St. Luke or under that of St, Paul at Rome, and was converted to the Christian faith."
(Peloubet's Dictionary)
Root, Charles T., “Certainty,” Sentinel, Vol. 17 (23 January 1915), p. 404.
JSH-Online: http://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1915/1/17-21/certainty/(language)/eng-US
--St. Luke's explanation of his reason for writing as he did to Theophilus, to wit, "that thou mightest
know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed," must make forceful appeal to
any thoughtful Christian believer, and provide many particular occasions for thanksgiving, one or more
of which are recognized by every individual who has entered upon the journey from sense to Soul.
• Healing of sickness in one's own case or in that of a dear one, a sin overcome or a bad habit
corrected, fear replaced with courage, a business tangle straightened out, or some family discord
destroyed,—these results, and others, form the basis of thousands of written and spoken testimonies to
the efficacy of Christian Science in individual experience.
Kirwin, M. Elizabeth, “The Chosen,” POEM, Sentinel, Vol. 54 (2 August 1952), p. 1339.
To be the choice of God
How great the honor here
And manifold the peace
His chosen one may bear.
But what contents the heart,
What worth of purpose, where
The chosen doth not choose
To hold God’s service dear?
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
God’s all is for His child,
Whose whole task is to strive
To be one—now—with Him.
Choose God; and, with God, live!
Peter addresses large crowds as the church grows (Acts 2: 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11 we, 38 Peter,
41, 47 And the)
RELATED SCRIPTURE: Ex 34: 22, 23; Lev 23: 15-21; John 14: 17
AUTHOR AND TIME LINE: Written by Luke c. 62 AD
“’Pentecost’ [day of Pentecost, v.1] means ‘fiftieth’ and refers to the Feast of Weeks or Harvest,
which was celebrated fifty days after Passover in May/June.” (MacArthur Bible Commentary) "The
harvest Feast of Weeks (Lev 23:15-21 etc.) had by the time of Luke come to have historical significance
as the commemoration of the giving of the Law." (Peake's Commentary) "On this day the risen Lord
fulfilled His promise to send another Comforter (or Advocate) 'That he may abide with you for ever;
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him:
but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you' (Jn 14:17)." (Dummelow Commentary)
"After the Holy Spirit's arrival, the first major event of church history was Peter's Sermon
[vv.14-40], which led to 3,000 conversions and established the church (vv.41-47)." (MacArthur Bible
Commentary)
Peter
(See 3.4.12 notes)
Swan, Carolyn B. (CSB and Associate Editor), “Speaking the new tongue, ‘with new tongues’,”
EDITORIAL, Journal, Vol. 105 (October 1987), p. 38.
JSH-Online: http://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1987/10/105-10/speaking-the-new-tongue-withnew-tongues/(language)/eng-US
--Christ Jesus said that signs would follow believers—those who understood his lifework and its
message. He promised, "They shall speak with new tongues." [Mark 16:17]
--Throughout Christendom, conceptions of the fulfillment of this promise have ranged from the practice
known as glossolalia to a fixed belief that the promised signs were meant only “to assist the diffusion of
the gospel at the very first.”
--A renaissance of the genuine signs Jesus foretold came with Mrs. Eddy’s discovery of Christian
Science.
--In the new tongue of Christian Science, man is used to refer to God’s perfect likeness—the true
selfhood of each of us.
--“A correct use of capital letters in composition caps the climax of the old ‘new tongue.’” [My 225: 78]
--The success of our efforts to communicate Science more freely increases in proportion as we really
live Christian Science.
--Actions will always speak louder than words, but when words are needed they should be undergirded
with prayer and assiduously earned [by] spiritual progress.
WAGERS, RALPH E. (CSB, Lecturer, Associate Editor, President, and Normal Class Teacher), "'The
spirit of Christ calling us together,'" EDITORIAL, Sentinel, Vol. 67 (6 February 1965), p. 239.
JSH-Online: http://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1965/2/67-6/the-spirit-of-christ-calling-ustogether/(language)/eng-US
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
--Effective unity can be achieved in only one way: through spiritualization of thought.
• By means of this the spiritual facts of being can be made the basis of our refutation of the
claims of materialism….
--Spiritual facts must be spiritually interpreted if they are to be used in meeting the atheistic reactions to
Christianity that are prevalent today.
--It is evident throughout Mrs. Eddy's writings that she gave thoughtful consideration to the subject of
Christian unity. A telling sentence in her article entitled "One Cause and Effect" is this one
(Miscellaneous Writings, p. 21): "As the ages advance in spirituality, Christian Science will be seen to
depart from the trend of other Christian denominations in no wise except by increase of spirituality."
--Whatever "wars against spirituality" tends to materialize worship of the one God, Spirit.
--As spiritual discernment enables Christians to see through the deceptive claims of evil and behold
good as infinite, that which separates them will be overcome, and the Scriptural promise fulfilled (Rev.
21:3), “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his
people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”
SECTION IV: Peter heals the crippled man at Jerusalem (Acts 3: 1-8)
RELATED SCRIPTURE: Lev 21: 18; Duet 15: 21; II Sam 5: 8; Ps 55: 17; Isa 35: 6; Mal 1: 8, 13; Luke
22: 31,32; Acts 2: 43; 3: 16; 4: 10
TIME LINE AND AUTHOR: Summer, 30 AD, in the temple courts of Jerusalem. Written by Luke c.
