Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3976 to 4000 of 4884 results

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... note on 1 Thess. 1:1), in which case all three persons of the Trinity are mentioned in this verse (as in Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 12:4–6; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:4–6; 1 Pet. 1:2; Jude 20f. and possibly Acts 20:28). The perfect participle loved is the same as in 1 Thessalonians 1:4 and again carries the assurance that the love once shown them in Christ—the love which was the mainspring of their salvation—continues to enfold them, come what may—even the lawless one! They give thanks because from the ...

3977. Warnings Against Idleness

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... argues (from this text) that all poverty is self-willed, a product of a welfare mentality which should be countered not with food stamps but denial of support. The implication in the letters is that these disruptive persons were perfectly capable of supporting themselves but refused to accept that responsibility, busying themselves instead by meddling in other persons’ affairs, compounding the problems they were creating” (Saunders). An implication of the rule laid down in this verse, which lay beyond ...

3978. Overseers and Deacons

1 Timothy 3:1-16

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... stanzas with three lines each (but in a variety of patterns [cf., e.g., the GNB with the RSV]), as three stanzas with two lines each (cf. NIV), or in other, not easily classified combinations. Moreover, three of the lines (2, 3, and 6) are not perfectly clear as to their meaning, a difficulty raised in part by some apparent parallels and/or antitheses between the lines and in part because the whole seems to have a degree of chronology, moving from the Incarnation to further aspects of Christ’s life and ...

3979. Paul's Charge to Timothy

1 Timothy 6:11-21

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... Those Already Rich After the exalted language of the preceding doxology (vv. 15–16), these words come as such a surprise that some scholars doubt whether they really belong here and suggest they are an interpolation. But if the “logic” of all this is not perfect, there is no difficulty in seeing what has happened. Paul was bringing the letter to its close with a final word against the false teachers, a word that turned out to be such a strong judgment against their greed that it included a warning to ...

3980. Doing What is Good

Titus 3:1-11

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... divisive person” is to be rejected is precisely that, in his divisiveness, such a man demonstrates that he is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. In persisting in divisive behavior, the false teacher “has become perverted” or “turned aside” (Gk. perfect tense) “and is continuing in his sinning” (Gk. present tense), thus being self-condemned. That is, by his very persistence in his sinful behavior he has condemned himself, thus putting himself on the outside, hence to be rejected by Titus ...

3981. The Son Superior to Angels

Hebrews 1:1-14

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... “the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6; cf. 4:4). The next phrase, he is the exact representation of his being, is simply a more explicit way of expressing what the author has just said. The Son is a perfect representation of God’s being “just as the mark is the exact impression of the seal” (Barclay). The thought is again reminiscent of Christology elsewhere in the NT, for example in Paul’s statements that Christ is “the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4) and “the ...

3982. Jesus Greater Than Moses

Hebrews 3:1-6

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... Our author applies it not only to “calling,” as here, but to the “gift” (6:4), the “sanctuary” and items related to it (8:5; 9:23), and to the eschatological “country” and city, Jerusalem (11:16; 12:22). It refers therefore to a perfection and reality associated with the fulfillment of God’s purposes. Jesus is the apostle and high priest whom we confess, lit., “of our confession” (homologia). The word in this objective sense of faith that is believed is used absolutely in 4:14 and as ...

3983. An Exhortation Inspired by the Exodus

Hebrews 3:7-19

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... cross delivered humanity from a greater slavery. God has acted gloriously and triumphantly in both instances, the earlier foreshadowing the later. And similarity exists not only in the redemptive events, but also in the aftermath of those events. Our author would be in perfect accord with Paul when he writes: “these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us” (1 Cor. 10:11; cf. Rom. 15:4). The people that God led into the wilderness had experienced the great deliverance ...

3984. The Remaining Promise of Rest

Hebrews 4:1-13

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... , ed. D. A. Carson. On sabbatismos, see E. Lohse, TDNT, vol. 7, pp. 34f. 4:10 Enters God’s (lit., “his”) rest is drawn from the language of the original OT quotation. KJV, ASV, and NASB accurately render the Greek aorist tense with the perfect tense “has rested.” Other versions (NIV, NEB, RSV) use the present tense, presumably regarding it as more consistent with the context (see v. 3) and understanding the aorist “has rested” as due to the influence of the same tense in the LXX quotation of ...

