Sermon and Worship Resources

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Malachi 2:1-9

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... broken that causes the Lord’s curse to rest on the priests? It is not until verse 7 that the commandment is set forth in a straightforward manner: “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.” The knowledge of God is not knowledge about God or secrets pertaining to the priesthood. “Knowledge” is the ability to know and the desire to do the will of God on earth in accordance with his commandment ...

2. Consider Others Higher Than Yourself

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... sis is Christ, not Sophia (“Wisdom”).7 The gn?sis of Christ teaches the “strong” to consider the weak before themselves and sets the weak free to recognize Christ’s power over man-made gods. 8:7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Paul reveals here that the “weak” are the new converts to Christ or those whose understanding has not yet been shaped by their relationship to Christ and Christian teaching. These have not fully let go of their former understanding and spiritual allegiances ...

3. The Lord Speaks

Job 38:1--41:34

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... eludes humans—and even if they were able to discover it, they have no power to take them to their places or travel along the paths to their dwellings. Surely you know, for you were already born! These words once again display Job’s lack of knowledge and power. More irony dwarfs Job before the eternality of the creator God, before whom Job’s many years dwindle to nothingness. 38:22–24 Have you entered the storehouses of the snow . . . hail? As God has shut the chaotic waters of the seas behind doors ...

4. Food Sacrificed to Idols

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... believer. In other words, “God knows, and so we know; God loves, and so we love.” To be known by God is to be loved, and to be loved by God enables the one who is loved to love God, not merely to pursue and to possess knowledge. Although he does not advocate any action explicitly, that “love builds up” indicates that the believers’ love for God evinces itself in the constructive doing of God’s work in the world. 8:4 Again, Paul’s rhetoric indicates that he is referring to, perhaps quoting from ...

5. No Confidence in the Flesh

Philippians 3:1-11

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... Gal. 2:16). 3:10 I want to know Christ: Gk. tou gnōnai auton, “in order to know him,” where the aorist infinitive follows the precedent of the aorists kerdēsō (I may gain) and heurethō (“I may be found”) in vv. 8, 9. It is with the knowledge of Christ to be experienced in this life that Paul is here concerned (as in v. 8, knowing Christ Jesus my Lord). It is pointless to say that “Paul undoubtedly borrows from the Gnostics in describing the gnōsis Christou lēsou as a distinctive mark of the ...

6. A Prayer for the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:14-21

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... Notes On 3:14–21, see W. E. Hull, Love in Four Dimensions (Nashville: Broadman, 1982). 3:15 For further discussion on whole family in 3:15, see Abbott, pp. 93–94; Mitton, pp. 130–32. 3:18 See N. A. Dahl, “Cosmic Dimensions and Religious Knowledge (Eph. 3:18),” in Jesus und Paulus, ed. E. E. Ellis and E. Grässer (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1975), pp. 57–75. Also Barth, Eph. 1–3, pp. 395–97; Moule, p. 100; Robinson, p. 176. Praising Through Doxology 3:20 The apostle has prayed ...

7. Elihu Makes His Appearance

Job 32:1--37:24

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... determines to express his opinion that is welling up within him (32:17–20). His turgid language makes Elihu come off sounding pompous rather than as a serious teacher of wisdom. In 15:2, Eliphaz asked rhetorically if a wise man should fill himself with windy knowledge. Elihu here seems to be doing just that, as he comically describes himself as a windbag who has to speak in order to get relief from the flatulence within him (32:18–20). Elihu indicates that he is ready to explode and that his only relief ...

8. Unity and Community (Part 1)

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... only agenda is being useful and ready in the Lord’s plans. The Spirit gifts us differently so we will be interdependent, not to reveal a hierarchy of status and power. Visual: Bring in equipment from a sport or hobby you enjoy and about which you are knowledgeable. The key is that there should be at least two components to the equipment that work interdependently. For example, you may choose a rod and reel, a bat and ball, a golf club and golf ball, a bow and arrow, a climbing rope and harness, a mixing ...

