Review of Session 4: The Disciple and the Kingdom
· A “kingdom” is a realm in which the “king’s choice” determines what happens, be it a little realm like those we control, or the Kingdom of God which God controls. For John Calvin the Kingdom of God is synonymous with the spiritual life and the progress of faith in our sanctification.
· While on the one hand, the Kingdom of God belongs to little children, on the other it seems almost impossible for a rich person to enter it. Yet, with God, “all things are possible.”
· Even though disciples “give up everything” to follow Jesus, yet paradoxically, they are “rewarded” even in this life a hundredfold in their relationships, and in some cases even materially. Yet, the material and personal reward is not what’s in view, but rather our total commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord of all—including our own lives.
A Thought Question
Earlier we saw that becoming a disciple meant “hating” father, mother, sister, brother in comparison with following Christ. Do you think that this means the disciple will abandon his family in order to follow Christ? Why or why not?
Thought Question Number 2
What does the Christmas story tell us about God’s view of the family as it relates to our discipleship?
Matt. 19:1-12
1. What do you suppose were the motives of the Pharisees in asking the question about divorce in the way they did? Why would this have been a “test” for Jesus? What does it say about his previous teachings that are unrecorded in the Gospels?
2. What authority does Jesus use to give his answer?
3. What was Jesus’ view of marriage?
4. How do we reconcile his teaching here regarding the permanence of marriage with his other teaching on giving up father, mother and even wife to become a disciple?
5. On what grounds can a marriage be dissolved according to Jesus?
6. Why did the disciples react so negatively to Jesus’ teaching on divorce? Why would it be “better not to marry?” What does their reaction tell us about their own views of marriage?
7. Are the teachings of Jesus on marriage “feminist” or “anti-feminist”?
8. How does Jesus categorize those who choose not to marry? Give an example of someone who renounced marriage for the Kingdom of Heaven.
Matt. 19:13-15
1. We read the parallel passage in Mark in our last session. What does the fact that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to children tell us about Jesus’ view of the family.
2. Would Jesus support our Presbyterian practice of baptizing infants and young children as part of our membership in the New Covenant in his blood?
I Cor. 7:1-14
1. What is the Apostle Paul’s marital state? Is he an example of one that has “renounced marriage because of the Kingdom of Heaven?”
2. Is Paul for or against marriage?
3. What is Paul talking about with regard to his use of the phrase “marital duty”? How does this relate to the teaching of Jesus in the previous passage?
4. Does this talk of “marital duty” and “becoming one flesh” by Paul and Jesus seem unspiritual? Why or why not?
5. What do you think Paul had in mind in verse 5 when he talks about “devoting yourself to prayer”? How does this relate to the spiritual disciplines we talked about in the earlier class?
6. Should a person who becomes a disciple (i.e., becomes a Christian) leave his/her unbelieving spouse for the sake of “giving up everything” to follow Christ?
7. Is Paul’s teaching on divorce consistent with that of Jesus?
Note: after extensive study of this and a number of other passages, the PCA adopted the recommendations of its study committee on marriage and divorce in finding that there are two biblical grounds for divorce: adultery and abandonment.
Eph. 5:22-33; 6:1-4
1. Did Paul envision that the Christians in Ephesus would leave their families in order to become disciples?
2. What “profound mystery” is Paul talking about in this passage? What analogy is he making?
3. What is the “bottom line” for husbands in making their marriages a success? What is the bottom line for wives? What makes both these things difficult?
4. For two disciples who are married to one another, how should their marriage strengthen their discipleship? What are the risks that their marriage will hinder their individual discipleship and devotion to Christ?
5. What does it mean to bring up your children “in the training and instruction of the Lord?”
6. Why is this command given to fathers? How should single mothers interpret this command?