Joyce, my wife, and I experienced the movie The Passion Of The Christ on February 24, 2004. A week later I decided to begin writing down my view of how the movie differed from the Biblical account. I wanted to present a truly Biblical Perspective. There was a concern with the Biblical accuracy of some portions of the movie that needed to be reviewed in detail. Portions of this Perspective were written over the next several weeks. The original intent was to reference only the four Gospel accounts which proved to be too limiting, therefore, there are many Scripture references used outside of the chronological passion events of the four Gospels. This Perspective does not reference many of the Old Testament Scriptures that should be reviewed for a more accurate depiction of this, the most pivotal event of human history.

A very rough draft of the Perspective (originally titled a Critique) was distributed to some very close friends. In September of 2004 a semi final draft was produced. It is now March of 2005 and the First Edition is complete. I hope it will inspire you to open the Word of God and read what the Scriptures have to say about the events leading up to and including the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org). These references were copied from Bible Companion 1.6.4; GRAMCORD Morphological Search Engine 2.4ce Copyright © 1988-1998 Loizeaux Brothers, Inc. All rights reserved. Portions © 1979, 1999 The GRAMCORD Institute, Inc. all Rights Reserved.

Each of the four Gospels has an account of the passion event. These accounts are found in the following portions of each book: Matt 26:36-27:66; Mark 14 :32-15:47 ; Luke 22 :39-23:56 ; and John 18:1-19:42. Following the Perspective is a simple Harmony of the Gospels (Scriptures from the different Gospel accounts, arranged by similar subject) that was compiled prior to seeing the movie. This has been provided for your convenience. Some of the related verses from the passion event are included in the Perspective with the book and the chapter number shown in bold letters. Partial references to Scripture sometimes included in the body of the text are separated as follows, “… the partial scriptural quotation …” These partial quotations are found in one or more of the four Gospel passages immediately above the text. Scripture references beyond the passion event are not bold. The right and left margins of all Biblical quotations have been indented to easily separate them from the text.

You are strongly encouraged to read the four Gospel accounts and see the movie prior to reading this Perspective. My intention is not to criticize the movie, but to provide a more accurate Biblical Perspective of the events that occurred. This Perspective does not comment on every aspect of the movie. It provides comments where the movie appears to deviate from or embellish upon the four Gospel accounts. You are free to accept or reject my opinions as they are expressed in this Perspective. This is my Biblical Perspective based on what I understand today. Some of these views may change slightly as Scripture, not yet studied in detail, sheds new light on information concerning these events. However, many of the views expressed in this Perspective are Rock solid truths that are unshakeable. And so it is with a relationship with God.

It is understood that in addition to the four Gospel accounts, Mel Gibson researched other books and resources to complete this film. These have not been referenced in this Perspective.

Finally, before concluding, I would like to express my thanks to Mel Gibson for his true leap of faith. Based on the few television interviews with him and after experiencing the movie, I believe that he has captured on film what he believes to be a good representation of the Gospel account of the death of Jesus Christ. This movie is not perfect; is there any thing that is? The only perfect thing that exists is God. Isn’t it awesome how God manages to use imperfect people and imperfect works to reveal Himself to the world and to work out His ultimately perfect plan? Which, by the way, will workout in spite of us, not because of us. If only one individual believes and comes to a saving faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, this film will have been worth it. Has this happened? I believe that it has.

On a deeper note, concerns exist about where the film may take some, but that will come at the end of this Perspective. Remember that each soul (the reality of a person) will make their individual free will choice. The Holy Spirit will convict, and the soul will accept or reject. Therefore, what is of eternal importance it that each individual soul seeks God. It is not about: the movie; Mel Gibson; the self-righteous Christian beating someone over the head with a Bible; or any other human endeavor. It is about seeking God.

