The Motley Crew
April 13, 2011
Matthew 25:31-46
The Questions
Read Matthew 25:31-46
1. Why does the separation of people “one from another” come before the explanation of why some are “sheep” and others are “goats?”
2. What is the significance of “the sheep” and “the goats?”
3. What is the significance of “the right hand” and “the left hand?”
4. Is there a hint to the 12 and to us as to when the Lord when come to settle His accounts?
5. Who made the first step in this transaction?
6. Do you believe in hell?
7. Wasn't the “everlasting fire” prepared for sinners, not the devil and his angels?
8. Why are true Christians saved?
9. But Matthew records the Lord as talking only about our deeds. Aren't we were saved by faith alone?
10. Will the wicked be condemned only for the neglect of duty?
11. Who are the “least of these brothers and sisters of mine” that Jesus refers to in verse 40?
All citations from the Holy Bible are from the New International Version, used with permission.
The Motley Crew
April 13, 2011
Matthew 25:31-46
Some Suggested Answers
Matthew 25:31-46
The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
We opened with prayer.
1. Why does the separation of people “one from another” come before the explanation of why some are “sheep” and others are “goats?”
Jesus has already searched the hearts of all; He already knows who loved Him, and who lived in emulation of Him. In addition, those who love Jesus regularly came before God repenting of their sins. When God granted forgiveness, He put away their sins, never to remember them again (“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Jeremiah 31:34).
“Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds ...” [emphasis added] Revelation 2:23
Therefore, there is no listing of the sins of the righteous, but only the recognition of their love for and fidelity to Christ. The situation is completely the opposite for the wicked, who never repented of their sins, and, therefore, whose sins were never forgiven.
“In his eternal and infallible foreknowledge God beheld all of us before we were born, and beheld us as all that his grace would succeed in making of us. Far, far in advance he prepared the kingdom in which we should rule as coheirs of Christ.” Lenski, p. 991.
The Lutheran Study Bible observed “If they had called on the Lord in faith, He would have forgiven the, prepared them, and completed good works in them.” LSB, p. 1640, note 42-43. We can hardly fail to remember the two thieves crucified with Jesus; the one who defended Jesus received the the promise: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
The Concordia Self-Study Bible note on this verse says:
The separation takes place before any deeds are mentioned. Whether a person has been against him or for him has been documented by that person's deeds – deeds of mercy done or left undone. The merciful will find mercy in the judgment, as Jesus has promised (Matt. 5:7) – and mercy it is; for the Judge buries all their failures in forgiving silence and remembers only their deeds of mercy. The unmerciful have committed themselves to the unmerciful enemy of God and share his doom, that eternal fire which God did not design for human beings. Concordia Self Study Bible, p. 1487, note 25:31-46.
They also notes that “Rewards in the kingdom of heaven are given to those who serve without thought of reward. There is no hint of merit here, for God gives out of grace, not debt.” Concordia Self Study Bible, p. 1487, note 25:34-50.
Dr. Lenski wrote:
Jesus makes the whole matter plain: not a single sin of the believers is mentioned in the judgment, examined, probed, or judged, only the good works of believers are named; so they are, indeed, not brought into judgment, and yet they are judged. All the sins of the unbelievers are brought forward, and on the basis of these sins they are damned forever. Lenski, p. 989.
Finally, both Dr. Buls and Dr. Lenski found surprise in the response of the righteous to Jesus. Dr. Lenski wrote:
The astonished questions of the righteous are the best evidence as to how far their thoughts are from any idea of merit on their part. They have, indeed, learned from the gospel to serve Christ, their King, in even the lowliest of his brethren. But when they now note infinite glory as their inheritance in the heavenly Kingdom, the award of this inheritance on the ground of such little works seems impossible to them. They kept no record of their works, they trusted solely in grace and forgot all their works. This is the truth that Christ brings out by means of these questions. It is further evidence to show how just and righteous the award he makes is. Lenski, p. 994.
2. What is the symbolism of “the sheep” and “the goats?”
In his commentary on Matthew 25:31-46, Prof. Harold H. Buls writes “Sheep and goats represent the redeemed and the damned.”
The Sheep – By "the sheep" are denoted, here, the righteous. The name is given to them because the sheep is an emblem of innocence and harmlessness. See John 10:7, John 10:14-16, John 10:27; Psalm 100:3; Psalm 74:1; .
