Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2626 to 2650 of 3099 results

Romans 3:1-8

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... view is favored by the fact that six out of seven occurrences of apistein in the NT mean “disbelief.” Moreover, some (v. 3) may suggest Jews who did not believe in Christ as opposed to the remnant which did. But context favors the latter. The subject remains the login, the very words of the Mosaic law. Thus, the faithlessness of Israel is contrasted to the faithfulness of God (v. 3). Since Paul is still arguing that Jews are convicted by their failure to fulfill the old covenant apart from their failure ...

2627. No One Is Righteous

Romans 3:9-20

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... 18 The assertion that all people (Jews included) are “under sin” is substantiated by “the very words of God” (3:2). It was a common rabbinic practice, also in evidence in the Dead Sea Scrolls, to assemble Scripture passages bearing on a common subject for catechetical purposes or as proof texts for argumentation. Paul may be utilizing a pre-formed list here, but, given the unusually appropriate fit of the list to Paul’s purpose, it is not unlikely that he assembled it himself. The quotations are ...

2628. Righteousness Through Faith

Romans 3:21-31

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... in Gal. 2:16, but is immediately followed by the idea of putting faith in Jesus Christ, all of which argues that Paul understands Christ as the object of faith. See Dunn, Romans 1–8, pp. 166–67. For an argument favoring the phrase as a subjective genitive (i.e., the faithfulness of Jesus Christ), see L. Keck, “Jesus in Romans,” JBL 108 (3, 1989), pp. 452–58. For an argument favoring our understanding of Christ as the object of faith, see D. Hay, “Pistis as ‘Ground for Faith’ in Hellenized ...

2629. Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

Romans 5:12-21

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... between the inevitability of sin, on the one hand, and human responsibility for sin, on the other. Humanity is not free to choose not to sin, and yet each sin is freely chosen. Sin is derivative from one man, and, like a despot, sin controls its subjects. Three times Paul emphasizes that sin (or death) reigns (vv. 14, 17, 21). And yet all sin willingly, thus deserving condemnation (v. 18). Adam’s sin was the root, ours are its offshoots, says Bengel (Gnomon, vol. 3, p. 76). In Genesis 3 the serpent tempts ...

2630. Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

Romans 6:1-14

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... in the other. Christian life is hence life between the times and between two worlds: it is not yet free from the old nature, and not fully at home in the new. The life of faith exists between conversion (†) and physical death (↓). If it is subjected to the fierce jealousy of the old life, it is worked upon even more by the upward pull of the new. In earthly existence the believer cannot escape fully the old Adam or inherit completely the new life in Christ. Paul himself knew this tension. Though ...

2631. The Remnant of Israel

Romans 11:1-10

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... taken from Psalm 69:22–23, is equally direct. Psalm 69 played a central role in the formation of the passion narratives of Jesus (Matt. 27:34, 48; Mark 15:23, 36). Paul quotes the passage where the suffering righteous man, having been subjected to every form of abuse, reproaches his tormentors. Since the early church identified the lament of Psalm 69 with Jesus’ fate, it is worth considering whether in this instance Paul employs the reproach of the righteous sufferer as Jesus’ reproach to Israel. The ...

2632. Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... . Second, verses 3–5 demonstrate the continuity of the message and the demeanor of the preacher. Paul’s statements are intensely personal. His remarks make clear that the style of his ministry was deliberate. The sentences are, however, ambiguous and subject to misreading and misunderstanding. Paul is not saying, “I preached the cross only instead of the cross and something more”; rather, he insists that he put aside any devices for persuasion and proclaimed the cross without extra rhetorical frills ...

2633. Wisdom from the Spirit

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... makes [is able to make] judgments about all things—that reverses the image of the unspiritual person’s lack of spiritual discernment (2:14). The remainder of 2:15, then, makes a statement in contrast to the first part of the verse: but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment. The power of spiritual discernment means freedom from human scrutiny. The first part of 2:16 offers a reworked version of the LXX’s Isaiah 40:13, and it seems to corroborate that the one who receives the Spirit is free ...

