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Dealing With Discrepancies

Reconciling The Two Accounts Of The Sermon On The Mount

The Sermon on the Mount is recorded twice in the New Testament, both in Matthew and in Luke. But the two are significantly different accounts. Have you ever wondered why?

Mountain

This has always bothered me. These two accounts of the Sermon on the Mount have some major differences, too many to simply dismiss.

Matthew records the Sermon on the Mount in three different chapters, chapters 5-7. Luke records his account in a shorter version, in Luke 6. Of the two, most people are more familiar with the Matthew account. And when they get to Luke, the account is similar, yet not the same.

For example, Luke records the Beatitudes, as does Matthew, but Luke’s version is different, including a series of woes that Matthew does not record.

Luke also writes of Jesus’ statements concerning love for our enemies, about judging, and about the wise and foolish builders. But again, there are several key differences between the two gospels.

Why are these two accounts so different?

It is because these are two different sermons.

Wait. What?

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Coffee Break – 10.12.2015

Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration

On this day in history: In 1492, Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer, sighted Watling Island in the Bahamas. He believed that he had found Asia while attempting to find a Western ocean route to India. The same day he claimed the land for Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain. In 1870, General Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, dies peacefully at his home in Lexington, Virginia. He was 63 years old. And in 1938, production began on “The Wizard of Oz.”

Coffee Break

Cold Brew Coffee Guide – One of the most interesting methods of brewing coffee is the cold brew method. There are many different ways to do this, but I have found the Coffee Toddy to be the easiest to use.

How Telephone Etiquette Has Changed – The telephone has changed how we live, and over the years, it has changed drastically in itself as well. As a result, proper telephone etiquette has had to morph to keep up.

10 Surprising Facts About LEGO – This toy has been around for years. And it has changed somewhat over the years. When I was a kid, you bought a pack of these and could build almost anything. Now, you buy a kit and build one specific model. But LEGO has stayed virtually the same for all of that time as well.

The Power Of Routines – Developing a personal routine is as essential part of being as effective as possible, and eliminating stress at the same time. This video gives some great insights into that concept.

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Memorize Scripture: Philippians 2:29-30

As Paul closes out the second chapter of his letter to the Philippians, he concludes his thoughts on his coworker Epaphroditus.

You can see his comments in Philippians 2:29-30:

Philippians 2:29-30

In spite of the fact that Paul was sending Epaphroditus back to Philippi, apparently without fulfilling his task of service to Paul, he commends this coworker to the church in Philippi.

As he returned home, the church there was to welcome him in the Lord, and with great joy. His efforts were satisfactory, given the circumstances, and the church in Philippi was to show their love and care for him as he returned. And again, Paul tells them to be joyful as they do so. After all, Epaphroditus could have died in his service, but did not, and is now being restored to the Philippians.

Such men require honor. He risked his life. The Greek phrase here is a gambling term. Epaphroditus staked his life on his service to Christ, and to Paul. He gave no thought to his own personal comfort or safety and served the sake of the Gospel with everything he had, almost to the point of dying. This is self-sacrifice to the uttermost!

This was an effort that the Philippians themselves could not give, since they were such a long distance away, and Epaphroditus was working on their behalf in his efforts. His efforts are to be commended.

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Making The Perfect Cup Of Coffee – Pour Overs

My favorite way to make coffee is by using a pour over. There are several ways to accomplish this easily, and you’ll have a great cup of coffee.

Making the Perfect Cup of Coffee - Pour Over

There are lots of ways to make coffee using the pour over method. However, there are three specific ways of doing so that I particularly love to use. And each one brings different aspects of the coffee’s flavor to the forefront. Each of these three methods are very similar, but because they effectively brew the coffee differently, different flavors and notes arise.

These three different pour overs are the Chemex, the Hario V60, and the Beehouse. Of the three, the Chemex is my favorite.

Basically, each of these methods are accomplished the same way, and the device itself does the brewing work. The inner surface of each is different, affecting the turbulence created during the brewing process. It is subtle, but the difference is there for the discerning taster.

During this explanation, I will use the point of view of the Chemex. But the process is largely the same for each method. Begin by bringing your water almost to the boiling point. Water boils at 212 degrees. You want it just a few degrees below this point.

Place a filter into the Chemex. I prefer using unbleached filters, simply because I don’t like the harsh chemical residue that can be tasted in the bleached filters. If using an unbleached filter, rinse it with your water after placing it into the Chemex. This washes out any paper flavor, and creates a suction between the paper and the glass, keeping the filter in place.

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Coffee Break – 10.05.2015

Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration

On this day in history: In 1892, the Dalton gang performs their last robbery attempt in Coffeyville, KS. Four of the five members of the gang were killed by the townspeople. In 1969, “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” debuted on BBC television. And in 2011, Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Inc., dies at the age of 56.

Coffee Break

What Happens When You Drink Coffee In The Evening – We’ve all done it. We’ve all had that cup of coffee in the evening, and wondered why it kept us up all night. This article explains just what causes that and why it happens to us.

Watch A Mother Raccoon Teach Her Kit To Climb A Tree – National Geographic always has some of the best images and footage of nature. This video is pretty interesting to watch of a raccoon teacher her baby to climb.

Writing Tips – As a blogger, I am continually on the lookout for tools and resources that help me accomplish my goals in writing. Here are some great tips from Tim Challies on how to utilize these resources and be a better writer.

Patagonia – More than just an outdoor company, Patagonia is a real place in southern Chile and Argentina. And it is breathtakingly beautiful. This video gives some great views of this beautiful region.

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Memorize Scripture: Philippians 2:27-28

Paul continues his thoughts about Epaphroditus in this week’s passage. He was sick, almost to the point of death, and Paul rejoices that God chose to spare his life.

You can see why in Philippians 2:27-28:

Philippians 2:27-28

Epaphroditus was sent by the Philippian church to assist Paul. This may have been intended to be a permanent situation, or at least a long term one. But his illness prevented that from happening, and Paul sends this brother and co-worker back to Philippi.

The illness Epaphroditus contracted was a serious one, leading almost to his death. The Philippian believers may not have know just how serious it was, even though they had received news that he was ill. Paul reinforces just how close to death Epaphroditus came before he recovered.

Paul attributes that recovery directly to the mercy of God, both for Epaphroditus and for Paul himself. For Epaphroditus, his recovery meant that he was now able to resume his efforts for the gospel. For Paul, this mercy took the form of saving him from the grief and sorrow of losing such a valuable coworker and friend. Paul already is suffering enough, being in prison, and the additional sorrow would be devastating.

Because of this, Paul is all the more eager and willing to send Epaphroditus home. And this results in his glowing praises offered in these verses. If Epaphroditus was supposed to stay and assist Paul, his return without completing that service would probably result in criticism from the church in Philippi.