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111-502: In theological sources, predominantly Christian , Beelzebub is another name for Satan . He is known in demonology as one of the seven deadly demons or seven princes of Hell, Beelzebub representing gluttony and envy . The Dictionnaire Infernal describes Beelzebub as a being capable of flying, known as the "Lord of the Flyers", or the "Lord of the Flies". The source for the name Beelzebub

222-474: A human nature and a divine nature can co-exist in one person. The study of the inter-relationship of these two natures is one of the preoccupations of the majority tradition. Teachings about Jesus and testimonies about what he accomplished during his three-year public ministry are found throughout the New Testament . Core biblical teachings about the person of Jesus Christ may be summarized that Jesus Christ

333-598: A pamphlet titled Of Beelzebub and his Plot . Rabbinical literature commentary equates the Baʿal-zəvuv of Ekron as lord of the "fly". The word Baʿal-zəvuv in rabbinical texts is a mockery of the worship of Baal , which ancient Hebrews considered to be idol worship. Jewish scholars have interpreted the title of "Lord of the Flies" as the Hebrew way of calling Baʿal a pile of excrement, and comparing Ba'al followers to flies. Christian theology Christian theology

444-611: A Greek name as well as a Jewish name. The second Simon is called a kananaios , probably derived from the Aramaic word qan'ānā , meaning a Zealot , which might mean he belonged to a political movement in rebellion against Rome , but might also mean he was religiously zealous. Luke uses the Greek term zēlōtēs . Iscariot might be Judas' last name or might be a reference to where he came from, meaning "man of Kerioth " It may also be derived from sicarii . The fact that there are twelve Apostles

555-455: A consensus. Mark does not explain why Jesus gave Simon the name Peter, meaning rock. Matthew 16:18 has his naming in connection with the church and John 1:42 has it relate to his character. It could also have an ironic meaning, as even Peter denies Jesus in the end. Philip and Andrew are both Greek names, also Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus. Some Jews, especially from places like Galilee where there were substantial non-Jewish populations, did have

666-782: A famous proclamation of faith among Christians since the 1st century, said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Most Christians now wait for the Second Coming of Christ when they believe he will fulfill the remaining Messianic prophecies . Christ is the English term for the Greek Χριστός ( Khristós ) meaning " the anointed one ". It is a translation of the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ ‎ ( Māšîaḥ ), usually transliterated into English as Messiah . The word

777-632: A head over the persons of the Godhead and their relationship with one another. Christology was a fundamental concern from the First Council of Nicaea (325) until the Third Council of Constantinople (680). In this time period, the Christological views of various groups within the broader Christian community led to accusations of heresy , and, infrequently, subsequent religious persecution . In some cases,

888-511: A lake, presumably the Sea of Galilee , and people follow him there. Some writers, such as the American commentator Albert Barnes , see the word as meaning flight, as it comes after Mark talks about the plot against Jesus, "... to the lonely regions which surrounded the sea, where he might be in obscurity, and avoid their designs against his life", but it could just as easily mean leaving Capernaum to go to

999-509: A large crowd follows him there. According to Mark, this prevented Jesus and his disciples from being able to eat. "When his family ( hoi par' autou ) heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, 'He is out of his mind'." ( 3:21 ), or "beside himself", exestē ( Strong's G1839 ), which could be read as Jesus' family accusing him of being crazy or describing what others had said about Jesus. Either way they go to assert their control over him, perhaps to stop him from embarrassing

1110-481: A point of reference for all other Christologies. Most of the major branches of Christianity— Catholicism , Eastern Orthodoxy , Anglicanism , Lutheranism , and Reformed —subscribe to the Chalcedonian Christological formulation, while many branches of Eastern Christianity— Syrian Orthodoxy , Assyrian Church , Coptic Orthodoxy , Ethiopian Orthodoxy , and Armenian Apostolicism —reject it. According to

1221-468: A sect's unique Christology is its chief distinctive feature, in these cases it is common for the sect to be known by the name given to its Christology. The decisions made at First Council of Nicaea and re-ratified at the First Council of Constantinople , after several decades of ongoing controversy during which the work of Athanasius and the Cappadocian Fathers were influential. The language used

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1332-708: A word used to mean "dung" in the Targums ; or from Hebrew zebûl found in 1 Kings 8:13 in the phrase bêt-zebûl , "lofty house". In any case, the form Beelzebub was substituted for Beelzeboul in the Syriac translation and Latin Vulgate translation of the gospels, and this substitution was repeated in the King James Version , the resulting form Beelzeboul being mostly unknown to Western European and descendant cultures until some more recent translations restored it. Beelzebub

1443-622: Is "eternally begotten of the Father", indicating that their divine Father-Son relationship is not tied to an event within time or human history. In Christianity , the doctrine of the Trinity states that God is one being who exists, simultaneously and eternally , as a mutual indwelling of three Persons: the Father, the Son (incarnate as Jesus), and the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost). Since earliest Christianity, one's salvation has been very closely related to

1554-474: Is a further concept of infallibility, by suggesting that current biblical text is complete and without error, and that the integrity of biblical text has never been corrupted or degraded. Historians note, or claim, that the doctrine of the Bible's infallibility was adopted hundreds of years after the books of the Bible were written. The authority of the Bible can also be linked to the principle of sola scriptura ,