2634. On Divisions in the Church

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... , If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. Is Paul inconsistent, or does he mean now to add that some person(s) mangling and distorting the church will suffer the greater loss of full destruction by God? This verse is the subject of elaborate theological discussions about the eternal quality of salvation and the security of believers. But, since Paul knows nothing of those concerns in this letter, one should not press this statement to form a resolution to those debates. Indeed, one cannot ...

2635. Lawsuits Among Believers

1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... see A. Berger and B. Nicholas, “Law and Procedure, Roman,” OCD, pp. 583–90. 6:2 Paul’s rhetorical phrase, Do you not know …, occurs again in vv. 3, 9, 15–16, 19. The question may imply that Paul had earlier offered the Corinthians teaching on this subject, but he may be assuming that the points he is making are self-evident to anyone who thinks about the issues. The image of judging at the final judgment is part of and typical of Jewish apocalyptic thought. While the idea of God’s elect taking ...

2636. Propriety in Worship

1 Corinthians 11:2-16

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... to this point” (p. 520). 11:11 This verse begins in Gk. with the strong conjunction, “nevertheless” (Gk. plēn), which the NIV renders as the postpositive, “however.” In fact, this conjunction often breaks off one line of discussion and passes on to another subject (LSJ 1419). Moreover, Paul actually holds the words “in the Lord” (Gk. en kyriō) until the end of his clause to create strong emphasis on the phrase: in the Lord! 11:12 The NIV and other translations seem to miss Paul’s very ...

2637. One Body, Many Parts

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... as the recognition of diversity is for the life of the church, Paul still wants to emphasize the overall or transcending purposeful unity of God’s activity: there are many parts, but one body. Therefore, as he continues, Paul again develops his thinking about this subject as he declares that unity reflects divine design. Paul develops the assertion that unity is necessary by relating his thought to the motif of mutual care in the church. One part of the body cannot say to another, I don’t need you! Paul ...

2638. Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... to “the law” (Gk. nomos), a designation most often applied to the books of Moses, and then quotes Isaiah 28:11–12 LXX as a text on the topic of tongues. The citation is a very loose paraphrase that alters vocabulary, word order, subjects, and verbs alike, since the original passage in Isaiah referred to foreign languages, not to glossolalia. The alterations are typical of the way Paul cites Scripture on occasion, probably from memory, and the slight changes are sensible tailoring of the text to the ...

2639. The Collection for God's People

1 Corinthians 16:1-4

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... direct involvement of the members of the Corinthian congregation. In their taking the gift to the saints in Jerusalem, Paul is engineering a meeting of the Jerusalem Christians and representatives of the predominantly Gentile churches, who were sometimes subject to skepticism by the believers in Jerusalem. The Corinthians’ active role would necessitate a summit of sorts between the ethnically diverse members of the universal church of Christ. Thus, the love of the Pauline congregations would be physically ...

2640. Prologue

Revelation 1:1-3

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... and as a result the importance of his composition. Much like Paul in his letter to the Galatians (1:11–16), John establishes his credentials by linking what he has written to the revelation he has received from Jesus Christ. Further, because his subject matter is derived from divine revelation, John expects his audience to recognize his composition as the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ: it is the gospel of God, given to and witnessed by Jesus Christ. Given the apocalyptic character of ...

2641. The Throne in Heaven

Revelation 4:1-11

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... a cumulative impression of divine majesty which evokes the reader’s praise of God and realization of God’s sovereignty over all things and events. This is not to indulge the romantic notion that language can express “truth” only in subjective and emotive discernment; yet, it resists the positivist notion that language can carry meaning only if it describes “brute” facts. The language of John’s Apocalypse is a part of both. In Revelation, metaphor is always evocative, but it also carries ...

2642. Seven Angels With Seven Plagues

Revelation 15:1-8

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... of universal outcomes: all nations will come and worship before you. While the Exodus version of Moses’ song also speaks of God’s conquest of the nations, the setting of the song in Deuteronomy takes this one step beyond conquest (cf. Deut. 32:38) to the eschatological subjection of all nations to God (cf. Deut. 31:1–8; 32:44–33:29). This hope is repeated in John’s hymn, which also looks ahead to a day when the fortunes of God’s people will be reversed for the good and when the fortunes of ...

