Ancient Literature for week of 12/12/05--12/16/05

Questions on Themistocles
Note: “T” in these questions refers to Themistocles
#3: What was principle motivation for Themistocles, who was his chief opponent, and what was that opponent’s motivation?
#4: What two options did the Athenians discuss for the silver of Laurium? What did “T” favor? Did he prevail?
#5: Who was more ambitious than “T”? What did he have a popular lute-player of Athens do & why?
*Name 3 things “T” did to make himself popular with the common people. Do any of these three things remind you of anyone in scripture?
#6—What was his greatest achievement?
#9—What are the events at Thermopylae referred to in the first sentence & when did this occur?
#10—What was his plan to save Athens? How did he convince the reluctant Athenians?
#12—How did he trick Xerxes into attacking the Greek fleet with his fleet?
#14 & #15: How were the Greeks able to defeat the superior Persian fleet at Salamis?
#16—How did “T” trick Xerxes into leaving Greece after the naval defeat?
#18—When “T” was the elected commander of the Athenian fleet what did he do to make himself appear more important?
*Why did T jokingly call his son the most powerful person in Greece?
#20—What was T’s plan for making Athens the supreme Greek naval power, who opposed it, and who prevailed?
#21—What were T’s words when he tried to extort money from the people of Andros & what was their reply?
#22—What does Plutarch say ostracism is not and is?
*Does scripture support this egalitarian view? Can you think of any examples in scripture where people were opposed simply because others didn’t think they should be considered better?
#23-#29---How did T come to live & prosper in Persian territory?
#31—How did T die?

Revelation week of 12/12/05-12/16/05

#14—Be Hot or Cool!

1.What is Rev. 3:7-22 about?

2.What is Isaiah 55:1-13 about?

3.Which church does PS talk about in this message?

4. How does Christ introduce Himself to the church in Laodicea?

5.What is the significance of this introduction?

6. What is significance of 3:15a “I know your deeds”

7.What is the commendation to Laodicea?

8.What are the condemnations?

9. What is the Greek word for spit in 3:16 & what does it literally mean?


10. What does Christ advise (3:18):
11. Where else does scripture tell us to buy from Christ?
12. Any application?
13. Anything else that you would like to discuss?

FURTHER DISCUSSION
1. Rev. 3:17-- ὅτι λέγεις ὅτι Πλούσιός εἰμι καὶ πεπλούτηκα καὶ οὐδὲν χρείαν ἔχω, καὶ οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ταλαίπωρος καὶ ἐλεεινὸς καὶ πτωχὸς καὶ τυφλὸς καὶ γυμνός,
#5005—wretched; talaiporos—afflicted, wretched, miserable, suffering from spiritual or emotional misery
#1652—miserable; eleeinos--worthy of pity, pitiable, full of misery, wretched, miserable; from eleos (mercy, compassion, active pity)
#4434—poor; ptochos--poor, helpless, in complete destitution
#5185—blind; tuphlos—to envelop with smoke, be unable to see clearly, blind
#1131—naked; gumnos—naked, stark naked, comparatively naked or ill-dressed
PS says wretched & miserable are similar: wretched is the private, internal grinding experience of being miserable or wretched while miserable is the public perception of poverty which elicits pity or mercy in others.
PS also says blind & naked are similar: blind are unable to discern true wealth, can’t see God & His value system while the naked are willing to wear only rags but think they have on “emperor’s fine clothes”
PS says poor are lacking the basic essentials of a Christian; like the rich fool in Luke 12:21, 33 may have great earthly riches but have failed to convert them to heavenly riches
2. What other references does PS give when talking about vomit out of mouth?
Lev. 20:22--‘You are therefore to keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them, so that the land to which I am
bringing you to live will not spew you out.
Matt. 5:13--"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for
nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
PS mentioned in passing that pure salt doesn’t spoil
3. What is Rev. 3:20 talking about?

Ancient Literature--week of 12/5/05-12/9/05

If you haven't written a paper (50-100 words) on Plutarch yet please do that.