If anyone is seeking God, the One True Eternal God, God will reveal Himself to that person. God can be revealed in the movie The Passion Of The Christ . God can be revealed in the book A Purpose Driven Life . God can be revealed in the misguided presentation of an unbelieving minister. For that matter, God is revealed in the creation itself. Not one individual soul will spend eternity in the lake of fire except those who choose of their own free will to reject God. And each soul that becomes a child of God, a new creation, does so by the grace of God and their free will. With that little mini sermon said, a Biblical Perspective of Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion Of The Christ!

The portrayal of Barabbas was a little bizarre. However, there is no Scripture presented for or against the character traits that were used in the movie. The insurrection was an uprising of the Jewish people against the Roman authority. Based on this, it could be presented that Pilate offered up a heroic Jewish freedom fighter in lieu of the King of the Jews.

 

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THE SCOURGING

 

John 19:1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and arrayed Him in a purple robe; 3 and they [began] to come up to Him, and say, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and to give Him blows [in the face.]

I believe that the scourging was every bit as brutal as was portrayed in the film. However, the amount of scourging was excessive according to my understanding of the Biblical account. Please note that the Biblical account simply says, “… after having Jesus scourged …” There is not a great deal of detail provided in the Scriptures; they scourged Him. I do not believe that it was as prolonged or as threatening to life at it was portrayed in the movie —a point that will become more important in discussions later in this Perspective. The Scriptures do not indicate that Jesus Christ was scourged nearly to death. There are indications to support that Jesus Christ was very much alive and not dying following this brutal, humiliating pre-crucifixion treatment. We will see that Pilate is greatly surprised that Jesus Christ dies so quickly on the cross in Mark 15:43-44.

Also, Peter indicates that Pilate had every intention of releasing Jesus Christ after the scourging.

Acts 3:13 "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, [the one] whom you delivered up, and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.

Paul indicates that it was not Pilate’s intention to have Jesus Christ killed.

Acts 13:27 "For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled [these] by condemning [Him]. 28 "And though they found no ground for [putting Him to] death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. 29 "And when they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. 30 "But God raised Him from the dead;

Others would be scourged, without being killed.

Matt 10:17 "But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to [the] courts, and scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

Matt 23:34 "Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, 35 that upon you may fall [the guilt of] all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

Paul was apparently scourged five different times.

2Cor 11:24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine [lashes.]

The brutality of this event is not questioned. It is important to understand that it was not the scourging that caused Jesus Christ to die or be close to physical death.

The movie events following the scourging and up to Jesus Christ heading out carrying his cross followed the Biblical account very well. The conversation between Jesus Christ and Pilate were portrayed very well in the movie and seem to be exactly from John 19:8-12.

 

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THE CRUCIFIXION

 

Matt 27:31 ……. and led Him away to crucify [Him.]

Mark 15 :20 ……. And they ^led Him out to crucify Him.

Luke 23 :25 ……. but he delivered Jesus to their will.

John 19 :17 They took Jesus therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, …….

Jesus Christ began carrying His cross.

Matt 27:32 And as they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.

Mark 15 :21 And they ^pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross.

Luke 23:26 And when they led Him away, they laid hold of one Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.

As they were coming out, I believe of the Praetorium, Simon of Cyrene was pressed into bearing the cross of Jesus Christ, behind Him. In the movie Jesus Christ continues to help carry the cross.

Jesus Christ falling down while bearing His cross is not indicated anywhere in the Gospel accounts.

The cross was a brutal instrument of death used by the Romans. Remember this was a very common event in the criminal justice system of the Roman Empire , something that occurred on a regular basis. There is no indication that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ would have differed from that of the two robbers or any other crucifixion for that matter. There is nothing in the Gospels about the robbers carrying their crosses. However, I believe that each condemned man would have been treated the same way.

Scripture indicates that Jesus Christ was walking in front of Simon of Cyrene, who was bearing the cross. Now I will interject my opinion, and this is very much an opinion. The Roman guards felt that a king should not have to carry a cross. This would follow with the previous insults but redirecting them from Jesus Christ to the Jewish crowd.

