Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2626 to 2650 of 5000 results

Philippians 1:12-30

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... . Additional Notes 1:12 I want you to know is called a “disclosure formula” by J. L. White, The Form and Function of the Body of the Greek Letter, pp. 2–5, etc.; he adduces many examples of the use of such a formula to mark the transition from introductory thanksgiving to the body of the letter. Cf. also J. T. Sanders, “The Transition from Opening Epistolary Thanksgiving to Body in Letters of the Pauline Corpus, “JBL 81 (1962), pp. 348–62. Paul commonly words the formula negatively: “I do not ...

2627. Final Greeting

Philippians 4:21-23

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... usual to append one’s personal signature, although Paul does so—probably for special reasons—in 1 Corinthians 16:21; Colossians 4:18; 2 Thessalonians 3:17 (see also his signed I. O. U. in Philem. 19a). It was his autograph, not his signature, that was his authenticating mark in “all my letters” (2 Thess. 3:17); thus he starts the last section of his letter to the Galatians with the words: “See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!” (Gal. 6:11). 4:21 Paul greets all the ...

2628. Walking in the Light

1 John 1:5--2:14, 1 John 2:15-17

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... common: they emphasize obedience or the Christian walk as the test of claims to a profound spirituality. 2:3 The NIV does not translate the opening Greek particle, kai. But, like the kai which begins 1:5 (which the NIV also does not translate), it marks the beginning of a new section. The rest of the verse literally says, “By this we know (present tense) that we have come to know (perfect tense) him, if we keep his commands.” The If-clause explains the expression “by this”: “this” is obeying God ...

2629. God’s Love and Ours

1 John 4:7-21, 1 John 5:1-12

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... , to claim to love the father while refusing to love his children. Yet this is precisely what the schismatics do. What Jesus said about husband and wife may also be said of love for God and for one’s fellow believer, “What God has joined together, let man not separate” (Mark 10:9). 5:2 This verse begins with the last of the writer’s eight This is how we know statements (2:3, 5; 3:16, 19, 24; 4:2, 13). They reassure the readers of their spiritual standing before God (we know him, 2:3; we are in him ...

2630. Joy at Believers’ Walking in the Truth

3 John 1:1-14

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... :20, 24; cf. 3 John 12). See the Introduction for a discussion of the authorship of these letters. The elder writes to his dear friend (lit., “beloved”) Gaius. To call Gaius “beloved” (agapētos), as he will three more times in this brief letter (vv. 2, 5, 11), is to mark him as one of the elder’s loyal followers (cf. 1 John 2:7; 3:2, 21; 4:1, 7, 11), “beloved” because God has first loved them (1 John 4:11, 19). Gaius is a common Roman name used of three other individuals in the NT (Gaius of ...

2631. Abraham Tested

Genesis 22:1-19

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”) echoes Abraham’s willingness to offer his son to God (Daly, “Soteriological Significance,” p. 67). Daly finds other allusions to the Akedah in Romans 4:16–25; John 3:16; Mark 1:11; 9:7; and 1 Corinthians 15:4 (“Soteriological Significance,” pp. 65–74). The tie between the command for Abraham to offer up Isaac and God’s offering his own Son on the cross provides insight into why God tested Abraham in this manner ...

2632. Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

Genesis 28:10-22

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... to assure Jacob that the God of his fathers was directing his way in order that the blessings entrusted to his forefathers would be fulfilled through him. 28:18–19 Jacob took the stone he had placed about his head and set it up as a pillar, marking the place where God had appeared. He then poured oil on top of it, consecrating this stone as the place where a person could meet God. Jacob called that place Bethel. Formerly it was called Luz. In this account the appearance of God transforms the ordinary into ...

2633. Jacob Goes to Egypt

Gen 46:1–47:12

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... Jacob, Jacob stops along the way to worship God, and the reference to God as the God of the fathers (26:24; 28:13). Israel set out for Egypt, traveling from Hebron by way of Beersheba, where both Abraham and Isaac had lived for a time. This site marked the southern boundary of the promised land (2 Sam. 24:2). Before leaving the land of promise, Israel offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac (26:23–24; 28:13). God honored him by speaking to him in a vision, affectionately calling his name twice ...