3985. The High Priest of a New Covenant

Hebrews 8:1-13

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... the word “faultless” or “blameless” (amēmptos), which occurs only here in Hebrews. The argument of v. 7 is similar to that of 7:11, i.e., if the old is sufficient, then why is a further reality mentioned in the text of Scripture? The perfect tense of the Greek participle in v. 8a, “having found fault with them” (memphomenos) implies that he not only did so in the past, but continues to do so. The Greek pronoun “them,” which underlies NIV’s the people is in the dative case (autois ...

3986. The Old Testament Ritual Described

Hebrews 9:1-10

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... In this case it is the past that has a message for the present. Gifts and sacrifices being offered is (in NIV and in the Greek) language that occurs in nearly verbatim agreement in two other passages: 5:1 and 8:3. Clear (lit., “complete,” “make perfect”) translates a favorite verb of our author (teleioō). See note on 2:10. The word conscience (syneidēsis) is important for our author, occurring five times (see 9:14; 10:2, 22; 13:18). It reflects the inner or true person and makes judgments upon the ...

3987. A Call to Persevere

Hebrews 10:19-39

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... . 8:30; Exod. 29:4), it may then point to the qualification of the Christian to perform the “priestly” duties of the new covenant, such as, for example, described in the present passage. The Greek words underlying sprinkled and washed are perfect participles, describing the resultant state from the initial experience of these realities. 10:23 “Confession” in Hebrews consistently has the objective meaning of what is believed. See note on 3:1. Here the added description “of hope” orients us to the ...

3988. Concluding Exhortations

Hebrews 13:1-25

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... . 8:31 may be an allusion to the same passage.) A Call to Faithfulness and a Warning Against False Teaching Yet again the readers are summoned to faith. This leads the author in turn to refer to the one whom he has earlier described as “the author and perfecter of faith” (12:2). The constancy of Jesus Christ is a motive for the readers to have faith as well as to avoid false teaching. 13:7 The leaders referred to in this verse are those of the past (the present leaders of the community are referred to ...

3989. Living for God

1 Peter 4:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... “will of God” for all believers. 4:2 As they live the rest of their earthly life, they must constantly remind themselves that the power of the risen Christ is sufficient to enable them to pass each day in a manner pleasing to God. To strive to be perfect in God’s sight was Christ’s instruction (Matt. 5:48) and this must be their aim, even if they cannot achieve sinlessness in this life (1 John 1:8). At least they can be assured that as Christians they now possess the spiritual power to resist sin ...

3990. To Elders and Young Men

1 Peter 5:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... are to be care-free. It is one of the distinctive treasures which Christianity has inherited from Judaism that God is known to be concerned with the personal care of his people. Other religions at best see God as aloof, as one who, while good and perfect, keeps his distance from human beings. Additional Notes 5:5b All of you was omitted from the earlier NIV edition. Clothe yourselves with humility: The Greek verb enkomboomai is rare and occurs in the NT only here. It is formed from kombos, a knot; cf. the ...

3991. Making One's Calling and Election Sure

2 Peter 1:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... aretē comes to express the manifestation of divine power, i.e., miracle, which is probably behind the meaning here in 2 Pet. 1:3. See Deissmann, Bible Studies, pp. 95–97; 360–68; BAGD; Turner, p. 339. 1:4 He has given, dedōrētai, is a Greek perfect tense, bringing out the permanence of the divine bounty. This is the same verb as in v. 3. The Greek word used here for promises, epangelmata, occurs in the NT only in this letter (1:4; 3:13), as does the superlative adjective very great (megista), further ...

3992. Prophecy of Scripture

2 Peter 1:12-21

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... so much is at stake for your spiritual welfare, I will always remind you of these things. Here speaks the true preacher. Often a preacher is simply reminding listeners of Christian truths of faith and works they already know, as a spur to follow Christ more perfectly. But Peter is well aware, as have been all who have spoken in God’s name down through the ages, of the fallibility of human memory, of the lure of siren voices, and of the constant necessity to be brought back to God’s paths. In this ...

