Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1501 to 1525 of 1795 results

1 John 4:1-6

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

In a style typical of the Elder, a subject introduced at the end of the previous section (the Spirit, 3:24) becomes the main issue at the beginning of the next. Throughout 4:1–6 the Elder is concerned to help his readers correctly discern truth from error (4:6b) and true prophetic ...

1502. Assured by the Certainties of Faith

1 John 5:13-21

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... eternal life (13), asking and interceding in prayer (14–17), not sinning (18), being God’s children in an evil world (19), and knowing Jesus Christ, the true God (20). In the light of these great realities comes a final warning (21). 5:13 Continuing his style of linking the beginning of a new section with the end of the previous one (see the note on 5:4b), the writer carries over the concepts of eternal life and the title, the Son of God, into his concluding statement of purpose for writing this ...

1503. Joy at Believers’ Walking in the Truth

3 John 1:1-14

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... to hear either the Elder or the secessionists, and instead maintains his own preeminent and independent authority. This is one of the first instances of an attempt at complete local church autonomy, exercised, in this case, through a dictatorial leadership style. Either the Elder’s authority is not sufficient to enable him to deal with Diotrephes’ defection directly, or he has a very “democratic” concept of the use of pastoral authority. Unlike Paul’s use of apostolic authority, especially 1–2 ...

1504. Adam and Eve

Genesis 2:4-25

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... to each other. The fact that there is no concern for elements vital to the creation, such as light, seas, heavens, moon, stars, and sea creatures, confirms that this text is not a second creation account parallel to Genesis 1. 2:4b-6 In a style typical of ancient Near Eastern texts about origins, this account opens with a description of what did not yet exist: before God made the earth and the heavens—and no shrub . . . had yet appeared and no plant . . . had yet sprung up, since there was neither ...

1505. The Sons of Noah

Genesis 9:18-29

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

Noah Curses Canaan and Blesses Shem and Japheth: In a style characteristic of Genesis, the account of Noah closes with his genealogy. Attached to this genealogy are Noah’s contribution to culture, the report of a troubling incident, and Noah’s blessings and curses. 9:18–19 The three sons of Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth, are identified as those who ...

1506. Abram Rescues Lot

Genesis 14:1-24

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... in a specific time frame. Unfortunately, connections between the names, places, and events related here and the information found in ancient documents from the Near East remain elusive. Nevertheless, the abundance of proper names, along with a distinctive vocabulary and style, indicate that this account had an origin different from that of the other stories about Abram. The double names for various places—an archaic name and a current name—indicate that the story has been adapted for a later audience ...

1507. Esau's Descendants

Genesis 36:1-30

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... In contrast to Western approaches to official lists, the ancients were not troubled by such apparent contradictions, as they treasured the diverse traditions as part of their rich heritage. If the core material comes from Edom, it has been adapted to the style of Genesis, for the pattern is similar to that of other genealogical lists in Genesis. Wenham (Genesis 16–50, p. 336) argues that the tight structure of these lists indicates that they were assembled in block. The preservation of this long, complex ...

1508. Love the Lord Your God

Deuteronomy 6:1-25

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... the very appropriate Ps. 24:4–5. This view is indebted to Moberly’s stimulating study of the meaning of the righteousness reckoned to Abraham (Gen. 15:6), to Phinehas (Ps. 106:31), and in the text: “Abraham’s Righteousness.” An interesting point of style in the whole chapter is that this law in the final verse is singular and is the same word as the commands in v. 1 (hammiṣwâ). If this singular expression, “this whole command,” has a particular reference to the Shema, as some think ...

1509. Blessings for Obedience

Deuteronomy 28:1-14

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... faith, is the means of appropriating God’s grace and blessing, not the means of deserving it. 28:1–14 The opening promise (v. 1), should be read in the light of the commentary on 26:19. The heart of the chapter is really the liturgical-style blessings of verses 3–6, which find their counterpart in the curses of verses 16–19. Both are then expanded in the verses following them. The focus of the blessings is very obviously the enjoyment of the land, which would depend on being protected from invading ...

