Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 126 to 150 of 1138 results

Exodus 10:21-29

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... travel easily, including men and women without children. They probably thought that this would appease Moses. Just exactly who would go is ambiguous, not just for our translation, but likely because it was the main issue at stake in the negotiation. Therefore the variety in the vocabulary may be intentional. The officials were not yet as blind as the pharaoh. They said, “Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?” Nowhere is the effect of the hardening of the heart more succinctly expressed than in ...

127. The Passover

Exodus 12:1-30

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... the home on the night before Passover with a feather and a spoon to collect pieces of leavened bread hidden to initiate the search (Sarna, “Exodus,” p. 385). 12:21 The people received Moses’ words as from the Lord. For a brief summary of the variety of source critical theories on the compositional complexity of the liturgical and narrative elements in vv. 21–28, see Durham, Exodus, p. 161. 12:24 Present-day Seder meals do not use a lamb because it can’t be done properly. Sometimes a lamb shank is ...

128. Offerings for the Tabernacle

Exodus 25:1-9

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... . Many elements of the tabernacle texts also occur in Genesis 1–2. This intentional reflection of the creation weights the significance of the tabernacle as a new creation of the Lord. Rabbinic interpreters have long recognized the echoes of creation in a variety of texts. The Creator was doing something new in directing the building of the tabernacle. The Spirit of God, present at creation (Gen. 1:2) filled Bezalel and the craftsmen who created the tabernacle with creative gifts (Exod. 31:1–11). Israel ...

129. The New Stone Tablets

Exodus 34:1-28

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... verses are the heart of the chapter that is the theological core of Exodus. They functioned as a confession of faith in God and God’s redeeming work throughout the OT. Throughout their history, Israel frequently repeated this credo, or portions of it, in a wide variety of formats and contexts. Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. God had promised to show Moses the “glory” of the Lord (33:18, 22). Now that the time had come, the “glory” is ...

130. The Man Among Myrtle Trees

Zechariah 1:7-17

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... Zechariah’s audience would have been aware of the work of Persian imperial messengers by whom the emperor imposed his will and demands on them and also of the spies who reported on their submission. They may even have marveled at the number and variety of their mounts, and the speed at which they could travel. Zechariah’s vision report enables this daylight reality of the audience’s experience to remind them of the divine reality of the Lord’s reign over the whole earth. The Lord also has messengers ...

131. Paul's Chains Advance the Gospel

Philippians 1:12-30

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... view, but they could not fail to realize that it was Paul’s being a Christian that had landed him where he now was. The palace guard is, literally, the “praetorium,” that is, the praetorian guard, the emperor’s bodyguard. The word “praetorium” has a variety of meanings according to the context (cf. Mark 15:16 par. Matt. 27:27 and John 18:28ff. for the praetorium in Jerusalem; Acts 23:35 for the praetorium in Caesarea), but as has been argued in the Introduction, its most probable meaning here is ...

132. God’s Love and Ours

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

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... for one’s brothers and sisters a criterion for distinguishing between his own faithful community and the misbelieving secessionists (2:9, 11; 3:10, 15, 17; 4:8, 20). But how does one know whether one is authentically loving the children of God (3:1–2, 10)? A variety of answers from within the epistle is possible: when we “lay down our lives for our brothers” (3:16), by having pity on our brother when he is in need (3:17), when we love “with actions and in truth” (3:18), and when we love like God ...

133. Abram and Lot Separate

Genesis 13:1-18

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... In Egypt and Mesopotamia the established cults probably would have prevented him from performing such activity in the open. But in the land of promise, which was not under the control of a strong central government, Abram was free to worship the one true God at a variety of places. The narrator’s interest is in reporting Abram’s worship of Yahweh in the land of promise. 13:5–7 Lot also had a large number of flocks, herds, and tents. The increase was so great that the land could no longer support both ...