Luke 23 :27 And there were following Him a great multitude of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him. 28 But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 "For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' 30 "Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.' 31 "For if they do these things in the green tree, what will happen in the dry?" 32 And two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him.

Jesus Christ appears to be in fairly good shape physically according to the Scriptures. He takes time to address the crowd. This is not directed at one or two people, but to many who were mourning and lamenting Him. It would take a loud voice to speak to these women who were mourning and the crowd that surrounded them. There is no indication that Jesus Christ has been scourged nearly to death.

The whipping of Jesus Christ as He carried the cross is not recorded in the Scriptures. However, this does appear to be in line with the type of encouragement that the Roman soldiers may have used to keep things moving. Keep in mind that Jesus Christ was not carrying the cross.

The two robbers that were crucified with Jesus Christ would most likely have been scourged in the same manner as Jesus Christ. Based on what little I understand about Roman history, everyone who was to be crucified was first scourged. This applied to everyone except women and Roman citizens.

John 19 :18 There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side, and Jesus in between.

The attachment to the cross in the Scripture is identified simply as “… they crucified Him, and with Him two other men …” The movie embellished this event in line with the treatment following the scourging. These events impress upon the viewer of the movie the brutality of this type of death.

Matt 27:44 And the robbers also who had been crucified with Him were casting the same insult at Him.

The insults of the crowd in general appeared to be done well. According to the Scriptures, however, both the robbers insulted Jesus Christ at the beginning. It was only later that one of the robbers spoke in defense of Jesus Christ.

Luke 23 :39 And one of the criminals who were hanged [there] was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 "And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." 42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" 43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

This verse indicates that some event occurred that caused the one robber to believe or that he was already a believer in God. As a side note, on this day the robber does not go to Heaven (the dwelling place of God). The robber will be with Jesus Christ in Paradise. Paradise, Abraham’s Bosom, is located in the depths of the earth, see Luke 16:20-31. Remember Jesus Christ was to be in the depths of the earth for three nights and three days, see Matt 12:40. Also, after the resurrection, Jesus had not ascended to His Father, see John 20:17. This is the subject of a separate study.

John 19 :25 ……. But there were standing by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He ^said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27 Then He ^said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her into his own [household.]

This is the first and only reference to Mary the mother of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures, as they relate to the events portrayed in the movie. There is no Biblical account of anyone wiping up the physical blood of Jesus Christ following the scourging. However, it does appear in a non-Biblical text. The two robbers were probably scourged at the same place either before or after Jesus Christ. Mary could have been in the group that followed Jesus Christ, but this is neither affirmed nor denied in the Scriptures. Mary and John could have watched the crucifixion from a distance established by the Romans around the crucifixion area. Jesus Christ seeing them standing nearby has a connotation of picking a couple of people out of the crowd. Also it is not indicated in the Scriptures that Mary helped in any way in the removal of Jesus Christ’s physical body from the cross or with the preparation and burial. These events occur later in the passion event.

 

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THE SACRIFICE

THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT OF HUMAN HISTORY

 

Matt 27:45 Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour.

Mark 15 :33 And when the sixth hour had come, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour.

Luke 23 :44 And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour,

The film portrays that it got cloudy and rained. This is man’s way to explain what might have happened. Others have claimed that an eclipse occurred and yet this is not possible when a full moon exists which I believe would have been the case based on the month and time of Passover. The darkness that fell upon the land was a supernatural event that did not involve eclipse or clouds. “… darkness fell over the whole land …” It was sudden and unexplainable. There is no indication in the Scriptures of clouds, rain or an eclipse causing these events.

Matt 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" 47 And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, [began] saying, "This man is calling for Elijah." 48 And immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. 49 But the rest [of them] said, "Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him."

Mark 15 :34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" 35 And when some of the bystanders heard it, they [began] saying, "Behold, He is calling for Elijah." 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, "Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down."