62 AD
“a certain man lame”
(See 3.25.12 notes)
Ball, Judson Smith, “In His Name,” Sentinel, Vol. 68 (12 March 1966), p. 450.
JSH-Online: http://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1966/3/68-11/in-his-name/(language)/eng-US
--“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14).
• These words of Christ Jesus to his followers contain a key to the successful application of
prayer to heal and bless.
--…if we pray in the way Jesus taught, invoke our divine rights as he counseled, and then remain
absolutely confident of the outcome—never doubting—we shall have all that we ask because we are
truly praying after the manner of his teaching, in other words, in his name.
--Peter did just this when he healed the lame man at the gate of the temple with the words (Acts 3:6),
“In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
• Peter reminded himself in this way that the power of the Christlike understanding of man’s
present perfection, as taught and demonstrated by Jesus, was all that was necessary to effect the healing.
The results bore witness to the correctness of Peter’s understanding, not to the mere fact that he had
said, “In the name of Jesus Christ.”
Bowles, Dr. Oliver, “Breaking the Bondage of Heredity,” HOW CHRISTIAN SCIENCE HEALS:
Radio Program No. 77, Sentinel, Vol. 57 (12 March 1955), p. 468.
JSH-Online: http://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1955/3/57-11/radio-program-no.-77-breakingthe-bondage-of-heredity/(language)/eng-US
--…we can gain victory over all discord, including trouble supposed to be hereditary, when we learn to
understand God, and man’s relationship to Him.
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
--…the fear of hereditary disease [involves] the assumption that man is a mortal being, at the mercy of a
physical body, the prisoner of unyielding material laws. To accept suffering as inevitable is a great
mistake, because it ignores God and His great goodness and love for man.
--The Scriptures make plain that everything God creates is perfect and eternal, and that everything that
actually belongs to man is derived from his heavenly Father, divine Love. All that man truly inherits is
good, and all the good we can have actually comes from God.
--What I’ve been saying is helpfully summarized in “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,”
where Mary Baker Eddy tells us (p. 151), “Every function of the real man is governed by the divine
Mind.”
SECTION V: The appointment of the "seven men of honest report" (Acts 6: 1-7)
TIME LINE AND AUTHOR: Written by Luke in 62 AD. The event took place during the later part of
the period of organization of the early church in 30-37 AD in Jerusalem.
“Although sometimes regarded as the start of a new section in Acts, the story of the seven and
Stephen (6:1-8:3) is better viewed as the final subsection of the Jerusalem section (Squires 1998:608-9).
The story continues to be related to the Jerusalem temple.” (Eerdmans Commentary)
"It is commonly accepted that the essential distinction between the terms 'Hellenist' and 'Hebrew'
is linguistic; the first refers to Jews who spoke Greek, and the second to those who spoke Aramaic."
(Hellenists and Hebrews)
"The dispute between the Hellenists and the Hebrews ostensibly concerns the administration of
the dole [v.1]. The care of widows was inherited from Jewish practice, but the method of distribution is
not clear." (Abingdon Bible Commentary)
“The word translated ‘tables’ [serve tables, v.2] can refer to tables used in monetary matters (cf.
Matt 21:12; Mark 11:15; John 2: 15), as well as those used for serving meals.” (MacArthur Bible
Commentary)
Grecians/Hellenists
[Gree'shuhnz]
The Grecians were "one of two groups, 'Hellenists' (Gk. Hellēnistếs) and 'Hebrews' (Hebraίoi),
at odds with each other in the early Church (Acts 6:1). The identity of the Hellenists is usually based on
the meaning of the verb hellēnizein, either ‘to speak Greek (properly)’ or ‘to live like a Greek.’"
(Eerdmans Dictionary)
Craig Hill suggests "the earliest church was untidily diverse, not neatly divided." (Hellenists and
Hebrews)
"seven [Greek-speaking] men of honest report"
"The appointment of these seven is the first appointment since that of Matthias; like that
appointment, this one takes place after prayer (6:6; see 1:24). The new element added here is the laying
on of hands (6:6), a practice found also when some Samaritans are baptized (8:15-19), when Saul's sight
is restored by Ananias (9:12,17), and when Barnabas and Saul are commissioned by the church in
Antioch (13:2-3)." (Eerdmans Commentary)
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
Stephen
[Stee’vuhn] (Gr. Stephanos, "wreath" or "crown")
Stephen was one of the first seven deacons of the early church, who became a preacher of the
gospel, and "the first Christian martyr." (Westminster Dictionary) He "is known best as the protomartyr of the Christian church, introducing the heroic period of persecutions." (Baker Encyclopedia)
His personal character and history are recorded in Acts 6:7-7:60.
“In the period following Pentecost, the number of Christians in the New Testament church grew
steadily. Followers were eventually recruited not only from among the Jews in Palestine but also from
among the Jews in Greek settlements.” (Who Was Who in the Bible)
Stephen was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council, where charges were
placed against him. False witnesses testified against him. The speech of Stephen before the Sanhedrin
is the first apology for the universalism of the gospel as a message to the Gentiles as well as the Jews.
It is the longest speech contained in the Acts, a place of prominence being given to it as a defense.
Among the people consenting to Stephen’s death that day was Saul, who later became the
apostle Paul—great Christian missionary to the Gentiles. It was at the feet of the young Pharisee, Saul
of Tarsus, that those who stoned him laid their clothes before they began their cruel work. The scene
which Saul then witnessed and the words he heard appear to have made a deep and lasting impression
on his mind.