2634. Jacob Blesses His Sons

Genesis 49:1-28

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... connected, as they were in the early days of the settlement, according to the book of Judges (H. Seebass, “Die Stämmesprüche in Gen 49 3–27,” ZAW 96 [1984], pp. 333–50). By the time of the monarchy, the destinies of the tribes were markedly different from those given here. Furthermore, in speaking of his sons as tribes Jacob builds a bridge from the patriarchal era to the league of twelve tribes. He does this in order to show how God would fulfill through each of them the promises to Abraham ...

2635. Love the Lord Your God

Deuteronomy 6:1-25

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... 32:39; Exod. 15:11; Ps. 18:31), and there is doubtless a lingering flavor of that uniqueness in this text (note how Mark 12:32 adds the uniqueness formula to the great commandment). A problem with this contextual approach is that the verbal forms that usually ... three warnings are indicated by the triple do not in verses 12, 14, and 16, each of which flashes danger lights marking temptations Israel would be exposed to. Each of the three warnings, given in brief form here, is considerably expanded in the ...

2636. Love and Obey the Lord

Deuteronomy 11:1-32

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... Egypt. . . Again.” 11:14 Autumn and spring rains: These are in Hb. the “early rains,” which fall in October/November, bringing to an end the long dry summer and enabling plowing to take place, and the “later rains,” which come in March/April, marking the end of the rainy season and enabling the final period of growth before the harvests. Both were essential features of the agricultural year. I will send rain: There is an oscillation in these verses between God referred to in the third person with ...

2637. Solomon's Prayer of Dedication

1 Kings 8:22-61

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... going “to their tents” for a very different reason and in a very different mood (12:16). The days of joy are strictly numbered—as 9:1–9 will now suggest. 9:1–9 The first occasion upon which God appeared to Solomon (1 Kgs. 3:4–15) marked the beginning of Solomon’s rise to greatness; he was endowed with the heavenly wisdom that enabled him to govern his empire well, to build the temple and the palace, and to achieve everything he desired to do (9:1)—probably a reference to other building work ...

2638. Elijah Fed by Ravens

1 Kings 17:1-6

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... This theme of Jesus and the Gentiles is also picked up, with echoes of 1 Kgs. 17 still sounding, in Matt. 15:21–28 and Mark 7:24–30 (the healing of the daughter of a Canaanite/Phoenician woman). I have commanded a widow: The widow shows no awareness of ... and cause my son to die.” Just by being there, Elijah has focused God’s attention on the household in an unhelpful way (cf. Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34). Elijah picks up the exact wording of the second part of the complaint (“causing her son to die”) in ...

2639. Jehoshaphat King of Judah

1 Kings 22:41-50

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... 2 Kgs. 8:16–24) that Edom rebels (Hb. pšʿ) against Judah. 1:2 Baal-Zebub: Lit. “Baal/lord of the flies.” There is some manuscript evidence of a version of this name (“Beelzebub”) in a few Gospel texts that refer to Satan (Matt. 10:25; 12:24, 27; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15, 18, 19). This is interesting in view of the links between OT spirit possession and NT demon possession that have been noted in our discussion of 1 Kgs. 18 (cf. the commentary on 18:15–29 and the additional note on 18:29). The OT ...

2640. The Lord's Judgement of Ahaziah

2 Kings 1:1-18

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... 2 Kgs. 8:16–24) that Edom rebels (Hb. p šʿ) against Judah. 1:2 Baal-Zebub: Lit. “Baal/lord of the flies.” There is some manuscript evidence of a version of this name (“Beelzebub”) in a few Gospel texts that refer to Satan (Matt. 10:25; 12:24, 27; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15, 18, 19). This is interesting in view of the links between OT spirit possession and NT demon possession that have been noted in our discussion of 1 Kgs. 18 (cf. the commentary on 18:15–29 and the additional note on 18:29). The OT ...

