Bible Commentaries
John 20

Verses 1-25

XXXI

CHRIST’S APPEARANCES AND COMMISSIONS

Harmony, pages 218-227 and Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-18; Luke 24:1-43; John 20:1-21:25; 1 Corinthians 15:5.

APPEARANCES BETWEEN RESURRECTION DAY AND ASCENSION

FIRST LORD’S DAY

There were five appearances of Christ on the day he rose from the dead. These five, in their order of time, were:

1. To Mary Magdalene – Mark 16:9; John 20:14-18; Harmony, pp. 221-222.

2. To the other women – Matthew 28:9-10; Harmony, pp. 218-222.

3. To Simon Peter – Luke 24:34-35; 1 Corinthians 15:5; Harmony, p. 224.

4. To Cleopas and another disciple on the way to Emmaus – Mark 16:12-13; Luke 24:13-35; Harmony, pp. 223-224.

5. To ten apostles, Thomas absent; gives first commission – Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-25; Harmony, pp. 224-226.

SECOND LORD’S DAY

6. To the eleven, Thomas present – John 20:26-29; 1 Corinthians 15:5; Harmony, p. 226.

IN THE SECOND WEEK

7. To seven disciples beside the sea of Galilee. Gives Peter a special commission – John 21:1-24; Harmony, pp. 226-227.

THIRD LORD’S DAY

8. To the eleven and above five hundred brethren on the appointed mountain in Galilee, where he gives the Great Commission – Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-18; 1 Corinthians 15:6; Harmony, pp. 228-229.

9. To James – 1 Corinthians 15:7; Harmony, p. 229.

FOURTH LORD’S DAY

10. To the eleven; gives another commission – Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:3-5; 1 Corinthians 15:7; Harmony, p. 229.

FORTIETH DAY – HIS ASCENSION

11. To the eleven and many others – Mark 16:19; Acts 1:6; Luke 24:50-53; Harmony, pp. 230-231. Here Acts 1:6 shows another gathering or assembly before they ask the question. From his ascension to the close of the New Testament our Lord appears to at least four persons (not counting Peter and Cornelius) – Stephen, Paul, Ananias, and John; to Stephen and Ananias once each; to Paul several times, and to John on Patmos in visions recorded in Revelation. Unquestionably the voice which spake to Peter (Acts 10:14) was the Lord’s voice, but Peter seems not to have seen the speaker. There was an audible, but not visible interview. Except the first vision in Revelation, John’s visions of the Lord on Patmos were mainly, but not altogether, symbolic representations of the Lord. In the case of Paul three of the appearances were constructively true, but not evident, i.e., they may be proved by argument, namely, the fourth, sixth, and ninth, as enumerated below. In order of time the appearance to Ananias follows the first appearance to Paul.

APPEARANCES BETWEEN HIS ASCENSION AND THE CLOSE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
1. To Stephen – Acts 7:55-60.

2. First appearance to Paul – Acts 9:1-9; Acts 22:5; Acts 26:12-20; 1 Corinthians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 9:1; 1 Corinthians 15:8. and at the beginning of other letters. This was to call him to be an apostle. An apostle must have seen the risen Lord in order to be a witness of his resurrection.

3. To Ananias – Acts 9:10-17.

4. Second to Paul, in Arabia. This is constructive, depending on two lines of argument:

(a) Whether we shall give precedence to Luke’s "straightway" in Acts 9:20, or to Paul’s "immediately" in Galatians 1:15-17. The author believes that Paul did not preach in Damascus until after his return to that city from Arabia – that he had not yet received his gospel.

(b) But before preaching, he spent about three years of retirement and preparation in Arabia, probably at Mount Sinai, communing with the Lord; there at the site of the giving of the law studying its relations to the gospel which afterward he so clearly discloses, and receiving from the Lord directly his gospel to which reception he so often refers, as in Galatians 1:11-18; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 1 Corinthians 15:3.

5. Third to Paul, in the Temple – Acts 22:17-21. This supposes that the Temple vision occurred on his first visit to Jerusalem after his conversion, an account of which is given in Acts 9:26-29 and Galatians 1:18-19.