Philip the Evangelist
[Fill’ihp] (“lover of horses”)
There are eight Philips mentioned in the Apocrypha and the New Testament. The one referred
to in this week’s lesson is Philip the evangelist, "not to be confused with Philip the Apostle."
(HarperCollins Bible Dictionary)
Philip was one of the "seven,” called also "the evangelist,” who were “chosen to serve the early
church because they were reported to be ‘full of faith and the Holy Spirit’ (Acts 8:1).” (Who Was Who
in the Bible) He was appointed along with others “to supervise the daily distribution of food to the
widows following the dispute between the ‘Hellenists’ and the ‘Hebrews’ (Acts 6:1-6).”
(HarperCollins Dictionary) He was one of those who were "scattered abroad" by the persecution that
arose on the death of Stephen. He went first to Samaria, where he labored as an evangelist with much
success.
While he was there he received a divine command to proceed toward the south, along the road
leading from Jerusalem to Gaza. These towns were connected by two roads. The one Philip was
directed to take was that which led through Hebron, and thence through a district little inhabited, and
hence called "desert." As he traveled along this road he was overtaken by a chariot in which sat a man
of Ethiopia, the eunuch or chief officer of Queen Candace, who was at that moment reading, probably
from the Septuagint version, a portion of the prophecies of Esias (Isa 56:5). Philip entered into
conversation with him, and expounded these verses, preaching to him the glad tidings of the Saviour.
The eunuch received the message and believed, and was forthwith baptized, and then "went on his way
rejoicing." Philip was instantly caught away by the Spirit after the baptism, and the eunuch saw him no
more.
He was next found at Azotus [Ashdod], whence he went forth in his evangelistic work till he
came to Caesarea. "After Acts 8 Philip's sole appearance is at 21:8-9, [twenty years later] along with his
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
four prophetic daughters, as one of Paul's hosts on the latter's final journey to Jerusalem." (Eerdmans
Dictionary) He then finally disappears from the page of history.
Prochorus
[Prahk’uh ruhs] (Gr. “leader of the dance/chorus”)
“Prochorus was one of the seven men chosen by the early church to provide for the Greekspeaking widows and the poor among the Christians (Acts 6:5).” (Who Was Who in the Bible)
He “has been named as the writer of a late and apocryphal History of the Apostle John.
According to a medieval legend John dictated his Gospel to Prochorus.” (Who’s Who in the New
Testament)
Nicanor
[Ni kay'nuhr] (Gr. “conqueror”)
Nicanor was one of the seven deacons appointed in the apostolic Church (Acts 6:1-6). Nothing
further is known of him, “nor has any legend or tradition concerning [him] survived, except that [he
was] among the seventy disciples with Jesus in Galilee.” (Who’s Who in the New Testament)
Timon
[Tie’mun] (Gr. “to honor”)
Timon is one of the seven deacons at Jerusalem (Acts 6:5). Nothing further is known of him,
“nor has any legend or tradition concerning [him] survived, except that [he was] among the seventy
disciples with Jesus in Galilee.” (Who’s Who in the New Testament)
Parmenas
[Pahr'muh nuhs] (Gr. “constant”)
Parmenas is one of the seven "deacons" appointed by the Apostles to minister to Hellenized
Jews of Jerusalem who had converted to Christianity (Acts 6:5). He was “among the seventy disciples
with Jesus in Galilee.” (Who’s Who in the New Testament) Parmenas preached in Asia Minor, and
was martyred in the persecution of Trajan in 98 AD in Philippi, Macedonia. He was later canonized by
the Catholic church as a Saint.
Nicolas/Nicolaus
[Nick’oh lus](“conqueror of the people”)
Nickolas was “one of the seven men chosen as Deacons to serve tables in the church at
Jerusalem…..The church fathers accused Nicolas of denying the true Christian faith and founding the
heretical sect known as the Nicolaitians (Rev 2:6,15).” (Who Was Who in the Bible)
"Luke specifically describes [him] as 'a proselyte from Antioch,' meaning that he was born a
pagan but had accepted the Jewish faith before being converted to Christianity by his new belief in the
Messiahship of Jesus." (Who's Who in the New Testament)
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Chamberlin, Jessie C., "The Greek Thought," Journal, Vol. 16 (December 1898), p. 610.
JSH-Online: http://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1898/12/16-9/the-greek-thought/(language)/engUS
--IN the days of Jesus and Paul, four races, or thoughts, dominated the world: the Jews, representing the
religious sense; the Orientals, representing superstition, mysticism, and magic; the Romans, standing
for worldliness, ambition, and political power; the Greeks, who ruled in aesthetics and philosophy.
--As we can trace the Greek polytheism through history, so we can trace its influence on our own
mentalities. Old theology, Oriental mysticism, Roman dominion, — all these are to be met and
overcome in the secret chambers of our struggles with self; but this subtle love of beauty for its own
sake, these clever sophistries of human reason, these idle, lying, fascinating gods of the Greeks, are they
not harder to relinquish than all else! Many leaders, many prophets, many sciences, many aims in life,
many roads to happiness, "many men of many minds," this is the Greek conception.
Robinson, Russell D. (CS), “’Assistance in brotherhood’,” Journal, Vol. 84 (October 1966), p. 521.
