Lucas 9
John Piper · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 9
Piper - Pilgrims travel light. If we have a great inheritance just around the corner we do not quibble over treasures here. (Pilgrim Worship) Craig Keener - Jesus instructs the disciples to travel light, like some other groups: (1) peasants, who often had only one cloak; (2) traveling philosophers called Cynics; (3) some prophets, like Elijah and John the Baptist. They are to be totally committed to their mission, not tied down with worldly concerns. The “bag” would have been used for begging (as the Cynics used it). (See The IVP Bible Background Commentary: ) As believers we have been given sufficient provisions Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (2 Peter 1:3-4+) Do not even have two tunics (chiton) apiece -Two tunics was the badge of the well-to-do. One tunic was sufficient as an important outer garment that served both as overcoat and blanket. Steven
Lucas 9
Piper commenting on 1 Cor 4:8-11) Now what’s he saying? He’s saying that they are wrong to think that Jesus died on the cross so that IN THIS AGE they might have fullness, wealth, kingly dignity, worldly wisdom and strength. The cross is not a mere event in history; it’s a way of life! Take up your cross DAILY, Jesus said! They weren’t taking up their cross daily. They were taking up their scepter daily. They were sitting on their throne daily. They were leaving in the past what belongs in the present, namely, the cross. And they were trying to bring into the present what belongs in the future, namely, the power and dignity of glorified saints. And the result was that the cross was being emptied of its power to humble, and the inheritance was being contaminated with pride.....Take up your cross and follow me. But with every command (Take up and follow are both commands) comes a promise. “Fear not, for I am with you (Ed: His indwelling Spirit); be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). (The Son of Man Must Suffer Many Things) Leon Morris on taking up one's cross: "Jesus was speaking about a death to a whole way of life; he was talking about the utmost in self-sacrifice, a very death to selfishness and all forms of self-seeking" (Borrow The Gospel According to Matthew) Adrian Rogers - Somebody asked Tozer, "What does it mean to take up your cross?" and Tozer told a story of an old man, and here's what he said. "One time, a young man came to an old saint who taught the deeper life, the crucified life, and said, 'Father, what does it mean to be crucified?' The old man thought for a moment and said, 'Well, to be crucified means three things.'" Now, listen to this, folks. Here's what it means to take up a cross. "First, the man who is crucified is facing only one direction." That's good. When you're crucified, you're only facing one direction. "The old man scratched his scraggily head and said, 'One thing more, son, about the man on the cross. He is not going back. He has said his final goodbyes. Thirdly, he said, the man on the cross has no further plans of his own.'" Did you get that? He's facing one direction. He's not going back. He said goodbye. And he has no further plans of his own. James Edwards - Faith entails affirming the truth that Jesus is Messiah, but it also entails more than this. It entails acting on that truth by following Jesus in daily discipleship FOLLOW ME And follow (akoloutheo) Me - Follow is in the (present imperative) which calls for following in our Master's steps to be our lifestyle, the habitual practice of our life. Of course the only way we can follow Him in this manner is by continual dependence on the Holy Spirit to obey this command. This is in essence a "working definition" (or description) of a disciple, a follower of Jesus. Does this "definition" describe your life? Follow Me - This phrase occurs 19 times in the Gospels. All of the following (pun intended) passages are in RED LETTERS (if you have a "Red Letter Bible). It is abundantly clear that Jesus sought men and women who would FOLLOW HIM! These passages in Luke 9:23-26 help define what that following entails. Matt. 4:19; Matt. 8:22; Matt. 9:9; Matt. 16:24; Matt. 19:21; Mk. 1:17; Mk. 2:14; Mk. 8:34; Mk. 10:21; Lk. 5:27; Lk. 9:23; Lk. 9:59; Lk. 18:22; Jn. 1:43; Jn. 10:27; Jn. 12:26; Jn. 13:36; Jn. 21:19; Jn. 21:22 Based on the truth in these passages, would you call yourself a follower of Jesus? Stephen Olford on Follow Me - (ILLUSTRATION) The thought is simple enough and can be understood by anyone who has played “Follow the leader” as a child. There is one simple rule: to follow the leader and do exactly as he does. No one must shrink from going where the leader has gone. Ultimately, for the Christian, this becomes the hope of heaven, since our Leader has gone there, too. There must be total commitment to Jesus. In a world where the customer is always right, it takes radical obedience to God to keep from buying into “Consumer Christianity.” -- David C. McCasland William