1665-526: Is a trinity in God's single being, the meaning of which has always been debated. This mysterious "Trinity" has been described as hypostases in the Greek language ( subsistences in Latin ), and "persons" in English. Nonetheless, Christians stress that they only believe in one God. Most Christian churches teach the Trinity, as opposed to Unitarian monotheistic beliefs. Historically, most Christian churches have taught that

1776-435: Is a worldwide religion . Christian theology varies significantly across the main branches of Christian tradition: Catholic , Orthodox and Protestant . Each of those traditions has its own unique approaches to seminaries and ministerial formation. Systematic theology as a discipline of Christian theology formulates an orderly, rational and coherent account of Christian faith and beliefs. Systematic theology draws on

1887-578: Is also identified in the New Testament as the Devil , "the prince of demons". Biblical scholar Thomas Kelly Cheyne suggested that it might be a derogatory corruption of Ba'al-zəbûl , "Lord of the High Place" (i.e., Heaven) or "High Lord". In Arabic translations, the name is rendered as Baʿl-zabūl ( بعلزبول ). Texts of the Gospel of Nicodemus vary; Beelzebul and Beelzebub are used interchangeably. The name

1998-732: Is an Old Testament pseudepigraphical work, purportedly written by King Solomon , in which the author mostly describes particular demons whom he enslaved to help build Solomon's Temple , with substantial Christian interpolations. In Mark 3 :22, the scribes accuse Jesus Christ of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons. The name also appears in the expanded version in Matthew 12 :24,27 and Luke 11 :15, 18–19, as well as in Matthew 10:25 . Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he

2109-450: Is called "Father" in a more literal sense, besides being the creator and nurturer of creation, and the provider for his children. The Father is said to be in unique relationship with his only begotten ( monogenes ) son, Jesus Christ , which implies an exclusive and intimate familiarity: "No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." In Christianity, God

2220-531: Is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." It is unknown whether Symmachus the Ebionite was correct in identifying these names. Zeboul might derive from a slurred pronunciation of zebûb ; from zebel ,

2331-546: Is evident in many places, however, the early part of the book of Hebrews addresses the issue in a deliberate, sustained argument, citing the scriptures of the Hebrew Bible as authorities. For example, the author quotes Psalm 45:6 as addressed by the God of Israel to Jesus. The author of Hebrews' description of Jesus as the exact representation of the divine Father has parallels in a passage in Colossians . Mark 3 Mark 3

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2442-623: Is in the Books of Kings ( 2 Kings 1:2–3, 6, 16 ), written Baʿal zəvuv , referring to a deity worshipped by the Philistines in the city of Ekron . This passage notes that King Ahaziah of the Northern Kingdom of Israel , after seriously injuring himself in a fall, sent messengers to inquire of Baʿal-zəvuv , the god of the Philistine city of Ekron, to learn if he would recover. Ahaziah fell through

2553-425: Is my brother and sister and mother" ( 3:34–35 ). Jesus' answer to his family, that those who follow him are his family is, according to Kilgallen, Jesus' way of underlining "... the fact that his life has been changed to such a degree that family ties no longer come before those whom he teaches about the kingdom of God ". Jesus puts loyalty to God above loyalty to family. Family ties were considered very important in

2664-410: Is no "Jude Thaddaeus", a creation of later hagiography . John's Gospel lists no Bartholomew, although John's Nathanael is usually equated with him. Mark says that the brothers James and John were given the title Boanerges , which Mark tells us means "Sons of Thunder", although many modern scholars disagree with this translation. Many explanations have been given for this title but none commands

2775-692: Is often misunderstood to be the surname of Jesus due to the numerous mentions of Jesus Christ in the Christian Bible . The word is in fact used as a title , hence its common reciprocal use Christ Jesus , meaning Jesus the Anointed One or Jesus the Messiah. Followers of Jesus became known as Christians because they believed that Jesus was the Christ, or Messiah, prophesied about in the Old Testament , or Tanakh . The Christological controversies came to

2886-609: Is seen as being related to the Twelve tribes of Israel . Jesus will "send them out", the Greek verb apostolien ( Strong's G649 ) meaning to send out, to do the work he has been doing but without him being present. Many churches interpret this as his founding of the church, as he creates a special group to work in his name without him. See also the Great Commission . Jesus goes to someone's house (or "the house", possibly Peter's house, verse 19 in some versions, verse 20 in others), and

2997-410: Is that Mary was a perpetual virgin , and so could not have had any other children besides Jesus, thus making these Jesus' half brothers, sons of Joseph from another, unrecorded, marriage, or cousins. Only Tertullian seems to have questioned this in the early Church. Islam also holds that Mary was a perpetual virgin, as did many of the early Protestants , although many Protestants today do not hold to

3108-566: Is the creator and preserver of the universe . God is the sole ultimate power in the universe but is distinct from it. The Bible never speaks of God as impersonal. Instead, it refers to him in personal terms – who speaks, sees, hears, acts, and loves. God is understood to have a will and personality and is an all powerful , divine and benevolent being. He is represented in Scripture as being primarily concerned with people and their salvation. Many Reformed theologians distinguish between

