July 4, 2019. “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 July 4th is a day that we as Americans typically hold in high regard as we reflect on who we are as a nation and the quintessential American value of…
Tag: Christ
The Divine Love, Pt. 3: God’s Answer to Evil.
December 14, 2017. This is a continuation of The Divine Love series. For a full-text PDF, click here! To begin with Part 1, click here. So, why hasn’t God done anything about evil? Now I believe we are in a good position to address this question. The question often comes as an indictment against God rather…
The Divine Love, Pt. 1: A Fundamental Truth.
December 12, 2017. It’s been quite some time since I have written something here, and I want to apologize for that. I love writing, and I want to get back into the habit of fleshing out some spiritual thoughts through this medium, as other priorities and plans seem to have taken precedence over this over…
Genesis 14: Melchizedek.
October 23, 2014. For my final class that I am teaching in Genesis this quarter, we are going to discuss a character that only gets three verses in the book of Genesis, but becomes very important in Christology, especially when discussing the priestly role of Christ. The story of Abram and Melchizedek is perhaps one…
Paul’s thorn.
August 7, 2016. “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.” (II Corinthians 12:7) Paul’s thorn in the flesh was mentioned, somewhat in passing, in a lesson…
Revelation 1-5: The revelation of Jesus Christ.
January 11, 2016. Reading: Revelation 1-5. Background: The book of Revelation holds a very unique position amongst Christian thought and theology. The book is a letter containing the revelation that the apostle John was given to send to the seven churches in Asia minor, probably near the end of the first century (though some argue that…
Hebrews 1-8: Jesus, the High Priest of a better covenant.
October 11, 2015. Daily Reading: Hebrews 1-8. Background: The book of Hebrews has often been praised as one of the most beautiful and theological books of the New Testament. The author of the book is unknown, and there have been many suggestions as to who wrote the book, ranging from Barnabas, Luke, or Apollos to even…
Psalm 87-89: Addressing God.
August 19, 2015. Daily Reading: Psalm 87-89. Background: Psalm 84-86. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 87 The city of God: A song of the sons of Korah, this psalm highlights the holy city of God (Jerusalem, whether physical or spiritual), often referred to as Zion, of which glorious are spoken of her. The first three verse of…
Freedom… to become slaves.
July 4, 2015. “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) Independence day is one of my favorite holidays of the year. It is a great time to be with family, without the stress that usually comes with the holiday season, eat together and celebrate the…
Colossians 1-2: The preeminent Christ.
June 28, 2015. Daily Reading: Colossians 1-2. Background: Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae is unique in the sense that this was not a church that had been originally founded on one of his missionary journeys, nor was it one to which he had personally visited (see 1:7, 2:1). It could have been founded…
Ephesians 1-3: Jews and Gentiles.
May 31, 2015. Daily Reading: Ephesians 1-3. Background: The book of Ephesians is a letter written by Paul to a church that was probably founded by his first journey there recorded in Acts 18, where he has a short visit; the work seems to be carried on by Priscilla and Aquila. At the time of his letter,…
Luke 1-2: The birth of John the Baptizer and Jesus.
May 16, 2015. Daily Reading: Luke 1-2. Background: Luke is the third gospel in the cannon and is written by a disciple of Christ who sets out to tell the story of Jesus in a ordered, historical fashion. Luke is known as a physician (see Colossians 4:14) and is the author of two books of…
Twenty Eight Eighteen 