It is at this point of darkness in the sixth hour that the film cannot depict the real event that occurred, THE REALITY OF OUR SALVATION. At some point (I believe for these three hours of darkness) all the sin of all mankind, past, present, future—from Adam till the physical death of the last human—was poured out on Jesus Christ and judged by God. Please note that he was not bearing our sins during the beatings or scourging, but after He was hung on the tree (“cross” in the NASB).

1Peter 2:21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting [Himself] to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

2Cor 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Rom 8:3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God [did:] sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and [as an offering] for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Rom 6:8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

John 1:29 The next day he ^saw Jesus coming to him, and ^said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

1John 4:14 And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son [to be] the Savior of the world.

1Tim 1:15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost [of all.]

2Cor 5:18 Now all [these] things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- 13 for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 And the gift is not like [that which came] through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment [arose] from one [transgression] resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift [arose] from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A thorough study of the Passover is required to understand what was happening during the three hours of darkness. The Spiritual life of Jesus Christ was poured out, in the same manner as the blood (physical life) of the Passover lamb was poured out. This was the most terrible event that Jesus Christ could have experienced, the most horrific event that has ever occurred in the history of God. As He hung on the tree, Jesus Christ bore in His body the sin of the world. Jesus Christ experienced death, not physical death, far worse – separation from God-the-Father and God-the-Holy-Spirit.

Matt 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

Mark 15 :34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

Remember that the justice and righteousness of God can have nothing to do with sin and every sin, past-present-future, was poured out on Jesus Christ and judged. How could such an unimaginable event be represented in a movie? God, in the flesh, Who knew no sin, became sin, was judged for our sin, suffering spiritually for each and every sin.

2Cor 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 16 Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know [Him] [thus] no longer. 17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, [he is] a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all [these] things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

This substitutionary death was finished before Jesus Christ was physically dead. The Spiritual event finished before the Physical revealing. This becomes clear because of what happens next.

John 19 :28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, ^said, "I am thirsty." 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon [a branch of] hyssop, and brought it up to His mouth. 30 When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" …….

This event is the most profound event of our salvation. “… When Jesus Christ therefore had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" …”. Let’s stop here, because other things happen before the rest of this verse occurs. This is it!!!!!!! It is finished!!!!!!! (Not "accomplished" as subtitled in the movie). Jesus Christ did not accomplish a sacrifice; God-the-Father sacrificed His only Son. Jesus Christ was the sacrifice. The phrase "It is finished!" indicates that the sacrifice was complete and acceptable to God. These words indicate that it was not the physical death of Jesus Christ that completed the work. It was an event that was completed before His physical death. When Jesus Christ exclaimed tetelesti (the Greek word for it isfinished, also used to indicate paid in full in the time of Jesus Christ) the sacrifice was complete. Remember that in the garden, Jesus Christ prayed to God and claimed the He had accomplished the things that God had prepared for him to do.

John 17:4 "I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do.

Jesus Christ had accomplished everything that God had prepared for Him, and this was already done when Jesus Christ was in the Garden of Gethsemane. The work that is finished while Jesus Christ is on the Cross is the atoning sacrifice. Jesus Christ is the Passover Lamb and was sacrificed in place of our eternal condemnation. It is this sacrifice that removes the sins of the world. A person may offer himself as a sacrifice, but being sacrificed is something that is done to the person. Being sacrificed is not something that you do; it is something that is done to you. God-the-Father sacrificed God-the-Son in the flesh. This is our Salvation! It has additional ties to being a kinsman redeemer. The subject of the kinsman redeemer is a separate study all its own. Read also Heb 9:1-10:18.

 

 

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THE END OF PHYSICAL LIFE

 

Matt 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up [His] spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split,

Mark 15 :37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. 38 And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

Luke 23 :45 the sun being obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit." And having said this, He breathed His last.

John 19 :30 ……. And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit.

