Posts Tagged ‘ Theology ’

What is the Bible in less than 500 words?

The authorship of the Bible is varied and debated. In light of this, one should not be bent out of shape if there are lingering questions on authorship. The Bible is broken up into two sections: the Old Testament (thirty-nine books) and the New Testament (twenty-seven books). The Old Testament can be divided up into [...]


Matthew 21 – The Challenge of Jesus

Matthew 21 might seem like a string of unrelated stories, but under a closer look, we are able to detect a powerful message. This chapter contains six stories. They are: Jesus’ humble and triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Jesus’ cleaning of the temple, Jesus’ cursing of the fig tree, the questioning of Jesus’ authority by the [...]


Gospel of Matthew – Introduction – Background

1. Authorship When it comes to the authorship of the Gospel of Matthew, there is no certainty. The early church believed that Matthew, the tax collector, from Matthew 9:9 was the author. For example, Eusebius quotes Papias, the bishop of Hierapolis: “Matthew complied the oracles in the Hebrew dialect, and everyone translated them as best as [...]


Ephesians – Studies on Ephesians – Slides

Ephesians Bible Study slides. Please click thumbnail to see slides and use the arrow on the bottom corners to go back and forth. To exit, just click any slide.


Matthew 6:25-34 – Goals and Byproducts

The older I become, the more the words of Matthew 6:25-34 ring true. The message in this text can be summarized in three points. First, people are prone to worry about the necessities and desires of life. Within in this context, Jesus mentions eating, drinking, and clothing, but we can broaden each of these. His [...]


Ezekiel 22:20-21 – The Power of One

Can single individuals make a difference? I suppose this is the age-old question with little consensus. However, for the Christian the answer should be a resounding “yes,” not because Christians are necessarily optimistic, but because there is a theological perspective that says that individuals do make a difference. Ezekiel 22:20-21 is a case in point. [...]


2 Corinthians 1:3-11 – Comfort

Who wants to be uncomfortable? This should be the easiest answer ever. No one. This is not only the default mode of the human heart, but also what our culture uniformly emphasizes, even the church (too often). So, when advice is given, it is usually based on our comfort. For example, what church a person [...]


Ezekiel 16 – Nature of Sin

In Ezekiel’s allegory of the unfaithfulness of Israel, he likens Israel to an exposed baby wallowing in an open field still in her mother’s blood.  (Ezekiel 16:1-5) No one took pity. No one deigned to cleanse the child or take care of her. Yet God in his unfathomable compassion took this little baby girl and [...]


Matthew 7:6 – Pearls to Swine?

Jean Leon Gerome 1824-1904 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw away your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” These are admittedly very difficult words to understand. What makes them even more difficult is that the direct context [...]


Leading Small Groups / Leadership – A few Tips

Leading a small group is a great privilege and it can be very rewarding. The key is to have a good biblical perspective on leadership and service in mind. If there is, there will be blessing. Many point can be made, but let me only mention five. In addition, so that the following advice does [...]


James – Bible Study – by S. Kim

JAMES 1:1-12: FAITH AND TRIALS (STUDY 1)


1 Peter 2:1-2:25 – Suffering Unjustly

If we read between the lines, the community that Peter addresses is undergoing some very difficult times. They appear to be suffering unjustly. We do not know the context any further than this, but we have Peter’s response to his people’s unjust treatment. He mentions two ways to live in view of unjust hardships. First, [...]


2 Peter 3:3-18 – Patience and Salvation

Patience and salvation are interwoven in this passage. Peter reminds his readers that the tarrying of the Lord is not due to a failure in the promises of God. In other words, God is not unfaithful or slow; he is just patient. Peter makes this point extremely clear. “But do not let this one fact [...]


2 Peter – An Overview and Call to Remember

Peter reminds his readers many times in 2 Peter. He makes this point very clear. In 2 Peter 1:12, he explicitly says, “I will always be ready to remind you…” From this point of view, we can say that Peter’s job description is to remind people.  In the same verse, he even admits that his [...]


James 5:2-3 – Theology of Judgment

Future and Present Judgment James 5:1-3 “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have [...]