Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2576 to 2600 of 5000 results

Ephesians 2:1-10

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... reconciliation. However, believers need to recognize that the NT uses a number of different words and concepts when it talks about salvation or the process whereby one becomes a Christian. When, for example, one wants to know how to receive salvation, Scripture states that salvation is through faith (Mark 16:16; Acts 16:30, 31; Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8, 9), repentance (2 Cor. 7:10; 2 Pet. 3:9), confession (Acts 19:18; Rom. 10:9), regeneration (Titus 3:5), and baptism (Acts 22:16; 1 Cor. 6:11; 1 Pet. 3:21). Since ...

2577. The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-20

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... 2:16; 19:15). The word of God is not only the gospel (1 Pet. 1:25) but all of the words of God that come from his Spirit. “Salvation is the Christian’s helmet, the indwelling Spirit is his sword. The Spirit gives him the word to speak” (cf. Mark 13:11, and Isa. 51:16; Houlden, p. 339; also Mitton, p. 227). 6:18 Although the military imagery continues into this verse—arm yourselves and be alert—the prayer to which the readers are summoned should not be taken as a seventh piece of the Christian’s ...

2578. Freedom From Human Regulations Through Life With Christ

Colossians 2:6-23

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... makes to the Pharisees: “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men’ ” (Matt. 15:7–9; cf. Mark 7:7). A similar concern occurs in Titus 1:13–14, where Paul appeals to them to be “sound in the faith” and to “pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth.” The church of Jesus Christ continually ...

2579. Rules for Holy Living

Colossians 3:1-17

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... in a negative way: Put to death, therefore.… This list of prohibitions belongs to a category of vices that are scattered throughout the NT (cf. Matt. 15:19; Mark 7:21, 22; Rom. 1:24, 26, 29–32; 13:13; 1 Cor. 5:10–13; 6:9–10; 2 Cor. 12:20; Gal. 5:19–21; Eph. 4 ... (RSV), literally, a desire to have more, to appropriate another’s possessions. Since the NT has many warnings against this sin (cf. Mark 7:22; Rom. 1:29; 1 Cor. 6:10; Eph. 5:3), it is not clear whether its occurrence here is linked with ...

2580. Final Greetings

2 Thessalonians 3:16-18

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... his influence, his Spirit, to come to bear on our lives) and reconciling us to God through the cross (cf. Eph. 2:14; Col. 1:20; also Mark 9:50). 3:17 It was unusual for a letter writer in the ancient world to sign his or her name at the end, as is ... the bulk of the letter at his or her dictation. Paul adopts this practice here, claiming in fact that this was the distinguishing mark in all (of his) letters. Elsewhere he draws attention to it explicitly in 1 Corinthians 16:21; Galatians 6:11; Colossians 4:18 ...

2581. Overseers and Deacons

1 Timothy 3:1-16

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... 1 and 2, but now sing the ongoing ministry of Christ through his church. But the problem arises at line 6, he was taken up in glory. The word was taken up elsewhere in the NT refers to the Ascension (Luke 9:51; Acts 1:2, 11, 22; cf. Mark 16:19). How, then, does the Ascension follow the apostolic ministry? The answer seems to lie with the phrase in glory, which less likely refers to the place of his exaltation as to its manner, that is, it was “glorious” or “accompanied with glory.” Like line 3, then ...

2582. Paul's Charge to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:11-21

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... For Paul, even though such false teaching must be resisted, there is always a tragic element to what has happened in Ephesus: Some (the false teachers and their followers?) have professed it, and in so doing have wandered from the faith. It is this wandering from the faith (“miss the mark with regard to the faith,” BAGD; cf. 1:6) by some within the church that has exercised Paul throughout and is ultimately the reason for the letter (see 1:3–7, 19–20; 4:1–2; 5:15, 20; 6:10; cf. 2:14; 3:6–7; 5:5 ...

2583. Godlessness in the Last Days

2 Timothy 3:1-9

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... End, the coming of the New Age, has already been set in motion with the coming of Christ. Thus Timothy is reminded (mark this; or as the RSV, “understand this”) that the presence of the false teachers belongs to the well-known eschatological phenomenon that ... :1–3; Assumption of Moses 8:1; 4 Ezra 5:1–12; 2 Baruch 25–27; 48:32–36; 70:2–8). It was picked up by Jesus (Mark 13:3–23), and the early church saw the increase of evil as evidence that the End had already begun (cf. 1 Cor. 7:26; 1 John 2 ...