3219-564: Is the theology – the systematic study of the divine and religion – of Christian belief and practice. It concentrates primarily upon the texts of the Old Testament and of the New Testament , as well as on Christian tradition . Christian theologians use biblical exegesis , rational analysis and argument. Theologians may undertake the study of Christian theology for a variety of reasons, such as in order to: Christian theology has permeated much of non-ecclesiastical Western culture , especially in pre-modern Europe, although Christianity

3330-695: Is the essence of eternal life . God the Son is the second person of the Trinity in Christian theology. The doctrine of the Trinity identifies Jesus of Nazareth as God the Son, united in essence but distinct in person with regard to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit (the first and third persons of the Trinity). God the Son is co-eternal with God the Father (and the Holy Spirit), both before Creation and after

3441-460: Is the revealing or disclosing, or making something obvious through active or passive communication with God, and can originate directly from God or through an agent, such as an angel . A person recognised as having experienced such contact is often called a prophet . Christianity generally considers the Bible as divinely or supernaturally revealed or inspired. Such revelation does not always require

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3552-589: Is the spur which sets the Pharisees , as well as the Herodians , against Jesus, having them go out after this and plot to kill him. Thus the reaction of a substantial number of Jews has gone from being amazed to one of outright opposition. Mark has already begun to foreshadow Jesus' death, with this as well as the saying about the bridegroom and fasting in Mark 2:19–20 . Some find it improbable these two groups worked together, as

3663-677: Is the third chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible . It relates a conflict over healing on the Sabbath , the commissioning of the Twelve Apostles , a conflict with the Jerusalem scribes and a meeting of Jesus with his own family . The original text was written in Koine Greek . This chapter is divided into 35 verses. Some early manuscripts containing

3774-607: Is translated literally as "lord of (the) flies". It was long ago suggested that there was a relationship between the Philistine god, and cults of flies—referring to a view of them as pests, feasting on excrement—appearing in the Hellenic world, such as Zeus Apomyios or Myiagros . This is confirmed by the Ugaritic text which depicts Ba'al expelling flies, which are the cause of a person's sickness. According to Francesco Saracino (1982), this series of elements may be inconclusive as evidence, but

3885-731: Is used by Hades as a secondary name for the Devil , but it may vary with each translation of the text; other versions separate Beelzebub from the Devil. According to the teachings of the Modern Gnostic Movement of Samael Aun Weor , Beelzebub was a prince of demons who rebelled against the Black Lodge during World War II and was converted by Aun Weor to the White Lodge. Beelzebub is commonly described as placed high in Hell 's hierarchy. According to

3996-409: Is working against what is evil, such as the demons, then this cannot be the work of Satan, as Satan would be working against himself. Jesus then compares himself to a thief going into a "strong man's house", and binding him to "spoil his house", i.e. to rob him. The “strong man” is Satan. Satan, says Jesus, is strong and must be restrained in order to be robbed. He is robbing Satan of the possession of

4107-594: The Angel of the Lord spoke to the Patriarchs, revealing God to them, some believe it has always been only through the Spirit of God granting them understanding, that men have been able to perceive later that God himself had visited them. This belief gradually developed into the modern formulation of the Trinity , which is the doctrine that God is a single entity ( Yahweh ), but that there

4218-405: The Bible as authoritative and as written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit . Some Christians believe that the Bible is inerrant (totally without error and free from contradiction, including the historical and scientific parts) or infallible (inerrant on issues of faith and practice but not necessarily on matters of history or science). Some Christians infer that

4329-553: The Father , the Son ( Jesus Christ the Logos ), and the Holy Spirit . The Trinitarian doctrine is considered by most Christians to be a core tenet of their faith. Nontrinitarians typically hold that God, the Father, is supreme; that Jesus, although still divine Lord and Saviour, is the Son of God ; and that the Holy Spirit is a phenomenon akin to God's will on Earth. The holy three are separate, yet

4440-533: The Feast of Tabernacles with them and perform miracles, although he later goes there in secret. John 6:66 says "many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him". The negative view of Jesus' family may be related to the conflict between Paul and Jewish Christians . There is much disagreement over whether these "brothers" referred to here are Jesus' actual brothers or merely stepbrothers or cousins. The official Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox doctrine

4551-507: The Incarnation , the relationship of Jesus's nature and person with the nature and person of God, and the salvific work of Jesus. As such, Christology is generally less concerned with the details of Jesus's life (what he did) or teaching than with who or what he is. There have been and are various perspectives by those who claim to be his followers since the church began after his ascension. The controversies ultimately focused on whether and how

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4662-567: The KJV , which some have asserted are two names for the same person, Jude Thaddaeus . Luke also has the story of the Seventy Disciples . Matthew's list is the same as Mark in 10:1–4 , although a few western manuscripts of Matthew have a Lebbaeus . This might also indicate that by the time of the writing of the Gospels the exact recollection of the "minor" Apostles had become uncertain, and that there

4773-507: The Pharisees , who were mentioned in Mark 2:24, 27, were there specifically waiting to see if Jesus would heal someone on the Sabbath, so that they could accuse him of breaking it. Rabbis of the time would allow healing on the Sabbath only if the person was in great danger, a situation his hand would not qualify for. The Jewish Encyclopedia article on Jesus notes: "... stricter rabbis allowed only