2641. Naaman Healed of Leprosy

2 Kings 5:1-27

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... 7:3ff.), only the foreigner Naaman was healed. The cleansing of lepers also appears as a NT theme in Matt. 8:1–4; 10:8; 11:5; Mark 1:40–45; Luke 5:12–16; 7:22; 17:11–19. 5:3 The prophet who is in Samaria: There is the usual ambiguity here. Does ... 1–8), which is inhabited by little children (those who humbly serve) and not by the great or the wealthy (Matt. 18:1–5; 19:13–15; Mark 9:33–37; 10:13–16; Luke 9:46–48; 18:15–17). The rite of passage into new life is a washing that makes one truly ...

2642. Comfort for God's People

Isaiah 40:1-31

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... ’s act. There, too, the NT is following the standard Jewish understanding of its day, as its application of the OT often does. The Qumran community had established themselves within sight of the scene of John the Baptist’s ministry to seek to fulfill this vision. Mark declares that John is the real fulfillment. 40:6 For “and I said,” MT has “and he said” (so KJV), but the verb is odd (strictly it means “and he will say”) and who is the “he”? NIV and NRSV thus follow the Isaiah manuscript ...

2643. Signs, Sayings, and Oracles of Judgment

Ezekiel 12:1-28, Ezekiel 13:1-23, Ezekiel 14:1-11, Ezekiel 14:12-23

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... too have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear (v. 2)—a phrase Ezekiel has evidently taken from Jeremiah 5:21 (Paul also quotes these words in Rom. 8:11; compare also Deut. 29:4; Isa. 6:9–10; Mark 8:18). The leaders of Jerusalem are spiritually blind and deaf, unresponsive to the Lord. The reader may recall John 9, where physical and spiritual blindness are similarly symbolically intertwined. Consider, too, that Ezekiel covering his face so that he cannot see the land (v. 6) is ...

2644. Two Adulterous Sisters

Ezekiel 23:1-49

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... of suffering, poured out from God’s hand: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matt. 26:39; see also Mark 14:36 and Luke 22:42). However, in view of Oholibah drinking Oholah’s cup, a particularly interesting parallel is Jesus’ question to James and John in Mark 10:38: “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” (see also Matt. 20:22). Here again, the cup is Jesus’ portion of suffering and ...

2645. The Law of the Temple

Ezekiel 43:13-27, Ezekiel 44:1-31, Ezekiel 45:1-12, Ezekiel 45:13--46:24

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... ), who as we will see does not appear in the Law of the Temple at all. The law relating to cutting the hair comes in the context of regulations restricting mourning practices (Lev. 21:5)—not, as in the Law of the Temple, as a mark of priestly distinction. Finally, Ezekiel 44 does not mention the physical deformities that would bar someone from priestly service, though a list of these disfigurements is a key feature of Leviticus 21:1–22:9 (Lev. 21:16–24). Despite the many similarities, the differences ...

2646. Jesus as True King of Israel

Matthew 2:19-23, Matthew 2:13-18, Matthew 2:1-12

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... . 40; Jer. 31; Ezek. 34; Amos 9:11–15). As Matthew picks up this theme and emphasizes that the arrival of Jesus is precisely return from exile (1:11–12, 17; 2:14–15, 19–21; 3:1–3), so also do other New Testament writers (e.g., Mark 1:1–3; Luke 3:4–6; 9:31 [Jesus’ “exodus”]). And yet some New Testament writers also envision the present Christian experience, in the time between the kingdom’s arrival and its consummation, as a time of continuing exile. So the letter of 1 Peter refers to ...

2647. Sermonon the Mount: The Beatitudes

Matthew 5:1-12, Matthew 5:13-16

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... : 0x; Luke: 1x; John: 2x), can be rendered by any of the following English equivalents depending on context: “righteousness,” “justice,” or “the act of putting right with/making right.”Mark Powell provides a compelling paraphrase: “Blessed are those who are starved for justice.”3 5:7–10 Blessed are the merciful . . . pure in heart . . . peacemakers . . . those who are persecuted. The final four beatitudes in the eight-stanza group confer blessing on those who live in alignment with the ...

