Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic
Showing 726 to 750 of 779 results
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
With Paul waiting in the wings, Peter now returns to the limelight. We last heard of him in 8:25, and this section picks up the thread of that narrative. No doubt the apostles made frequent journeys “throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria” visiting the Christian communities. The next two chapters tell of one journey in particular, which had far-reaching consequences. There is no way of telling when this happened in relation to the events of 9:1–31. 9:32–35 The story opens with Peter visiting the saints (see ...
727. On Cyprus
Acts 13:4-12
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
The end result of the “first missionary journey” was a giant step forward for the church, though in terms of the actual distance covered it was a more modest achievement. It took Barnabas and Paul to Cyprus and then through parts of Asia Minor. Luke has sometimes been accused of inventing the itinerary set out in this narrative, but this seems highly unlikely. First, it is hard to believe that he would have included the story of Mark’s defection if he had been giving free rein to his fancy. Second, most of ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
The story that begins here and runs through to 21:16 covers the greatest years of Paul’s life—years that saw the foundation of the churches of Macedonia, Achaia (Greece), and Asia and the writing of some of his most important epistles. The story is told by means of a few typical pictures (see disc. on 3:1–10) by which Luke is able to show both the power of the gospel and the effect of its meeting with the other powers of that day: philosophy, religion, and the Roman state. At a number of points the story ...
Understanding Series
David J. Williams
In this section is found the only example in Acts of an address given by Paul to Christians (cf. 14:22; 18:23). In it we see him as the pastor and friend of the Ephesians, and no other passage in this book shows greater feeling than this. There is a remarkable vividness about the speech, the reason for which is obvious: it is the only speech in Acts about which we can be reasonably sure that the author himself heard what was said. Even so, he has imposed his own style upon it. But in this speech more than ...
Understanding Series
Arthur G. Patzia
The Appeal and Pattern for Unity Chapter 4 begins what often is referred to as the ethical or practical section of the epistle. If chapters 1–3 provide the theological basis for Christian unity, then chapters 4–6 contain the practical instruction for its maintenance. Unity has been established (the indicative); now it becomes the duty of the believers to strengthen and maintain unity in their fellowship (the imperative). This generalization does not mean that chapters 4–6 are devoid of theological content ...
731. At Mount Sinai
Exodus 19:1-25
Understanding Series
James K. Bruckner
Meeting God at Sinai: Exodus 19 is the theological and literary pivot of Exodus. Nowhere do we find a fuller revelation of God in relation to the people. In the preceding chapters Israel had been “let go” from serving the pharaoh so that they might serve/worship the Lord. Here they serve/worship at the place of Moses’ original calling and receive their own call to be God’s “kingdom of priests” to the world (chs. 25–31; 35–40). The larger literary structure of Exodus 19–24 comprises a chiasm (see below) and ...
732. The Tabernacle
Exodus 26:1-37
Understanding Series
James K. Bruckner
Instructions for Making the Tent of Meeting: Exodus 26 deals with the inner four-layered tent of meeting, including the holy place and most holy place. The small “t” tabernacle in verse 1 refers to the tent of meeting, not the larger structure that includes the courtyard (27:9–19). Four distinct Hebrew words describe various fabric creations woven for the tabernacle. (The NIV translates all of them “curtain.”) The woven cloth for the tent of meeting is yeriʿah meaning “tent fabric,” from a verb that means ...
733. Jephthah
Jud 10:6–11:40
Understanding Series
Cheryl A. Brown
Jephthah: Ammonite Oppression · Jephthah is not mentioned by name, but this section sets the stage, both generally and specifically, for his entrance on the scene. The author describes Israel’s deteriorating spiritual condition and interaction with God about their circumstances (vv. 6–16); more specifically, he begins to focus attention upon the events that directly led to Jephthah’s rise to leadership (vv. 17–18). The obvious emphasis in this section is upon the general, spanning as it does eleven verses ...
Understanding Series
Roland E. Murphy
3:1–2 The NIV wisely prints verses 1–12 as couplets of two verses, with the second verse of each couplet providing some kind of motivation. Thus the command in verse 1 is followed by a promise of long life and prosperity, which is the ideal goal envisioned by the wise. It has been said that the kerygma of the book of Proverbs is life (cf. Murphy, “Kerygma”). The teaching of the sage is further expanded in verse 12, which refers to the Lord’s discipline. 3:3–4 Cf. 6:21 and 7:3. Love and faithfulness are ...