4884-457: The Son of God through incarnation . The exact phrase "God the Son" is not in the New Testament. Later theological use of this expression reflects what came to be standard interpretation of New Testament references, understood to imply Jesus's divinity, but the distinction of his person from that of the one God he called his Father. As such, the title is associated more with the development of

4995-463: The Son of God , but he tells them not to tell people who he is, continuing the theme of the Messianic Secret . After highlighting the growing crowd following Jesus, Mark says Jesus went up a mountain and called twelve , whom he appointed Apostles, with the power to preach and " drive out demons ". Some manuscripts of Mark do not have Jesus call them Apostles in verse 3:14 . Verse 6:30 may be

5106-435: The communicable attributes (those that human beings can also have) and the incommunicable attributes (those which belong to God alone). Some attributes ascribed to God in Christian theology are: Some Christians believe that the God worshiped by the Hebrew people of the pre-Christian era had always revealed himself as he did through Jesus ; but that this was never obvious until Jesus was born (see John 1 ). Also, though

5217-478: The "prince of demons" to drive out demons. His power over the demons, they assert, comes from evil power itself. Beelzebub is thought to mean perhaps "lord of the flies" or "lord of dung" or "lord of the height or dwelling", but no certainty exists as to its exact meaning. They do not dispute that he did in fact drive out the demons. They seem to believe Jesus' power is beyond human capabilities and must be supernatural in origin. The charge of Jesus using evil powers

5328-468: The "traditional" interpretation; Daniel B. Wallace calls the alternative "probably not the best translation." Some modern English versions of the Bible renders theopneustos with "God-breathed" ( NIV ) or "breathed out by God" ( ESV ), avoiding the word inspiration , which has the Latin root inspīrāre - "to blow or breathe into". Christianity generally regards the agreed collections of books known as

5439-525: The (heavenly) dwelling", and Baʿal zəvuv could have been a derogatory pun used by the Israelites . The Septuagint renders the name as Baalzebub ( Βααλζεβούβ ) and as Baal muian ( Βααλ μυῗαν , "Baal of flies"). However, Symmachus may have reflected a tradition of its offensive ancient name when he rendered it as Beelzeboul . In the Testament of Solomon , Beelzebul (not Beelzebub) appears as prince of

5550-612: The 16th-century Protestant Reformation certain reformers proposed different canonical lists of the Old Testament. The texts which appear in the Septuagint but not in the Jewish canon fell out of favor, and eventually disappeared from Protestant canons. Catholic Bibles classify these texts as deuterocanonical books, whereas Protestant contexts label them as the Apocrypha . In Christianity , God

5661-510: The 27-book canon of the New Testament that all use). A definitive list did not come from any early ecumenical council . Around 400, Jerome produced the Vulgate , a definitive Latin edition of the Bible, the contents of which, at the insistence of the Bishop of Rome , accorded with the decisions of the earlier synods. This process effectively set the New Testament canon, although examples exist of other canonical lists in use after this time. During

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5772-583: The 3rd century, Tertullian claimed that God exists as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—the three personae of one and the same substance. To trinitarian Christians God the Father is not at all a separate god from God the Son (of whom Jesus is the incarnation) and the Holy Spirit, the other hypostases (Persons) of the Christian Godhead . According to the Nicene Creed, the Son (Jesus Christ)

5883-398: The Bible cannot both refer to itself as being divinely inspired and also be errant or fallible. For if the Bible were divinely inspired, then the source of inspiration being divine, would not be subject to fallibility or error in that which is produced. For them, the doctrines of the divine inspiration, infallibility, and inerrancy, are inseparably tied together. The idea of biblical integrity

5994-428: The Bible than his Father, had to be a secondary, lesser, and therefore distinct god. For Jews and Muslims , the idea of God as a trinity is heretical – it is considered akin to polytheism . Christians overwhelmingly assert that monotheism is central to the Christian faith, as the very Nicene Creed (among others) which gives the orthodox Christian definition of the Trinity does begin with: "I believe in one God". In

6105-632: The Bible, the second Person of the Trinity, because of his eternal relation to the first Person (God as Father), is the Son of God . He is considered (by Trinitarians) to be coequal with the Father and Holy Spirit. He is all God and all human : the Son of God as to his divine nature, while as to his human nature he is from the lineage of David. The core of Jesus's self-interpretation was his "filial consciousness", his relationship to God as child to parent in some unique sense (see Filioque controversy). His mission on earth proved to be that of enabling people to know God as their Father, which Christians believe

6216-457: The End (see Eschatology ). So Jesus was always "God the Son", though not revealed as such until he also became the "Son of God" through incarnation . "Son of God" draws attention to his humanity, whereas "God the Son" refers more generally to his divinity, including his pre-incarnate existence. So, in Christian theology, Jesus was always God the Son, though not revealed as such until he also became

6327-469: The Father has a special role in his relationship with the person of the Son, where Jesus is believed to be his Son and his heir. According to the Nicene Creed , the Son (Jesus Christ) is "eternally begotten of the Father", indicating that their divine Father-Son relationship is not tied to an event within time or human history. See Christology . The Bible refers to Christ, called " The Word " as present at

