How employees should treat their employers

• Colossians 3:22-24
• Ephesians 6:5
• Titus 2:9-11
• 1 Peter 2:18-19

How employers should treat their employees

• Colossians 4
• Ephesians 6:9

Fundamental criterion for all work

• Matthew 7:12

A motif is a distinct idea, pattern, or element that is repeated throughout a piece of literature. A motif often presents itself through literature in a particular recurring sequence that makes it easily distinguishable from other moments.

Common motifs of a poem can be abstract concepts such as love and sadness. However motifs can range from anything such as people and emotions to colours and places.

In most cases, a motif will have some sort of symbolic significance.

For instance, in Shakespeare’s King Lear, characters often refer to each other as beasts or animals, invoke animals or beasts, or use the idea in conversation. Obviously, the motif of beastliness or animal-ness is crucial to this play. Often, a motif is the royal road to the author’s theme, because the next question to ask is “What point is the author making ABOUT this motif?” What point is Shakespeare making about beastliness in human beings? Is he saying humans are animals in clothes? Is there anything that distinguishes us from beasts? The answers to those questions could definitely be one of the many themes of that play.

NOTE: A theme is a full statement of the author’s message or point, and therefore, it cannot be one word. Sometimes, the word “theme” is casually used interchangeably with “motif,” but a motif is a pattern, not a message. In other words, one could say, “Love is an important motif in Romeo and Juliet,” but not that it was a theme. “Love is more important than hatred,” however, could be a theme because it conveys a complete idea or message ABOUT the motif of love.

Luke 15:11-32

Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26 and Luke 22:7-23

Matthew 21:1-17

The twelve apostles

Jesus and his twelve apostles at the last supper

The twelve apostles were Jesus' closet associates. Apostle meaning Christian teacher. They are commonly referred to as disciples, however there were many disciples in the Bible. The term twelve apostles is used to differentiate these disciples from the many others in the Bible.

He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach

Mark 3:14

These twelve apostles were

• Peter (who prior to meeting Jesus was known as Simon)
• James (son of Zebedee)
• Andrew (Peter’s brother)
• Phillip
• John (not to be confused with John the Baptist)
• Bartholomew
• Matthew
• Thomas
• James (son of alphaeus)
• Simon (Zealot)
• Jude
• Judas Iscariot

The written account of the disciples can be found in the book Matthew. Several of the disciples underwent name changes. Two of the apostles wrote a Gospel: Matthew and John. Peter wrote 2 letters. John wrote 3 letters. Jude wrote 1 letter.

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

Matthew 10:2-4

It is mentioned in this passage that the apostle Judas Iscraoit later betrayed Jesus.

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

Matthew 26:14-16

Matthias was chosen to replace Judas after his betrayal.

And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “Lord, Who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these two Thou hast chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside, to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles.

Acts 1:12-26

Matthew 1, Matthew 2 and a recount can be found in Luke 1 and Luke 2

This piece of scripture has been infamously misinterpreted throughout history and is frequently mistaken for revenge being just and acceptable.

However if we dig deeper throughout scripture we see that in Romans (and numerous other sections of the Bible) it is mentioned that God does not want us to seek revenge.

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honourable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:17-21

The phrase ‘eye for eye’ is not meant to be taken literally. The Latin rendition of Eye for an eye is lex talionis, which is a principle designed to do justice to a victim of a wrong-doing via the form of compensation. A more simple translation of lex talionis is that someone who has wronged someone should be punished accordingly under the rules of the legal-system.

Similarly If we have committed a crime against someone, God wants us to pay the victim back in equal worth based off of what the Bible tells us is morally and ethically right – doing the time for our crime. God warns wrong-doers in Romans.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgement. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. …

Romans 13:1-14

Examples of retributive justice can be found in many other parts of the Bible and dates as far back as to Adam and Eve. God strictly told Adam and Eve not to go near the tree of good and evil knowledge and eat from the fruit – but regardless they went to it and ate some of the fruit. God punished them for their actions of disobedience which disappointed God – thus they were kicked out of the Garden of Eden and sin became a natural part of man. They paid the price!

13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,

Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

Genesis 3:13-15

A depiction of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of good and evil knowledge

Samson was a well-known rival of the Philistines, and they longed to find out the secret to his strength.

And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
–Judges 15:15

This is why it came as such a shock to them that he was in Gaza.

they compassed him in

They surrounded him. ‘They’ refers to the Philistine soldiers.

Because of Samson’s brute strength, they took all the necessary precautions to ensure that Samson would not be able to escape and situated guards all around the city. They blocked all the entrances/exits and guarded them with soldiers. They planned to kill him.