Again, it is so important to understand that Jesus Christ was not scourged to death, beaten to death or crucified to death. This is not to understate the physical suffering; it is to emphasize the following event. After being sacrificed for the sins of the world, Jesus Christ willingly asked God to allow His physical death to occur. One of the most important things to note in these passages is the fact that Jesus Christ cried out in a loud voice. Not a half dead, nearly suffocated, dying breath, but in a loud voice. Again the physical condition of Jesus Christ is not near death.

“… And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up [His] spirit. …”

“… And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit." And having said this, He breathed His last. …”

“… And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last. …”

Remember that the two robbers being crucified are both alive and will remain alive until their legs are broken. The centurion present (see Matt 27:54 below) had probably seen many men crucified. Some lived for many days; most begged to be killed; many prayed to die. And yet every one of those men would slowly, agonizingly, over several days, eventually suffocate because of weakness and exhaustion, and then die. Yet, on this day, there was a man (so the centurion thought) that asked for physical death to occur and it did. “… Truly this man was the Son of God! …” I believe that the centurion (and Pilate) fully expected Jesus Christ and the two robbers to live, nailed to the cross, for several days. That is, unless steps were taken to cause their deaths to happen before the long, drawn-out suffocation. Suffocation is the ultimate consequence of the crucifixion process. Suffocation does not occur until the person being crucified reaches a state of physical exhaustion. This is the point at which the individual does not have the physical ability to pull up with their arms and push up with their legs to allow the diaphragm to expand the lungs. Please note the complete loss of physical ability due to exhaustion required to suffocate and how this is in complete contradiction with “… And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit." And having said this, He breathed His last. …” The suffocating individual does not have the physical strength to cry out with a loud voice.

The veil of the temple was torn in two and the earthquake did occur. Also the rocks were split. The splitting of the rocks identified in the Scriptures probably did refer to those of the temple. This was an interesting portrayal.

At this point in the movie, there seems to be a great panic and many things happen too quickly. Let us slow things down a little.

Matt 27:54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

Mark 15:39 And when the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

Luke 23 :47 Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he [began] praising God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent."

Matt 27:52 and the tombs were opened; …….

Luke 23 :48 And all the multitudes who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, [began] to return, beating their breasts.

Either those who had mocked him, now mourned His death, or many who had gathered were His followers. There is no indication in the Scriptures that there was a panic to depart from the scene as was the case during the earthquake portrayal in the movie.

 

 

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REQUEST FOR THE BODY OF JESUS CHRIST

 

Matt 27:57 And when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered [it] to be given over [to him.]

Mark 15:42 And when evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 And Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. 45 And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

Luke 23:50 And behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man 51 (he had not consented to their plan and action), [a man] from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; 52 this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

John 19:38 And after these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret [one,] for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. …….

The request of Joseph of Arimathea to have the body of Jesus Christ is not shown in the movie. Jesus Christ’s lifeless body hung on the cross for some time before it was taken down. The length of time is not identified in the Scriptures. I believe that Joseph requested the body before the Jews approached Pilate to have the legs broken. This is indicated because of Pilate’s surprise that Jesus Christ was dead. Two important things can be concluded from this passage. First, Pilate was surprised that Jesus Christ was physically dead. This is a man who had ordered the crucifixion of how many people? This is one of the strongest indicators that Jesus Christ was not near death following the scourging. Second, if Pilate wondered if Jesus Christ was physically dead, then the order to break the legs had not been issued. Pilate ordered that someone go and confirm that Jesus Christ had physical died.

 

 

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BREAKING OF THE LEGS

 

John 19 :31 The Jews therefore, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high [day]), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and [that] they might be taken away.

The Jews approaching Pilate to have the legs of Jesus Christ and the two robbers broken was omitted from the movie. This request would bring about the physical death of each individual almost immediately. The fracturing of the legs prevented the individual from pushing up his body to take a breath. Suffocation would quickly bring about death. This becomes very important following the physical death of Jesus Christ because of the fulfillment of prophecy, especially as it relates to the Passover. Not a bone was broken.

