“By the Deeds of the Law”
God, in His infinite wisdom, provided the scriptures for mankind written in a language perfectly suited for the message of redemption. The Koine Greek, which fell out of use in the centuries after the New Testament era, was a wonderfully precise and vivid language. It is certainly worth the Bible student’s time to carefully investigate […]
A Human Problem and a Divine Solution
Acts 6:1-6 records the account of a problem that threatened the peace and harmony of the Jerusalem church. From the very beginning of the church on Pentecost, brethren had been taught to love their brethren, and early Christians demonstrated their love for their brethren by selling property they had, giving the money to the apostles […]
“The Book of Daniel”
In 2006, NBC produced a series called The Book of Daniel. NBC touted the show as a serious drama. The main character is Daniel Webster, a drug-addicted Episcopal priest whose wife depends heavily on her mid-day martinis. Webster regularly saw and talked with a white-robed, bearded Jesus. The Webster family is rounded out by a […]
The Beneficial Effects of Suffering and Persecution
Acts 3-4 records the beginning of persecutions that Satan brought upon Jerusalem disciples: the imprisonment of two apostles at the hands of the chief rulers and Sadducees. The persecution was mild compared with the increased intensity brethren would suffer, and this beginning was a stark reminder of Jesus’ warning to His apostles: “But take ye […]
Be Separate Says the Lord
“Therefore, ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty’” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). It is clear that we have to be set apart […]
“Be Not Deceived”
Paul uses the expression, “Be not deceived” three times in his epistles. “Deceived” is variously translated as “seduce,” “err,” “astray” and “wander.” Obviously, Paul did not want his readers to be seduced or to be lead to wander. We are going to examine the occurrences of this phrase to see what concerned Paul enough to […]
“Beelzebub”
In an effort to better understand the Bible, this article will examine the us- age of the term “Baalzebub” in the Old Testament and the term “Beelzebub” in the New Testament. Some scholars believe that “Baalzebub” originated with an intentional biblical corruption of the original name “Baalzebul,” meaning, “Baal the prince.” However, Thayer claims that […]
The Blessedness of a Calming Voice
The Jewish council was angered that the apostles had refused to cease preaching in Jesus’ name after they had demanded they do so. Peter’s words, “We must obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29), did not help their feelings. Furthermore, when Peter told them they had crucified Christ, which they knew to be an innocent […]
The Battle of Armageddon
It seems that every time the country has a recession, premillennial speculations go on the upswing. The opposite is true for periods of prosperity: premillennial speculations decrease. When these speculations begin to circulate, people want to connect biblical events to events in the Middle East. I have heard it said that whenever someone sneezes in […]
Feeling the Consequences of Sin
The Sadducees were the liberal theologians of the first century. They denied man had an eternal soul, that there were any angels or spirits, and that there was a resurrection from the dead (Acts 23:8). When they attempted to silence Jesus in His teaching about the resurrection, they offered what they believed to be an […]