2648. Sermon on the Mount: Final Warnings and Call to Obey Jesus’ Words

Matthew 7:13-14, Matthew 7:15-23, Matthew 7:24-29

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... wise will put Jesus’ authoritative words into practice. Understanding the Text The final section of the Sermon on the Mount focuses on putting into practice Jesus’ teachings and provides warnings about those who do not obey God’s will. Jesus speaks of bearing fruit being the mark of a disciple (7:15–20; see also 12:33–37; 13:18–23; 21:18–22, 43). Bearing fruit means doing the will of God (7:21) rather than doing evil, a topic to which Jesus will return (12:46–50). The sermon concludes with ...

2649. Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 10:1-42

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... ), with clearer indications of the rejection that accompanies his kingdom preaching and work (foreshadowed in 10:24–25). Although the disciples have been given instructions for their mission to Israel, Matthew does not narrate their actually going out in mission (cf. Mark 6:12–13; Luke 9:6). Instead, he returns his attention to Jesus’ ministry and its reception. Some have suggested that to include the mission of the Twelve in the story at this point, and specifically their return, might imply that the ...

2650. Sabbath Controversies with the Pharisees

Matthew 12:1-14

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... and adherence to the law with that of the Pharisees to show Jesus as the consummate Torah interpreter (12:1–14; 15:1–20; 19:1–12; 22:34–40). Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath. Matthew follows Mark in clustering the Sabbath controversies here (see Mark 2:23–3:6). In this first account (12:1–8) it is Jesus’ disciples who are accused of breaking the Sabbath. Adherence to the Sabbath was a pillar of Judaism. It was one of the commandments given to Israel as God ...

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Showing 2626 to 2650 of 5000 results

2626. Paul's Chains Advance the Gospel

Philippians 1:12-30

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

2627. Final Greeting

Philippians 4:21-23

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

2628. Walking in the Light

1 John 1:5--2:14, 1 John 2:15-17

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

2629. God’s Love and Ours

1 John 4:7-21, 1 John 5:1-12

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

2630. Joy at Believers’ Walking in the Truth

3 John 1:1-14

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

2631. Abraham Tested

Genesis 22:1-19

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

2632. Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

Genesis 28:10-22

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

2633. Jacob Goes to Egypt

Gen 46:1–47:12

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

2634. Jacob Blesses His Sons

Genesis 49:1-28

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

2635. Love the Lord Your God

Deuteronomy 6:1-25

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

2636. Love and Obey the Lord

Deuteronomy 11:1-32

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

2637. Solomon's Prayer of Dedication

1 Kings 8:22-61

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

2638. Elijah Fed by Ravens

1 Kings 17:1-6

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

2639. Jehoshaphat King of Judah

1 Kings 22:41-50

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

2640. The Lord's Judgement of Ahaziah

2 Kings 1:1-18

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... 2 Kgs. 8:16–24) that Edom rebels (Hb. p šʿ) against Judah. 1:2 Baal-Zebub: Lit. “Baal/lord of the flies.” There is some manuscript evidence of a version of this name (“Beelzebub”) in a few Gospel texts that refer to Satan (Matt. 10:25; 12:24, 27; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15, 18, 19). This is interesting in view of the links between OT spirit possession and NT demon possession that have been noted in our discussion of 1 Kgs. 18 (cf. the commentary on 18:15–29 and the additional note on 18:29). The OT ...

2641. Naaman Healed of Leprosy

2 Kings 5:1-27

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

2642. Comfort for God's People

Isaiah 40:1-31

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

2643. Signs, Sayings, and Oracles of Judgment

Ezekiel 12:1-28, Ezekiel 13:1-23, Ezekiel 14:1-11, Ezekiel 14:12-23

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell