Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2276 to 2300 of 3099 results

Hebrews 7:1-10, Hebrews 7:11-28

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... at the intended goal. Although the root is prominent and other forms of it occur frequently in Hebrews, this is the only occurrence of the noun form teleiōsis. See note on 2:10. The verb underlying was given (nomotheteō) occurs only here and in 8:6 (with a different subject) in the NT. See W. Gutbrod, TDNT, vol. 4, p. 1090. Ps. 110:4, just quoted in 5:6 and about to be quoted again in vv. 17 and 21, is obviously the basis for the argument in this verse. See commentary on 5:6. 7:12 The tension between ...

2277. The Legitimacy and Superiority of Christ’s Priesthood

Hebrews 7:11-28, Hebrews 7:1-10

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

2278. The High Priest of a New Covenant

Hebrews 8:1-13

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... God’s purposes. What the author has been describing so well is now shown to have been anticipated within the prophetic Scriptures. 8:7–8a Implicit in the present existence of a new and better covenant with its better promises, which has been the subject of the preceding passage, is the intrinsic inadequacy of that first covenant. Had the first covenant been sufficient, no place would have been sought for another. And yet the hope of a new covenant is precisely what we read about in the prophet Jeremiah ...

2279. Trials and Temptations

James 1:1-18, James 1:19-27

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... , is wisdom, which helps one in the test. Therefore the deeper message is: God does not send the test; he gives the good gift of wisdom that enables us to stand in the test. He gives the antidote, not the poison. Furthermore, the character of God is not subject to change. He is the Father of the heavenly lights. The reference is to creation, and it (and the one to the new creation in the next verse) indicates the extent of God’s goodness. The lights of Genesis 1:18, that is, the sun and moon, were placed ...

2280. Living for God

1 Peter 4:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... or incapable of contributing something to the community, for the Lord has seen to it that each believer has one gift or another to employ for the common good. Peter does not mention the Holy Spirit in this connection, as Paul does when he discusses the subject of gifts (1 Cor. 12–14). But he uses the Greek word (charisma) and makes it clear that every such gift comes from God. The purpose of his bestowing such gifts on Christians is to enable them to serve others in the community of believers, a service ...

2281. To Elders and Young Men

1 Peter 5:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... reward for faithful service will surpass our imagining. At the second coming, when all Christians are summoned before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10), the elders who have been true to their commission will receive the crown of glory. That can never be subject to the ravages of time, for it belongs to another world-order, and it can never, like earthly things, fade away (1:4). What form a crown of glory will take is not explained, and indeed it could not be. Earthly words are totally inadequate to ...

2282. Final Greetings

1 Peter 5:12-14

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... 105 verses as having written to you briefly may seem surprising (Heb. 13:22, where a similar comment occurs, is even more so). It was conventional politeness to proclaim one’s brevity (Acts 24:4), though Peter may have in mind the vastness of the subjects he has tackled. How much more could have been said! But what he has written is intended to be encouraging to his readers in their tribulation, and all through the letter he has sought to draw attention to spiritual facts in order to strengthen faith ...

2283. A Call to Persevere

Jude 1:17-25

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... the epistles of the blessed apostle Paul, you can be built up in the faith given to you.” Verses 20 and 21 together foreshadow trinitarian theology with their reference to the Holy Spirit … God … Lord Jesus Christ. The NT evidence on the subject of the Trinity is surveyed by R. T. France, The Living God (Leicester: InterVarsity Press, 1970). Pray in the Holy Spirit: “A reference to charismatic prayer, including glossolalic prayer, may therefore be presumed for Jude 20” (J. D. G. Dunn, Jesus and ...

2284. The Israelites Oppressed

Exodus 1:1-22

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... eliminate them directly. Egypt had a problem with mobile populations. The problem was not that they would take over the country, but that they would join forces with Egypt’s enemies and leave. Before the children of Israel were victims of forced labor, they were subject to forced residency in a totalitarian state. Even Joseph had to ask the pharaoh’s permission to go to Canaan to bury his father Jacob (Gen. 50:4–14). The words “with them” can also mean “with it,” in which case it would refer ...

