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Friday, October 8, 2021

Bible In One Year Day 281 (Nehemiah 13, Malachi 1-4, Proverbs 21: 25-28)

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Day 281: Good and Evil 

Agape Bible Study 
Nehemiah 13 

Spiritual Restoration of the Covenant People (13:1-31)

Nehemiah 13:1-3 ~ The Law Concerning Ammonites and Moabites

While reading a portion of the Law during the dedication ceremony, it was discovered the prohibition against admitting Ammonites or Moabites to God’s assembly of His covenant people.  Deuteronomy 23:4-6 stated: No Ammonite or Moabite may be admitted to the assembly of Yahweh; not even his descendants to the tenth generation may be admitted to the assembly of Yahweh, and this is for all time; since they did not come to meet you with food and drink when you were on your way out of Egypt, and even hired Balaam son of Beor to oppose you by cursing you, from Pethor in Aram Naharaim.  But Yahweh your God refused to listen to Balaam, and Yahweh your God turned the curse on you into a blessing, because Yahweh your God loved you.   Never, as long as you live, must you seek their welfare or their prosperity.  The passage recalls the historical event before the conquest of Canaan when the Moabites refused to allow the Israelites to pass through their land and hired a prophet to curse the covenant people and then tempted Israel’s men to participate in a pagan ritual in an attempt to thwart God’s divine plan (Num 22-25).  Having heard the prohibition in the Law, the people again took the pledge to exclude all foreigners from liturgical worship and national assemblies as they had during Ezra’s governorship.

However, this prohibition had its exceptions.  Ruth was a Moabitess who married Boaz of Judah, and her great-grandson was King David who became the anointed of Yahweh and the ancestor of Jesus Christ (Ruth 4:18-22; Mt 1:1-6; Lk 3:31-33).

43 Having heard the Law, they excluded all foreigners from Israel.
This drastic measure went beyond the requirements of the Law which allowed foreigners to live in the land and even to attend festivals so long as they obeyed the Law (Ex 12:48-49; 23:9; Num 9:14). Perhaps they felt excluding all foreigners was necessary to end the temptation to make marriage alliances with pagans.



Nehemiah 13:4-9 ~ The Treachery of Eliashib and Nehemiah’s Second Mission

Question: Who were Eliashib and Tobiah and what was their relationship to Nehemiah?  See Neh 2:10, 19; 3:1 and 6:12-14, 17-19; Dt 23:3-4.
Answer: Eliashib was the anointed high priest during Nehemiah’s tenure as governor, and Tobiah was an Ammonite and the governor of the Persian Province of Ammon.  He was Nehemiah’s enemy who opposed the plans to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, and with Sanballat, governor of Samaria, he plotted to destroy Nehemiah’s mission and possibly harm him.  He had close relations with some of the nobles of Judah including a marriage alliance, and he used his influence with Eliashib to install himself in a residence within the Temple, an act in violation of the Law of the covenant.    

Nehemiah returned to Susa and the court of King Artaxerxes in 433 BC after twelve years in Judah (in the thirty-second year of the reign of Artaxerxes I).  Sometime later, he returned to Judah for a second term as the Persian governor.
Question: When Nehemiah returned to Judah, what did he learn about a severe violation of the sanctity of the Temple that had taken place in his absence?  See 13:4-5.
Answer: While he was away, Eliashib used his influence as the high priest to provide Tobiah, an Ammonite pagan prohibited from entering the Temple, with living quarters within the Temple precincts.


Nehemiah 13:10-14 ~ Failures to Support the Clergy

Question: Upon his return to Judah, what second violation did Nehemiah learn had occurred in his absence?
Answer: The Levitical lesser ministers who served the Temple and Levitical members of the choir were no longer receiving allocations to support themselves and their families and left the city to go to their farms so they could earn a living.  The Temple had no music or Levites to support the daily worship services.


