The Gospel of Luke 8

Study Guide Questions for Ch. 15-16

If you are looking for the beginning of this study you can start HERE with the brief introduction. At the bottom of that introduction will be the links to each section of the study guide as it becomes available. For this study the English Standard Version is the translation that is being utilized and you can read it online HERE or pick up the copy of your choice from Amazon or your local book store. I find THIS EDITION to be useful for deeper study and annotation.

Virtues/Vices/Great Ideas: (Find them in the Text)

Joy, Arrogance, Compassion, Resurrection, Appearance vs. Reality, Justice, Unbelief, Resurrection

Grammar Questions: (The Information of the Text)

1. What kind of people “were all drawing near to hear” Jesus?

2. How did the shepherd react when he realized one of his sheep was missing?

3. What did Jesus say causes “more joy in heaven”?

4. What did the woman do when she lost her coin?

5. What did the “younger” son of the two brothers demand from his father?

6. How did the older brother behave when his younger brother returned home?

7. What did the shrewd manager do when he learned he was losing his job?

8. What two things can a person not serve at the same time?

9. What could sooner and more easily “pass away” than the “Law…become void.”

10. Where did the rich man go when he died? Where did Lazaras go?

11. Why, according to the text, can Lazarus not come to where the rich man is?

12. What did Abraham say would not cause belief in the rich man’s brothers?

Logic Questions: (Interpreting, Comparing/Contrasting, Reasoning)

1. What points of commonality do you see between the three parables of Luke 15?

2. What might we infer from the fact that the father saw his son coming home “while he was still a long way off…and ran to him”?

3. Metaphorically speaking, whom do the characters of Jesus’ third parable (father, younger son, and older son) represent?

4. Why did the rich man commend the dishonest manager for his shrewd actions?

5. What did Jesus mean when he said, “make friends for yourself by means of unrighteous wealth”? 

6. What did Jesus mean by saying “The Law and the Prophets were until John”?

7. What is implied by the chasm between the Rich man and Lazarus?

8. Why are the characters in parables not usually named?

9. What might be inferred from the fact that the story about the “rich man” and the “poor man” contains personal names?

10. Why is it important that Abraham tells the rich man “if they do not hear Moses and the Prophets neither will they be convinced if some rise from the dead”?

Rhetoric Questions: (The Analysis of Ideas in the Text)

1. Do Jesus’ three parables in Luke 15 have the exact same message? If so, why tell all three stories? If not, how are the stories distinct from one another in their message?

2. In light of the three parables of Luke 15, what can we learn about the idea of joy? What are the characteristics of joy? How does joy manifest itself so that everyone knows we have it?

3. What causes a person to believe that something is true? Why might someone refuse to believe the truth? Explain your answers carefully.

Theological Analysis: (Sola Scriptura)

1. Read 2 Samuel 12:1-15. How does the prophet Nathan do something similar to what we see Jesus doing in Luke 15?

2. Read Matthew 5:31-32 and compare it to Luke 16:18. What does Matthew add about Jesus’ teaching on divorce and how does it affect your understanding of his teaching?