Synonyms: replica, copy, representation, mock-up, dummy, imitation, double, duplicate, lookalike, reproduction, prototype, stereotype, archetype, type, version, style, ideal, paragon, perfect example, specimen, perfect specimen, fashion model, supermodel, mannequin, sitter, poser, subject, artist's model, photographic model, design, mark, configuration, variety, kind, sort, original, original design, exclusive, toy, miniature, facsimile, prototypical, prototypal, archetypal, illustrative, perfect, exemplary, classic, flawless, faultless, consummate, impeccable
Antonyms: deficient, imperfect
Showing 976 to 1000 of 1182 results
Teach the Text
Grant R. Osborne
... in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and then in the eschaton, the destruction of the world of evil, at the end of history (see also the discussion of the Olivet Discourse in Mark 13). Illustrating the Text The darkness will turn to day! Classic Sermon: “It’s Friday but Sunday’s Coming,” by Tony Campolo. For the followers of Jesus, “Good Friday” must have been the bleakest day of their lives. Jesus was crucified. Jesus was dead. And yet it was only Friday. On Sunday, Jesus would rise from ...
Teach the Text
R.T. France
... , is written from Simeon’s perspective and is full of images and personal reflections on the event. The paradox of the gospel: Christ’s salvation will bring joy as well as division and suffering. Literature: Shane, by Jack Schaefer. In this classic Western (1949), considered among the best in the genre, Shane is a startling Christ-type. Coming out of the east, bearing no last name, he immediately inspires respect, even awe, and changes everything before he leaves. In this novel, based on historical ...
978. The Good Life
Luke 6:17-26
Teach the Text
R.T. France
... he says here. Did it leave him any room for enjoyment and satisfaction? Illustrating the Text The word “beatitude” needs to be carefully understood. Definition: The beatitude form, using makarios (“lucky,” “fortunate”), may be illustrated from various classical Greek texts that have no religious dimension. One example is from Aristophanes, Wasps (lines 1292–93), who recounts that Xanthias, while undergoing a beating, reflects on how lucky (makarios) the tortoise is to have a hard protective ...
Teach the Text
R.T. France
... all his renewed being.” Raskolnikov’s relationship with other prisoners in his barracks changes, and “other convicts, formerly so hostile, were already looking at him differently. He had even spoken to them and been answered pleasantly.”2This classic work illustrates powerfully the redemptive effect of love. Biography: Fyodor Dostoevsky. Philip Yancey, in his book Soul Survivor: How My Faith Survived the Church, discusses Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821–81). Yancey writes, In a world ruled ...
980. Lessons on Devotion and Prayer
Luke 11:1-13, Luke 10:38-42
Teach the Text
R.T. France
... of the Our Father. This could be in the form of a message series, Sunday school class, or handout. If your theological tradition has a teaching tool to help you flesh out the truth contained in the Lord’s prayer, such as a catechism or classic teaching, this would be a key opportunity to draw on such a resource. One possibility would be to explore this truth using the Heidelberg Catechism’s teachings on the Lord’s Prayer (questions 116–129). If you are not familiar with its breakdown and explanation ...
Teach the Text
R.T. France
... understanding of where the true focus of the people of God is to be found today? Illustrating the Text A concern for proper procedure may ignore the real dimensions of Christian discipleship. Literature: Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bun­yan. In this classic book (1678) Bunyan (1628–88) depicts how religious teaching can get in the way through two characters that his protagonist, Christian, meets on the way to the Celestial City. The characters arrive together, as do many of those whom Christian meets on ...
982. Ready for the Kingdom of God?
Luke 13:31-35, Luke 13:22-30, Luke 13:18-21
Teach the Text
R.T. France
... with purpose and rigor. Literature: Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bun­yan. Few writers explain the straight and narrow way more powerfully than does Bun­yan (1628–88), or the dangers of laxness and straying from the path. In one passage from the classic book (1678) Christian is admonished by Evangelist to stay true to the appointed way and to refuse to listen to Worldly Wiseman. Evangelist says, Now there are three things in this man’s counsel thou must utterly abhor: 1. His turning thee out ...