JSH-Online: http://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1966/10/84-10/assistance-inbrotherhood/(language)/eng-US
--“The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or
Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother's need and supplieth it, seeking his own in
another's good.” So writes Mrs. Eddy in Science and Health under the marginal heading “Assistance in
brotherhood.”
--At no time in history has mankind been more awake to the opportunities for “assistance in
brotherhood.” To a striking degree the richer countries of the world are reaching out to help the
developing nations, abandoning older practices of exploitation. Individuals richer in material goods are
finding ways to help the poorer. The whole appears to be making efforts to eliminate poverty, devoting
increasing energy, resources, and attention to lifting mankind from the limitations that beset it.
--Moses, the great Hebrew Lawgiver, included particular provision for the less fortunate in his laws to
guide the Israelites.
--The result of such prayer is the clear perception of the human footsteps necessary for “assistance in
brotherhood.”
Price, Naomi (CSB and Associate Editor), “Comfort for Widows and Widowers,” EDITORIAL,
Sentinel, Vol. 76 (20 July 1974), p. 1257.
JSH-Online: http://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1974/7/76-29/comfort-for-widows-andwidowers/(language)/eng-US
--The root meaning of the word “widow” is “to separate.” The term aptly describes the melancholy
mental condition of many human beings who find themselves alone after years of happy marriage. Too
often those who have been widowed succumb to the mesmeric suggestion of being separated not only
from the personal presence of a dear friend, but from qualities they consider vitally important to their
lives—such as selfless affection and comforting companionship. They believe these are dependent on a
person who has gone, and accordingly they feel deprived. For them, Christian Science is a blessing that
will lift them from the state of gloom and frustration to the spiritual peace of being conscious of their
own perfect identity as God’s complete reflection.
--We will not be disloyal to those who have gone or love them less because we understand our own
self-completeness better.
SECTION VI: The divinations of Sceva's sons (Acts 19: 1 [to :], 8, 11, 13-17, 19 [to :], 20 )
RELATED SCRIPTURE: Mark 9: 38; Luke 9: 49, 50; 11:19
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TIME LINE AND AUTHOR: Antioch becomes the center of the Early Church, 3rd missionary journey,
53-56 AD. This event occurred at Ephesus c. 53 AD. Luke is the author.
“A compressed summary passage [vv.8-10] (completely ignoring any previous Christian activity
in Ephesus) now shows Paul repeating in the province of Asia [Turkey] the patterns of preaching and
apologetic which have characterized his mission across Galatia.” (Oxford Bible Commentary)
Special miracles (v.11) "confirmed that Paul was God's messenger, since there was no
completed NT to use to determine the truth of his message (cf. 2 Cor 12:12; Heb 2:3,4)." (MacArthur
Bible Commentary)
“Most people in the ancient world believed in possession of evil spirits. There were many pagan
exorcists, but Jews [vagabond Jews, exorcists, v.13] were sometimes thought to have special powers in
this regard.” (People’s NT Commentary)
Apollos
[A pol’lus] (“destroyer”)
Apollos was "a learned and eloquent Jew from Alexandria in Egypt and an influential leader in the early
church." (Who Was Who in the Bible) He was a man well versed in the Scriptures. He came to
Ephesus (about 49 AD), where he spoke "boldly" in the synagogue, although he did not know as yet that
Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah. Aquila and Priscilla instructed him more perfectly in "the way of
God", i.e., in the knowledge of Christ. He then proceeded to Corinth, where he met Paul. He was there
very useful in watering the good seed Paul had sown, and in gaining many to Christ. His disciples were
much attached to him. He was with Paul at Ephesus when he wrote the First Epistle to the Corinthians;
and Paul makes kindly reference to him in his letter to Titus. Some have supposed, although without
sufficient ground, that he was the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews.
Paul
(See 2.12.12 notes)
“Seven sons of Sceva”
Sceva was "a Jew, chief of the priests at Ephesus; i.e., the head of one of the twenty-four courses
of the house of Levi. He had seven sons, who 'took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits
the name of the Lord Jesus,' in imitation of Paul. They tried their method of exorcism on a fierce
demoniac, and failed. His answer to them was to this effect: 'The Jesus whom you invoke is One whose
authority I acknowledge; and the Paul whom you name I recognize to be a servant or messenger of God;
but what sort of men are ye who have been empowered to act as you do by neither?' (Lindsay on the
Acts of the Apostles.) " (Easton Dictionary)
"Nothing is known outside of Acts concerning a Jewish high priest with the Latin name of
Sceva." (Eerdmans Dictionary)
Leishman, Thomas L., “Paul’s Third Journey Begins,” THE CONTINUITY OF THE BIBLE: Paul
the Missionary Apostle, Journal, Vol. 94 (May 1976), p. 267.
JSH-Online: http://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1976/5/94-5/paul-s-third-journeybegins/(language)/eng-US
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--Passing through Syria and Cilicia and crossing the Taurus mountains by the Cilician Gates, [Paul and
his disciples] came to Galatia.
• As soon as his work of “strengthening all the disciples” there was completed, Paul kept his
promise and returned to Ephesus.
--Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province known as Asia, but its importance and influence
reached far beyond its own territory.
• In Paul’s day it was the chief city of all Asia Minor and formed the western outpost in the
larger, continental sense.
--The apostle probably reached Ephesus about the fall of 53 AD.
• An enthusiastic new preacher, Apollos, a Jew from Alexandria, had already arrived in Ephesus
and had gone on to preach in Corinth.