6438-453: The Father's relationship with humanity is as a father to children—in a previously unheard-of sense—and not just as the creator and nurturer of creation, and the provider for his children, his people. Thus, humans, in general, are sometimes called children of God . To Christians, God the Father's relationship with humanity is that of Creator and created beings, and in that respect he is the father of all. The New Testament says, in this sense, that

6549-406: The Pharisees opposed Rome and Herod was backed by and supported Rome, see also Iudaea Province . The Herodian party was not a religious grouping, but according to Maclear it did hold Sadducean opinions. Christopher Tuckett observes that a partnership between the Pharisees and the supporters of Herod Antipas would have been historically "implausible". Mark, however, may have been highlighting

6660-428: The Son and the Holy Spirit are still seen as originating from God the Father. The New Testament does not have the term "Trinity" and nowhere discusses the Trinity as such. Some emphasize, however, that the New Testament does repeatedly speak of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to "compel a trinitarian understanding of God." The doctrine developed from the biblical language used in New Testament passages such as

6771-451: The Trinity teaches the unity of Father , Son , and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead . The doctrine states that God is the Triune God, existing as three persons , or in the Greek hypostases , but one being. Personhood in the Trinity does not match the common Western understanding of "person" as used in the English language—it does not imply an "individual, self-actualized center of free will and conscious activity." To

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6882-555: The Trinity, is a mark of Catholicism , Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy as well as other prominent Christian sects arising from the Protestant Reformation , such as Anglicanism , Methodism , Lutheranism , Baptist , and Presbyterianism . The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church describes the Trinity as "the central dogma of Christian theology". This doctrine contrasts with Nontrinitarian positions which include Unitarianism , Oneness and Modalism . A small minority of Christians hold non-trinitarian views, largely coming under

6993-401: The ancients, personhood "was in some sense individual, but always in community as well." Each person is understood as having the one identical essence or nature, not merely similar natures. Since the beginning of the 3rd century the doctrine of the Trinity has been stated as "the one God exists in three Persons and one substance , Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." Trinitarianism, belief in

7104-404: The area contains such geographic features. He appoints Simon, called Peter , James , John , Andrew , Philip , Bartholomew , Matthew , Thomas , a second James , Thaddaeus , Simon whom Mark calls a Zealot , and lastly Judas Iscariot . Luke's lists in Luke 6:12–16 and Acts 1:13 do not include a Thaddaeus, but instead list "Judas, son of James" or " Judas the brother of James " in

7215-442: The baptismal formula in Matthew 28:19 and by the end of the 4th century it was widely held in its present form. In many monotheist religions, God is addressed as the father, in part because of his active interest in human affairs, in the way that a father would take an interest in his children who are dependent on him and as a father, he will respond to humanity, his children, acting in their best interests. In Christianity, God

7326-411: The beginning of God's creation., not a creation himself, but equal in the personhood of the Trinity. In Eastern Orthodox theology, God the Father is the "principium" ( beginning ), the "source" or "origin" of both the Son and the Holy Spirit, which gives intuitive emphasis to the threeness of persons; by comparison, Western theology explains the "origin" of all three hypostases or persons as being in

7437-418: The claim that all sins can be forgiven, except for an eternal sin , such as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit ( 3:28–29 ). Mark inserts his own explanation as to why Jesus said this, stating "He said this because they were saying, "He has an evil spirit." ( 3:30 ), thus Jesus according to Mark is saying that accusing him of using Satan for his power is in effect calling the work of God evil and failing to see

7548-532: The claim that by scripture alone that the authority of the Bible is more important than the authority of the Church. The content of the Protestant Old Testament is the same as the Hebrew Bible canon , with changes in the division and order of books, but the Catholic Old Testament contains additional texts, known as the deuterocanonical books . Protestants recognize 39 books in their Old Testament canon, while Roman Catholic and Eastern Christians recognize 46 books as canonical. Both Catholics and Protestants use

7659-426: The concept of a triune God, although the Trinitarian doctrine was not formalized until the 4th century. At that time, the Emperor Constantine convoked the First Council of Nicaea , to which all bishops of the empire were invited to attend. Pope Sylvester I did not attend but sent his legate . The council, among other things, decreed the original Nicene Creed. For most Christians, beliefs about God are enshrined in

7770-845: The deadly sin of envy . However, Sebastien Michaelis associated Beelzebub with the deadly sin of pride , one of the other seven deadly sins , and according to Peter Binsfeld in his 1589 Treatise on Confessions by Evildoers and Witches Beelzebub was the demon of gluttony , whereas Francis Barrett asserted that Beelzebub was the prince of idolatry . Not only had the Pharisees disparagingly accused Jesus of using Beelzebub's demonic powers to heal people (Luke 11:14–26), but others have been labelled possessed for acts of an extreme nature. Down through history, Beelzebub has been held responsible for many cases of demonic possession , such as that of Sister Madeleine de Demandolx de la Palud, Aix-en-Provence in 1611, whose relationship with Father Jean-Baptiste Gaufridi led not only to countless traumatic events at