983. On the Mount of Olives
Luke 22:47-53, Luke 22:39-46, Luke 22:7-38
Teach the Text
R.T. France
... as a two-way conversation, and if so, how may this be achieved? Illustrating the Text Even the most well-intentioned disciples misunderstand and misapply some of Jesus’s more mysterious words. Comedy: Play a little bit of Abbott and Costello’s classic bit, “Who’s on First?” In this masterpiece of miscommunication, two men debate the base positions of a team populated with players named “Who,” “What,” “I Don’t Know,” “Why,” and “Because.” Play as much of it as time allows, and ...
Teach the Text
C. Marvin Pate
... , contemporary lyric that addresses the scandal of the cross. Song: “Sovereign Lord,” by Phil Mehrens. This is another contemporary lyric that posits the great paradox taught here. The just (those made righteous by faith) will live. Film: Martin Luther. This classic film (1953), produced in black and white, stars Niall MacGinnis as Luther. It was filmed in what was then West Germany in studios in Wiesbaden in collaboration with the Lutheran Church. The acting is memorable and raw, and the scene where ...
Teach the Text
C. Marvin Pate
... among the major religions of the world in the hope of establishing a broad base of rules by which various societies can get along. Romans 1:18–32 spells out such ethics in the negative. Illustrating the Text God is both loving and just. Classic Sermon: “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” by Jonathan Edwards. One could put this famous sermon (1741) on display in the church, have members of the congregation read the entire sermon (easily available online) in advance of the Sunday on which this ...
Teach the Text
C. Marvin Pate
... the Masterpiece Theatre version (2011), contain clips of these scenes. God disciplines his people, whom he loves—in both the Old and the New Testaments. Literature: The Wise Woman, by George MacDonald. This powerful children’s story (1875) is a classic and quotable portrait of a righteous, disciplining God written by MacDonald (1824–1905), the nineteenth-century innovator of modern fantasy whose work would influence C. S. Lewis. In this tale two children have been spoiled in different ways by unwise ...
Teach the Text
C. Marvin Pate
... no avail because, just like the pagan Gentile, the Jew disobeys God, even the special revelation of the Torah. This is because both are under the sway of sin. 3:10–18  “There is no one righteous, not even one.” Here we meet the classic statement of “total depravity,” the conviction that every aspect of humans is impacted by sin: their minds (vv. 10a–11); their actions (v. 12); their words (vv. 13–14a); their relationships (vv. 14b–17); their attitude toward God (v. 18). The outline above ...
Teach the Text
C. Marvin Pate
... is the only legitimate way to be accepted by God. Illustrating the Text Boasting before God because of one’s supposed good works is a dead-end street. Literature: The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame. This British children’s classic (1908) features four colorful characters, Beaver, Rat, Mole, and Toad. Toad is a proud, self-obsessed character who brags about himself incessantly, inventing good works that he has done, even composing songs to his glory, and making self-destructive decisions. The ...
Teach the Text
C. Marvin Pate
... Greek literature for humans being restored to the deities they worshiped, since the mindset of the Greeks toward religion was that one could not have a personal relationship with the Greek pantheon of gods. The LXX is an obvious advancement over classical Greek thinking in that humans can be reconciled to God because they can have a personal relationship with him. But in the places where “reconciliation” is used of humans and God, it is uniformly the case that humans must initiate that restoration ...
Teach the Text
C. Marvin Pate
... something that he said he had been seeking his whole life. That was the beginning of Müller’s freedom from the bondage of sin. Sin (this age and the old covenant) tugs at the heart. Church Fathers: Augustine’s Confessions provides a classic illustration of prohibitions awakening in humans the desire to transgress those very laws. Augustine tells about a time as a boy when he joined his friends in stealing pears, not because they wanted them to feed the pigs, but because they wanted the pleasure ...
Teach the Text
C. Marvin Pate
... imprinted upon Paul’s letter to the Romans, thus justifying our proposed outline for the book as a whole (see “The Genre/Outline of Romans” in the “Introduction to Romans,” above). Zealotry: Zealotry was an important part of Israel’s heritage. The classic examples were those who were prepared to use the sword to maintain Israel’s commitment to the Torah and purity as expressed by being set apart from the Gentiles.2“Zeal for the law” became the watch cry of the Maccabean revolt against ...