1510. Jehoshaphat King of Judah

1 Kings 22:41-50

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah: Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah, already characters in Ahab’s story (1 Kgs. 22:2 etc.; 22:40), now find a place of their own. Our expectations differ with respect to each. Jehoshaphat is a Davidic king, so we anticipate no major disasters in his reign (cf. 1 Kgs. 11:36), particularly since he is evidently pious (cf. 1 Kgs. 22:5). Ahaziah, on the other hand, is an Israelite and a son of Ahab. We anticipate wickedness, and disaster of the sort that has fallen upon all the successors of ...

1511. Woe to those Who Rely on Egypt

Isaiah 31:1-9

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... them to do so. The exhortation will come only once more in the entire book, in 44:22, on Yahweh’s own lips. The words are in prose not in verse, and they may be a later contribution to the book. Even so, their distinctiveness in content and style gives them particular impact in driving home the implication of chapters 28–31. Indeed, as we begin to come toward the end of the chapters that relate to Isaiah’s own ministry to Judah, perhaps they drive home the implication of all that we have read, for the ...

1512. Signs and Oracles of Judgment

Ezekiel 4:1-5:17, Ezekiel 6:1-14, Ezekiel 7:1-27

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... , is not necessarily better than the MT (Greenberg, Ezekiel 1–20, pp. 146–47). Ezekiel is characteristically wordy and repetitive (not unlike many contemporary preachers!), and the LXX demonstrates a consistent tendency to clean up the prophet’s convoluted, repetitive style. But in 7:1–9 that repetition is powerful and effective, driving home the theme of the approaching end. Walther Eichrodt describes this text as “a fugue, a piece of music circling round in mighty sweeps, and again and again ...

1513. Riddles and Metaphors

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

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

As a priest, Ezekiel was literate and well educated. His learned background is apparent in his imaginative use of a variety of literary forms and styles. The 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 ...

1514. Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia

Ezekiel 25:1-7, Ezekiel 25:8-11, Ezekiel 25:12-14, Ezekiel 25:15-17

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... himself, assembled this collection out of originally independent oracles concerning Egypt and then added it to the preexisting collection in chapters 25–28. Though the oracles against the nations have been edited and revised, most of this material is certainly authentic; in style and theme, this is recognizably the work of Ezekiel. However, both the final form of these oracles and their location belong to the editing of this book, rather than to its initial composition. 25:1–7 The first oracle in this ...

1515. Egypt

Ezekiel 29:1-21, Ezekiel 30:1-26, Ezekiel 31:1-18, Ezekiel 32:1-32

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... day of clouds” read “it will be a day of doom [lit., “an end,” Gk. peras] for nations.” However, it is doubtful that the LXX translators had a different text of this verse in front of them than we do. Rather, they seem to be cleaning up Ezekiel’s style by eliminating all the repetitions in this verse. Of course, the nations’ time will indeed be a time of doom, but it is best to stay with the Heb. here. 30:5 Lydia and Libya. The Heb. lud is usually understood to refer to the wealthy kingdom of ...

1516. Epilogue to the Law of the Temple: River, Land, City

Ezekiel 47:1-12, Ezekiel 47:13-23, Ezekiel 48:1-29, Ezekiel 48:30-35

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... of the river, and the miraculous transformation it brings to the land, provides the context for the final legalistic insert into Ezekiel’s original vision (Ezek. 47:13–48:29). Both in form and in content, this material departs from the vision report, but expresses the style and themes of the Law of the Temple. We can attribute this grand scheme of land reform to the same priestly editors who produced the law code in 43:10–46:24, and we can find here evidence of the same date in the Persian period ...

1517. Sermon on the Mount: Final Warnings and Call to Obey Jesus’ Words

Matthew 7:13-14, Matthew 7:15-23, Matthew 7:24-29

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... that it was said . . . but I tell you . . .” (5:21–22, 27–28, 31–32, 33–34, 38–39, 43–44). Jesus’ authoritative pronouncements, culminating in his implicit claim to be “Lord” (7:21), provide a contrast to typical Jewish teaching style. Rabbis most often cited past rulings and wisdom of former teachers and traditions to carry on their own teaching.5Jesus, however, teaches with an authority that derives from his God-given wisdom and interpretation of the Torah. Teaching the Text 1. Doing ...