Moody, William E. (CSB, Associate Editor, Editor, President, 2nd Reader, and Contributing Editor;
West Tisbury, MA), “’Special miracles’,” EDITORIAL, Sentinel, Vol. 86 (7 May 1984), p. 796.
JSH-Online: http://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1984/5/86-19/special-miracles/(language)/engUS
--When the early Christians were spreading the gospel, their preaching was very often attended by
wonderful works of healing. Not only did the followers of Christ Jesus speak with conviction, but actual
proofs of God's power and tender mercy marked their ministry with divine authority.
--In the first years after Jesus, there was probably no more vivid evidence of the power of God to
regenerate hearts and minds than in the missionary work of the Apostle Paul.
--With the dignity that surely came from knowing in his heart that he was standing on the side of divine
Truth, Paul faced severe persecutions and was able to rise above the animosity to bring special blessings
to people all along his path—from Jerusalem to Athens to the little island of Melita to Rome itself. A
verse in the New Testament would seem to sum up concisely the essence of Paul’s work. These are
recorded in the book of Acts: “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul.” [19:11]
--The mighty, wonderful works of redemption and spiritual healing are truly natural in the life of a
Christian metaphysician.
Stanwell, Gerald, "Exorcist in Truth," POEM, Sentinel, Vol. 76 (31 August 1974), p. 1513.
There is none else.
No carnal dream
obsessed with the occult
can counterfeit the Christ, or even seem
to cast out evil, mouthing only words
of vain self-will.
The sons of Sceva tried,
without the joy of self-effacing prayer,
and failed.
Yet Jesus' name was magnified
before them all. He'd cast out devils quickly,
not with superstition or Beelzebub
but Love's unerring pointing of the way.
The Science of the Christ that Jesus used
awaits wise choice.
No frenzied ritual
is required, for God is power—accepted or ignored
by every age….
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Mattox, Willard S., "'But who are ye?,'" Sentinel, Vol. 10 (22 August 1908), p. 1004.
JSH-Online: http://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1908/8/10-51/but-who-are-ye/(language)/engUS
--It is related in the nineteenth chapter of Acts that Paul's teaching was followed by a great influx of
light, a spiritual revelation. It is said of some of his students that "the Holy Ghost came upon them."
Paul was at Ephesus when he had a peculiar experience. His success in arousing the dormant thought of
both his Jewish and his Gentile audiences, his success in healing, through the understanding of Jesus'
teaching, had hitherto brought him persecution. He had been mobbed, stoned, flogged, and jailed. There
was hardly a phase of human hatred and murderous revenge with which he was not familiar. His
doctrines had been resisted by the materialists, by the professional theologians, by all who profited
through the continued ignorance of the masses.
--Christian Science is a revival of…primitive Christian healing.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Bible Translations
King James Version (KJV). Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK, 1611 (1955 ed.)
Metzger, Bruce M. and Roland E. Murphy (eds.), The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV). Oxford
University Press: New York, NY, 1991.
Moffatt, James, A New Translation of the Bible. Harper & Brothers Publishers: New York, NY, 1922
(1954 ed.)
New English Bible, The (NEB). Oxford University Press: New York, NY, 1961 (1972 ed.).
New International Version (NIV): Student Bible. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI, 1986 (2002 ed.).
Schuller, Robert H. (ex.ed.), Possibility Thinkers Bible: The New King James Version (NKJV).
Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nashville, TN, 1984.
Scofield, Rev. C.I., D.D., The Scofield Reference Bible (KJV). Oxford University Press: New York,
NY, 1909 (1945 ed.)
Thompson, Frank Charles (ed.), The New Chain-Reference Bible (KJV). B.B. Kirkbride Bible Co:
Indianapolis, IN, 1964.
Today’s Parallel Bible (KJV, NIV, NASB, NLT). Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI, 2000.
Bible Paraphrased Interpretations
Peterson, Eugene H., The Message. NavPress: Colorado Springs, CO, 1993 (2002 ed.)
Phillips, J.B., The New Testament in Modern English. Macmillan Publishing Co.: New York, NY,
1958 (1973 edition).
PrayerfulLiving.com weekly Bible Study resources
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
Commentaries
Achtemeier, Elizabeth., Nahum--Malachi: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and
Preaching. John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1986.
Achtemeier, Paul J., Romans: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1985.
Auld, A. Greame, I & II Samuel: The Old Testament Library. Westminster John Knox Press:
Louisville, KY, 2011.
Barton, John and John Muddiman (ed.), The Oxford Bible Commentary. Oxford University Press:
Oxford, UK, 2001.
Bechtel, Carol M., Esther: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 2002.
Best, Ernest, II Corinthians: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1987.
Black, Matthew and H.H. Rowley (eds.), Peake’s Commentary on the Bible.
Van Nostrand Reinhold (UK) Co., Ltd: London, ENG, 1962.
Blenkinsopp, Joseph, Ezekiel: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1990.
Blount, Brian K., A Commentary: Revelation, The New Testament Library. Westminster John Knox
Press: Louisville, KY, 2009.
Boring, M. Eugene, Revelation: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1989.
Boring, M. Eugene and Fred B. Craddock, The People's New Testament Commentary. Westminster
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 2004.
Brueggemann, Walter, First and Second Samuel: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and
Preaching. John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1990.
