Article archive
04/03/2017 08:02
Our initial considerations when beginning study of a book are who wrote it and when was it written. For Romans, we conclude that the Apostle Paul wrote it. The letter itself says so, the style of the letter is Paul’s. The focus of the letter aligns with Paul. There is really no good reason not to...
—————
03/20/2017 07:49
Jesus tells the Philadelphians that he knows them (3:8) as he had told the other churches. He begins recounting this knowledge by saying that he knows they have limited strength. In that, Jesus is not comparing them with the people of other churches. The Philadelphian Christians don’t have less...
—————
03/13/2017 07:25
Jesus promises reward to the Thyatiran overcomers of authority over the nations. The Greek translated authority is often translated as right (e.g., I Cor 9:6). It doesn’t mean here ruling mastery of subservient vassals. The authority granted here means the right of the God-focused over (or better,...
—————
03/09/2017 08:08
As with the other letters, the message to Pergamum ends with Christ’s urging to listen and promise to those who overcome. The victor here is promised hidden manna. Manna was the food—the sustenance—that helped the children of Israel survive through their tribulation ordeal in traveling from Egypt...
—————
03/04/2017 09:32
The letter to the church in Smyrna is next. The letter begins in form as did the one to Ephesus—providing one of the descriptions of Jesus. Here he is spoken of as “the First and the Last, the One who was dead and came to life.” Theses terms speak of control. Of course, the First and Last was one...
—————
02/20/2017 07:55
As John sees Jesus in 1:12–16, just as OT prophets did during their visions, he collapses before him in worship. And just as the OT messenger often did (Dan 10:8–10), the messenger here (Jesus) reaches out to touch him, giving him strength and encouragement. Jesus tells John not to be afraid, which...
—————
02/10/2017 07:19
We have viewed the entire book from the time John was called through the door of Heaven in the first verse of chapter 4 through the last chapter. We have seen the sun darkened, colored horses coming forth, a serpent, a prostitute, a beast from the sea, 10 horns on a beast’s head, a lake of fire,...
—————
01/31/2017 06:57
Overwhelmed by the image of relationship with God in the marriage and feasting scene and by the angel’s urging John to write that those invited are blessed, John falls before the angel in worship. This is one of the angels of the bowl judgments that has been revealing these scenes to John since...
—————
01/23/2017 08:29
We discussed what the fall of the Prostitute is—the failure of human-focused society’s belief that it can satisfy self with truth, goodness, and beauty. We also talked about when this occurred. In the same way that the Christ’s victory over sin and death was won at the atonement and continues...
—————
01/16/2017 08:37
With the encouragement to see things clearly from God’s view (“the mind with wisdom”), the angel proceeds to explain the imagery and what will occur. The first mention is of the seven heads of the beast. It is hard to turn aside from the notion that this describes Rome, and I’m not going to do so...
—————