134. Riddles and Metaphors

Ezekiel 15:1-8, Ezekiel 16:1-63, Ezekiel 17:1-24

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... effect of this creativity on his original audience was evidently mixed; some contemporaries dismissed him as a teller of riddles (20:49; the NIV renders the Heb. meshalim “parables”) or “one who sings love songs” (33:32). Certainly, though, this variety makes Ezekiel one of the most interesting, as well as the most baffling, of the prophetic books. In Ezekiel 15–17, a formally distinctive collection of parables, riddles, and extended metaphors, the prophet’s literary art and creativity are on ...

135. True and False Discipleship

Luke 6:46-49, Luke 6:43-45, Luke 6:37-42

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... to themselves. Teaching the Text The parables and sayings in this section focus primarily on authentic Christian living and the need for a firm and genuine foundation that will carry us through in difficult times. Jesus’s engaging teaching style here provides a variety of word pictures for the teacher or preacher. Invite your listeners to think through one or more of the six parabolic images in these verses and discuss how they may apply to our own situation as disciples today: the blind leading the blind ...

136. Resurrection and History

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... raised from dead (15:23). Chapter 15 divides into three sections. In verses 1–11, Paul argues for the fact of bodily resurrection, making the case that Christ’s resurrection was observed over a period of time, in a variety of settings, by a variety of trustworthy people and groups. Verses 12–34 highlight how Christ’s death-conquering resurrection functions as the firstfruits of the Christian experience. Bodily resurrection is not merely a historical event in the life of Jesus; it is the cornerstone ...

137. God’s Judgment of Babylon Calls for Celebration

Revelation 19:1-10, Revelation 18:1-24

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... she cast over the nations to deceive them (cf. 9:21; 21:8; 22:15).3 Third, Babylon has murdered God’s people (cf. 6:9–11; 7:14; 11:7; 13:7, 15; 14:13; 16:6; 17:6; 19:2). God’s servants are listed in a variety of ways throughout this section: “my people” (18:4), “people of God,” “apostles and prophets” (18:20), “prophets” (18:24), “God’s holy people” (18:24; 19:8), “his servants” (19:2, 5), and “brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus” (19:10). What’s ...

138. Job Presents Evidence against the Retribution Principle

Job 12:1--14:22

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... what we cannot understand. Ultimately, faith must be rooted in the God who knows all, not in the knowledge that we possess, because our knowledge is partial and incomplete. Teaching the Text As Job processes his adversity, he goes through the same variety of thoughts and feelings that any human does when faced with severe pain and disappointment. In chapter 14, Job desperately tries to find hope in his situation. Nevertheless, whether he looks at the patterns in the natural world or designs an imaginative ...

139. Job Hears the Whispers of God’s Works

Job 26:1--31:40

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... the throne, Moment by moment, He thinks of His own. But Where Can Wisdom Be Found? Big Idea: Despite the best efforts of humans, only God understands wisdom. Understanding the Text Job 28 does not have a specified speaker, so scholars have viewed it in a variety of ways. Some commentators regard Job as the speaker from chapter 26 through chapter 31, including this chapter. However, the tone of Job 28 is calm, in contrast to the turgid emotions of Job’s speeches both in chapter 27 and in chapters 29–31 ...

140. The Passover Meal

John 13:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... he will say that Jesus is crucified on 14 Nisan, when the temple lambs are being slaughtered (19:14). Hence John’s story shows the meal to be on the day of Preparation, one night prior to the Passover feast. Scholars have solved this riddle in a variety of ways. The easiest and most popular solution is simply to say that one Gospel tradition or the other is incorrect. But critics can find fault with each account: Would the Sanhedrin hold a trial on a feast day, as the Synoptics contend? Or has John moved ...

141. Final Instructions

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... where all, even the illiterate, could hear the message (Col. 4:16; 1 Tim. 4:13). After the reading, there would be time to greet each other “with a holy kiss” (5:26; cf. Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12). The kiss signified a variety of things, such as the love between members of a family, honor and respect, and friendship (Mark 14:44–45; Luke 7:36–45; 15:20; Acts 20:37). Most well known was the kiss given on the forehead or cheek in greetings or departures between family members, friends ...