3993. False Teachers and Their Destruction

2 Peter 2:1-22

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... ” (Luke 22:32). See Turner, p. 484. Experts (kardian gegymnasmenēn, lit. a heart having been exercised) in greed; i.e., when it comes to covetousness, men with, so to speak, the heart of an athlete well trained in the gymnasium. The perfect participle gegymnasmenēn indicates a past action with continuing effect: these men are set in their practices. The contrast is with the unstable, psychas astēriktous, unsteady souls. An accursed brood! (kataras tekna): a Hebraism, lit. “children of a curse!” i.e ...

3994. Moses Flees to Midian

Exodus 2:11-25

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... name throughout the rest of Exodus. He is called “Reuel” (lit., “God’s friend”) here and in Numbers 10:29 and “Hobab” (lit., “embracing one” in Num. 10:29; Judg. 4:11). These various names reflect different ancient traditions. Jethro/Reuel had the perfect number of seven daughters, and he was in need of a son-in-law. The daughters were capable, but dominating shepherds drove them away from the troughs that they filled to water their father’s flock. Moses got up and came to their rescue ...

3995. Crossing the Sea

Exodus 13:17--14:31

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... in English. Yet “went” is literally “walked” in verse 29, indicating the participation of their feet in their salvation. Also, “on dry ground” comes emphatically before “through the sea” in verse 29: “the Israelites walked on dry ground,” meaning “in perfect safety.” They had walls of protection around them as well. Finally, the contrast between the hands (“power”) of the Egyptians and the great power the LORD displayed is more obvious in Hebrew, which uses the same word in each ...

3996. Jethro Visits Moses

Exodus 18:1-27

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... This was not special revelation, but nonetheless revelation given through Jethro’s wisdom and experience (see also Acts 15:28). Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. Moses implemented Jethro’s advice, as the text reports almost perfectly verbatim (vv. 25–26; Deut. 1:9–18). This text demonstrates God’s radical commitment to, and insistence on, just judges, good procedure, and the process of appeal to a higher court. Justice is quickly perverted among people who do not have ...

3997. Offerings for the Tabernacle

Exodus 25:1-9

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... Genesis 1 (Levenson, Creation, p. 86). Fretheim adds, “The tabernacle is a microcosm of creation, the world order as God intended it writ small in Israel, a beginning in God’s mission to bring creation to the point where it is perfectly reflective of the divine will” (Fretheim, “Whole Earth,” p. 238; see also Fretheim, Exodus, pp. 268–72). The clearest representations of the creation come from the detailed descriptions of the tabernacle itself. Exodus 25 begins with raw materials: metals (gold ...

3998. Consecration of the Priests

Exodus 29:1-46

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... the forgiveness and reconciliation that they sought through these physical entities that God provided as representations. Only God could remove the anxiety and restore the well-being of those who offered their animals as prayers to the Lord. In Christ, God became the perfect sacrifice in as much as God became the sin, alienated on our behalf; Jesus became the sacrifice, which cost him his life; and he shed his blood, demonstrating that the struggle for eternal life and death was at stake. Because Christ was ...

3999. The Golden Calf

Exodus 32:1-33:6

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... lie, “these are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt,” they chose to live in a convenient darkness of their own making rather than in the light of God’s presence. While they were doing this, God was unveiling a perfect plan to invite the whole community to join in creating a beautiful dwelling place, a cooperative enterprise with the Creator. In this context, Aaron’s “meanwhile-building” of the golden calf is a paltry and ironic act. At first God honored their choice to reject ...

4000. Israel Fights the Remaining Canaanites

Judges 1:1-36

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... historical, theological context, taking people where they were and then moving them beyond where they were. Throughout the OT, God continued to reveal more and more of himself and his ways, until he ultimately revealed himself in Jesus, who was the perfect revelation of God (John 1:18) and who revealed some things about God that superseded earlier ideas held about God. Too many people, unfortunately even Christians, have used OT Scriptures to justify all sorts of horrible attitudes and acts against others ...

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