Dr Paul Allen

Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber to be an example of a charismatic religious leader. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 23:16–22 “Whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it” (vv. 21–22). Jesus declares seven woes upon the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:13 –36, which is a significant number. Scripture often uses the number seven to denote completeness. For example, God rested on the seventh day when He had finished creating the heavens and the earth (Gen. 2:1–3). Considering the association of wholeness with the number seven, Christ ’s use of seven woes to denounce scribal and Pharisaic transgressions likely indicates the thoroughgoing wickedness of many people in these groups. This is the third woe Jesus uttered against the scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 23:16–22), the content of which He previously delivered in the Sermon on the Mount (5:33–37),

English: folio 150 recto of the codex, with the beginning of the 1. Epistle to the Corrinthians (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Wayne Grudem on New Testament Prophecy: In the OT prophecy is reserved for a select few who provide spiritual authority and direction to God ’s people. In the New, prophecy is available to all Gods people ( Acts 2). It is not possible  that everbody’s prophecies are authoritative for every other person. In Acts 2 (and in passage from Joel that Peter is quoting) we are told that this outpouring of the Spirit is for “all flesh” and takes place in the “last days.” If the Spirit has since been withdrawn (at least in this sense) then we are now living in days  after  the last days which makes no sense! It is surely the above passage that is the context for Peter’s promise of the “ gift of the Spirit ” which in verse 38 and 39 is promised for “you and for your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord shall call.” Surely this applies to us to