2643. The Burnt Offering

Leviticus 1:1-17

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

... text is to regulate the ritual so that it can be acceptable to God. The themes of Leviticus 1 appear throughout Scripture. The crucifixion as the ultimate atoning sacrifice is central to the NT text (Mark 10:45; Eph. 5:2; 1 Pet. 1:18–19), and subjects such as forgiveness (1 John 1:5–10) and total commitment (Matt. 10:34–39; Heb. 13:15–16) arise frequently. Additional Notes 1:1 Wenham (Leviticus, p. 49) has noted the distinctiveness of the language. R. Knierim’s detailed treatment of Lev. 1:1–9 ...

2644. The Grain Offering

Leviticus 2:1-16

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

... practice. This chapter makes it clear that the grain offering is to be part of tabernacle worship and not of private worship. These instructions on the grain offering are to enable worshipers to offer sacrifices acceptable to Yahweh, whereas private offerings were subject to corruption and idolatrous practices (Jer. 7:18). 2:1 The regulation begins, as it did in the first chapter, with inclusive language: When someone (nepesh) brings a grain offering. Oil and incense are to be added to the fine flour to ...

2645. Regulations about Infectious Skin Diseases

Leviticus 13:1-46

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

... is to be covered. Whether the whole mouth or only upper lip is covered is a matter of debate. This covering can also be a sign of mourning. The person must also proclaim the condition of impurity, crying out, “Unclean! Unclean!” and is subjected to social isolation outside the camp. Numbers 5, 12, and 2 Kings 7 illustrate this circumstance. The concern is that diseases, which are not superficial but abnormal conditions, are contagious. They threaten the wholeness of the community. Thus they need to be ...

2646. The Purity of the Camp

Numbers 5:1-4

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

... to deal with what is perceived to be an issue in this community, the suspicion of adultery when there is no public evidence. The concern is to protect the community from hidden impurity and strife in relationships. In this section, the wife is clearly subject to the husband and priest. The husband faces no consequences even if his accusations are false, and the wife can be accused “if feelings of jealousy come over her husband.” It is true that the procedure provides for both innocence and guilt, and ...

2647. Balaam’s First Oracle

Numbers 23:1-12

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

... time (v. 17) the king asks, What did the LORD say? Balaam then pronounces his second oracle. 23:18–26 The oracle is addressed to Balak and, in classic Hebrew poetry, it indicates that God will not change the blessing intended for Israel. God is not human and subject to deception or frequent changes of mind. God is not a man, . . . nor a son of man, that is, not born of a human and so not a mortal. The divine word always comes to pass; God’s intent (here to bless Israel) is consistent. From the beginning ...

2648. Daily Offerings

Numbers 28:1-8

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

Offerings and Festivals: The structure of daily and special worship becomes the subject for chapters 28–29. The book of Numbers began with the organization of life as God’s people, emphasizing the spatial dimension as they journeyed (the divine presence at the center, then priests and Levites, and then the people). Soon, when the people enter the land, this spatial organization will ...

2649. Boundaries of Canaan

Numbers 34:1-29

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

... the people anticipate entering Canaan. After the last section of chapter 33 witnessed the divine instruction to take the land (v. 53), it is reasonable now to articulate what constitutes the land and how it will be distributed among the tribes. These questions are the subject of chapter 34. The final two chapters in the book turn to other issues related to settling the land. 34:1–12 The chapter begins with a description of the boundaries of the promised land. This chapter also is in the form of a divine ...

2650. Hannah’s Prayer

1 Samuel 2:1-11

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

... situation, but it would fit equally well into any situation where questions of power and powerlessness arise. It could be used when any person or family or nation becomes aware of the security found in God’s strength rather than in their own. 2:1–2 The subject of the first verse is Hannah, who is exulting with every part of her being in her new situation, but the focus in verse 2 is on the LORD who has brought deliverance. The horn, symbolizing strength, is spoken of here and in verse 10. This repeating ...

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