When we hear the word “apology” today it is always tied to the idea of conceding fault, at least in American vernacular. However, in New Testament times, the word from which we derive “apology” meant virtually the opposite it does today. In Acts 22.1, Paul uses apologia when giving his defense before the king. He is not apologizing in the modern American sense of the word … Continue reading I Apologize

Sheila Walsh (The Stream) captures the essence of the Christian walk in the last sentence of her description of orphaned lambs. What a person really believes works its way out in their conduct, it manifests itself. The orphaned lambs knew the shepherd’s care by previous association, they trusted him and so were the first to run to him. We often fail, but Jesus never fails so … Continue reading Poignancy Illustrated

 http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2016/04/roman-catholicism-distorts-biblical.html Leonardo De Chirico has revised and re-posted an article of his that demonstrates how the Roman Catholic distortion of time plays a major role in its current ecclesiology (which is, as I’ve mentioned, its major selling point in the post Vatican II era). He focuses on two words, two biblical measures of time, “hapax” (“once for all”) and“mallon” (“for evermore”) As Protestants, we believe … Continue reading Temporal Distortions: Rome

Mark Oppenheimer distinguishes the level of commitment by whether one uses an adjective or noun as a descriptor:  With Christians, the answer will vary depending on the kind of Christian you’re talking to. Liberal Protestants may say, “I’m Christian,” using the adjective, but many evangelicals, born-again Christians, and other passionate believers will say, “I’m a Christian.” It sounds a little jarring to more secular or … Continue reading Noun or Adjective?

If we consider the Gospel of John a sort of “Day Planner” for Jesus, we have nearly complete activity recorded for two weeks of the earthly ministry of Jesus. The first is in John 1:19—2:11 where a… Source: The week leading to the crucifixion & resurrection Continue reading The week leading to the crucifixion & resurrection

In another post I mentioned how the Quintcentenial of Erasmus’ Greek New Testament is approaching (March 1, 2016). Just about a year and a half later (Oct. 31, 1517), after its publication, Luther tacked his 95 theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg Castle. So Erasmus’ work was in many ways pivotal yet it lacked integrity to a certain degree. One area of … Continue reading The King James and The Comma Johanneum

Ex. 23.19 (also Ex. 34.26, Dt. 14.21) gives a seemingly strange prohibition: “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” (ESV). So observant Jews today do not eat cheeseburgers or pepperoni pizza in case the cheese and beef are some how related. What did this ancient ban mean? One consideration should be pointed out when reading the Old Testament text: the Hebrew was … Continue reading Boiling a Kid in its Mother’s Milk

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or … Continue reading Melchizedek “Made Like” the Son of God

Some folks think that if they believe hard enough God will save them. This is not the case. Faith is not something we work up as if it is native to us. Instead it is a response to hearing the message of the Gospel. God gives us saving faith. This is explained in 2Pet. 1.1: Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have … Continue reading Divine Election: Redemptive Love

The apostle quotes Ps. 34 giving a recipe for enjoyment while in this life. God wants to bless us and tells us how to find the blessed life. 1Peter 3.10-12 corresponds to Ps. 34.12-16. Here are the two sections from the ESV: “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let … Continue reading The Good Life

This constant undivided union of two perfect natures in Christ’s person is exactly that which gives infinite value to His mediation and qualifies Him to be the very Mediator that sinners need.  Our Mediator is one who can sympathize because He is very man.  And yet, at the same time, He is one who can deal with the Father for us on equal terms because … Continue reading On the Hypostatic Union

James Montgomery Boice has some excellent advice to young people in his sermon series on the Minor Prophets (volume 2, p. 510). He identifies a major problem with young people today: As I counsel with people in our day, many of them young people, I am convinced that one of their biggest problems is that they expect shortcuts. They want a simple principle that will … Continue reading Cumulative Growth

Yeshua (Jesus) is described as the lion of the tribe of Judah. The image of the lion is one of strength and victory. It is the image of Messiah as a conquering king.Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has overcome to open the scroll and its seven seals. – Source: Lion of Judah Continue reading Lion of Judah

Towards the end of his post (please see source link at the bottom) Jenkins relates a story of harvesting wheat under Jewish supervision. This poignant account illustrates the extreme carefulness of keeping the commandment of the feast of unleavened bread. This harvested wheat would be kept until the next year during the traditional barley harvest in Israel or about 10 months. Of course these Jews … Continue reading Jewish Punctilliousness

By Lydia McGrew Having been raised as a conservative Baptist, I’m surprised that I only just last week ran across the following saying: If we can’t trust God about Genesis 1, how can we trust him about John 3:16? A moment’s googling shows that this question (or some version of it) is used by Answers in Genesis, the young-earth creationist organization, and specifically by Ken Ham … Continue reading Fallible Formulations