2285. The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:1-21

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... a new “nomism.” Since Christ has fulfilled the law, do we, therefore, “nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law” (Rom. 3:31). The law in general, therefore, retains authority, but the nature of this authority remains a subject of debate. See survey in Bruckner, “Ethics,” pp. 224–40. 20:13 For a clear exposition of the command “You shall not murder” as the basis for just-war theory, see Simpson, “Thou Shalt Not Kill.” 20:14 The death penalty for adultery was ...

2286. Hebrew Servants

Exodus 21:2-11

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... too facile, but it demonstrates the tension within the book and takes the narrative context into account in interpreting the laws. In general, Israel’s law made fewer class distinctions in its punishments for crime, paid more attention to subjective factors such as protection for perpetrators, and generally specified punishments that were less harsh (for a few exceptions see Blenkinsopp, quoted in Olson, “Jagged Cliffs,” p. 256). Israelite law was unique in protecting the rights of resident aliens and ...

2287. Protection of Property

Exodus 22:1-15

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... thief who could not pay and also inflicted heavier fines (30 times and 10 times the value) depending on the social status of the victim. Hebrew law never imposed death for violation against property. The fourth case (v. 4), concerning theft, returns to the subject of stolen animals and established the double restitution standard (vv. 4, 7, 9): “If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession . . . he must pay back double.” In this case, the animal would be restored to its owner in addition to the ...

2288. Offerings for the Tabernacle

Exodus 25:1-9

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... to recover the positive role of the priestly writer. The current consensus among historical scholars is that the tent of meeting and the ark-tabernacle traditions have ancient roots. Much more could be said with respect to the scholarly debates on this subject. For further information on the priestly role, see Eichrodt, von Rad, et al. who argued for the positive priestly role. Childs summarizes the scholarship in Exodus, pp. 530–37, 550. Scholars still debate the process of writing and editing the tent ...

2289. The Golden Calf

Exodus 32:1-33:6

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.” The older translations use the expression “God repented of the evil” (KJV, RSV). The NIV has, more accurately, “relented . . . the disaster.” When God is the subject of the verb nakham it is best translated “had compassion” or “relented.” The basic meaning of the verb is “have compassion” or “feel sorrow.” When people feel sorrow, or are “sorry,” the context of sin often warrants the translation ...

2290. The New Stone Tablets

Exodus 34:1-28

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

... the fathers.” Are “the guilty” (ʿawon) forgiven or punished? For a more common translation and interpretation of this passage (e.g., “punishment”), see Durham, Exodus, p. 450. 34:9 The word salakh, “forgive,” or “pardon,” occurs only with God as the subject in the OT. It means to declare that the sin is forgiven. 34:10 Source critics have attributed the commandments of Exod. 20 (J) and 34 (E) to separate sources. Lev. 19 (P) reiterates the Ten Commandments, also integrated with other laws ...

2291. The Lord Commands Joshua

Joshua 1:1-18

Understanding Series

J. Gordon Harris

... term is used as a title frequently in Deut. It appears in God’s reported speech in vv. 2 and 13. It not only refers to slaves but also describes a person in a subordinate position. That person can be a strong leader such as Abraham, Moses, or David. Subjects to a king refer to themselves as servants of the king (the word “servant” often refers to an official; see Gen. 14:14; Exod. 32:13; Lev. 25:55; 1 Sam. 3:9; Ezra 9:11). The most significant leaders would be called “servant of the LORD.” Joshua ...

2292. Disobedience and Defeat

Judges 2:6-3:6

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

Survey of Israel’s Early History: Joshua to Judges · Here begins a new section, but not immediately a new subject. In fact, rather than carrying the story forward, the text looks back to the period immediately after the Israelites renewed their covenant with the Lord at Shechem (Josh. 24). The text picks up nearly where the book of Joshua left off. Joshua 24:28 almost word for word corresponds to ...