__________, Genesis: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1982.
Buttrick, George Arthur (comm.ed., et al), The Interpreter’s Bible. Abingdon Press: New York, NY,
1953.
Clements, R.E., Jeremiah: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1988.
Cousar, Charles B., Galatians: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1982.
Craddock, Fred B., Luke: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
PrayerfulLiving.com weekly Bible Study resources
http://www.csdirectory.com/biblestudy/nw-index.html
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1990.
__________, Philippians: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1985.
Creach, Jerome F.D., Joshua: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 2003.
Davies, G. Henton, et.al. (ed.), The Twentieth Century Bible Commentary. Harper & Brothers,
Publisher: New York, NY, 1932 (1955 ed.)
Dobson, Edward G. (cont. et al), King James Bible Commentary. Thomas Nelson Publishers:
Nashville, TN, 1999.
Dobbs-Alsop, F.W., Lamentations: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 2002.
Dodd, C.H., The Epistle of Paul to the Romans. Hodder & Stoughton: London, England, 1932 (1959
edition).
__________, The Interpretation of the Fourth Gospel. University Press: Cambridge, England, 1963.
Donelson, Lewis R., I & II Peter and Jude: The New Testament Library. Westminster John Knox Press:
Louisville, KY, 2010.
Dummelow, The Rev J.R. (ed.), A Commentary on the Holy Bible. MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc:
New York, NY, 1908 (1975 ed.).
Dunn, James D.G. (gen.ed.), Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co.: Grand Rapids, MI, 2003.
Eiselen, Frederick C. (ed.), The Abingdon Bible Commentary. Abingdon Press: New York, NY, 1929.
Fretheim, Terence E., Exodus: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1991.
Gaventa, Beverly Roberts, First and Second Thessalonians: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for
Teaching and Preaching. John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1998.
Gore, Charles, Henry Leighton Goude, and Alfred Guillaume (eds.), A New Commentary on Holy
Scripture. The Macmillan Company: New York, NY, 1928.
Hare, Douglas R.A., Matthew: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1993.
Hays, Richard B., I Corinthians: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1997.
Henry, Matthew, Commentary on the Holy Bible (in six volumes), 1706. Reprinted by MacDonald
Publishing Co.: McLean, VA.
PrayerfulLiving.com weekly Bible Study resources
http://www.csdirectory.com/biblestudy/nw-index.html
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
Jenson, Robert W., Song of Songs: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 2005.
Laymon, Charles M. (ed.), The Interpreter’s One-volume Commentary on the Bible. Abingdon Press:
Nashville, TN, 1971.
Lieu, Judith M., I, II, & III John: The New Testament Library. Westminster John Knox Press:
Louisville, KY 2008.
Limburg, James, Hosea--Micah: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1998.
Long, Thomas G., Hebrews: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1997.
May, James L., Psalms: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1994.
McCann, J. Clinton., Judges: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 2002.
McCann, J. Clinton, Jr., Great Psalms of the Bible. Westminster John Knox Press: Louisville, KY,
2009.
Miller, Patrick D., Deuteronomy: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1990.
Nickelson, Ronald L. (ed.), KJV Standard Lesson Commentary: International Sunday School Lessons,
2007-2008. Standard Publishing: Cincinnati, OH, 2007.
MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Bible Commentary. Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nashville, TN,
2005.
Martin, Ralph P., Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and
Preaching. John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1991.
Matera, Frank J., II Corinthians: The New Testament Library. Westminster John Knox Press:
Louisville, KY, 2003.
Mays, James L. (gen ed.), HarperCollins Bible Commentary. Harper: San Francisco, CA, 2000.
McKenna, Megan, On Your Mark. Orbis Books: Maryknoll, NY, 2006.
Nelson, Richard., First and Second Kings: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and
Preaching. John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1987.
Newsom, Carol A. and Sharon H. Ringe (eds.), Women’s Bible Commentary. Westminster John Knox
Press: Louisville, KY, 1998.
O’Day, Gail R. and David L. Petersen (eds.), Theological Bible Commentary. Westminster John Knox
Press: Louisville, KY, 2009..
PrayerfulLiving.com weekly Bible Study resources
http://www.csdirectory.com/biblestudy/nw-index.html
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
Oden, Thomas C., First and Second Timothy and Titus: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for
Teaching and Preaching. John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1989.
Olson, Dennis T., Numbers: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1996.
Perdue, Leo G., Proverbs: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. John Knox
Press: Louisville, KY, 2000.
Perkins, Pheme, First and Second Peter, James, and Jude: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for
Teaching and Preaching. John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1995.
Sakenfeld, Katherine Doob, Ruth: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1999.
Seitz, Christopher R., Isaiah 1-39: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1993.
Sloyan, Gerard S, John: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. John Knox
Press: Louisville, KY, 1988.
Smith, D. Moody, First, Second, and Third John: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and
Preaching. John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1991.
Throntveit, Mark A., Ezra-Nehemiah: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1992.
Towner, W. Sibley, Daniel: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching.
John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1984.
Tuell, Steven S., First and Second Chronicles: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and
Preaching. John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 2001.
Webster, Brian L. and David R. Beach, The Essential Bible Companion To the Psalms. Zondervan:
Grand Rapids, MI, 2010.
Weiser, Artur, The Psalms: The Old Testament Library. Westminster Press: Philadelphia, PA, 1962.
