Opened Scriptures Bible Studies

Here is a note about indexes containing all Bible lessons posted on this blog since its inception in 2019.   I hope this will help you find lessons on a particular book of topic that we have studied through. An index for  all lessons  posted from 2019 through 2021, was published on  September 7, 2022. An index for all lessons posted in 2022, was published  J anuary 24, 2023. An index for all lessons posted in 2023 was posted on  February 28, 2024.  The index for all lessons posted in 2024 was published on January 21,2025.   Always remember that God looks past the externals and looks in our heart. 1 Samuel 16:7  But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.  God rejected Saul from being Israel's king because he did not obey what the LORD told him to do...

God said "Love your neighbor as yourself. The Jews added you must "hate your enemies." Matthew 5:43  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  Leviticus 19:18  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.  Again, Jesus brings up another terrible alteration to the law of God given to Moses. The law Jesus is dealing with is cited above and it plainly says that God commanded His people not to take revenge against any Israelite person. Instead, they were commanded to love their neighbor as the loved themselves. The idea is that you will not harm your own body or do wrong to yourself, so you must also love your neighbor. However, look at the last portion of Matthew 5:43.  The Jewish scribes and Pharisees added to what God actually commanded by saying you must " hate thine enemy." What did God actually command them to do? To...

Jesus explains the true meaning of the law of retaliation.  Matthew 5:38-40  Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:  39)  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.  40)  And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.  We studied Jesus' teaching about an eye for an eye and His application for His disciples to turn the other cheek. Jesus continued by giving two additional examples of what it means to turn the other cheek. A second example Jesus used concerned one man filing frivolous lawsuits against another man to profit at his expense.  Jesus directed us not to respond by acting like the man who sued us.  We are not to countersue in this example because Christ has shown we are to have forgiving hearts.  In this case it is a question about property, and not about consci...

Jesus continues to teach us about going beyond the letter of the law in order to see the spiritual application of it for our lives. He has addressed adultery, anger, divorce, and taking God's name in vain by not telling the truth. Next, Jesus addressed the issue of retaliation or seeking revenge on those who do us wrong. Christ showed us how to respond when  someone does us wrong. Matthew 5:38-39  Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:  39)  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Leviticus 24:19-20  And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;  20)  Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.   This command is also found in Exodus 21:24;  and Deuteronomy 19:21.  God gave this command as a r...

In His sermon on the mount, Jesus has shown how our heart can be changed through the new birth. These teachings are called the "beatitudes" because they describe what a new heart and a new spirit from God is like. The second section of Jesus' sermon describes the testimony of His disciples and our need to be salt and light. Salt retards the moral decay around us and light exposes sin. Both are necessary for a properly functioning society. Jesus followed this by saying He came to fulfill all aspects of the law of God with perfect obedience. However, this also means that the moral law God gave to Moses remains in effect.  It is an absolute moral standard by which all people will be judged. All sins of all humanity for all time were judged when Christ bore them on the cross for us. He shed His innocent blood to redeem all who believe the gospel. The next several parts of Christ's sermon deal with specific parts of the moral law that were corrupted or perverted by scribe...