Twenty percent of all Greek New Testament words (or 1 in 5) occur fewer than fifty times. Danger or risk occurs eight times in 2 Corinthians 11:26. Revelation 21:20 contains 8 hapax legomena (words occurring only one time), the most for any verse in the New Testament. Only about 525 verses in the New Testament…
God has regulated worship. By this, I mean that God Himself has designated/prescribed in His Word both the avenues and attitudes He desires of those who draw near Him in worship (John 4:24). What follows is a checklist for improving our worship.
Even the best of people sometimes get discouraged. After all, even the sun has a “sinking spell,” doesn’t it? Discouragement can especially be prevalent in the work of the Lord, and for a variety of reasons. But at the heart of all the reasons should be the awareness that the Devil is not going to…
A look at the book of James reveals James as a fellow who knows how to make his point! He is a preacher, church leader and lover of the people of God – the church. The book is full of imperatives and exhortations to greater growth and maturity in Jesus, and James goes about this…
Low views of Scripture do not lead to high views of preaching, teaching or even hearing and learning God’s word (See 1 Thessalonians 2:13). And the impact of such views can be devastating to families, churches, and souls. By low views of Scripture what is meant is any view that ultimately fails to see God…
It isn’t uncommon to hear people ask, “How can I be a better Bible student?” Certainly, nothing in the world could be more important than knowing God and His will and using such knowledge to love Him more and serve Him better. While many helpful volumes have been written on how to properly handle God’s…
Psalm 51 In this well-known psalm of repentance, David comes clean before God concerning his sin with Bathsheba and his having Uriah killed (read 2 Samuel 11 & 12). The words of David are especially appropriate from another occasion: “The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). Few…
Of the making of books there is no end (Ecclesiastes 12:12), and in no case does this hold more true than in the publishing of biblical commentaries. Commentaries on books of the Bible are everywhere; they come in all sizes and shapes, and with incredible variety in style, background and approach. I thought it might…
While the book of Revelation may at times prove challenging for the best of Bible students, it is especially a fertile field for bizarre teaching and false doctrine when its initial readers are overlooked and its rich symbolism is misunderstood. Appreciating the book’s historical context, along with Revelation’s uniqueness from a literary perspective (e.g. apocalypse,…
What is preaching? Ours is a time when the word in many circles has less than positive connotations. Consider these 7 components of biblical preaching – preaching that honors God and shows real concern for the eternal welfare of people. PREACHING IS PROCLAMATION. There is a message to be heralded, there are words to be…