7881-473: The demons and says that he was formerly a leading heavenly angel who was associated with the star Hesperus (the normal Greek name for the planet Venus ( Aphrodite , Αφροδíτη) as evening star). Seemingly, Beelzebul here is synonymous with Lucifer . Beelzebul claims to cause destruction through tyrants , to cause demons to be worshipped among men, to excite priests to lust, to cause jealousies in cities and murders, and to bring about war. The Testament of Solomon

7992-444: The divine nature, which gives intuitive emphasis to the oneness of God's being. Christology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature, person, and works of Jesus Christ , held by Christians to be the Son of God . Christology is concerned with the meeting of the human ( Son of Man ) and divine ( God the Son or Word of God ) in the person of Jesus . Primary considerations include

8103-466: The doctrine of Trinitarianism , which holds that the three persons of God together form a single God. The Trinitarian view emphasizes that God has a will and that God the Son has two wills, divine and human, though these are never in conflict (see Hypostatic union ). However, this point is disputed by Oriental Orthodox Christians, who hold that God the Son has only one will of unified divinity and humanity (see Miaphysitism ). The Christian doctrine of

8214-462: The doctrine of perpetual virginity, and would thus believe that these are Jesus' full brothers. A few early manuscripts also have "and your sisters" in verse 3:32 . This section gives a clear example of Mark's sandwich technique, where one story is interspersed into the center of another. Mark has highlighted two reactions to Jesus and his teaching and acts: one of faith, such as that of his followers, and one of disbelief and hostility. Jesus explains

8325-499: The doctrine of the Trinity than with the Christological debates. There are over 40 places in the New Testament where Jesus is given the title "the Son of God", but scholars don't consider this to be an equivalent expression. "God the Son" is rejected by anti-trinitarians , who view this reversal of the most common term for Christ as a doctrinal perversion and as tending towards tritheism . Matthew cites Jesus as saying, "Blessed are

8436-522: The dual nature and seriousness of the opposition to Jesus. This event is also reported in Matthew 12:9-14 , although Jesus asks there about how one would save a sheep on the Sabbath and how helping a person is more important than helping a sheep. Luke 6:6-11 is almost the same as this section of Mark, although Luke does not state that they planned to kill him, only that they were "furious" and talked about "what they might do to Jesus". Jesus then "withdraws", ἀνεχώρησεν ( anechōrēsen ), and goes down by

8547-660: The effects of such inspiration on others. Besides the direct accounts of written revelation (such as Moses receiving the Ten Commandments inscribed on tablets of stone), the Prophets of the Old Testament frequently claimed that their message was of divine origin by prefacing the revelation using the following phrase: "Thus says the LORD" (for example, 1 Kgs 12:22–24;1 Chr 17:3–4; Jer 35:13; Ezek 2:4; Zech 7:9 ; etc.). The Second Epistle of Peter claims that "no prophecy of Scripture ...

8658-499: The fact that in relationship to Baʿal zəvuv, the two constituent terms are here linked, joined by a function (ndy) that is typical of some divinities attested to in the Mediterranean world , is a strong argument in favor of the authenticity of the name of the god of Ekron, and of his possible therapeutic activities, which are implicit in 2 Kings 1:2–3 , etc. Alternatively, the deity's actual name could have been Baʿal zəvul , "lord of

8769-570: The family. Hearing Jesus is being followed by so many people does not seem to accord with their view of him. Whether it was Jesus teaching and attracting large crowds or not eating that disturbs them so much is not clear. A few early manuscripts have "the scribes and the others" instead of his family, but these are usually seen as alterations perhaps designed to tone down the impression of Jesus' own family toward him. Scribes from Jerusalem , who Matthew says were Pharisees, come and accuse him of something worse than being crazy, using Beelzebub , and/or

8880-529: The foundational sacred texts of Christianity, while simultaneously investigating the development of Christian doctrine throughout history, particularly through the ecumenical councils of the early church (such as the First Council of Nicea ) and philosophical evolution. Inherent to a system of theological thought is the development of a method, one which can apply both broadly and particularly. Christian systematic theology will typically explore: Revelation

8991-588: The great rewards as well as persecutions they will get for following him. These incidents occur in all the Synoptic Gospels . In Matthew they occur in 12:22-50 , and in Luke they are split up between 8:19-21 and 11:14-28 . Neither Matthew nor Luke though state that Jesus' family thought he was "... out of his mind". John, while mentioning none of these incidents, relates in chapter 7 how "... even his own brothers did not believe in him" because he would not go to

9102-500: The hands of her inquisitors but also to the torture and execution of that "bewitcher of young nuns", Gaufridi himself. Beelzebub was also imagined to be sowing his influence in Salem, Massachusetts ; his name came up repeatedly during the Salem witch trials , the last large-scale public expression of witch hysteria in either North America or Europe , and afterwards, the Rev. Cotton Mather wrote

9213-495: The heading of Unitarianism . Most, if not all, Christians believe that God is spirit, an uncreated, omnipotent , and eternal being, the creator and sustainer of all things, who works the redemption of the world through his Son, Jesus Christ. With this background, belief in the divinity of Christ and the Holy Spirit is expressed as the doctrine of the Trinity , which describes the single divine ousia (substance) existing as three distinct and inseparable hypostases (persons):