A note about the apparent discrepancy in scripture between John and Mark concerning when Joseph asked for the body of Jesus Christ--I have not researched this in detail; however, the Greek words meta de tauta/meta tauta may require a translation that goes a little deeper, or carries a greater meaning than “after these things”, “after that”, “after this”, “afterward”, “here after” or “to follow” (these are translations used in the NASB). I will continue to read it chronologically until I have a better understanding of the true meaning of the original Scriptures and a complete understanding of the event.

John 19:32 The soldiers therefore came, and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other man who was crucified with Him; 33 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs; 34 but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water. 35 And he who has seen has borne witness, and his witness is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36 For these things came to pass, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of Him shall be broken." 37 And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."

The Scriptures do not indicate how long, but some time occurs between when Jesus Christ dismissed His spirit and when the robber’s legs are broken. This is all part of a very rapid event in the movie.

I believe that the piercing of Jesus Christ’s side with the spear occurred as part of verifying that Jesus Christ had physically died. Regardless, the Scripture states that Jesus Christ was already dead, not had just died. It is important to note that the water and blood came out. This confirmed the physical death of Jesus Christ. The water indicates either the blood within the body had separated or that there was an accumulation of liquid around the heart. The fact that He was dead prior to the piercing of his side is most definitely confirmed. I also believe that this thrusting into the side was typically done by the Roman soldiers to verify that the person was dead before they were taken down from being crucified. It is also interesting that the robbers were still very much alive. Except for the approximately six hours of additional beatings, the crown of thorns and sleep deprivation, they would have been in about the same physical condition as Jesus Christ.

An important point to interject here is that not a bone of Jesus Christ was broken during this or the remainder of the entire event--not a bone in his face, hand, side or anywhere. Maybe the cartilage in His nose, but not a bone was broken! This ties back to the original Passover and the ordinances that cover the celebration of that event even today. A complete study of the Passover is required to understand this. So the beatings were continuous but the blows were not severe enough to fracture the bones of His face, hands or body. That does not mean that they were not painful.

 

 

- § 11 -
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DOWN FROM THE CROSS

 

Matt 27:59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.

Mark 15:46 And [Joseph] bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

Luke 23 :53 And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. 54 And it was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

John 19 :38 ……. He came therefore, and took away His body. 39 And Nicodemus came also, who had first come to Him by night; bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds [weight]. 40 And so they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore on account of the Jewish day of preparation, because the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

The body of Jesus Christ was taken down from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea. The Scripture does not indicate that Mary participated in removing His body from the Cross. I believe that Mary watched the removal of Jesus Christ’s body from the Cross, preparation for burial and being placed in the tomb at a distance and that John, her newly appointed son, would have been at her side mourning with her and trying to comfort her.

Matt 27:61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave.

Mark 15 :47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the [mother] of Joses were looking on [to see] where He was laid.

Luke 23 :55 Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed after, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 And they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

The laying of Jesus Christ in the tomb was omitted from the movie completely.

Matt 27:62 Now on the next day, which is [the one] after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, 63 and said, "Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I [am to] rise again.' 64 "Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, lest the disciples come and steal Him away and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last deception will be worse than the first." 65 Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go, make it [as] secure as you know how." 66 And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.

This was omitted from the movie completely.

 

 

- § 12 -
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CONCLUSION

 

This concludes the Biblical Perspective of the movie The Passion Of The Christ. In summary, the movie was very moving. It was the most powerful movie that I have ever experienced. This production probably compares in its Biblical accuracy with the movie The 10 Commandments (I have not reviewed it from a Biblical Perspective, maybe someday). Will many people enter into a true relationship with God as a result of seeing or discussing the movie with others? I believe that many already have. Isn’t it incredible how God accomplishes awesome things through sinful man and man’s works?

My concerns about the movie in their most concise form are as follows:

First: It’s a movie. A good movie, but it is a movie. I recommend The Book; it is much better. The movie does not and should not replace the reading of Scripture.