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Piper - The path of God—exalting joy will cost you your life. Jesus said, "Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it." In other words, it is better to lose your life than to waste it. If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your joy will be full. This is not ... about how to avoid a wounded life, but how to avoid a wasted life. Some of you will die in the service of Christ. That will not be a tragedy. Treasuring life above Christ is a tragedy. (From Preface of Don't Waste Your Life) Daniel Akin - If you save or treasure your life above all else, you will lose it. The one who plays it safe and considers his existence more important than Jesus will lose both Jesus and eternal life. In contrast, the one who gives his life for Jesus and the gospel will actually save it! Following Jesus involves risking it all—safety, security, satisfaction in this world. But He promises us that it leads to a reward this world can never, ever offer. There is a life worth giving for the glory of God and the gospel! It is a dying to self that others might live! It is not safe! But it is the normal Christian life! J. I. Packer says, “There are, in fact, two motives that should spur us constantly to evangelize. The first is love to God and concern for His glory; the second is love to man and concern for his welfare” (Evangelism, 73). C. T. Studd (1860-1931), missionary to China, India, and Sudan, said, “We will dare to trust our God ... and we will do it with His joy unspeakable singing aloud in our hearts. We will a thousand times sooner die trusting only in our God than live trusting in man” (Platt, Radical, 178). Your life is set free to live the normal/radical Christian life when you see death as reward, when you can say with Paul, “For me, living is Christ and dying is gain” (Phil 1:21). (Borrow Exalting Jesus in Mark Christ-Centered Exposition) Save (4982) (sozo) has the basic meaning of rescuing one from great peril. Additional nuances include to protect, keep alive, preserve life, deliver, heal, be made whole. Sozo is sometimes used of physical deliverance from danger of perishing (see Mt 8:25; Mt 14:30; Lk 23:35; Acts 27:20, 27:31), physical healing from sickness (Mt 9:21, 22; Mk 5:23, Acts 4:9), and deliverance from demonic possession (Lk 8:36). More often sozo refers to salvation in a spiritual sense to rescue or preserve from eternal death, from judgment, sin, bring salvation, bring to salvation (active sense = Mt 18:11; Lk 7:50; Jn 12:47; Ro 11:14; 1 Cor 1:21; 7:16; Titus 3:5; Hb 7:25; Jas 4:12; 5:20; 1 Pet 3:21 or passive sense = be rescued or saved, attain salvation = Mt 24:13; Mk 10:26; Lk 13:23; 18:26; Jn 3:17; Jn 5:34; Acts 11:14; 15:1, 11; Ro 8:24; 11:26; 1 Cor. 3:15; 5:5; Eph 2:5, 8; 1 Ti 2:4). Jesus' very Name speaks of His primary purpose to save men from their sin - "She (Mary) will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save (sozo) His people from their sins." (Mt 1:21) In Mt 1:21 sozo is equated with deliverance from sins (guilt and power of) with Jesus' Name being a transliteration of Joshua meaning "Jehovah is salvation". Sozo in Luke and Acts - Lk. 6:9; Lk. 7:50; Lk. 8:12; Lk. 8:36; Lk. 8:48; Lk. 8:50; Lk. 9:24; Lk. 9:56; Lk. 13:23; Lk. 17:19; Lk. 18:26; Lk. 18:42; Lk. 19:10; Lk. 23:35; Lk. 23:37; Lk. 23:39;; Acts 2:21; Acts 2:40; Acts 2:47; Acts 4:9; Acts 4:12; Acts 11:14; Acts 14:9; Acts 15:1; Acts 15:11; Acts 16:30; Acts 16:31; Acts 27:20; Acts 27:31; Life (soul)(5590)(psuche from psucho = to breathe, blow, English = psychology, "study of the soul") is the breath, then that which breathes, the individual, animated creature. Psuche refers to whole person ( LXX Ge 2:7) particularly inner, immortal person who lives in the mortal body. Psuche denotes life in two chief respects: (1) breath of life, the natural life, (e.g., Mt 2:20, 6:25, Mk 10:45, Lu 12:22, Acts 20:10, Rev 8:9, 12:11, Lev 17:11, Esther 8:11) (2) seat of personality (Lu 9:24 ) Psuche in Luke and Acts - Lk. 1:46; Lk. 2:35; Lk. 6:9; Lk. 9:24; Lk. 9:56; Lk. 10:27; Lk. 12:19; Lk. 12:20; Lk. 12:22; Lk. 12:23; Lk. 14:26; Lk. 17:33; Lk. 21:19; Acts 2:27; Acts 2:41; Acts 3:23; Acts 4:32; Acts 7:14; Acts 14:2; Acts 14:22; Acts 15:24; Acts 15:26; Acts 20:10; Acts 20:24; Acts 27:10; Acts 27:22; Acts 27:37 Lose (622)(apollumi from apo = away from or wholly + olethros = state of utter ruin <> ollumi = to destroy <> root of apollyon [Rev 9:11] = destroyer) means to destroy utterly but not to caused to cease to exist. The ultimate idea is to lose all worth to accomplish anything of eternal value. It describes that which is ruined and is no longer usable for its intended purpose. Thus apollumi, as it relates to men, is not the loss of being per se, but is more the loss of well-being. It means to ruin so that the person (or thing) ruined can no longer serve the use for which he (it) was designed. To render useless. Luke has some interesting uses in the previous passages - Lk. 4:34; Lk. 5:37; Lk. 6:9; Lk. 8:24.
