Home » Posts tagged New Testament
Depends What the Meaning of “OF” Is
Grammar stinks…. just kidding; I love grammar, but I’m hoping that by pretending not to that you will suck it up and actually read all the way to the bottom of my 800 or so words on “OF” in Mark 1:1. Prepositions are those funny little words that...
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Name that Quote: Exodus 23:20, Malachi 3:1, and Isaiah 40:3 in Mark 1:2
I will never forget my first Master’s paper at Regent University. I called it, “How They Got This Out of That.” I worked hard in my undergraduate programs (Yes, programs plural… I had a sordid flirtation with more than one Bible College before beginning my graduate studies.) but...
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“As” if: Mark 1:2-4 as a Single Sentence
There is a certain beauty in translation. It is not only a science, but also an art… some would say not even a science. There are all kinds of philosophies that govern how a given translation attempts to render one language into another, and while I don’t have...
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Jesus’ Resurrection, the First Fruits of our Eternity
The resurrection of Jesus is not just one grand miracle amid a ministry filled with grand miracles. It stands alone among all the works of Jesus for the magnitude of its significance in the lives of the followers of Jesus, the Christ. It is a unique event not...
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A Crazy Proposal About Jesus and the Woman at the Well
Okay, as promised, this is the last post on the popular type-scene “Foreigner at the Well.” I hope it will be rewarding enough to warrant a gander. No, you don’t have to pay a goose to read it, just take a curious poke into it to check it...
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An Additional 3 Reasons Every Christian Leader Should Learn Biblical Languages
If you still aren’t convinced that learning biblical languages is worth the effort and time it will take to learn them (which is not as much as you imagine), I’ll list an additional 3 ways that learning biblical languages can enhance your ministry. Remember! when I use the...
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Yet 3 More Reasons Every Christian Leader Should Learn Biblical Languages
I don’t know about you, but I am constantly bombarded by “helpful” suggestions about all the things I ought to be doing about my health, my work, my family, my finances, all those books I’ve just GOT to read. Frankly, it’s exhausting just hearing about it all. So...
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Another 3 Reasons Every Christian Leader Should Learn Biblical Languages
Don’t allow self-defensive thoughts like, “So, everything I’ve done for X years was a misguided waste?” “So, I’m not good enough?” “So! You think I can’t properly interpret the Scriptures in English?” prevent you from taking that next vital step in your dedication to radically improving your knowledge...
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3 Reasons Every Christian Leader Should Learn Biblical Languages
I realize that the second someone makes a statement like, “Every Christian leader should learn biblical languages,” feelings of condemnation erupt. “So, everything I’ve done for X years was a misguided waste?” “So, I’m not good enough?” “So, I can’t properly interpret the Scriptures in English?” If I...
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Body Parts, Wives and Other Stuff in 1st Thessalonians 4:4
Let’s consider three different translations for 1 Thessalonians 4:4 in context. Paul uses a figure of speech that has many people scratching their heads. The King James takes a rather literal approach. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6 reads: For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye...
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Stumbling Stones Among Us
Some Scriptures cause me pain, especially when held in tension with others… seemingly conflicting ideas pulling at the soul, demanding wisdom… and let’s face it, wisdom can be exhausting. It’s so much easier to either throw caution to the wind or to develop a strict moral code in...
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