1518. Community Discourse: Lavish Forgiveness in the Kingdom

Matthew 18:21-35

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... right? (Though many who see it firsthand notice first how small the canvas of this masterpiece is.) When we hear the name “O’Keefe,” most people probably think of gigantic flowers. “Van Gogh”—a night sky filled with stars. Art and artists have their own distinctive style and characteristics. They have a “brand,” to put it in marketing terms. So what defines the church? It should be the way we extend grace. Extravagant forgiveness should be what comes to mind when people think of the church.

1519. Luke the Historian

Luke 1:1-4

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. Other ancient historians and authors of literary works of nonfiction made similar statements of intent, assuring their readers that their works could be trusted, and the formal style of Luke’s opening words conforms to that Greco-Roman literary convention. But not all ancient historians seem to have delivered quite what they promised, and there has been much debate as to how far Luke was able to fulfill his stated ...

1520. Mary’s Song—the Magnificat

Luke 1:46-56, Luke 1:39-45

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... each is clearly designed to reflect the specific circumstances in which they are uttered in Luke’s narrative.2Their language and structure reflect those of the Old Testament psalms, with their poetic parallelism, so that their Semitic style stands out within Luke’s generally more Hellenistic writing. The Magnificat in particular breathes the atmosphere of traditional Jewish piety and contains no specifically Christian language. Historical and Cultural Background Mary’s visit to her relative Elizabeth ...

1521. The Birth of John

Luke 1:67-80, Luke 1:57-66

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... dramatization is compelling; the listener really hears and sees what is happening. Music: It would be good to let the audience hear a rendition of the “Benedictus,” a term that may be unfamiliar to the average churchgoer. A variety of styles are available online, ranging from a Vineyard song to Gregorian chant. God remains faithful to his covenant and raises up messengers to point to spiritual redemption, the path through the darkness into light. Quote: Michael Milton. Milton, a professor and pastor ...

1522. Jesus and Women

Luke 7:36--8:3

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... the table. Jesus was as much at home in “polite” society as in Levi’s house; he did not “belong” to one side of the social divide. For other such invitations by Pharisees, see 11:37; 14:1. At a more formal dinner guests reclined in the Roman style on couches around a central table, so that their feet would stick out away from the table; that is the scenario envisaged in 7:38. 7:37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life. This is probably a euphemistic way of referring to a town prostitute ...

1523. Priorities

Luke 12:35-48, Luke 12:22-34

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... American blues and jazz singer, and the song title became the title of her autobiography. It could be very evocative to play a recording of Ethel Waters singing the song, as it is also a piece of American history. Interestingly, Waters’s powerful voice and style enabled her to break into the previously white-dominated theater and performance world of the 1940s and 1950s before she eventually sang at Billy Graham rallies. The refrain of the song uses the image of a bird—in this case, a sparrow (see 12:6 ...

1524. Table Talk

Luke 14:1-14

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... great parables of chapter 15 will be prompted by the objections that Pharisees raised to his eating with “sinners.” So the Pharisees, despite their occasional hospitality to Jesus, are finding themselves increasingly at odds with his teaching and his style of ministry. Historical and Cultural Background For Jesus’s relations with the Pharisees, and especially their invitations to him to eat with them, see “Historical and Cultural Background” on 11:37–54. The social importance of shared meals in ...

1525. Use It or Lose It

Luke 19:11-27

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... can serve the Lord. The last verse follows, indicating that the Lord can use those devoted to him in extraordinary ways. Lord, make my soul Thy plate; Thine image bright Within the circle of the same enfoil. And on its brims in golden letters write Thy superscription in an holy style. Then I shall be Thy money, Thou my hoard; Let me Thy angel be, be Thou my Lord.”3

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