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Archive by category Biblical Studies (Page 6)
In this series I am unpacking seven paths of investigation that a person should take in his or her attempt to understand a New Testament author’s USE of an Old Testament passage. Many imagine that texts like Matthew 2:15—in which an historical comment in Hosea 11:1 is used...
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March 31, 2017 Andrew Sargent
New Testament Studies, NT's Use of the OT, Old Testament Studies
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We’ve been considering the claim that Matthew’s appeal to YHWH’s historical deliverance of Israel from Egypt in Hosea 11:1 is proof positive that the NT writers cared little to nothing for the original context of the passages they quoted. They had, it is claimed, a Jesus hermeneutical lens...
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March 20, 2017 Andrew Sargent
Biblical Language Issues, New Testament Studies, NT's Use of the OT, Old Testament Studies
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In this series we are laying the ground work for analyzing the common suggestion that Matthew 2:15 proves that the New Testament writers don’t care about the original context of the Old Testament texts that they interpret …and, thus, neither should we. I insist that they did care...
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March 15, 2017 Andrew Sargent
Biblical Studies, New Testament Studies, NT's Use of the OT, Old Testament Studies
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In part 1 of this series I introduced the common accusation that Matthew 2:15 proves that the New Testament writers don’t care about context. Matthew takes a text that was clearly intended to make an historical statement about God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt and declares it to...
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March 13, 2017 Andrew Sargent
Biblical Studies, New Testament Studies, NT's Use of the OT, Old Testament Studies
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Matthew 2:15 is one of those passages that bothered me a lot when I was a young Bible college student. After reading the original passage from which this “fulfillment” was quoted, I asked a prof in class one day, little realizing the historical significance of my wording, “How...
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March 8, 2017 Andrew Sargent
101 Most Misunderstood Verses, Biblical Studies, HAGALAH, New Testament Studies, NT's Use of the OT
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We have invited Melodie Sargent, a student at Northpoint Bible college, back again to deliver another blog post. This time her attention is turned the importance of rhetorical structure in the first prophetic sermon of Amos. Enjoy. Amos 1:3–2:16 Background During the righteous reign of King Uzziah (Amos...
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March 3, 2017 Andrew Sargent
HAGALAH, Old Testament Studies
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This is a heavily edited New Years Day message that I delivered at Darlington Congregational Church in Pawtucket Rhode Island a few years ago. Being heavily edited, it is not only short, but also gets to the point without a lot of hoopla. I consider the importance that...
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February 24, 2017 Andrew Sargent
Bible Backgrounds, Biblical Theology, New Testament Studies, NT's Use of the OT, Old Testament Studies
Today we have a guest blogger. Melodie Sargent is a student at Northpoint Bible College and has written a short reflection paper on issues related to the reliability of Scripture. Rather than work the typical saws that we Evangelicals work in terms of fulfilled prophecy and the like,...
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February 17, 2017 Andrew Sargent
Bible Backgrounds, Theology
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When I first made my attempt at radio, I tried my hand at some discussions with just me and my recorder at home. I use audacity and love it. This is a funky version of me delivering a lecture without the intellectual stimulation of a bemused or confused...
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February 13, 2017 Andrew Sargent
HAGALAH
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A couple years ago, I received a phone call on a late Thursday afternoon asking if I could be the main speaker at a Men’s Conference two days hence. Something dreadful had happened to the scheduled speaker and they needed somebody fast and furious… without the guns and...
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February 6, 2017 Andrew Sargent
HAGALAH
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Okay, so we’ve established that reading the books of the writing prophets is hard. They wrote in poetry; they make casual reference to cultural practices of which the modern reader is completely ignorant; they preach to their own people about events that are happening around them, without feeling...
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February 1, 2017 Andrew Sargent
Biblical Studies, Inductive Study Methods, Old Testament Studies
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Okay, so the Prophetic books in Scripture are both awesome and awfully difficult to understand. They have a pesky habit of preaching under divine inspiration about events that they never explain… they didn’t need to; their original audience already knew all about it. Another difficulty that plagues their...
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January 30, 2017 Andrew Sargent
Bible Backgrounds, Biblical Studies, Inductive Study Methods, Old Testament Studies
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In my last post, I introduced the background to the book of Isaiah in vague pictures designed to capture the essence of the political, social & religious dynamic at work in his world. This portrait is an essential part of understanding the many prophetic sermons recorded in the...
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January 25, 2017 Andrew Sargent
Bible Backgrounds, Biblical Studies, HAGALAH, Old Testament Studies
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Let’s be honest. Reading “The Prophets” is hard. Well, reading them isn’t hard, at least not in translation, but understanding them is. I’m talking about books like, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and The Book of the Twelve… what we like to call “the minor prophets.” These books are victims...
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January 23, 2017 Andrew Sargent
Bible Backgrounds, Biblical Studies, Old Testament Studies
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The garment hem plays an unexpected role in many Scriptures. It is unexpected because we have nothing like it in our western world. Below is a link a recent lecture I delivered on the subject of the importance of reading Scripture within ITS OWN historical context and not in...
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January 20, 2017 Andrew Sargent
101 Most Misunderstood Verses, Bible Backgrounds, HAGALAH, Inductive Study Methods, Old Testament Studies
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I love puzzles, always have. Growing up, I saw puzzles of all kinds as a natural exercise of my desire to be a detective someday, tracing out subtle clues to help me zero in on bad guys. Becoming a biblical scholar, then, has always seemed right on target...
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January 18, 2017 Andrew Sargent
101 Most Misunderstood Verses, Bible Backgrounds, Biblical Studies, Biblical Theology, HAGALAH, New Testament Studies, NT's Use of the OT, Old Testament Studies
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One of my favorite gags in the old 1980’s TV show, Taxi, has a nervous Tony Danza shaving several times throughout the day to keep himself fresh looking for an important late afternoon appointment. At nearly the last minute he comes down the stairs in the taxi center...
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January 16, 2017 Andrew Sargent
Biblical Studies, HAGALAH, Inductive Study Methods, New Testament Studies
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How many Israelite characters can you name who ministered to Gentiles? Moses came out of Egypt with a mixed multitude who were absorbed into Israel. David had Gentiles as part of his entourage. Like Uriah whom he murdered after stealing his wife. Elijah won Naaman in 2nd Kings...
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January 11, 2017 Andrew Sargent
New Testament Studies, Old Testament Studies
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I’m sure most of you have heard at least five prodigal son sermons in your lifetime… I’ve been around a while and can lay claim to at least 20 myself… in fact, I’ve preached more than five… not including the little mini-sermons I’ve been doing in co-operation with...
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January 9, 2017 Andrew Sargent
Biblical Studies, HAGALAH, Inductive Study Methods, New Testament Studies
During my recent convalescence after surgery I received a disturbing letter from an earnest young man who was understandably distraught over his shunning from a congregation for whom he felt deep familial attachments. I know I joke around a lot, but I intend no jest here. His church...
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January 7, 2017 Andrew Sargent
Contexualization, NT's Use of the OT, Society, Theology
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