Second: My biggest concern is that some will depart from the movie worshiping a man on a cross and not the One True God. God who put skin on, came to earth to reveal the Light of God, the Life of Mankind, the essence of Love. This One True God, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. The reality of this concern has a Biblical parallel: the serpent that Moses lifted up in the desert, providing life to all who believed.

Numb 21:8 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery [serpent,] and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he shall live." 9 And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.

John 3:11 "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and you do not receive our witness. 12 "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 "And no one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven, [even] the Son of Man. 14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. 18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 "And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. 20 "For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 "But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

This is the good part of believing, so where is the parallel? Let’s go back and see what became of that bronze serpent that Moses made.

2Kin 18:1 Now it came about in the third year of Hoshea, the son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah became king. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places and broke down the [sacred] pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan. 5 He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor [among those] who were before him. 6 For he clung to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. 7 And the Lord was with him; wherever he went he prospered. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.

So my prayer is that everyone will worship the One True God, revealed in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, who was dead, and is alive forevermore. I pray that everyone will worship not just a man who hung on a cross, but God who came in the flesh.

Thank you for taking the time to review this Biblical Perspective, I hope that it accurately expresses, not only, the physical events as they occurred, but also reflects the Eternal Realities of the One True God.

 

If you have comments, corrections or additions to this Perspective, please send them to me.

I hope to update this Perspective following my second viewing of the movie.

 

Steve Logan
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- GOD’S LOVE -
A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
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The most important thing that you need know about God is that God is love, agape. Agape is the Greek word used in reference to God’s love in the New Testament. This is not love as we think of love: I love hamburgers, I love ice cream, I love my children, I love my wife, etc. This agape is the very essence of God. It is this agape of God that is demonstrated in the sacrifice of a Son. It is a demonstration in physical terms that we can grasp from the human viewpoint of life. God’s agape is for every man, woman and child.

2Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

John 1:29 The next day he ^saw Jesus coming to him, and ^said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

Read that again please. Yes, God is willing that none should perish and Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, removed the sins of the world. Not just the sins of a few, but of the world. Jesus Christ bore the punishment in His body on the tree: your sins, my sins, the sins of the world. What a demonstration of agape, love.

John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

The entire Bible is an agape love letter to you. If you are just getting started, I recommend John and 1 John. Look for Jesus Christ in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament, He is there. Look for the agape of God; it is everywhere. It is the very fabric of the Biblical message. Wherever you see love, it is there to reveal a love so deep, so infinite that you cannot imagine it…the love of God that is the very essence of God.

1John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son [to be] the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19 We love, because He first loved us.

The focus, the foundation, the very essence of God is love.

Rom 13:8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled [the] law. 9 For this, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of [the] law.

1Cor 13:1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have [the gift of] prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed [the poor,] and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 4 love is patient, love is kind, [and] is not jealous; love does not brag [and] is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong [suffered,] 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 love never fails; but if [there are gifts of] prophecy, they will be done away; if [there are] tongues, they will cease; if [there is] knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

My prayer for anyone and everyone who is without Christ, without Hope and without Eternal Life is:

that you would seek a true and wonderful relationship with the One True Eternal God, Creator of the Heavens and earth, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob;

that you would call upon God, cry out to God, seek God with all your heart, asking God to reveal Himself to you;

that you would believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ: God who put on skin and humbled himself as a man; God who came to reveal the light of God to mankind that we might believe, have faith and be saved; God who bore our sins in His body on the tree, enduring the punishment of our sin that we each deserved, satisfying the justice and righteousness of God; God who removed the condemnation of our souls, setting us free, free to choose God and Eternal Life or free to reject God and be eternally condemned;

that you, based on your belief/faith, would be born again into the family of God, a new creation.

That is all that is required to have Eternal Life, an Eternal relationship with God. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved!!!!!!!

John 3:10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not understand these things? 11 "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and you do not receive our witness. 12 "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 "And no one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven, [even] the Son of Man. 14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. 18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 "And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. 20 "For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 "But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

John 17:19 "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 "I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, [art] in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.