9324-490: The king of Samaria and say to them, 'Is there no God in Israel that you go to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? 4 Assuredly, thus said GOD: You shall not rise from the bed you are lying on, but you shall die. ' " And Elijah went. The title Baal "Lord", is a Ugaritic and Cananitic term used in conjunction with a descriptive name of a specific god. Opinions differ on what the name means. In one understanding, Baʿal zəvuv

9435-459: The lattice in his upper chamber at Samaria and was injured. So he sent messengers, whom he instructed: "Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury." Elijah then condemned Ahaziah to die by God's words because Ahaziah sought counsel from Baʿal-zəvuv rather than from God. 3 But an angel of GOD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Go and confront the messengers of

9546-529: The man to stretch out his hand, which he does and then, seemingly instantaneously, it is healed. Many other stories of healing at the time involved the healer doing work in some way to effect a cure as compared to this quick almost effortless action here. Mark could be highlighting how great he viewed Jesus' powers as being. Jesus also equates not doing good with doing evil and says it is more important, even or perhaps especially, to not let evil and suffering occur through inaction. According to Mark, this miracle

9657-549: The most famous modern example is Lincoln's use of this phrase during the 1858 senatorial election campaign against Stephen Douglas . Lincoln used the metaphor of a "house divided" to describe the situation of the United States on the eve of the Civil War . Jesus' mother and brothers arrive and send someone in to get him. He replies, speaking to the crowd around him, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will

9768-415: The movement of the crowds into two sections: Jesus has the disciples prepare a boat for him to avoid "crowding", because "... he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him" ( 3:10 ) and then he heals many of the sick. Evil (or unclean) spirits in the people brought before him fall down whenever they see him, or as soon as ever they catch sight of him, and call him

9879-414: The nature of God is a mystery , something that must be revealed by special revelation rather than deduced through general revelation . Christian orthodox traditions (Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant) follow this idea, which was codified in 381 and reached its full development through the work of the Cappadocian Fathers . They consider God to be a triune entity, called the Trinity, comprising

9990-517: The nearby sea. Mark says the people had come from "... Judea , Jerusalem , Idumea , and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon ". ( 3:8 ) Mark thus shows that people are coming from many areas, not just Galilee . Whether these people were non-Jews is unclear as the non-Jewish areas listed also contained Jewish populations. Another group of the time to consider is the Jewish proselytes . Protestant commentator Heinrich Meyer divides

10101-697: The only time he uses the word, which is most frequently (68 out of 79) used by Luke the Evangelist and Paul of Tarsus , see Strong's G652 . It is perhaps symbolic that this occurs on a mountain, a height where people can be met by God in the Jewish tradition, such as Moses talking to God on Mount Sinai , see also the Sermon on the Mount . Mark pictures Jesus as drawing large multitudes to his teaching, and shifts from mountains to lakes to houses at will, creating an evocative landscape that some find lacking plausibility, although

10212-407: The pains and temptations of a mortal man, yet he did not sin. As fully God, he defeated death and rose to life again. Scripture asserts that Jesus was conceived, by the Holy Spirit, and born of his virgin mother Mary without a human father. The biblical accounts of Jesus's ministry include miracles , preaching, teaching, healing , Death , and resurrection . The apostle Peter, in what has become

10323-526: The peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God (5:9)." The gospels go on to document a great deal of controversy over Jesus being the Son of God, in a unique way. The book of the Acts of the Apostles and the letters of the New Testament, however, record the early teaching of the first Christians– those who believed Jesus to be both the Son of God, the Messiah, a man appointed by God, as well as God himself. This

10434-532: The people, or the house could be seen as the world itself. The New Living Translation adds the interpretation that there is "someone even stronger". Maclear asserts that "the Stronger than the Strong is Christ". Jesus thus implies what he has been doing is directly against Satan and that his motives are Satan's utmost ruin. His power, he asserts, is good and so must also come from a good source, God. Jesus also makes

10545-489: The presence of God or an angel. For instance, in the concept which Catholics call interior locution , supernatural revelation can include just an inner voice heard by the recipient. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) first described two types of revelation in Christianity: general revelation and special revelation . The Bible contains many passages in which the authors claim divine inspiration for their message or report

10656-566: The same 27-book New Testament canon. Early Christians used the Septuagint , a Koine Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures. Christianity subsequently endorsed various additional writings that would become the New Testament. In the 4th century a series of synods , most notably the Synod of Hippo in AD 393, produced a list of texts equal to the 46-book canon of the Old Testament that Catholics use today (and

10767-572: The same as the one in Mark 1:21–28 , although the New American Standard Bible reads "a synagogue". The event took place on a subsequent Sabbath to the one mentioned in Mark 2:23-28, possibly the next Sabbath: the American Bible Society 's Contemporary English Version interprets the passage this way: The next time Jesus went into the synagogue ... , as does the biblical commentator George Maclear . "Some people", probably

10878-590: The saving of life to excuse the slightest curtailment of the Sabbath rest (Shab. xxii. 6)". In Luke 's parallel account, it is "the scribes and Pharisees" who "watch Him closely". Jesus asks the people "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil , to save life or to kill?" ( 3:4 ) They do not answer and he angrily looks around at the crowd and is "distressed at their stubborn hearts" ( 3:5 ). Methodist founder John Wesley suggested that his adversaries were already seeking occasion to kill him. Jesus tells