Nehemiah 13:15-22 ~ Nehemiah Discovers Failures to Observe the Sabbath Rest

When Nehemiah returned to Judah to resume a second term as the royal governor, he discovered the reoccurrence of violations against the covenant commands and prohibitions.  Nehemiah dealt with three serious violations:

  1. A pagan Ammonite was living within the sacred Temple precincts that were limited to the priests and Levitical ministers (Neh 13:4-9).
  2. The Levites were no longer receiving their allocations and to feed their families had returned to their farms, abandoning their Temple duties (Neh 13:10).
  3. The citizens of Judah and Jerusalem were profaning the Sabbath day by buying and selling on the Sabbath (Neh 13:15-16).


In his reprimand, Nehemiah recalls for the people the words the Lord command the prophet Jeremiah to address to the people of Jerusalem who were profaning the Sabbath in Jeremiah 17:19-27.  The Lord promised them His protection as long as they faithfully kept the Sabbath commands.

Nehemiah 13:23-31 ~ The Renewed Sin of Pagan Marriages and Regulations for the Priests and Levites


After Nehemiah returned for his second term as governor of Judah, illicit marriages to foreigners had again become a problem.  The language of Judah was Hebrew, but after the return from exile, the younger generations could only speak Aramaic, and in the case of foreign marriages, their pagan wives were teaching their children their pagan customs and languages.  Even the grandson of High Priest Eliashib was married to a Samaritan woman, and to make the offense worse, the woman was the daughter of Nehemiah’s enemy Sanballat!

Nehemiah asks God three times in verses 14, 22, and 30 to remember the religious reforms he instituted in Jerusalem and to bring judgment against anyone who defiled the priesthood or married outside the covenant.  In his prayer, he asked God to give him credit:

  1. for reinstating material support for the clergy
  2. for enforcing the regulations concerning the Sabbath rest
  3. for purifying the priesthood of illicit marriages to foreigners and for redefining the duties of the priests and Levites

Nehemiah acted out of zeal for Yahweh and not for his own advancement or glory, and he asks for these good works to be credited to his accomplishments in service to the Lord God.  However, he also asks God to remember those who defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priests and Levites in verse 29.

Agape Bible Study 
Malachi 1 - 4 

The Book of Malachi divides into two parts with one central theme and three minor themes.

  1. Part I of the book divides into six oracles:
    1. Yahweh's love for His covenant people (1:1-5).
    2. Polluted offerings and the failures of the priesthood (1:6-14; 2:1-9).
    3. Mixed marriages and divorce (2:10-16).
    4. The coming of the "Day of Yahweh" in divine judgment (2:17-3:5).
    5. The people's failures in providing tithes to support the Temple (3:6-12).
    6. Yahweh's Book of Remembrance containing the names of the righteous (3:13-21/4:3).
  2. Part II is the Epilogue:
    1. It summarizes the prophet's teaching and prophecy concerning the coming of the Redeemer-Messiah and His predecessor (3:22-24/4:4-6).

The central theme of the Book of Malachi is that the laws of the old Sinai Covenant is still in force. Unlike His people, God remains faithful to His word. There are also three sub-themes:

  1. The deficiencies of the priests in carrying out their religious duties (Mal 1:6-2:9).
  2. The failures of the covenant people to be obedient to their covenant promises (Mal 3:6-12).
  3. The warning that these covenant failures will result in the "Day of Yahweh," a day of divine judgment. On that day, God Himself will come to purify the priesthood, consume the wicked, and secure justice for the righteous so that proper worship may be reestablished (Mal 3:1-5, 13-23/4:1-6).

Quotes from Malachi in other Bible books:

  1. Sirach 48:10 quotes from Malachi 3:24/4:5 in referring to the ministry of the prophet Elijah,
    and verses from Malachi are quoted or alluded to several times in the New Testament:
  2. 1. In Matthew 11:10, Jesus quotes Malachi 3:1 to identify John the Baptist as the prophetic messenger.
  3. 2. St. Mark also quotes Malachi 3:1 in Mark 1:2 just before a verse from Isaiah 40:3 as prophecy foretelling Jesus the Messiah and the Son of God, whose coming was heralded by John the Baptist.
  4. 3. In Luke 1:17, the angel Gabriel tells Zechariah that his son will serve God with the spirit and power of Elijah to "reconcile/turn the hearts of fathers to their children," quoting Malachi 3:24/4:6.
  5. 4. In Zechariah's Benedictus, he alludes to "the rising Sun" of Malachi's "the Sun of justice" (Malachi 3:20), who has come from on high with healing to visit His people (Lk 1:78).
  6. 5. St. Paul quotes from Malachi 1:2-3 in Romans 9:13 to make the point that God's call to a covenant relationship precedes any merit on a person or people's part.