Whiston, William (tr.), Josephus: The Complete Works. Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nashville, TN,
1998 (reprinted). [100 AD]
Williamson, Lamar, Jr., Mark: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. John
Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1983.
Willimon, William H., Acts: Interpretation, A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. John
Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 1988.
Dictionaries
Achtemeier, Paul J. (ed.), The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary. Harper: San Francisco, 1996.
PrayerfulLiving.com weekly Bible Study resources
http://www.csdirectory.com/biblestudy/nw-index.html
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
Brownrigg, Ronald, Who’s Who in the Bible. The New Testament. Bonanza Books: New York, NY,
1980.
Beck, John A. (gen.ed.), Zondervan Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI,
2011.
Beebe, Mary Jo; Olene E. Carroll, and Nancy H. Fischer, New Testament Healings: Peter, Paul, and
Friends. General Publications Bible Products, CSPS: Boston, MA, 2003.
Butler, Trent C., Ph.D. (gen.ed.), Holmon Bible Dictionary. Holman Bible Publishers: Nashville, TN,
1991.
Buttrick, George Arthur (ed.), The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible (in four volumes). Abingdon
Press: Nashville, TN, 1962.
Comay, Joan, Who’s Who in the Bible: The Old Testament. Bonanza Books: New York, NY, 1980.
Evans, Craig A. & Stanley E. Porter (eds.), Dictionary of New Testament Background. InterVarsity
Press: Downers Grove, IL, 2000.
Freedman, David Noel (editor-in-chief), The Anchor Bible Dictionary. Doubleday: New York, NY,
1992.
__________, Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company: Grand
Rapids, MI, 2000.
Gehman, Henry Snyder (ed.), The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible. The Westminster Press:
Philadelphia, PA, 1970.
Green, Joel B. and Scot McKnight (eds.), Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. InterVarsity Press:
Downers Grove, IL, 1992.
Jacobus, Melancthon, D.D,, et.al (eds.), Funk and Wagnalls New Standrad Bible Dictionary. Funk and
Wagnalls Co.: New York, NY, 1936 (Third Revised Ed.)
Losch, Richard R., All the People in the Bible. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.: Grand Rapids,
MI, 2008.
Metzger, Bruce and Michael D. Coogan (eds.), The Oxford Guide to Ideas & Issues of the Bible.
Oxford University Press: New York, NY, 2001.
__________, The Oxford Guide to People & Places of the Bible. Oxford University Press: New York,
NY, 2001.
Meyers, Carol (gen.ed.), Women in Scripture. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.: Grand Rapids,
MI, 2001.
Peloubet, F.N., Peloubet’s Bible Dictionary. The John C. Winston Co: Philadelphia, PA, 1947.
PrayerfulLiving.com weekly Bible Study resources
http://www.csdirectory.com/biblestudy/nw-index.html
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
Smith, William, LLD, A Dictionary of the Bible. American Baptist Publication Society: Philadelphia,
PA, 1893.
Who Was Who in the Bible. Thomas Nelson: Nashville, TN, 1999.
www.crosswalk.com, Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary.
www.crosswalk.com, Easton’s Bible Dictionary.
Handbooks
Blair, Edward P., Abingdon Bible Handbook. Abingdon Press: Nashville, TN, 1975.
Bowker, John (ed.), The Complete Bible Handbook. DK Publishing, Inc: London, UK, 1998.
Halley, Henry H., Halley’s Bible Handbook. Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapid, MI, 1927
(1965 ed.)
Unger, Merrill F., Unger’s Bible Handbook. Moody Press: Chicago, IL, 1967.
Atlases, Maps, and Geography
DeVries, LaMoine F., Cities of the Biblical World. Hendrickson Publishers: Peabody, MA, 1997 (2nd
Printing Aug 1998).
Frank, Harry Thomas (ed.), Atlas of the Bible Lands. Hammond Inc.: Maplewood, NJ, 1990.
Isbouts, Jean-Pierre, The Biblical World: an illustrated atlas. National Geographic: Washington, DC,
2007.
Nelson’s Complete Book of Maps & Charts. Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nashville, TV, 1996.
Then and Now Bible Map Book. Rose Publishing: Torrance, CA, 1997.
Webster’s Geographical Dictionary. G. & C. Merriam co.: Springfield, MA, 1949 (1963 ed.).
Whitney, Rev. George H., D.D., Hand-Book of Bible Geography. Phillips & Hunt: New York, NY,
1879.
Wright, Paul H., Holmon Quick Source Bible Atlas. Holmon Bible Publishers: Nashville, TN, 2005.
Time Lines
Bible Time-Line. Christian Science Publishing Society: Boston, MA, 1993.
Bible Time Line. Rose Publishing Inc.: Torrance, CA, 2001.
Grun, Bernard, The Timetables of History. Simon & Schuster: New York, NY, 1975 (3rd ed.)
Miscellaneous
PrayerfulLiving.com weekly Bible Study resources
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
Andruss, Bessie Edmond, Bible Stories as Told To Very Little Children. Coward-McCann, Inc.: New
York, NY, 1937.
Asimov, Isaac, Asimov’s Guide to the Bible: Two Volumes in One. Wings Books: New York, NY,
1969.
Baker, Mark (ed.), The Baker Encyclopedia of Bible People. Baker Books: Grand Rapids, MI, 2006.
