MAP DETAILS - Lists

26/02/24 10:39
There are lists all through Scripture. The authors didn't list things just to list them. Even the genealogies, that most find boring and a good way to get to sleep at night, have a reason for being recorded. Many times we have to put ourselves in their context to understand the reasoning of these lists but it's worth it. Look for any instances of two or more itemized things and observe what they are trying to say. When we see a list, we want to ask “How are these listed?” and “Why are they ordered in this way?”

And He said to them, “ Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe:In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover
Mark 16:15-18


This is a list stated by Christ. In error, we tend to take a few of the items literally and a few figuratively. While there are churches who handle snakes, Christ was not stating that we need to bring some rattlers to our next gathering. There is meaning in the list that is established by the subject of the conversation. The subject is “preaching the Gospel”. Therefore, we see Christ giving a list of how this will not be stopped. It will not be stopped by a division of languages, by the gates of hells, by evils of the world, by attempts to kill it off, or by natural evils of this world. This Gospel will go to the nations. We then see a practical example of each throughout the book of Acts, except the poison.

Look for differences in lists.

Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.”
29 So Jesus answered and said, “ Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, 30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first
Mark 10:28-31


Yeshua give’s two lists. Can you see what is different? I would so like to stop it here and not show you; and let you discover the gold here but I’m afraid you may miss it. If you notice, Christ does not mention “father” nor "wife" in the second list. Yeshua is moving from loosing physical things and family into gaining spiritual things and family on earth. There's only one Father which is in Heaven (Matthew 23:9) and we are not to have more than one wife. You may give up a house and land for the gospel but, if the church is acting like the church, you will still have homes to stay in and family to eat with. We see a practical application to this principle in Acts 2:44-47.

Lists may not be completely apparent. For example, Genesis 1 is a list of seven days (continuing into Genesis 2:3). In this list you see things repeated over and over like "it was good" or "evening and morning were…" If we slow down and notice these words repeating through the list we will notice that "it was good" is actually missing from day two and "evening and morning were…" is missing from day seven. These differences give us clues in the Treasure Map. You can read a better detailed article on the missing "it was good" at Why Us?

Notice the differences in list’s across books talking on the same subject. In both 1 Corinthians 12:7-14 and Romans 12:3-8, Paul is talking about how the church is a body working in unity through different Gifts of the Spirit; he then gives us a list in each. Yet, the list to each church is different. Notice the differences and ask “Why are they different?”