It’s that time of the year again, when all the coolest bloggers bring their Top 10 lists out of the woodwork. “Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new’? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after” (Eccl 1:10-11).
This post lists the top 10 viewed posts this year, from among the posts we wrote this year. Next week, we’ll list the top 10 viewed posts from the full KW archive. May these lists give you much to consider and delight in as the holidays fill you with peace on earth and good will toward men.
10. No Good Tree Bears Bad Fruit
Six of the ten posts on this year’s list come from Ryan’s keyboard. This first entry looks at a quotable quote from two of Jesus’ sermons to show that he sometimes used the same phrases to mean different things. “Words and phrases have little to no meaning when lifted from their context.”
9. Context Matters: The Ten Commandments
We spent much time this year seeking to persuade readers that context matters. This is not the only such post to have landed with readers (if the pageview statistics can be interpreted as interest), and if we made the list longer, entries 11 through 15 would also be of the same ilk. This post shows that what is brief in Exodus is expanded in Deuteronomy: God Almighty gave these commands to his children out of love.
8. What to Do When the New Testament Quotes the Old
This is the first entry on the list from Peter, in which he argues that the New Testament authors are quoting not sentences but passages. Therefore, we ought to look up the Old Testament quotes and understand their context before we’ll understand how the New Testament author uses that text to make or illustrate his point.
7. What We Miss When We Skip the Prophets
Ryan laments the fact that 21% of the Bible typically doesn’t get 21% of our attention. And as a result, 79% of the Bible is at least 21% misunderstood because the prophetic background is too unfamiliar and thus goes unconsidered. But there is hope. And to find the hope, you have to read the prophets.
6. Reading the Bible for the Ten Thousandth Time
This conclusion to Ryan’s duology (see the next entry) rounds out the lower half of the list. There is a significant jump in pageviews between this and the next most viewed post. This post seeks to help you combat your Bible weariness and pursue continued intimacy with your compassionate Father. Remember: The problem lies not with the book but with us.
5. Reading the Bible for the First Time
This and the next three posts on this list were very close to one another in pageviews. “Imagine that a friend of yours has just become a Christian. She knows of your faith and asks to meet with you. Your friend knows the Bible is an important book for Christians, and she wants to read it. But she has no familiarity with the Bible at all. What would you say to her?”
4. Context Matters: Your Body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit
No, Peter isn’t planning to get a “Mom” tattoo. But he does believe that, were he to debate the issue, “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” would be out of bounds. This post explains why.
3. What Should We Make of the Massive Repetition of Tabernacle Details in Exodus?
Sometimes people fear studying or teaching through the book of Exodus because they fear they won’t know what to do with all the tabernacle details. And then what do you do when nearly every detail is repeated? What a marvelous opportunity to strengthen our observation skills!
2. Context Matters: Valley of Dry Bones
“The Lord himself makes the interpretation clear to Ezekiel. There is no reason for us to be unclear on this ourselves. The dead bones coming back to life are a picture of the exiled people being brought back into the land of Israel, placed in their own land. A people without hope are resurrected to new hope.”
1. 4 Bible Studies for Lent
Last year, Ryan proposed a set of sample Bible studies for Advent. This year, he took on Lent. These studies each focus on one gospel’s account of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection. These studies take you right to the text, building your confidence that you can study God’s word for yourself.
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