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This is Matthew ‘the Taxman’ Apostle, coming to you live and ringside, bringing you blow by blow coverage for this evening’s main event. We’ve got quite a bout for you tonight, Folks… a real David and Goliath struggle for power that promoters have dubbed “the Contest of Kings.”...
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December 13, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
Question: How do you think the newly formed church thrived in the face of persecution and prospered spiritually in spite of the martyrdom of Stephen and James? First Answer: The Twelve Apostles were leading the church through the power of the Holy Spirit in effective witness to the...
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September 26, 2022 Mithun Borde
Biblical Studies, New Testament Studies, Uncategorized
I love discovering deeper layers of meaning in books and movies than stand out on the surface. I thrill when, having read or watched something on one level, I discover upon further personal meditation or discussion with others the true profundity of the work. Of the many things...
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September 23, 2022 Andrew Sargent
New Testament Studies, NT's Use of the OT, Uncategorized
A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. It is not uncommon when teens grow into young adults to mistake their college level introduction to philosophy, theology, science, or even biblical studies (often from faithless instructors) as worldview shattering enlightenment. Arrogance in this “knowledge” often overwhelms faith. In...
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September 22, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
John the Baptist is an important figure in all four gospels. Mark begins with John’s baptisms, Luke with the events of his birth, and John weaves him into the prologue of the incarnation as one sent from God. One thing that the New Testament does NOT begin with,...
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August 10, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
When going to Bible college, my professors were wont to say that God’s ten plagues against Egypt were attacks against the gods of Egypt. Did not Yahweh say to Moses in Exodus 12:12, “…on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD”? Just as...
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August 1, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
The story of the burning bush is rather famous among Sunday School aficionados. In fact, in a completely made up nation-wide survey of 5-10 year olds who attended church at least bi-monthly with their families in 2019—there were not enough kids for the 2020 study—the story of the...
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July 29, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
The story of Cain and Abel is usually heralded as a classic tale of sibling rivalry, hate, and murder. It is a tale of persecution, the godless hating the righteous. Is this not the very perspective of none other than Jesus Himself in Matthew 23:35? While this is...
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July 27, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
Oaths are self-curses made before God or gods to establish the trustworthiness of promises or testimony. Oaths were religious tools for securing good faith between potential enemies so that they might have some relationship or safe interaction. Think of our common school yard oath, “Cross my heart and...
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July 25, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
Believe it or not, John 5 should be read in light of John 9. If you take John 5 out of the gospel and read it by itself, you will fail to gain several insights into that story that its brother story in John 9 is meant to...
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July 22, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
Pst… Psst… Pssst… Hey! You! Come over here, I want to tell you something you won’t believe about John 4. It blew my mind. Doing Old Testament Studies, sometimes you discover something wonderful about the New Testament. Not too long ago I discovered something magical about John 4...
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July 20, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
If a Bible reader had to nominate some group in Scripture for “Most Hated,” I doubt many would name anyone other than the tax collectors. In fact, tax collectors are singled out for scorn directly or indirectly over 30 times in the synoptic gospels. Jewish hatred for tax...
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July 18, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
If a Bible reader had to single out some group in the Bible who seemed particularly despised, I doubt many would name anyone other than the tax collectors. In fact, they are singled out for scorn directly or indirectly over 30 times in the synoptic gospels. Are we...
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July 15, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
This Christmas, I refuse to stoke my own superior minded ego by telling you all the things we Christians get wrong about the visit of the Magi… how they don’t actually show up on the night of Jesus’ birth… how they most likely weren’t kings… how we have...
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July 11, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
Happy New Years!!! Whoopdeedoo! The calendar went back to January 1st, alert the media, break out the fireworks, dance in the streets… with coats and mittens. Why do we make such a big tadoo over it? Is it not just a calendar… just one more trip around the...
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July 8, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
One of my favorite things to study in the Bible is the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament. I say USE because the New Testament writers do many things with the Old Testament, only one of which is to interpret it for us. They apply it, draw...
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July 6, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
Genesis 1:27 single handedly lays down one of the most important and diverse theological concepts in all of Scripture. It says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” It is not uncommon...
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July 4, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
I am quite interested in the work of those who investigate the details of the Genesis creation stories along scientific lines. I wholly support any honest study of the possibilities of things like a global flood,[1] genetic analysis to see if man really does trace its origins back...
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June 30, 2022 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
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December 21, 2021 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
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December 18, 2021 Andrew Sargent
Uncategorized
