Posts Tagged ‘Bible Study’
Where Balaam Went Wrong
To many Bible readers Balaam the son of Beor is an enigma. Nothing is known of him except for a brief though highly significant encounter with Israel, but that encounter reveals a disturbing and seemingly contradictory character. Is Balaam a fearless servant of the Lord, defying Balak to bless Israel? Or is he a conniving…
Read MoreGeneral Meditations on the Bible
Ed. Note: Our friend John Mincy started a project of daily Scripture meditations on his FaceBook page. For your edification, we would like to share them from time to time. This first piece contains thoughts on the Bible itself, our precious word from God. Revelation (the Bible is revealed by God to prophets and apostles);…
Read MoreThe Believer’s Certainty that the Scriptures Are the Final Authority for Belief and Behavior (Part 4)
The Scriptures Counsel by Establishing Correct Behavior Finally, God’s Word “trains” or “disciplines in righteousness” (πρὸς παιδείαν τὴν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, 2 Tim 3:16d). The training is designed to produce conduct whereby “righteousness” (δικαιοσύνῃ) becomes a reality in the life of the believer. Holiness literally means, “to cut,” “to separate,” or to be “set apart”.1 Theologically…
Read MoreThe Believer’s Certainty that the Scriptures Are the Final Authority for Belief and Behavior (Part 2)
The Scriptures Convict by Exposing Incorrect Belief Paul’s unique choice of words (ἐλεγμός) which occurs only here in the NT has the sense of “rebuke” (2 Tim 3:16b). In other words, a correct apprehension of Scripture refutes error. Paul expresses the identical concept in 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out…
Read MoreJeremiah’s Victorious Vision
The Confessions of Jeremiah, part 3 Jeremiah 17:12-18 In this world of woe and war, we need a victorious vision. As Moses saw Him who was invisible (Hebrews 11:27), Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up sitting on His throne (Isaiah 6:1), the Apostle John saw Jesus glorified (Revelation 1:12-18), so Jeremiah sees the…
Read MoreWhat Will Sustain You in the Hour of Trial?
I’m doing some preaching/teaching in our church about “thinking about Scripture,” or Christian meditation. In our day and age, you might get a little nervous about the word “meditation.” In the non-Christian sense, meditation has the idea of “emptying the mind.” In the Christian sense, meditation has the idea of filling the mind with Bible…
Read MoreTrusting God in Traumatic Times
The Confessions of Jeremiah, Part 1 Jeremiah 11:18-Jeremiah 12:6 Jeremiah 12:5-6 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? For even…
Read MoreApplying the Bible after the Manner of the Bible
In my previous article, I explained that the nature and teaching of the Bible calls for its application to our present circumstances. This article will, I trust, uncover examples in Scripture that model direct application in preaching. “Direct application” refers to going beyond the explicit statement of the biblical text and discovering relevance for the…
Read MoreUnderstanding Narrative Passages
We are all probably very familiar with the narratives of Scripture. If you are a new Christian, the narratives might still be new to you. Over time, they will all become familiar. We love to tell and retell these stories. Familiarity breeds, not contempt in this case, but probably some loss of understanding. In addition,…
Read MoreApplying the Bible According to the Bible
I’d like to address an important topic for any preacher: how to apply the text to the contemporary audience. Application scares many pastors, with some asserting that they leave application entirely to the Holy Spirit. While the Holy Spirit is the power behind both the interpretation and application of Scripture, trying to “leave it all…
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