6. Fourth to Paul in Tarsus, or possibly Antioch – 2 Corinthians 12:1-9. This is constructive, and depends on two lines of argument:

(a) That "revelations of the Lord" in 2 Corinthians 12:1, implies a vision of the Lord.

(b) The place of the vision is determined by the chronological argument. Reckoning back "fourteen years" from the date of the second letter to the Corinthians, about A.D. 56 or 57, and comparing Acts 9:30; Acts 11:25, we learn where Saul was in this period, and find in Acts 15:41 Cilician churches, probably established by him.

7. Fifth to Paul, in Corinth – Acts 18:9-10.

8. Sixth to Paul, in Jerusalem – Acts 23:11.

9. Seventh to Paul, on the ship – Acts 27:23-25. This is constructive. "An angel of the Lord" would signify an angel proper. But "the angel of the Lord" often means our Lord himself. This appearance, therefore, must be counted as doubtful.

APPEARANCES TO JOHN IN REVELATION
10. Revelation 1:1-3:22. This is real. The following in the same book are mostly symbolical:

(a) The Lamb slain – Revelation 5:6-7.

(b) The Rider on the white horse in converting power – Revelation 6:2.

(c) The angel with the censer – Revelation 8:3-5. (This is the High Priest.)

(d) The angel with the little book, probable – Revelation 10:1-11.

(e) The Lamb on Mount Zion – Revelation 14:1.

(f) The angel with the sickle – Revelation 14:14.

(g) The Rider on the white horse, in power of judgments – Revelation 19:11-16.

(h) The Judge on the throne – Revelation 20:11.

(i) The Lamb, the Light of the New Jerusalem – Revelation 21:23.

(j) Witness (through angel) – Revelation 22:12-20.

COMMISSIONS IN HIS LIFETIME
1. To the twelve – Harmony, pp. 44-45 and 71-72; Matthew 9:36-38; Matthew 10:1-42; Mark 3:13-19; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6.

REMARKS

(a) Limited to Jews – Matthew 10:5.

(b) Provides for their support – Matthew 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 9:14.

(c) Gives authority to cast out evil spirits and heal the sick – Matthew 10:8.

(d) Gives authority to preach the kingdom – Matthew 10:7.

(e) Foretells persecution – Matthew 10:17-18.

(f) Promises protection – Matthew 10:28-29.

(g) Spirit guidance in speech – Matthew 10:19-20.

2. First special commission to Peter, the keys – Matthew 16:19; Harmony, p. 90.

REMARKS

(a) The gift of the keys authorized Peter to open the door of the kingdom of heaven to both Jews and Gentiles.

(b) The door to the Jews was opened by Peter in his Pentecost address – Acts 2:37-39.

(c) The door to the Gentiles was opened by Peter in his address to Cornelius and his household – Acts 10:43-48; Acts 11:1-18; Acts 15:7-9.

(d) The power to bind and loose, i.e., to declare the terms of remission, as in Acts 2:38 and in Acts 10:43, and to pronounce judicially and with final authority on all matters of the kingdom, here specially given to Peter, is later given to all the apostles, as we will find in John 20:21-23, and later to Paul. It was also given to the church, as we will find later in two commissions.

3. The discipline commission to the church – Matthew 18:15-18; Harmony, p. 100. Here again we find "the binding and loosing" power which holds good in heaven when the church follows the law of the Head of the church.

4. To the seventy – Luke 10:1-24; Harmony, pp. 110-111.

REMARKS

(a) Limited to Jews.

(b) Provides for the support –Luke 10:4-8.

(c) Gives authority over evil spirits – Luke 10:17.

(d) Gives authority to preach the kingdom – Luke 10:10.

(e) Gives authority to heal the sick – Luke 10:9. Note: This and (a) were both temporary commissions.

COMMISSIONS AFTER HIS RESURRECTION

1. To the ten apostles, Thomas absent – John 20:19-25; Harmony, p. 225. This commission appears in John 20:21-23. REMARKS

(a) They are sent, as the Father sent Jesus, to all the world.

(b) They were inspired.

(c) They had authority to bind and loose, i.e., to declare the terms of remission of sins, and to pronounce judicially and with authority upon all matters pertaining to the church or kingdom. Harmony, p. 227.