142. The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:1-23

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... modern commentators have given up any attempt to find what a particular parable may have meant in its original setting and have concentrated on what it probably meant to the Gospel writer. Others believe that, although the parable is useful for teaching in a variety of settings, the Gospel writers have transmitted to their readers the meaning Jesus intended when he used the parable. 13:1–9 Leaving the house, Jesus went and sat beside the sea. So many people crowded around him that he went aboard a small ...

143. Righteousness Through Faith

Romans 3:21-31

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... in the Bible. The presence of so many terms otherwise unusual or foreign to Paul—and without explanation—indicates that the apostle is here resorting to familiar concepts, perhaps even to an early Christian formula. Paul employs a wide variety of vocabulary in developing the theme of righteousness by faith. One set of terms comes from the law courts, consisting of “righteousness,” “law,” and “reckoning” (NIV, “maintain,” 3:28). The first two terms are heavy-weights; in this passage ...

144. Thanksgiving

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... to my God always.” The pronoun “my” is missing in two of the oldest and most reliable manuscripts (א* and B), but it is present in a wide variety of other texts, including some that are ancient and typically accurate. The easiest explanation for this discrepancy is that the pronoun was accidentally omitted in א* and B, for the variety of texts that do include this otherwise innocuous pronoun are striking. The Greek phrase for giving thanks to God is a feature of several Pauline letters: Rom. 1 ...

145. On Divisions in the Church

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... erect an edifice on the foundation. Going further with his explanation, Paul informs the Corinthians that when persons build on the foundation of Jesus Christ, not all buildings are equal. To illustrate this point, 1 Corinthians 3:12 catalogues a variety of building materials, and the following discussion promises a testing of the materials. This testing is an eschatological judgment on the future, promised “Day” (of the Lord). Thus, those who build on the foundation of Jesus Christ are to anticipate ...

146. Marriage

1 Corinthians 7:1-40

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... of view.” See Orr and Walther, I Corinthians, p. 215. Issues and Eschatology These verses are an alternating series of statements about virginity and marriage, the eschatological nature of the time, and the death of a spouse and remarriage. An amazing variety of issues is treated in rapid succession. Verses 25–28 are difficult, in part, because of the uncertain (for later readers) specific identity of the virgins. The virgin is an unmarried young woman, but other details of her status remain unclear ...

147. Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... the church. The language and concerns in verses 20–25 are reminiscent of those in 2:6 and 3:1. Readers of the letter and expert interpreters alike find this portion of chapter 14 difficult to follow, however, and various scholars have offered a variety of interpretive suggestions concerning the logic of these lines. There are two basic schools of thought on how best to interpret verses 20–25. C. H. Talbert (Reading, pp. 87–91) is at the forefront of those commentators who have argued that Paul begins ...

148. Discharges Causing Uncleanness

Leviticus 15:1-33

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

... the person to God. The relationship with God is back at one. This person has not been banned from the camp. The purification rites are less strenuous than those for persons with infectious diseases. 15:16–18 The chapter now moves to the more transient variety of bodily discharges in males, an emission of semen. This circumstance appears to be unrelated to the discharge treated in verses 1–15. The man who has an emission of semen is unclean and must bathe his whole body with water. The impurity lasts ...

149. Various Laws

Leviticus 19:1-37

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

... is unity and diversity here, and connections to the Decalogue in Exodus 20 as well as to Deuteronomy. Themes characteristic of the Holiness Code appear at the beginning and at the end of the chapter, suggesting that the Priestly editors have subsumed a variety of legislation in this context as part of the divine revelation. Most of the instructions are apodictic, or universal, in form. The parallels with the Decalogue fit that frame and occur in the first part of the chapter: honoring parents, observing the ...

150. Job's Second Reply to Eliphaz

Job 16:1-17:16

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... them in order to enlighten them regarding the truth! The reference to triumph is difficult, since the verb in question (Heb. teromem) literally means “you (God) will not exalt,” and some sort of an object would normally follow. Scholars have suggested a variety of emendations, and NIV has opted for one expressing Job’s hope that God will not exalt the enemies in their lack of insight. 17:5 Job concludes this section with a rather obscure aphorism originally intended to encourage loyalty and friendship ...

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