Historical Background:

  • In 587/6 BC, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and sent most of the surviving population into exile in Babylon.
  • In 586 BC, a group of fugitives led by Ishmael, son of Nethaniah (a royal prince), assassinated Gedaliah and his Babylonian guards. Gedaliah was the Jewish governor appointed by the Babylonians to govern the people left in Judah. The surviving Judahites, fearing reprisals by the Babylonians, fled to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with them.
  • Cyrus, King of Persia, conquered Babylon in the fall of 539 BC. In the first year of his reign over the conquered territories of the Babylonians, he issued an Edit of Return, allowing all the peoples conquered and displaced by the Babylonians to return to their ancestral lands. The first group of Jews returning to Judah began their journey that same year, led by Zerubabbel and the High Priest Joshua. They organized the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem and reestablished the religious rituals and sacrifices.
  • The returning exiles rebuilt the Jerusalem Temple c. 515/517 BC.
  • In the 7th year of the reign of King Artaxerxes, Ezra, a Zadokite priest and scribal expert on the Law led the second group of Jews back to Judah (Ezra 7:7), probably in 458 BC.2 Ezra reestablished the correct practice of religion by reinstituting the commands and prohibitions of Mosaic Law.
  • In the 20th year of Artaxerxes I's reign (445 BC), Nehemiah, the Jewish cup-bearer to the Persian king, was appointed governor of Judah and led the third wave of exiles back to their ancestral lands. Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, built up the city's population, and reestablished order and the rule of law.

Ezra and Nehemiah, along with Zerubbabel and Joshua the High Priest, were responsible for the restoration of Israel/Judah after the seventy years of the Babylonian Exile. Ezra and Nehemiah helped restore Judah's national and religious devotion. The Book of Malachi was probably written at least a generation after the missions of Ezra and Nehemiah.


Chapters 1:1-2:9

Malachi 1:1-5 ~ The Superscription and the First Oracle: the Love of Yahweh for His People

The book's title comes from the superscription in 1:1, The word of Yahweh to Israel through my messenger (literal translation, IBHE, vol. III, page ). "My messenger" in Hebrew is malachi. Verses 1-5 comprise Malachi's first oracle. In the Bible, an oracle is a message from God to His prophet, which the prophet delivers as God's agent. Prophets were commissioned directly by Yahweh and not appointed by rulers or priests. The prophet received divine communication through dreams, visions, and audible communication. The prophet, in turn, delivered God's messages by sermons, writings, parables, and oracles that recounted the exact words of God to the prophet.

God could call a prophet to service at any time in his life.These first five verses contain the essence of Malachi's message. To a people demonstrating a general apathy toward God, Malachi reminds them that God's love for them calls for an appropriate response.

The Second Oracle: Malachi 1:6-2:9
Malachi 1:6-14 ~ An Indictment of the Priests

Yahweh is a divine Father to Israel. Yet, His covenant people do not honor Him as a son should honor his father (1:6; cf. Deuteronomy 5:16), nor do they respect Him as a servant does a master. Through His prophet, Yahweh accuses the priests, who should be teaching the people about the quality of their relationship with Him, instead of despising God's name. In the Bible, one's name expresses the true essence of a person, in this case, the divine essence of God and everything He has taught them embodied in the Mosaic Law.

In verses 6-7, Malachi presents the priests as feigning ignorance concerning their abuses as they ask a series of questions relating to how they have despised His name.
Question: What abuses does Yahweh list against the priests in addition to their general lack of respect?
Answer:

  1. They put ritually impure sacrifices on God's holy Temple altar, an action that says the Lord's altar-table deserves no respect.
  2. They bring the Lord physically imperfect and sick animals for sacrifice.
  3. They abuse the Court of the Priests, where the altar was to be kept continually burning by not shutting the door between that court and the open area that led into the inner court to keep the wind from extinguishing the altar fire.