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Piper - What’s the opposite of being ashamed of somebody? Being proud of them. Admiring them. Not being embarrassed to be seen with them. Loving to be identified with them. So Jesus is saying, “If you are embarrassed by Me and the price I paid for you (and He’s not referring to lapses of courage when you don’t share your faith, but a settled state of your heart toward him)—if you’re not proud of Me and you don’t cherish Me and what I did for you—if you want to put yourself with the goats that value their reputation in the goat herd more than they value Me, then that’s the way I will view you when I come. I will be ashamed of you, and you will perish with the people who consider Me an embarrassment.” (“The Son of Man”) (The Son of Man Must Suffer Many Things ) Jesus has a similar statement in Luke 12 - “And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; 9 but (TERM OF CONTRAST) he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God." (Luke 12:8-9+) Comment - CONFESSES ME: The word has strong legal connotations. A person can confess to a charge in court and thus openly acknowledge guilt. Or one may agree with a court order and thus make a legally binding commitment to abide by it. This last sense is implied in passages that call on us to acknowledge Jesus. We are to express our binding commitment to Jesus publicly and thus acknowledge our relationship to him as our Lord. John puts the importance of this issue succinctly: "No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also" (1 Jn 2:23). Commitment to Jesus brings us into full relationship with God. Me and My words - Jesus is clearly saying you cannot divide His words from His Person. To disown one is to disown the other. In the book of Acts Stephen give us an example of a man who was not ashamed but in the face of confrontation "bravely gave his witness, and suffered as a martyr, believing that it was the right thing to do and that the Son of Man would welcome him into heaven (Acts 7:1-60; note especially Acts 7:56). In sum, the public confession of Christ as Savior and Lord was a matter of great significance and carried eternal consequences." (Alison Trites - see Luke, Acts Cornerstone Biblical Commentary) What (Who) you are looking for will (should) impact (motivate) what (Who) you are living for! When He comes in His glory (doxa), and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels - First note that He is coming again. In fact 1 in 20-25 NT verses refer to the Second Coming. The Spirit wants this on the "radar screen" of our mind! Jesus is obviously referring to His Return (the first allusion in the Gospel of Luke), saying that the certainty of this future glorious event should serve to motivate present (unashamed) living for Christ. The coming of the Son of Man is also referred to in Lk 12:40; 17:22, 24, 26, 30; 18:8; 21:27, 36. In 2 Ti 4:1NLT+ Paul describes the Second Coming of "Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom." Charles Ryrie says that the glory of God "is the manifestation of any or all of His attributes. In other words, it is the displaying of God to the world. Thus, things which glorify God are things which show the characteristics of His being to the world." Dr Walvoord echoes the New Testament emphasis of the return of the Lord writing that "The revelation of the second coming of Christ is one of the most important and most frequently mentioned doctrines of the New Testament. One out of every twenty-five verses in the New Testament refers either to the rapture of the church or to Christ’s coming to reign over the world (cf. Jesse Forrest Silver, The Lord’s Return, p. 29). Though it is not always possible to distinguish references to Christ’s coming for the church from references to His coming to establish His earthly kingdom, there are many passages which clearly present a premillennial coming at the close of the great tribulation to judge the world and to bring in the righteous reign of the King. Approximately twenty major references are found in the New Testament alone (Mt 19:28; 23:39; 24:3-25:46; Mark 13:24-37; Luke 12:35-48; 17:22-37; 18:8; 21:25-28; Acts 1:10-11; 15:16-18; Ro 11:25-27; 1Cor 11:26; 2Thess 1:7, 8, 9,10; 2:8 ; 2Pet 3:3, 4; Jude 1:14,15 ; Rev 1:7-8; 2:25, 26, 27, 28; 16:15; 19:11-21; 22:20). (The Prophetic Context of the Millennium — Part III: The Second Coming of Christ in the New Testament) (Comment: Read the first sentence again. Do you notice how even Dr Walvoord uses "the second coming" as a term to include the Rapture and the Second Coming.) Paul describes the glorious return of Jesus in graphic terms: For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed–for our testimony to you was believed.