The Goats - The wicked. See Ezekiel 34:17.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down
in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he
refreshes my soul. Psalm
23:1-3
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are
his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Psalm
100:3
“As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats.” Ezekiel 34:17
John 10 in the NIV Bible has the title “The Good Shepherd and His Sheep.” This is an especially rich chapter, both for its imagery concerning sheep, and also for several other statements concerning those for whom He came, and that His sacrifice is voluntary, not forced upon Him by the Sanhedrin or the Romans.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” John 10:14-16
It was mentioned that there are a number of differences between sheep and goats that might lead to the preference of sheep over goats. Sheep are grazers that have a strong instinct to stay with the flock, while goats are browsers … and have horns and beards! Goats are said to be more independent, wandering out on their own.
3. What is the symbolism of “the right hand” and “the left hand?”
On the right hand - The right hand is the place of honor, and denotes the situation of those who are honored, or those who are virtuous. The left - That is, the left hand. This was the place of dishonor, denoting condemnation. Barnes' Notes on the Bible and People's New Testament; See Heb 12:2.
“... For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2 [emphasis added]
In the Old Testament, we see the favoritism of the right hand:
1 The LORD says to my lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”
Psalm
110:1
The heart of the wise inclines to the right, Ecclesiastes 10:2.
See also 1 Kings 2:19; Psalm 45:9
Likewise, after His resurrection, our Lord took his place at the right hand of the Father.
David said about him:
“‘I saw the Lord always
before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be
shaken. Acts
2:25
Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. Acts 2:33
Likewise, there is reference to the left hand:
“The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.” Ecclesiastes 10:2.
One of our members mentioned that the preference for use of the right hand in children had its basis in this Biblical preference, and that this was one reason why left-handed children were forced to learn to write with their right hand.
4. Is there a hint to the 12 and to us as to when the Lord when come to settle His accounts?
No. It will not happen until “all have heard,” for “the gospel must first be preached to all nations.” Mark 13:10.
Our sins are removed as far as the East is from the West!
This reinforces what we saw in Matthew 24:36:
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Professor Buls had this comment concerning verse 31 (“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.”):
The only element unknown to us is the time. The last sentence in the Apostles' Creed is the only item yet to be completed: "He shall come again to judge the quick and the dead." The "Son of man" stresses Jesus' humanity. "In His glory" stresses His divinity, fully used by His humanity. The human nature possesses this divinity. JB renders the next words "escorted by all the angels." "On His glorious throne," presents Christ as King, which term is used in verse 34.
Dr. Lenski noted
Of his coming in the Parousia for the judgment Jesus has already spoken most definitely in Matt. 24:30-31, where also “his glory” is mentioned and the activity of his angels. It ought to be clear that Jesus is connecting this scene with Matt. 24:30-31, and is now bringing the whole subject to completion.
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Matt. 24:30-31
5. Who made the first step in this transaction?
The Grace of God.
We see God reaching out to His creation from the very beginning. In Genesis 3:8-9,
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”
And throughout the Old Testament, God sends to His people Prophets, so that the people may know what is required of them.
25 From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. 26 But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their ancestors.’ Jeremiah 7:25-26
The prophet Jeremiah was directed to proclaim this message to Israel :
“‘Return,
faithless Israel ,’ declares the LORD,
‘I
will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,’ declares
the LORD,
‘I will not be angry forever.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt—
you
have rebelled against the LORD your God,
you have scattered your
favors to foreign gods
under every spreading
tree,
and have not obeyed me,’”
declares
the LORD. Jeremiah
3:12-13
We repeatedly see the cycle: sin – prophecy – repentance – forgiveness. We also see what happens when there is no repentance:
15
People of Israel ,” declares the LORD,
“I
am bringing a distant nation against you—
an ancient and
enduring nation,
a people whose language you do
not know,
whose speech you do not understand.
16 Their quivers are like an open grave;
all
of them are mighty warriors.
17 They will devour your harvests
and food,
devour your sons and daughters;
they
will devour your flocks and herds,
devour your
vines and fig trees.
With the sword they will destroy
the
fortified cities in which you trust. Jeremiah
5:15-17
But when there is repentance, there will be forgiveness:
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” Jeremiah 29:11-14
He even sends a Prophet to people who are not identified as His, the Ninevites:
1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
And Jonah 3:1-2,
1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
But unlike the Jews, the Ninevites responded:
6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh , he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh :
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” Jonah 3:6-9
And God responds according to the promises that He has made:
“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.” Jonah 3:10
Beth shared some of her excellent research on the book of Jonah and the historical context. Jonah – surely as unwilling a prophet as God has called – played a crucial role in God's plan, but one that would not be fulfilled for seventy years!! God knew that He would need to discipline the Northern Kingdom because of its unfaithfulness. But He didn't want to destroy them. The tool in this discipline would be the Assyrians. Previously, they had ruthlessly destroyed their enemies. But God sent Jonah (dated at approximately 790 B.C.) to turn them into a more God-fearing nation, one that would not destroy their enemies. Jonah came. There was a national repentance of almost unknown proportions. And when, 70 years later, God needed to punish but not destroy the Northern Kingdom , He used the now God-fearing Assyrians. The archeological evidence shows that the Assyrians ceased their barbaric practices for about 100 years. It was during this time that God used the Assyrians to punish the Northern Kingdom . 2 Kings 17 records the event:
6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, and he carried the Israelites away to Assyria and placed them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
God did not tell Jonah what his plan was, but it was recorded in Isaiah, Hosea and Amos (circa 740 B.C.).