All human relationships are rooted in and grow in good ways on trust. Consider this: the one basic lesson that God teaches us is that he can be trusted. Therefore, we should entrust ourselves to him. The lie that Satan tempted Eve with was that God could not be trusted. Trust is rooted in truth and our experiencing over time a person’s faithfulness to truth. … Continue reading Truth, Trustworthiness and “Right Reason”

How a 29-Year-Old G. K. Chesterton Flipped 4 Arguments Against Christianity Upside-Down Jan 21, 2016 | Trevin Wax & Randy Huff Many of the sharpest and most influential thinkers in England during the first years of the 20th century were outspoken in their skepticism toward the central claims of Christianity. Men such as Robert Blatchford (1851-1943) leveled a number of forceful arguments against Christian doctrine, relying … Continue reading The Apologetic of G.K. Chesterton

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. This I command you—to love one another. (John 15.16-17 NET) When I was in bible college the teacher in one class engaged the students to define what the “fruit” referred to in John 15. It … Continue reading John 15.16: “Go and bear fruit”

Three texts name the Covenant of Salt in the bible. Lev. 2.13, Num. 18.19, and 2Chron. 13.5. However, they do not refer exactly to each other but are related. Lev.2.13 commands the symbolic use of salt in all the sacrifices of the Aaronic Priesthood. Additionally, Ezek. 43.24 commands the priests of a future temple to sprinkle salt on the burnt offering (and presumably the other offerings also) … Continue reading The Covenant of Salt

Many were the purposes why God gave The Mosaic Law to  Israel. One reason was to show God’s wisdom to the other nations so as to win respect and that they would turn to the One, Only True God. This happened on many occasions such as Uraiah the Hittite and probably the Pelethites who served under David later in his reign. Also the lineage of … Continue reading The (Major) Purpose of The Law

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinakillgrove/2015/12/08/this-one-bone-provides-the-only-skeletal-evidence-for-crucifixion-in-the-ancient-world/ Kristina Killgrove, a bioarcheologist at the University of West Florida, discusses Roman crucifixion and the singular evidence which remains to our day. This striking evidence gives credence to the promise of Gen. 3.15 referring to Christ’s sacrifice for humanity: “and he (the serpent) will pierce your heal.” A bite from a serpent was understood to be a death strike in the ancient world. However, … Continue reading This One Bone Is The Only Skeletal Evidence For Crucifixion In The Ancient World

This post will briefly and partially expound 2 Peter 3.8: that a single day is like a thousand years with the Lord and a thousand years are like a single day.  Peter in the context expounds several “days” which deserve careful consideration. The primary reference is the return of Christ in the “Day of The Lord”in vs. 7. Scoffers were focused on their expectation that Judgment … Continue reading Why Heaven Will Not Be Boring

In the early chapters of the book of Genesis it uses “Adam” to refer to ‘humanity’: When humankind [Adam] began to multiply on the face of the earth (NET Gen. 6.1). This then is what people are: Adamites. Acts 17.26 records Paul address to Greek philosophers at Athens where he claims this same idea of the unity of all people: and he made from one man every … Continue reading The Generic Use of “Adam”: Humanity

The last chapter of Revelation records Jesus saying three times that His return will be with “quickness” (tachu). This is the best translation of this Greek word to English. The angel also says those things revealed to John and Jesus’ servants will happen “quickly” (vs.6). The angel uses the same stem of the Greek word: takei. The Greek word tachu is used only 12 times … Continue reading Will the Return of Jesus be “Soon” or “Sudden”?

A verse that has always, at least to some degree, puzzled me is Jn. 1.17:  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ.(NET) What does this mean: Was the Law of Moses untruthful? No, since Rom. 7.12 states: So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good. (NET) The solution for me came about by continuous … Continue reading The Incomplete Mosaic Law

This instance recorded in Matthew and Luke occurs as part of the Sermon on the Mount (or Plain). Another reference to salt losing its flavor is found in Mark 9:50 and most likely is given at another time. The rationale for seeing Mark’s account as given at a different time relates to the nature of Jesus’ teaching ministry. Often the message given was the same … Continue reading Salt Losing its Flavor: Luke 14: 34-35, Matthew 5:13

In 2 Corinthians 3.6 Paul defines aspects of the New Covenant which are different from the Mosaic Covenant of the “letter”: who made us adequate to be servants of a new covenant not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (NET) Here Paul describes one of the Law’s functions: “to kill”. The sense of what Paul is saying … Continue reading The New Covenant in 1 John