Bible Discussion Thread

@Fiona,
On the lineage of Jesus:
1. Mathew writes of Jesus as king of the Jews ( Matthew 2:20);
2. So the lineage here in Mathew is from Joseph (step father of Jesus) back to Abraham (the father of the Jewish people) is to validate Joseph being chosen to be the step father of Jesus;
3. Luke writes of Jesus as a man and being the only human part of Jesus (who was conceived by the holy ghost in a virgin ( Luke 1:22-35). God gives the lineage of Mary (through Mary's father Heli ( Luke 3:23). Heli is Joseph's father in law;
4. Because in the Jewish customs set up by God from the beginning the lineage is always through the man;
5. This is to validate Mary as being chosen to be the mother of the son of God;
6. Note: Mark writes of Jesus as a servant and servants do not have a lineage, so no lineage is given in Mark. John writes of Jesus as God and God does not have a lineage, so no lineage is given in John;
7. Both lineages are given to validate Jesus to the Jews that he is the Messiah as foretold in the scriptures that the Jews have been waiting for;
8. These lineages are called the messianic line of Christ (anointed one chosen by God to be the son of God and to be the saviour of his people). Do not be confused on the term (son of) this term used by the Jews and God can be used in a blood related lineage or marriage related lineage. Also used in this age as a spiritual son as in the case of Paul's relation to Timothy ( 1 Timothy 1:2).