2584. What Must Be Taught to Various Groups

Titus 2:1-15

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... leads to verse 14. 2:14 What more he has to say concerns salvation as a past event, effected in the crucifixion of Christ, in which he gave himself for us. This is thoroughly Pauline language (e.g., Gal. 1:4), echoing the words of Jesus in Mark 10:45. In this instance Paul offers two reasons for Christ’s giving himself for us, corresponding to the “two-way” ethical response in verse 12. It reflects the imagery of the Exodus, where God redeemed his people by delivering them from Egypt. First, he died ...

2585. Warning Against Falling Away

Hebrews 5:11-6:12

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... is actual from what is only apparent. In one sense, because of the very nature of apostasy, the word impossible must be taken as absolute. This sin is not like any other sin: it is the unforgivable sin because it undercuts the very basis of salvation (cf. Mark 3:29; 1 John 5:16). Those guilty of true apostasy thus, as our author states, are crucifying the Son of God all over again. That is, they align themselves with the enemies of God who crucified Jesus and hence figuratively do so themselves. By using ...

2586. Christ's Sacrifice Once for All

Hebrews 10:1-18

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... (see v. 6). In addition to Ps. 40:6, see Ps. 51:16; 1 Sam. 15:22, and the following passages from the Prophets: Isa. 1:11; Hos. 6:6; Amos 5:21–22; Mic. 6:6–8 (cf., also, Jesus’ use of this perspective in Matt. 9:13; Mark 12:33). Thus the readers would have been familiar with this polemic, although not with the way in which our author utilizes it. Judaism, after the fall of Jerusalem, was able on the basis of this polemic to assert the reality of forgiveness without animal sacrifices. For our author ...

2587. A Call to Persevere

Hebrews 10:19-39

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... . See 7:22; 9:15–18; 10:12–18, and the reference in 13:20 to “the blood of the eternal covenant.” The word for “common” (koinos), which occurs only here in Hebrews (but cf. the participial form in 9:13), is a cultic word meaning “unclean” or unholy (cf. Mark 7:2; Acts 10:14; 11:8; Rev. 21:27). See F. Hauck, TDNT, vol. 3, pp. 789–97. For the verb sanctified (hagiazō), see note on 2:11. By Spirit of grace is meant the gracious Spirit, the one who is the vehicle of God’s grace whereby we ...

2588. Living for God

1 Peter 4:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... from any human effort to the divine figure who has both prompted and brought to fruition a portion of service. Additional Notes 4:7 Be clear minded: The Greek verb sōphronein means to have a sober attitude, to keep one’s head—it can contrast being demon-possessed (Mark 5:15) or being out of one’s mind (2 Cor. 5:13), or overproud, too high-minded (Rom. 12:3). Self-controlled, from nēphein, to abstain from wine; metaphorically, to be calm, circumspect. The verb is also used in 1:13 and 5:8. 4:8 Deeply ...

2589. Suffering for Being a Christian

1 Peter 4:12-19

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... who can stand before Him when He rises in His fierce wrath?” (Midrash Rabbah 29.9 on Exod. 20:1). The phrase the gospel of God (the revelation made by God of his own character and his required response from human beings) appears in this letter only here (also Mark 1:14; six times in Paul), although the corresponding verb occurs in 1:12, 25; 4:6). 4:18 The righteous is singular, the righteous one. In 1 Enoch 38:2 the term is a messianic title: “When the Righteous One appears before the eyes of the elect ...

2590. A Call to Persevere

Jude 1:17-25

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... houtoi once more) who divide (apodiorizein). The Greek verb occurs in the NT only here and rarely elsewhere, and means “to mark out boundaries in order to separate.” By the way these men are carrying on, they are in effect drawing a ... Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:1–5; Didache 16.3. Jesus himself had alerted disciples to the certain rise of those who could lead others astray (Mark 13:5–6, 21–22). In the last times (ep’ eschatou tou chronou): The same notion is rendered in several ways in the LXX and in early ...

2591. Bazalel and Oholiab

Exodus 31:12-18

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... two tablets. In 34:1–4 Moses receives the second set of “two tablets.” The following texts also refer to the tablets: 24:12; 31:18; 32:15–16, 19; 34:1, 4, 28–29. Exodus 32:16 associates the “finger of God” with the “writing of God.” It marks God’s personal investment in the law. The narrative style of the first part of Exodus resumes in this last verse and continues in the crisis at Sinai (32:1–34:35). If not for the golden calf, the text could have moved directly and smoothly to 35:1 ...