John 20:30 Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Acts16:27 And when the jailer had been roused out of sleep and had seen the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!" 29 And he called for lights and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 And they said, " Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household." 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33 And he took them that [very] hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his [household.] 34 And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.

1Tim 1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service; 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are [found] in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost [of all.] 16 And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, [be] honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

This gift has been provided by God for everyone. There is nothing else you can or need to do. Only believe. There is nothing to earn or deserve; we can’t. There is nothing to give or quit. There is no isle to walk. There is no church organization to join. There is no sin too great. There is no past too dark. Baptism is not required. The gift is available to everyone and the gift is from God. The only thing, the only way, the only ……. is to believe. Please don’t reject God and exist eternally separated from Him.

Only Believe. Just Believe. Nothing but Believe.

Don’t worry, God’s gift is free! It is by God’s grace and God provides the faith for you to believe.

Eph 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly [places], in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

For those who are in Christ Jesus, I pray:

that you would humbly confess your sins to God, 1 John 1:9, each time you enter into prayer with Him;

that you would have a true and wonderful relationship with the One True Eternal God;

that you would agape God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and agape your neighbor as your self, understanding this agape love, which is understanding God;

that you would grow in the knowledge, wisdom, understanding and agape of God’s Word;

that you would walk with God all the days of your life, growing and advancing to spiritual maturity, growing to know God as God knows you;

that you would accomplish every task that God has prepared for you to do, doing everything in a manner that is pleasing in God’s sight;

that you would find a Biblically based church family to fellowship with that is firmly established on the Word of God and at the same time is not legalistic.

These things are asked of God-the-Father; in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; by the Power of the Holy Spirit; and for God’s Glory.

Amen

 

- THANKS AND CREDITS -
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I give the credit and thanks to God, who has blessed me beyond my wildest imaginations.

Thank you Joyce, my wife, for the late nights and listening to me work out the many details of this and other aspects of Biblical Truth.

My thanks to Larry Overton, who asked if this Perspective could be made available to publish on his web site. Without Larry’s encouragement this would not have been formalized and made available. So there you have it, you can thank (or blame) Larry.

I wish to thank Jack, George, Jerry, Paul and George for coming together back in August of 2001 for our bible study. Also, to Jim for help with Greek and an open door on Fridays. Two small groups where we were free to discuss and suggest topics and opinions that helped me to better understand God. Where I was corrected, guided and free to agree-to-disagree. Where I learned to dive deeply into God’s Word. Thanks to each of you for your patience, guidance, encouragement and love.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize two men who have impacted my life in ways that they will only know when they are absent from the body and face to face with the Lord. Words and thanks cannot express the incredible appreciation that I have for these two men, Colonel R. B. Thieme, Jr. and Dr. Ben Lawton. Col. Thieme, who I have never actually met in person, was the proverbial 2x4 of Truth that God used to smack me between the eyes. His dogmatic presentation of God’s Word allowed me to overcome many major obstacles in my walk with God. One of those was that my views were pretty (okay, very) liberal. I learned, actually, I came to accept the reality that God’s Word was just that, God’s Word. It was through listing to tapes and written material from Col. Thieme that I began to spend time studying the Word of God.

I became a student of Dr. Ben Lawton when I enrolled in a New Testament Greek class. Ben, who I have a personal relationship with, has helped me to begin to comprehend God’s Love. God’s Infinite Love and how it is boundary-less and without limits. How it is the very nature of God. Ben has stretched my understanding of God, which has revealed: that we cannot put God in a box, which we so often try to do; that we are trying to understand spiritual realities; and that Eternal Spiritual Truth can appear different to each of us as we view these realities dimly from our individual perspectives.

God placed both these great teachers of God in my life and as I continue my journey, the purpose of their presence becomes more evident every day. I truly love these men as my earthly, spiritual fathers, which they are.

Thank you again, Ben, and Col. Thieme, thank you.

 

- Continued on the next page -
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS -
REFERENCE FOR THE BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE

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