10989-663: The scriptures have been known by Timothy from "infancy" (verse 15). Others offer an alternative reading for the passage; for example, theologian C. H. Dodd suggests that it "is probably to be rendered" as: "Every inspired scripture is also useful..." A similar translation appears in the New English Bible , in the Revised English Bible , and (as a footnoted alternative) in the New Revised Standard Version . The Latin Vulgate can be so read. Yet others defend

11100-496: The second-ranking of the many fallen angels. Milton wrote of Beelzebub "than whom, Satan except, none higher sat." Beelzebub is also a character in John Bunyan 's The Pilgrim's Progress , first published in 1678. In 1409–1410 The Lanterne of Light (an anonymous English Lollard tract often attributed to John Wycliffe ) provided a classification of the princes of Hell based on the seven deadly sins and associated Beelzebub with

11211-502: The society of the time, and some people even today are troubled by this seeming conflict between Jesus and his family. Jesus however states that his ties, and his respect and love due to his family, will go to those who obey God. Jesus' family is mentioned again in Mark 6:3 . The story of Jesus and his family is also found in the Gospel of Thomas as saying 99. In Mark 10:28–31 , Peter says they have left everything to follow Jesus and he lists

11322-731: The stories of the 16th-century occultist Johann Weyer , Beelzebub led a successful revolt against the Devil, is the chief lieutenant of Lucifer , the Emperor of Hell, and presides over the Order of the Fly. Similarly, the 17th-century exorcist Sébastien Michaëlis , in his Admirable History (1612), placed Beelzebub among the three most prominent fallen angels , the other two being Lucifer and Leviathan . John Milton , in his epic poem Paradise Lost , first published in 1667, identified an unholy trinity consisting of Beelzebub, Lucifer, and Astaroth , with Beelzebub as

11433-583: The text of this chapter are: Continuing the theme of the Sabbath from the previous chapter , Mark 3 opens with Jesus healing a man with a shriveled or withered hand on the Sabbath in the Synagogue . The word ἐξηραμμένην ( exērammenēn ) is translated as "paralyzed" in the International Standard Version . Mark uses the adverb πάλιν ( palin , again), indicating this is the synagogue in Capernaum ,

11544-529: The three "Persons"; God the Father , God the Son , and God the Holy Spirit , described as being "of the same substance" ( ὁμοούσιος ). The true nature of an infinite God, however, is commonly described as beyond definition, and the word 'person' is an imperfect expression of the idea. Some critics contend that because of the adoption of a tripartite conception of deity, Christianity is a form of tritheism or polytheism . This concept dates from Arian teachings which claimed that Jesus, having appeared later in

11655-413: The very idea of family, wherever it appears, derives its name from God the Father, and thus God himself is the model of the family. However, there is a deeper "legal" sense in which Christians believe that they are made participants in the special relationship of Father and Son, through Jesus Christ as his spiritual bride . Christians call themselves adopted children of God. In the New Testament, God

11766-515: The work of God in Jesus' actions. The parallels in Matthew 12:31–32 and Luke 12:10 and the Gospel of Thomas 44 call this the unforgivable sin. Unforgivable sins are also listed in Hebrews 6:4–6 and 10:26 as well as 1 John 5:16–17 . There is also a possible link with 1 Corinthians 12:2–3 . His first answer to the charge, that a "house divided" cannot stand, has become a common piece of wisdom ,

11877-530: Was and forever is fully God (divine) and fully human in one sinless person at the same time, and that through the death and resurrection of Jesus , sinful humans can be reconciled to God and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of eternal life via his New Covenant . While there have been theological disputes over the nature of Jesus, Christians believe that Jesus is God incarnate and " true God and true man " (or both fully divine and fully human). Jesus, having become fully human in all respects, suffered

11988-468: Was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" The Second Epistle of Peter also implies that Paul's writings are inspired ( 2 Pet 3:16 ). Many Christians cite a verse in Paul's letter to Timothy, 2 Timothy 3:16–17, as evidence that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable ..." Here St. Paul is referring to the Old Testament, since

12099-400: Was fully divine and also human. What it did not do was make clear how one person could be both divine and human, and how the divine and human were related within that one person. This led to the Christological controversies of the 4th and 5th centuries of the Christian era. The Chalcedonian Creed did not put an end to all Christological debate, but it did clarify the terms used and became

12210-677: Was probably made against him to his followers for quite some time after his death. The Jesus Seminar feels the version in Luke 11:15–17 is "red" ("authentic") and calls it "the Beelzebul controversy". Mark 3:20–21 is determined to be "pink" ("a close approximation of what Jesus did") and is called "Jesus' relatives come to get him" as are Mark 3:31–35 , Matt 12:46–50 , and the Gospel of Thomas 99:1-3 where they are called "True relatives". Mark often has Jesus using analogies , metaphors or riddles , called parables by Mark. Jesus replies: If Jesus

12321-492: Was that the one God exists in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit); in particular it was affirmed that the Son was homoousios (of one substance) with the Father. The Creed of the Nicene Council made statements about the full divinity and full humanity of Jesus, thus preparing the way for discussion about how exactly the divine and human come together in the person of Christ (Christology). Nicaea insisted that Jesus

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