2592. The List of Exiles Who Returned

Ezra 2:1-70

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... :70 Verse 70 rounds off the list by echoing the end of verse 1. In the narrative context this sentence marks the conclusion of a single return in an idealistic representation of the birth of the new community. Additional Notes 2 ... Hoglund, Achaemenid Imperial Administration, pp. 75, 80. For the Urim and Thummim, see Exod. 28:30; Num. 27:21. They were evidently small objects marked with symbols to indicate a yes or no response. The high priest carried them in the breastplate attached to the ephod. The ephod is ...

2593. Opposition to the Rebuilding

Ezra 4:1-5

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... chapters—that the people of God had to be defined in exclusive terms and differentiated from self-professed aliens. It is sometimes necessary for a group of believers to stand uncomfortably alone as the trustees of divinely revealed truth. To decide who is “for us” (Mark 9:40) or who “belong to us” (1 John 2:19) is not an easy or necessarily final matter. The exclusivity displayed here is modified to a certain degree in 6:2l. The specific information that those who made the offer were deported by ...

2594. Tattenai's Letter to Darius

Ezra 5:1-17

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... to work to rebuild the temple, as Haggai 1:12, 14 attest. “Set to work,” literally “arose,” is the narrator’s own phrase. He used it two times before, in 1:5 and 3:2, as the NASV attests for English readers. Each occurrence marks a significant step forward in accomplishing the first mission, first with reference to the return home and then to rebuilding the altar. Now the final phase was being launched. The reference to the help given by the prophets assumes a knowledge of the prophetic material ...

2595. Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem

Nehemiah 2:1-10

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... to this initial stage and gave it a basically religious interpretation (Israelites, as in 1:6), as a battle between spiritual truth and error. The clashes with neighboring political authorities encountered in the first mission and the mixed marriages that marked the second will be climactically combined in this final mission. Nehemiah’s appointment to make Jerusalem well defended and self-sufficient must have meant a shift in the political balance of power between Judah and the neighboring regions, while ...

2596. Ezra Reads the Law

Neh 7:73b–8:18

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... of two days of reading and teaching the Torah is described in 7:73b–8:12, and verses 13–18 describe the second day that leads into a week of readings. A pattern of coming together (REB “assembled,” vv. 1, 13), taking the Torah to heart, and joy marks both sections. 7:73b–8:8 The Israelites celebrated a minor festival, the feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:24–25; Num. 29:1–6), on the first day of the seventh month. It was a holiday and a time of sacred assembly. The community judged it a convenient ...

2597. The Israelites Confess their Sins

Nehemiah 9:1-37

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... stairs of the Levites” (NRSV). The overlap of names with v. 5, 8:7, and 10:9–13 indicates that Levites are in view. We are not told where the stairs were. Perhaps they led up to the portico of the temple. 9:5 Concluding calls to praise, marking the close of the service, seem to be intended here. Blenkinsopp, Ezra-Nehemiah, p. 296, has compared the doxologies that close the first four books of the Psalms, Ps. 41:13; 72:18–19; 89:52; 106:48. Blessed be is lit. “and let them bless” with an indefinite ...

2598. Nehemiah's Final Reforms

Nehemiah 13:1-31

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... of the formula comes after a survey of Nehemiah’s reforms at the close (13:31b). Rhetorical questions are a feature of his verbal reactions to those responsible for the problems in the second and subsequent reforms. An introductory In those days (13:15) marks the transition to the third and fourth reforms. This general time marker and the remembrance formula indicate that 13:4–31 falls into four sections: verses 4–14; 15–22; 23–29, and the concluding verses 30–31. While not all of the material ...

2599. Esther's Request to the King

Esther 5:1-8

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

... ) mutilated—again, by forcing the king to honor the same open-ended promise (made at his birthday party). This story incidentally illustrates the way in which the royal word (be it promise or edict) can bind even the king (Herodotus, Hist. 9.109–111; cf. Mark 6:23). 5:8 Come tomorrow to the banquet: The rationale for Esther’s decision to ask for a second banquet has given rise to a great deal of speculation. It is possible that the syntax of v. 7 reflects hesitancy and indeterminacy on Esther’s ...

2600. Proverbs of Solomon

Proverbs 19:1-29

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

... Additional Notes. Verse 22b is rendered correctly, but the connection between the two lines is not clear. Translations vary considerably: “Greed is a reproach to a man” (the NJPS, marked as uncertain); McKane (Proverbs) follows the LXX, “A man’s productivity is his loyalty.” 19:23 Synonymous. Verse 23b is harsh and the NJPS has marked it as of uncertain meaning. Literally, the MT has, “And satisfied he dwells, he will not be visited by evil.” See the Additional Notes. Despite this, the meaning ...

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