9. Making One's Calling and Election Sure

2 Peter 1:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... sets out the Christian truths on which he is going to base his argument. Peter picks up the theme of “the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” included in his greeting (v. 2) and expounds what that means. His divine ... 5–7 A more literal translation of vv. 5–7 would run: “In (en) your faith richly provide goodness; in (en) your goodness, knowledge; in (en) your knowledge, self-control …” The wording suggests organic union, a cluster of fruits on the living branch of faith (cf. John 15:1–8). ...

10. Job Hears the Whispers of God’s Works

Job 26:1--31:40

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... what he has not done. More than that, God knows what is in Job’s heart, when others can only speculate about Job’s motives and desires. To Job, the omniscience of God is a comfort because Job knows that he has been blameless before God. God’s perfect knowledge will also enable God to reach a verdict that truly fits the facts of the case. Because God knows us thoroughly, we can be confident that he will always do what is right for us. Job longs for justice from God. He is well aware of the many ways ...

11. Thanksgiving and Prayer

Colossians 1:1-14

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... spiritual wisdom to determine God’s will for their lives; they need spiritual understanding to apply God’s will to specific situations in life. 1:10 This verse begins with a construction in Greek (an infinitive of purpose) that expresses the result of being filled with the knowledge of God’s will. Hence the NIV’s in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord (cf. NASB “so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord”). The first consequence of knowing God’s will is to live as the ...

12. Yahweh Speaks as the Master Teacher

Job 38:1--41:34

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... if he has an arm like God’s and if his voice can thunder like God’s. The arm or hand of God speaks of his power (Exod. 6:6), and his voice represents his communication. In a similar way, the eye of the Lord is an image for his knowledge (Ps. 33:18). His ear indicates his openness to listen (Ps. 17:6). The shoulder of the Lord is a picture of his acceptance of responsibility (Isa. 9:6). These personifications all make use of familiar aspects of the human body in order to communicate how Yahweh, who is ...

13. 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... on food that might have been tied to idol worship rituals. “Weaker” Christians are defined as those still not sufficiently weaned from the superstitions about the powers and pervasiveness of various deities. If these “weaker” brothers and sisters joined the more knowledgeable ones at this table, the consequences could be tragic. The Lordship of Christ would become confused with the gods and lords of human creation. The sacrifice of Christ, offered once and for all, is served up on the same plate as ...

14. Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... will humans ever know fully (Gk. epiginōskō; lit. “to know thoroughly”). Indeed, whatever humans know that matters at all is the result of their being fully known (Gk. epiginōskō, “to be known thoroughly”) by God. Paul applies this paradigm of knowledge, knowing, and being known to himself, but his implications for the Corinthians are evident. This use of himself as an example is consistent with the previous references to Apollos and Paul in ch. 4, where Paul explained that he engaged in such ...

15. Job's Third Reply to Bildad

Job 26:1--31:40

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... of divine power on the world of powerless humans. What will become clear in these verses is that Job believes not only that God is fully aware and fully in control of all the deepest recesses of the world, but also that the consequences of this divine knowledge and power—from a “maggot’s eye view”—are painful in the extreme! 26:5–6 The dead are in deep anguish. Job refers to the “dead” here with the Hebrew repaʾim, which is related to the verbal root rpʾ, “heal.” As Hartley and others ...

16. The Fall of Man

Genesis 3:1-24

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... to encourage the woman in obeying God. In the excuses the man put before God there was no hint that he sought to dissuade her from eating this fruit. Thus he failed on two accounts: agreeing with the woman over disobeying God and eating from the tree of knowledge. God declared that the ground, the source of life-giving food, was cursed because of his act. In contrast to land that is blessed, meaning that it has water and is fertile (Lev. 26:4), land under a curse lacks water, is infertile, and is subject to ...

17. Parables Discourse: Importance of Response to the Kingdom Message

Matthew 13:1-23

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... 43, 49–50), yet they will continue to be characterized by frequent misunderstanding (e.g., 15:15–16; 16:5–12). And in Matthew thus far Jesus’ teaching and preaching has been available to all (e.g., 4:17; 5:1–7:29). So “the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom” must be understood in light of these narrative realities. The difference between just hearing and hearing followed by receiving is somehow tied to the very nature of the kingdom, which is both hidden and revealed (see “Teaching the ...