Teach the Text
C. Marvin Pate
... as the stipulation of the covenant, but also a part of that requirement involved serving fellow Jews, covenant brothers and sisters. This is why the Old Testament prophets often thundered forth against Israel: Israel sins against God by not treating fellow believers rightly (see the classic illustration in Mic. 6:1–7:7). Hence the emphasis on social justice by the prophets. 2. Paul’s analogy of the body of Christ in 12:4–5 has been much discussed in terms of its background (cf. 1 Cor. 12:12–28; Eph ...
Teach the Text
C. Marvin Pate
... from him and even hit him on the head. Nevertheless, Great-Grace, from the city of Good-Confidence, helps him up. Clearly, Little-Faith will always feel his troubles deeply; nevertheless, he is not turned away from heaven. In his annotated version of this classic book, Warren Wiersbe comments, “This is one of our Lord’s favorite names for his disciples. . . . See Matthew 8:26; 14:31; 16:8. . . . God honors even a little faith. Not all Christians are great victors.”14 Quote: Life Together, by Dietrich ...
994. Leadership and Servanthood
1 Corinthians 4:1-21, 1 Corinthians 3:1-23
Teach the Text
Preben Vang
... as a servant and not as one with prominence.3 It is a subtle way of saying, “Consider me the opposite of what you apparently now wrongly adore.” Enhancing his reproof even further, Paul chooses a “servant” term with significantly low-class connotations. In classical Greek a hyp?ret?s was a rower of the lowest rank. Although the term had a more general application at the time of Paul, it still clearly referred to a subordinate. In God’s economy, an insignificant servant of Christ ranks higher than ...
995. Message to Sardis
Revelation 3:1-6
Teach the Text
J. Scott Duvall
... of being welcomed home with a snack and love is a beautiful thing. Jesus offers us the amazing security of knowing that we are part of the Father’s family, welcomed into his presence. (If your setting allows, this might be a perfect place to show a clip from a classic television show like Leave It to Beaver.)
996. The Four Horsemen
Revelation 6:1-17
Teach the Text
J. Scott Duvall
... security. Interestingly, after Jesus mentions the birth pains in his Olivet Discourse, he immediately begins to warn his disciples that their faith will be tested (Matt. 24:9–13). Illustrating the Text Even “small sins” have deadly consequences. Film: In the VeggieTales classic Larry Boy and the Rumor Weed, we witness an epic battle between Larry Boy and, you guessed it, a giant weed. The gargantuan, lipstick-wearing, song-singing pest grew from a tiny little plant. But that is what rumors do, isn’t ...
Teach the Text
J. Scott Duvall
... ain’t nothing ’til I call it.” Wright comments: Klem’s belief in the power of his words may have annoyed both batters and pitchers in his time, but the idea of speaking words which create a new reality is an ancient one, finding classic expression in the great prophets. They are not only given visions or revelations of things that are to come. They are to speak words which somehow generate that new situation. The words, like God’s own words . . . , perform actions. . . . By saying it, the prophet ...
998. God’s Judgment of Babylon Calls for Celebration
Revelation 19:1-10, Revelation 18:1-24
Teach the Text
J. Scott Duvall
... hunger for the things of God. Throughout Scripture, especially here in Revelation, we are given vivid pictures of life in the kingdom. We’re called to cultivate a hunger for this day. The bride of Christ should act like it! Humor: One of the classic “Sunday funnies” is The Lockhorns. This strip shows a long-married couple at constant war with each other. Often, the wife or the husband is commenting on their spouse to a friend, and it is never positive. This kind of behavior makes for humorous ...
Teach the Text
J. Scott Duvall
... own perceptions, to be led astray. We must fix our eyes on the Word, the “instrument panel” for our journey. To miss this is to risk even more than crashing a plane. We must remain alert to Satan’s schemes. Literature: The Odyssey, by Homer. This ancient classic tells the story of Odysseus, a man who braves many perils on his way home from the Trojan War. One of these dangers was self-inflicted. He had been warned by Circe to beware of the Sirens, a group of women with lovely, alluring voices. No man ...
Teach the Text
J. Scott Duvall
... pretend we cannot tell what the nearly finished puzzle depicts. On the other hand, it would be arrogantly prideful to pretend we know exactly what the one with only a basic frame is. Christians should not fear the second death (eternal condemnation). Film: It’s a classic scene in most rip-roaring adventure films. The hero and his merry band are running from the bad guys. They are just a few steps ahead, weaving through a jungle thicket when suddenly, they emerge at the edge of a great gorge. The only way ...
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