The Sadducees were sold on first five books of Scripture and found no resurrection there. What they did find was the levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). In Matthew 22:23-33 their argument to Jesus pits potential circumstances created through application of this law with the resurrection (as they understood it). Their conclusion was that the resurrection was not possible—GodContinue reading “What Bible Study Should Be”
Category Archives: Opening the Bible
What Are You Doing With Your Treasure?
We don’t know exactly when the wise men arrived in Bethlehem to see the Christ. They had followed the star to Jerusalem where they inquired, “Where is the One who has been born the King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2). You can almost see Herod strutting out of his throne room saying, “Here I am!”Continue reading “What Are You Doing With Your Treasure?”
Up All Night
“Worry is a prayer to the wrong god.” Jack Exum said that. I don’t know whether it was original to him or not but I know that it’s true. When we’re anxious and worried we are worshiping at the wrong altar. Paul told Timothy that “The Spirit God gave us does not make us timid,Continue reading “Up All Night”
Understanding Scripture Through Understanding God
Matthew 12:1-8 is what scholars like to refer to as a freighted passage. If you think of a railroad engine pulling a large number of loaded boxcars behind it then you have the picture. It is simply a way of saying that a particular text contains a significant amount of material that needs to be unloaded andContinue reading “Understanding Scripture Through Understanding God”
Trap Doors And Trip Wires
That Matthew 7:21-23 is a powerful piece of Scripture, no one would deny or wish to dispute! The loving and gentle Jesus makes it clear that neither sweet words (“Lord, Lord”) nor spectacular deeds (driving out demons, performing miracles), are a substitute for a surrendered life. It’s clear that Jesus is saying something critical here, butContinue reading “Trap Doors And Trip Wires”
This Is Our Story (2)
It is Jesus the church bears witness to. Verse 16 makes it clear it is Jesus the church holds up for the world to see. If you think about it, we all bear witness to numerous things in our lives. If you are employed, you bear witness to some degree to your place of employment—youContinue reading “This Is Our Story (2)”
This Is Our Story (1)
1 Timothy is full of meaningful specifics such as when Paul talks about the assembly and the differing roles for men and women (2:8-15), gives the qualifications for elders and deacons (3:1-13), or talks about supporting certain widows (5:3-16). This is exactly the kind of thing we would expect to find when we think aboutContinue reading “This Is Our Story (1)”
The Key To The Church
There is a lot of misunderstanding about church. It would have been interesting if Jesus had asked the disciples in Matthew 16:13ff, “What do people say the church is?” But of course, the church didn’t exist at that time, so He couldn’t do that. Still, the text has it right—what we think about Christ isContinue reading “The Key To The Church”
Something About The Pastoral Letters
The term pastoral letters (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus) is a bit of a misnomer. Timothy and Titus were not pastors in the sense in which the N.T. uses the word—that is, they did not limit their work to a single congregation as part of a group of mature men leading the congregation (seeContinue reading “Something About The Pastoral Letters”
The Blessing Of Mourning
Preachers are privileged to see life in all of its rawness as well as refinement. The refinement part tends to be the Sunday pageantry you see—people in their best and at their best. I have no problem with that. I know the good people against organized religion tend to think it’s all hypocrisy. It can be and sometimes isContinue reading “The Blessing Of Mourning”
