Christians are free to celebrate the anticipation of Christmas Day how they want. I have never really lit candles representing Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace but certainly don’t mind others doing so providing that they, hopefully in some way, think of the incarnation every day. That’s how I like to think of Christmas and Easter, not only on their accepted calendar dates. Initially, Advent referred … Continue reading The Incarnation Was the Eternal Son’s Addition Not Subtraction

“Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” (Mk. 8.15 NIV) “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Mt. 16.6 NIV) Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (Mt.16.12 NIV) … Continue reading The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herodians

Here is an example of detective work applied to a biblical manuscript. The video is a fascinating example of sleuthing just published Nov. 2021. Enjoy! At the SBL Annual Meeting in San Diego I gave a presentation on Archaic Mark (GA 2427), “tying up some loose ends.” This paper was originally slotted for another day, but since the session was turned into a virtual one … Continue reading Modern Manuscript Sleuths

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ “Or suppose a king is about to go … Continue reading Salt Becoming Foolish-More Evidence: Luke 14.28-35

And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged (Jn. 16.8-11 ESV). Until I read this article, I was going to develop this section in Jn. 16 and … Continue reading The Non-Salvific Benefits of Common Grace — PeterGoeman.com

The most important aspect, I believe, of the account of the expert of the Mosaic Law asking Jesus point blank what one needed for eternal life most Christians miss. I just surveyed five sermons by good Evangelicals and they all missed this important point. Granted, they all gave other points and drew lessons from the parable of The Good Samaritan which were admirable and relevant. … Continue reading The Context of The Parable of The Good Samaritan Misunderstood

He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” (Mk. 2.25-6 NIV) But only you and your sons may serve as priests … Continue reading Jesus was Correct in Naming Abiathar as High Priest-Mk. 2.26

Not a single artist, that I have witnessed, has accurately reproduced the scene of the Sermon on the Mount (or Plain). This maybe not a big deal to most readers but, I believe, it illustrates how readers often miss fine points that are clearly in the text. Some might even come to the bible and think a contradiction occurs between “mountain” and “plain.” However, by … Continue reading The Physical Aspect of the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5.1, Lk. 6.17)

Your First Father Sinned and Your Mediator Rebelled Against Me (Is. 43.27 my translation) Tucked into Isaiah 43, God reminds the transgressors in Israel that the head of the human race fell from original innocence, and therefore Adam’s progeny inherited his sin and guilt. Most English versions translate this verse differently but without warrant. For example, the NET, ESV, and NIV all render the second … Continue reading Adam as Mediator

When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before you. (Ps. 50.21 NIV) To the superficial religious folks of Asaph’s day a judgment was soon to arrive. To regard God as just an enhanced version of oneself is the typical view of those who know not God. In reality, … Continue reading You Thought the “I Am” was Altogether Like You-Ps. 50.21

Originally posted on Bible Archaeology Report:
The books of Joshua and Judges describe the settlement of the Israelites in the Promised Land. Some have suggested the archaeological evidence does not support the biblical description of the conquest of Canaan in the 15th century BC1. This can be based on a faulty reading of the biblical text, expecting widespread destruction throughout the region and instantaneous new… Continue reading Top Ten Discoveries Related to Joshua and the Conquest

Genesis 46’s presentation of Jacob’s family tree is a remarkable composition. One of its lists contains an unusual sub-total, which is typically dismissed as an artefact of incompatible traditions, yet is clearly no accident. Its purpose is to draw us into the text and to prompt us to consider its many numerical properties, which embody… Jacob and His Family’s Complexities — Thoughts on Scripture Continue reading Jacob and His Family’s Complexities — Thoughts on Scripture

Presence of the Lord By Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood I have finally found a way to live just like I never could beforeI know that I don’t have much to give, but I can open any doorEverybody knows the secret, everybody knows the scoreYeah, yeah, yeah, yeahI have finally found a way to live in the colour of the Lord I have finally found … Continue reading Everybody Knows the Secret, Everybody Knows the Score

You shall count off seven Sabbaths of years, seven times seven years; and there shall be to you the days of seven Sabbaths of years, even forty-nine years. Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. You shall make the fiftieth year holy, and proclaim liberty … Continue reading The Jubilee Trumpet of Liberty

Many folks are confused by this statement of Jesus in Jn. 10.8. Reading only the Old Testament, readers are puzzled by the reference that it somehow cites biblical characters. The solution to this designation of “robbers” is to see Jesus pointing to the politicos found in the time between the Testaments. Here is a podcast previewing an upcoming publication, by George Athas, which deals with … Continue reading All Who Came Before Me were Thieves and Robbers-Jn. 10.8