(2Th. 1:6-10+) Related Resource: What does it mean to not be ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16)? | GotQuestions.org Ashamed...ashamed (1870)(epaischunomai from epi = upon or used to intensify the meaning of the following word + aischunomai from aischos = disfigurement & then disgrace) means to experience a painful feeling or sense of loss of status because of some particular event or activity. As denoting reluctance through fear of humiliation (Mk 8:38). It describes one's consciousness of guilt or of exposure or the fear of embarrassment that one's expectations may prove false. Epaischunomai is associated with being afraid, feeling shame which prevents one from doing something, a reluctance to say or do something because of fear of humiliation, experiencing a lack of courage to stand up for something or feeling shame because of what has been done. 2 Timothy 1:12+ For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. 2 Timothy 2:12-13+ If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. Epaischunomai - 11x in 9c - am...ashamed(2), ashamed(9). Mk. 8:38; Lk. 9:26; Rom. 1:16; Rom. 6:21; 2 Tim. 1:8; 2 Tim. 1:12; 2 Tim. 1:16; Heb. 2:11; Heb. 11:16 Glory (1391)(doxa from dokeo = to think) in simple terms means to give a proper opinion or estimate of something. Glory is something that is a source of honor, fame, or admiration. It describes renown, a thing that is beautiful, impressive, or worthy of praise. Uses of Doxa in Luke and Acts - approval(2), brightness(1), glories(1), glorious(5), glory(155), honor(1), majesties(2). Lk. 2:9; Lk. 2:14; Lk. 2:32; Lk. 4:6; Lk. 9:26; Lk. 9:31; Lk. 9:32; Lk. 12:27; Lk. 14:10; Lk. 17:18; Lk. 19:38; Lk. 21:27; Lk. 24:26; Acts 7:2; Acts 7:55; Acts 12:23; Acts 22:11 WHICH WOULD YOU RATHER HEAR: ENTER OR DEPART? The certainty of Jesus Second Coming begs the question of EVERY ONE of us needs to seriously ponder -- Which command would I rather hear from the lips of the King of kings - ENTER or DEPART? To hear "ENTER" we first must "ENTER through the narrow gate" (Mt 7:13-14-note) by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9). “Well done, good and faithful slave… ENTER into the joy of your master” (Mt 25:21, 25:23). 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' (Mt 7:23-note) ASHAMED OF CHRIST—Luke 9:26. INTRODUCTION.—What is it to be ashamed? What to be ashamed of Christ? I. To be ashamed to confess faith in Him as the Son of God. II. To be ashamed to forsake sin through regard for Him. III. To be ashamed to obey His commandments. IV. To be ashamed to own allegiance to His cause. V. To be ashamed to grant Him the chief place in our lives. VI. To be ashamed of the church—His body. ILLUSTRATION on UNASHAMED - Wouldn't you like for Him to call your name in Heaven today? Wouldn't you like for Him to say, "She's mine; he's mine. They gave their heart to Me. They turned from their sin. They embraced the cross. They're not ashamed of Me. They confess Me; and now, Lord, I confess them"? You say, "Adrian, coming forward in the service—does that save me?" No. Trusting Jesus is what saves you. But, let me tell you a story—I heard this years ago—about a revival crusade. And, they were giving a public invitation, and a little girl was in the back—a young teenager, I suppose—and she was weeping, under deep conviction of sin. A personal worker went back there to talk to her and said, "Won't you come forward and confess Christ as your personal Savior?" She said, "No, I can't go down there in front of all of those people. I can't do that. Can't I be saved back here?" The personal worker said, "No, if you want to be saved, you've got to come forward." Now, I know what you're thinking, but let me get finished. "If you want to be saved, you've got to come forward." She said, "I can't do it." The next night, under deep conviction again, the same thing happened—same song, second stanza. The worker went back and said, "Young lady, won't you please come forward and confess Christ as your personal Savior and Lord?" She said, "I just can't do that—not in front of all of these people. I can't do that. Can't I be saved back here?" He said, "No, you cannot." The third night—the same thing. He went back there, said, "Young lady, will you come forward and confess Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?" Do you know what she said? She said, "Yes, I will. I'll go anywhere. I'll do anything, if I can be right with God." He said, "Now you don't need to come forward; you can be saved back here." Do you understand that? Do you understand what it's all about? Jesus is simply saying, "If you are ashamed of Me, I'll be ashamed of you." And, the faith that will not lead to confession will not lead to Heaven. You're not saved by walking down an aisle. But, when you are saved, the Bible says, "When you believe on Jesus, you'll not be ashamed of Him." You're not going to slip into Heaven as a secret disciple. He hung naked on a cross for you, and He is saying to you today, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36). (Adrian Rogers - The Value of a Human Soul) From among the finest athletes in the Roman Empire, Nero selected a group called The Emperor’s Wrestlers. Their motto was: "We, the wrestlers, wrestling for thee, O Emperor, to win