DEFENDING YOURSELF (or others) VERBALLY

 

 

Matt. 9:10-13; Mk. 2:15-17              What question did the Pharisees ask Jesus’ disciples that was really an attack on Jesus?

 

What does Jesus do and/or say when He overhears them saying this?

 

 

 

                Does this sound like Jesus was defending Himself?                     Why?

 

Jn. 7:14-25           What question were the Jews asking (vs. 15)?

 

                What was Jesus’ response (vss. 16, 19, 24)?

 

 

                Does this sound like Jesus was defending Himself?                     Why?

 

Jn. 8:12-18           What did the Pharisees say wasn’t true of Jesus (vs. 13)?

 

                What was Jesus’ response (vss. 14, 15, 17, 18)?

 

 

                Does this sound like Jesus is defending Himself?                         Why?

 

Jn. 8:45-51           What did the Jews accuse Jesus of having (vs. 48)?

 

                What was Jesus’ response (vs. 49)?

 

                Does this sound like Jesus is defending Himself?                         Why?

 

Matt. 26:62, 63; 27:11-14 How did Jesus respond to the chief priests and elders accusations along with Pilate’s question?

 

                Why do you think that Jesus didn’t defend Himself (16:21; Acts 2:23; 4:27, 28)?

 

Acts 5:27-32        What did the high priest from the Jewish religious Council say to the apostles (vs. 28)?

 

 

 

                What was Peter and the apostles’ response (vs. 29)?

 

 

                Does this sound like the apostles were defending themselves?                  Why?

 

Acts 6:12-14; 7:51-55        What did the false witnesses at the Council meeting say about Stephen (6:13, 14)?

 

 

 

                What did Stephen say in response, after detailing the history of the Jews (vss. 51-53)?

 

 

 

 

                Does Stephen defend himself?                          If so, how?

 

Acts 11:2-17        How did Peter respond to (the Hebrew Christians) those who were circumcised that took issue with him regarding his eating with Gentiles (vss. 4, 17)?

 

 

                Does this sound like Peter defended himself?                                Why?

 

Acts 16:35-37      How did Paul respond to the magistrates’ decision to release him and Silas from jail?

 

 

                Does this sound like Paul was defending himself and Silas?                       If so, how?

 

Acts 21:28, 40 – 22:1         What does Paul ask these Jews who were accusing him (21:28), to hear (22:1)?

 

Does God or the Bible indicate in any way here, or elsewhere, that what Paul did was wrong?

 

Acts 22:30 – 23:6               How did Paul respond to the Council’s accusations of him (vs. 1)?

 

                Does this, along with the rest of the passage, sound like Paul was defending himself?                         Why?

 

Acts 24:10-13      How did Paul respond to his accusers?

 

                How would you have responded if you were in Paul’s shoes?                                   And why?

 

Acts 25:7-11        How did Paul respond to the many and serious charges brought against him (vs. 8)?

 

 

                Do you find it rather apparent by this time that defending yourself verbally is neither prohibited in Scripture nor without plenty of examples of its practice in Scripture by godly people (even Christ Himself)?

 

Acts 26:1-26        How did Paul respond to the charges brought against him (vss. 1, 24)?

 

                Does Paul seem to think that it’s wrong to defend himself?                         Why?

 

                After reading all the above passages, would you say that it’s wrong for a Christian to defend himself against false accusations?

 

DEFENDING OTHERS

 

Matt. 12:1-8 (Mk. 2:23-28; Lk. 6:1-5)            What did Jesus’ disciples do that the Pharisees considered as breaking the law (though it wasn’t really wrong, but was what the Jewish leaders considered wrong because of how they interpreted God’s laws)?

               

What did the Pharisees say to Jesus about it?

                How did Jesus respond (vss. 3-7; Jn. 7:23)?

 

                What would you do if some religious people (even leaders) accused your disciples (or Christian friends) of sinning, when actually all that they were doing was not complying with some religious, man-made laws or regulations of theirs or with wrong interpretations of the Bible, and why?

 

Lk. 5:33-39; Mk. 2:18-22                 What statement do the Pharisees make about Jesus’ disciples that was derogatory in intent (vs. 33)?

 

                How did Jesus respond to their statement?

 

                How would you have handled this situation, and why?

 

Matt. 26:6-13 (Jn. 12:3-8)                 What question did Jesus’ disciples ask Jesus regarding what the woman had done with the costly perfume (vs. 8)?

 

                With what question and statements did Jesus defend the woman’s actions (vss. 10, 11; Jn. 12:7, 8)?

                How do you think you would have responded, and why?

 

Lk. 19:37-40        For what did the Pharisees tell Jesus to rebuke His disciples?

 

                What was Jesus’ response to them?

 

                From this, as well as the above three passages, does it seem like Jesus defends others when they are in the right?

Will you?                               Why?