Read the chapter on Agesilaus (p. 267-305) You can skip the introduction (p. 260-266)
Answer the following questions:

QUESTIONS ON AGESILAUS (c. 442 B.C.-360 B.C.)—King of Sparta during its decline; paired with the Roman Pompey
#1—Why was Sparta called “the tamer of men
*Why did Agesilaus go through the training even though future kings were exempt? #2—What was his relation to Lysander when he was a member of one of the “herds” of boys?
*Who was Lysander?
*Why was Archidamus (Agesilaus’ father) fined when he married Agesilaus’ mother?
#3—Why did Agesilaus become king after the death of his brother, Agis instead of the son of Agis?
#4—How was his relationship to the ephors & elders different than that of most kings of Sparta?
#5—Why did the ephors fine him?
*Does this remind you of any Bible character?
#6—What dream did Agesilaus have after he was appointed to lead the Greek forces in fighting the Persians in Asia with Lysander & 29 other Spartans?
*Did Agesilaus obey the voice?
*What did he sacrifice? How did he do it & who did it anger? What did they do?
#7 & #8—What soured the relationship between Lysander and Agesilaus?
*As a result of this Agesilaus slighted Lysander in many ways. How did Lysander respond to this
#9—About what concerning rich men were Agamemnon & Agesilaus in agreement? .
#10—After military successes in Asia Agesilaus was also given command of the fleet as well. Who did he appoint to command the fleet?
#13—What quote from him about Nicias indicated how he thought he should treat his friends?
#14 & 15—Agesilaus had great success in Asia and became widely known for the disciplined, simple, and modest way he lived. When he was prepared to attack further inland and make Ecbatana & Susa his focus and thereby take the fight directly to the Persian king, he was called home to Sparta by the ephors. Why?
*What did Agesilaus mean when he said that the king had used 30,000 archers to drive him out of Sparta?
#16—What three regions does this chapter mention him going through on his way back to Sparta? Can you find them on your map?
#17-19—What region was he ordered to invade on the way home? Was he successful?
*Do you remember from chapter 6 why the Thebans weren’t his favorite people?
*Why was Agesilaus admired by the people after returning home?
#20—What unBiblical opinion of homosexual affairs does Plutarch express
#23—What two reasons did Plutarch give for the Spartans making peace with Persia?
#23-25—In these chapters Plutarch discussed two people who made what he considered illegal attacks on other Greek cities. Who were they and what cities did they attack? Did either succeed?
#26—At this point in history, what did the other Greeks most dislike of Agesilaus?
*Why had Thebes become a more potent military power that was able to damage the Spartans?
#28—In what famous battle did the Thebans defeat the Spartans (This took place in 371 B.C.)? What region is this city in? Who was their commander?
#29—How did the mothers of the defeated soldiers react? Why?
#30—With the Spartan supremacy gone & Epaminondas preparing to invade the Peloponnesian peninsula what further demoralized the Spartans
*What is a tresantes and how were they treated in Sparta?
#31—What was the first foreign invasion the Spartans faced since the Dorians first settled in Sparta about 1000 B.C.?
#32—What was the result of this invasion?
#33—In the first paragraph of this chapter why does Plutarch say Sparta fell from its place of supremacy?
* Is it unusual in history for a supreme power to fall suddenly & unexpectedly?
* Can you think of any examples?
#34-35—Why did Agesilaus refuse to sign a peace treaty with the Thebans and thus continue to jeopardize Sparta’s future?
*Who does Plutarch consider responsible for the defeats of Sparta?
#36-40—Where was his final military command?
* How & where did he die?

Revelation, week of 12/5/05 to 12'9/05

Questions for #13—Idolatry & Immorality

1. What is Rev. 2:12-28 about?
2. What is Deut. 5:1-22 about?
3. What are the two great sins (they summarize disobedience)?
4. Who are they rooted in?
5. What are the two great commandments (they summarize Christian duty)?
6. Who are they rooted in?
7. What are three symbols for idolatry & immorality in Rev. 2?
8. What are some other references in scripture that link idolatry & immorality?

9. What are the two greatest commandments and what can they be summarized as?
10. Anything else in message that you would like to discuss?
11. What is your application?
12. What Psalm did they end with & why?
FURTHER DISCUSSION (think about—nothing to write):
1. Is great joy in pleasing those who love us. A refrain repeated throughout Psalms is “Teach me your ways” If I don’t pray I can’t know how the word of God applies to my particular circumstance because only God has authority to tell me what to do. (It must be in conjunction with his word.)
2. Just like in math Greek letters have specific values (e.g. pi=3.14....), in Rev. symbols have assigned values. E.g. Balaam =several chapters in scripture. Rev. is like one long mathematical formula.
3. service follows worship
immorality follows idolatry