2. Second special commission to Peter – John 21:15-17;

(a) The triple form of the question here, "Lovest thou me?" is a mild rebuke of Peter’s triple denial.

(b) The triple form of the commission fits the three classes of Christians symbolized by sheep, little sheep, and lambs; the feed-ing, or shepherding required for each, suggests that the work is great enough to occupy all of Peter’s time, and conveys a mild rebuke to Peter for distrusting Christ’s provision, and his subsequent returning to his old, secular business. Peter erred in the use of the sword while Christ was living, and erred in attempting to provide for a living after Christ was risen. The suspension of Christ’s protection and provision lasted only while Christ was dead.

(c) There is nothing in either of the two special commissions to Peter to warrant his supremacy over the other apostles, and over the church, and especially no ground for a transmitted and perpetual supremacy to his so-called successors, and still less for those successors to be limited to the Roman See.

3. The great and perpetual missionary commission to the church – Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-18; 1 Corinthians 15:6; Harmony, pp. 228-229.

REMARKS

(a) This commission was given to an ecclesiastical body, as appears: From the number present. 1 Corinthians 15:6: from its perpetuity, Matthew 28:20; from the universality and scope of the work.

(b) The authority is plenary – Matthew 28:18.

(c) The presence perpetual, through the Holy Spirit.

(d) The work is both evangelistic and pastoral, i.e., making disciples and then training them to do all Christ had commanded.

(e) The baptizing power is under jurisdiction of the church, as is also the keeping of the Lord’s Supper. It supposes a time when no apostle will be alive, and provides a continuous body is whom authority resides.

(f) This commission lasts till the final advent of our Lord, and throughout the Spirit’s administration.

We will now consider in detail some of his appearances after his resurrection and before his ascension, and also his commissions as we come to them. At least ten appearances are mention-ed, but there are some serious difficulties in harmonizing the testimony of all the Gospels concerning about six of these appearances. I will not stop now to point out these six and reply to them. Just now I will discuss the appearances between his resurrection and his ascension: First, to Mary Magdalene – Mark 16:9; John 20:11-20; Harmony, pp. 221-222. All the circum-stances of this case are thrilling. A group of women had follow-ed Joseph and Nicodemus, had witnessed his burial and returned home to prepare spices and ointments for his embalming. Then, resting on the sabbath day (Saturday), they returned early on Sunday morning to embalm him. But they find the tomb empty, see the angel, hear his explanation, and report his message to the disciples. Four of these women are named: Mary Magdalene; Mary, the mother of James; Salome, and Joanna. But there were others; as Luke says, Mary Magdalene runs and tells Peter and John that the tomb is empty. She says, "They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him." And she returns with Peter and John and lingers after they have left. While she remains, the appearance of Christ to Mary takes place, as Mark states, and as is graphically described by John. It is very touching when the angels ask her why she weeps. She said, "They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him."

When I was a young preacher I preached a sermon from that text, and this was the application of the sermon: That people would go to church with a natural expectation of hearing about the Lord; the choir would sing, the pastor would preach, but there would be no Lord in the sermon; the deacons would pray, but there would be no Lord in the prayers; and they would look at the lives of the church members, and there would be no Lord in their lives. Then they would say, "They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him."

When Mary had thus said, she turned and beheld Jesus, but she did not know it was Jesus. She just caught a glimpse of him, and thought it was the gardener. She saw that somebody was there with her. Jesus said unto her, "Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?" "She, supposing him to be the gardner, said unto him, Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary!" As soon as she heard that voice, so familiar, the pathos and the manner of it which she had realized before a thousand times, her heart told her that it was the voice of the Lord. "She turns herself and saith unto him, in Hebrew, Rabboni, that is, My Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not [take not hold of me], for I am not yet ascended unto the Father, and my God and your God." I have never been able to read that passage of Christ’s words to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils – this woman whose love for Christ was unspeakable, and whose gratitude unbounded – without being moved to tears.

Just here an objection comes up, for Jesus said, "I have not yet ascended to my Father." How do you reconcile that with a previous statement that at his death the spirit went to the Father? My answer is that there is no contradiction at all. He is here referring to his ascension in the body: "I have not yet ascended to my Father," that is, the whole Christ – the divinity, soul, and body.

