The Lord’s Eating With Sinners in Luke 5
By Kathryn Wright I. INTRODUCTION In the Gospel of Luke, a consistent theme is found in the Lord’s encounters with various groups of people. Luke presents Him as sitting at a table and eating with them. While the other Gospel writers speak of the Lord’s participating in certain meals (e.g., Matt 26:6-7; Mark 14:3ff.), Luke […]
Who Are Those on the “Outside”? (Mark 4:11)
KENNETH W. YATES Editor I. INTRODUCTION In Mark 4, Jesus begins to speak in parables to the Jews who come to hear Him. When the disciples ask Him why He has begun this practice, the Lord says that those on the “outside” will hear everything in parables, but that He will explain the meaning of […]
The Book of Romans. Ariel’s Bible Commentary
The Book of Romans. Ariel’s Bible Commentary. By Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum. San Antonio, TX: Ariel Ministries; 2022. 408 pp. Hardcover, $19.00. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum is founder and head of Ariel Ministries in San Antonio, Texas. Ariel is a ministry that evangelizes and also produces discipleship resources from a Messianic Jewish perspective. The ministry emphasizes taking […]
Cain: Testing the Limits of God’s Love
Bob Bryant1 Cypress Valley Bible Church Marshall, TX I. INTRODUCTION We read about Cain in Genesis 4: Now the man had relations with his wife Eve. And she conceived and gave birth to Cain. And she said, “I’ve gotten a man child with the help of the Lord.” And again, she gave birth to his […]
To Be (or not to Be) Summoned to the Final Judgment: John 5:28-29 in Light of 5:24
John H. Niemelä1 Message of Life Knoxville, TN I. INTRODUCTION Amen, amen, I tell you, the one who listens to My word and believes the One who sent Me has everlasting life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life (John 5:24). Do not be shocked at this, because an […]
The Role of Christ in Our Salvation
Bob Wilkin Executive Director Grace Evangelical Society I. INTRODUCTION The doctrine of salvation, also known as soteriology—from the Greek word for salvation, sōtēria—typically is divided into five to ten major categories, including the Person of Christ, the work of Christ, eternal security, the terms of salvation, election, sanctification, and perseverance. All treatments of soteriology begin […]
Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe
Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe. By Voddie T. Baucham, Jr. Washington, D.C.: Salem Books, 2021. 251 pp. Hardcover, $24.99. Baucham addresses the problem of critical race theory, intersectionality, critical social justice, and their impact on our society and Evangelicalism. These ideas view racism as being engrained in the very fabric […]
The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
Kathryn Wright Columbia, SC I. INTRODUCTION One of the most well-known parables of the Lord is the Parable of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:25-37.1 In studying the literature, I have discovered at least two primary issues surrounding this teaching by Christ. The first is the danger of the interpreter to allegorize the parable. […]
Rapture Imminence on Trial: An Examination of the “Any Moment Rapture” of the Church
Rapture Imminence on Trial: An Examination of the “Any Moment Rapture” of the Church. By Tom Keeley. Township, NJ: BookBaby, 2020. 188 pp. Paper, $15.07. For many years, Tom Keeley believed in the pretribulation Rapture of the church. After much study, he concluded that he was wrong. He adopted the prewrath view. This position maintains […]
Darkness at the Cross (Mark 15:33)
KENNETH W. YATES Editor I. INTRODUCTION Each Synoptic Gospel writer mentioned that when Jesus was dying on the cross, darkness fell upon the land for three hours (Matt 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44). However, because of the general nature of narrative literature, we are not told the significance of this darkness. In this article, I […]