The 5 most radical chapters in the Bible

“The Festival of Unleavened Bread, called Passover, was near. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for some way to kill Jesus. However, they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles. Judas went to the chief priests and the temple guards and discussed with them how he could betray Jesus.” (Luke 22:1-4)

“They came to Capernaum, and after going indoors Jesus asked his disciples, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ But they would not answer him, because on the road they had been arguing among themselves about who was the greatest. Jesus sat down, called the twelve disciples, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must place himself last of all and be the servant of all.’” (Mark 9:33-35)

“An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them should be thought of as the greatest. Jesus said to them, ‘The kings of the pagans have power over their people, and the rulers claim the title 'Friends of the People.' But this is not the way it is with you; rather, the greatest one among you must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant. Who is greater, the one who sits down to eat or the one who serves? The one who sits down, of course. But I am among you as one who serves.” (Luke 22:24- 27)

“Jesus and his disciples were at supper. The Devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, the thought of betraying Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him complete power; he knew that he had come from God and was going to God. So… he rose from the table, took off his outer garment, and tied a towel around his waist. Then he poured some water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.” (John 13:2-5)

“After Jesus had washed their feet, he put his outer garment back on and returned to his place at the table. ‘Do you understand what I have just done to you?’ he asked. ‘You call me Teacher and Lord, and it is right that you do so, because that is what I am. I, your Lord and Teacher, have just washed your feet. You, then, should wash one another's feet. I have set an example for you, so that you will do just what I have done for you…Now that you know this truth, how happy you will be if you put it into practice!’” (John 13:12-17)

 “I tell you this now before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe that 'I Am Who I Am.‘”(John 13:19)  Now that you have known me," he said to them, "you will know my Father also, and from now on you do know him and you have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father; that is all we need." Jesus answered, "For a long time I have been with you all; yet you do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. Why, then, do you say, 'Show us the Father'?” (John 14:7-9)

“The Helper will come – the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God.” (John 15:26) “When the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth…He will give me glory, because he will take what I say and tell it to you.” (John 16:13,14) “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God.” (John 14:16-17)

“And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.” (John 13:34-35)

 Agapē  Eros  Affection of a sexual nature, “being in love”  Storge  Affection through familiarity  Phileo  an affectionate, sentimental, passionate love - “brotherly love”  based largely on the emotions and feelings  since it is based on the feelings it is subject to change as the feelings change

 Love in its highest and truest form – the love of which there is no greater  Based on a decision – has more to do with how we treat others than on feelings  Selfless love that sacrifices for others › “There is no greater love (agape) than to lay down one's life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)

“…it is a love which keeps loving when its object is unresponsive, unkind, unlovable, or completely unworthy... it gives one hundred percent and expects nothing in return!“ - Richard L. Strauss “Ascribing worth to another at cost to yourself” - Greg Boyd

 “For God loved (agape) the world so much that he gave…” (John 3:16)  “Love is not self-seeking” (1 Corinthians 13:5)

“Instead, let love make you serve one another. For the whole Law is summed up in one commandment: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’” (Galatians 5:13-14) “Don't do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. And look out for one another's interests, not just for your own.” (Philippians 2:3) “In brotherly love let your feelings of deep affection for one another come to expression and regard others as more important than yourself.” (Romans 12:10 – NJB)

“Those who love me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and my Father and I will come to them and live with them.” (John 14:23)

“I love you just as the Father loves me; remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you. The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them. And you are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because servants do not know what their master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because I have told you everything I heard from my Father.” (John 15:9-15)

Master – servant vs. friends

 Understanding, intimacy and honesty with God: “Then Moses turned to the LORD again and said, ‘Lord, why do you mistreat your people? Why did you send me here? Ever since I went to the king to speak for you, he has treated them cruelly. And you have done nothing to help them!’” (Exodus 5:22-23)

“Now, don't try to stop me. I am angry with them, and I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you and your descendants into a great nation.” (Exodus 32:10) “Please forgive their sin; but if you won’t then remove my name from the book in which you have written the names of your people.” (Exodus 32:32)

“And the scripture came true that said, ‘Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.’ And so Abraham was called God's friend.” (James 2:23)

Job: “How I wish I knew where to find him, and knew how to go where he is. I would state my case before him and present all the arguments in my favor. I want to know what he would say and how he would answer me. Would God use all his strength against me? No, he would listen as I spoke. I am honest; I could reason with God; he would declare me innocent once and for all” (Job 23:1-7) Elihu: “I won’t ask to speak with God; why should I give him a chance to destroy me? God’s power is so great that we cannot come near him…” (Job 37:20,23)

“I have much more to tell you, but now it would be too much for you to bear. When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth.” (John 16:12- 13)

“I have told you these things in parables (veiled language, allegories, dark sayings); the hour is now coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but I shall tell you about the Father in plain words and openly (without reserve).” (John 16:25 - Amplified)

“I have been speaking to you in parables - but the time is coming to give up parables and tell you plainly about the Father. When that day comes, you will ask him in my name; and I do not say that I will ask him on your behalf, [and I need make no promise to plead to the Father for you… JB Phillips] [and I do not promise to intercede with the Father for you… Goodspeed] for the Father himself loves you…” (John 16:25- 30).

“Then his disciples said to him, ‘Now you are speaking plainly, without using figures of speech.” (John 16:29)

“That is why he is always able to save those who come to God through him. He can do this because he always lives and intercedes for them.” (Hebrews 7:25 – GW) “At the same time the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we don’t know how to pray for what we need. But the Spirit intercedes along with our groans that cannot be expressed in words.” (Romans 8:26 – GW) “I am writing this to you, my children, so that you will not sin; but if anyone does sin, we have someone who pleads (intercedes) with the Father on our behalf—Jesus Christ, the righteous one” (1 John 2:1)

“After Jesus finished saying this, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your Son, so that the Son may give glory to you. For you gave him authority over all people, so that he might give eternal life to all those you gave him. And this is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent. I have shown your glory on earth; I have finished the work you gave me to do… I have made you known to those you gave me out of the world.” (John 17:1-6)

"I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me because of their message. I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me. I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that they may be one, just as you and I are one: I in them and you in me, so that they may be completely one, in order that the world may know that you sent me and that you love them as you love me.” (John 17:20-23)

“Righteous Father! The world does not know you, but I know you, and these know that you sent me. I made you known to them, and I will continue to do so, in order that the love you have for me may be in them, and so that I also may be in them.” (John 17:25-26)