The second appearance is found also on page 222 of the Harmony, and it is to a group of women, Mary Magdalene, however, not included. Matthew alone gives that: "And behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then saith Jesus unto them, Fear not; go tell my brethren that they depart into Galilee, and there shall they see me" (Matthew 28:9-10).

These women are the first to see him. I have already stated that there was a Ladies’ Aid Society organized, which ministered unto him of their substance while he lived. This is the same group of women exactly. They are still going to minister unto him of their substance, after he is dead. They had provided for his embalming; and now he appears to this group – first to Mary, and second to the rest of the group.

The third case is presented on page 224 of the Harmony, Luke 24:34: "The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon." And 1 Corinthians 15:5: "He appeared to Cephas." You can understand why the next appearance of Christ would be to Peter. Peter had denied him. He had been very greatly honored, and would be honored for all time. So the third appearance of the Lord was to Simon Peter.

The fourth appearance is on page 223 of the Harmony. This is very touching. It is the two men going to the village named Emmaus, about sixty furlongs from Jerusalem; and they were very sad. They had been to the crucifixion. Their Lord was dead, and while they were talking over that sad topic, a Stranger joins them. The record says, "Their eyes were holden that they should not know him." So they did not recognize him. And he asked them what was the matter – what all their sadness was about, and what they were talking about. They said, "You must be a stranger, or you would know what things have lately happened in Jerusalem." And they told him about the death of the Lord, and when they got to their stopping place, Jesus made out as though he was going on. But they halted and asked him to take a meal with them, and when he went to ask the blessing, that mannerism of his, that peculiar, solemn way in which he broke the bread – by these they knew him in a minute, and when he knew that they had recognized him, he disappeared, and then they said, "Did not our hearts burn within us, while he spake to us in the way, while he opened to us the scriptures?" He had been delivering a discourse which I would give everything in the world to have heard. He talked about the law, the prophets, and the psalms, and expounded to them every passage which referred to him, and expressed his astonishment that they were so slow to believe all these things that the prophets had foreshown of him. It was right on the surface. Why did they not see it? Why did they not see that it was necessary for Jesus to die for them? Why should they be disappointed at his death? Why should they count that everything was lost when he died? The whole topic is intensely interesting.

The fifth appearance is on pages 224-225 of the Harmony. Mark, Luke, and John each gives an account of it: "When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you." NOTE: "The first day of the week," the very day on which he rose. This is five times in one day, all of them on that first Lord’s Day. And he "stood in their midst." They were terrified, supposing it was a spirit, for the door was not open; it was fastened. He came in without opening the door; they thought it was a ghost, and he upbraided them on account of their unbelief and hardness of heart. They had no reason to be troubled; they had no right to have reasonings in their hearts. And then he showed them his hands, his side, and his feet. That was to show that it was the very body that was laid in the grave. They could not question the identity.

Here he gives his first commission after his resurrection. It is found on pages 224-226 of the Harmony, as follows: "When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, ’Peace be unto you.’ And when he had said this, he showed unto them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. Jesus therefore said to them again, ’Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said unto them, ’Receive ye the Holy Spirit; whosesoever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.’ "

We want to examine that commission. The points are as follows:

As he was sent forth by the Father on a mission to this earth for the salvation of the lost, so he now sends them forth for the same purpose. It is their business by preaching the gospel to afford an opportunity for the Spirit’s application of saving grace, which came through Jesus Christ.

The next item in this commission is that inspiration is given to these ten men. He breathed on them. That is what inspiration means, a "breathing on." He breathed on them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit."

The third thing in his statement, "Whosesoever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained." What does that mean? Evidently, as God only can forgive sins, it was not granted to these ten men to really forgive sins. But it means that they are inspired to declare the terms of remission of sins, and not to make a mistake. When the apostles hereafter shall be asked, "What shall I do to be saved; how shall my sins be forgiven," these men are inspired to tell just how that remission of sins may be obtained ; and whatever they say is as if God had said it to those asking. "Whosesoever sins ye retain they are retained," that is, when they declare, as inspired men, that a man has not complied with the terms of the remission of sins, then that man has no forgiveness.

