Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1526 to 1550 of 5000 results

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... in the middle of the letter and has occasioned much discussion. A number of commentators see the word as simply marking a transition (e.g., Milligan; Lightfoot; J. W. Bailey, The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians [New York: Abingdon, ... how precisely had God’s people been taught? They had been taught by Jesus: by the precepts that he had given them reaffirming the law of love (Mark 12:31; John 13:34; cf. Lev. 19:18; Rom. 13:8–10), by his own practice of that law (John 13:1), and by the ...

1527. Final Instructions

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... 14:19; 2 Cor. 13:11; Eph. 4:3; Col. 3:15; 2 Tim. 2:22; Heb. 12:14) going back to the instruction given by Jesus himself (Mark 9:50; cf. Ps. 34:14), for it goes to the heart of what we as Christians are called to be and to do: “Be imitators of God ... occurred earlier in 1:2 and reappears in Philippians 4:6. According to Romans 1:21, the failure to give thanks is a mark of human sinfulness, and elsewhere Paul urges those whose sins have been forgiven to “overflow with thankfulness” (Col. 2:7; cf. also Eph ...

1528. Thanksgiving and Prayer

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... to which we as human beings are subject in this “present evil age” (Gal. 1:4). “Persecutions” is more specific. The noun derives from a verb meaning “to put to flight,” “to pursue,” and refers in particular to trials that come to us as Christians (cf. Matt. 13:21; Mark 4:17; 10:30; Acts 8:1; 13:50; Rom. 8:35; 2 Cor. 12:10; 2 Tim. 3:11). 1:5 From thanksgiving, Paul turns to encouragement. In introducing this theme, he appears (in the Gk.; see BDF §480 [6] for the syntax concerned) to set the ...

1529. Warnings Against Idleness

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... 1 Thess. 4:11). That command is repeated using their original words (the Greek hoti is recitative, the equivalent of quotation marks in English): “If a man (tis could be either a man or a woman, although the reference is undoubtedly to men ... Christ). 3:13 The admonition of this verse addresses all of the brothers (see disc. on 1 Thess. 1:4). As for you—the emphatic you marking the change of reference from a particular group to the whole church—never tire of doing what is right (cf. Gal. 6:9, and for ...

1530. Instructions on Worship

1 Timothy 2:1-15

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... Pauline way of referring to Christ’s self-sacrifice on the cross (Gal. 1:4; 2:20; Eph. 5:2). As a ransom translates a noun, antilytron, that can mean either a “ransom” (involving “payment”) or “redemption” (in the Exodus sense of delivery from bondage). In both Mark 10:45 and here, the latter is to be preferred (as well as in Titus 2:14). As often happens, therefore, when describing the work of Christ (cf. Rom. 3:24–25; 1 Cor. 1:29; 6:11), a rich combination of metaphors is used, and this ...

1531. Instructions to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:1-16

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... (1 Cor. 15:12, 35), and some at least took a dim view of sex (7:1–7) and marriage (7:25–38), it is altogether likely that something very much like that is being given out as “Law” in Ephesus. Hence the road to purity was marked off for them through abstaining from marriage (to be like the angels after the resurrection [Matt. 22:30]?) and from certain foods. (See the Introduction, pp. 7–10, for further discussion.) We have already noted (2:8–15) how this teaching that forbids people to marry had ...

1532. By Faith

Hebrews 11:1-40

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... whom you love” (or “beloved,” agapētos), a closely related word and an apparently alternative translation of the same Hebrew word. The use of the expression “only son” in reference to Christ occurs only in the Johannine literature of the NT. (For “beloved son,” see Mark 1:11; 9:7; 12:6, and parallels.) Isaac, of course, was not Abraham’s only son—but he was the only son of Sarah and the only son of the so-called line of promise as the next verse unequivocally points out. He was therefore ...

1533. Concluding Exhortations

Hebrews 13:1-25

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... on the readers. 13:1 This short verse reads literally “Let brotherly love continue.” Love, of course, is the basis of all Christian ethics. Jesus sums up the law in the twofold command to love God and one’s neighbor as oneself (Matt. 22:37–40; Mark 12:29–31; cf. Rom. 13:9f.). Love is all-important to the Christian, greater even than faith or hope (1 Cor. 13). Its importance is a constant theme of the NT. The particular stress here upon love between Christian brothers also appears, for example, in ...

