Tag: New Testament
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First Century Culture
Three considerations of the first-century culture and its peculiarities… It is obvious the first-century world was riddled with paganism and the various influences that brought, but I’m not sure we always appreciate the way that would have impacted the preaching of the gospel. We catch a glimpse of this in Acts 17 while Paul was…
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Revelation Replays
God rules from on high. I take the position that Revelation is rooted in the history of the original readers, but the points are repeated throughout history. Thus, the Apocalypse was written to the first-century Christians and the oppression, violence, and vitriol, that they were facing. The might, power, influence, and control of the Roman…
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Hebrews and James for Today
The old traditional hymn rings in my ears when reading epistles like Hebrews and James. “I have decided to follow Jesus… No turning back…” The Christian faith has serious demands placed upon it, demands that cannot be cast aside lightly. There is no turning back, there is no quitting, and there is no room for…
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False Teachers in Peter, John, and Jude
In some circles of modern theology, the topic of false teachers is avoided. Yet, the general epistles of Peter, John, and Jude can’t seem to leave the topic alone. This was a present danger in the first century and the danger has not left. We should be clear about a few things: (1) This is…
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Lessons from I Corinthians
The gospel calls us to do things that seem ignorant compared to the “enlightened world” around us. This may be more evident in Paul’s first Corinthian epistle than in other places. In chapter one Paul argues, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being…
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Lessons from Galatians
There is only one gospel. Within the framework of salvation, the Bible story, and certainly any discussion of theology, we must hold the viewpoint of no compromise. The gospel is a singularity, just like God who orchestrated it, the Bible that reveals it, and the cross of Christ that initiates it. Paul admonished his readers…
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Bible by the Book
The Bible is made up of 66 individual books, and that oftentimes makes it intimidating to start reading. What is each book about? Where does it fit in the narrative of Biblical history? Maybe a short synopsis of each book would be helpful! This brief article, by no means plumbs the depths of each book,…
The Preacher's Desk 