2293. Othniel

Judges 3:7-11

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... from the Lord. The second and third elements of the Deuteronomic framework spell out the consequence of the Israelites’ turning away from the Lord: he became angry, and he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram Naharaim, to whom they were subject for eight years (v. 8). It is not clear to whom this refers. To begin with, Aram Naharaim most naturally refers to a geographical area far to the north of the land of Israel. Naharaim means “two rivers,” logically denoting the Tigris and ...

2294. Jephthah

Jud 10:6–11:40

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... daughter (v. 34). The repetition serves to emphasize the magnitude of the tragedy. To most effectively communicate the indescribable pathos of the father-daughter meeting, the author at this point changes from narrative to dialogue; he remains in this mode until the subject matter becomes so profane that he must allow us to step back from the odious reality. Jephthah first expressed his absolute horror by an appropriate action, commonly associated with shock or grief: He tore his clothes (cf. Gen. 37:29; 2 ...

2295. The Birth of Samson

Judges 13:1-25

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... over birth ironically foreshadows Samson’s destiny. Manoah responded with a prayer, an indication of his faith and piety. He prayed that the man of God would return to teach them how to bring up the boy . . . to be born, linking by wordplay the subject of teaching (horah, cf. torah) with conceive (harah) and razor (morah). 13:9–14 In response to Manoah’s prayer, the angel of God came again to the woman, which is especially striking, because he came in response to Manoah’s prayer. In contrast to ...

2296. Samson and Delilah

Judges 16:1-22

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... time, it appears that Delilah acted not out of ideological convictions but from pure greed. And so began to subdue him: The NIV reads and so [she] began to subdue him, which represents the Hb. text, as well as some Gk. manuscripts. According to the LXX, however, Samson is the subject and the verb is intransitive, as I have rendered the phrase. I believe this reading is more consistent with the main point of the story, repeated again and again, that Samson became weak as any other man.

2297. Israelites Fight the Benjamites

Judges 20:1-48

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... what was right in his/her eyes,” which was the ultimate “evil in the eyes of the LORD.” 20:1–7 The Israelites united in reponse to the atrocities at Gibeah. The text emphasizes their unity by piling up words and phrases related to the subject. In verse 1 alone, there are five: all the Israelites, from Dan to Beersheba, from . . . Gilead [Transjordan tribes], as one man, and assembled in Mizpah. Verse 2 mentions twice: all the people and all (Hb.) the tribes of Israel. The general scene recalls the ...

2298. Ruth Meets Boaz

Ruth 2:1-23

Understanding Series

Michael S. Moore

... of irony here. First, it is ironic that the city deemed foreign by this Ephraimite is the same city later transformed into Israel’s capital by the great-grandson of the nokriyyah Ruth. Indeed, the interplay between Israel and non-Israel is a subject of endless fascination in the Bible, the Targumim, the Talmud, and the midrashim. Second, how ironic it is that Jebus proves, if only by default, to be more Yahwistic in its morality than is Gibeah, presumably an ethnically purer city. Third, the genuine ...

2299. Boaz Marries Ruth

Ruth 4:1-12

Understanding Series

Michael S. Moore

... it look like Boaz is more interested in Naomi (see 3:9). He may well be, but this is not the tack he takes with the elders. Instead, this farmer wants to talk to his neighboring farmers about land and inheritance rights, subjects dear to their agrarian hearts. In rural economies, questions about absentee land ownership cannot be left indefinitely open (Neh. 5:3; b. B. Qam. 60b). Boaz convenes this meeting to resolve three separate, related problems: the reincorporation of Elimelech’s land into Bethlehem ...

2300. Reuben

1 Chronicles 5:1-10

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... entered in the genealogical records (see Additional Note on 4:33b). 5:25 The term often used by the Chronicler to indicate transgressions of the past occurs here for the second time (see Additional Note on 2:7). 5:26 The verb used here with the God of Israel as subject, “to stir up the spirit of X,” occurs in a few instances in Chronicles, the most dramatic example being the spirit of Cyrus, the Persian king, being stirred by God to let the Israelite exiles return to their land (2 Chron. 36:22).

Showing results