1534. The Living Stone and a Chosen People

1 Peter 2:4-12

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... of these verses: the “stone,” as relating to Christ, and to those who accept him, and to those who reject him. All three Synoptic Gospels record that Jesus applied Psalm 118:22 to himself: “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone” (Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17). Peter quotes the Psalmist’s words in Acts 4:11, as well as here and in verse 7. A second christological application of the stone theme is based on the foundational cornerstone of Isaiah 28:16, cited by Peter in verse ...

1535. The Passover

Exodus 12:1-30

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... meantime. Moses summoned all the elders and gave them imperative directions for the protection of their firstborn (vv. 21–23) and instructions for future remembrance of the event (vv. 24–27). He directed them to select the animals for their families, slaughter the Passover lamb, and mark blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. He told them to use hyssop, probably a kind of marjoram with bunches of small white flowers on the end, to put some of the blood on the house. The word “put” is a ...

1536. The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:1-21

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... . 15:32–36; Deut. 15:1–18). Jesus offered a radical interpretation of the Sabbath rest command when he declared that it was “made for man” (Mark 2:23–3:5; Matt. 12:1–13; Luke 6:1–10; see also John 9). The Lord healed on the Sabbath, giving rest and respite ... trust. Stealing is incompatible with living under God’s protection (Ps. 50:16–18) and is a kind of blasphemy (Prov. 30:9). It marks a city as corrupt (Isa. 1:10–23) and brings a curse on the thief and the one who protects him (Zech. 5:3 ...

1537. Jephthah

Jud 10:6–11:40

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... and look at this passage, more so to scrutinize it. Would that it were not in the Bible. But it is in the Bible, and we must seek to understand its meaning and its role in the overall story of God’s people. Truly these events mark a very low point in Israel’s history, demonstrating that the downward spiral toward chaos has spun considerably closer to its conclusion. 11:29–31 The passage opens on a positive note: Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. This charismatic endowment of the Spirit ...

1538. Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help

Esther 4:1-17

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

... was turned over to Haman in 3:10, and then when it is turned over to Mordecai in 8:2. Change in dress is an important indication of status change in the book, esp. in this chapter. Turning and (ex)changing are hints of reversals in Esther, marked in subtle ways throughout and eventually summarized in 9:1. 4:5–9 The verb “to know” (yd?) continues to be important in chapter 4, although it is partially lost in translation. In verse 5 Esther sends the eunuch “to know” (NIV “to find out”) what is ...

1539. Haman Hanged

Esther 7:1-10

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

... Clothing and covering are important indices of status and status change in Esther. In chapter 4, the Jews in sackcloth and Esther’s removal of her royal garb (implied by the fact that she has to put her royal robes back on in 5:1) marked their low status. The procession in chapter 6 marks Mordecai’s rise to power, as he wears one of the king’s robes. Haman covers his own head in shame as he hurries home. Now, as Haman’s fate is sealed, his face is covered for him. In the next chapter, Mordecai takes ...

1540. A Lament and Call to Repentance

Amos 5:1-17

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... Isa. 29:21). Or most tellingly, the picture reminds one of the mob that shouted, “Crucify him,” when innocence stood before them (Mark 15:13–14). As an example of the poor being trampled in the courts by the powerful and corrupt, Amos mentions the ... so vividly spells out throughout its pages, and as Jesus emphasized when he joined the second great commandment to the first (Mark 12:31 and parallels). This is the age-old tradition, present from the first in biblical faith, which Amos recalls in verses ...

1541. Jonah's Anger at the Lord's Compassion

Jonah 4:1-11

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... and that the plant in verse 6 then provides the only shade. But that probably is to miss the author’s subtle symbolism here. In other places in the OT, God’s grace is compared to shade (Ps. 121:5; Isa. 4:6; 25:4; cf. Isa. 32:2; Mark 4:32), to mercy and protection that no human shelter can provide. So the plant here in verse 6 is both literal and symbolic, the evidence of God’s grace sheltering Jonah. Its purpose is, according to the MT, to save Jonah from his “evil” (rāʿâ; NIV: discomfort). The ...

1542. Warnings and Exhortations for Jerusalem and Judah

Zephaniah 1:1-3, Zephaniah 1:4-13, Zephaniah 1:14--2:3

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... altogether (v. 6). They no longer seek the LORD; in other words, they do not inquire of him. Yahweh is not the one they turn to as their resource for blessing or healing or guidance. 1:7–9 The exhortation Be silent (see the comment on Hab. 2:20) marks the beginning of another subsection, which introduces the idea of the day of the LORD. For centuries Yahweh has put up with the kind of attitude on the people’s part that verse 6 expresses, not least during the long reign of Manasseh that came to an end ...

