Discussion for Saturday August 1st



The Temptation of Jesus - Saturday 1st August 3-4pm
led by Francis Elliot-Wright (Doncaster Unitarians)

Matthew 4: 1-11, Mark 1: 12-13, Luke 4: 1-13

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https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81046174655?pwd=QnVwK2pCZFdXN0FmSjY1MWFnaWw3Zz09
Meeting ID: 810 4617 4655

For this discussion, I'd like to see what happens if we put the questions and some background ideas up in advance. The three questions we are going to discuss in small groups are as follows:
  1. What point were the gospel authors trying to make to their first readers in this narrative?
  2. How has this text 'played out' in the history of Christianity, and Christian nations? 
  3. What, if anything, does this passage have to say to us as 21st Century Unitarians & Free Christians?
Some things to consider...(You don't have to read these but you might find them interesting...)

What, if anything, is the Devil/Satan?
How Judaism views Satan very differently from Christianity 
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/satan
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/satan-the-adversary/

Christadelphians are Bible believing Christian Unitarians who believe that Satan/The Devil doesn't exist. 
http://www.christadelphia.net/satan.htm
https://bibletruth.net.au/the-truth-about-the-devil/

Here Sir Anthony Buzzard, also a Biblical Unitarian, argues against the Christadelphian position and insists that Satan/The Devil is for real.
http://www.focusonthekingdom.org/Devil.htm

This sermon from a United Reformed Church minister shows how the temptation narrative fits into the whole Lent/Easter tradition within the church.
http://penworthamurc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/170305-Penwortham-communion.pdf

This excellent sermon by Methodist lay-preacher, Bill Peddie takes a liberal Christian view of the story.
https://billpeddie.wordpress.com/2020/02/26/lectionary-sermon-for-1-march-2020-on-matthew-4-1-11-lent-1-a/

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