The lesson that we can take from this is profoundly humbling. Just as He used Jonah in a plan that Jonah could not see the full dimension of, so too He uses us in His plans that we cannot see the full dimensions of either. Jonah's work for the Lord bore fruit 70 years after the His actions. And it could well be that the actions that we take on behalf of the Lord God today might not have their full effect for another 70 or even 700 years!
Pray hard and hold on for the ride. It might be bumpy, and it might be a very long ride indeed.
6. Do you believe in hell?
Yes! We have read of this place of everlasting punishment many times in the Bible. The notion of a fiery hell – evoking thoughts of the continuous burning of garbage in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom (from which the word Gehenna is derived) – is a familiar theme in the Bible.
“They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:42
“They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” 2 Thessalonians 1:9
Fire is probably used, as in many other places in the Scripture, as symbol of the bitter punishment of the wicked. Note, (1) it is everlasting; (2) prepared, not for man, but for the devil and his angels. Those who choose [satan's] service will have his portion. People's New Testament
into everlasting punishment – or, as in Mt 25:41, "everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Compare Mt 13:42; 2Th 1:9, &c. This is said to be "prepared for the devil and his angels," because they were "first in transgression." But both have one doom, because one unholy character. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
7. Wasn't the “everlasting fire” prepared for sinners, not the devil and his angels?
No, this place of “everlasting fire” was originally prepared for the devil and his angels after the War in Heaven.
As noted above, fire is a symbol of the bitter punishment of the wicked. It is everlasting, but it was prepared not for man, but for the devil and his angels. “Those who choose [satan's] service will have his portion.” People's New Testament
into everlasting punishment. This is said to be "prepared for the devil and his angels," because they were "first in transgression." But both have one doom, because one unholy character. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
“And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.” Jude 1:6
“But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Revelation 12:8-9
Prepared for the devil and his angels - The devil and his angels sinned before the creation of the world, and the place of torment was then prepared for them: it never was designed for human souls; but as the wicked are partakers with the devil and his angels in their iniquities, in their rebellion against God, so it is right that they should be sharers with them in their punishment. We see here, plainly, why sinners are destroyed, not because there was no salvation for them, but because they neglected to receive good, and do good. As they received not the Christ who was offered to them, so they could not do the work of righteousness which was required of them. They are cursed, because they refused to be blessed; and they are damned, because they refused to be saved. Clarke's Commentary on the Bible
One of our members who has the Life Application Study Bible quoted it concerning the origins of Gehenna, or hell, which was named after the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem where children were sacrificed by fire to the pagan gods (citing 2 Kings 23:10 and 2 Chronicles 28:3). This is the place of eternal fire mentioned in the New Testament prepared for the devil, his angels, and those who do not believe in God, and is the final and eternal state of the wicked after the resurrection and the last judgment (note 26:46, p. 1589).
8. Why are true Christians saved?
Their love for the King of Kings.
Prof. Harold H. Buls has this explanation in his commentary on Matthew 25:46:
… the faithful are ... called "the righteous." They are righteous not because of their works but because they believed what God, in Christ, did for them. The good works are plain evidence of this believing relationship.
The Lutheran Study Bible noted that “Scripture teaches that people do good works in God's sight only after they have come to faith and been justified by Christ. Good works are the result of salvation, not its cause.” (note 25:35-36, p. 1640).
And, the LSB noted that “Jesus is with the Christian community in such a way that we serve Him when we serve others” (note 25:40, p. 1640).
9. But Matthew records the Lord as talking only about our deeds. Aren't we were saved by faith alone?
It is true that several times in the Old Testament we see that people will be judged for their actions.
Jeremiah 25:14: “I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”
Psalm 62:12: “You reward everyone according to what they have done.”
Proverbs 24:12: “Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?” See also Ecclesiastes 12:14.
