Three Powerful Examples of Black History from Scripture

Matt Recker During Black History month, it is good to highlight powerful examples of black history from the Bible. As I have lived in a black community for many years and also started and pastored churches with significant numbers of black Christians, I have learned to have a deep appreciation for black people, their godly…

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Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh

Tom Wheeler FrontLine • November/December 2008 2 Cor. 12:7–10 Christians for a long time have speculated about the identity of Paul’s thorn in flesh. It is interesting to consider what Paul was talking about. God has a helpful message for all believers in various kinds of trials through this divinely recorded experience of Paul. What…

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Book Review: Greek For Life

Reviewed by Wally Morris Benjamin L. Merkle and Robert L. Plummer: Greek For Life: Stategies for Learning, Retaining, and Reviving New Testament Greek (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic), 2017 My undergraduate college study was at the University of Georgia where I majored in Political Science, intending to go to law school, become a lawyer in south…

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The Neglected Stepchild of the Bible

Layton Talbert FrontLine • May/June 2003 This column has previously addressed the neglected stepchild of the New Testament, the diminutive but beautiful Book of Philemon. But to another volume belongs the dubious distinction of being perhaps the most misunderstood (and often abused) stepchild of the sacred library as a whole, both Old and New Testaments.…

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Killing Giants Sometimes

Thomas Overmiller Sometimes we draw the wrong lessons from Old Testament historical accounts, like David and Goliath for instance. Who hasn’t heard a sermon or a song about killing your giants? But is it really true that if you 1) obey your parents (1 Sam. 17:15), 2) see that there is a cause (1 Sam.…

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A helpful blog on Applying Narratives

posted by Don Johnson Today I’d like to highlight a blog post I ran across called: Implications or Applications?: Preaching Biblical Narratives Lest the average reader be put off (i.e. average reader = not a preacher) this article is helpful for personal application as well. When you read the narrative sections of Scripture, how do…

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Esther, Part 2: Theology, Purpose, and Problems

Layton Talbert FrontLine • November/December 2007 At a Glance: Ezra Part 1 ♦ Ezra Part 2 ♦ Nehemiah Part 1 ♦ Nehemiah Part 2 ♦ Esther Part 1 The Book of Esther is a classic of dramatic narrative laced with practical and theological implications, all the more subtle and insightful due to the book’s most…

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Esther, Part 1: Setting, Structure, and Themes

Layton Talbert FrontLine • September/October 2007 At a Glance: Ezra Part 1 ♦ Ezra Part 2 ♦ Nehemiah Part 1 ♦ Nehemiah Part 2 The last four installments of this column have surveyed the late historical books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The chronological companion of those two records is the book of Esther. This column…

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Questions about Imprecatory Prayers

Warren Vanhetloo Dear Dr. Vanhetloo, I am currently reading the Book of Psalms in my personal devotions and can’t help but be surprised by the vindictiveness of many of its parts. For example, in Ps. 104:35a: “Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more.” This is a…

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NEHEMIAH, Part 2: Reforming Messiah ’s People

Layton Talbert FrontLine • July/August 2007 At a Glance: Ezra Part 1 ♦ Ezra Part 2 ♦ Nehemiah Part 1 Opposition and delays in the work of God are always frustrating. It is easy to overemphasize our timetables and overestimate our importance to the work of God. We are short on time and are frustrated…

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