Jesus Christ in Every Old Testament Book
GENESIS portrays God as creating the world (1:1), which we know Christ was apart of according to John 1:2. “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Because the first Adam failed in the garden (ch. 3), we need the last Adam for redemption (1Co. 15:22). […]
If Polygamy Is Wrong, Why Does God Commend It?
Not only does God condone polygamy, the story goes, but he actively promotes it. Exhibit A: The Lord’s words to King David in 2 Samuel 12.
The Secret Place: A Reflection of Moses
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. – Psalm 91:1 Face to face, this man God knew In cherished ways, though known by few With gaudy epochs long since passed ‘Ere this old man, to God had asked— “Your face, pure glory, let […]
The Woman at the Well (part 1)
The outcast came at noon. The time When noses high and looks sublime Shaped the sneering maiden faces Who, deep down, with hidden traces Knew this shameful wretch was no worse Than they. The husbands they would curse At home could vouch: “If only walls Could talk”, they’d tell the sins—the calls— Of scorn and […]
Should Parents Discipline Their Children When Angry?
I once heard a pastor say: “All displays of anger are sinful.” It’s also been said that parents should never discipline their children in anger. Is that true? When Johnny foments discord, or hits his sister, or disrespects his mother, is it ever valid for his father to show anger in voice or mannerisms? Consider […]
Why the Old Testament Doesn’t Rebuke Polygamy
One of the arguments people use to minimize the sinfulness of modern-day polygamy—especially in Africa—is the apparent blind eye God has towards it in the Old Testament. John Reisinger writes: “There is no instance in the Old Testament Scripture that suggests, in any way, that polygamy was a sin. This does not prove that polygamy […]
A Parent’s Persistent Prayer
The Canaanite’s daughter was wasting away, but when the Mother heard that the Healer was in town, she pounced on him like a dog on a flung stick. Her story in Matthew 15 is full of emotional upheaval, packed tightly with passionate appeal and near embarrassing groveling. Mom cries (v. 22). Jesus flat ignores her […]
What is the Central Gospel Passage on Divorce?
Matthew 19:3-12: 3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother […]
Was Judas Converted?
Here’s an incredible quote from John Nolland in his NIGTC commentary on Matthew regarding Judas’ suicide in 27:5. The Christian tradition has been fiercely against suicide, and not without good reason. The present text has been a major impetus to the negative moral evaluation of suicide, and it may be responsible for some of the more […]
What is the Central OT Passage on Divorce?
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 is vital not only because it is the only OT law specifically dealing with divorce but also because it forms the background of Jesus’ discussion on the same topic with the Pharisees. The text contains three elements: the protasis (the “when” part—describes the conditions), the apodosis (the “then” part—the main clause giving a […]