for thee the victory and from thee, the victor’s crown." The wrestlers were also soldiers and were often sent out on special military campaigns. On a certain mission in Gaul (modern France), many of the wrestlers were converted to Christ. Upon hearing the news, Nero ordered the commander, Vespasian, to execute any wrestler who refused to renounce Christ and swear religious as well as military allegiance to the emperor. The emperor’s orders were received in the dead of winter, as the men were encamped on the shore of a frozen lake. When Vespasian assembled the soldiers and asked how many were Christians, forty men stepped forward. Hoping not to lose any of these fine men, many of whom were his friends, he gave them until sundown the next day to reconsider. But at the given hour, all of them still refused to renounce Christ. In order that they not die at the hands of their comrades, the commander ordered the forty men to disrobe and walk naked out onto the ice. Throughout the night the soldiers on shore could hear the forty sentenced men singing triumphantly, "Forty wrestlers, wrestling for Thee, O Christ, to win for Thee the victory, and from Thee, the victor’s crown." The singing grew fainter as morning neared, and at dawn a lone figure walked back and approached the fire. He confessed that his faith was not strong enough to face death. When Vespasian heard the faint strains of "Thirty-nine wrestlers, wrestling for Thee, O Christ," he was so moved that he threw off his armor and clothes and marched out to join the others, shouting as he went, " 40 wrestlers, wrestling for Thee, O Christ, to win for Thee the victory, & from Thee, the victor’s crown." So those are the requirements that Jesus spells out here for being a disciple The Fellowship of the Unashamed I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed, I have the Holy Spirit power, the die has been cast, I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made: I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I do not have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and I labor with power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I won't give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up for the cause of Jesus Christ. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till everyone knows, work till He stops me, and when He comes for His own, He will have no trouble recognizing me because my banner will have been clear. These words were found in the possession of a young African after he was martyred for his faith in Zimbabwe. He denied himself, took up his cross and fully followed Jesus. Would you be willing to die for Jesus Christ? Obviously, you would never really die for Jesus unless you are unashamedly speaking up for Jesus right now. Rod Mattoon - ILLUSTRATION - May we never be ashamed of the Lord or the suffering that is attached to following Christ. The great Reformer John Hus (see youtube video or another video) (Watch John MacArthur speak of John Hus) was not ashamed of his Lord, and for it, paid the ultimate physical price. In 1415, when he was a pastor in Prague, this unashamed follower of Christ was arrested, condemned, and sentenced to burn at the stake for preaching the true gospel. As the flames engulfed his body, he was heard praying, "O my God, I trust in Thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me (Ps. 25:2)." John was not afraid of dying, only of being ashamed of his Master. God grant us grace to do the same! Amen. (Treasures from the Scripture) Joseph Grigg sums all this up so well in his hymn Jesus and Shall it Ever Be: Jesus, and shall it ever be, A mortal man ashamed of thee? Ashamed of thee, whom angels praise, Whose glories shine through endless days! Ashamed of Jesus, that dear Friend, On whom my hopes of heaven depend! No! When I blush, be this my shame, That I no more revere his name. Luke 9:27 "But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God." KJV But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God. I tell Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1; John 14:2; 16:7 some John 21:22,23 taste Lk 2:26; John 8:51,52,59; Hebrews 2:9 see Lk 22:18; Mark 14:25 Luke 9 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 9:27-36 - Steven Cole Luke 9:26-31 A Glimpse of the King's Return, Part 1 - John MacArthur Here are the synoptic parallel passages: Matthew 16:28 “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Mark 9:1 And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” A PREVIEW OF THE SECOND COMING There are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God (See kingdom of God) - First we do well to acknowledge that this is a difficult statement to interpret with any degree of dogmatism. Notice Matthew's version adds the time phrase ("until" is a time sensitive we always do well to pause and ponder) "until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” In addition Mark adds "after it has come with power.” So let's take this passage phrase by phrase. Steven