The best Reformer, in my view, was Balthasar Hubmaier. Though, while still a Roman Catholic early in his career, he, unfortunately persecuted Jews banishing them and burning their synagogue. Later, he disputed with Zwingli holding to Believer’s Baptism which Zwingli rejected. Zwingli had him tortured and coerced Hubmaier to recant, which, after leaving Zwingli’s jurisdiction, he bemoaned and repented of his weakness. Eventually, Hubmaier was … Continue reading Balthasar Hubmaier

High up on the list of some of my life’s greatest ministry privileges has been the opportunity to serve at Placerita Bible Church for twenty-four years as a lay elder. During that time I have been allowed to share the pulpit ministry many times. Reformation Sunday 2021 (October 31) was the most recent such opportunity.… The Supremacy of Scripture — DrBarrick.org Continue reading The Supremacy of Scripture — DrBarrick.org

“The leper in whom the plague is shall wear torn clothes, and the hair of his head shall hang loose. He shall cover his upper lip, and shall cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ (NIV) Clearly, the covering of the upper lip involved the whole mouth where the covering would lessen others being infected. The priest would examine the subject and rule for quarantines if the situation warranted. … Continue reading The Covering of the Upper Lip (Mouth) During Plague-Lev. 13.45

A good resource for the content of our prayers is the Book of Psalms and the text at beginning of Paul’s Epistles. Paul will often tell his letter’s recipients exactly how he is praying for them early on in his letters. This way, prayers are biblically inspired-what was on the heart of the biblical writers and recorded for us. The first chapter of Ephesians gives … Continue reading Biblical Prayers

Life is one long, steady disappointment. This dawns on most people by their thirties. Childhood is all potentiality. The teenage years are all angst—but even angst betrays some hope, since it is only quiet outrage that things could be better. A person can still carry into his twenties the illusion that the world will soon… A Theology of Disappointment — Southern Equip Continue reading Seeking a Better Country

4 Examples of How Knowing Original Greek Improves Your Understanding of the Text | Crossway Articles Continue reading 4 Examples of How Knowing Original Greek Improves Your Understanding of the Text | Crossway Articles

“The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived and dishonest – but the myth – persistent, persuasive and repeated.”— John F. Kennedy Continue reading Quote of the Day

Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. (Jn. 12.24 WEB) But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. For … Continue reading Jesus Barleycorn Must Die

The Christian’s authentic service to God flow from their new nature. They are children of God and resemble Him in their attitudes and actions. “We love, because He first loved us.” Here is an article which expresses the roles of faith and disciple well. The Dark Side of Self-Discipline Continue reading The Relationship Between Faith and Works

Here is a study of some forms of slavery and their rationale in ancient times. This study does not examine ancient Greek or Roman slavery, for which we also have abundant literature, nor the slavery occurring among the Israelites. Israelite slavery was probably adopted, in part, from the surrounding cultural milieu in which they interacted. This topic of Israelite slavery could be studied more thoroughly, … Continue reading Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Slavery

“Facts don’t care about your feelings.” So says the pinned tweet on bestselling author and popular conservative podcast host Ben Shapiro’s Twitter account. Is it a fact that facts don’t care about our feelings? What are our other options? Friedrich Schleiermacher had an answer that Shapiro (and orthodox Christians) wouldn’t appreciate. The father of liberal… Do Facts Care about Your Feelings? — Southern Equip Continue reading Do Facts Care about Your Feelings? — Southern Equip

“To the Ephesians” (Eph. 1.1), in preserved biblical texts, is most likely a later addition inserted into Paul’s letter. It can be said with certainty that copies of this letter found its way to Ephesus since Paul meant it as a circular letter (see Col. 4.16). Simon Peter, in his last correspondence to the churches, was aware of Paul’s letters and endorsed them as scripture … Continue reading The Letter to the Church of Laodicea is Probably Our “Ephesians”

The Gospel Sent Abroad The Holy Spirit, presumably speaking through the Christian prophets ministering in Antioch, indicated the intent to further the message of Christ in Cyprus and Asia Minor. God commissioned Paul and Barnabas to preach the Gospel, first, to the Jews in the synagogues, and then to everyone else. They were sent by the church, which meant that the church financially supplied them … Continue reading The Ignored Witness of Benevolence

The Kingdom in Heaven The Kingdom of God is now both in heaven and on earth. However, they are in different guises. Christians are citizens of the New Jerusalem (Gal. 4.26, Phil. 3.20) and are now ambassadors on earth (2Cor. 5.20). Clearly, an ambassador is an alien in the country where they serve; they represent a foreign entity. This is what Abraham was as he … Continue reading Where is the Kingdom of God Presently?

The account of God raising up Moses to lead the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt is one of the most important biblical events. In fact it is the most frequently mentioned event in the entire Old Testament, referred to over 120 times in subsequent stories, laws, poems, Psalms, historical writings and prophecies.1 […] Top Ten Discoveries Related to Moses and the Exodus — … Continue reading Top Ten Discoveries Related to Moses and the Exodus — Bible Archaeology Report