Cornerstone Curriculum, Official Certification Edition

LESSON 4 | THE NT WITNESS TO CHRIST AND HIS KINGDOM: THE MESSIAH OPPOSED / 155

as long as their faith remains resolute. What do you believe about this “gospel?” Is it biblical, extreme, or even heretical?

A Question for the City: Kinds of Misery It appears in the urban neighborhoods of today that many people suffer daily in misery. Some go without housing and food, without shelter and clothing, without the bare necessities of life and health. Many are victims of abuse and violence, and many live daily in loneliness and despair. What is the role of misery in the Christian life? Why do terrible things happen to some of the best people, and some of the most wicked and unjust people appear to live problem-free lives? Are there different kinds of misery; is there a kind of misery and opposition that actually leads to godliness and growth, or are all versions of misery expressions of sin and the enemy’s hatred of God’s people? Blame the Right One Who is precisely to blame for the opposition and hatred that oftentimes occurs in the life of those who belong to Jesus? While it is entirely obvious to see that Jesus suffered opposition from various quarters due not to himself but to the evil intentions of his enemies, can the same be said of us? Do we as disciples of Jesus experience opposition because we are associated with him, or do we sometimes experience opposition due to our own sinfulness and ungodly reactions to others? If that is true, then how can we tell when we are receiving persecution because of our allegiance to Jesus , and when we are receiving persecution due to our own sinful behavior in this world ?

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B i b l i ca l S tud i e s

The Messiah Opposed Opposition from Spiritual Forces

Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

CONTENT

Even though the contemporary Jewish concept of the Kingdom of God at the time of Jesus emphasized the glory of Israel and defeat of the Gentiles, Jesus came announcing the Kingdom of God as present and visible in his person and works. In the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the long-awaited Kingdom of God had arrived, but not in a way that the Jews had predicted. Still, in his person and through his good deed works

Summary page 98 & 5