Let us take two cases to illustrate that part: The Jailer said to Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved – what are the terms of salvation?" Paul said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved, and thy house," that is, "thy house must believe also." There he declares that whosoever believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, his sins are remitted.

"Another New Testament case is where Peter said to Cornelius, as we learn in Acts, "To him [Jesus Christ] gave all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth on him shall receive the remission of sins." No man can receive remission of sins except through Christ. The hand with which he lays hold on it is faith; faith apprehends, takes hold. In my discussion on Acts 2:38 I bring out this question again, and answer a further question as to whether baptism is one of the terms essential to forgiveness of sins. The Campbellite’s answer, Dr. Mulling’ answer, and mine; I give them all, and the reader may take any one of the three he prefers. All this is found in Acts of this INTERPRETATION. Here is a summary of this first commission: (1) "As the Father hath sent me, so I send you"; they were thus to be sent; (2) they received inspiration; (3) being so sent and so inspired, they were to declare the only terms upon which the remission of sins could be obtained.

But Thomas was not present; there were only ten of the apostles present at that time. When Thomas came and they told him about It, he would not believe it. Here were ten men saying, "I tell you we have seen Jesus; he came into the room where we were; we know it was Jesus; we saw the marks of the nails in his hands and in his feet, and the spear print in his side." Listen to what Thomas says: "That may do for you, but I won’t believe it until I put my finger in those nail-prints; I will have to see it for myself; I will have to put my finger there." So just a week from those five appearances, and it is the Lord’s Day again, they are assembled, and Thomas is present. This is what it says, John 20:26-31: "And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God." He was satisfied that this was the very Jesus, and more – that this was God in man. It is quite common to preach a sermon on "Doubting Thomas." A great many men have shown that Thomas was not such a bad case after all; that he did insist on adequate proof – proof that would satisfy him, and not other people. And when that proof reached him he accepted it with all his heart, and forever. So that is the sixth time. Jesus has this rebuke for Thomas: "Because thou hast seen me thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." In other words, there is a sufficiency of testimony without seeing Jesus. You have not seen him, and yet have believed, and you are as strong in your faith as Thomas was.

We note another appearance. It was on another Sunday. Jesus, before he died, made a positive appointment with all of his people, at a certain mountain in Galilee. Not only the apostles, but the women and others were there. Most of his converts were in Galilee. Here we find Peter, as I have said, in one case, acting too quickly, and in another case he acted too late. Jesus had said that while they were under his commission, and he was alive, not to take scrip or purse; not to feel that they had to provide for themselves or to defend themselves; but that while they were thus under his commission he would provide. I showed you how Peter used his sword before Christ was dead, and there he was too quick. Now, after Christ is risen, and he knows that Christ is risen, be says, "I go a fishing." What he meant by that was this: "We have to have a living. It looks like our preaching occupation is gone, and we were by profession fishermen. I am going back to my old business." Let one big man, the ringleader, start off, and the others, not quite so big, will follow. The rest said, "We’ll go with you." And they went back to their old occupation, and to their old homes. They went fishing, toiled all night and caught nothing.

A back-sliding preacher makes a mighty poor farmer or anything else. If he succeeds well in a secular business it is a pretty good proof that God never called him; and if he does not succeeded, then it certainly seems that he is out of his place.

Jesus appears and shows them how to catch fish, as he had done once before. That is a repetition of the miracle that had taken place when he called them to leave that business that he might make them fishers of men. To repeat that miracle here, when they were out of that business, whatever their regular business for Christ, would bring the whole thing back to their remembrance.

And now commences a colloquy between Christ and Peter. He says to Simon, "Do you love me more than these?" Instantly the question comes up – what does that pronoun "these" refer to? Does it mean these fish? If so, it means this: "Do you, Simon, love your secular business more than you love your Lord and Master?" Or that pronoun may refer to the other disciples. Simon had said, "Though all these others leave thee, I will never leave thee." Then it means: "You professed while I was living that you had an attachment for me beyond all other men. Do you love me more than they do? If so, why are you leading them astray?" It will be noticed that Jesus puts his question three times, corresponding to the three denials of Peter, and that Peter’s heart keeps breaking and getting more and more humble, as each question is put. He is a good man. One of my old-time lady members at Waco said, "Peter is a great comfort to me; he was so impulsive and imperfect. But Paul is a trial for me. I am all the time back-sliding and repenting, yet greatly loving my Lord."