2:1-9 ~ The Second Part of the First Oracle: Malachi's Indictment Against the Priests Continued

In the second part of the oracle, Malachi delivers an exhortation to the priests.
Question: What three failures does Malachi list in 2:1, 8, and 9. And when did he mention the first failure in the first oracle?
Answer:

  1. 1. He reproached them again for failing to show honor to Yahweh (2:2; cf. 1:6).
  2. 2. He accused them of causing many of the covenant people to stumble in their faith by how they instructed the people concerning the Law and the bad example they showed in their private lives (2:8).
  3. 3. He accused them of showing partiality in their judgments when applying the Law, favoring some people over others (2:9).

Chapter 2:10-16

Malachi 2:10-16 ~ Oracle 3: Mixed Marriage and Divorce


This oracle divides into two parts concerning two issues that profane worship at God's Sanctuary by the offenders who take part in these practices:

  1. The indictment against those who make marriages with pagans.
  2. The indictment against men who divorce their legal wives.

Question: In the third oracle and its indictment, what three accusations does the prophet make against the citizens of Judah in verses 10-12?
Answer: The prophet accuses them of:

  1. breaking Yahweh's covenant with their ancestors
  2. profaning the Lord's Temple
  3. marrying women who worshipped false gods

Malachi condemns the Jews for their failures linked to contracting marriages with pagans within the context of God's covenant.

Malachi 2:17-3:5 ~ The Fourth Oracle: The Day of Yahweh's Divine Judgment

The force of the fourth oracle and covenant lawsuit accusation lies not so much in the promise of divine judgment (verses 2-3:5) as in its announcement in verses 3:1-2. The description of the Day of Yahweh's Judgment recalls Ezekiel's description of the Lord God coming Himself to bring justice and retribution to His covenant people in Ezekiel Chapter 34. God tells Ezekiel: "Look, I am against the shepherds. I shall take my flock out of their charge and henceforth not allow them to feed my flock. And the shepherd will stop feeding themselves, because I shall rescue my sheep from their mouths to stop them from being food for them." For the Lord Yahweh says this: "Look, I myself shall take care of my flock and look after it" (Ez 34:10-11; also see Zeph 1:14; Joel 2:11 and Rev 6:17).

In verse 17, Malachi wrote that the people have "wearied Yahweh" by complaining, "what was the point of keeping the Law if those who break it and practice evil are the ones who seem to be successful in life?" It is a question raised by every generation in salvation history. The problem is that the question focuses on benefits and rewards in the present without considering what lies beyond earthly life. The prophet's response is to turn our attention to what extends beyond one's present life (cf. 2:17).

Question: What does Yahweh's prophet announce in answer to the question of the benefit of adhering to the Law of God? What will God do to make things "right?" See verses 3-5.
Answer: He announces Yahweh's Day of Divine Judgment when God will set everything right:

  1. Yahweh's priests and their ritual practices will be purified (verses 3-4).
  2. Evildoers will be punished for their sins (verse 5).
  3. The oppressed will receive justice (verse 5).


The prophet describes a purifying fire that will cleanse the covenant people. St. Paul also wrote of God purifying His people with holy fire in 1 Corinthians 3:10-17. He wrote on "the Day that dawns in fire" that all bad works (hay and straw) would be destroyed in God's fiery love, and only the good deeds (silver and gold) would remain. Some undergoing this purification will suffer complete loss with no good deeds surviving; however, they will still be saved. Paul was not writing about the Hell of the damned from which there is no escape, but the purifying fire of what the Church calls Purgatory (see CCC 1030-32). However, Purgatory, as a place of purification for those destined for Heaven, would not exist until after Christ descended to Sheol/Hades, the abode of the dead, to preach the Gospel of salvation to all the souls there since the time of Adam and Eve and including those who perished in the Great Flood (Apostles' Creed, 1 Peter 3:18-20; 4:6).