18. The End Times

Daniel 12:1-13

Understanding Series

William Nelson

... instead of the equivalent Greek word, the LXX has “evil,” which translated back into Hebrew is raʿah. Since the Hebrew d looks very much like an r and the t compares to the h, it is quite possible that the original text had “evil,” which was accidentally changed to “knowledge” in what was handed down in the MT. 12:5 The term for river is yeʾor (see also 12:6 and 7). While this Hebrew word normally identifies the Nile in Egypt (e.g., Exod. 2:3, 5; 4:9; 7:15, 18), in this verse it just means ...

19. Nabuchadnezzar’s Dream and Daniel's Interpretation

Daniel 2:1-23, Daniel 2:24-49

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... :8), and remains accessible to us through Scripture (Jer. 29:13). Encourage believers to look to the one true God for guidance in daily living, as well as for expectations regarding the future of their world. 3. Opportunities for believers in a dark world without knowledge of God. The limitations of human power and wisdom must be faced head-on in today’s preaching and teaching. But go beyond this by helping your audience to see the dark world around them as an opportunity to be messengers of God’s word ...

20. Proverbs of Solomon

Proberbs 10:1--22:16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... cleanup work to do in the barn, but less harvested grain as well. The focus of 14:5–7 is speech, both in a legal setting (14:5; cf. 12:17) and in general. Mocking fools cannot obtain wisdom; therefore, their words will be devoid of true knowledge (14:6–7). Proverbs 14:8–15 addresses self-perception and self-deception, framed by the phrase “the prudent give thought to their ways/steps” (14:8, 15). The prudent perceive where they are heading, while fools do not have a clue! Mockers do not even take ...

21. Elihu

Job 32:1--37:24

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... are not false is, of course, the issue under discussion. If Job’s claims are true, then Elihu’s words would indeed be proven false—as they are by the end of the book. Not only does Elihu deny falsehood, he also claims that he is perfect in knowledge. The word “perfect” here (temim) is from the same root (tmm) that describes Job’s own character in chapters 1 through 2 (see the discussion on 1:1 in §1 and on 31:40 in §111). This verbal link pits these two characters and their conflicting words ...

22. Colossians 1:1-14

Colossians 1:1-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... about how the Divine plans and works. Only because they are in relationship with God through Christ are believers able to bear the fruits of faith. The fruits of faith Paul lifts up that will reveal to the world a Christian with "true knowledge" include strength, endurance, patience, joy and thankfulness. Human character is too frail to produce these fruits on its own. Theological virtues grow directly out of God's "glorious power" (v.11). There is much discussion over how the final verses of today's ...

23. Thanksgiving and Prayer

Philippians 1:1-11

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... of heart and purpose that arise from occasional clashes of personality and temperament. Paul returns to the subject in 2:2, where he urges his readers to make his “joy complete by … ‘having the same love.’ ” This love, he trusts, will be accompanied by knowledge and depth of insight. Paul was not blind to the dangers of emotion uncontrolled by intelligence. He was resolved, by his own account, to pray and sing “with my spirit, but … also … with my mind” (1 Cor. 14:15), and he was equally ...

24. Walking in the Light

1 John 1:5--2:14, 1 John 2:15-17

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... in 3:23 and 5:13. It is by faith in his name (who he is and what he has done) that we are forgiven and have eternal life. 2:13 The second decisive victory of the Johannine Christians who have remained loyal to the Elder is knowledge of God/ Christ. The fathers (possibly a reference to the community’s more experienced leaders, but certainly representative of all Christians) have come to know him who is from the beginning. Their spiritual experience is not bogus but authentic. As the author writes in 2:3 ...

25. The Divine Plan of Salvation

Romans 11:33-36

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... 11:35) 3. Doxology to God’s plan (11:36) Note the chiastic structure of 11:33–35: A Riches (11:33) B Wisdom (11:33) C Knowledge (11:33) C? Who has known the mind of the Lord? (11:34a) B? Who has been the Lord’s counselor? (11:34b) A? Who has ... God and Christ here in Romans 11:36.4 Interpretive Insights 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! Romans 11:33–36 appropriately concludes Paul’s overview of salvation history in chapters 9–11, the driving force of which ...

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