April 2005

Contents of this issue of the Joan K. Snipes e-newsletter:
- Reflections on my last e-newsletter;
- Website for B. Cobbey Crisler books and tapes;
- More on Jesus and the Old Testament, including a Bible Study Worksheet;
- Biblical Voices of Alex Cavalli, an actor from Austin, Texas;
- Bible workshops in New Orleans, Arkansas, Ohio and Michigan.

Dear Readers,

In my last e-newsletter, dated February 2005, I wrote about Jesus' reliance on Hebrew Scripture. A couple of you immediately responded to my essay with reminders of B. Cobbey Crisler's Bible talk, Walk to Emmaus, which is available in both audio and book formats. I was delighted to get these emails because my comments about Psalm 22 certainly hark back to ideas I gleaned from a talk by Cobbey Crisler that I attended in Washington, DC years ago.

Joe Kelley of Washington, DC wrote me: One of my fondest recollections was Cobbey Crisler's mention of Psalm 22. He told us that in Old Testament times the psalms were not known by the numbers that identify them for us today, rather by their first lines. He thought Jesus was calling the attention of those present (and us) to Psalm 22 by its first-line title so they and we could recognize what was going on as further fulfillment of prophesy: "poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint" (v.14), "they pierced my hands and my feet" (v.16), "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture" (v.18).

To learn more on the topic of Psalm 22 and Crisler's insights you can order the book, "The Master, Christ Jesus," online at http://www.crislerinstitute.com/Catalog.html. This helpful book was published by Janet Crisler in 2000, and it contains transcriptions of four of Cobbey Crisler's talks.

Did you know that Christ Jesus quoted from at least twenty-one different Old Testament books? Have you thought about the fourteen Bible stories Jesus mentioned to his listeners? During the last few months, I have very much enjoyed researching and studying the Gospel passages where Jesus cites Scripture. There are over seventy such instances. Below are ten questions on this subject that Sunday School teachers might like to use in class or as a Bible Study Worksheet. Forty-four similar worksheets are included in my book, "That Ye May Teach the Children." The questions below touch on just a small portion of the Old Testament stories and passages to which Jesus directed our attention.

Bible Study Worksheet: Christ Jesus and Hebrew Scripture

1. Christ Jesus advised his disciples to: "Remember Lot's wife." Please tell the story of Lot's wife, told in Genesis, chapter 19. Luke 17:32

2. Jesus reminded his listeners: "Our fathers did eat manna in the desert." In which book of the Bible is the story of Moses, Aaron, and the children of Israel eating manna in the wilderness? Exodus 16:2-15; John 6:31-51

3. Please tell the story of David and the shewbread, a story Jesus brought up when he was questioned by the Pharisees. I Samuel 21:1-6; Mark 2:25, 26

4. A widow of Zarephath fed Elijah during a terrible famine. Jesus specified this story from I Kings while preaching in the synagogue in Nazareth, his hometown. How did his listeners respond? Luke 4:24-30; I Kings 17:1-16

5. Jesus refers to at least 14 Old Testament stories, including one from the book of II Kings where the prophet Elisha (Eliseus) cleansed a leper. Please name the Syrian captain who was healed of leprosy. Luke 4:27; II Kings 5:1-15

6. Joash, a king of Judah, commanded the death of a righteous man named Zechariah. Zechariah's father was a priest who was kind to King Joash. Please name Zechariah's father. II Chronicles 24:20-22; Luke 11:51

7. Christ Jesus quoted the ancient prophets of Israel numerous times. Of the following four prophets, whom did Jesus cite when he said: "they shall be all taught of God"?
A. Hosea B. Zechariah C. Malachi D. Isaiah
John 6:45; see a Bible concordance for the answer

8. Among the Old Testament people Jesus mentioned are Noah, Abel, Abraham, Lot's wife, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon, the Queen of Sheba, Elijah, Elisha and Zechariah. What did Jesus say about Jonah and himself? Matt. 12:39-41

9. Please name at least three Old Testament people to whom Jesus referred.

10. Jesus' last words on the cross were: "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." Once again, Jesus was quoting Hebrew scripture. In which Old Testament book can you find those words? Luke 26:46; Psalms 31:5

CAVALLI PERFORMANCES

Those of you who live in the Washington, DC area have a rare opportunity the last weekend of April to see Alex Cavalli, an actor from Austin, Texas, perform. Alex will be doing two different Bible presentations -- one called "Paul, Face to Face" and the other entitled, "The Gospel According to St. John." Alex has been doing these dramatic presentations around the country for the last fourteen years, but this is his first time in the DC area. To get further details, please see the calendar for Virginia and West Virginia on www.csdirectory.com and Alex's webpage: http://home.swbell.net/acavalli/index.html

UPCOMING BIBLE WORKSHOPS

In May I will be giving Bible workshops in New Orleans and Fayetteville, Arkansas. In June I will be in Elyria, Ohio and Kalamazoo, Michigan. Please email me for details.

If your church is interested in sponsoring a Bible workshop, I am currently booking dates for both the summer and fall.

Yours truly,

Joan Koelle Snipes

Volume 5; No. 2
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BOOKLET AVAILABLE
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