Racism and the Rapture
Our culture is saturated with accusations of racism. There are certainly racists in every community, and with every color of skin. We would expect that in a world dominated by sin. But I think most of us would agree that charges of racism have gotten out of hand. In some circles, a person who supports […]
He Who Believes in Jesus Is Saved, But He Who Believes That Jesus Is the Christ Is Not?
Stephanie sent me a link to an article by a defender of the Christian faith, an apologist. The 2018 article by J. Warner Wallace is entitled, “When Belief ‘That’ Becomes Belief ‘In.’” See here. See also this article at gotquestions.org that makes the same argument. Stephanie writes, “Can you help me understand this article? It […]
Israel’s Future
The late Charles Krauthammer, a Pulitzer winning columnist, once said this about Israel: “Israel is the very embodiment of Jewish continuity: It is the only nation on earth that inhabits the same land, bears the same name, speaks the same language and worships the same God that it did 3,000 years ago” (Charles Krauthammer, Things […]
What Was a Mystery in the OT Revealed in the NT?
The word mystery (mustērion) occurs twenty-seven times in the NT. Twenty of those times, or seventy-four percent, occur in Paul’s writings. It only occurs three times in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And it occurs four times in Revelation. We will focus on two things that Paul calls a mystery. A mystery was not something that […]
She Can Speak, but You Can’t (Luke 1:42-45)
In Luke 1:42-45, Elisabeth is given a great privilege. She is carrying John the Baptist in her womb. Mary, who will give birth to Jesus Christ, comes to her home. What an exciting meeting! Luke records what happens when the mothers of the two sons who will change not only Israel’s history, but the entire […]
Do Dead People Get Another Chance?
It’s easy to get caught in a bubble. We unconsciously assume that the things we think or worry about are the things that everybody thinks and worries about. Every now and then, however, our bubbles burst, and we realize that isn’t the case. Somebody will ask a question or discuss an issue that never occurs […]
How Much Does the Bible Talk about Suffering?
One thing I’ve noticed is that certain doctrines in the Bible, for whatever reason, do not get the attention they deserve. Most readers of this blog will probably recognize that one such doctrine is the doctrine of rewards. The vast majority of Christians know very little about the topic. They even say it is not […]
What Promise Was Foremost in Paul’s Mind in His Epistles?
The other day, I heard Pastor Barkef Osigian exposit Gal 3:15-29. He pointed out that the word promise occurs eight times in those verses. Barkef’s message got me to do some thinking and write this blog. The word promise occurs thirty times in Paul’s epistles. He refers to promises, plural, six times (Rom 9:4; 15:8; […]
Three Truly Great People in One Room (Luke 1:39-45)
One day a little over 2,000 years ago, three truly great people came together in a house located in the hill country of a small, insignificant nation. One was named Mary. In later years, she would become known to billions as the mother of God. People would even falsely worship her as such. Another person […]
How and Why I’d Like to Change the Order of the NT Books
I thank Brian and Nicole Rossen for asking me how I’d arrange the books of the NT and why. The why is easy. Most people start reading the NT with Matthew. But to understand Matthew, you must first understand John. If you do not grasp the promise of everlasting life by faith apart from works […]