Malachi is anticipating the reckoning at the end of the Age of the Messiah. Jesus spoke about when He would return in glory as humanity's Divine Judge in Matthew 25:31-46. He began His Last Judgment discourse by saying: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats."

Question: In His discourse, Jesus spoke of two different outcomes: one for those who were obedient to His Law of love of God and neighbor and another for those who ignored His commandments. What will happen to the righteous, and what will happen to those who failed in obedience?
Answer: The righteous "sheep" will be granted eternal life, and those "goats" who failed in covenant obedience will go away to eternal punishment.

3:1"Look, I shall send my messenger to clear a way before me. And suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to his Temple; yes, the Angel [Mal'ak = messenger] of the Covenant, for whom you long, is on his way, says Yahweh Sabaoth.
In verse 3:1, Malachi appears to be speaking about three different personages:

  1. God's messenger
  2. the Lord Himself
  3. the Messenger of the Covenant

The first is a messenger who will clear the way to prepare the people for the Lord's coming. In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus will resolve the identity of God's messenger who prepares the way as St. John the Baptist who came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Mt 11:7-15; Mk 1:2; cf. Lk 7:24-20), making Jesus the Lord who came suddenly to His Temple. The Church has always interpreted this "messenger" as a prophecy of the mission of John the Baptist. God sent him to purify the covenant people in a baptism of repentance to prepare the way for God the Son and His mission of redemption and salvation. Jesus quoted Malachi 3:1 in Matthew 11:10, identifying "the messenger" as St. John the Baptist.

The second personage is the Lord Himself, who will come unannounced to His Jerusalem Temple. The Liturgy of the Mass reads Malachi 3:1-4 on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord because the Church sees Jesus as the Lord who first came to the Temple for His dedication ritual as Mary's firstborn son according to Mosaic Law (Ex 13:2; 13:1) and for Mary's purification 40 days after childbirth (Lev 12:2-4). During His ministry, God the Son will also come three other times, suddenly, to His Temple to cleanse it of impurity. He came to the Temple in John 2:13-22, at the beginning of his ministry, then a second time immediately after entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (Mt 21:12-13), and a third time the next day (Mk 11:11, 15-19). Each time He cleansed His Father's House of profane practices and prepared the people for New Covenant worship. See the chart on three Temple cleansings in the handout section of the lesson.

Christians have always viewed the third person, the "Messenger of the Covenant," also as Jesus Christ, the God Himself of Ezekiel's prophecy in chapter 34, who came to establish the New and Eternal Covenant promised by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 31:31-34; 32:40; and 50:5) and announced by Jesus at the Last Supper (Lk 22:20).

The Church has always seen "the Lord Himself" and the "Messenger of the Covenant" as a two-fold coming of the Lord: first in the flesh of His Incarnation and again when He returns in glory at the end of the Age. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (born 315, died 386) wrote: "We proclaim the coming of Christ: he comes not once, but twice, and the second coming will be more glorious than the first. The first was a time of suffering; in the second, however, he will wear the crown of divine kingship. Almost everything in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ has two meanings. He was born twice: once, of the Father, from all eternity; and then, of the Virgin, in the fullness of time. He comes twice, too: he came first in silence, like rain falling on wool; and he will come again in glory. First, he was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, when he comes again, he will be robed in light. First, he shouldered the cross without fear of suffering; when he comes again, he will come in glory, surrounded by the hosts of angels. Let us consider not only the life of the Lord but also his future coming [...]. Because of his great mercy, he was made man to teach men and persuade them; when he comes again, all men, whether they want to or not, will be made subject to the power and authority of the King. The words of the prophet Malachi refer to both of these events" (St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catecheses ad Illuminandos, 15:1-2).


Question: How many sins are listed as deserving divine judgment, and who is the prosecution witness?
Answer: There are six faults listed in the covenant lawsuit against the covenant people, and God Himself will witness against these offenders at their trial:

  1. sorcerers
  2. adulterers
  3. perjurers
  4. oppressors of the poor
  5. those who rob the foreigner of his rights
  6. those who do not respect the Lord


Malachi 3:6-12 ~ The Fifth Oracle: The Failure to Provide Temple Tithes

In these verses, Yahweh reminds the covenant people that they are still His covenant children even though they have continually failed to uphold His Laws, the purpose of which is to bless and benefit them. Yahweh encourages them to return in obedience to Him, and He will return His blessings to them.