735. At the Potter's House
Jeremiah 18:1--19:15, Jeremiah 20:1-6
Understanding Series
Tremper Longman III
Jeremiah’s First Trip to the Potter (18:1-23): Though observed by Jeremiah rather than performed by Jeremiah, we now hear of another prophetic action that illustrates the prophet’s verbal message. Jeremiah 18:1–4 narrates the action while 18:5–10 interprets the general significance of the action. Verses 11–12 apply the teaching of the general principle specifically to Judah and Judah’s negative response to God’s call for repentance. A poetic oracle registering surprise at the people’s unwillingness to ...
Understanding Series
Pamela J. Scalise
Vision Report: Zechariah and Joshua in the Heavenly Court: 3:1–2 Zechariah’s next vision begins in the midst of a courtroom scene, a trial of Joshua the high priest in the heavenly court. He was standing before the angel of the LORD, and the accuser was standing at his right side to accuse him. “Satan” is not a personal name but a role. He is also a member of the heavenly court. The text does not report the charge that he has made against Joshua, but we can infer it from the rest of the report. The satan ...
737. A Crown for Joshua
Zechariah 6:9-15
Understanding Series
Pamela J. Scalise
A Prophetic Sign-Act: A Crown for Joshua: The sequence of vision reports and oracles ends with the report of a symbolic action, the crowning of the Branch. Zechariah’s instructions from the Lord are somewhat like the commands to Samuel and to Elisha’s unnamed colleague to anoint kings. There were long waiting periods after the anointing of David and Jehu (1 Sam. 16:1–13; 2 Kgs. 9:1–13) before these chosen men were able to take their thrones (2 Sam. 5:1–5; 2 Kgs. 10:18–36). The delay in Zechariah’s case ...
Sermon
King Duncan
Since this is that time of year for major league baseball to be getting under way, I want to begin with a story New York Yankees Hall-of-Famer Mickey Mantle once told on himself. It was about a game in which he struck out three times in a row. He says, “When I got back to the clubhouse, I just sat down on my stool and held my head in my hands, like I was going to start crying. I heard somebody come up to me, and it was little Timmy Berra, Yogi’s boy, standing there next to me. He tapped me on the knee, ...
739. The Second Appearance and Its Sequel
John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31
Understanding Series
J. Ramsey Michaels
The scene shifts from the tomb in the garden to a locked room somewhere in Jerusalem, and from “early on the first day of the week” (v. 1) to the evening of that first day of the week (v. 19). Despite the faith of the beloved disciple (v. 8) and despite the message brought by Mary Magdalene (v. 18), the disciples as a group are still afraid. Their reaction to her message is not recorded in John’s Gospel, but another tradition appended to Mark by later scribes states that after Mary had seen Jesus she “went ...
740. Children of God
1 John 2:28--3:10
Understanding Series
Thomas F. Johnson
This section of 1 John is unified by the idea of the children of God: who they are and how one can identify them by their lives. It is a passage dominated by ethics, particularly an ethical concern for righteousness and sin. It compares two “families”: the children of God and the children of the devil. In the background, as always, are the Elder’s opponents, the secessionists, whom he strongly contrasts to his own “dear children.” The unit is built on a structure of four antitheses, four pairs of opposing ...
741. Stubborn Israel
Isaiah 48:1-11
Understanding Series
John Goldingay
Now Is the Time for Response: Since chapter 40 the Poet has been involved in a battle to win the community’s acceptance of a message about deliverance and blessing; the Poet has sounded increasingly hysterical as it seems that this battle will never be won (see, e.g., 42:18–25; 43:22–28; 45:9–13; 47:8, 12). Chapter 48 brings the confrontation and the challenge to its climax. It follows chapter 47 very strikingly, for chapter 48 addresses Jacob-Israel as confrontationally as chapter 47 addressed Babylon. It ...
742. Praise and Prayer
Isaiah 63:7--64:12
Understanding Series
John Goldingay
Where Are Your Zeal and Your Might?: As the chiasm in chapters 56–66 treads its return path, the vision of the battling warrior (63:1–6) paired with the one in 59:15b–20. This prayer, then, pairs with the prayer in 59:9–15a. As the new vision was bloodier, the new prayer is much longer and more urgent. It has the features of a lament on the part of the community such as those that appear in the Psalms and in Lamentations, but like some of them (and like chapter 62) it unfolds as more of a stream of ...