We now come to our Lord’s commission to Peter, which is his second commission after his resurrection, and I call attention to another important thing. In the Greek language Jesus directs Peter to take care of three classes of Christians, for the Greek words differ. In the Greek New Testament we see that the words used differ in the manuscripts. The word for "sheep," the word for "lambs," and the word for "little sheep" differ. "Shepherd my sheep," "feed my lambs," and "shepherd my little sheep." A "sheep" is an experienced Christian; a "lamb" is a young convert; and a "little sheep" is a Christian who has been converted long enough to be mature, but who is in a state of arrested development – what you would call a "runt." The majority of Christian people that I know are "little sheep," as Paul says, "For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food" (Hebrews 5:12). It is somewhat like trying to feed them with a spoon, just as if they were babies. They have not moved up any. They can go back and tell when they were converted, but they do not grow. Paul refers to "little women" (gunaikarion), which our translators call "silly women." What he means by "little women" is not the little women that Louisa May Alcott writes about in her book Little Women, i.e., "girls that soon will be women." Paul does not mean little woman in stature, but a woman with a little soul. Her soul is so small that she loves pleasure more than God. The world is bigger to her than heaven. The pleasures and gayeties of this world are more to her than God’s service. She goes to ballrooms. She is swallowed up in fashionable parties, so that she seldom gets in touch with the Spirit of Jesus Christ. This is manifest in the church. Little women, quite small, may be worth 1,000,000; may be leaders in society, but such are little women. Such are on the pastor’s heart very heavily, and he doesn’t know what to do with them.

Jesus says to Simon, "You feed these little sheep." In the twenty-seven years that I was pastor of the First Baptist Church in Waco, I came to know these "little sheep" well, and how to deal with them.

These apostles quit fishing and they went on to the appointment, which brings us to the next appearance of Jesus, at which he gives the third commission after his resurrection, which we will consider in the next chapter.

QUESTIONS
1. How many and what appearances on the day that Christ rose from the dead?

2. How many and what on the second Lord’s Day?

3. How many and what during the second week?

4. How many and what appearances on the third Lord’s Day?

5. What one on the fourth Lord’s Day?

6. What one on the fortieth day?

7. To whom did Christ appear between his ascension and the close of the New Testament and how many times to each?

8. How many and what commissions did Christ give in his lifetime?

9. Analyze the first commission to the twelve.

10. Analyze the special commission to Peter.

11. What is the discipline commission given to the church, and what is the meaning here of the "binding and loosing" power?

12. Analyze the commission to the seventy, and what of special note about the first and fourth of these commissions?

13. How many and what commissions after his resurrection?

14. To whom did Christ first appear after his resurrection, and what the circumstances of that appearance?

15. How do you harmonize Jesus’ statement to Mary, "Touch me not," etc., with the fact that at his second appearance the women touched his feet, and the fact that Thomas was invited to touch his hands and his side?

16. How do you reconcile the last saying on the cross with the statement, "I have not yet ascended to my Father"?

17. To whom did he appear the second time, and what were the circumstances?

18. To whom did he appear the third time, and why to him especially?

19. To whom did he appear the fourth time, and what, in detail, were the incidents connected with it?

20. To whom did he appear the fifth time, what were the circumstances, and what important event in connection with this appearance of our Lord?

21. Analyze this commission, explaining each point in particular.

22. To whom did he appear on the second Lord’s Day, and what were the circumstances, and what was the special purpose of this appearance?

24. What was the meaning of Christ’s questions to Peter here?

25. What analysis of the second commission to Peter? (See outline of the commission.)

26. In this second commission to Peter, what is the meaning and application of Christ’s language to him, distinguishing three classes of Christians?

27. What two references to the "little sheep" by Paul, and who, especially, are Paul’s "little women"?