However, Prof. Harold H. Buls sets things aright in his commentary on Matthew 25:46 when he notes that the the faithful are called "the righteous," not because of their works but because they believed what God, in Christ, did for them. It was their faith that made them righteous. But, “the good works are plain evidence of this believing relationship. The punishment of the wicked is justice because they rejected God.” Dr. Buls continued:
After Luther's death, Lutheran theologians got into a controversy about the good works of a Christian. The question was: "Are good works necessary to salvation?" To make a long story short, they are not necessary in a meritorious sense nor are they detrimental to salvation. But they are necessary as evidence and fruit of faith.
Remember Luther's adage: "Faith alone saves but faith is never alone." [Note that Prof. Buls does not provide a citation for this quotation. The phrase does not occur in Luther's Works-American Edition.]
Likewise, in James 2:14-17 we read:
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
The apostle John as a similar message in his first epistle, 1 John 3:17-18:
“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
Our beliefs are more closely reflected by what we do, than by what we say.
One of our members, who has been studying the Epistle to the Philippians, raised the point that looking for ways to love others is a life-style for many Christians.
10. Will the wicked be condemned only for the neglect of duty?
No. The wicked are condemned both for their sins of omission and for their sins of commission:
Let it be observed here that the public ground of their condemnation is the neglect of duty, or because "they did it not." We are not to suppose that they will not also be condemned for their open and positive sins. See Romans 2:9; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5-6; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Revelation 21:8; Psalm 9:17. Barnes' Notes on the Bible
“There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil...” Romans 2:9
“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Revelation 21:8
The Lutheran Study Bible, as well as several other commentators, point out that their sins of omission are only a symptom of the real problem: lack of faith. “If they had called on the Lord in faith, He would have forgiven them, prepared them, and completed good works in them.” LSB, note 25:42-43, p. 1640. Only death closes the door to repentance and forgiveness, as the Good Thief demonstrated. Luke 23:43.
11. Who are the “least of these brothers and sisters of mine” that Jesus refers to in verse 40?
Verse 40. “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
The “least of these” are those who are at the bottom of our society. Those who are the most despised.
“Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” Hebrews 2:11
“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:50
Several commentators explain and expand on this:
One of the least of these - One of the obscurest, the least known, the poorest, the most despised and afflicted. Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The righteous understood well that they had often, in the name and from the love of Christ, ministered to his brethren, the poor and suffering saints, but they had never understood that their Lord accepted this as a personal service to himself. It should be distinctly noted, (1) that the saved are the righteous, or those whose sins have been washed away by Christ; (2) they are those who have lived and acted in the name of Christ, or have been obedient to his will; (3) they have been full of the love of Christ and have faithfully ministered to the distressed, especially to those of the household of faith. The love of Christ implies love of the brethren, and of all mankind. People's New Testament
By not doing good to the "followers" of Christ, they showed that they had no real love to Him. By not doing good to the poor and needy, to the stranger and the prisoner, they showed that they had not his spirit, and were not like him, and were unfit for his kingdom. Barnes' Notes on the Bible
We closed with prayer.
Bonus Points: Strangers invited in, and the naked clothed.
Verse 43 “I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me... “
Strangers:
It was inconceivable in Middle Eastern countries to treat a stranger with anything other than the greatest hospitality. Thus, to fail to invite a stranger into one's home is considered a sin of omission on par with not feeding the hungry or giving a drink of water to the thirsty. Thus we have Hebrews 13:2: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
In the Old Testament, there are three accounts of strangers being entertained who were, in fact, angels of the Lord: Abraham in Genesis 18; Gideon in Judges 6; Manoah in Judges 13.
Clothing:
In this translation, the phrase is “I needed clothes and you did not clothe me.” In the King James version, however, the phrase is “naked, and ye clothed me not.” In this society, each person had two basic pieces of clothing: the tunic and the cloak (a coat, also used as a blanket). The cloak was tremendously important. Indeed, if a cloak was given as a pledge for a loan, it could not be kept overnight, for fear that the person could be harmed. The meaning here is that a person had only the tunic, and no cloak. The failure to give one in need this article of clothing is the thrust of this charge by Our Lord. In our society, each fall there is a drive to collect coats for the poor. Donating any extra coats to this cause would fall within the meaning of this section of the Gospel.
Parallel Verses
None.
For Additional Study
I won't be reproducing these lists in the future. The Prayer And Study Resources web page has a listing of some research web sites that I use. In addition, Additional Research Resources is a page with a more complete list of Bible and Lutheran resources, plus there is the Research Resources Checklist, which is the web page I use when I first begin a Bible study. Both of these last two web pages are always growing, and please let me know if you are aware of other great sites.