743. 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
Laying the Blame and Taking Responsibility: The typical Ezekielian expression “the word of the Lord came to me” recurs throughout the chapters between the second vision of the Glory in chapters 8–11 and the oracles against the foreign nations in chapters 25–32—except in chapter 19. Indeed, in the twenty-six chapters between Ezekiel 11 and 38, this is the only chapter in which that characteristic phrase does not appear. This chapter stands out, therefore, in the larger structure of Ezekiel. Further, after ...
744. An Unholy History
Ezekiel 20:1-29, Ezekiel 20:30-49
Understanding Series
Steven Tuell
Oracles of Destruction: The date formula in Ezekiel 20:1 is the first since 8:1; the next date in Ezekiel appears at 24:1. These dated oracles thus set chapters 20–24 apart. Still, we can find little if any formal unity here. Ezekiel 20–24 is a miscellaneous collection of various types of material, from historical recitation (20:1–26) to judgment oracle (21:25–27) to allegory (ch. 23). In many ways, this material reprises earlier images and themes (e.g., compare 22:23–31 with 7:23–27; and ch. 23 with ch. ...
745. Miscellaneous Oracles of Judgment
Ezekiel 21:1-32, Ezekiel 22:1-31
Understanding Series
Steven Tuell
In the Hebrew Bible, a new chapter starts at 20:45—appropriately, as 20:45–49 is less in continuity with the preceding judgment God pronounced on the leaders of the exilic community than with the following oracles God directed against Jerusalem (21:1–17, 18–24; 21:1–16; 22:1–16) and its leadership (21:25–27; 22:23–31; see the discussion below of the curiously-placed oracle against Ammon, 21:28–32). While it is difficult to find unity in this section, there are clear signs of intentional arrangement here: ...
746. Jesus Is God’s Faithful Son in Gethsemane and at His Arrest and Trial
Matthew 26:31-35, Matthew 26:36-46, Matthew 26:47-56, Matthew 26:57-68, Matthew 26:69-75
Teach the Text
Jeannine K. Brown
Big Idea: Although Jesus predicts and witnesses the disciples’ desertion and prays for God to change his fate, he as the Messiah, the Son of God, proves himself faithful to God’s will even to the point of suffering and death. Understanding the Text Matthew’s passion story continues with Jesus’ prediction of the disciples’ desertion and Peter’s denial (26:31–35), Jesus’ time of prayer in Gethsemane and arrest there (26:36–56), and Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin (26:57–68) followed by Peter’s denial (26: ...
747. Family in the New Kingdom Community
Mark 10:13-16, Mark 10:1-12
Teach the Text
Grant R. Osborne
Big Idea: The emphasis here is on family life in the new kingdom community. Jesus states that the easy-divorce policy advocated by many rabbis was not God’s will, and that divorce was allowed only because of their stubborn sin. He further teaches that children are models for kingdom living; to enter life with God, all must have a childlike faith. Understanding the Text There is both geographical and thematic movement in this section. Geographically, Jesus continues south, moving through Galilee and across ...
Teach the Text
Grant R. Osborne
Big Idea: Jesus provides a Christian form of the Jewish Shema (Deut. 6:4–9), labeled by some the “Jesus Creed,”1 which sums up the Ten Commandments: the relationship of the Christian with God (the vertical aspect of life) and with others (the horizontal aspect). Understanding the Text The four sections in 12:27–44 form a conclusion to Jesus’s public interaction with the leaders. The next time he sees them will be at his arrest in the garden (14:43–52). The first two sections are part of the controversies ...
749. Jesus’s Fallible Followers
Luke 9:51-56, Luke 9:46-50, Luke 9:37-45
Teach the Text
R.T. France
Big Idea: The disciples show that they have not yet absorbed the message and values of the kingdom of God. Understanding the Text Luke 9:51 marks the end of the Galilean ministry and the beginning of the long “journey section” of the Gospel, which lasts until Jesus reaches Jerusalem in chapter 19. This is not a tightly organized travel narrative (indeed, the occasional geographical indications do not fit into a coherent sequence), but rather a collection of varied incidents and (mainly) teaching, including ...
Teach the Text
Robert B. Chisholm Jr.
Big Idea: The Lord accomplishes his purposes through those who promote his kingdom agenda and act in accordance with his reliable promises. Understanding the Text Israel has been humiliated by the Philistines and torn by civil strife, but finally the tribes have united and made David king in accordance with God’s purposes. David immediately takes the ancient site of Jerusalem as a prelude to establishing a central sanctuary there. He also seeks the Lord’s guidance and experiences his supernatural ...
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