Malachi 3:13-21/4:3 ~ The Sixth Oracle: Yahweh's Book of Remembrance and the Triumph of the Upright on the Day of Yahweh

The accusation of covenant disloyalty in this passage is similar to the fourth Oracle's "dispute" in 2:17-3:5. Verses 14-15 ask why someone should obey God's commandments if things go well for the wicked or those who refuse to serve God?
Question: What is the reply, and how is it similar to Malachi 3:2? See verse 19.
Answer: The oracle announces a Day of Divine Judgment when the wicked and those who have no fear of the Lord will face judgment and destruction.

However, the answer is more in-depth than it was previously regarding the reward of the righteous and faithful. God is aware of the struggles and fears of those who fear offending Him. To calm their fears, He assures them that like a human king who records the progress of his kingdom (cf. Esther 6:1-3), He records the good deeds of the just (3:16). Therefore, for them, the day of Divine Judgment will be a day of splendor and joy, and in the meantime, they can expect God's special protection (3:17).


However, the fate of those who reject or neglect God will be far different because they will experience the destruction of God's fiery justice. St. Peter warned the faithful to persevere in their suffering: but if any one of you should suffer for being a Christian, then there must be no shame but thanksgiving to God for bearing this name. The time has come for the judgment to begin at the household of God, and if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who refuse to believe God's Gospel? If it is bad for the upright to be saved, what will happen to the wicked and to sinners? So even those whom God allows to suffer should commit themselves to a Creator who is trustworthy, and go on doing good (1 Pt 4:16-19). 


Malachi 3:22-24/4:6 ~ The Epilogue

The Hebrew word "herem/cherem" means either the curse of utter destruction or consecrated/dedicated completely to God. For the wicked who came under God's judgment, like the people of Jericho in the conquest of Canaan, their lives were forfeited in judgment. However, for the innocent, like the children, who died due to the actions of the wicked, their lives became a consecration to God. For examples of the two meanings of "herem," see Joshua 6:17-19, 21 and Ezekiel 44:29.

In the conclusion of His message, Yahweh reminds the covenant people through His prophet Malachi that they are still bound to Him by the Sinai Covenant and the Law He gave Moses, a central theme of the Book of Malachi. The Sinai Covenant was the first stage of revealed Law. It served as a tutor and a guide for the people of God, teaching them about sin and holiness and preparing them for the coming of the Redeemer-Messiah. And, in the meantime, it served as a path for life (CCC 1961-64).

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A Daily Defense 

DAY 281

Cafeteria Christianity

CHALLENGE: “Why can’t I, as a Christian, simply choose the beliefs I think are right? Why should anybody else tell me what I should believe?”

DEFENSE: This may be an attractive proposition in our individualistic age, but it wasn’t Jesus’ view.

If you’re going to be a Christian, that means listening to Jesus Christ, and he set up a Church, not a cafeteria. We aren’t allowed to pick and choose our beliefs like we pick and choose dishes in a serving line.

This is evident from the way Jesus teaches. In the Sermon on the Mount, he repeatedly takes on common interpretations of Jewish law and corrects them by his own authority, using the formula, “You have heard . . . but I say . . .” (Matt. 5:21–22, 27–28, 31–32, 33–34, 38–39, 43–44). The authority with which he taught was remarkable even in his own day: “The crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” (Matt. 7:28–29; cf. Mark 1:22, Luke 4:32). 

Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. His teaching is backed by divine authority—“My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me” (John 7:16)—and one is not a faithful Christian if one rejects what Christ taught. That has implications, because Christ did not keep this authority to himself.

He gave teaching authority to the ministers he put in charge of his Church, telling them: “He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me” (Luke 10:16).

He further promised them, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13), and he declared: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Matt. 28:18–20).

Jesus thus invested his Church with the authority to teach until the end of the world, and if we want to be Jesus’ followers, we cannot simply pick and choose our own beliefs.

Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist 

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