Barber, Wayne, Eddie Rasnake, and Richard Shepherd, Following God: Learning Life Principles from
the Women of the Bible, Book One. AMG Publishers: Chattanooga, TN, 2006 (13th printing)
Beebe, Mary Jo; Olene E. Carroll, and Nancy H. Fischer, Jesus’ Healings, Part 1. General Publications
Bible Products, CSPS: Boston, MA, 2002
__________, Jesus’ Healings, Part 2. General Publications Bible Products, CSPS: Boston, MA, 2002.
__________, Jesus’ Healings, Part 3. General Publications Bible Products, CSPS: Boston, MA, 2002.
Begbie, Harold (ed.), The Children's Story Bible. The Grolier Society: New York, NY, 1948.
Bible Through the Ages, The. The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.: Pleasantville, NY, 1996.
Children's Bible, The. Golden Press: New York, NY, 1965.
Click, E. Dale, The Inner Circle. CSS Publishing Company, Inc.: Lima, OH, 2000.
Crossan, John Dominic, The Birth of Christianity. HarperCollins Publishing: San Francisco, CA,
1998.
Deem, Edith, All of the Women of the Bible. HarperCollins: San Francisco, CA, 1955.
Dewey, David, A User's Guide to Bible Translations. InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove, IL, 2004.
Dodd, C.H., According to the Scriptures. Nisbet & Co., Ltd: London, England, 1952 (1957 Reprint).
__________, The Founder of Christianity. The Macmillan Company: New York, NY, 1970.
__________, The Parables of the Kingdom. Charles Scribner’s Sons: New York, NY, 1961
Essex, Barbara J., Bad Boys of the New Testament. The Pilgrim Press: Cleveland, OH, 2005.
Feiler, Bruce, Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths. William Morrow (HarperCollins
Publishers Inc): New York, NY, 2002.
Getty-Sullivan, Mary Ann, Women in the New Testament. The Liturgical Press: Collegeville, MN,
2001.
Great People of the Bible and How They Lived. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.: Pleasantville,
NY, 1974 (3rd Printing).
PrayerfulLiving.com weekly Bible Study resources
http://www.csdirectory.com/biblestudy/nw-index.html
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
Guignebert, Charles, The Jewish World in the Time of Jesus. University Books: New Hyde Park, NY,
1959.
Haag, Herbert and Dorothee Soelle et.al., Great Couples of the Bible. Fortress Press: Minneapolis,
MN, 2004 (English Translation, 2006)
Hill, Craig C., Hellenists and Hebrews. Fortress Press: Minneapolis, MN, 1992.
Howell, James C., The Beatitudes for Today. Westminster John Knox Press: Louisville, KY, 2006.
Kee, Howard Clark, et al, The Cambridge Companion to the Bible. Cambridge University Press:
Cambridge, UK, 1997.
Keller, Werner, The Bible as History. William Morrow and Co.: New York, NY, 1964 (revised).
Kirsch, Jonathan, The Harlot by the Side of the Road: Forbidden Tales of the Bible. Ballantine Books:
New York, NY, 1997.
Landis, Benson Y., An Outline of the Bible Book by Book. Barnes & Noble Books: New York, NY,
1963.
Lockyer, Herbert, All the Women of the Bible. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI, 1967.
McBirnie, William Steuart, Ph.D., The Search for the Twelve Apostles. Tyndale House Publishers,
Inc.: Carol Stream, IL, 1973.
Miller, Madeleine S. and J. Lane, Harper’s Encyclopedia of Bible Life. Harper & Row Publishers: San
Francisco, CA, 1978.
Murphy, Kathleen, The Women of the Passion. Liguori Publications: Liguori, MO, 2005.
Mysteries of the Bible. The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.: Pleasantville, NY, 1988.
Saldarini, Anthony J., Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees in Palestinian Society. William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co: Grand Rapids, MI, 2001.
Sanders, James A., Canon and Community. Wipf and Stock Publishers: Eugene, OR, 2000.
Schmithals, Walter, The Office of the Apostle in the Early Church. Abingdon Press: Nashville, TN,
1969.
Smith, Wilbur M., D.D. (ed.), Peloubet’s Select Notes on the International Sunday School Lessons.
W.A. Wilde Co.: Boston, MA, 1943.
Snipes, Joan Koelle, Bible Study for Children. Bible Teaching Press: Shepherdstown, WV, 1999.
Tosto, Peter (ed.), Found Volumes, Version 2009 (software). www.foundvolumes.com: Marietta, GA,
2010.
Trammell, Mary Metzner & William G. Dawley, The Reforming Power of the Scriptures: A Biography
of the English Bible. The Christian Science Publishing Society: Boston, MA, 1996.
PrayerfulLiving.com weekly Bible Study resources
http://www.csdirectory.com/biblestudy/nw-index.html
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — May 28 – June 3, 2012
Trench, R.C., Notes on the Parables of Our Lord. Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, MI, 1948.
Van Harn, Roger E. (ed.), The Ten Commandments for Jews, Christians, and Others. William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company: Grand Rapids, MI, 2007.
Walker, Peter, In the Steps of Paul. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI, 2008.
Willmington, Harold L., The Outline Bible. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.: Carol Stream, IL, 1999.
Zondervan Bible Study Library 5.0., Family Edition (software). Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI, 2003.
*The weekly Bible Lessons are made up of selections from the King James Version of the Bible
and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy,
the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science.
PrayerfulLiving.com weekly Bible Study resources
http://www.csdirectory.com/biblestudy/nw-index.html
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