1543. The Lord Promises to Bless Jerusalem

Zechariah 8:1-23

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... grasp the hem of one Jew’s robe. This physical action lays claim to a desired relationship (cf. Ruth 3:9; 1 Sam. 15:27; Ezek. 16:8). By faith the woman suffering a long-term hemorrhage touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was healed (Matt. 9:20–22; Mark 5:25–34; Luke 8:43–48). The hem of a garment was an extension of a person’s identity (1 Sam. 24)—a place where evidence of sin (Jer. 2:34), or consecration to God (Num. 15:37–40), might be found. The people engaged in the worldwide movement ...

1544. Two Shepherds

Zechariah 11:4-17

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... account with a significant detail of Jesus’ passion, but the story as a whole does not correspond with Jesus’ ministry. 11:4–6 God commissions a sign-act (vv. 4–5) and gives its interpretation, introduced by “for” (ki, v. 6). God gives Zechariah ambiguous instructions—Pasture the flock marked for slaughter. A good shepherd would typically protect members of the flock from death so that the sheep could continue to provide their wool and the goats could continue to give milk. This flock has been ...

1545. No More Tears

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Halo over his head. A spotlight from heaven illuminating his golden-brown hair.” Lucado goes on to say, “Now, I’m no artist, but I can tell you one thing. The man who painted that picture didn’t use the gospel of Mark as a pattern. When Mark wrote about that painful night, he used phrases like these: ‘Horror and dismay came over him.’ ‘My heart is ready to break with grief.’ ‘He went a little forward and threw himself on the ground’ . . . We see an agonizing, straining, and struggling ...

1546. John the Baptist's Testimony about Jesus

John 3:22-36

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... would almost inevitably be designated as such without the article. 3:28 I am not the Christ. The first half of John’s self-quotation refers clearly to 1:20, but the second half is not a word-for-word quote of anything that has appeared earlier (though cf. Mark 1:2; Luke 7:27). John is designated in the prologue as having been “sent” (1:6), whereas the idea that he was sent ahead of the Messiah may be an inference from statements that the Messiah would come “after” him (1:15, 27, 30). The matter is ...

1547. Many Disciples Desert Jesus

John 6:60-71

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... to me unless the Father has enabled him (v. 65; cf. v. 44) as further evidence of the same supernatural knowledge. In contrast to the indefinite many of verses 60–66, the Twelve (vv. 67, 70) are assumed to be a fixed group already called and chosen (cf. Mark 3:13–19 and parallels). In John’s Gospel the call of at least four of them has been recorded (1:35–51), but their existence as a group is made explicit only here (cf., however, the twelve baskets gathered by Jesus’ disciples in v. 13). Simon ...

1548. The Unbelief of the Jews

John 10:22-42

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... , for they are, Jesus reiterates, deeds from the Father. His ironic question, For which of these do you stone me? (v. 32) presupposes the logic of his defense of his healings in the other Gospels: “Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matt. 12:12; cf. Mark 3:4). Here in John the issue has already shifted from that of the Sabbath to Jesus’ claims of sonship (cf. 5:16–18; 9:16). To the Jewish authorities, the issue is blasphemy: You, a mere man, claim to be God (v. 33; cf. 5:18). Their ...

1549. The Plot to Kill Jesus

John 11:45-57

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... is often divided into two trials: a “Jewish trial” and a “Roman trial.” John’s Gospel, however, replaces the Jewish trial with more about Jesus’ public ministry. Only the Roman trial, the hearing before Pilate, is left for the Passion narrative (18:33–38; cf. Mark 15:2–4; Matt. 27:11–14; Luke 23:1–5). But in order to be concluded, a trial must reach a verdict. Verses 47–53 record the “verdict” of the Sanhedrin against Jesus, not a formal or official verdict, but simply the final ...

1550. The Jews Continue in Their Disbelief

John 12:37-50

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... not believe because they could not do so (v. 39). In support of this stark judgment, he appeals to Isaiah 6:10 (v. 40). Jesus himself is represented in the synoptic Gospels as quoting this verse from Isaiah in connection with his practice of teaching in parables (Mark 4:12; Matt. 13:13–15; Luke 8:10). There are two differences in the narrator’s use of it in John’s Gospel: It refers to the whole of Jesus’ ministry, not just to his teaching in parables, and it attributes to God explicitly (not just ...

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